MEASURE OF OUR WORTH

"At times, the esteem of others can claim such importance that it becomes our way to measure our worth."

Henry and Richard Blacksburg
Experiencing God Day By Day   pass. 379
Broadman and Holman 2016

That means our worth changes every day. Some days, people love and enjoy us; some days we drive them Nuts!

But God's love is consistent and constant. Let's look to Him for our worth.

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know,
Lonnie

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

"If you focus on not making mistakes, you won't make a difference."


Mark Batterson
Chase The Lion  please. 22/Nook
Multnomah 2016


I want to make a difference. I also want to be safe. I need to decide which is MORE important to me.

Growing In Willingness,
Lonnie

SACRED OR SECULAR?

"It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it . . . Let a man sanctify the Lord God in his heart and he can thereafter do no common act."

A. W. Tozer
Culture  p.17
Moody Publishers  2016

My husband, Ray, lives exactly this way. Clean a toilet, pick up trash, open a door for someone; he does it as unto the Lord.

Gratefully his and His,
Lonnie

WHEN WE WANDER

"One thing we can know for sure. We may wander so far that we can't see the Shepherd. But we cannot wander so far that He can't see us."

Lonnie West
We Like Sheep 

Gratefully His,
Lonnie

LONG PRAYERS IN THE SAME DIRECTION

"Anna (prophetess of Luke 2:36-37) continued faithfully in prayer until her prayer was answered. The answer to her prayers did not come immediately. In fact, it came near the end of her life."

"God is looking for intercessors who are willing to continue to pray and to believe until they see God's answer."

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day By Day  p.372
Broadman and Holman  2016

May "I" Be Found Faithful,
Lonnie

WHEN WE WALK THE TALK

We do not have to seek out and condemn today's idols. Rather, as we live out our Christianity, enjoying the abundant life God gives us, our lives will discredit the idols around us."

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day By Day  p.370
Broadman and Holman  2016

May It Be So In My Life,
Lonnie

A LIGHT IN THE BARN: CHRISTMAS STORY

"Mother, look. There's light in the barn. May I go see the animals?"

"Eli, it's so cold. Let's get back to our room, which we were so fortunate to have gotten. It was the last one in the inn. We'll climb under a heavy, warm blanket and I'll read you a psalm . . . one about the Messiah who is to come one day."

"Mother, please," Eli begged. "It will be warmer in the barn. I love how cows look at me with their big brown eyes. And the sheep have such funny hair, like mine when I forget to comb it."

Mother didn't say a word, but only smiled and took Eli's small hand. Eli strained as if on a leash, his eyes bouncing with anticipation, his feet nearly dancing. Then he slowed for just a moment.

"Mother, how shall we know the Messiah? Will he wear a golden crown and wear a purple robe? Will he be a giant? Bigger than any man we know?"

"What an imagination," Mother laughed.

"Actually to look upon the Messiah, you might not be able to tell him from any other man. The Scriptures say that He is not a comely man that we would notice Him. The Scriptures also tell us that He will be born to a virgin--a woman who has never slept with a man."

"I've never slept with a man," Eli said with a puzzled look.

Mother covered her mouth as though holding back a sneeze.

"You, Eli, are not a woman and as for the rest of that, we'll talk of it another day. Or better yet, your father will discuss it with you. Father will be wondering where we've gone. We'd better hurry."

As Mother and Eli walked along the worn path to the barn, Mother looked up. "What an unusual star," she mused. "I've never ever seen one so bright!"

"I hear voices," Eli said. "Other people must have come to see the animals, too. And Mother, listen. I hear a baby."

"A baby? No child. It must be a calf whining. A barn is no place for a baby."

"It is mother. Listen," Eli insisted.

Mother turned her ear toward the barn, now only a few yards away.

"You're right," Mother said with surprise.

As Mother and Eli approached they saw kings, three of them, presenting gifts to a couple with a brand new baby.

"Mother, who are those people? Do we need a gift, too? Can we still go in?"

The couple saw Eli and his mother hesitating to enter. "Come! Come!" they urged. "Come meet Jesus, our new little babe."

"We're sorry to interrupt," Mother said. "Eli wanted to see the animals."

"Well, come in. The wind's rather cross, tonight."

Mother nudged Eli ahead of her and warned him that they didn't have much time. "Remember, Father is waiting. Greet your cow and sheep. Then we'll leave this couple to rest."

"Your little one must be someone quite special to be visited by kings," Mother said.

"Indeed, He is," Mary answered. "Special to us, and to you as well. He is our Messiah, yours and mine, born to save us from our sins."

"Messiah?" Mother whispered to herself. "Messiah!" she said again a little louder.

Mary rocked Jesus in her arms, a look of wonder in her eyes.

"It is hard to believe isn't it? Yet, if it seems so to you, imagine me. I have given birth to Him."

"Messiah?" Mother kept saying over and over. "I knew He was coming, but of course I didn't know when. I only hoped to see Him as a man. I never imagined I'd see Him as a . . . well, as a baby! How God must love me!"

"Eli, come here. This baby is the one we talked of. This is the Messiah!"

Mother knelt and tears streamed down her cheeks. Eli knelt beside her.

"I've nothing to give Him," Mother said. "Why, we packed so lightly for the trip. I have but a couple coins. Please, accept these."

Mary placed her hands on Mother's and curled her fingers back to cover the coins.

"Thank you but no. I will tell you, though, what you may give of more value than all the gifts He has yet received."

"What ever could that be?"

Mary placed a hand on each of Mother's shoulders. Then, Mary looked intently into Mother's eyes. "Tell everyone you know and everyone you meet that the Messiah has come. He's come to save us all from our sins."

"I will! I will!" Mother exclaimed. She grabbed Eli's hand and ran with him to the inn.

Have A Blessed Christmas And May You Understand God's Love To Be More Real Than You Ever Imagined,
Lonnie
Copyright 2016

COMPLIMENT FROM A FOOL

"And remember this: a compliment from a fool is really an insult and an insult from a fool is really a compliment. Make sure you consider the source."

Mark Batterson
Chase The Lion  p. 146/Nook
Multnomah 2016

We all love compliments . . .
Lonnie

WHO TO OFFEND

"You're going to offend someone, so you have to decide who."

Mark Batterson
Chase The Lion  p.145/Nook
Multnomah 2016

Chase The Lion is so quotable!! Inspiration for day after day after day. This one reminded me of something my husband would say. When I showed him, he smiled and nodded.

More tomorrow.

Loving to Read--Loving To Learn,
Lonnie

AFRAID

"You can run away from what you're afraid of, but you'll be running the rest of your life."

Mark Batterson

Chase The Lion  p. 131

Multnomah  2016

I wish I had no idea what Batterson was talking about.

Learning (slowly) To Take Risks,
Lonnie

WIN, LOSE, OR TRY

"God doesn't always call us to win.

Sometimes He calls us to just try.

Either way, it's obedience that glorifies God."


Mark Batterson
Chase The Lion  p.108/Nook
Multnomah 2016

A little late in life perhaps, but I'm preparing my heart to take risks. I'm expecting failures/ mistakes and some rich surprises.

Starting Small . . . But Starting,
Lonnie

THE LESSON I DIDN'T LEARN

"When the London Philharmonic Orchestra selected the 50 greatest pieces of classical music, the list included 6 pieces by Mozart, 5 by Beethoven, and 3 by Bach. To generate those masterpieces, Mozart composed more than 600 pieces, Beethoven produced 650, and Bach wrote more than 1000 pieces of music."

Mark Batterson
Chase The Lion  p.82/nook
Multnomah 2016

It takes several tries to equal one success.
Lonnie

TO-DO LIST REQUIRED

". . . a dream without a to-do list is called a wish list."

Mark Batterson
Chase The Lion  p.72/nook
Multnomah  2016

WHO KNEW?!

"Volunteers from a local church spent a frigid evening distributing food to people in a low income apartment complex. One woman who received the food was overjoyed. She showed them her bare cupboard and told them they were answers to her prayers.

As the volunteers returned to the church, one woman began to cry. 'When I was a little girl,' she said, 'that lady was my Sunday school teacher. She's in church every Sunday. We had no idea she was starving!"

Dave Branon
Our Daily Bread  November 8, 2016

Who knew? And why don't we?
Please, way in on the discussion. Whose responsibility--the starving woman? Or ours?

Looking For Kleenex,
Lonnie

OUR CHOICE

"When God speaks, people either obey and submit their hearts or disobey and harden their hearts (Hebrews 3:7-13).

. . . The same sun that melts the ice also hardens the clay."

Warren Wiersbe
Chapter By Chapter Bible Commentary p. 51
Thomas Nelson  1991

Pharoah's hardened heart finally makes sense. Our response makes the difference! We can grow more stubborn, under God's correction, or we can repent, worship and enjoy God's nearness once again.

LOOKING BEYOND

"Thankfulness is a conscious response that comes from looking beyond our blessings to their source." 

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day By Day   p.338
Broadman and Holman 2016

A bit of transparency: Open a discussion on the necessity of thank you notes, and I jump right in. BUT when I shop for a November magazine and they are all about thanks-giving, my first thought is boring.

Just Saying-- Room To Grow, 
Lonnie

OFF THE CUFF AND WAY OVER 50 WORDS!

Poison and hate, disagreement and immorality, blatant lies and unaccepted truths filled our television screens for a year. Election campaigns are always ugly, but 2016 had to have topped the charts!

Most elections result in tidal waves of complaining. It's to be expected. People voted their conscience and/or their dreams . . . and lost. But 2016 finds hate spewing all over the place: protests, posts of 'you hate my kids' on social media, television showing people determined to use all their strength to undo, ruin, and sabotage a majority vote.

Christians banded together to pray. I know God called me to pray at a specific time each day; and sent reminders. For the most part, I obeyed.

I found that, most often, God led me to pray for His people; for us to behave like the Christians we are . . . before the elections and after.

I made a commitment, on social media, to neither whine nor gloat when the final count came in. I've maintained that commitment; and beyond a couple sarcastic comments on my social media site, I believe Christians have done well. I'm proud of the Body of Christ.

But my heart is breaking. We've been labeled with the ugliest words and attitudes, all opposite of compassion, love, righteousness, or wisdom. I'm physically sick and weak.

Several Scriptures come to mind. "Your battle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities (Ephesians 6)" Satan has taken a severe blow. He's fuming mad! God's people prayed and God answered; God's people are encouraged. We feel religious freedom is preserved a little while longer.

The rest of the nation is stunned. "We didn't see this coming! How did this happen? There is no explanation --" Except God. (What we haven't accepted, though, is that with either way and either candidate,  the path will be hard.)

Matthew writes in chapter 10 of enemies being of his own household; of loving family members more than Jesus and thus being unworthy of Him. Can I live that way?

Some of the comments from believers suggest that "we" would never behave so poorly--nor have we-- when the elections didn't go our way. First, please understand that all Christians didn't vote one way; and everyone else the other way; we all voted the way we thought best for our country. Secondly, we're Christ followers. Winners or losers, we should look different!

This morning, two of my devotion books encouraged thankfulness. A friend often encourages me in the same way when I share some overwhelming trial. And so, I close with some things I am thankful for.

I am thankful for tears -- even ones I stuff until I'm in a less public place. God counts our tears. He sees them, acknowledges them, and values them. (Psalm 56:8)

I'm thankful that God placed me in a country where I can vote--where I still have freedoms even though some are a little tarnished. I can read my Bible in a coffee shop, attend the church of my choice, and pray wherever I want.

I'm thankful for prayer answers--a God who hears, is holy, righteous, mighty, compassionate, loving, and who never changes.

I am thankful that God's ways are not my ways (Isaiah 55:8)-- I cannot run a household well, let alone a church, city, state, or nation! (I am thankful for those who can, and more so when they seek God's guidance to do so.) Yet, none of us sees the whole picture with all it's minute parts. Only God -- Only God. His ways are above our ways and we can only be thankful for that.

I'm thankful that, though I've ignored such Scriptures for years--God does warn us in His Word that we will endure trials; some severe ones. "If they hate you, know they hated Me first (John 15:18)." He warns us that those who desire to live godly lives will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). In the U. S., we barely know what persecution is, but that doesn't mean that one day we won't know, first hand. I'm thankful that God will never leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). He is Emmanuel, God with us/me.

I am ecstatically blessed and thankful for God's Word--that I can possess the entire volume (versus a coveted page or two) without threats to my life. His Word IS that pearl of great price, worthy of selling all else to obtain.

I am thankful for people who are different than me--who sometimes, in great vulnerability, share their hurts; even their anger. 

I'm growing. 
I'm learning.

Lonnie

WE ARE IN GOOD HANDS

Solomon was "wiser than all men," says 1 Kings 4:31; and so rich that he had want of nothing . . . including wives. He had 700; plus 300 concubines.

David was an adulterer and a murderer, yet a good king, a good shepherd, for God's people. Flawed, yes, but, called "a man after God's own heart."

People were terrified of Paul. And rightfully so. Who knows how many Christians he had killed?

All flawed. Horribly so, it seems. 

But God . . . He is perfect--and able. 

My friends, we are in good Hands.

Waiting To See God's Plan Play Out, 
Lonnie

WORTH PONDERING

"I rejected the church for a time because I found so little grace there. I returned because I found grace nowhere else."

Philip Yancey
What's So Amazing About Grace?  p.16
Zondervan 1997

God, show me how to be an instrument of Your grace,
Lonnie

PRAYING AND PREPARING

I pray for mercy (*compassionate treatment of an offender) and prepare for discipline (*punishment intended to correct or train); reminding myself of Paul's words in Hebrews 12:7: "for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines. 

No matter where this election takes us, we can know God has a plan, born in love.

Praying and Preparing,
Lonnie

* American Heritage Dictionary

YOUR VOTE DOES MATTER

"Some tell me they do not vote because they do not believe one vote makes any difference. . . Logic tells us that no majority would ever exist if not for many single votes cast.

"One vote still makes a difference. Eight state House and state Senate elections in the United States have been decided by one vote." 

David Jeremiah
Is This The End.?  P.113
W Publishing Group  2016

I'll Be In Line Early Tuesday Morning.
Hope To See You There   8--)
Lonnie

GOOD INTENTIONS

"At times we deceive ourselves into thinking that good intentions equal obedient actions. They do not. A good intention without corresponding activity is disobedience."

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experincing God Day By Day  p.321
Broadman and Holman 2016

Good Intentions:
 I tell someone I'll pray--and don't. I ask someone to pray--and don't myself. Or God "reminds" me, and I say."I meant" to.

Without Excuse,
Lonnie

GOD CHOSE THE FOOLISH

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."

1 Corinthians 1:27 NIV

In this election, we all have our opinion of who is foolish, wise, weak, or strong. GOOD NEWS! God can ( and will) use them. So, vote with expectancy.

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

"Each believer lives in a particular generation with its own blessings, opportunities, challenges, and dangers; and thus, we are called to be faithful, discerning, and life-giving in the unique generation in which we are placed."

Glenn T. Stanton
Loving My (LGBT) Neighbor  p. 197-8
Moody Publishers 2014

Wow! Some days I'm overwhelmed with the world I live in and the challenges I/we have to deal with. But, like Esther, you and I are here for "such a time as this."

Utterly Dependent on Him,
Lonnie

SUSPICIOUS

"Have you ever tried to explain the grace of God to an unsaved person who thinks that heaven is a "Hall of Fame" for achievers instead of the Father's house for believers? In this world, you work for what you get, and you are suspicious of anything that is free."

Warren W. Wiersbe
Be Comforted  P. 172
David C. Cook   1992

Tylenol

"In fact our brains respond so similarly to rejection and physical pain that Tylenol reduces the emotional pain rejection elicits."

Guy Winch, PhD
10 Surprising Facts About Rejection
Psychology Today July 3, 2013
(Quoted by Lysa TerKeurst in Uninvited p.105)

HARDENED OR TENDERIZED?

"It had been a time of refining for the nation (Isaiah 48), but they had learned to turn from idols and trust Jehovah alone. If you resist, the fire will burn you and make you hard; if you submit, the fire will purify you and make you tender."
(Emphasis mine)

Warren W. Wiersbe
Chapter By Chapter Bible Commentary  p.482
Thomas Nelson  1991

Reminding Myself,
Lonnie

SUPER SINS

"Homosexuality is not a super-sin any more than a number of other things are--seven actually . . . 

"There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to Him: 

Haughty Eyes
Lying Tongue
Hands That Shed Innocent Blood
A Heart That Devises Wicked Plans
Feet That Make Haste To Run To Evil
False Witness
One Who Sows Discord Among Brothers

God seems to have a different economy about what are serious sins than we tend to have."

Glenn T. Stanton
Loving My L.G.B.T. Neighbor   p.67-68
Moody Publishers  2014

I apologize for the words past 50; all needed.

Taking a Personal Inventory  (and not much liking it),
Lonnie

ENEMIES' INTENT: INTIMIDATION

"We knew our enemies' intent was to intimidate us into stopping our work. They reasoned, 'These Jews will stop rebuilding out of fear and discouragement. Progress will grind to a halt.' Instead I renewed my dedication, strengthened my hands."

Nehemiah 6:9   The Voice

I felt God saying, "We're in the home stretch of this election. Don't stop praying NOW!

Lonnie

ENEMIES' INTENT: INTIMIDATION

"We knew our enemies' intent was to intimidate us into stopping our work. They reasoned, 'These Jews will stop rebuilding out of fear and discouragement. Progress will grind to a halt.' Instead I renewed my dedication, strengthened my hands."

Nehemiah 6:9   The Voice

I felt God saying, "We're in the home stretch of this election. Don't stop praying NOW!

Lonnie

HOPE FOR THE NATION

"The nation had sinned greatly against the Lord, with their idolatry, injustice, immorality, and insensitivity to His messengers. But they were still His people, and He loved them. Though He would chasten them, He would not forsake them."

Warren W. Wiersbe
Be Comforted   (study in Isaiah; p.130)
David C. Cook 1992

WHATEVER IT TAKES

"David did not barge into battle unprepared . . . He armed himself with five smooth stones. David was prepared for God to grant him victory with the first stone he hurled at the giant or the fifth. David was ready to accept God's victory, whether it came easily or with much effort."

Henry T. Blackaby
Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day By Day   p.291
B&H Publishing  2016

Gathering the equivalent of 5 smooth stones,
Lonnie

DO BIRDS SING BECAUSE THEY ARE HAPPY?

"It is unlikely that they sing simply for enjoyment. 

"There is an evolutionary trade-off between exposing oneself to predators and competitors and successfully breeding and raising young that makes singing worth the risk. A bird that  sang for fun would simply risk  being eaten for his frivolity."

Robert Lederer
Amazing Birds   p.92
A&C Black  London  2007

Is That Why I'm Tired?

"The most exhausting thing in life, I have discovered, is being insincere. That is why so much of social life is exhausting; one is wearing a mask."

Anne Morrow Lindberg
Gift From The Sea  p. 32
Vintage/Random Books   1983

MY SIGNIFICANCE--YOUR SIGNIFICANCE

"My salvation and my significance depend ultimately on God."
Psalm 62:7 The Voice

That significance, via Strong's, means honor, abundance, reputation, or dignity. Inferiority feelings? They are just that: feelings.

Copy That,
Lonnie

WHY ASK WHY?

"Decide you 'll only ask questions that help you move forward instead of feeling stuck in the reasons something happened. "What" questions increase our ability to become self-aware, while "why" questions only focus on things out of our control."  (Emphasis mine)

Lysa TerKeyrst
Uninvited  p.135
Thomas Nelson   2016

I don't know about anyone else; I need that!
EverGrowing,
Lonnie

BOOKS TALK--I TALK BACK

The author of my recent read has a casual relationship with God . . . and with other gods, as well. 

Books talk--I talk back.

"I've written "ish!" in several margins.

Then God talks: 

"Every "ish!" is a prayer opportunity."

God, reveal Yourself as the only God, and the ONLY ONE needed!

EverGrowing,

Lonnie

THIGH GAP

"I stood at my full-length mirror and tried to manipulate a thigh gap. If I turned my toes in just so and pushed my backside out a tad and begged my hips to pretend to adjust to an unrealistic angle and forced my knees to bow, then voila! For a brief millisecond a sliver of light appeared."

Lysa Terkeurst
Uninvited  p.104
Nelson Books  2016

WOUNDED, THUS UNBELIEVING

"I see that sense of loss in the eyes of my friend Richard, even now. He says he does not believe in God, but keeps bringing up the subject, protesting too loudly. From where comes this wounded sense of betrayal if no one is there to do the betraying?"

Philip Yancey
Disappointment With God  p. 222 nook
Zondervan  1998

COMPARING SINS

"So a Sunday school teacher compares herself to a prostitute. A porn looker or drug user says, 'At least I don't sell it!"

However, when we start comparing, we also start grading. And our sins are never as bad as someone else's. But sin is sin, and the wages of sin is death." 

Romans 6::23

Convicted,
Lonnie

ONLY A WHISPER?

"And all of this, all of these are the mere edges of His capabilities. We are privy to only a whisper of His power."

Job 26:14
The Voice 


He hangs the earth on nothing . . . He binds up the water into clouds . . .

All creation is only a whisper of His power?

Discovering greater hope,
Lonnie

I AM YOUR MIRACLE

"Even today, your power sustains me and protects me from backsliding into my old habits. I can say with confidence that I am your miracle. Please let my story be an encouragement to others so that they my know your power is available to them too."   ( emphasis mine)


Ronald A. Beers
365 Pocket Prayers  p. 64
Tyndale   2010

May it be so.
Lonnie

NOT FAIR!

Douglas endured crisis after crisis. Philip Yancey expected him to be disappointed in God. He was not.

"I challenge you to go home and read again the story of Jesus. Was life 'fair' to him? For me, the cross demolished for all time the basic assumption that life will be fair."

Douglas/Philip Yancey
Disappointment With God  p. 161/nook
Zondervan  1998

TACT

"Tact:  making a point without making an enemy."

KTIS AM-- Greg Laurie/ 8-24-16

NOT JUST FOR WRITERS!

"As a writing teacher, it is my experience that if I praise a student's strengths, the weaknesses eventually fall away. If I focus on the weaknesses, the strengths, too, may wobble and even vanish." 

Julia Cameron
The Right To Write  p. 179
Tarcher/Putnum   1998

May I present a challenge? Compliment someone today. Tell me about it.

WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES

"It is a spiritual maxim that God never closes one door without opening another. It is a spiritual joke that while this may be true, the hallway in between is murder."

Julia Cameron
The Right To Right  p. 169
Tarcher/Put am   1998

LOOPHOLES

"Lord, help us to not be like taxpayers, looking for loopholes in your Word."

Lonnie

REALISTIC WITHOUT DESPAIR

"I know in my head that the world is in a state of brokenness, but my heart still yearns for a problem free life. Help me be realistic about the condition of this world without succumbing to despair."

Sarah Young
Dear Jesus  p. 120
Thomas Nelson  2007

How much of our discontent is unrealistic expectations? Wanting ease?

HIM-HAWING

Warning: 50 words Plus a few

"It is almost impossible to be honest and boring at the same time.  Being honest may be . . . risky, scary, difficult, frightening, embarrassing . . . But it is not boring. Whenever I am stuck in a piece of writing, I ask myself, 'Am I failing to tell the truth? Is there something I am not saying, something I am afraid to say?"

Julia Cameron
The Right To Write  p. 139
Jeremy P. Tarcher/Put am  1998

Mom called it him-hawing, beating around the bush. I can feel myself doing this many times, though one article comes to mind. It ended up being published in two magazines. Honesty does pay. 8-)

WORTH CELEBRATING

Another pen died today.

That's worth celebrating!

Because . . . 

1.  I didn't lose the pen. I wore it out.
2.   I've been writing -- my joy -- my calling.
3.  I've been journaling from Bible reading or good books.
4.  Via notes, I've thanked some and , hopefully, encouraged others.

What's your pen been doing?

EverGrowing,
Lonnie

HE'S STILL THERE

"As we recall God's faithfulness, we develop eyes of faith--eyes that will see God's presence, regardless of the circumstances. When those around us have lost sight of God, it is our privilege and responsibility to lovingly reassure them, 'Yes, my friend, God is still here."

Stacy Sanchez

The Upper Room p.34/ Jan-Feb 2016

ONLY TWO CHOICES

There are only two choices. It's either/or. 

Hilary and Donald are the only two presidential options; that is true. But there is a choice of far greater consequence. Make it first:

"Whoever is not with me is against me," Jesus said.

Matthew 12:30 NIV 

Lonnie

Humility? Really?

" And I know that pride is the most dangerous of all sins, because it convinces me that I don't need you and that I know best." 

Ronald A Beers
365 Pocket Prayers  p.57
Tyndale 2010

When God gave me humility as My Word for 2016, I was disappointed and afraid. But . . .I never imagined that humility could bring healing.
Lonnie

POINTING FINGERS

You have heard that you shouldn't point fingers; because while you are pointing one finger, three more are pointing back at you.

When I pray for someone(s) to grow in character qualities or the fruits of the Spirit, I find the same thing happening.

Uh, God, could you add my name to that prayer?

EverGrowing,
Lonnie


50 Words Plus . . .
"The Holy Spirit produces a different kind of fruit:
Unconditional Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindheartedness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
And Self-control
You won't find any law opposed to fruit like this."
Galatians 5:22-23  The Voice

BETRAYED?

"Some of us trusted our Higher Power inappropriately. We trusted God to make other people do what we wanted, then felt betrayed when that didn't work out."

Melodie Beattie
The Language Of Letting Go  p.200
Hazelden 1990

DO ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS?

"Watch, for example, how much of our speech is aimed at justifying our actions. We find it almost impossible to act and allow the act to speak for itself."

Richard Foster
Celebration Of Discipline  p.90
Hodder &Stoughton   1989

FACING CHANGE

" . . . We can become curious as much as frightened in the face of change."

Julia Cameron
The Right To Write   p. 31
Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam  1998

MY HEART FEELS LIGHTER

I had an aha! moment as I was praying for our nation yesterday. I have anticipated God's discipline for the sinful direction our nation is going. I expected that discipline to be harsh and ugly. God reminded me of Hebrews 12:6. My heart feels lighter. Whom God LOVES He disciplines.

Lonnie

Beyond 50 Words

"My child, do not ignore the instruction that comes from the Lord, or lose heart when He steps in to correct you.

For the Lord disciplines those He loves and corrects each one He takes as His own."
Hebrews 12:5-6a The Voice 

FLAWED?

"My daughter works with the destitute of the world and others trapped in and sold into the sex-trafficking industry. She wears a black pearl pendant around her neck, a gift from a friend. When the friend saw it in a store, she commented that the pearls had some odd markings. 'Yes,' said the clerk, 'some see them as flawed; others see them as special.'"

Ravi K. Zacharias
The Grand Weaver   p.25
Zondervan    2007

WORRY, WHY . . . ?

"If worry can't change anything, why do you do it so much."

Luke 12:26  The Voice Translation (Thomas Nelson  2012)



Lonnie Note:

I found a new Bible for $6.00. It's a version I hadn't heard of, but for so small an investment, I could underline, write notes, whatever! A different version and a great freedom give me a sense of reading the Bible for the first time. I find myself reading more (always a good thing) and enjoying more. Uhh . . . Sometimes with a gentle, almost humorous conviction, as with the above verse. Need a fresh look at God's Word and a new excitement? Find an inexpensive Bible. It might work for you , too.

FOLLOW SOMEONE WHO KNOWS MORE

"Walking by faith means to follow Someone else who knows more than we do, Someone who is good."

Ravi K. Zacharias
The Grand Weaver  p.43
Zondervan  2007

TOO OLD--TOO YOUNG

"Somedays, I feel too old to look forward. Other days, I feel too young to stop dreaming."

Lonnie

SUFFERING

"The burden of suffering seems to be a tombstone hung around our necks. Yet in reality it is simply the weight necessary to hold the diver down while he is searching for pearls."

Streams In The Desert
Julius Richter as quoted by L. B. Cowman

FOOT IN MOUTH

"A closed mouth gathers no foot."

Unknown
Quoted in Live Intimately by
Lenya Heitzig and Penny Rose
David C. Cook  2008

PHARISEE FACTORIES

"If our churches are places where people can't be honest, we are creating sanctuaries for fake people. Ultimately, our churches become Pharisee factories."



Caleb Kaltenbach
Messy Grace   p. 153
Waterbrook Press  2015

HABITS

"The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken."

Samuel Johnson

WHAT WOULD OTHERS SAY?

"Please don't let my heart become hard. Please show me how to evaluate the condition of my heart constantly . . . Is my heart becoming more hard and stubborn or more compassionate and merciful? Would others say, ' There goes someone with the heart of Jesus?'"



365 Pocket Prayers  p. 43
Tyndale 2010

THREE WAYS TO TREAT ENEMIES

"There are 3 ways to treat enemies . . . First, kill them! Second, get as far away from them as you can. Third, try to make them your friends. But Jesus . . . Tried a fourth way. His plan was, "'Let them kill you and keep on loving them. '"





Frank C. Laubach
Channels Of Spiritual Power  p.41
Fleming Revell  1954

WANDERING MIND 8-)

"My mind wanders. That's not a good thing. It's too small to be out there alone."

Aaron Wilburn

FOR EVERY WORD . . . 125 DIED

"Some people ignored the book, and some laughed at it, but for every word of Mein Kampf, 125 people died in World War II."





Warren Wiersbe
Key Words Of The Christian Life  p. 7/nook
Baker Books   20)

YOU CAN RUN

"You can run; but you cannot hide . . . from my prayers.

 I love you."





Lonnie West

Fifty Words Or Less  4-10-16

NOT ENOUGH FAITH?

"Usually, the courage actually to go and pray for a person is a sign of sufficient faith. Frequently our lack is not faith but compassion."



Richard Foster
Celebration Of Discipline p.49
Hodder   1980

WHEN I LEAST UNDERSTAND

"Sometimes we stand to learn the most about God from the situations we understand the least."







Beth Moore
Portraits Of Devotion  p.62
Broadman and Holman   2014

CHANGING HUMANITY

"Our world is hungry for genuinely changed people. Leo Tolstoy observes, 'Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.'"






Richard Foster
Celebration Of Discipline  p. 11
Hodder  1980

GOD + YOU = MIRACLE

"Several of the signs in John's gospel involve the cooperation of people and God: the feeding of the 5000, the healing of the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus. Whether we pass out bread, wash away mud, or roll away a stone, we are assisting Him in performing a miracle."






Warren Wiersbe
Be Alive  p.724
David C. Cook

ENCOURAGEMENT

"We learn that the people we are leaning on are not holding us up. They are standing next to us."




Melody Beattie
The Language Of Letting Go    p. 78
Hazelden  1990

EXHAUSTING

"The most exhausting thing in life . . . Is being insincere."






Anne Morrow Lindberg
As quoted in In God's Care/Hazelden  1990

OBEDIENCE AND COURAGE

"A person can only learn obedience when tempted to disobey, can only learn courage when tempted to flee."





Philip Yancey
Disappointment With God    p.111
Zondervan  1998

SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS NOT . . .

"Spiritual maturity is not self-sufficiency. In fact, our desire for self-sufficiency is a subtle expression of our sinful nature. It's a desire to get to a place where we won't need  God. We want God to provide more so we need Him less."



Mark Batterson
The Grave Robber   p. 146
Baker Books  2014

EYE FOR AN EYE

"If we continue to live by the axiom of, 'eye for eye' and 'tooth for tooth,' humanity may someday be blind and unable to smile."








Lenya Heitzig & Penny Rose
Live Fearlessly: A Study In The Book Of Joshua  p. 303
David C. Cook  2008

IF THEY . . . IF I . . . IF IF IF

" . . .true and lasting change does not happen by trying to alter our life conditions. Although it is tempting to think so, outside adjustments cannot correct inside problems. Extraordinary healing requires surrendering the belief that we can heal our lives by manipulating our environment."
(Emphasis mine)




The Twelve Steps: A Spiriual Journey  p.37
RPI Publishing  2012

MEMORIES

"May our memories of kindness be long and of offenses be short."


Beth Moore
Portraits Of Devotion p.54
Broadman&Holman  2014

WORRY DOESN'T WORK

"We think: If I really care, I'll worry; if this is really important to me, I must stay upset. We convince ourselves that outcomes will be positively affected by the amount of time we spend worrying.
                         . . . . .

"Anxiety gives power to the problem, not the solution."

Melody Beattie
The Language Of Letting Go   p.65
Hazelden 1990

FROM PAIN TO PASSION

"I'm a big believer that, many times, your greatest passions are birthed from your greatest pain."

Bryan Loritts
Bible Study Magazine  March /April 2016  
Portrait Of A Diverse Church by Jessi Strong

TOO LITTLE TO MATTER

"If we held on to our 5 loaves and 2 fish, we' d have 5 loaves and 2 fish. But if we dared to put some of it back in God's hands, He might be able to do something miraculous with it."

Mark Batterson
The Grave Robber  p. 142
Baker Books  2014

YOU TELL " ME"

" Does someone always have to be right and another wrong?"

Beth Moore
Paul: 40 Days On His Journey Of Faith  p. 126
Broadman&Holman  2010

IF I WANT TO SEE CHANGE, PERHAPS . . .

"We don' t see the world as it is; we see the world as we are."

Mark Batterson
Draw The Circle  p. 71
Zondervan  2012

ANGER

"Anger is a warning signal. It points to problems. Sometimes, it signals problems we need to solve. Sometimes, it points to boundaries we need to set. Sometimes, it's the final burst of energy before letting go, or acceptance, settles in."

Melody Beattie
The Language Of Letting Go   p.60
Hazelden  1990

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

"No one can pretend that because a people may be oppressed, every individual member is virtuous and worthy. The real issue is whether in the great mass the dominant characteristics are decency, honor, and courage."

Martin Luther King, Jr.
A Time To Break Silence: The Essential Works Of Martin Luther King, Jr.  P.62
Beacon Press 

SPIRITUAL GIANTS

"To be left alone without God would be too horrible for words, but being left alone with Him is a taste of Heaven! And if His followers spent more time alone with Him, we would have spiritual giants again."


L. B. Cowman 1925
Streams In The Desert  p. 91
Zondervan  1996

FIGURE EIGHTS

"I wish the only direction for a Christian was onward to maturity, but unfortunately some of our footprints in the sand look a lot like figure eights!"

Portraits Of Devotion  p. 51
Beth Moore
Broadman Holman  2014

EXPECTATIONS

"Whether we're judging ourselves or others, it' s two sides of the same coin: perfection. Neither expectation is valid."

The Language Of Letting Go
Hazelden  1990
Melody Beattie  p.53

VALUE OF A COMPLIMENT

"Never underestimate the power of one well-timed compliment. It has the power to change a person's entire perpsective on life. It has the potential to change a person's plotline for eternity. The right word at the right time can be the catalyst for someone's miracle."

The Grave Robber
Mark Batterson
P.37