I Am Glad!

October 20th, 2013 dsisler

It’s Sunday morning! Time to get up and head to the house of the Lord!

 

Sunday mornings are special (I pray they are for you as well). I understand King David’s words in Psalm 122:1 (NIV). “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” There is great rejoicing within my soul when I can join others in worshipping God my Creator and Jesus my Redeemer. To be in God’s presence is exciting.

 

So today I pray that you’re excited about heading to the house of the Lord. You will be blessed beyond measure when you approach God’s throne.

 

Which leads to the doll house post you will read today. Chapter 4 about the rooms of the house. I searched God’s Word and found a Scripture passage to write on the walls or floors of each room. As you’ll read at the end, it was an important step to building the doll house. Enjoy!

 

Building a Doll House: Rooms of the House – Chapter 4

The doll house pJoy's Dollhouse 2 083mmmmmlans were coming along splendidly! The pieces were organized, the work station was set up in the loft with a large table, and all the tools were gathered together. We were ready to begin.

 

The first step for me was to make choices for each room. I spent hours looking for the perfect verses of Scripture to write on the walls and floors of this house. Finally, they were chosen and ready to start writing. These are the verses chosen for the specific locations.

 

Kitchen

“She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.” (Proverbs 31:15 – NIV)

 

Dining Room

“Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’” (John 21:12a – NIV)

 

Living Room

“Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.” (Titus 2:4-5 – NIV)

 

Little Girl’s Room

“…for He grants sleep to those He loves.” (Psalm 127:2b – NIV)

 

Little Boy’s Room

“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8 – NIV)

 

Parent’s Room

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 – NIV)

 

Nursery

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.” (Psalm 62:5 – NIV)

 

Bathroom

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean…” (Ezekiel 36:25a – NIV)

 

Main Floor

“’For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.’” (Jeremiah 29:11-14 – NIV)

 

Bottom of House

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1a – NIV)

 

Porch

“Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:7 – NIV)

 

Roof

“They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the queen (king).” (Psalm 45:15 – NIV)

 

During this time, God taught me that His Word is still relevant in our world today. There are so many things to learn each day by getting into the Bible. I also feel like I missed the opportunity to write these same verses on the walls of my current home. That makes me a little sad. But I also believe God would rather I live His Words, not just write them.

 

Someday, my great-grandchildren will see the words I chose for this precious house. My prayer is that they will know how essential this step was. That God’s Words are as important to them as they are to me. May my future generations know they are thought of today, not just by Baba, but also by their heavenly Father.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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A Word of Encouragement

October 19th, 2013 dsisler

I am encouraged so much by reading God’s Word. I love how He has given us snippets of Himself through descriptions and how we can use these word pictures to be encouraged. I found such an encouraging verse that I’d like to share with you.

 

Daytona Beach 014mThe two books written to the Thessalonica believers were to help them through the persecution and trials they faced. Some new converts were unclear on how they should live their lives and Paul was quick to point them in the right direction. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 are verses to keep in mind when wondering how to please God.

 

But these new believers were also suffering for their faith. Paul encouraged them by letting them know that he was praying for them. Paul mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 3:10 (NIV), “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.” Read 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 for more of what Paul prayed for this group.

 

He also encouraged them with words such as, “good news about your faith and love” (1 Thessalonians 3:6 – NIV); “you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other” (1 Thessalonians 4:9 – NIV); and “the Lord himself will come down from heaven…we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – NIV).

 

But Paul continues. “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 – NIV)

 

2 Thessalonians is no different. Paul encourages this group with even more words. “Stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15 – NIV) And what about this one? “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 – NIV) And, “may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16 – NIV)

 

And this is the verse I really wanted to share today. “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5 – NIV)

 

What an encouragement for us to know that when we are weary or encounter suffering, we can look to Christ’s perseverance and use that example to keep going. Jesus, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross.” (Hebrews 12:2 – NIV)

 

Jesus provided the example for us to follow in many ways, but when we look to Him for how to deal with suffering and trials and difficult people, we come to understand perseverance. If Jesus had given up on mankind, all would have been lost.

 

But thankfully, Jesus was willing to do anything asked of Him in order to redeem mankind. He persevered to the end and He completed His mission. To seek and save the lost. Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) tells us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Jesus is the beginning and the completer of faith. He reached the goal. The completed the task.

 

Paul’s encouragement is that we follow Christ’s example and not give up. We cannot grow weary. We must keep moving forward. In the end, we have God’s love to envelop us and that is where we find peace and rest.

 

If you are going through a difficult trial today, why not look to Jesus as an example. Use His strength and God’s love to get you through it. And remember, the Lord is with always with you.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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Blanket of White

October 18th, 2013 dsisler

Wow! We received our first snow of the season in my area last night. As usual, that first blanketing of snow is lovely. It satisfies a longing for beauty. It protects the plants and bulbs under its warmth. It provides moisture to our dry land. It brings a purity with it that somehow seems to purify all that it touches or covers.

 

snow2Yes, the snow that is covering our landscape is absolutely gorgeous!

 

I believe we receive some of these same benefits when we live a life that pleases God. Let’s see what God’s Word has to say about it.

 

God is Lovely

When we are in God’s presence, we dwell in loveliness. Psalm 84:1 (NIV) tells us of this place. “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty.”

 

snowDavid continues to speak of a yearning within to be in the presence of our lovely God. “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” (Psalm 84:2 – NIV)

 

I pray that you’ve experienced this deep desire. That nothing else could possibly fulfill this desire to be with God.

 

God Satisfies

David knew this as well. There are three passages in Psalm when David shared the ways that God satisfied. Let’s see what he said.

 

In Psalm 103, David begins with praise to God. “Praise the Lord, O my soul…who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:1a, 5 – NIV) God satisfies our desire with good things.

 

And in Psalm 107:9 (NIV) David said this about God. “He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” David urged Israel to thank God for all that He satisfied, including food and drink. We too must remember to thank God for all that He gives.

 

David shared another satisfaction in Psalm 147:14 (NIV). “He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.” In this section, David talks of all sorts of weather. Through it all, God satisfied David’s needs and desires. God wants to do the same for us.

 

God Protects

David was fully aware of God’s protection. When David was being blamed for something he had no control over, God protected him. And in this protection, David found rest and peace.

 

“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8 – NIV)

 

As we place our problems in God’s hands, we allow ourselves the benefits of rest, peace and protection. Why wouldn’t we want to give all of the issues of our lives to Him?

 

God Provides

David knew this very well and shared his thoughts on this topic in one line. “All my fountains are in you.” (Psalm 87:7b – NIV)

 

When we come to the understanding that there is nothing apart from God, then we too can make this statement without doubt. Everything we need. Everything we desire, God provides.

 

In our spiritual walk, we have the opportunity to walk with God and allow Him to fulfill our needs. God’s spiritual provision is all we could possibly desire. Can you repeat David’s words?

 

Perhaps you’ve heard the current worship song containing this line. I pray that the next time you sing these words you’ll have a better understanding of how God really does provide.

 

God Purifies

David’s greatest desire after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba was to be purified. He asked for God’s mercy. He asked to be cleansed. “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7 – NIV)

 

In our repentance of sin, we too have the desire to be purified. What a blessing it is to know that God is willing to do just that. We have the opportunity to be washed clean. To be as white as the first snow of the season.

 

God has so much to offer us. We need to remember all of them. If we jump back to Psalm 103:2 (NIV), David wanted to remember all that God had done for him, too. He didn’t want to forget. “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Let’s not forget. Let’s remember all that God wants to give us. And then, accept them!

 

To be honest, this snow won’t last long. The weather will warm up over the weekend and it will disappear. Also to be honest, I really don’t like winter very much. At least I can say I don’t like the cold. But I kind of like snow.

 

Snow brings a beauty with it that thrills the little girl in me. I pray that each snowfall will remind me of God’s benefits. Maybe you will too.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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One Thing

October 17th, 2013 dsisler

I am not a great reader. Compared to my husband who can read a novel or book in a few short days, sometimes it takes me months to finish a book.

 

DSC02392mOne of the reasons is that I can’t seem to finish a book quickly is that I find other books with amazing titles that grab my attention. I start reading them and soon, I have three or four books I’m reading and not any of them are complete.

 

I have four at this time that I’m reading chapter by chapter, every fourth day. Don’t ask me why. I’m intrigued by each of them and it’s what I do. Here’s the list.

 

Hand Me Another Brick by Charles Swindoll.

Smart Women Keep it Simple by Annie Chapman.

Love Does by Bob Goff.

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver.

 

There is no rhyme or reason to how I read these books. I pick up the book I feel like reading at the moment and read a chapter.  However, the reason I chose to place Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World is because something caught my attention in this book.

 

If you remember the story of Mary, Martha and Jesus in Luke 10:38-42 (NIV), Jesus told Martha, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.”

 

Mary got it. Martha didn’t. Jesus had to tell Martha to “be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10 – NIV)

 

There are many days that we need that same reminder. We need to focus on the one thing that is needed.

 

But here’s what caught my attention. The phrase, “only one thing is needed” also referred to food portions. Take a look at this quote.

 

“Perhaps in a subtle turn of words, Jesus was issuing two invitations:

  • First, to know him—to put worship before work
  • But also, not to overdo—even in our efforts on his behalf.”[i]

 

Mrs. Weaver goes on to say that in Jewish culture, they typically only used one common bowl placed in the middle of the table. Martha may have been a bit extravagant in her food preparation, so perhaps Jesus may have let her know that she had over done the whole meal. She was reminded to keep it simple. One thing.

 

And another quote by Charles Spurgeon. “Her fault was not that she served. The condition of a servant well becomes every Christian. Her fault was that she grew ‘cumbered with much serving,’ so that she forgot him and only remembered the service.”[ii]

 

It’s easy to get our lives out of perspective and out of balance. Even when it comes to serving Jesus. When our service keeps us from meeting our Savior face-to-face, we need to be reminded of the “one thing.”

 

We can’t do it all, but we can do one thing. As we sit at Jesus’ feet, blissfully drinking in all He has to offer, we are preparing ourselves to tackle the next one thing. It may be mudding-out a flood ravaged basement. It may be sitting beside a loved one in a hospital bed. It may be doing five loads of laundry today. It may be sitting at a computer all day.

 

Whatever your next one thing is, you’re ready. You’re prepared. And Jesus is right there with you reminding you of the one thing.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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[i] Joanna Weaver, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World (Colorado Springs:  Waterbrook Press, 2002), pg. 62.

[ii] Charles H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening (Nashville: Nelson, 1994), January 24, Evening.

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Lofty Ideas

October 16th, 2013 dsisler

Perhaps you’ve seen the television show where inventors present ideas to investors. These inventors seem to have the perfect solution to a problem and they’ve put together the perfect product. Sometimes these ideas are really good. Sometimes, not so much.

 

ideaWhile I have only seen this show a few times, I am reminded that sometimes what we believe to be a great idea is a flop to others. I am reminded that we probably will not be successful at everything we try to do.

 

Why is it that sometimes great ideas end in failure? Why on some occasions are multiple attempts made before success? Why is there a saying, “If at first you don’t succeed; try, try again?” Why can’t an idea always work the first time?

 

Maybe the idea was too lofty…unattainable. Or maybe it really had no merit and wouldn’t work regardless of how many times you try. Perhaps the method isn’t suitable for the plan.

 

There are obviously many reasons a plan or idea won’t work on the first attempt.

 

The book of Proverbs has some great wisdom tidbits and Solomon gives us some great advice on planning. Maybe some of these verses might help with a situation you are in right now. Let’s take a look.

 

Proverbs 14:22  (NIV) “Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.”

 

Proverbs 15:22 (NIV) “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

 

Proverbs 16:3 (NIV) “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

 

Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

 

Proverbs 20:18 (NIV) “Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.”

 

Proverbs 21:5 (NIV) “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

 

Proverbs 21:30 (NIV) “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.”

 

Yes, sometimes our plans may fail, but we know for certain that the plans of the Lord will never fail. 1 Chronicles 28:20 (NIV) gives us the advice David gave to his son Solomon. “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.”

 

Yes, when God is in the middle of our plans, there will be success. It may not be the success we desired or hoped for, but it is the success God was seeking. And nothing can succeed against Him!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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  • "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19

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