Weekly Spiritual Meditations - November 4

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When you wonder if the world has gotten the upper hand, remember: Christ has overcome the world. And, in Him, so have you.

Some of life’s experiences sidetrack us. Others bring us to a crossroads. They bring us to places of doubt and questioning. God extends an invitation to be open to God’s guidance especially in times of doubt and confusion. Today listen for what God is inviting you to do.

When we devote our lives to service and remain faithful through our times of suffering, then we, too, can gain the peace that only God can give. The peace of God surpasses all understanding.

God makes all things possible.

God has called each of us by name to be living examples of God’s love in Christ no matter where we are.

God finds us at the end of our rope.

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Talk to God frequently. Use KNEE MAIL!

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THE MEADOW by YMIRon
It was a warm breezy summer day in July and a perfect day for a walk. My first thought was to go to the meadow, a place where I feel comfortable and secure as if God's hands are around me. The meadow is a place where you can see all of God's handiwork if you take the time and watch closely, looking beyond the obvious.
Upon entering the meadow the first thing that caught my eye was the way the winds blew softly across the sea of yellow goldenrods. It was as though each flower was in sync with the other as they moved in unison to and fro in the gentle summer breeze.
The time passed quickly as I became mesmerized by the swaying motion of this sea of yellow flowers. I could hear the soft, soothing sounds of the bees as they flew from flower to flower. There was a yellow haze over the flowers as pollen filled the air, and its fragrance was sweet and refreshing. I realized that was God's way of helping the bees do their never ending task of pollinating the flowers of the meadow.
As I looked closer I could see the small birds that were clinging to the golden rods. They seem so peaceful as they rode back and forth on the stems, almost as if God had created this motion just for their enjoyment. What was actually happening was, they were being fed by God's handiwork. The wind was causing the bugs that lit on the flowers to become airborne and as they did the birds would feast upon them. It was as though they knew that all this was being done, just for them.
At the extreme end of the meadow I noticed several raspberry bushes which were blessed with an abundance of ripened fruit. Looking closer, under the bushes, were rabbits, field mice and woodchucks feeding on the ripened berries that were close to the ground. Just behind them were deer eating the berries that were higher on the bush. It was obvious at this point that God was providing food for his creatures.
The day passed all too quickly but that was of no importance to me. The things I had seen were so beautiful and special that time seemed to have stood still. I had been lost in the overwhelming creations of God, and had learned that he provides for all his creatures no matter what their needs. I felt safe and secure in all that was around me, realizing that I too was a creature of God and that He was providing for me.
Sleep well my friend, wherever you may be . . .

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Changing the Atmosphere by Joanna Gaines
… to be made new in the attitude of your minds… — Ephesians 4:23
I’ve been recently reminded that the way I perceive my circumstances can really make or break my day and can have a major effect on those around me.
My attitude going into places can either add or take away from the atmosphere.
I want to choose to be positive, reminding myself that every opportunity is a gift.
Chip is really good at this. He typically finds the positive things in any situation while that tends to be a bit harder for me. I think more about what needs to get done and how it’s going to be accomplished. But I’ve realized I can choose which lens I’m going to view life from. Even though our life is crazy right now, I want to think of this as an opportunity more than anything else. I can trust that this is a chance to grow and learn. And it’s a chance to enjoy each other as a family doing what we love to do most.
It all starts in my mind. Am I viewing the current circumstance as an opportunity or as a burden? Am I overwhelmed by what could go wrong or am I excited about what could go right?
I want to be able to find the positive in each situation, believing God brought me there for a specific purpose and will sustain me through it.
If I start the day overwhelmed by everything that needs to get done, then I’m missing some of the good things along the way!
Whether you’re a stay at home mom picking up after your kiddos or work a full time job, we can all choose to be atmosphere changers. And by that I mean, we have the power to set the tone with our kids at home or with our coworkers at the office. Rather than view life as a constant to do list, think of it as an opportunity to love and serve others well. This will shift the atmosphere and you will find others inspired to do the same.
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. — Romans 12:2 NLT
Your Turn: Does your attitude need an adjustment to view your circumstances as an opportunity to grown and learn? How can you love and serve others well today?

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WORDS Author Unknown
I have always had a special love for words. Words have such power in them. The right words can uplift, inspire, heal, and create endless joy and love in our lives. The wrong words can depress, discourage, hurt, and bring us endless misery and pain. It is so very important then to try and choose the right words in our lives. By choosing the right words I don't just mean saying the right words or writing the right words either. I also mean thinking the right words. It is amazing the garbage that so many of us allow ourselves to think each and every day of our lives.
In order to live a truly blessed life we must haul away the garbage and start to plant words that will grow into a garden of joy and light in our minds. Start today then to make the words in your life work for you and not against you. Do away with "can't" and "no". Try "can" and "yes" instead. Say, " I can be happy, I can choose joy, and I can share love." Say, "Yes" to life, to learning, and to growth. Begin to use words like: Wonderful, Beautiful, and Delightful when you speak to others. Find a word of praise for everyone you know and then share it with them. Look the people you love straight in the eye and tell them, "I love you." Seek our every fantastic, fabulous, and glorious word that you can and start to use them in your life.
Words are such simple things and yet they have the power to change our lives forever if we use them right. Make the choice every day of your life to use all of the good, positive, and loving words you can every second that you can. If you do this you will find that your life will become a paradise of love and joy, that other people will become your brothers and sisters in happiness, and that God's goodness will shine through every word you use....

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THE OLD FISHERMAN Author Unknown
Our house was directly across the street from the clinic Entrance Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic. One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man.
"Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face--lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning." He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face...I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments..."
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning." I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch.
I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us "No thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag. When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.
He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was prefaced with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going.
At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, "Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind." I told him he was welcome to come again.
On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us. In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed.
Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious. When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. "Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!" Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.
Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse. As she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!" My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, "and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden."
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body."
"The LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." (1Samuel 16:7b)

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DELETED by Sally I. Kennedy
"......and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." Revelation 5:8
Hurriedly, I was trying to retrieve Email I had deleted by mistake. No such luck. It was gone from that big E- mailbox in the sky. I was reminded of old science fiction movies where a martian, or other outer- space individual, would get zapped. One beam of light and he was deleted. Gone.
This week my husband was sharing how much his spiritual heritage means to him. “Just think,” he said, “of all the prayers that have been said for me by my parents, grandparents, and others. Who knows where I’d be if it weren’t for all those prayers!”
Later, I thought about what Ben had said. None of the prayers offered in his name has ever been deleted. No prayer he has prayed has been erased, either. Nor mine. Nor yours.
It says in the final book of the Bible that all our prayers are stored in huge golden bowls in God’s throne room. All.
What an honor, privilege, and blessing to pray. Each and every prayer is heard by God himself. And not one of them will ever be deleted. Not even by accident.

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*Directions to Our Father's House* Author Unknown
Make a Right onto "Believing Blvd."
Keep straight and go through the Green Light, which is Jesus Christ.
From there, you must turn onto the "Bridge of Faith," which is over troubled water.
When you get off the bridge, make a Right turn and Keep Straight. You are on the "King's Highway" - Heaven-bound.
Keep going for three miles: One for the Father, One for the Son, and One for the Holy Ghost. Then exit off onto "Grace Blvd."
From there, make a Right turn on "Gospel Lane."
Keep Straight and then make another Right on "Prayer Road."
As you go on your way, Yield Not to the traffic on "Temptation Ave." Also, avoid SIN STREET because it is a DEAD END. Pass up "Envy Drive, " and "Hate Avenue."
Also, pass "Hypocrisy Street," "Gossiping Lane," and Backbiting Blvd."
However, you have to go down "Long-suffering Lane," "Persecution Blvd.," and "Trials and Tribulations Ave."
But that's all right, because VICTORY Street is straight ahead! AMEN!!!!!
Send these directions to your friends so they will not get lost.

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What is it like to be a Christian? Author Unknown
A 10 year old little girl was asked by another classmate, “What is it like to be a Christian?” The 10 year old little girl replied, “It’s like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then he cuts open the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. and then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.” Author Unknown

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THREE THINGS Author Unknown
Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
Time
Words
Opportunity
Three things in life that can destroy a man/woman -
Alcohol
Pride
Anger
Three things that are truly constant -
Father
Son
Holy Ghost

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
When you feel restless, come into My presence and seek My rest, which is far above the fray. Come in spirit and be refreshed and rejuvenated so that you can effectively face the days ahead energized and with confidence. Establish yourself in peace, says the Lord. Hebrews 4:10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

You have been in a holding pattern where there seems to be no change or progress. This time of waiting can either be fruitless or fruitful. You can do nothing, or you can take advantage of this time to examine your attitudes and motivations and make positive and lasting changes. Do not let this opportunity pass you by, says the Lord. Galatians 6:4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

Beloved, I am going to reveal things that have been hidden in obscurity so that you can see and understand with clarity. This will affect you personally, My church corporately, as well as the general population. It will be like the fog being lifted, says the Lord. You will need to proceed with fresh spiritual perspective. 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

I saw a house that had been ravaged by storms. The outside structure was still intact and the foundation was firm, but the inside of the house needed to be completely restored. I then saw builders come in and tear out all that had been damaged and construct a new and better interior. It was beautiful and so much better than what had been destroyed. And, the Lord said: There has been much chaos and destruction that has challenged your very existence in some cases. But, I have allowed this for the sake of establishing strength and order in every area of your life. Jeremiah 31:28 "And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the LORD.

Stay on point, and refuse to deviate from what I have set you to do and to be. Your worldly existence is fraught with diversions that will cause you to deviate from what matters. And, those distractions will not produce spiritual fruit. Renew yourself in what you know by the Spirit so that you can get on track and stay the course, says the Lord. Proverbs 4:26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.

To those who are in need of a different outcome, you must make adjustments to your method of operation. These are days when it is imperative for you to look through the lens of truth and reality regardless of how compelling deception becomes. Begin with being honest with yourself with regard to how you have carried out your responsibilities. Do not blame others for your shortcomings, says the Lord. Proverbs 12:19 The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
I hear the Lord saying clearly: Come up to the mountain of the Lord's house. Come and sit with Me, talk with Me, and let Me show you the things that are before you. I will empower you to overcome anything and everything that the enemy brings against you. You are, indeed, more that a conqueror. Exercise the authority I have given you and become that person I have designed you to be.

The Lord says to many of you: "You are better than you think you are. You are a far greater benefit than you think you are. You have not failed. For, I am with you and I am guiding you. You are a blessed one. You are a royal diadem. You are a jewel in My hand. So, you’ve been through the fire, but the fire is that which makes the jewel strong; it brings forth the beauty of that stone; it releases the power of My kingdom. Do not believe what has been spoken of you by others or by the evil one, or even by your own reckoning. Believe in this moment that I know you. I have not forgotten you. You belong to Me, and I belong to you. So, change your countenance and be full of joy, full of blessing, full of that which I have put in you."

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This Is Just A Resting Place Author Unknown
Sometimes the road of life seems long as we travel through the years,
And with hearts that are broken and eyes brimful of tears,
We falter in our weariness and sink beside the way
But God leans down and whispers, "Child, there'll be another day."
And the road will grow much smoother and much easier to face,
So do not be disheartened –this is just a resting place.

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Today Author Unknown
I will be the best that I can be Today
Tomorrow is tomorrow and yesterday is gone
But Today is mine, and I am His
And I can only be what I am Today
So, yesterday I fell
Today, look at me
My feet are under me
I'm taking a step
One step at a time
One day at a time
I will be the best that I can be Today
And when Tomorrow becomes Today
I can look back on Yesterday and smile.

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Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 5:1

We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered. - Hebrews 6:19-20

The Lord says, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” - Isaiah 43:1

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. John 15:9-17

For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. Romans 11:29

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

"Because he loves me," says the LORD , "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation." Psalm 91:15

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

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Keeping In Step With The Spirit by Iris Ford
Galatians 5:25 – Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (NIV)
When I read this verse, it hits me hard, because, as I look back on my life, during so little of it was I aware of the need to keep in step with the Spirit.
When I look back at my training in the deaconess school, or even in seminary, I don't remember being taught anything about the Holy Spirit being so close that I could, indeed must, keep in step with the power of the Spirit if I wanted to serve Christ.
During my ministry, there were times when I had to acknowledge that God was up to something around me. As I led services of worship, people were giving their lives to the Lord, but did I recognize that the Holy Spirit was walking beside me and calling them as I preached and went on through the day? I wish that I had understood this back then, as it would have made a big difference. I wouldn't have become so exhausted trying to minister in my own power!
But now, as I age and recognize my physical limitations, I have come to realize the importance of living by the Spirit's guidance and keeping in step with Him. The Spirit of Jesus is with us today. He lives among us and is walking with us! The problem with us is that we rely mostly on our own plans and keep walking, without a thought of the Holy Spirit's presence.
Early in the morning, as I read my devotionals and plan the day ahead, I pray about what I need to do. When I have given the day over to the Holy Spirit and am listening to Him and walking with Him, everything feels okay, and I am relaxed about my day. The Holy Spirit brings things together far better than I ever could. I had that experience a few weeks ago when a medical check-up rushed me to the hospital with heart problems. I was completely relaxed, leaving everything in God's hands.
Are you exhausted today, ready to quit or sit down for some time out? Are you relying on your own strength and your own plans, rather than walking in step with the Holy Spirit beside you? When He walks with us and blesses our endeavours, all our worries fade, and we rejoice, seeing things work out. When we commit the day to the Lord and walk in step with the Spirit, our day seems so blessed. The feeling inside us in one of peace and joy, knowing that He is there beside us.
Prayer: Dear Lord, we need You every day to guide our way. As we walk with You and keep in step with Your Spirit, our day is joyful and blessed. We need Your Holy Spirit to go ahead of us all the time so that we can follow in Your footsteps, rejoicing that we know You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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Praise You, Lord, for Autumn Author Unknown
I praise you, Lord, for autumn:
for falling temperatures and morning chill,
trees turned gold and red, brown and orange,
falling leaves and blowing leaves,
the smell of burning leaves,
the joy of leaf-pile jumping.
I praise you, Lord, for autumn:
the interplay of outside temperatures
and inside warmth,
the promise of cider and pumpkin bread,
the blessing of blankets and sweaters.
I praise you, Lord, for autumn:
the beauty and hope in the change of season,
the promise that the coming of autumn
heralds another ending,
a new beginning,
and the wonder of another winter,
another spring,
another summer,
yet to come.

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Read Through The Bible
Psalm 39
1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. 2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. 3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue, 4 Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am. 5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. 6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. 7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. 8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish. 9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it. 10 Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand. 11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah. 12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. 13 O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

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Lord, still my mind and open my heart, that I might know you better and trust you more deeply.

Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.