Giving What I Can

On the first day of this new year I posted about things that didn't go so well LAST year, and what changes I wanted to make to ensure a BETTER 2017.

The key factor that I identified as lacking last year was CONSISTENCY.

I wanted consistency with fitness, my writing, and reading my Bible.

I know that we are only ten days into this year but thus far I am happy with my progress.

With regard to fitness, I am now rewarding myself with a dollar for every day that I get at least 10,000 steps on my Fitbit. Mind you, with my current financial situation I don't even have DOLLARS to reward myself with, so for now I put PENNIES in a baggie and once my financial situation turns around (FOR THE BETTER), I will replace those pennies with the dollars that they represent.

To date, there are SIX pennies in the baggie. For me, that's GREAT progress. My goal is to have at least SEVENTEEN 10, 000 step days each month.

With regard to my writing (primarily here at The Dialogue Den), I've written consistently and I think I am only one day short.

And for the MOST IMPORTANT area of change...I have read my Bible EVERYDAY this month, and actually look forward to it now. My daily reading has evolved into something that I did not anticipate when I first delved in.

You see...I thought my daily reading was going to simply be for ME to strengthen my knowledge OF, and relationship WITH God. It has begun to do that, and much more.

Every morning, before I begin reading, I pray. I ask God to SHOW me what He wants me to see and TEACH me what He wants me to learn. Basically...I need Him to SPEAK to me. And...He does.

What happens next has brought much joy to my spirit.

I share on Facebook whatever it was that spoke most to me. I do this because I know for a fact that I am not the ONLY one going through something. I may be the only one with $2.51 in her bank account, praying for a job offer to come through so that some income can once again be generated...BUT...I am not the only one going through something. Trials come in a variety of ways and we encounter one form or another at some point in our lives.

By sharing what God speaks to ME each day (through His Word), I believe that I am sharing HOPE with others who need it just as much as I do. At this point in my life where I have so little to GIVE, yet need to RECEIVE much...I am thankful to be able to give whatever I can, in whatever way I can.

How 'bout you?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Have you ever set out to do something that you thought would only benefit YOU, and it ultimately ended up benefitting others as well?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

From Cover to Cover

2016 will soon come to a close and as I reflect on the events of this year, all I can say is:

I WANT BETTER!

I NEED BETTER!!

I WILL HAVE and BE BETTER!!!

Many things went wrong in 2016. Some by my own doing (which I am diligently working to repair) and others that were simply out of my control.

One area where I know I need to improve was that regarding the amount of time I spent with God in His Word. Yes, there were stretches where I was consistent and did alright, but I was not "365 days consistent." That is what I want in 2017.

I need to HEAR from God DAILY (through His Word), and He needs to hear from me DAILY (through PRAYER.)

Perhaps if I had done more of both, CONSISTENTLY, I wouldn't be in the situation I am in now.

So...here are two daily Bibles that I have attempted to get through for the past few years. My goal is to read one first thing each morning, and the other some time each evening.

God's Word is important to me and I need to start SHOWING Him instead of just TELLING Him. Isn't that how all SUCCESSFUL relationships work...by SHOWING and not just TELLING?

My relationship with God (by way of His Son, Jesus) is the MOST IMPORTANT relationship I have. I need to SHOW Him that I am serious and not just giving "lip service."

So there ya have it. I am greatly looking forward to a consistent year with God and His Word.

How 'bout you?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Have you ever read the Bible from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21? If not, I invite you to join in with me. We can grow in the Lord TOGETHER.

Talk to me!

Til next time...

God's Got Me!

So today is the FIRST Sunday of 2015 and I must say, it's been a good day.

I spent most of it with "Joe" and went to an evening service at one of the local churches to kick my new year off right. Man am I glad I made that decision.

The message tonight was from Psalm 73:1-17 and it was one that I really needed to hear.

It was about the Psalmist being envious of others, specifically those who aren't living a life as "righteous" as his, yet they are being blessed. I was totally able to relate.

I read my Bible daily, pray multiple times a day, forgive those who do me wrong, and just try to live my life in a "Christ-like" manner. Yet, I am STRUGGLING...BIG TIME. I mean STRUGGLING!

Then I look around and see folks who rarely, if EVER go to church, nor do they profess to have any faith in Christ. They may say that they "believe in God", which is good and all, but faith in CHRIST is the way to salvation. But...that's another topic for a different day.

Bottom line...some folks seem to be blessed hand over fist without having any "visible" relationship with God (and/or Christ), and then there are people like me who diligently seek and serve Him, yet never seem to get ahead. I just don't get it.

Well...neither did the Psalmist until verse 17, "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end."

So the takeaway was that I need to STOP looking "vertically" at what's going on around me with others, and I need to look UP to God. When I keep my focus on God, I won't be so concerned with what others have. Makes sense to me.

So now...Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you often find yourself envious of others? If so, what (if anything) do you to do "snap out of it"?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

In the Beginning...

For the past 10 years or so I have journeyed through my "One Year Bible" which allows me to read the ENTIRE Bible in a year by reading it in "bite-sized pieces".

Some folks have NEVER read the Bible from cover to cover, and others have and said that ONCE was good enough for them. To each his own. Even though I've read the entire Bible a number of times, God shows me something NEW every time. That's because His Word is not stale, stagnant or dead. His Word is ALIVE, so there is ALWAYS something to gain from it.

More than just reading and rushing through the Word each day (which takes of minimum of 20 minutes), I actually STUDY. I always read with a pen nearby because so many questions come up and I like to make note of them. I also like to underline passages as they jump out at me.

I am only 2 days in and my book is already marked up. Sometimes I end up with more questions than answers, and when this happens I rely on the various commentaries that can be found online. If nothing else, they show me that I'm not the first person to have some of questions that I have.

So here's what's jumped out at me and has me scratching my head in just two days:

Genesis 2:18-23 New International Version (NIV)

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam[a] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[b] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[c] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”

My question was this: Why didn't God make the woman FIRST? Why did He make all of those animals to be the "suitable" when surely, with He being God, knew that only WOMAN would be sufficient? I just don't get it.

Then there was this:

Genesis 3:14 New International Version (NIV)

So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,

“Cursed are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.

It made me wonder...how did the serpent get around BEFORE being cursed to crawl on its belly? Did it walk, fly, swim???

And this:

Genesis 3:22 New International Version (NIV)

And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

I said, "Wait a minute! I thought they already ate from the tree!"

This prompted me to go BACK to Genesis 2:9 where I realized that there was a "tree of life" AND "a tree of the knowledge of good and evil" Wow! I'd never even paid attention to that before!!! And this is what I mean by how God will show me something NEW every time I journey through His Word.

Genesis 2:9 New International Version (NIV)

"The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

So there you have it folks. God-willing, I will get through the Bible yet again,and I am excited! Excited about the encouragement that I will receive, the wisdom, the peace, the knowledge, and so much more.

And if you don't believe what I have said about God's Word being "alive" and "fresh", just read what God Himself has to say about it:

Hebrews 4:12 New International Version (NIV)

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Psalm 119:105 New International Version (NIV)

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."

Romans 10:17 New King James Version (NKJV)

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Before I close, I'll ask these questions: How was your 2014? How has your life been? Has it been full of sorrow, heartache, confusion, sadness. Has it lacked joy? Have you searched for answers and still haven't found any?

If your answer to ANY of those questions was not what you wanted it to be, then I encourage you to pick up a One Year Bible and commit to reading it each day. Notice, I didn't say STUDY, as I do...I simply want you to READ. Because even in just READING God's Word, He WILL speak to you and give you what it is that you are lacking.

Let the DIALOGUE: Where do YOU turn when you need answers to life's issues?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Be BLESSED!