Tag Archive | God

My Hiding Place

Where is she? We looked for what seemed like thirty minutes to find her. My mom was demonstrating how to hide in the event an intruder broke into our home. My sisters and I looked everywhere but we couldn’t find her anywhere. To our amazement she was right in front of us the whole time but we never saw her. Tucked under a pile of laundry on the sofa…Who would have thought to look in the clean laundry?

Do you ever have days when intruders break into your life and you wish you could just go away and hide from that negative personality, defeated behavior, or the one that sucks the life right out of you. Did you know you can hide while you are right in plain view?

You Can Hide in Him!!!

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Psalms 32:7-8

When bombarded with trouble or negativity you can mentally go to your hiding place which found in God by mentally saying a prayer, quoting scriptures, and praying all while you are hearing the negative blah blah blah.

You do not have to live in your negative circumstances…He surrounds you with songs of deliverance!!!

I love the songs He Sings over me!!!

I love this song by Israel Houghton & Cindy Ratcliff called “Sing Over Me”

Sing Over Me

Once again I’m drawing near to worship as
you’re drawing me
Once again You lift my head
and lift my heart to heights unseen

In a moment I am in your presence
everything is clear
As I hear Heaven’s melody (oh ho)

As you begin to Sing,Over me
Songs of Deliverance
Lord cover me with your Mighty Hand
Sing over me, God of the Second Chance
Sing over me Once Again
(Oh oh ho…once again Lord)

Once again I’m drawing near to worship as
you’re drawing me
Once again You lift my head
and lift my heart to heights unseen
In a moment I am in your presence
everything is clear
As I hear Heaven’s melody

As you begin to Sing,Over me
Songs of Deliverance
Lord cover me with your Mighty Hand
Sing over me, God of the Second Chance
Sing over me Once Again.

Can You Hear Him Singing Over YOU…He is Your Hiding Place!

Love Lee ♥

The Room With a View

Nov30

Being a true Southern Gal, I’ve always dreamed of having a huge colonial home with the enormous white columns out front, the rear of the home overlooking a river, and huge oak trees in the yard. All, viewed through a wall of solid windows across the back of the house while sitting in my favorite overstuffed chair.

My current home is large and does have white columns but they are far from enormous. And, while I do have huge oak trees in my yard, our home is not situated on a river. I never met the person that designed the house plans for this 1960’s ranch style home but I know it had to be a man!

There are many windows in our home but there is only one where I can sit and look out the window…The location is quiet, cozy, and secluded. While seated, it is through this small window I can see the tops of the oaks in the yard, the beautiful skies and the shrubs with purple flowers. The purple flowers that attract some of the most beautiful butterflies I have ever seen. On occasion I have the pleasure of watching the squirels playing chase in the trees. It is from this room I have some of my most intimate conversations with God and even spend time in His word. It is a place where I hear God Whisper and where I can whisper back and He hears me.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:6

I don’t have a closet large enough to sit in but I do have my room with a view. While you may not have a view you have this room you can go to also the room where you can talk with God…

It is the Bathroom!

You can improve your prayer life if you will make it a point to talk with your Heavenly Father each time you enter the bathroom.

So, have you been to the bathroom today?

Love Lee ♥

God Whispers

Nov29

I love the saying “Make time for the quiet moments for God whispers and the world is loud” so much so I have it framed and hanging in my kitchen as a reminder.

Have you ever thought to yourself or verbalized, “If God would just tell me what to do…”? One thing I know is God is the same yesterday, today and forever! His character does not change; He is a kind and loving God who will guide and direct your path. And yes, He will even speak to you!

But, “how does He speak?” you ask. Well, there are several ways in which God speaks.

Through His word: Do you want to hear God’s voice? Then read the Bible. Find a good daily reading plan, and stick to it.“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16).
Through Prayer: Most conversations are a two-way street. Do you just stand in front of someone and wait for them to talk to you? NO…you typically introduce yourself, or initiate the conversation. It is no different when you want to talk with God. Not only does he listen but he also answers. So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. (Ezra 8:23)
Through the council of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the way we hear God’s voice!“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17).

Think about it when you are carrying on multiple conversations at once or you are talking to someone while listening to another conversation are you communicating effectively…I think NOT!

God is near and wants to communicate with you but like any other intimate conversation you must shut out your surroundings and focus on the person speaking and engage in one conversation at a time.

Listen to that still small voice that sits in the middle of your gut. The one that says “you ought to do this” or “you ought not do that”. I call it your sense of oughtness. When you have that sense about you, there is no confusion about what you ought to do because “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” (I Corinthians 14:33)

Is there something you feel you ought to do…

Find a quiet moment and allow God to speak!

Love Lee ♥

Thanksgiving 2010

Nov27

I so love getting together with family and friends and this Thanksgiving was no exception! I am so blessed to have such a warm and loving family. We live, love, and laugh a lot!

The day started off very peaceful. I enjoyed my quiet time with the Lord; reading my Bible and praying. Then, it was time to get the turkey in the oven. Martha and I teamed up and got the dressing started. The meal was planned to start at 1pm and things were going as planned.

The first to arrive was my precious granddaughter Cheyenne. She was carrying a plate of homemade treats she had made all by herself. She chose a recipe from her cookbook, and purchased all the ingredients with her own money. She did such a wonderful job…I am so proud of her!

Second to walk through the door was Cheryl, Ken, and Shawn with awesome treats in hand and was wearing some of the most beautiful smiles. Shawn has gotten so big I have to look up at him now.

As I continued to putter around in the kitchen, family and friends continued to stream through the door and I quickly lost track of who came when. I could tell when another person would arrive when I heard the volume rise and squeals of excitement could be heard throughout the house.

Soon after my dear friends the Cannans arrived, Alisha made her way to the kitchen, washed her hands, and began helping me de-bone the turkey. A concern Alisha had voiced to her mother about Thanksgiving was the turkey. She was worried it might be dry. Thank goodness I soaked the turkey in a brine for over 24 hours…Her concerns were quickly put to rest when she took her first bite.

As everyone began to arrive, the buffet table began to fill up. My family has always been good to pitch in and bring sides and desserts. One thing for sure is God had blessed each member of our family with the ability to cook. The food was phenomenal and as always there was more than enough for everyone to eat.

As is our custom once everyone arrived we circled around the table and each person voiced what they were thankful for. There is seldom a dry eye in the room when we are through and this Thanksgiving was not different. One of the most tender moments was watching my sister and her husband embrace after the blessing. I was blessed to be a witness to it. God is so good and has richly blessed my sister and her husband.

Soon after the meal was over Susan ran to the store and picked up a couple of newspapers end the hunt was on. Everyone was in pursuit of an item they were going to purchase on “Black Friday”. Who would have believed the newspaper would provide the whole family with hours of entertainment.

Oh, and speaking of entertainment…We had piano playing, ballet, and hand slapping games, and of course FOOTBALL…Activities of different sorts in every room. Priceless times!!!

There were some who were not with us this Thanksgiving and they were missed terribly. Both Richard and Smokey had to work, Lindsey spent the holiday with her dad, Rayfard and Evelyn were celebrating a family member’s birthday, Debbie and Greg were in Arkansas with their grandkids…Our oldest daughter Tori lives out-of-town and was not able to come home but called to wish everyone “A Happy Thanksgiving”. To each of you…”You Were Missed”

What fun memories we made, what great food we ate, and what incredible thanks we gave to our Father in heaven for blessing us!

We are family…

Love Lee ♥

Don’t Envy Her…

Nov27

While standing in line at a checkout counter in a department store, I am reminded of times when people would have their shopping carts overflowing with merchandise and I would think to myself, “Wow, I wish I had that kind of money”…”Some people have all the luck”… or even “it is just not fair”.

Black Friday has come and gone and I am reminded of those who are less fortunate and are not able to express their affections by giving gifts. While Christmas is not just about gifts it is important to remember Gifts is one of The Five Love Languages as is Words of Affirmation, Acts of Kindness, Touch, or Quality Time.

So receiving gifts is very important to those whose love language is Gifts; even when we don’t have the finances to make purchases. But should the desire to make those purchases push us to the point of being envious of what someone else has? I think not…

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 14:30

So rather than be envyous…You should get creative by thinking outside the box for that one of a kind gift that will forever remain a memory in the heart and mind of the person receiving the gift. The gift you put yourself into for that special someone.

When Richard and I were first married we had very little if any extra money. Any extra we did have, we used it to ensure our girls had a good Christmas. I however also felt it was necessary to give gifts to all the family members so I had to get really creative.

Necessity, who is the mother of invention. Plato

With that in mind, I remember the year I took a tuna fish can, washed it, painted it with a decorative motif , filled it with pillow stuffing, then covered it with a cross stitch design held in place by a pretty ribbon, and placed dress pins in it. That year…a pin cushion was all I had to give.

While Richard was attending seminary we were especially stretched financially. I remember gathering all the fabric remnants left over from the outfits I had made for the girls when they were little and used them to make a quilt for Brandi. It was the talk of the campus and each day the neighbor boys would come by to check on its progress. A lot of wonderful conversations took place during the making of that quilt. To this day she has that quilt displayed in her home.

As I have gotten older, I no longer feel an obligation to gift family and friends; now it is a choice. If I see something which reminds me of someone I will gift them with it or if we know of someone in need we pray about how we can help meet that need.

For years now our Christmas gift to our family and friends has been to open up our home; providing a place for everyone to come together to make memories that will last a lifetime.

For the 32 years Richard and I have been married we have never exchanged a Christmas gift. We couldn’t afford gifts when we were first married and today we choose not to gift each other because gifts are not our love language. He gives me a hug (touch is my love language) and I tell him what a wonderful man and husband he is (words of affirmation is his love language) and we are set!

So, this Christmas I encourage you to think about the following:

Jesus is the Reason for the Season
Purchased Gifts are not Always the Best Gifts
Know your loved one’s Love Language
Memories will last a lifetime so make some great ones

And, when you see people’s shopping carts full…

Protect your bones…Don’t Not Envy Them

Love Lee ♥

To God Be The Glory

Nov25

Preparations for a day of food, family and fun are well underway. Thanksgiving Day with all its excitement is here! As I sit sipping my morning coffee in my favorite chair, I find myself pondering all I am thankful for in my life.

I am thankful for:

My mom for giving birth to me and loving me even when I am not loveable.
My Grandparents for loving me rotten (Our Nanny Miller)
My Sisters and Brother for looking up to me as their big sister
My precious husband for wrapping his loving arms around me and saying I do…and still does
My daughters Tori and Brandi who I adore and cherish with all my heart
My Grandchildren Cheyenne, Mike, and Brandon who rock my world
My precious friends for loving me in spite of my warts
All who are willing put aside their own lives to fight for our freedom

Above all other, I am so incredibly thankful for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…without them my being would be void of life!

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. Psalms 95:2 which is what Andrae Crouch has done in the song “To God Be The Glory”

To God Be The Glory

How Can I Say Thanks
for The Things You Have Done For Me
things So Undeserved
yet You Give To Prove Your Love For Me
the Voices Of A Million Angels
cannot Express My Gratitude
all That I Am Or Ever Hope To Be
I Owe It All To Thee

(Chorus)
to God Be The Glory
to God Be The Glory
to God Be The Glory
for The Things He Has Done
with His Blood, He Has Saved Me
by His Power, He Has Raised Me.
to God Be The Glory
for The Things He Has Done

(Bridge)
just Let Me Live My Life
and Let It Be Pleasing, Lord To Thee
and Should I Gain Any Praise,
let It Go To Calvary.

with His Blood, He Has Saved Me
by His Power, He Has Raised Me.
to God Be The Glory
for The Things He Has Done.

While you are thankful…Have you given Him the Glory?

Love Lee ♥

Keeping Your Promises

Nov23

Who out there has said, “I will…” but knew deep down “You Wouldn’t? Often people commit to things or people without giving any thought to the implications or consequences. Then when the time arrives to follow through with the commitment they realize it was never their intention to carry out what was promised so the excuses begin to flow.

Parents do this frequently. They tell the child whatever it takes to pacify them at the time. Then when it is time to deliver what was promised the parent is no longer quite so eager to please.

Before making a commitment or promise to someone you might want to consider the following:

Do you intend to you keep your word and follow through?
Is the commitment something you can realistically carry out?
Did you write down the commitment you made?
Do you know why you are making the promise?
Do you know what you hope to gain from the promise and the consequences of failure?

Keeping promises demonstrates our “True Inner Self.” It shows whether or not we have corruptible or incorruptible morals inside of us. Integrity, Honor, Self-respect and Honesty means everything to man and to the Lord! A broken promise means a broken trust and relationship. Trust and respect as well as one’s honor is the basis of our relationship with our Lord. He expects us to keep promises to others as well!

…The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. Psalms 145:13. Your Heavenly Father is the greatest promise keeper ever. His word is chalked full of promises for His children. He provides the perfect example to us His kids teaching us the importance of keeping those promises. We should strive to follow His example.

So, what promises have you made?

It is never too late to deliver!!!

Love Lee ♥

I Just Can’t Control Myself

Nov22

You think you have no self-control Well, just let your neighbor ring the doorbell while you are in the middle of throwing a wall-eyed fit. What do you do? You plaster a great big smile on your face and in a sugary sweet voice you greet that neighbor as any Southern Belle would do. You invite them in and you carry on a conversation with them as if absolutely nothing had upset your apple cart 5 minutes prior.

Now, that’s self-control if I ever saw it!!!

Self control is a fruit of the spirit which is gifted to you the day you ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life. But, that gift is given as a seed. It must be cultivated, nurtured and matured. It is not a full-grown plant the day you receive it.

…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

What is it in your life that causes you to lose control of yourself? What pushes your buttons? Could it be…

The kids fighting
Your husband leaving his underwear on the floor
Dirty dishes in the sink
Toilet paper hung backward on the roll
The tooth pasted squeezed in the middle rather than rolled from the bottom
A huge piece of Chocolate Cake left out on the counter
A person which rubs you the wrong way

Whatever it is that sets you off, doesn’t have to. You have the seed of Self Control given to you by your heavenly Father. All you must do is exercise it in order for it to be strengthened. In time you will become stronger and much more proficient at using it. Much like one is strengthened by physical exercise.

You can be in control…

Love Lee ♥

Beyond Your Imagination

Nov19

While digging through the refrigerator, my husband will yell out “Where’s the ______ (whatever it is he’s looking for). I get up from my chair, walk to the refrigerator, reach in and move one item, and while handing him what he was looking for I say, “You might have to move something.” After going though this routine several times I no longer have to get up out of my chair, I only have to call out “You might have to move something.” and miraculously he is able to locate what he needs.

In much the same way we as humans tend to only see what is right in front of our face and forget there is so much more…We are told in 2 Corinthians, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Because I have never seen heaven, I can only imagine what it is going to be like and how awesome it will be when we see Jesus for the first time. In fact, the song “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe says it best.

I Can Only Imagine

I can only imagine what it will be like, when I walk by Your side…
I can only imagine, what my eyes will see, when Your Face is before me!
I can only imagine. I can only imagine.
Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing ‘Hallelujah!’? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!

I can only imagine, when that day comes, when I find myself standing in the Son!
I can only imagine, when all I will do, is forever, forever worship You!
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!

Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing ‘Hallelujah!’? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! Yeah! I can only imagine!

What are you looking for in the refrigerator of life…Stop looking at what is right in front of your face…the here and now.

Love Lee ♥

Are You Walking in the FOG

Nov17

Do you really believe it was luck that delivered you from a that near wreck you had? Or do you think your boss was nice to you because you’re all that? Do you think the unexpected check came in the mail at the exact time you needed it was just a coincidence? I think not…It is favor!!!

I do not believe in luck…

I Believe in FAVOR and I choose to walk in the FOG (Favor of God)

I like what the article What does having the favor of God mean? has to say about favor. To favor means to give special regard to; to treat with goodwill; to show exceptional kindness to someone. Sometimes, it means to show extra kindness in comparison to the treatment of others; that is, preferential treatment. God gives His children favor.

Joel Osteen says it like this. “I believe God’s favor is something intangible where you’ve got God’s blessings on your lives.”

In the 10 Benefits of Walking in the Favor of God Pastor Winston Reyes of Victory Fort lists the following as benefits we as God’s kids can be entitled to.

Supernatural increase and promotion
Restoration of everything that has been taken from you
Honor even in midst of adversaries
Increase assets especially in the area of real estate
Provision and overflowing harvest
Protection from the LORD
Prominence and preferential treatment
Prayers are heard and answered
Purpose of God is accomplished through you
Battles are won in which you won’t even have to fight because God will fight them for you