Jesus Calling - Day 37 - February 6, 2015

“When your focus turns away from Me, you grasp for other things.  You drop the glowing gift of My Presence as you reach for lifeless ashes.”    This goes hand in hand with yesterday’s devotion.  In the busyness season I experienced at the end of 2013,  I took my eyes off of the One who could give me the rest that I needed.  I began to grasp at the frustration of not having time to unplug from everything.  When I was faced with interruptions, I did drop the gift of His Presence.  The longer it took me to dust those ashes off, the longer I stayed frustrated and upset.  I need to follow the example that Jesus did when he grieved the death of his friend, John.  He did not dwell on his grief but returned to the ministry that he came to do.  

When I am faced with difficulties, frustrations or hardships, I am learning not to dwell in that place.  I love this picture of keeping the gift of His Presence in my hands.  If I reach for the junk that surrounds me, I will drop this precious gift and become focused on negative things.  Yet if I only glance at the circumstances while holding the gift of His Presence, I will react more in a Christ-like manner than a self-centered one.  

Keeping My Eyes on Him! 

mama eydie!

Jesus Calling - Day 36 - February 5, 2015

“To receive My Peace, you must change your grasping, controlling stance to one of openness and trust.”  Over the past eight years I have definitely experienced His Peace as I trust Him with my daily life.  When I first wrote this in 2014, I had just walked through a rough 4 months.   In a nutshell, from October 2013 to January 2014 included helping Carol move, 3 trips to Maryland, 1 trip to Uganda, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kiana home, Disaster Relief training for Ventura County, & ITW at CBU.  I was so looking forward to being home this week.  Then somewhere in the midst of ITW, I realized that I have Blue Cap Training for Disaster Relief in Fresno for 2 1/2 days.  

I learned that not only do I need to trust the Lord in the midst of busy schedules, but I need to trust Him with my quiet times.  He knows that I need a time of rest.  Yet, when I start to order my day and control my thoughts, even for a day of just peace, it damages my soul and the very peace that I desire.  

Matthew 14 gives the account of the death of John the Baptist.  Verses 13-14 are what I thought of in the midst of my desiring to be alone. ”Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.  When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”   I am sure that Jesus was grieved at the news of the death of His friend.  Yet He trusted His Father during that time of grief and gave me a great example to follow.   The the Life Application Study Bible it said, “He didn’t dwell on his grief but he returned to the ministry that he came to do.”  

Interesting that as I write this now, I was coming off of the same busy season.  But this time I wasn’t helping Carol move or having to attend Disaster Relief trainings.  As I read this I had forgotten how overwhelming that time was in my life.  Since then, the biggest difference is not that I have less on my plate.  Going to Uganda, (and getting stuck there!), Maryland and ITW still was challenging.  It is February 5th and I am still undecorating the house from Christmas!  I have had moments I have not trusted Him and become anxious. But learning the lesson of letting go in those moments of anxiousness has made all the difference in the world.   Yesterday I had to “pull away from the crowds” to experience His peace.  So last night when I led Bible study I was ready and better equipped.  

He knows my needs.  I rest in that today trusting Him to refresh me and fill me with His Peace!   

Seeking His Face,

mama eydie 

Jesus Calling - Day 35 - February 4, 2015

If you knew me prior to my going to Uganda on that first mission’s trip, you would know this statement definitely represented me, “Do not wear yourself out with analyzing and planning.”  I was busy.  That’s all there is too it.

Once I prioritized and began to focus on my RELATIONSHIP with Jesus, I began to live in the “radiance of His Presence.”  I began to experience His Peace.  My focus was no longer based on pleasing others or being busy.  I started simply spending quality time with Him daily.

So many people who knew me before Uganda still characterize me as the “busy” person I was prior to Uganda.  It took me a lifetime to become that person and I am having a hard time shaking off that image!  But even in the midst of busy seasons for me, I am not the same person I was back then.  Sometimes I think people base who we are by our Facebook posts.  That is why I no longer post frequently, especially my activities.  I contemplated quitting Facebook altogether because some people were getting too judgemental over my "busyness" and posted things publicly to prove their point.  

Yes, there are seasons that my “schedule” is fuller than others.  For example, I just went to Uganda, Maryland & then ISPland for ITW! Yes...I would call that busy!  But now I have been home for 3 days and basically been home resting!    I protect my time alone with HIm enjoying His Presence!  To some, my "busyness" may not have changed in their eyes.  Yet the biggest difference is my focus.  I am making it my "life goal to be pleasing to God" not to others. (2 Corinthians 5:9).  This is key.  When I do this I am at Peace instead of anxious.  If He is pleased with me today, that is all that matters.   The more that I spend in His Word and in prayer & worship, the more I relax in Him.   I appreciate Sarah Young’s words today that really speak to the heart of how I now live my life...“You will cease to notice how weak or strong you feel, because you will be focusing on Me.”   This makes all the difference in the world.

Resting in His Peace today!
mama eydie

Jesus Calling - Day 34 - February 3, 2015

I get teased all the time when I open presents.  I tend to open slowly, trying to lift each piece of scotch tape carefully as to not rip the paper.  I unfold very patiently to prolong the excitement of the gift!  As family and friends look on they watch with smiles.  But if a thought bubble would be raised over their heads I am sure I would see statements like, “Rip the paper already!  Hurry up!”  

Reading the devotion today brought me to the picture of my opening presents.  “Receive today’s gift gratefully, unwrapping it tenderly and delving into its depths.  As you savor this gift, you find Me.”  Yes!!!!  I know whatever gift awaits me it will be good. I trust that when a gift is given it will not hurt me.  Even though I can not see it until the package is opened, I trust nothing bad is going to jump out at me.  

I want to look at each day this way.  I trust God.  I know when I open the gift of today I will find Him!  So family and friends...the way I open presents is here to stay!  Now, I may even go slower!  Oh no!  Ha ha!  

There is another aspect of today’s devotion that impacted me.  Today, February 3, 2015,  one of my former students from an ISP team, has to go to court over the custody of their child.    I have gone with her before to just be present in the court to pray.  Today, my schedule didn’t work out for me to be there.  Yet, I opened up my Jesus Calling for today and saw these words, “I am with you and for you.  You face nothing alone - nothing.  When you feel anxious, know that you are focusing on the visible world and leaving Me out of the picture.  The remedy is simple, Fix your eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen.”  Sarah Young bases this on Scripture ... 

Romans 8:31, “...If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”

2 Corinthians 4:18, “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.  For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”  

She has others with her.  More important, the Lord is with her and for her.  I just got off the phone praying with her.  She gave me permission to share this so we would all join in prayer.  She had to be at court at 8:30 am.  We don’t have a specific time she stands before the judge.  Just pray this morning as we stand alongside her.  We are praying that His will be done.   

SAVOR the Gift! 

mama eydie! 

Jesus Calling - Day 33 - February 2, 2015

I have got caught in the trap of focusing in on a problem, “circling round and round it in attempts to gain mastery.”  I was miserable when I was caught in this “merry go round” journey.  When I finally got off of that ride, it was as if I was slapped in the face or had a bucket of cold water dumped on me.  It was the wake up call that I was stuck on a ride I didn’t need to stay on.  My energy and attention were all directed to the negative problem.  

During the heyday of the carousel in the U.S. about 1880 to 1921, they would have brass ring devices that were designed to perhaps draw interest or build excitement to riders.   If a rider managed to grab a brass ring, it could be redeemed for a free ride. (Wikipedia)  

In order to grab the ring, you would have to keep your focus.  If you kept your eye on everything else going on around you, it would distract you from reaching the prize.  I think that is the sentiment behind today’s devotion.  If we keep our focus on our problems and feeling sorry for ourselves we will be miserable.  I can testify that it doesn’t fix the problem.   Let’s train ourselves to keep our focus on His Presence.  Our lives sometimes are like a merry-go-round going faster than we would like.  Sit and enjoy His Presence.  We will win the prize each time if we just seek His face every moment of each day. 

Reaching for the Prize! 

mama eydie! 

Jesus Calling - Day 32 - February 1, 2015

Last year, before I left for Uganda, I had a few minutes to speak at my church before they commissioned me off in prayer.  One of the things I remember that I said was, “I am going and just following Him one step at a time.”  It was so exciting to watch God work as I truly did just put one foot in front of the other.  The outcome was so much better than anything I could have planned.  

In my previous fast pace life, I was either so busy planning or worrying about what to do, that I did find myself often “stumbling on the easy path.”  I didn’t realize that I was in trouble. Who knew?  It really is all about “Keeping my mind on the present journey, enjoying His Presence, walking by faith, not by sight, trusting Him to open up the way before me.”  When this truth moved from my head to my heart it made all the difference in the world.  

Another song, “He Moves, You Move” by Audio Adrenaline...

“You, you’re scared to take a step, afraid to see what’s next

So you wait ‘til you think it’s safe to move.  You tend to think too much,

You need to open up your heart to see where He is leading

With a lamp just for your feet, a spotlight just for your path

When He moves, you’ve got to move, you know

You’ve got to lose control, let go.  There’s nothing left to hold on to

This life you live is really not your own.  So where He goes you go, you know

He leads and you follow.  He moves, you move.  He moves, you move

He moves, you move.  When He moves, you move

Right now, is all you ever have so forget the past.  And don’t worry about the future

‘Cause He’s the Author of your story,  So let Him take you on the journey of your life

Oh, it starts tonight

So if I move to the right, or I move to the left

Move up north, move down south, the east or the west

No matter how far I go, or if I stay right here

If I’m in the middle of Your will, there’s nothing left to fear.”

HE MOVES, YOU MOVE!! 

mama eydie! 

Jesus Calling - Day 31 - January 31, 2015

I woke up this morning and I began to praise the Lord by listening to music.  

I put on the song, “Everything to Me” by Avalon.  

“But I'll never be the same because He changed my life when He became...  

Everything to me.  He's more than a story.  More than words on a page of history

He is the air that I breathe, the water I thirst for and the ground beneath my feet

Oh He's everything, everything to me”

Then I listened to the song, “Everything” by Andy Chrisman...

“Everyday there's something more to discover about You

Every time my eyes are uncovered I see more of You

Taken back by the depth of love and the echo of Your name

And the way that You never change  

And there's more, and more, and more and more.”  

I was filled with so much joy as I look to this new day that He has planned for me.  Then I read today’s devotion.  I was reminded of the day that I woke up after I had quit my job. I remember all of the mornings that I woke up that led up to that decision.  Mornings that I had that deep pit anxious feeling in the stomach not knowing what to do.  I woke up worrying, scared, sad and discouraged.  Today the contrast between waking up and worrying about the day or trusting that “He has planned out each day and has it ready for me long before I rise out of bed” is life changing!   When we put the Shield of Faith on each day from Ephesians 6, it is not an inanimate piece of armor.  He is always alert and active.   Put the armor on today then march into battle praising the Lord! 

Psalm 28:7 “the Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”  

Waking up singing songs of Praise!  

mama eydie!