Observations

May 18th, 2012 dsisler

Last evening was beautiful. So I took a walk through the neighborhood behind Mom’s house. As I walked, I made a few observations. This is what I noticed.
Each yard in this neighborhood looked immaculate. It seemed as if they had just cut the grass, trimmed around each tree or shrub, and edged their respective sidewalks and driveways. And it was Thursday! They were all perfect. Well, all but one. However, the homeowner was out cutting his grass as I walked by. He was going to be just fine with all his neighbors.
Which brings me to my second observation. I love the smell of fresh cut grass.
Again I am amazed at how green everything is here in Ohio. There are small hills beyond this neighborhood filled with towering trees. Very tall trees reaching to the sky.
I noticed a couple of landscaping ideas that I used the camera on my phone to take pictures of. I’m sure they will never be used at my home in Colorado, but I did like them.
The bird call of a morning dove. That sound reminds me of my Grandma and Grandpa Ike. They had plenty of them around their home and I always enjoyed hearing them. Their call has soothed my soul for decades.
Another bird, a tiny robin. Fresh from the nest, he was watching as I walked by. If he didn’t have a few tiny, fluffy feathers remaining on his head, I might not have known that he was so young. He didn’t move. He simply watched. But mama robin was also watching. And squawking. She was being protective of her young one.
And yet another observation. It was one I began hearing before actually seeing. As I neared the area where the public library, community center, and amphitheater converge, I saw who I had been hearing. It was the local school bands performing in this open area. It was enjoyable to sit and listen to a few musical numbers before heading back to Mom’s.
These observations were all from a 45 minute walk.
I thought about my walk with God and His Word. It’s been a much longer walk and I wondered if I made as many observations in a 45 minute session with my God. I wasn’t sure that I did.
So I sat down and read the book of James and these are the observations I made.
  • Trials + Joy = Perseverance.
  • Passing the test of trials results in the prize, the crown of life.
  • Giving into temptation leads to death.
  • Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.
  • Humbly accept the word planted within.
  • Mercy triumphs over judgment!
  • Faith without action is dead.
  • We praise God with our tongues and then speak unkind words to others.
  • A good life, deeds done in humility comes from wisdom.
  • Wisdom from heaven is pure, peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
  • Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
  • Submit yourself to God. Resist the devil.
  • Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up.
  • Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
  • The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
  • Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
To be honest, these are surface observations. A quick overview of the book of James. I look forward to the fall when I will be able to study this book inside and out.
There are times I feel like I’ve missed people, events, or objects in this world and word in the Bible. I truly don’t mean to do so, but sometimes I’m just not that observant. I pray that God will help me to slow down and see all there is out there. I know it makes walking much more interesting.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Drobny

May 17th, 2012 dsisler

My Mom gave me a Roomba. One of the early ones from many years ago. It was fascinating. It knew exactly where to head and what to vacuum. I was always amazed at how well it worked…and that I didn’t have to lift a finger to get my carpets vacuumed.

I named my Roomba. His name was Drobny. I had seen an episode of Green Acres where a duck, named Drobny, saved the world from danger. It was a bit farfetched, but I thought my Drobny could do the same. Save me!

Yes, Drobny saved me from added work, stress on my lower back (which is reason my Mom bought me a Roomba in the first place), and expended energy on the task of vacuuming.
So you would have thought with all this extra time and energy on my hands I would have been able to do all kinds of productive things. Things like write. Or study the Bible. Or enjoy my family.
But to be honest, when Drobny was running around each room in my house, I was watching. Because it was so cool! Because I had never seen anything like it! Because the novelty never wore off!
Isn’t that the way most of us are? We get drawn in by the newest item, or the coolest gizmo, or the most ingenious invention that we can’t seem to pull away from it. And before long, we are so enthralled by it that we don’t want to look away.
That’s when we get into trouble.
Proverbs 17:24 says, “A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the end of the earth.” How foolish we can be when we allow our eyes to lead us in directions that are not in line with God’s will.
In Psalm 119:37, David asks for God’s help with this issue. It is what we should ask as well. “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.” Satan will always use worthless things of this world to lead our eyes away from God. We must stand strong against Satan in order to keep focused on what God desires.
Psalm 25:15 tell us “My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.” Our eyes must stay focused on God in order to keep our feet free and ourselves out of trouble.
By looking directly at God, there is no shame and we are radiant! “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” (Psalm 34:5) How much better does it get for our lives to be filled with joy because we have no shame? It is as simple as looking to Him!
And in return, God keeps His eyes on us. “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.”(Psalm 34:15) God is looking right back at us. He knows how we are tempted to look away, but He draws us back to His face so that He may hear our cry.
I envision God reaching out to touch my chin to pull my eyes back to His, as if I were a 3 year-old whose attention needs to be held. Sometimes I act like a 3 year old. My eyes darting from temptation to temptation. I am so thankful for a patient Father who gently draws me back to Him.
Drobny “died” several years ago. I was heartbroken. So when I got my Zune (an MP3 player) I named it Drobny II. Drobny II survives today and gives me comfort in my office when I hear my favorite music.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Labels

May 16th, 2012 dsisler

This is the 109th blog post for Full Measure of Joy. I’ve enjoyed each post that I’ve written. I’ve gained great insight of the process and the development of this huge explosion of internet creativity.
I will be making a change to my blog. Not the type of posts. Not the frequency of posts. Not the look of the blog. But the labels. How I categorize each blog.
After all these writings, I’ve discovered that all of them fall into nine categories. You will be able to search for a post by these categories. These are the labels I’ve chosen with the verse of Scripture to back it up.
Seeing God
“Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf.” (Psalm 66:5)
Knowing God
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)
Loving God
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)
Serving God
“It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:24b)
Trusting God
“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:8)
Remembering God
“They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.” (Psalm 78:35)
Seeking God
“Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.” (Psalm 119:2)
Praising God
“Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”(Psalm 146:1-2)
Asking God
“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’” (John 4:10)
Over the next few days, you’ll begin to see the change. I am excited for this change. I suspect I’ve missed a category or two and will probably continue to add more as I go through each blog post.
Do you think I’ve missed one? If so, let me know. I’d be happy to hear what you have to say.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Building a Doll House: Following the Directions – Chapter 5

May 15th, 2012 dsisler

NOTE: If you missed Chapters 1-4 of Building a Doll House, you can find it in the column under “blog archive” to the right.
After opening the doll house kit and marking each piece, Mason read through the directions. It didn’t take long for him to figure out that the given directions were not very good.
Mason knew he would be frustrated if he had use this set of instructions. So he searched the internet to find anything that might help work through this process. He found an excellent online resource that gave some excellent instructions. And there were pictures!

He quickly bookmarked the website and referred to it quite often.

We don’t always get the best instructions for many products in our world. Whether they only include pictures, difficult words, or confusing language, directions can make putting something together difficult.
God knows how important good instructions can be. Scripture is filled with advice when it comes to this topic.
God asks that we listen to instruction. We would be wise to listen and accept instruction, whether it is His or from a wise person.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8)
“Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.” (Proverbs 4:13)
“Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.” (Proverbs 19:20)
Some benefits of listening to God’s instructions can be seen in these verses.
“Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.” (Proverbs 8:33)
“Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:20)
“When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.” (Proverbs 21:11)
By following God’s direction, He leads us in the way we should go.
“Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.” (Psalm 119:35)
“A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?” (Proverbs 20:24)
“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5)
There is no doubt about it, when we listen to God’s instruction, accept what He has asked, learn from what He has to say, and allow God to lead us throughout our lives, we will be wise, prosper and gain knowledge. Why then is it so difficult to do?
Because we want to get involved. We want to change the instructions. We think we know better than God and tweak the directions. Sometimes a little. Sometimes a lot. These are the times we get ourselves into trouble.
The online dollhouse instructions proved to be invaluable to us as we worked on Joy’s dollhouse. On multiple occasions, we were thankful that someone had taken the time to document their own journey for others to learn from. That is exactly what God has provided for us. Pages and pages filled with good advice and instruction.
It’s all there for your use. Why not pick up God’s instruction manual and see what He has to say to you today?
“Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.” (Proverbs 23:12)
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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I Know

May 14th, 2012 dsisler

I always thought I was an average or below average student in high school. Recently I needed my high school transcripts for a job application. When I saw my grades, I was amazed. They were actually better than average. Yes, there were a few poor grades, but the rest were certainly nothing for me to be ashamed of.
Now I won’t claim to be brilliant or super intelligent, but I do know a few things. Especially when it comes to the subjects that I excelled in through high school and college. Home economics, business, music, and the Bible are topics that I still enjoy studying and developing.
There are some things I know from Scripture as well. If we look at the book of Romans, Paul shares some of the “we knows.” Let’s look at them.
Romans 3:17 “The way of peace they do not know.”In my sin I cannot know peace, but through Jesus and forgiveness of my sin, I can know peace.
Romans 3:19 “Now we know that whatever the law says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.” I can only find righteousness through Jesus, not the law. I am accountable to God.
Romans 6:6-7 “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” I’ve put aside the life of sin because I don’t have to be a slave to sin any longer.
Romans 7:14 “We know that the law is spiritual, but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.” I can be rebellious and because of that rebellion, I can be considered unspiritual.
Romans 7:18 “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” I can’t seem to do what is right all the time. I want to, but just can’t seem to do so.
Romans 8:22 “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” Creation awaits the future glory that we are also waiting for. When there is no longer any decay, destruction, or death.
Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” We do not always know what to pray, but the Holy Spirit does.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God is at work in me. Making me a better person, because I love Him and am living according to His guidelines.
Even though my sinful nature is still part of my life, God is working on me. He is creating a new creation within me. By reading the entire book of Romans, we can see the progression through leading to this very point.
I know sinful nature is within me. I know I want to do the right thing, but sometimes I allow that sinful nature to take a lead role. I know I cannot live by the law, because I am not righteous. I know it’s only through Jesus and His grace that I can am made righteous. I know I must crucify my sinful nature daily. I know I long for my future home. I know that God’s Holy Spirit is at work in my life. I know that I am not the person I was when I started on this journey.
Sometimes making a list puts everything into perspective. It certainly does in this situation. It helps me to realize what I do know, where I fit in to what I know, and how God can change me because of what I know. I love being in the know.
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

  • I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in Jacksonville, Florida.

  • I am passionate about helping women find their way to Jesus through Bible study, teaching, speaking, inspirational writing and creative Bible journaling.

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