God is Everywhere.

Who is God?

Someone who can be everywhere.

"Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

and the light become night around me,”

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day,

      for darkness is as light to you." 
      Psa.139:7-12

I was reading a sermon by, A.W. Tozer tonight and it was so beautiful. I've never heard of this man before, but the sermons are on Bible Hub, which I follow. Here is just a paragraph from the sermon.

"What does the divine immanence mean in direct Christian experience? It means simply that God is here. Wherever we are, God is here. There is no place, there can be no place, where He is not. 
Ten million intelligences standing at as many points in space and separated by incomprehensible distances can each one say with equal truth, God is here. No point is nearer to God than any other point. It is exactly as near to God from any place as it is from any other place. No one is in mere distance any further from or any nearer to God than any other person is."
http://biblehub.com/sermons/auth/tozer/the_universal_presence.htm


A.W. Tozer

Hailing from a tiny farming community in western La Jose, Pennsylvania, his conversion was as a teenager in Akron, Ohio. While on his way home from work at a tire company, he overheard a street preacher say "If you don't know how to be saved... just call on God, saying, 'Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.'" Upon returning home, he climbed into the attic and heeded the preacher’s advice...

Among the more than 60 books that bear his name, most of which were compiled after his death from sermons he preached and articles he wrote, at least two are regarded as Christian classics: The Pursuit of God and The Knowledge of the Holy. Many of his books impress on the reader the possibility and necessity for a deeper relationship with God.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._W._Tozer

Who am I?
Someone who is happy to have God by her side and in her heart. 

Thank you.

Hi Everyone. Well, some people must have prayed for me because my asthma went away soon after I posted my previous article. Thank you so much and of course, Thank you, God.

I had a great day today. I felt well and was able to cook and clean, which always makes me happy. My mom is doing great today also. God bless.

I Feel Like A Blob of Slime.

The prayer that is prayed most often in the Bible is, "Lord, have mercy on me."

Someone said God cannot pass by one who says this prayer; not that I think he would bypass any sincere prayer.

Today, I feel like shouting, as Jesus walks by, "Lord, have mercy on me!"

It's been a tough day. I took my mom to the hospital for some scans. We had to take a taxi there and back. My poor mom is weak and can barely walk. She got so tired. She had to drink some stuff that was yucky and felt sick afterwards.

I have social phobia. I'm really frightened of being with people and having to interact with them. So, there are the cab drivers, nurses and patients. I felt nauseated before we even left.  By the time we were done with the hospital and walked in the door, we were both a mess; me, mentally; my mom, physically. We grabbed a bite and went to bed.

I woke at 1:00 pm feeling depressed and hating my life again. But I know how to combat those thoughts by praising and thanking God and looking at the good things. I was okay then. So, I opened my email and there was a nasty letter from someone I don't even know. I felt sick again, physically and mentally.

I've said to my husband, "I don't even know these people. Why do I get sick from what they say about me?"  Oh well, I've marked that site as spam now. I guess all the fear comes from the horrible fear I had of my father as a child. Anger towards me turns me into a puddle of slime on the floor.

And now when I feel afraid, I get these enormous asthma coughing spells. Just writing about this has started me coughing. I talked with my mom about it and started coughing. My sprays hardly work. Obituary: Died from a nasty e-mail. Coughed to death.

That is how my dear brother died. Asthma. Now it is stalking me. I think, "If you had more faith, you idiot, you wouldn't have all this fear and asthma." I'm sure that is true, which gets me coughing even more. Lol

Aren't you glad I shared?

I better go before I pass out. Anyway, I would appreciate some prayers for me.
I'm sure I'll be better tomorrow. May God bless all  who come and visit. In spite of my problems, I know God loves and cares for me just as I am.

Drug Addicts and Tax Collectors.

Who am I?

I have heard some people say that God will not save a person who has died of an overdose. They think that person couldn't have been a Christian if they were doing drugs. They judge that person to be lost.

To me, alcoholics, drug addicts, mentally ill people and the homeless are the "tax collectors" of our day. In Jesus' time, there was nothing worse than to be a tax collector for Rome. You were considered beneath contempt. But it was the tax collectors who were drawn to Jesus. The religious people hated Jesus. 

Religious people think you are saved by what you do instead of what Jesus did. Religious people make you jump through a series of hoops before they will baptize you, whereas Peter baptized a Roman the day he accepted Christ. Religious people always think they are right; they will accept no new teaching or anything different than what they have believed for years.

Yet, I think a lot of religious people act in ignorance. They don't know what it is like to live the life of an addict or alcoholic. It is mostly a misunderstanding of people.

I like what my husband says, "Before I was a Christian, I was turned away from God. After I became a Christian I turned towards him. That is what makes the difference. It isn't what I do. It is who I am facing."

My grandson, who died from drinking too much alcohol, had his face turned towards God. He was praying; he wanted to live a good life; but alcohol and drugs had a grip on him. I believe God took his life to spare him from something more terrible that was going to happen. I believe I will see him in heaven.

Who is God?

Someone who has asked us to turn to him.

"Therefore thus says the LORD: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth." Jeremiah 15:19

“If you return, O Israel, declares the LORD, to me you should return. If you remove your detestable idols from my presence, and do not waver, and if you swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.”  Jeremiah 4:2

"If you return to the LORD, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him."  2 Chronicles 30:9

"Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity."  Joel 2:13

Someone who begs people to turn to him.

"They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them persistently, they have not listened to receive instruction." Jeremiah 32:33

"They say to wood, 'You are my father,' and to stone, 'You gave me birth.' They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, 'Come and save us!'" Jeremiah 2:27

"Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return." Jeremiah 8:5

"They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words. They have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant that I made with their fathers." Jeremiah 11:10

Twitter and Politics.

Who am I?

An opinionated person who loves to give her opinion on everything.

Sometimes I start doing something and then wonder if God is pleased with what I'm doing. I've been on Twitter off and on over the last year. The first time I quit was because some people put photos of naked people on their tweets. Then my granddaughter got a Twitter account and wanted me to follow her, so I signed up again and decided to be very careful who I followed.

That worked out fine, but my granddaughter quit using Twitter and there I was again. I have to admit it can be fun and informative but I've decided to sign off once again. A lot of people use Twitter to post their opinion on politics. I'm interested in politics, but can also get angry about politics. I get angry at politicians who harm people. And they can harm people with their policies.

So, lately I've been tweeting about politics and didn't feel too good about it so I talked with God. After I asked him what to do, a thought came to my mind, "Are you doing any good on Twitter?" I thought about it and decided - no, I wasn't. I'll never change anyone's mind about their political leanings. And what is the good of complaining about politicians?

Who is God?

Well, Jesus never said anything against the Roman government when he was here. In fact, he healed a Roman Centurion's servant and told his followers to carry a Roman soldier's gear two miles instead of the one mile that was a law from Rome.

Paul said to pray for our rulers. He said to honor the emperor, who was Nero at the time. The Bible says that God rules over the nations; that he has given us governments to protect us. God told us to pray for the nation we live in because if it prospers then you will prosper.

I don't think it is wrong to vote or have an opinion on politics, but for me, it isn't a good thing. I get upset and angry so I'm going to try to leave it all alone and just pray.

Do You Feel Like Giving Up?

Who am I?

Yesterday, I saw a question online. It asked, "When did you give up?"

I thought about that. I remember giving up wanting a husband after my divorce. It was when I gave up and left it to God that he brought me my new husband. I remember giving up on trying to give advice to my adult daughters. I had to let them go and trust their lives to God. I remember giving up worrying about the environment when 9/11 happened. I knew then we would blow each other up and went out and bought some paper towels. (I know, I know, I'm stupid sometimes.)

I remember giving up on myself, that I could do anything to save myself. God did the saving on the cross. I just had to trust in him and get to know him as a father, brother and friend. 

I remember giving up on life and taking sleeping pills. That happened last year. I guess I gave up on God too at the time.

I was so lonely; achingly lonely; my heart was in so much pain. But God has shown me, through therapy and the Bible, that he is enough for me; that I need no one but Him. He is enough. He can fill my heart and end my loneliness by being beside me all day and night. I just have to ask and believe, and I do. There is a song Don Moen sings called, "God Will Make A Way." It is true, no matter what is going on in your life, God will make a way to happiness and peace.

All this came into my mind this morning after reading this verse:

"I would have lost heart, if I had not believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."  Psalm 27:13

Who Is God?

Someone who dispenses hope like candy. He is, "The God of all hope..."

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."   Romans 15:13

Our Delusions About Everything.

Who Am I?

Someone who grew up with delusions of what life would be.

Married Life:

As a child, my only goal was to be a mother. I loved my mom, and I thought raising babies would be wonderful. My husband would work at a great job and we would be deliriously happy.

As a teen, my goal was to get a husband. I never thought too much about his character or whether he would treat me right. Nope, whomever I married would be perfect, just like in the movies. I didn't even know a husband could be mean to a wife. I'd never seen it. My father was mean to us kids but treated my mom like a queen.

I did get married, and raising babies was wonderful. I was deliriously happy. My husband didn't have a great job, but he had a good one. We could pay the rent and eat! We could even buy clothes! Life was terrific until I found a note in his pocket from a girl he was seeing. Not so terrific.

My husband said he was bored with me. I had become a Christian. Very boring. Divorce time. Shock and awe time. I thought since I loved him and was a good wife, he would love me. Delusion time is over. As I've said before, I don't blame him since I changed after we got married from "fun party-girl" into "sober Christian."

Other delusions: I thought friends would always be nice to me. I thought church people would be kind and caring. I thought co-workers would be helpful. I thought car companies made safe cars. I thought Presidents of the U.S. were always good men.

Where did I get this rosy picture of Life? TV? Movies? Books?  I think so. The way the media is today, I doubt young people are as deluded about life as I was. In fact, I am still shocked today about what people do. Like the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. It is unbelievable what people/politicians will do for money. They will actually kill people; go to war against a country for money. Kill thousands, if not millions of people for money. This is amazing to me!

I'm writing about this topic because I was reading a book about how we have unrealistic expectations of people and of God. I certainly believe this, and I think it causes us all many problems.

What do we expect from our children? It seems like nothing short of perfection! We want good behavior, good grades, and intelligence. We want them to marry well, have a good job, live in a nice house and give us perfect grandchildren.

Then the author asked what we expect from God. Maybe we expect too much - keep us safe, don't let us get sick, protect everyone we love, make sure we have enough money, make sure we get that promotion, and make us behave perfectly.

I have found it far better to say in every prayer, "Thy will be done." I will wait upon God, but I will not expect the answer I long for because he knows better than I do what the right answer is.

Who is God?

God is not deluded about us or anything else.

"Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person."
John 2:23,24

God knows we are a mess. He knows we are dysfunctional. He knows, yet he loves us so deeply he died to save us. He covers us with his goodness. We don't have to manufacture our own goodness. It is impossible.

God unites his heart with ours and we become one with him.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.

 May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.   John 17:20-23

Jesus prayed this when he knew his friends would desert him, when he knew Peter would deny he knew him, when he knew they would sleep instead of praying with him. He wanted to be one with them and he loved them and would love them forever. He certainly didn't expect them to be perfect!