Belief

I have been in a season of change.

Finally, I have let go of sins that God has forgiven me of. Thank you Lord. But I haven't yet begun to believe what God has for my future. My own thoughts are dismal at best and yet God has plans. I want to believe Him - knowing that I will not be disappointed. I struggle with this because I have felt disappointed - and I don't want to feel this way about God. So I just shut Him off in terms of believing that He has plans for me. I must take the next step forward and believe he has plans for me.

Everything is possible for him who believes.
Mark 9 : 23

cease striving

Lord - help me to cease striving and know that You are God. Help me to live out the dreams You have for me - even though I have no idea what they are. Help me to let go of the desires that are not from You. God - I can't do it on my own - I can do this only through Your strength.
Love, Tracy

Holy Spirit - I want to be filled with You.

Holy Spirit - It is true - I want to be filled with You. I want You to fill my emptiness. Please develop me into a woman who longs after You - who is filled up with You - before I fill myself up with anything else. May my worth be found in You.
Love, Tracy

Protecting Time

I find it hard to protect time to do some of the most important things in my life:

1. Read my Bible / Pray / Worship / Spend time with God.
2. Exercise
3. Study for the MCAT
4. Send notes to friends and family
5. Do my job as a teacher to the best of my ability

God - Please help me maintain these as a priority. Please help me to develop the habits and discipline that is needed to maintain the focus on what really is important. I love Lord, that You are able, so that You can make me into what you want me to be. Help me to be obedient. I love you Lord. Amen

p.s. Chapter 9 is finally done - 1/3 done with chapter 10!

yes indeed

I claim that God has plans for me - dreams for me - to prosper me - to use me to glorify Him. I accept His dreams for me - although I do not understand His ways or means - I claim them as the dreams God has for me. Thank you God - for calling me - for choosing me - for accepting me - and using me - stained and broken as I am - to be your vessel. Fill me up Lord, with love, compassion, knowledge, wisdom, strength, Your word, Your eyes - so that You may spill over in my life. Love, Tracy

ps. finished chapter 7 - moving onto chapter 8 tomorrow

with skillful hands he led them (Psalm 78:72)

My devotional, Streams in the Desert, (written by L.B. Cowan and edited by James Reimann)today really spoke to me. And with this inspiration - God I pray that I would hold on, trusting completely, that You are in control, and that I am not merely wandering through doors I unlocked myself. . .

When you are unsure which course to take, (I feel like this all the time) totally submit your own judgment to that of the Spirit of God, (Spirit - my teacher and guide - I submit to You) asking Him to shut every door except that right one. (Please shut the doors that are not mine - keep me from meandering without Your purpose) But meanwhile keep moving ahead and consider the absence of a direct indication from God to be the evidence of His will that you are on His path. And as you continue down the long road, you will find that He has gone before you, locking doors you otherwise would have been inclined to enter. Yet you can be sure that somewhere beyond the locked doors is one He has left unlocked. (THANK YOU - I am excited to find out what lies ahead) And when you open it and walk through, you will find yourself face to face with a turn in the river of opportunity -- one that is broader and deeper than anything you ever dared to imagine, even in your wildest dreams. So set sail on it, because it flows to the open sea. (ahhh. . . I long to be there)

God often guides us through our circumstances. One moemnt, our way may seem totally blocked, but then suddenly some seeminly trivial incident occus, appears as nothing to others but speaking volumes to the keen eye of faith. (God - I sense You have been speaking to me - through Sharon, Africa, Ms. Cross, and others) And sometimes the events are repeated in various ways in response to our prayers. They certainly are not haphazzard results of chance but are God opening up the way we should walk, by directing our circumstances. And they begin to multiply as we advance toward our goal, just as the lights of a city seem to increase as we speed toward it while at night. F. B. Meyer (God - I don't want to be distrusting - I want to believe that you are multiplying these events to make it evident that this is the right door - God help me to do what I seem to be unable to do myself - TRUST that this is TRUTH - and let go of the fear that it is not)

If you go to God for guidance, He will guide you. But do not expect Him to console you by showing you His list of purposes concerning you, when you have displayed distrust or even half-trust in Him. (God - you know this is a struggle for me - please make it a victory - a place where I proclaim Your name) What He will do, if you will trust Him and go cheerfully ahead when He shows you the way, is to guide you still farther. Horace Bushnell (Thank you)

By Faith

By faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. (Galations 5:5)

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)