The following if from the book "One Year with God" by Ava Pennington. It can be found on page 165.
Does the clay say to the potter, "what are you making"? Isaiah 45:9
"You can be anything you want to be, if you set your mind to it." This may be motivational, but its not true. What if I wanted to be a mountain lion or an eagle?
Our Potter has fashioned each of us to be precisely what He wants us to be for His purposes. We don't know why God made some of us men and some women, but He did. We don't know why He made some of us with dark features and some light, but He did. We don't now why He made some of us extroverted and some introverted, but He did.
While we may not know anyone who has told God they would rather be a mountain lion or an eagle, we all know people who have decided the Potter made a mistake. They think they know better than He does as to what is best for them. The clay tries to mold itself. In extreme cases, we see men and women even changing genders. The clay refuses to admit it does not know better than the Potter.
Our greatest satisfaction comes from being exactly what our Potter created us to be.
Creator God, forgive me for the times I try to usurp Your role as my Potter. Show me where I have tried to mold myself instead of trusting Your skill.
How have I tried to force a change in my life that the Potter has not intended?
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Creative Plans
The following is from the book "One Year Alone with God" by Ava Pennington page 164.
"Can I not...deal with you as this potter does?" declares the Lord. Jeremiah 18:6
It can be an inspiring experience to produce something from raw material. Whether we use colors to paint a landscape, words to weave a story, or clay to fashion pottery, the final product brings substance to what first appeared in our mind's eye.
God used the illustration of a potter to teach us something about our relationship with Him. The clay does not always cooperate. It may be too dry or wet, failing to form the desired shape. The potter may choose to add a little moisture or a little clay, or he may discard the entire batch.
Our Potter fashions His vessels according to His creative plans and purposes. In our particular situations, He may choose to add or remove something, but He never discards His people. He is continuously working in us to create vessels that will glorify Him.
We may not always understand what He is doing or why, but then why should we expect to? You and I are not the Potter.
Lord God, thank You for being my perfect Potter. Help me to trust Your creative purposes as You make me all that You intended for me to be.
What puzzling thing is the Potter doing in my life? How can I show Him my trust today?
"Can I not...deal with you as this potter does?" declares the Lord. Jeremiah 18:6
It can be an inspiring experience to produce something from raw material. Whether we use colors to paint a landscape, words to weave a story, or clay to fashion pottery, the final product brings substance to what first appeared in our mind's eye.
God used the illustration of a potter to teach us something about our relationship with Him. The clay does not always cooperate. It may be too dry or wet, failing to form the desired shape. The potter may choose to add a little moisture or a little clay, or he may discard the entire batch.
Our Potter fashions His vessels according to His creative plans and purposes. In our particular situations, He may choose to add or remove something, but He never discards His people. He is continuously working in us to create vessels that will glorify Him.
We may not always understand what He is doing or why, but then why should we expect to? You and I are not the Potter.
Lord God, thank You for being my perfect Potter. Help me to trust Your creative purposes as You make me all that You intended for me to be.
What puzzling thing is the Potter doing in my life? How can I show Him my trust today?
Thursday, June 27, 2013
June 27
The following is from the book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. It is dated June 27. I needed this message today.
"Rest with Me a while. You have journeyed up a steep, rugged path in recent days. The way ahead is shrouded in uncertainty. Look neither behind you nor before you. Instead, focus your attention on Me, your constant Companion. Trust that I will equip you fully for whatever awaits you on your journey.
I designed time to be a protection for you. You couldn't bear to see all your life at once. Though I am unlimited by time, it is in the present moment that I meet you. Refresh yourself in My company, breathing deep draughts of My Presence. The highest level of trust is to enjoy Me moment by moment. I am with you, watching over you wherever you go. (Psalm 143:8; Genesis 28:15)"
"Rest with Me a while. You have journeyed up a steep, rugged path in recent days. The way ahead is shrouded in uncertainty. Look neither behind you nor before you. Instead, focus your attention on Me, your constant Companion. Trust that I will equip you fully for whatever awaits you on your journey.
I designed time to be a protection for you. You couldn't bear to see all your life at once. Though I am unlimited by time, it is in the present moment that I meet you. Refresh yourself in My company, breathing deep draughts of My Presence. The highest level of trust is to enjoy Me moment by moment. I am with you, watching over you wherever you go. (Psalm 143:8; Genesis 28:15)"
June 26
The following is from the book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. It is dated June 26. I am posting it because I read it yesterday and the Lord knew I needed this message. So I have to share it with others.
"Stay calmly conscious of Me today, no matter what. Remember that I go before you as well as with you into the day. Nothing takes Me by surprise. I will not allow circumstances to overwhelm you, so long as you look to Me. I will help you cope with whatever the moment presents. Collaborating with Me brings blessings that far outweigh all your troubles. Awareness of My Presence contains Joy that can endure all eventualities.
(Psalm 23:1-4; 2 Corinthians 4:16-17)"
"Stay calmly conscious of Me today, no matter what. Remember that I go before you as well as with you into the day. Nothing takes Me by surprise. I will not allow circumstances to overwhelm you, so long as you look to Me. I will help you cope with whatever the moment presents. Collaborating with Me brings blessings that far outweigh all your troubles. Awareness of My Presence contains Joy that can endure all eventualities.
(Psalm 23:1-4; 2 Corinthians 4:16-17)"
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Please sign this petition
Usually I don't post stuff like this. But this is something I feel strongly about. Please sign if you have the time. I would really appreciate it and I am sure many of our military men/women would appreciate it as well.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/revise-tape-test-method-military-body-fat-standards-good-service-members-are-being-kicked-out/Yw4HygDq#thank-you=p
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/revise-tape-test-method-military-body-fat-standards-good-service-members-are-being-kicked-out/Yw4HygDq#thank-you=p
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Yoda
Meet Yoda our new dog. He is approximately 7 months old. He is a German Shepherd mix. We aren't sure what he is mixed with. He is such a fun addition to our little family. He has a great personality and is very fun and loving. I am glad we all hit it off well. He is obedient for the most part and is just like a toddler. So it definitely is like having a kid in the house. Thankfully, he is house trained so we haven't had any problems with him so far.
We weren't planning on getting a dog so fast. But since the adoption fee was well within our budget boundaries we went for it. My hubby is glad for Yoda because now I will have company during his deployments. I will write again about the lessons I am learning with having Yoda.
We weren't planning on getting a dog so fast. But since the adoption fee was well within our budget boundaries we went for it. My hubby is glad for Yoda because now I will have company during his deployments. I will write again about the lessons I am learning with having Yoda.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
June 2, 2013
Yesterday my husband and I drove around the island. It took 2.5 hours because we stopped along the way to take pictures. Here are a few of our day.
June 1, 2013 Sunrise in Guam
Yesterday morning was a very momentous morning for me. My husband and I experienced our first sunrise together as a couple (something I have wanted to do with him but our schedules wouldn't allow for it). We went to the beach to experience it. It also was our first sunrise in Guam. It was amazing. The view was breath taking and the water is so clear. Here are some of the pictures.
Traveling to Guam
This week my husband and I moved to Guam so periodically from here on out you will hear about my/our adventures here on the island. But in the meantime I am sharing with you our adventure of actually coming to the island. It truly was an experience. We had to take three planes. The first flight was short and simple at just over and hour. Nothing major or exciting happened until we landed in LA and were trying to reach our connecting flight.
When we landed in LA we were delayed getting to the gate because of an Australian airline that was using the same gate. Apparently that plane was delayed leaving the gate which made our plane have to wait. Well all of this delayed made our 40 minute layover go by pretty fast. By the time we did get to the gate, we only had 10 minutes to get from our plane to the next terminal to reach our plane. We were then further delayed because it took me a long time to get my carry-on bag from the plane (we were on a small plane so they made me "check" my bag at the door before going to my seat). By the time that was said and done we have 5 minutes before our next flight was schedule to leave. So we spoke with the lady at the counter and explained our situation. She called the crew at the counter of our next plane and they assured the lady they would wait for us but that we needed to hurry so they can stay on time. So my husband and I said thank you to the lady and took of running like we were running away from a wild bear. By the time we got to the gate, I was out of breath and the crew were yelling our names as people were passing by trying to figure out which of the many people were actually us. As soon as we got on the plane they closed the doors and took off...Whew, talk about exhaustion.
Then proceeded the next 11 hours of my life. I have never been on a flight that was longer than 5 hours so this was definitely a challenge. We ended up sitting next to a lady who slept the entire flight for the exception of getting up once. It made it very hard for me to get up and move. I am definitely not a person who knows how to sit still for a very long time. So to help me keep still I used the TV screen on the back of the seat in from of me to play Sudoku and watch several movies.
After 11 hours we finally make it to Tokyo. We had a two hour layover before we get to board our final plane for this trip. When we got off the plane we were told we were directed to security. Trying to get through security took a little over an hour. Once we finished with security. we walked around the next terminal to our gate. By the time we got to our gate, we had 30 minutes to find a snack, use the bathroom and relax for our last leg of the trip. We got it all done and had 5 minutes to spare before they started boarding our flight.
The flight to Guam was just under 4 hours. There isn't any interesting info on this flight because my husband and I totally fell asleep and were in a deep sleep until we heard the Captain say we were preparing to land. Here are a few pictures from the flights....
When we landed in LA we were delayed getting to the gate because of an Australian airline that was using the same gate. Apparently that plane was delayed leaving the gate which made our plane have to wait. Well all of this delayed made our 40 minute layover go by pretty fast. By the time we did get to the gate, we only had 10 minutes to get from our plane to the next terminal to reach our plane. We were then further delayed because it took me a long time to get my carry-on bag from the plane (we were on a small plane so they made me "check" my bag at the door before going to my seat). By the time that was said and done we have 5 minutes before our next flight was schedule to leave. So we spoke with the lady at the counter and explained our situation. She called the crew at the counter of our next plane and they assured the lady they would wait for us but that we needed to hurry so they can stay on time. So my husband and I said thank you to the lady and took of running like we were running away from a wild bear. By the time we got to the gate, I was out of breath and the crew were yelling our names as people were passing by trying to figure out which of the many people were actually us. As soon as we got on the plane they closed the doors and took off...Whew, talk about exhaustion.
Then proceeded the next 11 hours of my life. I have never been on a flight that was longer than 5 hours so this was definitely a challenge. We ended up sitting next to a lady who slept the entire flight for the exception of getting up once. It made it very hard for me to get up and move. I am definitely not a person who knows how to sit still for a very long time. So to help me keep still I used the TV screen on the back of the seat in from of me to play Sudoku and watch several movies.
After 11 hours we finally make it to Tokyo. We had a two hour layover before we get to board our final plane for this trip. When we got off the plane we were told we were directed to security. Trying to get through security took a little over an hour. Once we finished with security. we walked around the next terminal to our gate. By the time we got to our gate, we had 30 minutes to find a snack, use the bathroom and relax for our last leg of the trip. We got it all done and had 5 minutes to spare before they started boarding our flight.
The flight to Guam was just under 4 hours. There isn't any interesting info on this flight because my husband and I totally fell asleep and were in a deep sleep until we heard the Captain say we were preparing to land. Here are a few pictures from the flights....
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