G.F.I.... How many times do I forget...when life throws curves...?

In my devotion today (below), I realized once again that at times, I forget my G.F.I. I get frustrated, confused and totally upset... Then God sends 'earth angels' and scriptures my way. He is AWESOME and continues to remind me of how much HE loves me. I am truly amazed at how God takes care of us...even during the worst of times (or so we think the times are the worst - when we are in the middle of all the tormoil)...

Enjoy reading the devotion for today..... From CROSSWALK.COM - "Encouragement for the Day".
~ Lisa

September 30, 2008

G.F.I.
Susanne Scheppmann

"Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NASB)

Devotion:
I pulled in the driveway grateful to be home after a five-day conference. I pressed the remote and the garage door rolled open. Bloodied water trickled toward me as I stepped from my car. I knew immediately what had happened - the freezer had gone out. All the meat had thawed and the bloody, watery juices had drained out of the freezer into a maroon stream that slowly ran toward the driveway. Yuck.

Mark, my husband, was out of town. I stood in my garage disgusted and slightly freaked out. Of course, I called my husband for help. I didn't care if it was late and there was a three-hour time difference between us.

He patiently said, "Check the G.F.I."

"The what?"

"The ground fault interrupter. It's in the electrical outlet where the freezer is plugged in."

Sure enough, the G.F.I. had tripped and in response the freezer shut down. Nothing was technically wrong with the freezer, except now it had hundreds of dollars of rotting food sitting inside it. Because of a tripped G.F.I., my evening turned from one of anticipated relaxation to hours of vexing cleanup.

Isn't our faith sometimes like that, too? We are believing and trusting the Lord, when all of a sudden something unexpected happens -- our own G.F.I (God Faith Interrupter) gets tripped. In response, our faith shuts down and we melt like a gallon of vanilla ice cream in a hot garage.

It's certainly difficult to understand the twists and turns in our journey of faith. When a God Faith Interrupter occurs, we grope in the darkness for something to reassure us that regardless of our circumstance, the Lord is loving, merciful, and He will guide us. God Faith Interrupters might shake our faith. They can be scary. They certainly will be unexpected and uncomfortable, but the Lord holds the charge of power to uphold our faith even when it shuts down temporarily. We must turn to Him.

Express to the Lord your fear of a "God Faith Interrupter" tripping you up. Then thank Him that He will be with you, showing you mercy and loving-kindness, no matter what happens in the days ahead. Then resolve to stay plugged into Him, no matter what.
Dear Lord, I prefer those times when my life goes smoothly. However, I ask for an extra measure of faith when my life takes an unexpected twist. Teach me to trust Your sovereignty in my life, and to rely on Your strength. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Masterpiece in the works.....from Crosswalk.com

After reading this devotion today, I realized how others may want to read it also. I hope that this touches you in some way today. ! Lisa

September 24, 2008

Masterpiece in the Making by Gwen Smith

Today's Truth"And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you" (Philippians 1:6, AMP).
Friend to FriendIt took four years of fresco painting for the Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, to finish the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Commonly known as Michelangelo, his time painting was mostly spent alone, on his back, lying on scaffolding. (How painful!) The painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is one of the most remarkable in the history of Western art. One thing is for sure: the process that altered a ceiling from plain to fabulous required a lot of time, great discipline, and the hand of a master artist. The same is true for us. The journey from broken into beautiful is a lifelong transformation that requires both discipline and a Master Artist.

As Michelangelo was working, I'm sure that lots of people came through the corridors of the chapel and stood in amazement. As they looked up at the beauty of his work, I bet they said things like, "That is the most fantastic work of art I have ever seen!" or "Extraordinary!" To which he might have said, "It's not done!" But did the unfinished state of the project negate that parts of the ceiling were beautiful? No! The parts that were complete were still extravagant and breathtaking.

Maybe this is the way God and others see our lives. It's common for people to notice the work God has done in us and comment on the beauty. And even though compliments are nice to hear, I've been known to resist them. (Admit it, you probably have too.) It's not so much a humility thing as it is an "I-don't-see-myself-as-beautiful" thing. From my limited perspective, I can see only the unfinished work. But in truth, my vantage point doesn't negate the beauty of the work God has done and is doing in my life.

Real beauty isn't about a finished or flawless product. It can't be. It's not possible on this side of eternity to have completed beauty. Our restoration will be complete in the presence of God when we see Him face to face.

Now, you might be saying, "But Gwen, I can't be beautiful! You don't know what I've done...or what I've been through...or what I'm going through!"

Friend, God knows where you have been, what you have been through, and where you are now. He knows what your flaws are and loves you in spite of your imperfections. His tender love is far-reaching and complete.

Your past sins do not define you.

Your painful scars do not define you.

Your present sufferings do not define you.

They are just shards of brokenness that God will use to lovingly refine your beauty. The transformation from broken into beautiful is neither easy nor instantaneous. It demands a yielded heart and can be quite painful, but it comes with great reward. God will need your broken pieces--your scars, shame, insecurities, disappointments, betrayals, and failures.

Do you have some of those?

Are they tucked away in a safe, do-not-enter part of your heart?
You might find it hard to hand over hurts. I get that. It's hard for me too. But difficult as it may be, it's time to hand them over and let our masterful Lord create a stunning work of beauty in you. And He's going to need all of your broken pieces to complete the restoration.
Let's PrayHoly Father, I am humbled by Your willingness to love and forgive someone like me. Please take the broken pieces of my life and don't allow me to have them back. I surrender to Your healing. Mold me and shape me into a beautiful reflection of Your glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Now It's Your TurnRead Isaiah 64:8, "Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."

Meditate on this verse. Read it again and personalize it in a prayerful response to God: "Yet, O LORD, you are MY Father. I AM the clay, you are the potter; I AM the work of your hand."

What is in a name...

The internet provides us many possibilities for outcomes when searching. Tonight I searched Lisa A. Wallace and found another person (actually several), but I stopped to read one post. She posted on Sept 4 regarding her accident that left her in a wheelchair. How a drunk driver had put her in the wheelchair and how she did not profile all people by the actions of this one young man. How she has chosen to live her life and look for the good in things instead of focusing on the tragedy that left here wheelchair bound.

Her post reminded me of how often we do not stop to Thank God for all things. We may never know the reason we are put in certain situations throughout our lives, but if we continue to seek what God wants and His will for us, we can be happy. We may never know the people that our actions touch.

Thanks for reading....my ramblings... I am thankful for even the trials that God puts me through...I never know when God may need to use that particular situation to touch someone elses life....

Following His Lead

As I read my devotion today, the speaker/writer explained how she and her husband took ballroom dance classes. During the first class, the instructor kept telling the wife that she was leading again.... 45 minutes later, the wife had learned to let her husband lead. She mentioned that those dance lessons were like her Christian walk. How many times have we tried to control or lead instead of letting God lead in our lives.

I asked God to forgive me for trying to take control of my life. Once again, I released control. I pray that the Holy Spirit will tap me on the shoulder next time I try to take control and say "You are leading again"...

This lesson also reminds me of several people that seek His will, but with married couples especially, this devo had a twofold purpose. It shows the beauty of giving control over to God, but it is also a picture of the beauty of a marriage when the husband is the spiritual leader.
How are you doing in the "dance of life" with your husband?

When death is near....

Wow... only moments ago, I received word that a VERY dear friend is dying. In my earlier post today, I mentioned how God puts people in your life for a reason... well, Ms. Ollie is one of those people.

She is a Godly woman that radiates the love of God throughout her actions, words and her life. She is such a joy and has been for many years. I met Ms. Ollie in 1994 at Bushland Baptist Church in Bushland Texas. She is the wife of Raymond Bolin and he was the pastor at Bushland Baptist for a total of 33 years. What a wonderful couple to have in my life.

I had the opportunity to call Raymond. He is saddened yet over joyed that Ollie will be in heaven. He mentioned that Ollie told him earlier today that she didn't want to leave him alone and was sad that she had to go. She said she was ready to go though. Late this afternoon, she reached for heaven with both arms and giggled. No one could understand what she said, but she was happy to see whatever it was that she saw.

Hospice is there with her now and the nurses are caring for her as best as they can until the end.

How wonderful it is to know the assurance of heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord. Though the ones of us here on earth grieve at the loss of loved ones, we know that we will see them again.

Say a prayer for Raymond and Ollie tonight! Ollie would want us all to celebrate and she would tell us to take care of Raymond for her. So many will surround them as the journey ends on earth for Ollie. Thank God for all the people that He has brought in to your life. Thank Him for everything...because it all belongs to Him anyway.

Rejoice in knowing that we will see those who have gone on before us!

~ Lisa

September 16, 2008 - Thankful

I am so thankful for the people that God puts into my life. In all the trials and tests that we go through in life, God always puts someone in your day to show you that you are loved and that HE is walking beside you.

Take a moment, be still and listen to the silence. Yes, I said to listen to the silence. Take a deep breath and thank God for whatever is going on in your life today.

"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 a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Have a blessed day....