I haven't really written lately about what God is doing in my life...So here are some verses that God has given me that have really caused me to stop and think.

Sow for yourselves righteousness,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unbroken ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,
until He comes
and showers righteousness on you.
Hosea 10:12

Do not be anxious about anything,
But in everything,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
bring your requests to God.
Phillippians 4:6

"Then she will say,
'I will go back to my husband as at first,
for then I was better off than now.'
She has not acknowledged that I was the one
who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,
who lavished on her the silver and gold -
which they used for Baal.
Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens,
and my new wine when it is ready,
I will take back my wool and my linen,
intended to cover her nakedness...
I will punish her for the days
she burned incense to the Baals;
she decked herself with rings and jewelry,
and went after her lovers,
but me she forgot,"
declares the Lord.
Hosea 1:7-9,13

Here is what I get from all of this - I need to be able to realize that I can ask God for anything. Not just spiritual stuff. But anything. He really wants me to. By not doing that - I put limits on what I think that He can do for me. I am telling Him - "Hey, Lord, that's not a God thing. So, I'll take care of that one. And if I can't take care of it...Well...I just won't get it." Okay, that is stupid. First of all...anything that I have comes from Him. The grits in my tummy...The shirt on my back...My sweet baby boy...My house...Ultimately He provides everything for us. We are just dirt. We don't deserve anything. So you worked to pay for your stuff. SO WHAT? God gave you the job - didn't He? So that argument is over. But when I get things from Him - no matter if it's something that I don't really think about, such as another breath of air, or if I find a million, unclaimed dollars on the sidewalk - it all comes from Him. We tend to think about the people in our lives who put us in contact with good things. Or maybe it's your job. It might be your education that you feel has blessed you. Or maybe it's just good luck, right? Wrong. Every good thing that we have is from God. And sometimes things that we might feel just are rotten, are really for our good. Can anyone remember the verse that says that God works all things to the good of those who love Him? So when you deny God the glory for giving you what you have, you ultimately give the glory to the "Baal" in your life. And that ain't cool. So that is something else that I have been thinking about.

And then there is always just the thought that just acknowledging that God is Lord with my lips and mind isn't enough. No - I don't believe that we are saved by works. That is a bunch of hooey. But, people, faith without works is dead. Seriously dead. If you don't work a field, and constantly remove the weeds, that land is going to be worthless if you try to plant something in it. And I don't care if you think that it was completely clean in the beginning. It might have been. But if weeds were once in a piece of earth, they kind of like to pop up magically in that earth again. And if you think that this is just something that I am infusing with my own, made-up ideas, read the Bible. Over and over again God compares His people to fields. What kind of harvest are you going to have? And it's not like you can get rid of the weeds yourself, because that's just crazy talk. But you have to constantly ask God for the weed-killer - His grace and forgiveness. (Don't you just love examples?) To tolerate any kind of sin in your life is to separate yourself from God.

And I don't know about you - but I can't have that. More and more I see myself as a needy, unruly child. I can't be left on my own for a second. I need to have God's presence in my life 24/7. Because I know how to pull a temper tantrum. And I am greedy and gluttinous - don't get me around chocolate cake... And I don't always play well with others. So sometimes I need my Heavenly Daddy there to remind me of what I need to do. And to give me a spiritual spanking when I disobey.

So anyways...all this just to say that My Heavenly Daddy and I had a wonderful talk this morning. He's with me all day long - but sometimes I just need a cup of coffee and a long talk. And my little boy was right there listening to the whole thing. I want him to learn how to really talk - not just the small talk stuff - but really talk to his Heavenly Daddy, too. It makes life so much better. I feel refreshed, happy - joyous even. And every talk we have, I fall a little more in love with Him.