Pruned For More Beauty

Summer is a time of renewing for me.  School is out, the pool opens, and the pace slows for me somewhat.  I have made an every year commitment to God and myself to put to paper the list of things that I've committed myself to over the past year.  After I've made the list, I begin to pray over the course of the summer if God still wants me to commit myself to whatever I've written.  It is hard for me, because the evil one will whisper in my ear that I'm a "loser" if if "quit", that "surely you can do it all", "everyone is counting on you".  God has grown me so much over the years to know His sweet voice that says, "Here is where I best can use you" and "this has run it's course, and it's time to move on and let someone else."

I was reminded of my "list" that I compile every year as I was pruning my rose bushes today.  Sidenote: I usually NEVER prune them, but with my man and baby girl out of town, I've had a bit of extra time on my hands.  Here's what I saw...

Slowly fading blooms...others looked like this...

Still others this...

God gently reminded me that the fading blooms, and even the ones that had no bloom at all represent those things on my list that God is no longer calling me to.  What I've found with pruning is that the more you prune, the healthier the flower is, so the more pruning I allow God to do in my heart and life, the more healthy I will be in Him!  But what do I do at times?  I try to get life out of a flower that has no bloom left in it.  It's seen it's beauty, and now it's time to prune it back and allow God to birth new blooms...

So what about you?  What on your list of things that you "do for God" need to be prayed over, and maybe cut back because they are no longer blooming, so that He can bloom anew in you??

Waiting To Be Fed

My man and my middle child are in Haiti.  My oldest child has flown the coop, and my 12 year old flits from place to place.  God is teaching me alot as my house is quiet.  With bermuda higher than my man would ever let it grow, I ventured out yesterday to love on him by cutting his grass before he returns.  He loves to mow grass and calls it something that "massages his skull" and gives him alone time with Jesus.  All I can say is that I needed a massage and an IV with fluids after I tackled the yard.  But just as I was emptying out grass clippings on the street, God gave me the most beautiful site...

A dad and mom cardinal feeding their newly "nestless" babes in the grass.  Both mom and dad were doing the feeding (which is a whole different post in itself with its own lessons), but what I found so interesting and cool was that the babies sat and waited for both parents to go and gather the food, and then come back and feed them.


Taste and see that the Lord is good;^(A)
    blessed is the one who takes refuge^(B) in him. (Psalm 34:8)


All I could do is sit and weep as I watched the total dependency of the babies on their parents.  They didn't wander off, didn't think "this is taking too long, I'll make this happen myself".  They patiently waited for their Provider to give them all they needed.  


One of the reasons this has meant so much to me is that God has shown me over the past week how hard it is for me to "sit and wait" for HIM to satisfy and fill me.

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare.  (Isaiah 55:2)

The thing I do so often is that I seek Godly counsel from others as if it were coming from the Lord.  Why?  Because I can see them, touch them, feel them.  I do this especially with my man.  God has shown me this week because I haven't had my man with me, that HE is the Provider. He is the answer.  He has the right timing.  His Word has the answer.  In my loud life, I sometimes need reminders to be still enough to hear.  Take time to see what He has for me, and to remind me so lovingly that He's got this, He's got me, and He's totally crazy about me.

Lord, I thank you for your forgiveness when I knowingly or unknowingly put someone or something else on Your throne.  You are the King, and you are not taking applications for Your Position! You know best and desire only the very best for my life.  Thank you that your tapestry of my life is not finished and you are continuing to make a masterpiece of me.  I am CRAZY about You too!  Amen

Not Always What They Seem

Strawberries in the winter...I love strawberries, so when i saw these beauties at the store, I was quick to grab a few cartons.  As I carefully washed and prepared to cut them, the anticipation to take a taste overwhelmed me, so I plopped large berry into my mouth.

Ughhhh!  It was bitter! I thought to myself, "You should have known better than to buy strawberries in the 

winter!  Not wanting to trash the beauties, I went to my natural "go to" when things don't taste right.  SUGAR  A little sugar just makes everything taste better, and it did.

 ⁸ "Taste and see that the LORD is good;
   blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." (Psalm 34:8)

Since Adam and Eve decided that they didn't "need" God, and a life of independence and knowledge would suffice, our lives as humans have been like the berries without the sugar.  We may look beautiful on the outside, appetizing, and desirable, but without the sweetening of Jesus in our lives, we just taste bitter.

Add the sweetening of Jesus to your life today!

Darkness

Making sense of madness...of things we don't understand is so hard.  Trying to look for the light in the darkness is almost an impossible task, but we keep searching, searching, looking for the light that will lead us out.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways," declares the LORD.  (Isaiah 55:8)

The Light is seen most clearly in darkness.  The rays streaming through, beckoning the way, guiding the feet to the Source of the light.  Jesus is the source of the Light.  He is Light, and "in Him there is no darkness at all" (1John 1:5)

The darkness is not Jesus.  He is Light.  He is the way out of the darkness.  He is the beacon that guides you to Him and takes you home.

"Arise, shine, for you light has come

and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth and

thick darkness is over the peoples,

but the LORD rises upon you

and His glory appears over you.

Nations will come to your light

and kings to the brightness of your dawn."  (Isaiah 60:1-3)

Steadfast

Sunrise...

The picture of God's steadfast Love for us.

Sunday has become true Sabbath for me.  During my time with Him this morning in my warm bed with the sun streaming in through the window, my Bible, journal, pen, devotions, and my Itunes, He led me to a series of verses, and the word that God made jump off the pages was STEADFAST.

"O God, my heart is steadfast." (Psalm 108:1)

I love to look up the original meanings of words through Blue Letter Bible, and the meanings for steadfast are so much richer than the word itself.  

"to be firm, be stable, be established, be fixed, be secure"

"to lean, lay, support, rest upon"

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in You." (Isaiah 26:3)

The sunrise and the sunset remind me of the steadfast Spirit of our God.  Both are firm, stable, established, fixed, and we are able to lean and rest upon the fact that they will come up and go down each day like clock work (literally).

Sunset...The picture of God's steadfast Love for us.

No matter how unsteady life seems, insecure, not fixed, unstable, not supportive, unable to rely on or rest upon, our TRUE stability and security is found in the Person of Jesus Christ, our Savior.  He came in the chaos of our world to show that true rest can only be found in Him.

"He will not be afraid of evil tidings, his heart is steadfast, trusting the Lord.  His heart is upheld, he will not be afraid, until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries."  (Psalm 112:7-8)

JOY

JOY

J...JESUS
O...ONLY
Y...YOU

YOU are what satisfies my longing soul; YOU fill my empty cup; YOU mend my broken heart; YOU shine your Light in dark places; YOU make my heart and mouth sing; YOU give me the ability to love; YOU give me the ability to forgive; YOU complete me; YOU compel me; YOU love me; YOU are my perfect example; YOU are my friend; YOU are my salvation; YOU set me FREE; YOU are my enough; YOU are my truth; YOU are my thanksgiving; YOU are my provider; YOU are my healer; YOU help me truly see;  YOU are beautiful, YOU are my life; YOU are my love; YOU are my shelter; YOU are my comfort; YOU are my refuge; YOU are my song, my melody; YOU are the only One for me; YOU are the only God for me.

Sun and Shadows

2011 has been a year of great change at the Bivins house.  Change is hard, no matter if you're ready for it or not, but I know that God has been at the forefront of all it, guiding, steering, and showing us the next steps to take.  The steps have been uncertain, wobbly, and often painful, but the joys, affirmation, and encouragement to move forward, equally as exhilarating.

This season has been a mixture of sun, clouds, and shadows.
There have been times in this journey that all I could see surrounding me were clouds.  You know those days when it's been raining, and the clouds just seem to linger and linger?  You know in your heart that the faithful sun (Son) is high above the clouds, but for this season, the clouds just have to cover?  Sometimes the clouds produce a cleansing rain, and one that readies the soil (soul) for new growth, fresh beauty, and new flowers.  Other times the clouds produce a storm with beating hail, torrential downpours, and damaging winds.  I have felt all of this from the clouds that have hovered in this season, but have constantly been reassured that the sun (Son) would eventually, in it's timing, part the clouds and reveal the glory and the splendor again.

(My sweet cardinal (Jesus) is chirping loudly outside as I type this...sweet affirmation)

As God settles us more and more into the calling that He has ordained, and the more my heart surrenders fully into the magnitude of what He has called, He has allowed the clouds to move on, to break apart, so that His bright light, that shows clearly the way, that warms the soul, that grows the seeds planted, can do what only it can do.

I am thanking God for the sun (Son)!  I know that for sustained growth, the clouds and the rain have to come again, but somehow know that the sun (Son) is above it all gives the strength and the stamina to walk forward in His confidence.