Author: naesnotes

Words. Can’t live with some and can’t live without most. What do I mean by that? We use words to communicate our thoughts, feelings, ideas, dreams, concerns, etc. through speaking and writing. Therefore, we can’t live without them because it would be a very lonely world where nobody would know anything about anybody else. Which leads me to the can’t live with some.

There are words I should live without and words I wish I’d never shared. Words I can live without are the ones that focus on negative things about others, which are typically the ones that should never be shared. Sometimes when I’m struggling with something myself, I tend to notice only negative things about others. I guess I thought it would make me feel better. That feeling doesn’t last long because I soon realize I’m focusing on the wrong thing. Rather than trying to help myself through the situation to a positive end, I bring other people down to my level. Most of the time I don’t know a person well enough to make a determination on his/her life. So my observations are not only negative but usually wrong.

Proverbs 18:21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. (NASB). Words won’t physically cause someone’s death. What happens on the inside of them is where the real damage is done. Every time someone hears a word about him or herself, it creates a reaction on the inside. Most people believe what others say about them. Positive words help people gain confidence and make them feel better about themselves. Negative words take a piece of a person every time they are spoken. Sharing negative words about people with others gives the wrong perspective. You may briefly feel better unloading your negative feelings, but then reality sets in and so does guilt. Then you just feel bad again. The cycle never stops. So words are death and life for the people you are speaking about and for yourself.

I will survive if I choose to use words carelessly. However, I can thrive if I choose my words carefully!

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you” Psalm 63:1a NIV

I was drawn to the word “earnestly” when I read this verse. It is defined as “serious in intention, purpose or effort”. The Webster’s 1828 dictionary has “with real desire” as one definition option. I have to admit that there are days when “earnestly” is not part of my seeking. As someone who grew up in church, I often found my self seeking but not “with real desire”.

We get comfortable in our relationships, including our relationship with God. For many people, simply knowing what happens after they die is enough to satisfy them. This mindset could look something like trying to live a good life but really only acknowledging or seeking God when something big comes along. God’s typically not part of your daily thoughts or routine.

I’ve been there, and honestly, things were fine. Throughout my life I’ve met people who were a little more diligent about seeking God (earnestly seeking), and I found myself curious as to what that would look like for me. I found 2 major advantages as I’ve tried to earnestly seek God.

First, I’m a worrier by nature. I can take a situation and see more negatives that’s positives, mostly to protect myself from disappointment. Since beginning to seek God more earnestly, I still have times where I resort to worrying. However, I don’t tend to stay there as long as I used to stay. I’m able to move through that more quickly and remember that God wants good things for me.

Second, I’ve been able to step back and see things from a different perspective. In the past when someone didn’t react or do things the way I would, I’d become frustrated. Now I’m able to stop and think about what something looks like from the other person’s perspective and not be quick to judge their actions.

Earnestly seeking God takes more time and effort on our parts, and time is something many people don’t think they have enough to spare. One thing I’ve realized is that time is short, and we never know what is going to happen tomorrow. You will be able to survive and have good things with just a casual relationship with God. But what about trying to thrive each day by earnestly seeking Him and what He has for you?

So here we are. Still moving through a “new normal” in the ever changing world where we quickly figured out nothing is guaranteed. 2020 prior to the middle of March felt like what was going to be a spectacular year that was running very smoothly. Then we all found ourselves on a roller coaster no one wanted to ride. The ups and downs have been exhausting, confusing, and disheartening many days. Information changes daily. We are constantly finding the need to adapt to whatever the new thing for that day brings.

As I was reading Psalm 143 today, I was reminded of a few things. Verse 5 says” I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Thy doings…” (NSRV). At first you might think that would bring sadness at how our world looked before March. However, I chose to think about the good things God has done in my life, and the way He has taken other less than desirable circumstances and turned them around for good. He’s still the same God that He was before March, so He can make good out of this too.

Later in verse 10 it says He will lead us on level ground and revive us. That is just the encouragement we need for today! God is the one who can lead us through this uncertain time on a steady path and revive our weary souls if we will look to Him for our strength and guidance and not the world. God doesn’t change! His word doesn’t change! Those things are not dependent on my current mood or what I see around me!

Look to God for your strength, your comfort, and your direction. He is not phased by what we see, so let Him keep you steady! 2020 can still be your best year yet!

This is the word that has been going through my head this week…over and over and over. I couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason this word seemed to be important. My search for answers led me to the following verse:

”The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him (with awe inspired reverence and worship Him with obedience), And He rescues each of them.” Psalm 34:7 AMP

Then this morning I heard a line in a song that said His presence was all around us. I realized what the word “around” was supposed to represent. God is ALL around us, ALL the time! This verse states that God is all around us and rescues us. However, it reminds us that we should fear Him and worship Him.

Fear is a word and feeling that has probably been more prevalent in our society in the past few months than any other time in recent history. Everyone has experienced a different level of fear through this time concerning the different areas of their lives. This verse is a great reminder that God is the only one we should fear, but not in a scary way. I’m not afraid of God the way I am afraid of snakes and mice. I know most of them are smaller than me, but I run away screaming or hide my face even when they are on t.v. Fear of God to me means fear of disappointing Him. He did so much for me by saving me through the sacrifice of Jesus that I don’t want to disappoint Him by living selfishly. He has done so many good things for me and my family that I want to try to live in a way that pleases Him. For me that means seeking Him and His ways for my life and letting Him lead me to the things I should do and places I should go. For some people letting God lead them is scarier than leading themselves.-submitting control to something you can’t see or hear audibly. With the uncertainty of the future and how we are going to return to full normal capacity in our lives, now seems like a good time to try seeking God and His guidance in our lives.

We will survive this uncertain time in our country, but fearing and worshipping God will cause His presence to be around us and lead us to thrive through this time!

Psalm 20:1, “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble.” (NRSV)

That’s a fitting verse for the state of our world today! I have to admit that most days I’m not overly troubled because I’m in the house with my family and keep the news off the tv and my phone as much as possible. Spring is almost here to stay. It’s getting sunnier and warmer and the grass is green again. From my windows, things look normal. However, appearances can be deceiving. Most of us are as far from normal as we’ve ever been or ever thought we would be. These are troubling times full of questions and uncertainty. Our lives are disrupted. We are clinging to dates set as to when officials think we can begin to regain some sense of the normal we knew before this started. Underneath that, we are troubled by the fact we’ve seen previous dates come and go without progress. This verse promises God will answer us during not only these troubling times but any ones that come after this crises is over when we call on Him and seek Him.

So, how do we do that? Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my rock and my redeemer.” (NRSV) With some extra time and the slow down many of us are experiencing, be more aware of your thoughts. It’s hard to focus on good things right now, but we don’t have to let our minds stay there. Let’s focus on the fact that God is a rock and a constant during troubling times, and He always wants good things for us.

We will survive this trouble, and He will answer us when we call. How about thriving through this time by being more mindful of God and the fact that He is the constant in this ever-changing world?

I’m one of those people who actually enjoys running. There’s something about getting outside and taking a jog that is relaxing for me. I’d been away from it for awhile, especially in the winter. I do run on the treadmill, but don’t find it nearly as enjoyable. I used to think that the conditions had to be perfect in order for me to go running…sunshine, no wind, mild temperatures, favorite workout leggings clean. I woke up one day last week when the sun was shining and decided to go running. I did check the weather to make sure there was no wind. However, that was the only thing I checked. I didn’t check the temperature or make excuses because my favorite leggings weren’t available. I simple got dressed, picked up my phone and my headphones, and headed out the front door. I had no idea how long/far I’d be able to go since I hadn’t been for awhile. I just knew it was something I needed to do before the day got away from me.

Our relationship with God can sometimes follow a similar pattern. The conditions aren’t perfect:

• It will take too long;
• I don’t know where to start;
• I don’t really think it will help my situation;
• I’ve tried it before.

All those things may be true, but today is different. We are experiencing something we have never seen before nor could we have imagined would happen. Many of us find ourselves with more time available to us than we would like. What if we would take 20-30 minutes of that unexpected time and use it to find God? I know that sounds like a lot if it’s not something that is familiar or comfortable. But just as running is good for my health and mindset, spending time with God will be good for yours.

You may say, “It’s been too long” or “I don’t know where to start”. Reading the comfort of Psalms, the wisdom in Proverbs, or the story of Jesus could all be starting places. Let God be your place of refuge in these uncertain times for Psalm 2:12 says, “How blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” (NSRV) Couldn’t we all use a little blessing today?

It seems like this has been not just a daily question in our house but sometimes hourly. Things with our old “normal” seem so distant. Last week was our regularly scheduled spring break, which didn’t yield many accomplishments as we all tried to wrap our heads around the status of the world. Now we find ourselves pushed in to at least another 2 weeks of our new “normal”, which is not what anyone wants. The planner in me wants to get back on a schedule and have someone tell me that this will all be finished and worth it in 2 weeks. However, I’ve had to push that side of me to the back and became more “go with the flow”. I’m sure many of you are experiencing something similar. While most of us crave structure and security, those are things that will not be prevalent in the coming weeks if we look with our natural eyes. Many people find themselves going from having every minute of their families’ days scheduled to being only able to see your family members for hours on end. That in itself is a challenge! We had plans! We could see what the coming months were going to bring! We had the security of our health, family and jobs! Now many people are in a tail spin as one or more of those areas faces major changes and uncertainty. So what can help?

For the past few months I’ve been working my way through the book of Job and not really enjoying it. It’s a lot of speeches and back and forth about how Job’s friends think he should feel about his suffering and how Job actually feels. Ironically, I finished the book today and found comfort in chapter 42, the final chapter. Job says to the Lord, “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2 NIV). Well said! These are crazy, unprecedented times we are navigating. But, at the end of it all, God remains the same. Even though this event we are in was meant to scare us and derail us from our lives, God plans for us have not changed. He knew exactly where we would be today and what situations would surround us. His plans for us are good! I believe that we will come out of this situation better and wiser than when it started. Take time to find the good in each day and thank Him that his plans for us remain unchanged!

We’re all here for a purpose. Really? What purpose? For some people it depends on the day as to what they say is their purpose. Should purpose change? Dictionary.com gives some definitions for the word purpose when used as a noun and a verb.

Noun definitions included the reason which something exists; an intended or desired result, end, aim, or goal; determination. Verb definitions included to set as an intention, goal or aim for oneself; to intend, design. Individually, each of those definitions are effective. However, they took on a new meaning for me when I put them together in the following statement:

To have a purpose is to determine the reason why we exist. All our lives are designed or intended to find our purpose, so we go forth with determination and set as a goal for ourselves to live out our purpose intentionally-daily.

My conclusion is that purpose shouldn’t change. It may look different from day to day as we encounter different situations. Our purpose should be what moves us through each day with determination and intention in order to thrive not merely survive!

“Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand (be carried out).” Proverbs 19:21 AMP

Cast has been the word rolling around in my head for the past 2 weeks. Then my pastor spoke on the topic of “Casting your cares” this morning. So, what am I to learn from this?

It started 2 weeks ago when, in the manner of 2 days, I had some unusual situations arise at home. 1 day I spent 1 1/2 hours trying to fix a problem with a t.v. Really? I discovered at the end of that time that I missed an opportunity to “cast” and not let the situation bother me. My thought at the end of that was, “Wow. That was a complete waste of time!”

What would’ve happened had I been “fast to cast” and what does that really mean? Without a time machine, I don’t really know what would’ve happened. But, I think I can predict what that means for the next time. The Bible tells us multiple times not to worry. Good advice that is rarely exercised. It says not to worry because God knows exactly what we need. Most of the time, we think we know what we need better than God does. That’s when the worry comes. Things don’t happen just as we thought they should, and we take on the situation and try to fix it in on our strength and our own way. God doesn’t need our help. He needs our trust in His plan and our obedience to the things He tells us to do.

Before you start this week, take some time to reflect on the last time you lost valuable time worried about or trying to fix something that was totally out of your control. I’m sure you can come up with something better to do next time that will actually be productive and move you further along in God’s plan for your life. Next time remember to be “fast to cast”!

Here’s a shout out to all the planners of the world! I am one of them. I like to know exactly what’s coming, when it’s coming, and how it’s coming. I could spend hours planning. I can’t say that my execution is always as good as the planning, though, because things come up that interfere with my perfect plans. Welcome to life! So now what?

I heard a line in a song this weekend that talked about how God plans ahead for moments in our lives that are not expected. It’s nice to know God plans ahead, but what about us? I don’t plan for disruptions-I plan for every detail to go just as I want. How can we plan to stay steady in unexpected moments? The answer goes back to God. God doesn’t change. His word doesn’t change. He is not surprised by those things that surprise us. The plan for our lives should include seeking him and reading His word on a daily basis. Then He can handle those things we didn’t plan to see, and He can help us adjust our plans to line up with what He wants for us.

When you’re making your plan for this week, make sure you include time to connect to God, the only thing in life that doesn’t change!

“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” Ps 20:4 NIV