Sunday Writing... 7-26-20... "THIS TOO SHALL PASS"

Good morning!

"THIS TOO SHALL PASS" is an old adage that speaks about how transient the nature of our days is. The writing for today explores how this applies to our lives and how we respond to those uncertainties.

May your days be blessed,
Jan

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Today's Devotional:

"THIS TOO SHALL PASS"

by
Jan Andersen

Have you ever experienced such a wonderful day that you never wanted it to end?  Last week a friend and I were out looking for wild horses to photograph in the early morning hours.  We had the most beautiful sunrise sky washed with yellow-orange and red as multiple bands of horses were awakening on the desert floor.  Then something even more awesome appeared in the sky opposite the sunrise.  In Arizona sometimes our sunrises stretch the entire expanse of the sky in all directions, not just in the east. There was a thunderstorm brewing on the western horizon, and there across the rainclouds glowing pink in the hour of the rising sun was a red rainbow!  They only occur at sunrise or sunset, so they are not common.  And to top it off, two stallions were rearing up in a fight near the end of that rainbow - my pot of gold!  That whole morning we ran across many bands of wild horses to photograph, and we didn’t want it to end.  Sometimes in life we have stretches of wonderful times that we expect or want to continue indefinitely.  Don't get too comfortable or presumptuous.  Even good days will eventually pass.

Two days after that wonderful day, my friend and I were out again to photograph the wild horses.  We even kayaked across the river and upriver against the light current for a short while and back.  Not one horse presented itself for a portrait session!  However, we still had a wonderful time on the water in God’s awesome creation, photographing birds, watching river otters, floating in the gentle waters and hiking along the shoreline.  Some days in life are like this as well, not what we expected, but certainly not mountain-top experiences.  We gratefully accept them and move on.

Then there are those awful days we wish to never experience.  Sometimes those days stretch into weeks and months, like this pandemic.  Some of those times are thrust upon us and others are of our own doing.  Still others are a combination of both.  Health issues, job losses, disabilities, relationship woes, and so on can bring a myriad of stressors to our lives.  We may feel these days are never-ending and there is no hope of improvement.  But alas, even this too shall pass, so don't despair.  We may need to deal with difficulties as consequences of our actions and learn from them, or we can fight through unexpected valleys as best we can with God’s help.

Whether our days are delightful or distressing, they will not last forever, as this too shall pass.  God is with us through all of it.  When days are good, enjoy them and give glory to God for them.  When days are bad, learn from them and rely on God to get through them.  We never know what the next day may bring.  But we do know Who brings them and Who is in control of the ultimate outcome!

Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 ESV  Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?  When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.  Therefore, no one can discover anything about their  future.

Dear Father in heaven, we thank you for all our days, good or bad, as we know you are always with us through all of our days. Help us to give you the glory for when times are good, and to submit to life's lessons when times are hard.  May we trust in You at all times, especially to give us eternal life at the end of our days by grace through faith.  In Jesus’ name we pray,  Amen.                                       

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Song:
THIS TOO SHALL PASS
Yolanda Adams

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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.

Blog Writers

 Sandy Billingham, Carol Steficek, Jody Ward
Joy Lear-Bernard, Cathy Friberg, Julie Tofilon, Synthia Nibasi

Jan Andersen and  Corinne Mustafa 

  

Occasional Contributors
Kathy Bireley,  Terri Baker

Lynda Kinnard, Beverley Napier, 

 Amie Spruiell, Linda Garrett, and Lisabeth Lipp

Sunday Writing... 7-19-20... "GROANS"

Good morning!

Today's writing is about "GROANS" and who might elicit that sound and why.  Groans have totally different meanings at different times and when coming from different sources.  Read on to find out more.

Blessings on your week,
Jan

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Today's Devotional:

"GROANS"

by
Jan Andersen

A person groans when they are showing disapproval, or when they are in pain or despair.  A bad “dad joke” might elicit a groan that only a pun deserves.  But life groans are more serious.

Life on this earth is hard. We are constantly bombarded by difficulties along the way.  There are strained relationships, work struggles, financial burdens and health issues, all within our own immediate sphere.  We don’t have to look too much further to see political turmoil, social unrest, and world-wide miseries.  Sometimes our distress is so great we groan and cry out in anguish, along with the whole earth as well.  There may be times that we don’t even know what to say or how to pray.  Thankfully, the Spirit prays for us with groans too deep for words!

Romans 8:26-27 ESV  Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.  And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

In spite of all of the struggles, there is great joy to be found.  Even if we cannot find happiness in a situation in which we find ourselves, if we look deep enough we can rest in God’s unending joy, knowing that He has an ultimate plan for our good.  When our life on this earth passes, we have something incomparable waiting for us in heaven, all thanks to the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus.  God has adopted us as his children.  And if his second coming occurs, the whole creation will stop groaning and rejoice!

Romans 8:18-23 ESV  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but  because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 

So when we groan, it is totally different from when the Spirit groans for us.  Whatever we may be going through here on earth, we have joy in the promises of God, love in the salvation of Christ, and peace in the groaning of the Sprit who prays for us!

Dear Father in heaven, you know my heart.  When I am struggling so hard that I don’t even know what to pray, listen to the Spirit’s groanings for me.  Forgive me no matter how far I might stray from You, and lead me back with your gentle hand.  Thank you for carrying me through any difficulties I might face and for your loving forgiveness through Jesus your Son, in whose name I pray.  Amen.              

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Song:

ABBA FATHER LET YOUR SPIRIT PRAY THROUGH ME

Animated Faith

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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.

Blog Writers

 Sandy Billingham, Carol Steficek, Jody Ward
Joy Lear-Bernard, Cathy Friberg, Julie Tofilon, Synthia Nibasi

Jan Andersen and  Corinne Mustafa 

  

Occasional Contributors
Kathy Bireley,  Terri Baker

Lynda Kinnard, Beverley Napier, 

 Amie Spruiell, Linda Garrett, and Lisabeth Lipp

Sunday Writing... 7-12-20... "SEEKER"

Good morning!

In today's writing we explore what it means to be a "SEEKER."  We also look into whether or not we should take our time when seeking.  Then after seeking, what comes next.

Blessings as you seek,
Jan

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Today's Devotional:

"SEEKER"

by
Jan Andersen

This past week a new comet made its appearance in our skies.  Some are calling it a “great comet” meaning it is one of the few comets you can see with the naked eye - without a telescope.  This is only happening because this comet has come near enough to us in its huge orbit around our sun.  So I decided to seek it out.  Well, I got up really early yesterday after having researched that I needed to look in the northeast skies below a certain star right before sunrise.  I saw….. nothing but darkness!

I have been a seeker of many different things.  To be a seeker means looking for something to obtain or find it.  Sometimes in spite of the search it remains undiscovered.  The other morning I was a comet seeker, even though my mission failed.  At other times I’ve been a thrill seeker, like when riding roller coasters that reached to the sky when I was younger.  I’ve always been a knowledge seeker, a life-long learner.  But I’ve never been a seeker in the sport of Quidditch, for those of you who are Harry Potter fans!  There are other types of seekers of which I am not as well - such as the religion of Seekers from the 1600’s, which I knew nothing about until researching for this writing.  However, I do seek God through studying the Bible, prayer and meditation.  I was curious about this verse during my studies:

Isaiah 55:6  Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while He is near.

I found this passage to be peculiar at first.  Doesn’t God always say he is near to us, and that if we seek Him we will find Him?  Taking it in context we find that God is saying He wants all to come to Him before it is too late.  When is it too late?  After we die, or after the second coming of the Christ.  Judgement day is coming, and we don’t know when exactly that will be.  So it makes it so important to remain faithful, and to share that faith with others before it is too late!  Just like I needed to seek out the great comet while it was near the earth, we must seek our great God while He is near and can be found.  We must help others to seek him as well.  May we all look to the heavens, not to be seekers of comets or other celestial bodies, but to be seekers of God and share Him with the world now!

Great God in heaven, your ways are greater than our ways, and your thoughts higher than ours.  We seek You in all of our ways, desiring to understand your teachings more and more.   Thank you for leading us to find You and being near to us in both the good and the bad times on this earth.  Help us to share what we have found with others.  In Jesus’ name,  Amen.     

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Song:

THE MORE I SEEK YOU

Kari Jobe

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Isaiah 55:8-9

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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.

Blog Writers

 Sandy Billingham, Carol Steficek, Jody Ward
Joy Lear-Bernard, Cathy Friberg, Julie Tofilon, Synthia Nibasi

Jan Andersen and  Corinne Mustafa 

  

Occasional Contributors
Kathy Bireley,  Terri Baker

Lynda Kinnard, Beverley Napier, 

 Amie Spruiell, Linda Garrett, and Lisabeth Lipp