Saturday Writings......7/16/15

Good morning...
      
Friday my husband, daughter, grandson, and I went to Muir Woods just north of San Francisco. These woods are a national monument with some of the oldest and tallest trees in the world...Redwoods. The beauty of the place takes your breath away. Even though many visitors come there, the woods are pristine and unspoiled. Muir Woods is a place that makes one think that this is what the whole world was like when God first created it. In a scarred world, it is wonderful to come to such a place. 

Hope your Saturday is a good one.

God bless from
Corinne


The Devotional component in the Saturday Writings of Women's Focus Ministries is titled, "KEEP YOUR PROMISES " and was written by Carol Steficek. The topic is to tell the truth always and to always keep your promises.Carol wrote, "The next time you are tempted to respond to a request or volunteer during a conversation that "you promise" -- think about it again.  Don't make promises to anyone, especially God, that you can't keep.."

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  Today's Devotional   

"KEEP YOUR PROMISES "

written by

Carol Steficek

"The Lord detests lying lips, 

but he delights in men who are truthful." 

Proverbs 12:22

     There is no such thing as a "little lie" or a "white lie."  An untruth is an untruth to God, and He doesn't like it.  In fact, He hates lies.

     If you look at the world and local scene, I'm not sure that anyone even knows the truth today, let alone lives by it.  Elections have become a farce.  Everyone knows what is "promised" by those seeking election will never come to pass.  There are lots of excuses why promises are never kept -- and very few are.

          

     Look at your own life.  We make promises to other people and to God, sometimes rashly, sometimes even with good intentions, but then are unable to keep them.  We would be doing better in God's eyes if we never made promises we can't keep.

     

     The next time you are tempted to respond to a request or volunteer during a conversation that "you promise" -- think about it again.  Don't make promises to anyone, especially God, that you can't keep.

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   Snippets of Spiritual Insights  from Beverley   

But some things do. ❤ Today I am grateful for change. For years I was afraid of it. As a child I learned to fear it, for with each change came greater devastation. So throughout my life I'd choose to hang onto things that were unhealthy for me, simply because they were familiar. But then I'd always pray and ask the Lord for the desires of my heart. Little did I realize that it would require great change, on my part for Him to answer them. A whole lot of it.

First it would require trust. I would need to trust Him in order to let go of all that I'd learned. I'd learned to take care of myself. I'd learned to close off my heart from others. So it wouldn't be hurt. I'd learned that being who I was, wasn't enough. So I learned to be who others wanted me to be. I learned that I hated, and feared feeling lost or alone. So I'd do whatever it took to "belong". To anything. Or anyone. I learned that the world was a big and scarey place. I learned to keep my world "small" in order to feel safe. I learned to closely "guard" everything I loved. And everyone.

I learned to control. Out of fear. I learned perfectionism. Out of fear. I learned lying and secrecy. I learned to compartmentalize my life, out of fear that the "real" me, 

the " bad" me that I truly believed I was, would never be detected.

But still. I had the courage to pray. I had the courage to trust, in a God who said He loved me. Who said He would never leave me. He said He would never forsake me. Like my parents had. They had left me. Both of them. In a world that was too big for me. I hadn't learned the things I would need to get by. Or even survive. Without them. They had never prepared me and then I was alone. How could I be sure that He would not do the same.

Even so. I heard His promises and they touched me. So I opened my heart. And slowly I began to trust Him.

Little did I know that He would eventually and forever change my life. For the good. That He would take me from a place of pain. Into a place of joy. That He would turn my tears into laughter. My fear into trust. That He would bring all my separate parts. Into a whole. I am now and will forever be. Thankful. I will be. One of those. Who turned around. Came back. And thanked Him.

written by beverley a napier (c)

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   Today's Inspiring Graphic   

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Prayers are lifted up daily for 

you by the Devotional Writers 

and the Monthly Writing Staff

of Women's Focus Ministries.

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