We've been talking this week at my church about ensuring that our lives are built strong - on solid ground/foundation and with the strongest materials - ensuring our lives are founded on God's word and centered on that...

As I was praying this morning and trying to center my life on God, I thought about the fact that each morning, my devotions are just that - a time to try to center that day correctly, to center my whole focus on God so that as I go forward during the day, that basis I established in the morning will guide me through...

Some days I follow through well; others, not so much! Those days that are not so good made me reflect and really ask myself the key questions we discussed at Church:

Who am I listening to?

Who am I following?

Who do I trust?

Basically, what is my real foundation - what are my real goals for life? I know what I say they are -but am I living that?

Hmmm.... The answer to that last question comes to me very quickly - I don't think I am really living it! If I were, why am I so dissatisfied with things about myself?

There's so much I know I want to see changed in my life, and I don't mean things outside of me - things inside of me! I pray about it, but am I opening my heart to God's work to transform me - am I letting go of the wheel - or am I fighting Him?

Who am I really following? God - or the material world? Am I really motivated by God or am I motivated by stuff...

Do I show God's love and power to others around me or do people see someone just after the same stuff they all are - nothing new, nothing different; just one of the same!

Every year, people usually make New Year Resolutions. They take some time to analyse the past and plan and prepare for the new! Businesses also have planning time - time to reassess the past, see what has been working, what hasn't and plan how to go forward!

Being a Christian is very challenging, because I think as a Christian, your reassessment and planning needs to happen each day and needs to be vested in God's word...

Each day, one day at a time, we need to take time each morning to review how we served or how we failed our Lord the day before...

We need to plan and prepare how we must go forward that new day - and we need to PRAY with our whole hearts to God for His strength and His power to take charge in our life that day - and then, we need to let go and let God!!!

"Father, I know I fail you constantly... I know I want so badly to be a good steward and to really live a life centred completely and wholly on You!!!

Some days I do okay Lord, but I have a long way to go to let go so that You can transform me and use me for your kingdom and for your glory!

Today, Lord, please help me to let go of the wheel! Take charge today Father - transform me, melt me, mold me and use me to share Your love to each person I come into contact with...

Guide me in every situation so that everything I do is Your will and is pleasing to You...

In Jesus' precious name, I pray...

Thank You Lord, for this day!"

Challenges

I had a very challenging week this week, and in many ways, became overwhelmed by life. It came out of the blue, all of a sudden on Tuesday morning as I was rushing along to an appointment, all the while, praying for God to help me overcome my obstacles to fully reaching my God-potential, to help me to be better and do more...

Blazing blue lights behind me signalled the beginning of my challenges... What started out as the possibility of an irritating but simple speeding ticket quickly unravelled into the fact that my drivers' license had been suspended, unbeknownst to me, because we had paid our insurance late and they had notified the State that our policy was cancelled or some such series of events... Who knows!

However, the police officer was unnecessarily harsh and as a result, I had to get the car insurance issues resolved, go and get my license re-instated, and hire an attorney to deal with the ridiculous tickets the officer issued...

The thing is, the payment of our car insurance was a task that my husband is responsible for - in my being overwhelmed by how quickly and dramatically things had gone from a quiet day to one of chaos, I blamed him for everything that had happened...

I went from moments of peace in prayer to chaos and feelings of abandonment and surprise... and I failed this test!

Ezekiel 24: 15-27 teaches us that God can call on us, at times, to be used in tremendous moments of chaos to be a sign to others of the difference being a disciple of Jesus makes in us...

Ezekiel 24: 15-18

"The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.

Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners."

18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died.

The next morning I did as I had been commanded."

Can you imagine how overwhelming that must have been for Ezekiel - to lose the delight of his life and not give in to grief... Not accept the love and support of family and friends, not show the tremendous loss he felt?



Yet this is what he was called to do - and he did what he was commanded to do!



For me - God gave me an opportunity to be better and do more and show my husband and others faith, strength, charity and gentleness in times of challenge; instead I showed anger, resentment and frustration and missed that opportunity entirely!



It's taken me days to even see it that way! Job, in the midst of incredible testing, covered with boils and sores, ripped of his family, stature and basically all he had, told his wife, "Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?"



Psalm 51: 1-4

"Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight..."

Psalm 73: 21-26

"When my heart was grieved

and my spirit embittered,

I was senseless and ignorant;

I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel,

and afterward you will take me into

glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides

you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart

and my portion forever."

Lord, I pray that I will serve you better the next time life throws me a curve ball...

I pray that my reaction and response will be a testament to others

of the power, peace and strength I have in You...