Do They See Jesus in Me

One of my all time favorite songs.....and really really really on my heart today.
I want to be everything this song says....and more.
I thank God for putting this on my heart. I need it.


Is the face that I see in the mirror
the one I want others to see
Do I show in the way that I walk in my life
The love that You've given to me
My heart's desire is to be like You
In all that I do, all I am

Do they see Jesus In Me
Do they recognize Your face
Do I communicate Your love, and Your grace
Do I reflect who You are
In the way I choose to be
Do they see Jesus In Me

It's amazing that you'd ever use me
But use me the way You will
Help me to hold out a heart of
compassionate grace
A heart that You're spirit fills
May I show forgiveness and mercy
The same way You've shown it to me

Now I want to show all the world who You are
The reason I live and breathe
So You'll be the One that they see
When they see me

Listen

I've learned from a wise person over the past few months to ask God to help me to be slow to speak, and quick to listen so that I might be able to hear God, instead of me always searching for answers.
That's comes as a challenge from time to time and situation to situation.

I use to think I couldn't hear the message that God was sending me. Nah...I know I can. What happens is I have to be quiet long enough for Him to get a word in. :o)

This practice is not always easy....and it's not easy to teach my kids. But I hope they can learn by my example when I am able to do it, and do it well.

On those other days, I pray for grace.

What is important?

Several weeks ago,I cracked the face of my phone. It is no longer pretty and has flaws, but it works.

Once upon a time, I would have been a person that rushed out to get it replaced as fast as possible. Not because I needed to, but becuase it doesn't look good.

Things have changed. Not sure where they really changed along the way but they have.
When it broke, I remember looking on the computer and calling the sprint store to see about getting a new phone. My contract is up, I'm well on my way to getting that really nice phone now, but I stopped.

Haven't looked at it again since.

Sure, it would be nice, but I went down the list of things in my life that I need and the things I don't need and the phone just didn't make the cut. I just don't feel the time is right and God is putting it on my heart to spend wisely right now.
I admit, I'm not one of those that feels I hear clear answers from God, but this has been one where he says "You don't need it"

Satan puts lots of things in our paths and clearly makes us feel that we need the things in this life that we really don't. I, for one, am going to listen to the message that God is giving me right now and spend money on the more important things in life.

For the first time in life, for as long as I can remember, I have the money to go buy something I want.....and I am not doing it.
Will I ever get a new phone? Yes, I will. But I will wait patiently until the timing is right.

There are just more important things in this life.

Blessings

Tonight we had an opportunity to go sing in the community at a retirement village. I didn't realize how much I would feel blessed after doing so.
I love the elderly population and how much life they have in them. Their dreams are still alive more than ever before.

I loved to look into their eyes as we sang. I did my best to make eye contact with each person in the room. Some of them made me laugh as they would just smile when they noticed they were being looked at. Some of them almost made me cry a couple of times. But most of all, I could see their hearts. They really loved having us there. I enjoyed my conversations at the end the most.

One woman told me "We have people come and sing, or play music, but not very often do we have kids that will come sing to us"

I told another woman I could hear her singing along with us and she said "I once sang in my high school choir! This brought back that memory"

Another woman said "I came down here just to hear you....and I live on the 3rd floor...so it's a journey!!!" She was so thankful she made the trip! I told her I hoped it was like a mini vacation and she just laughed!!!!

I observed at the end a man coming up to another woman (not his wife as neither were married I found out) and he said to her, "Now I will be back in 10 minutes to pick you up over there (the courtyard) so we can watch our show"

A gentleman sitting alone appeared unapproachable said in a very slow and stuttering voice "I'm really glad you came tonight. Singing makes me happy"

I could go on and on about the things they said in the short time we were there but most of all I know my heart was touched by just looking into their eyes tonight. It wouldn't have mattered if I sang or not. What mattered is that we took the time out of our lives tonight to invest in others that have invested so much in this world already. I was honored to have this opportunity.

I hope when I grow older, people will come to visit and bless me.....so that I can take my turn at that age, and bless them.

A new favorite

I have become a huge fan of Joyce Meyer. This woman just floors me at her depth of her own spiritual walk with Christ. I love to listen to her. I am drawn to listening to her. She speaks in ways that I understand and that can help me in my walk with Christ.

Her biography caught my attention and after reading her life story, what she has lived through and how she survived a hard life. Now she takes her life and her story and turns it around for the better. She preaches the word of God with such passion and grace.

She has a new book coming out in September called "Power Thoughts" and I can't wait to get a copy. I've never read any of her books, but I look forward to reading them and becoming closer to Christ through some devotions with her.

I love it when I find a new author/teacher that I really like.