Prayer Each Day - Putting God First

A Great Blessed Year Of LIFE TO ALL:   Putting God First

One of the quickest ways to build character—perhaps the only way---is to do it with God as your partner.  Have you made God your top priority by offering Him your heart, your soul, your talents, and your time?  Or do you just give God a few hours on Sunday morning? 

Those who worship God must worship in spirit and truth.   John 4:24

Some folks choose to worship God and, as a result, will reap the joy that He intends for His children to experience.  Other folks, folks who are stubbornly determined to do it “their way” distance themselves from God by worshiping such things as earthly possessions or personal gratification…and when they do, they suffer. 

Does God rule your heart?  Make certain that the honest answer to this question is a resounding yes.  If you wish to build your life on the Creator, then put Him first in your life.  No exceptions.

One with God is a majority.   Billy Graham

We become whatever we are committed to.  Rick Warren

Dear Lord, today I will honor You with my thoughts, my actions, and my prayers.  I will seek to please You, and I will strive to serve You.  Your blessings are as limitless as Your love. And because I have been so richly blessed, I will worship You, Father, with thanksgiving in my heart and praise on my lips, this day and forever.   Amen

Prayer Each Day - Good Morning

He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned.  The Lord God has opened my  ear.   Isaiah  50:4-5

Do you have a standing appointment with God every morning?  Is God your first priority, or do you talk with Him less frequently than that?  If you’re wise, you’ll talk to God first thing every day, without exception.

Warren Wiersbe writes, “Surrender your mind to the Lord at the beginning of each day.”  And that’s sound advice.  When you begin each day with your head bowed  and your heart lifted, you are reminded of God’s love, His protection, and His commandments.  Then, you can align your priorities for that coming day with the teachings and commandments that God has placed upon your heart.

Each day has 1,440 minutes---can you give God a few of them?  Of course you can---and of course you should.   So if you’ve acquired the unfortunate habit of trying to “squeeze” God into the corners of your life, it’s time to reshuffle the items on your to-do- list by placing God first.  And if you haven’t already done so, form the habit of spending quality time each morning with your Creator.  He deserves it…and so, for that matter, do you.

We  must appropriate the tender mercy of God every day after conversion or problems quickly develop.  We need his grace daily in order to live a righteous life.   Jim Cymbala

A person with no devotional life generally struggles with faith and obedience.  Charles Stanley

Meditating upon His Word will inevitable bring peace of mind, strength of purpose, and power for living.   Bill Bright

Lord, help me to hear Your direction for my life in the quiet moments when I study Your Holy Word.  And as I go about my daily activities, let everything that I say and do be pleasing to You.  Amen

The Right Kind Of Attitude

Great Blessed LIFE TO ALL:  The Right Kind Of Attitude

A cheerful heart has a continual feast.  Proverbs  15:15         

 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus.  Philippians  2:5

Of course you’ve heard the saying,  “Life is what you make of it.”  And although that statement may seem very trite, it’s also very true.  You can choose a life filled to the brim with frustration and fear, or you can choose a life of abundance and peace.  That choice is up to you---and only you---and it depends, to a surprising extent, upon your attitude.

What’s your attitude today?  Are you fearful, angry, bored, or worried?  Are you moping around with a frown on your face that’s almost as big as the one in your heart?  If so, God wants to have a little talk with you. 

God created you in His own image, and He wants you to experience joy, contentment, peace, and abundance.  But, God will not force you to experience these things; you must claim them for yourself.

The quality of your attitude will help determine the quality of your life, so you must guard your thoughts accordingly.  If you make up your mind to approach life with a healthy mixture of realism and optimism, you’ll be rewarded.  But, if you allow yourself to fall into the unfortunate habit of negative thinking, you will doom yourself to unhappiness, or mediocrity, or worse.

The next time you’re tempted to waste valuable time gossiping or complaining, resist those temptations with all you’re might.  And remember this character-building tip:  You’ll never whine your way to the top….so don’t waste your breath.

Lord, let me be an expectant Christian.  Let me expect the best from You, and let me look for the best in others.  If I become discouraged, Father, turn my thoughts and my prayers to You.  Let me trust You, Lord, to direct my life.  And, let me share my faith and optimism with others, today and every day that I live.  Amen

(From the Daily Prayer a friend emails me each day)

Have Children - Live Longer

     I heard on the radio that a  recent study shows that - Being a parent (whether by birth or adoption) decreases a woman’s risk of premature death.  

     A small surprise considering how tired and worn we moms often feel.    (Does it just seem longer sometimes?)

     How much do you think this is because of behavior changes? 

     For instance, I gave up rafting down the American River when I became a mom.  I was now too valuable to a very important person to take unnecessary risks, although slight. 

     

Daily Prayer - Accepting Life

Great Blessed LIFE TO ALL:   Accepting Life

God will make a way, where there seems to be no way----a song of the past—I learned—which touches my heart deeply---Don Neely

If you’re like most men, you like being in control.  Period.  You want things to happen according to your wishes and according to your timetable.  But sometimes, God has other plans…and He always has the final word.

Oswald Chambers correctly observed  “Our Lord never asks us to decide for Him;  He asks us to yield to Him…a very different matter.”  These words remind us that even when we cannot understand the workings of God, we must trust Him and accept His will.

A man’s heart plans his ways, but the Lord determines his steps.  Proverbs 16:9

All of us experience adversity and pain.  As human beings with limited comprehension, we can never fully understand the will of our Father in Heaven.  But as believers in a benevolent God, we must always trust His providence.

I am truly grateful that faith enables me to move past the question of “Why?”   Zig Ziglar

Dear Lord, let me live in the present, not the past.  Let me focus on my blessings, not my sorrows.  Give me the wisdom to be thankful for the gifts that I do have, and not bitter about the things that I don’t have.  Let me accept what was, let me give thanks for what is, and let me have faith in what most surely will be; the promise of eternal life with You.   Amen


(a co-worker sends me Daily Prayer emails - Thanks, Don N)

Elk Grove Nativity Dec 7-9

Sacramento Storm Warning

*****   "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."  D&C 38:30   *****

The Sacramento Bee had a front page article Wednesday, November 28th, which warned of a series of warm storms coming to the Northern California area.  This is supposed to be a big series of storms, nicknamed "the Pineapple Express," that is expected to bring flooding and high wind damage.  "It's shaping up as California's equivalent of a hurricane: A series of warm, wet storms arriving today [yesterday] that will be unlike anything the state has seen in years."

We had the first storm Wednesday, and that was the mildest.  The next storm, which is expected to hit by Thursday night (tonight!) is predicted to be the real soaker, with drenching rains and strong winds.  Sacramento could receive sustained winds up to 35 mph with gusts to 45mph.  The Sierra Nevada foothills could see gusts up to 55 mph. A third storm is expected to hit on Sunday which may be even wetter than the second.

With all the leaves that have fallen, storm drains are expected to get clogged up and cause possible flooding of streets.  Local creeks and streams may also exceed their banks, and residents near creeks and streams are advised to have sandbags on hand just in case of flooding. 

I don't think I've ever seen this kind of warning in the Bee before --

"High winds and soaked ground raise the potential for downed trees and power outages.  Residents should be ready with flashlights, extra batteries, food and water, a battery-powered radio and an alternate means of charging cellphones."

"They should also secure outdoor furniture and other objects to prevent them from becoming dangerous projectiles."

If you'd like to read the entire article, here are links to the Bee stories.

Wednesday's article, "Series of Warm Storms Due to Sock North State"

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/28/5014591/river-of-storms-headed-for-northern.html#storylink=misearch

Thursday's article about the second storm, "Second Storm in Series Expected to Bring Deluge Tonight"

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/29/5017530/second-storm-in-series-expected.html#storylink=misearch

Please, be prepared for power outages.  Make sure you've got:

• Food that can be prepared and eaten if the power is out.  (A gas oven usually won't work without power to control the temperature; a gas stovetop may need to have burners lit with matches.)
  
• Ways to light your home if the power is out.  (Batteries for flashlights, matches, candles, etc.)
• Fresh battery in your smoke alarms, especially if you're using the fireplace and candles. Never leave a fire or lit candle unattended!
  
• Ways to stay warm if the power is out.  (Dry wood for the fireplace, lots of blankets and warm clothes.)
• A way to get news and information, and to stay in communication if the power is out.  (Battery- or crank-powered radio. Make sure your cell phone is fully charged, and remember that texting uses less power and has a better chance of getting through than a voice call.)
• Your car has sufficient fuel for the next few days. (Remember how many gas stations were shut down because of Hurricane Sandy, because there was no power to pump the gas?)

Stay home if you can.  If you must be out on the roads, please be careful.  

*Thanks, Liz, for sharing this information