Comments on peace for the journey: Good

I've been doing a lot of meditating and reflecting...

2009-11-19T20:04:43.200-05:00

I've been doing a lot of meditating and reflecting on difficult life seasons and yet finding God in it. I love Henri Nouwen's thoughts, “The experience of God’s presence is not void of pain. But the pain is so deep that you do not want to miss it since it is in this pain that the joy of God’s presence can be tasted. This seems close to nonsense except in the sense that it is beyond sense and, therefore, hard to capture within the limits of human understanding. The experience of God’s unifying presence is an experience in which the distinction between joy and pain seems to be transcended and in which the beginning of a new life is intimated.”

I know just how you feel. One day I clicked on one...

2009-11-17T13:46:55.252-05:00

I know just how you feel. One day I clicked on one my followers to go to his blog, and I saw my poem on there! I was horrified that people actually do this. I nicely asked him to remove it, and he did. But that sure left me feeling funky...

Sweet, much needed truth for my day. Thank you so...

2009-11-17T13:11:56.449-05:00

Sweet, much needed truth for my day. Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts (that capture beautifully some of my days as of late...)

Love & blessings,
Tracy

What can I add? The post itself is good, and colo...

2009-11-17T07:52:42.000-05:00

What can I add? The post itself is good, and colors the good hues of my heart.

Some seasons are bitterly cold, if not turbulent. Thank God we live them out in community. It is good.

Blessings,
Kathleen

I haven't been making my way around lately. Largel...

2009-11-17T04:45:47.927-05:00

I haven't been making my way around lately. Largely because my own 'not knowing' keeps me off balance.

Thank you for sharing your not knowing though. I'm working on mine. (I'll have a post about it up in a couple of days.) I'm definitely going to try to get back in the habit of coming by; God uses you to speak to me so often.

Mary

Just earlier today I was thinking about a reflecti...

2009-11-16T20:52:38.371-05:00

Just earlier today I was thinking about a reflection on seasons in the book you sent me (Anonymous by Alicia Chole)... how every course in life is like the main course to God - every day is a gift to see His glory, His goodness. Thanks for this!

Hey Elaine! My heart echo's Beth's..One Blessed N...

2009-11-16T14:12:43.047-05:00

Hey Elaine!

My heart echo's Beth's..One Blessed Nana! Your heart penned my heart "words".

My favorite part..."I feel God's sunshine despite the coolness of my season". I was just reading the verses of an old hymn this morning "Sunshine in My Soul" and verse three spoke to my heart and I think it will bless you as well.....

"There is music in my soul today; For when the Lord is near, the dove of peace sings in my heart, the flowers of grace appear"!

Even though I don't "feel" God's sunshine in the coolness of my season" His warmth and precious Heavenly songs of peace and flowers of grace are springing forth all around me!! Thank you Jesus!!

Thanks Elaine for speaking the same "language of the heart" today!

Sweet Blessings!
Jackie

So much truth in what you've said, Elaine. It all ...

2009-11-16T11:35:03.238-05:00

So much truth in what you've said, Elaine. It all comes down to putting things in perspective, doesn't it? God is good, and we are recipients of His amazing bounty each and every day -- even in the rough, dry times. A good reminder for this season of Thanksgiving.

Blessings, friend!
Cheryl

Elaine, I have an award for you! Please stop by an...

2009-11-16T11:05:54.571-05:00

Elaine,
I have an award for you! Please stop by and pick it up when you get a chance.
Christy

Very sweet message! Even in the darkest of days, t...

2009-11-16T11:04:58.702-05:00

Very sweet message! Even in the darkest of days, the light of Jesus shines ever so brightly...

This is exactly the reminder I needed this morning...

2009-11-16T10:55:07.720-05:00

This is exactly the reminder I needed this morning. I have been feeling like I'm crawling the last week too - but God wants me to stand up and bask in His glory! Thank you so much for showing me that God chose today for me to LIVE ABUNDANTLY!!! I love coming to visit you... :)

I feel God’s warm sunshine despite the coolness of...

2009-11-16T10:05:07.405-05:00

I feel God’s warm sunshine despite the coolness of my season. I taste God’s abundance despite the famine of my season. I walk the lush meadows despite the rocky soil of my season. And I drink the cup of overflow despite the thirst of my season.

I especially needed this right now. I'm in a 'cool' season right now. Not living in rainbow days lately. Part of that is my own preoccupation with other things... not meaning to be, but life happens sometimes.

But you've reminded me this morning that we all go through these seasons and that just because we may not 'feel' God as strongly, it doesn't mean He isn't there!

It is in these days that we are called to show our faith.

A timely message! Thank you for sharing. Congrat...

2009-11-16T08:18:59.801-05:00

A timely message!

Thank you for sharing.

Congratulations to Mary from Piles of Smiles. She's precious just as you are Elaine.

Hugs and love.

Elaine, Thanks for such an eloquent reminder that...

2009-11-15T23:35:46.283-05:00

Elaine, Thanks for such an eloquent reminder that, regardless of the season we are in, life is good and GOD IS GOOD. He IS always with us and there is ALWAYS much for which to be thankful. AMEN!

Elaine, you said: "He is the same in all our seaso...

2009-11-15T20:47:10.263-05:00

Elaine, you said: "He is the same in all our seasons..... And wherever God is, is a place of good living. In my heart. In yours. We are the carriers of an extraordinary "good."

I praise God that HE allows us to be carriers of an extraordinary "good". I always want to be where God is. AMEN.

I love the reminder that wherever Jesus is, my cup...

2009-11-15T20:17:56.194-05:00

I love the reminder that wherever Jesus is, my cup runneth over. I also know the feeling of crawling in sanctification. That is what we do. We do live in abundance because of whose we are.

Thank you for the words,
Blessings,
Lori

"Because these have been some hard weeks for me. N...

2009-11-15T17:32:24.444-05:00

"Because these have been some hard weeks for me. Not devastating, just hard. Just more crawling than running. More questions than answers. More frustrations than smooth sailing."

That's me. That's my heart. That's right where I am now.

With His help, I will not focus on the lack of.

But I'll set my eyes and my heart on the abundance.

Of His blessings.

His love.

His faithfulness.

Thank you for sharing your heart.

Sweet dreams.

As many posted, I agree-- you wrote this one for m...

2009-11-15T16:22:58.636-05:00

As many posted, I agree-- you wrote this one for me:) I am so thankful I wake each day to see what next God has planned for me:) Not always my liking but I am trusting that He knows best.
You are so blessed to have two children do that for you:))

Oh, Elaine. I feel like you wrote this piece from ...

2009-11-15T16:07:17.463-05:00

Oh, Elaine. I feel like you wrote this piece from inside my head. What a powerful reminder for ME of the good. Thank you, my sweet sister. You may have been called to write this piece just for me. Praying!

If ever I have learned anything it is that God nev...

2009-11-15T15:30:42.014-05:00

If ever I have learned anything it is that God never leaves us no matter what season we are in and that is a comforting thought to me as I go through the many seasons of life and often without truly understanding fully but knowing God was there helped me to know that this to would pass and I would be stronger for it.

blessings
Tammy

Hey Mrs. Elaine:) I'm glad you had a good trip he...

2009-11-15T13:13:37.077-05:00

Hey Mrs. Elaine:)

I'm glad you had a good trip here in East TN!:) I am excited too, it won't be long before baby girl is here! She's a mover, she likes to move esp. when I listen to or sing music:) I liked your post tonight, I am thoroughly confused my some things in my life right now too. I want to have His perspective on everything and everyone around me. I want to know Him better.

Blessings to you today Mrs. Elaine,

katiegfromtennessee

I have learned over the past 30 years with my walk...

2009-11-15T10:58:55.333-05:00

I have learned over the past 30 years with my walk with the Lord. During the dark seasons, even though my flesh does not "feel" my spirit man is in a state of growth and HE is just a footstep in front and if I continue in those prints... the season changes........ and there has been much growth.

"I don’t wake up each day because I did something ...

2009-11-15T08:15:29.327-05:00

"I don’t wake up each day because I did something to deserve another day’s privilege. I wake up each morning because my Father holds my life and breath in his hands and has decided that another day is worthy of my embrace."

"And wherever God is, is a place of good living. In my heart. In yours. We are the carriers of an extraordinary 'good.'"

Elaine, I must confess that yesterday, although a carrier of an extraordinary 'good', I did not live as such. I did not live my hours worthy of the gift of the days breath. There was much hard and ugly in yesterday and my heart did not respond in Christ-likeness. Natural man responded in frustration, rooted in jealousy and insecurity. A day that began with great joy, was painted black by a phone call that accused with words that hurt and left my stomach in knots all day. Oh that I had stopped right then, dropped to my knees and surrendered the situation to the Lord, how different the rest of my day could have be coloured.

May I find my thanks in today,
Joy

Elaine, sometimes we go through those seasons of d...

2009-11-15T02:43:59.755-05:00

Elaine, sometimes we go through those seasons of difficulty. I am going through one right now too. But I am keeping my eyes and ears open for the lessons the Lord is teaching me during this refining process. They are hard lessons to learn but if I want to be right in the center of His will, I desire to be refined and allow Him to chip away the parts of me that don't reflect Jesus.

So many changes are happening in my life and I'm learning to trust God instead of trying to do my own fixing. He has given me a sense of peace about it all when in the past I never had that feeling. I believe I am accepting the circumstances, knowing they are for my good and His glory. And that is what I desire.

During the next few months, I'll be able to share more fully about what has been happening in my life. But for now, know that being on journey with God is a journey that is worth everything to be on and in the midst of trusting Him, He provides us with His peace.

Love you,
Debbie

I am in a "season," and it's one of those "What in...

2009-11-15T00:26:43.805-05:00

I am in a "season," and it's one of those "What in the world are you doing, Lord?" sort of moments in my life. I finally accepted the freedom of not understanding.

I appreciate you, dear friend.

Love,

Andrea