It amazes me that I actually missed writing last week. Thinking back to last year, when time moved oh so v e r y S L O W L Y, as I went through cancer treatment, it is amazing to be back to life that seems to >>>>>>zoom>>>>>> by. My daughters have assured me this is not due to "my age," but "the age," the times in which we live. I often wonder if there is also not a "spirit of busy-ness" that works to press us into a mode of constantly being on the go.

Last Sunday I prayed for a precious young Christian woman who said she realizes that she is not all she should be. This sister is amazing and has artistic and creative gifts and talents which she uses for the Lord...and yet, she had that sense of lack. (Have you noticed that our gifts and abilities do not always fulfill us?)

I have thought back to what she said, and even to my prayers for her, but I also considered how many times I have felt the same way. I can remember telling the Lord, "Don't You think that by know I should know this?" or "Shouldn't I have overcome this by now?" My inadequacies can loom huge before my eyes.

Yet, the Lord keeps coming to me and telling me to focus on Him rather than on myself. He knows my weaknesses; He knows I am human. And He continues to draw me near to Him. As I spend time in His presence, He convicts me of things I am doing wrong and He changes my heart to be more like His.

God was not interested in Adam preaching, teaching or ministering, but His desire for Adam was to BE in relationship with him. Adam's problems began when he trusted his own understanding, got his eyes on himself and what he could have and be, and acted independently of God. The result was that his relationship with God was severed.

In practical terms, how do we "keep our eyes on Jesus?" To me, that is done one thought at a time. That ties in with what I wrote last time about God's will being "this moment." When I recognize that my thoughts are on myself and my inadequacy, and I feel myself moving into something less than joy or peace, I turn my thoughts to God's truth... "But God YOU ARE the lover of my soul (John 3:16, Romans 5:8). You are my strength (Psalm 18:1-2). There is no condemnation for me" (Romans 8:1). My thoughts about myself and my weaknesses are replaced with words of truth about God and what He says. This is what God calls "renewing our minds" (Romans 12:2). When I begin having critical thoughts about someone else, I do the same thing. "God you love them. You did not send me to judge them (Matthew 7:1), but to love (John 13:34) and encourage them (Hebrews 3:13). I pray your blessings on them now and that your will be done in their lives." When I begin to worry about things going on in my life or in the world situations, I go back to His words and find comfort. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything...let your requests be known to God, and the peace of God, which passes understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ" (Philippians 4:6-7).

When I say "spend time with God" I am not saying that we have to go away for days or hours or even ritualistically have that "quiet time." Even "quiet time" can be unfruitful if it becomes a routine rather than a time of seeking relationships with Him and with an open heart. I personally have to have an appointed time each day. But different seasons of our lives direct our daily schedule. When I worked full time or had children at home, it was more difficult - and some days impossible to have that appointed time. So, at times I got up very early. Other times I stayed up later at night...when I had the energy. Other days, it was a 5-minute "mini vacation" when I went in the bathroom and locked the door and prayed with desperation. I discovered it is even okay to keep a Bible in the bathroom! Sometimes I woke up in the middle of the night and read the scriptures and talked to the Lord.

In all these times, I found that no matter when I went to Him, He was always there. Never did He chastize me for not coming more often, or at a regular time. He was never "too busy" to receive me and listen to what was on my heart. That is still true. Not once did God speak angrily to me last year because I was too sick to spend time seeking Him. He simply waited for me to come to Him, and as I would go as far as I could, He would alwasy meet me.

And when we take those times alone with Him, no matter how long they are, He has the ability to "slow us down," give us strength and fill us with Himself in a moment of time, and with a word of encouragement or direction. He can work even in the busy-ness of our lives...because He is not bound by time or the urgency of the moment. He can even STOP TIME if necessary. I think He did that...as He made the sun stand still (Joshua 10:13). Let Him stop your world; enter into eternity for a few moments and have your spirit refreshed.

In fact, when we do stop, even for a second and invite Him into our daily situations, He will enter into what we are doing and show Himself to be mighty. He will bring answers beyond our ability. In 1979, the Lord gave a word of direction to me and Charlie that was to guide our lives through that year and years go come: "Wisdom is mine in '79," Charlie was working in personnel and was assigning military people to jobs. I watched as He learned to pray for wisdom each time the phone rang. He would come home at the end of the day and tell me about the miracles God worked. He would look for a job for someone in the morning and nothing would be there. As he prayed, there were times when new jobs were "created" during the day. He would have husbands and wives who were both in the military and who wanted to be assigned together, but there was no opening for one of them. As he prayed, he would discover a way to move the couple together. One time a man called who was supposed to be reassigned, but his wife said she was not going to move. This man said that if he moved, his marriage would be over. Charlie prayed for wisdom, and as he went into the system he found that a job had just opened - one that was not available even an hour before - in the same city where that man lived. God is faithful and wants to be involved in the daily-ness of our lives.

Sometimes when we focus on ourselves rather than on Him, we forget that it is not what we "do" for God that is important, but that we BE with Him. I was reminded of a time many years ago when I was struggling with that question, "can a person fall from grace?" I searched the scriptures and prayed. Our pastor taught on it, but I have always felt that I had to know what the Word of God said, and not rely on what others told me. One day my younger daughter - only in kindergarten at the time - gave me the answer...in the profound words of wisdom of a child. "Mom, if you just love God and obey Him each day, maybe you don't have to worry about whether or not you can lose your salvation!"

I pray for you and me today...that we will simply love and obey God this day. We can trust Him for answers for the moment. What we "should be" or "should have done" is left in His hands as we focus our attention on Him and receive His amazing love for us. As His love washes over our souls and brings peace and refreshing, we cannot help but respond to His love with obedience.