He really didn't say that, did he?

 Yesterday was so overwhelming at work.  I was getting work thrown at me from several different people and I admit, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.  Some of the things 'thrown' are big priority items that need to be done fairly soon. Most I have no clue how to complete and need to step back and look at what they are telling me to do so that I can understand.  And, I've already done praying this morning that God will enlighten my mind so that I can understand what I'm being told to do.

I sorta complained to one of the culprits and I couldn't believe what he told me.  "Maybe we need to sit down and look at what your priorities are and put some on the side of the plate until you have time to do them."  WHAT?  Young whippersnapper who is into all the Windows 365 programs and all those things (and I don't have a clue for most of them and never have used them) is the CAUSE of a lot of my distress.  It really irritated me somewhat, so I emailed him back and said "ALL my work is priority and I don't need help in determining WHOSE work is priority."  He didn't respond back.  Annoying.  Yes, I was in a complaining mood yesterday.  

So today I need to step back and evaluate what needs to be done first, and complete it before tackling the other things.  It was bad enough yesterday that I did something I do not normally do.  I knew I had a pint of Schwans' Peanut Butter Waffle Cone ice cream in the freezer... and I have an 'ice cream spoon' (it says so on the spoon!) and I ate nearly the entire thing!  It was so good and I was so frustrated.  Great way to work on my weight loss, right?  And this was AFTER I went and got a massage over my lunch break.  I sent a photo of the ice cream to my one support person and wrote under it, 'this is what you are driving me to today!' - and he responded, "Ha ha".  Oh well.  Suck it up buttercup!

I am to have lunch at George's at the rec center with our neighbor diagonal from us.  Single woman.  I don't know her very well, and suggested a couple weeks ago we meet for lunch and get caught up.  I'm pretty sure she's 10+ years younger than me.  Anyway, we had scheduled lunch today and by golly, I'm going to be sure I take it too!  Work will always be here.  New friends - and old - will not.  Kind of looking forward to getting acquainted with her.  I know she has several girlfriends as she has a study group at her house occasionally.  it will be fun.

John 14:27 (NKJV):  Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

That is one of my favorite verses when I am struggling.  I know I can have peace in the midst of any storm because my Lord says He will give me His peace.  He tells me not to be upset or struggle, don't be afraid, but just to trust in Him.

And you know what?  When I relinquish 'control' over the work stuff, and ask for His intervention in it, He will always provide what I need.  When was the last time you asked God for something, and relinquished your control over making it happen?  Yes, we still need to do our part in getting things completed, but God will do His part if we ask Him.

As I typed that my thought went to many years ago when hubby was involved in a men's ministry and was gone for a night at the men's retreat.  We had very heavy bedroom furniture, but I wanted to move it.  I am not 'allowed' to move furniture.  Period.  He had told me it couldn't be moved because it was so heavy.  But I wanted it moved, and he wasn't home.  So what did I do?  I prayed and asked God to give me the strength to move the furniture.  I was able to put sliders under the heavy furniture, and with a lot of praying and asking God to give me the strength I needed to move it, He did.  Seriously.  I moved it from one wall to another.  Moved the heavy wooded dresser and chests, moved the bed.  All with God's help.  

When hubby came home the next day, he walked into the bedroom and commented on it.  He asked who came over to move the furniture.  I responded 'no one'.   Well, who moved it, he inquired.  "Me and God" is what I responded.  He didn't believe me.  He thought I had asked one of my boys to come over and help me move the furniture, but I assured him that God was in charge, and He gave me the strength to move all the furniture 'by myself'.  I don't know if he ever believed me, but I didn't care.  I know without a doubt I could not have moved any of that furniture by myself, and when I asked God to help me, He provided all the help I needed to move the furniture to where I wanted.  And it stayed in that place for several years as hubby could never move it, nor could I.

When we ask for His help, no matter how old we are, or what our weakness is, I know without a doubt that if we ask, and we believe, He will set His angels about us to help us do whatever it is.  Just like He helped me move the furniture, I know He is going to help me today to complete some of the priority items that I need to get done today.  I am confident more in His ability than I am in mine.

Do you have a story in which God helped you after you asked Him?    Sit back and think about it for a few minutes.  Where have you seen God move in your life?  Don't 'blow' me off.  Even if you didn't pray, someone was praying for you, and God answered.  Do you remember?  

God's peace is something we should never take for granted.  In the heaviest times of struggle, when all hope seems lost; when we have run as far as we can with life and feel there is nothing left; when we realize that we can do nothing more by ourselves, and that we need help; in the times of stress and heaviness..... take a moment and take a deep breath.  Breathe deep.

Then ask God to forgive you for trying to do it all by yourself, and would He please rectify this situation? Would He please give you the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to complete the task that is before you?  Would He please provide the finances needed to fix the .....................?  Would He.....  just ask.  He is ready and willing to send His angels to help you with whatever you need.

Psalm 91:11 (NKJV):  For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways."

He's watching, He's waiting.  Don't delay.  Ask for His help just to get through today.  And do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day.

Then step back and look at how things fell into place.  They may not have ended up like we planned for them to, but He made them perfect.

Only by His hand.

Blessings!

It was late in the afternoon....

 when I got the email from one of the senior directors with information about a new hire who will be starting the day after labor day.  In Pennsylvania.  What that means is that I need to complete several forms to get equipment ordered - laptop, monitors, keyboards, headsets, etc. - and have IT get them shipped.  Then..... our cable went out and there was nothing I could do.  My last hour before going on 'vacation'.  I could have passed it all over to another admin and asked them to do it because our cable went out (saw to Cox trucks down the street...what did they do?).  But, I didn't feel that was fair.  And even though I don't know what I'm doing as I haven't had to order equipment like this before, I decided I would go back online sometime today and try to input the information and get as far as I can (assuming the cable is back on - the TV was on last night so it should be).  If I get stuck, I will have to pass it on to someone else, but I didn't want to push it off - because I really do not want to do it.  Yep.  There I said it.  I really do not want to order the equipment and jump through all the hoops IT makes us do (because of security) and get it done.  But, it is part of my job and I need to do it. 

But.  It will get done later this afternoon.  This morning I will be having breakfast with my youngest son, and then I asked him to take me to the AFB to look at Apple Watches.  I'm still flip-flopping on whether or not to get one, don't need it, but I like the information that it shares.  I've talked extensively with my brother and a couple others who have them and they all comment they are glad to have the information.  I get a lot of information from my Versa 2, but it is mainly used for steps.  We have a program at work called Virgin Pulse that tracks my steps in challenges (same as Fitbit) but with co-workers moreso than family.  I would have to manually input my steps from the watch since it doesn't connect with Fitbit nor Virgin Pulse.  One thing for sure, it would make me more conscious of my steps if I had to input the total every day.  I will look at the watch today and make a decision while I'm there.  I received over half the money for my birthday so it's a gift of sorts.  I will probably get it.... but I have questions before I do.

Early afternoon I am to call my neighbor's daughter and she wants to take me to see her mother so that I know where this place is and where her mother's 'apartment' is located.  I can't 'enjoy' the thought of going on vacation until I get all these 'priorities' completed.  Need to go to the grocery yet and pick up things to take with us too. Yes, we can buy some things there, but can get some things cheaper here - like a case of water, hubby's V-8, etc.  Not a lot of shopping - and they are not priority.

I was reading in Haggai in this morning.  I love it when something pops lout that although I've read it before, it is still an 'aha!' moment when I read it  Setting the scene, King Darius had allowed the Jews who had been taken to Babylon, to return to Jerusalem.  So the people had returned, and started to rebuild the temple mount, planning to rebuild the temple.  But, the people who lived there from other areas said and did things that discouraged them.  So what did the Jews do?  They started focusing on their own homes, their own things. They went up in to the forests and brought back wood to cover their roofs and panel their walls.  They made their homes elaborate, but left the house of the Lord unfinished.

That did not set well with the Lord.  Whenever God's people focus more on their own net worth than His work, they experience consequences.  They experience failure.  No matter how hard self-interested people work, they never get enough, and end up with nothing to show for it and can never get ahead.

They are also frustrated.  Nothing satisfies them or gets accomplished with they hoped for.  It is futile.  No matter what they earn, if God isn't the center of their lives, they find their values change ... as their values change (from God to themselves).  God will withhold His blessings if He is not center of our lives.

Haggai 1:6 (NKJV):  "You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes."

That is a sobering thought, isn't it?  Haggai was telling the people God's message to them  and to us - if you don't put Me first, this is what happens.  The warning is that 'what happens in the heart affects every aspect of life.' The price of the Israelite's selfishness was their loss of God's blessings.  And the price of our selfishness and self-centeredness is the loss of God's blessings.  

Who has the priority in your life?  When you put God first, you will find He blesses you and your family in so many ways.  Some are so minor that we don't even think about them.  It's like tithing to the Lord.  When we give God the first fruits of our earnings, He will bless us.  I've shared about that before and how God has taken what little I could give, but it was all I had, and He turned it around and blessed it.  God must come first in our lives; Jesus is the Center. 

Malachi 3:10 (NKJV):  "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it."

In what do you place your priorities?  When you put God first, His blessings are always forthcoming in ways you cannot imagine.  Trust Him.  Make God your priority and see what He will do for you.

Blessings!