Jesus Calling - Day 71 - March 12, 2015

“If you mouth the words, ‘I trust You’ while anxiously trying to make things go your way, your words ring hollow.”  Ouch!  But how many times have I done this?  Probably too many to count!  

Our ministry in Uganda is a good example of waiting, trusting and hoping.  We now have been involved in Uganda for over 8 years.  We run our ministry trusting in the Lord to guide and provide.  We have countless examples that can illustrate this principle. Since the beginning of our ministry, we knew that we needed a van for transportation.  We did not have the money to purchase one.  We have trusted Him every step of the way as we waited on the answer.  

Just before one of my trips in 2014, I had an anonymous donor tell me that they wanted to make a donation to purchase a van!  This was unsolicited and totally caught me off guard.  I went to Uganda and talked with the person who could help me purchase a van.  I was just investigating the cost at this point.  He told me that the best way would be to import it because it would be cheaper.  He said it would take 3-4 months.  The very next day, he received a phone call that went something like this, “Robert, I have a van I need to sell.  Do you know anyone that would be interested?”  It turns out it was only one year old and in really good shape!  And the cost was just a little over what the donation would cover!  We now own a van!   We waited, had hope and trusted God.  He provided in a way that can only be explained by Him!  

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”  Psalm 27:14 

It is always worth the wait, 

mama eydie 

Jesus Calling - Day 70 - March 11, 2015

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”  2 Corinthians 5:7

“If you live your life too safely, you will never know the thrill of seeing Me working through you.”  When I took the step of faith to quit my job, I remember the emotions of that moment as if it were yesterday.    I remember long before that day came, someone spoke a prophetic word over me.  He said that he felt that God had so much more out there for me.  He said he believed that God was going to work through me in ways that none of us could even imagine.  But...it would take me leaving my job at the church in order for that to happen.  At the time he made that statement, I couldn’t imagine leaving my job there at the church.  I was holding onto what was safe.  Yet the day that I said, “I quit” was such a moment of complete freedom.  

It took a step of faith to walk out onto the water.  It has not all been easy.  I definitely have had moments that I have taken my eyes off Jesus and cried out for help!  But my life is one thrill ride after another now because I stepped out of the safety of what I knew and trusted in Him.  

So glad I stepped out of the boat!  You too can walk on water when you keep your eyes on Him. 

mama eydie 

Jesus Calling - Day 69 - March 10, 2015

“Instead of approaching the day as a blank page that you need to fill up, try living it in a responsive mode; being on the lookout for all that I am doing.”  I think this is a trap that we all can fall into.  We wake up and try to fill up our days with all we want to accomplish in a day.  We start making lists just so we can cross things off!   At the end of the day, I can feel like I got a lot of things accomplished based on how much I checked off!    But what I really want is to get to the end of the day and be in absolute awe of what He had done!  This can only happen if we stop trying to fill our blank pages with lists to cross off.  What would happen if we would live our days in a responsive mode to His calling on our lives?  What would happen if we would put our full trust in God to lead the way? 

When I take teams to Uganda, I ask them to trust me.  We have said in ISP, “In order to go, you have to leave.”  I ask team members to empty themselves and just follow His direction.  This allows the Lord to simply pour into their lives.  This is how I went to Uganda the first time...follow and obey Him.  Because of that act of obedience, my life was turned in the exact direction that He wanted me to go!  His path was much better than the way I was headed.  I can’t imagine where I would be today if I would have insisted that my way was better.  

I had a vision of Disneyland when I read the phrase to “not approach our day as a blank page that I need to fill up.”  Can you imagine arriving at Disneyland to an empty lot trying to fill it in?  That was Walt Disney’s job to create what we now enjoy as “The Happiest Place on Earth.”  Yet, when we approach our day realizing that God has already designed and created our world...all we need to do is respond and follow His direction for our individual lives.   Anywhere we are is the happiest place on earth as long as we are following the True Creator! 

Trusting Him to Fill in the Blanks, 

mama eydie 

Jesus Calling - Day 68 - March 9, 2015

People wonder how I get done all the things I have on my plate. I am not the same person I was 8 years ago.  My life was spinning faster and faster.  I was mainly doing what Sarah Young stated, “The world is a needy place; do not go there for sustenance.”  So not only was I working 12 hour days, I was depending on it to meet my own needs...and I didn’t even know it.   The answer is I have learned to live my daily life returning to the “soothing Center.”  This is where I receive my energy as He fills me with His Love, Joy & Peace!  I would not be able to accomplish the tasks He calls me to if I didn’t spend quiet time alone with Him to rest in His peace and recharge my “batteries.”  I love the phrase, “cushion of calm at the center of my life.” 

I love the care facility where Carol’s mom now lives.  The floor she lives on is called “Reminiscence” specifically designed for Alzheimer’s patients.  One of my trips I was there for 13 days.  I began getting to know the other residents.  On my last day there, one of the ladies came up to where I was sitting.  She pulled up a chair and just began talking to me.  She had a lot of various thoughts all jumbled together.  She was talking really fast and seemed concerned.  She finally made a comment about how she was worried about things in her life that she should be taking care of.   I said, “You don’t have to worry.  It is all being taking care of.”   She said, “Really?  Ok, good.”  She relaxed and you could see her anxiety melt away.  

No matter who we are, we need a gentle reminder that we do not need to worry or be anxious because the Lord our God is with us (Philippians 4:6-7).   I am still learning how to put my complete trust in Him, especially when my world around me spins too fast!  Yet the more I do it, the more I crave that cushion of calm!  I love the picture Sarah Young paints of our weakness being saturated with His Power (and His Peace!) 

Cushions of Peace! 

mama eydie 

Jesus Calling - Day 67 - March 8, 2015

“Seek Me first and foremost; then the rest of your life will fall into place, piece by piece.” Powerful statement that is simple and true. I wish that I would have learned this lesson a lot earlier in life. I see the times when this statement has come to life. When I stop striving to control a situation and seek His direction, everything truly does fall right into place. Most of the time, the outcome is way better than what I was working towards!

When Carol told me that she was moving to Maryland, the shock was more than I could comprehend. Yet, because I knew she was following the Lord’s plan for her life, I knew it was also part of the plan He had for my life. We truly have walked by faith in this process. We didn’t know how we were going to logistically move her mom to Maryland who no longer can walk. God knew and He worked it out better than the plans we had. Every aspect of moving Carol was filled with a lot of “how do we do pull this off?” Who knew? God did! We experienced so many God moments in conjunction with this move of faith. It is turning out so much better than we could have anticipated or planned. I love Washington DC & Maryland! Now, I have a best friend who I regularly get to visit because she said yes to God! God knows the desires of our hearts. He just asks us to seek Him first each day. His ways are so much better than anything we could plan.

Who knows? God does! Every piece of our life, He knows where the pieces fit together. Let His hand be the one that puts it all together for His glory! 

mama eydie

Jesus Calling - Day 66 - March 7, 2015

Day 66 - March 7, 2015 - Jesus Calling

The days that I don’t rely on the Lord to help me are the days that are filled with frustrations.  We are not meant to do life solo.  A good example of this is my last year visiting Carol in Maryland.  Carol & I talked regularly about this being a team effort.  I remember the first time that I went to stay with Carol while her sister and niece came to California.  Carol can not stay alone so they brought me there to be with Carol, take care of the four dogs and the house.   The day I arrived, Carol’s sister, Diane had two lists typed out for me to help me remember what I needed to do.  I loved it!  The 4 small dogs all require specific things...especially when it came to meal time!  I arrived the day before they left so I could shadow Diane to learn what I needed to do.  You can be assured that I followed the list EXACTLY!  They were able to travel to the west coast because they knew their family on the east coast was left in good hands!  The puppies were extremely grateful that I followed the instructions!  

If I would have tried to go about it alone, or worse yet, tossed aside the instructions thinking I knew better than them...it would have been a disaster!  In the same manner, God leaves an instruction manuel for us.  Daily He wants to show us how to depend on Him to walk through everything that we are faced with.  Believe me...it works best when we follow the One who gives us THE instructions!  

The cool thing was the next time I went to Maryland, Diane left me another note... “You’ve got this!”   It warmed my heart that I had followed the instructions so well the first time...they trusted me to do it right from that point on!  I travel regularly now to Maryland and it all has become second nature to me.  I believe it is the same with instructions from God.  His Word tells us what we should do.  Wouldn’t it be great if we hear those same words from God, “You’ve Got This,”  ... especially with those things we have struggled for years to overcome!  

You’ve got this! 

mama eydie ! 

Jesus Calling - Day 65 - March 6, 2015

In Matthew 4:18-22 it tells the story of Jesus calling his first disciples.  I am always amazed when I read those verses how they did not hesitate.  If you read those accounts, Jesus said to Simon, Peter & Andrew,  “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.”  Then with James & John,  “Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

So what takes us so long to follow Him when He says, “come, follow Me!?”  How many times does He have to repeat Himself in order for us to follow His lead?  Oh, to have the faith to continually trust Him no matter what.  His Word is true.  If I delight myself in Him, He WILL give me the desires of my heart.  

What would life be like if we could become followers who instantly obeyed His leading in our lives?  

Let’s Find Out! 

mama eydie