Winging it Wednesday

First off, thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog. I’m always amazed when people check out what I’ve written and am always open to discuss what I put out there. I often wonder if my writing ever makes a difference for anyone and I realized, I can hope that others are encouraged by my words but most of all I write for myself ~ living the RV life for the past 17 years has not always been conducive to having in-person friendships. But I have made many online and RV friends. Some of those friends we have had the opportunity to meet in person and our friendships have grown.

I was looking for a catchy title for today’s post and couldn’t really come up with anything so I’m winging it and just sharing from my heart. And that is really what my blog has become ~ a place for me to share from my heart, what I’m learning about Poppa God, about myself and what Jesus wants from and for me.

As I have often stated “I’m amazed at how Poppa God brings different parts of my life all together ~ I really shouldn’t be amazed but it always surprises me 😀 and the past few days that has happened again.

I’m involved in two Bible studies and we have started going to a new church and in the past few days a couple of words havePas popped up many times ~

Patience and Endurance

Pastor Joel used it to say “don’t give up” and said “we can do most anything for a little while ~ we endure things to get to an outcome that we are reaching for even if it’s not pleasant.

Romans 8:25 ~ we hope in what we do not see and wait patiently. And I read somewhere “patience is not the ability to wait BUT it is how I act while I am waiting.” I said “ouch” after reading that line, and had to read it again and admit and seek forgiveness because I am often quickly frustrated instead of waiting patiently.

Ashlynn had shared in our I Thessalonians study that God will never force himself on us; it is our choice to love and follow Him. Poppa God also doesn’t want us to live in confusion, so be persistent in seeking Him and His wisdom. And she encouraged us to pray for endurance ~ to stick to the Bible study and not to give up.

This week I have been studying I Thessalonians Chapter 1. I have gleaned so much from it, some things I hadn’t thought of before and other things that are reminders that I tend to forget ~

• Give thanks for everything; I started a Gratitude Calendar around the middle of September. Here’s a peek at this week

• Poppa God CHOSE me!!!
• Idols ~ idols are anything that keeps me from Jesus, doing the Lord’s work or what responsibilities I have as a wife, mom, grammy, sister or friend. Some of the idols I have identified in my life is using/abusing Facebook ~ easily becomes a time waster for me, gluttony ~ over eating/binging on stuff that is not healthy for me

• John Calvin (1509-1564) says “everyone are all but driven to despair until faith seasonably comes to their aid…yet they trust in His goodness…which lightens the difficulty of endurance and take comfort in the hope of the final deliverance!”
• Isaiah 44:20 reminds me that a deceived mind (the lies of the devil) leads us astray. And I know that it is the devil’s lies that keeps my depression going up/down the roller coaster. When I take my focus off of Jesus is when I stumble and fall and that is when depression lives triumphantly in my life.

• Also from Pastor Joel this past Sunday, “the Bible may hurt (challenge) you with convictions (THE TRUTH) but it will never comfort you with a lie!” ~ think on that for a bit.