Just Thanking Him over & over!

Hey ya'll!

Well, I didn't get the news alert.....I guess there's a shortage on pumpkin so pumpkin pies are in short supply..... You gotta be kidding me! It must be true because the sales clerk in Ross Dress for Less said so! What! I was in Ross doing a little Christmas shopping and the clerk loudly alerted holiday shoppers to this potential Thanksgiving delima and my goodness, she nearly caused a stampede out the door! First I'd heard of it and wouldn't typically think of getting my food news alerts at Ross, but hey it put a little extra pep in my pumpkin pie step! So off to Cosco Club I went not knowing what to expect when I arrived! Was it gonna be civilized or was extra security on the scene to manage us pumpkin pie diva's or what?!! I mean, I'm just saying..... I gotta have me some pumpkin pie with whipped cream or it just isn't Turkey Day - you feeling this!!! So I arrived at Cosco, navigated to the bakery and grabed me one of those pumpkin delights and noticed just about every basket in the place had plenteous amounts of pumpkin pies (hmm, had they all been shopping at Ross too when the potential pumpkin pie shortage was anounced?!) Whew!! I'm resting easier knowing that the pumpkin loving population in Northern AZ is safe!! Thank you Lord!! I'm offering thanks to You right now!!

Funny isn't it.....thanking Him for something as non essential to life as pumpkin pie - mercy!

But it got me thinking about how much I love to hear my kids say "thanks mom, love ya!".... it always melts my heart and it always will!! As I got into my car with a smile on my face and my pumpkin pie securely nestled into it's carrier I turned on my favorite Isreal Houghton CD Deeper Level and I kid you not the song that immediately came on was the track "Thanks be to God"! LOL!! So away I drove with my prized pie and thanking Him and rejoicing all the way home!

I've been meditating this week upon the familiar story in Luke 17:11-19 about the ten lepers who were healed and the one that returned to thank Jesus. I love to study the Word and I also love personalizing scriptures as I study - I put myself in them. What stirred my heart the most was the reality that on a certain moment in time, the "one" came to the realization that Jesus had touched and broken the power of his disease and he made the choice to leave the "thankless" crowd and seek the One who healed Him! And in choosing to return he received and even greater impartation from Jesus!! All ten lepers were healed of their disease, but the one thankful one was made whole!! (Luke 17:19 KJV).

I love these verses from the Amplified...

Then one of them, upon seeing that he was cured,

turned back, recognizing

and thanking and praising

God with a loud voice

And he fell prostrate at Jesus' feet,

thanking Him over and over.......

Luke 17:15-16 amp (emphasis added)

Can't you just see him......turning to his nine formerly diseased buddies and saying, "wait a minute - I've just gotta go back and find Jesus and thank Him. What a miracle He's worked in my life!" And as he ran, leaped, rejoiced, shouted and sang his way back to the feet of Jesus, his formerly broken, oppressed heart was lifted and he proclaimed with a loud voice I've just gotta thank you Lord, I've just gotta bow at your feet and give you praise, over and over and over.......

And as Jesus told him to get up and go on his way (vs 19) I imagine as he faded from view down the path of life's journey he continually had a grateful, thankful heart and his life pointed others to Jesus! Glory to God!!

Lord, help us to have a heart like the "one".......... may we be the "one" that speaks from a heart of gratefulness and gratitude of the wonders of Your amazing mercy, grace and love!

Praying an abundantly overflowing thanksgiving for you my dear friends!

Sweet Blessings!

Divine Serenade!

Have you ever had one of those Divine interuptions that make you pinch yourself and look around to see if it is really happening? Well I had one just a few months ago that so touched and encouraged my heart and I'd like to share it with you........ I believe it will encourage you as well.

I must first tell you where I was and what I was doing.........I hadn't launched my blog yet but was searching the blogosphere to see what's going on out there in the new bloggy frontier and was blessed to run across Lisa at LisaShawShares.blogspot.com. She and a group of precious ladies were in about their third day of "Ladies On a Mission - 7 Day Lay it Down" so even though I was getting in on it a few days late I felt impressed of the Lord to climb on board! Each day was a day of personal consecration and rededication of my heart and life to my Jesus! Lisa lovingly posted Holy Spirit inspired "guidelines" each day and for seven days each of us "layed it down" before Him. It was a very special time for me and I could tell from everyone's comments they were being blessed as well - God was really up to something! PTL!

Each day, with Bible and journal in hand I purposed to make my consecration and prayer time different than I usually do. Not that the place or manner matters to Him but I felt led to break from my norm - really seeking Him and His presence afresh at different times and in different places during my day. Sometimes I'd pray, sometimes I'd sit quietly worshiping Him, sometimes I'd sing, sometimes just sit quietly in His Presence and then journal the stirrings within my heart. On the particular day of the Divine Interruption I decided to go to a lake nearby my home (photo above) and bask in the beauty of a gorgeous Arizona afternoon and feast on the beauty of His creation. I was just sitting there enjoying the delicious breeze blowing through the trees with my Bible open, journal and pen in one hand and my Big Gulp in the other when I began to hear the most beautiful baritone voice singing a chorus as if he was George Beverly Shea leading worship at a Billy Graham crusade. I couldn't see anyone, but was aware there were a few people sitting beyond the bend of the lakes edge away from me. At first I didn't believe what I was hearing........He paused and I could hear a mumble as he conversed with someone and then he began again! At this point I was sitting on the edge of the pic nic table bench and asking the Lord, am I really hearing this???..........

And then that beautiful baritone voice began to belt out this precious old hymn unto the heavens......

Why should I feel discouraged!

Why should the shadows come?

Why should my heart be lonely and long for heaven and home

When Jesus is my portion?

My constant friend is He

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches me

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches me.

As you can imagine, by now I'm really on the edge of my seat looking around to see if there's anyone else in the pic nic area to witness such heavenly singing, but there wasn't..... I was alone just sitting by the lake .........

He continued singing and when he reached the chorus it was as if he "ran" through the refrain with great excitement, while holding and emphasizing the words "happy", "free", and "I know He watches me!" an extra few seconds and..... oh, how it lifted and encouraged my heart ......

I sing because I'm happy!

I sing because I'm free!

For His eye is on the sparrow

and I know He watches me!

I sat there in a Holy Hush!! I knew that this was no coincidence......this was a Divine Encounter! I wasn't alone sitting there beside the lake.....He met me there and serenaded me! (Zephaniah 3:17). At that moment all the questions, prayers, cares and concerns that had been waying heavy upon my soul began to roll off of me and onto Him. He's like that isn't He.....Removing burdens and destroying yokes with His great Love! Glory to God! A short time later a precious elderly man and woman appeared from the area obscured by a stand of trees and arm in arm thy walked to their car and drove away. God used that precious man to minister to my heart that day. His voice was a voice from Heaven from the Fathers Heart to mine.....It was truly a Divine Serenade!

I humbly share this Divine Serenade with you so you too may receive His touch and encouragement today. It's all about Him and His great love for you and I!

I had hopes of locating a George Beverly Shea Youtube video of "His Eye is on the Sparrow" but there wasn't one. What I did find is a very anointed video by Selah and pray that you would take several minutes and just let Him encourage and lift your heart right now!

Sweet Blessings!

Bert & Ernie......Say it aint' so!!!

Mercy, how things have changed since we first met Big Bird!

AZ Republic 11/14/09

This editorial cartoon was in my Saturday paper and I just had to share it with you. Now typically I don't read the funnies because, well, to tell you the truth most of them make no sense to me, are not funny or just too liberal for my conservative convictions. But this cartoon is a slightly humorous (my fav - Cookie Monster being told he has to become Veggie Monster!) yet sad commentary on how drastically this nation is changing.......politically, culturally, socially, financially and even though there was no direct reference to spiritually - we know that when a people turn their back on God, decline and decay follows!

I find the Webster's definition of the word change very interesting.....

Change - implies making either an essential difference often amounting to a loss of original identity or a substitution of one thing for another.

As I read the definition "change" a scripture in Psalms 116 immediately came to mind. To give you a quick synopsis of what David was emphasizing ....... God's people had forgotten what He had done for them and turned to their own ways and created their own gods and in doing so they gave up their glory - their original identity placed upon them by God! The particular verses that came to my mind are.....

Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass;

They forgot God their Savior .......(Psalm 106: 20-21)

The NIV says they exchanged their glory......they forgot the God who saved them!!

All I can say is God help us!! We've been changing and exchanging our God given identity that He gave this land for other gods and their agenda's! There's been too much changing, exchanging and forgetting about the God of Heaven and Earth that created and founded our nation!!

I'm praying that the scales will fall from blinded eyes, that ears that have been stopped up would open and hardened hearts would be softened and a hunger for righteousness - God and His right way of doing things would flood the people of our great land! That in these last days His Glory would fall upon us and a mighty Harvest would be swept into the Kingdom!! To God be the Glory!

Lastly, my heart is always encouraged when I meditate upon this..........

My God NEVER, EVER changes! (Malachi 3:6) nor alters or changes

His Promises! (Psalm 89:34)

His Word will always stand firm! He is Faithful, alert and actively

watching over His Word to perform it on my behalf !

(Jeremiah 1:12 amp)

When everything around me changes, kingdoms rise and fall, and foundations may shake

but the Lord is a sure foundation for me.....He is the stability of my times! (Isaiah 33:6)

I can always, at all times, depend and have confidence in Him......

He NEVER CHANGES! (James 1:17)

THANK YOU JESUS!!!

Sweet Blessings!

JUST TALKIN' TURKEY ~ HOW DIVINE!

Well it's that time again....the most wonderful time of the year! The fragrance of cinnamon and spiced cider wafting through the house and pumpkin pie and turkey in the oven! Oh, and let's not forget an abundant supply of hot chocolate, cookies and brownies - YUM!

This week I've been contemplating what turkey recipe I like the best. For many years I've successfully prepared a typical traditional roasted turkey. However, several years ago I got my Food Network "vibe" on and decided to change things up a bit by adding several new methods to my turkey cooking repertoire.......Smoked - wonderful but I missed the traditional taste with good ole Southern cornbread dressing and giblet gravy seasoned with the pan drippings. Oh, and the smoked taste and pumpkin pie together just didn't get it for me! Then there's the quirky but wonderful recipe my daughter in law prepares - turkey filled with fruit, basted with butter and apple juice and roasted in a brown paper sack (sounds more like a turkey fruit salad sack lunch I know, but it's amazing)! Then last year I decided to do the Alton Brown thing and brine my bird.......Sorry Alton, but my kitchen looked like a war zone and my fridge was overtaken by a five gallon bucket and a turkey floating in a zip lock bag big enough to put a kitchen chair in! Won't be doing that again!! But, my all time favorite recipe was one inspired by my Southern Sister Paula Deen - Hey ya'll, us Georgia gals can get our "cook" on!! Can you say DEEEEEP FRIIIIIED YA'LL! Oh yea, that's what I'm talking about!! So I bought a turkey fryer kit from Walmart (on sale I want you to know!) gallons of peanut oil, the perfect broad breasted bird, copious amounts of sweet butter and EVOO (hey, hey, Rachel Ray!) and prepared my own version of Paula's seasoning rub (course salt, fresh cracked pepper, garlic powder and Season All seasoned salt) and last but not least, the most important gadget of all - a flavor injector! Never used such a thing before but Paula said it so I had to have it ya'll! I saturated the bird with EVOO and massaged my most beautiful bird with rub and then with my new kitchen toy I injected it with melted butter and garlic powder. The secret is the infusion of this wonderful buttery garlic solution into every nook and cranie of the bird. There wasn't one morsel of that bird that didn't have that wonderful infused flavor through and through! I'm tellin' ya.......can you say FABULUUUUUUS! So I'm all about infusion ya'll! (Mercy, I must pause here and wipe the drool off my keyboard!! PAUUUUUUSE)! Ok, I'm back!

Well, by now you're probably wondering if this post is entirely about the joys or trials of turkey cookin'........but oh contraire! As I was in the Word the other day this scripture jumped off the page at me (not really but you know what I mean!)...

I have strength for all things in Christ

Who empowers me

(I am ready for anything and equal to anything

through Him Who INFUSES inner strength into me,

I am self sufficient in Christ's sufficiency)

Philippians 4:13 amp

DID YOU CATCH THAT!!.......He infuses US!! Just like my turkey, He infuses every part of us with inner strength......I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses me!!! Glory to God!

I love the Webster Dictionary meaning of infuse....

To introduce one thing into another so as to affect it through out.

Yes Lord, I want to be totally affected throughout by You and Your Word!

Inspire the sense of purpose.

Thank you Lord that you have a plan and purpose for me and you

infuse my heart with Divine inspiration!

Implies a pouring in of something that gives new life or significance.

Thank you Lord that through the Holy Spirit you are

pouring into me freshness,

newness and significance as a Daughter of the King!

The synonyms of infuse also encourage my heart.....

Imbue: Implies the introduction of a quality that fills and

permeates the whole being.

Oh yes Lord, I desire that my whole being be filled to

overflowing and permeated with Your presence!

Ingrain: Suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait.

Yes Lord, my deepest desire is to be deeply implanted in You and

Your Word and become more like You - To God be the Glory!

Leaven: Implies introducing something that enlivens,

tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.

Yes Lord, as I walk by faith in You and Your word I am totally changed,

enlivened and marked by the Holy Spirit!

Ladies, my prayer for each of us as we move into the busyness of this wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas season is that we would be so keenly aware of Who's and What we are.....Daughters of the Most High God, totally INFUSED with His love and power, deeply planted in Him and being continually INFUSED with His Spirit......enlivened, inspired, changed and marked for His Glory!

Oh, and may all your turkey's turn out FABULOUUUUUS!!

Sweet Blessings my Divinely Infused Sisters!