What Condition is your Condition In?

Have you ever thought about the words you say or the words you "think" ( those count too)?

As I was driving home from church, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said: "It's not the words you sing, but the condition of your heart when you sing them." If you think about that, it is oh so true. The condition of your heart dictates the majority of how you receive or speak words and how your mind processes those words and/or thoughts. For those of you who grew up in the late 1960s, you may remember when Kenny Rogers & The First Edition recorded the song Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - that was way before he became known as a country singer. The lyrics are kind of weird but if you think about it, we have to check in on ourselves along and along to see where we are. It is like a self-examination.

Negative thoughts and words bring about death. Positive thoughts and words bring about life.

I hear enough on TV to depress me. I like to hear words of encouragement and hope. I try really hard to speak that language - the language of hope. I read a book quite a while back - Stick a Geranium in Your Hat and Be Happy by Barbara Johnson. One of the points she made in her writing was "What goes down in the well, comes up in the bucket."

Our heart is our "bucket". What comes in through our ears and eyes is processed through our mind. Some of those thoughts may just fly right on out and others may nest. They end up nesting in our heart - maybe deep down in our heart. And we never know when those thoughts or words might "hatch" or "give birth". I am not saying that all nesting is bad. I believe my heart has nested quite a few positive and motivating thoughts and words. But what is in our heart is the condition that our condition is in and that is what we draw from. Does any of that make sense?


I have to be very careful that my critical spirit does not override the positive in me.

I want to hear and speak words of life. I want to sing with a joyful heart!

So - I am doing a "condition" check on my condition. How about you?

Grace Stoops

One of my favorite Christian authors is Max Lucado. I am reading his most recent book GRACE.   Such a short word. Seemingly easy word yet filled with more than our human minds or lips can conceive or speak.

The title of his second chapter is "The God Who Stoops". My connotation of "stoop" is often negative. We often hear it in the context of expressions like "Don't stoop to his level". The literal definition of stoop is "bend one's head or body forward and downward".

Most are familiar with the writing of John 8 where Jesus had been teaching at the Festival of Tabernacles and there was unbelief and division over who Jesus was. Early the next morning Jesus was again at the temple teaching and the adulterous woman was brought to him. GRACE begins!

My NIV translation says "Jesus bent down . . ." Whether it was bending or stooping, it was grace! Lucado gives example upon example of Jesus "stooping" - 'low enough to sleep in a manger, work in a carpenter shop, washing feet, embracing children, pulling Peter out of the sea.'

None of us really know why he stooped. But the important point is that He did! The King of Kings, Lord of Lords stooped. His unconditional love "stooped". His unmerited grace stooped - to reach this woman to assure her - that she was good enough. To assure her that she was important. He stooped to affirm her not to condemn her.

Grace, Grace, Wonderful Grace!

What an example Jesus set - so His spirit is saying to me that if He did this and I am His child then I am to do this - extend grace - bending my head forward and downward to love those who are difficult to love, to love those who need to experience grace.

Grace Stoops Unconditionally!

Loose him and Let him go

In John 11: 38-44, John writes of Jesus calling forth Lazarus from the dead. I have read this scripture many times and each time God speaks to me in a different way about what He is sharing in His word here. There were a couple of things going on as John writes this story but I want to concentrate on the "loosening".

Jesus freed Lazarus from a physical death in the loosening. But He also frees us from a spiritual death. We read in verse 44: "And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. . ." When I read that, the word "bound" jumped off the page.

My mind started thinking: "Bound? Bondage? What binds me?"

What keeps me from receiving all that there is from God? 

Is it unbelief? 

Is it the pressure of the world?

Is it the trials and tribulations in my life?

Jesus can release us from this bondage. Yep, He can! 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Did you read that? A new creation - old things gone - that means release from bondage!

And He said it again here John 10:10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." The devil is the one trying to keep us in bondage. Trying to make us second guess everything we do or think. Jesus has brought us forth from the grave of spiritual death so that we might enjoy life in HIM and have that joyful life MORE abundantly. Now you can't beat that!

Galatians 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."  Read that again! Stand in FREEDOM -Freedom from condemnation from the world, from your friends!

Are you in a difficult trial? Do you feel as though you are in bondage? Jesus can set you free!

Here are the words from an old song we use to sing "He Set Me Free"


Once like a bird in prison I dwelt,
no freedom from my sorrow I felt
But Jesus came and listened to me,
glory to God, He set me free!
Chorus:
He set me free, yes, He set me free,
He broke the bonds of prison for me
I'm glory bound my Jesus to see,
glory to God, He set me free!

I am a singing it as I type it - you should hear me - it sounds so purdy :)

God bless you today! You no longer have to live in bondage - He came to set you FREE!

Huffing and Puffing

I am reading Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst and learning a lot about ways to control those moments in my life when I become "unglued". This morning as I was reflecting over some of what I have read I went back to Chapter 1 and was rereading one of the many situations she had on becoming unglued. She wrote: "I headed upstairs in a huff to give the girls a piece of my mind."

Well the first time I read this I was so into the situation that she was about to describe that I did not pay close attention to the word "huff" but as I was re-reading this a.m. it just popped off the page. I think I have more "huff" moments than I do "unglued". I don't always come totally apart which is how I translate "unglued"  - but I am more often in a "huff" - which for me is more like frustration - but big time frustration. Does that make any sense at all?

I had a huffing moment this morning. As I walked into the bedroom my husband's jeans and shirts that I thought he had put away were still where they were yesterday. Since I am 5'4" tall and he is 6'3" tall and the top rack of the closest is 7' tall, my reasoning is that it is so much easier for him to hang his clothes than me, right? Not always so - so I did some huffing this morning. I didn't become unglued but I was having a strong urge :) so I "huffed". 

I am reminded of the childhood story The Three Little Pigs. The big bad wolf played havoc on their lives and he roamed around "huffing and puffing" until he blew down 2 of the 3 houses. So you see you do not have to become totally unglued to do damage to the ones around you. Lots of huffing and puffing can do the same thing. 

I need to remember this scripture all the time: "May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and Redeemer." Psalm 19:14 

I think that totally excludes any kind of "Huffing and Puffing"!

Morning Talks With God

I shared a couple of weeks ago how God woke me up at 4 a.m. to have a little talk :) Well we had another good discussion this morning in the shower! I am so glad that there is no exact place that I have to go to to have a little talk with my Lord.

I woke up feeling anxious. My heart was racing because there are lots of things that I have to do today. I am so excited about a ladies bible study that we will begin this afternoon so I am  nervous and ANXIOUS! How many of you can relate to that feeling?

He brought to mind a scripture that has really resonated with me and Charlie - Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

My heart was saying I want everything to be perfect but He said you do not have to be perfect because I am perfect in you. Wow - that let off a lot of pressure! Why should I think I could do this better than God? I know all of this but I need to be reminded of it on a regular basis - He is control.

He brought another scripture to mind: "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord "plans to prosper you, and not to harm you,  plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. So if He has the plan I just need to follow it - less stress for me - right?

He also reminded me that if He is going to be able to do anything for me I have to be empty of "self" so that HE can do a good work in me. Did you pick up on that - - - so HE can do the work - not me!

Love, love, love the fact that I can sit back and let Him do the driving!  Remember the old Greyhound Bus slogan [if you do that would make you really old-like me :) ]"Leave the driving to us" that is what He wants us to do. The key to all of it is that I have to come to the end of myself, I have to die to self. It ain't easy but - what a relief!

Striving VS Chilling

It's 4 a.m. and I am awake. I am WIDE awake! My mind will not shut down long enough for my body to rest. Not a good place to be.

A friend of mine shared with me that when I am trying to be in control more often than not I am striving. Striving keeps me awake at night. Striving steals my joy. Striving makes me a control freak. Striving causes me stress and stress for everyone around me. Striving makes me have a short fuse. Striving causes me to miss the sweet moments in life. Striving causes me to wear my feelings on my shoulder.

I am reminded of the lyrics of an old song: "Slow down you move too fast. You got to make the morning last. Just kicking down the cobble stones. Looking for fun and feeling groovy." I haven't been doing too much of that lately - "feeling groovy" - CHILLING!

Why in the world would I choose to live a life of strife when I know I could chill? Seems like a no brainer to me!

Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

That tells me to Let Go and Let God! He is the wind beneath my wings. When I get ahead of God and I am in the flesh, I am striving.

Jesus said: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

Paul wrote: "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13 

I call that "Chilling with God".

So it is pretty clear to me that I need to Let Go and Let God. His plan always works.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

TRUST GOD - LET GO --- CHILL!

Thought for the day:

"Life is better when you LAUGH a little."

God says: "I've Got THIS!"

Recently I almost missed a blessing because I was in too much of a hurry. I was at the church office and the Pastor asked me if I wanted to join them for a short devotional when I got through working on something for them. I got through faster than I thought and my spirit convicted me that I needed to stay for the devotion.

Pastor Jerry shared Psalm 91. This particular Psalm has lots of special memories for me as it was my go to scripture during a time I was going through breast cancer surgery and my mom having colon cancer surgery.

As he read, it brought tears to my eyes and reminded me that through "it" all God said "I've got this!"

So bear with me as I share the entire Psalm and watch for His "I've got this!"

Psalm 91

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. (I've Got This)

⁴ He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  (I've Got This)

⁵ You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. (I've Got This)

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  (I've Got This)

⁸ You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,

¹⁰ no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.  (I've Got This)

¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;  (I've Got This)

¹² they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  (I've Got This)

¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.  (I've Got This)

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  (I've Got This)

¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

I am so glad that I stayed and let God remind be that He's Got This!