Mumbling

Today, I confess I am mumbling "yes, Lord".  It seems harder...Why is it not as easy as yesterday?  as last week?  Is simple faith a discipline I must practice ? like Prayer...constantly seeking the Father.  (I am not good at that either. ) However;  I am blessed by a forgiving Lord and Savior and that alone should be my motivation for saying "Yes, Lord".  When I loose sight of what God has done for me and what He continues to do for me daily this is when I mumble.  I am the child that hears, yet mumbles the answer, hoping no one else hears.  Isn't that why we mumble?  I do.  Under my breath, barely enunciating, sometimes shrugging hoping to go unnoticed.  This is my response when I forget the price my God has paid for me.  May I stand tall and say loud "yes Lord" to my God who gave his all.

saying yes to Jesus

As I continue to contemplate simple faith...God-filled, uncomplicated, simple faith.  It seems that simple faith must start with "yes, Lord".  Yes, Lord for my day today. Yes, Lord to the present even if it doesn't look like I want it to.  "Yes, Lord"  without any "buts", "maybes", or "if only'es".  No conditions, no exceptions just "yes , Lord".  Simple....far from it.  But simply "Yes" with all my heart.  I have practiced saying "Yes" for several days now.  It is getting easier.  It accompanies much less worry and manipulation of my life.  I don't want to quit now..."Yes, Lord" every moment of today.

Surrender

I am sure simple faith involves surrender.  I read my Bible and surrender is all through the pages.  Men and women who surrendered their wants, desires, occupations, and even lives.  Am I up for that kind of surrender?  Do I really want a simple, surrendering faith or do I just want to go through the motions.  I confess the motions seem easier.  more convenient.  The motions seem do-able. 
Yet, they are empty.  I want a simple surrendering faith that is full of life.  Full of God.  Surrender everything to gain even more.   Teach me, I am not good at it.  At times down right terrible.  Teach me  Lord, to surrender.

Simplicity

Simplicity....I want a simple life, yet I seem to be able to complicate things quickly.  That is true with my faith.  I desire a simple faith, but complicate it completely.  I don't think God wants me confused.  It is not a game of 20 Questions.  It has to be more simple than that.  Can it be as easy as "I desire to follow God.  Lead Me"  Do I believe that He will lead?  My heart hears Him.  My brains Questions.
I desire to follow.

Trust: what does it look like

Trust....I word I have heard most of my life.  What does it look like?  What does it feel like?  Do I fool myself that I am truly trusting.  My children go out the door and I whisper prayers thoughout the morning.  Worry creeps in and I try to trust.  My husband still not home and cell phone unanswered.  I try to trust.  My extended family, friends, finances, future....I try to trust God with it all.  But do I really?  Who am I fooling. I can barely keep "my hands off give to God" focus for a fraction of a moment.  And at these moments I am gazing at who my God is.  Perhaps it is not what trust looks like, but Who I am looking AT.
My Lord and Savior.

Be still

When sleep alludes me in the early hours of the morning.  I see 3:00 am on the clock.  I am not sure why I am awake.  Am I worried? driven?uncomfortable?  I ask God.  Wondering what I should be praying about...I begin.  I pray for family and friends in need.  Loved one that need you ,Lord.  I feel restless and still no sleep comes.  I begin to feel like entering the throne room at that time in the morning is not a privilege but perhaps a plague.  How can that be? Spending time with my Savior and then the "to do list " hits my brain.  My God quickly whispers to my soul, "Be Still".  Stillness is hard for me.  I am driven.  I am a task master in my own right.  Help me to know you in the stillness, Lord.  3:00am.

How I see

I heard someone talk about the hard things in life as a "stroke of death".  As I began to think about that phrase I wondered if I looked at it differently could it really be life?  Doesn't it say in John 15:2 that the cutting off of branches that don't bear fruit is a must.  Branches that are dead on the vine don't bear fruit.  When the one tending the vines lops off a branch at that moment it is a "stroke of death".  Yet, is it because "new life" is truly in mind.  I need to see differently.   I want to take the "stroke of death" moments and see the "new life" my Savior has in mind.  Change how I see.