Chickens, Coffee, Arthritis and Sore Muscles

The past week has been consumed with building a chicken coop for Kay. I gave her six baby chicks for Christmas and they are presently 'living' in my workshop in a cage. "Peep, peep, peep" is what I constantly hear when I go into my shop and see them staring up at me with one eye. Little do they know that they are going to be moving into a Chicken Mansion soon.

It has been a solid week of designing in my head and trying to make that design a tangible piece of reality. I am amazed at people like my brother who can build just about anything without plans. I'm a planner though and the more detailed the better. I have thought of Noah often over this past week. There was Noah at a time when it had never rained and God told him to build an ark because the rains are coming. Build an ark with no plans. I can imagine that those years of building were filled with conversations with God on plan details.

Believe it or not, my chicken coop had some of the same conversations. I couldn't have done it on my own. I have asked God to guide me through something even as mundane as a chicken coop and He has come through.

It has been a good lesson for me in realizing just how much God wants to be part of our lives everyday.

I don't get carried away about resolutions as the new year comes around. I figure that if it is a good goal to work for, you can resolve on any day of the year to start working in that direction. Be that as it may though, I have resolved to take the lessons learned about including God in even the mundane parts of my life. The conversations have been good and they have provided me comfort, strength, guidance and assurance. That is good and I am thankful that I have a God that wants to spend time with me.

Step Back and Listen to God

Today I am brought to my knees thinking of the awesomeness of our Creator. I start each morning with a quick review of what is going on in the world around us through various news feeds that I have set up. I then go into Bible study to receive guidance for the day and for my spiritual life in general. I was reading from the book of Exodus about the plagues that engulfed the Egyptians because the Paraoah would not let the enslaved Israelites leave. The Israelites were in Egypt for approximately 430 years and in that time went from 70 people to over 2 million in number.

Feeling threatened by the number of Israelites in the land, the Paraoah enslaved God's people and treated them harshly. God, hearing the plea of His people, came to their rescue although it should be noted that He never left them. He lead Moses to speak to Paraoah on behalf of the Israelites to 'let His people go'. Only after ten plagues ending with a killing of the first born of all the Egyptians and their livestock were the Israelites allowed to leave.

I am sitting here trying to place myself in the sandles of the Israelites. What was it like to be enslaved, treated bitterly... each day seemingly without hope? I wonder how many heard God the way that Moses did. Were they able to step back and listen to God ... hearing His comforting words that He is in control?

Today is upon me. The sun has just risen above the eastern horizon. God's word is within my heart from the time spent reading. What will I do with that knowledge? I pray that the awesomeness of my Creator will overwhelm me so that I can hear His direction for my life today. God, I step back right now and open my ears to you. Help me to focus on your purpose for me today. God, I'm praying for revival. May it start in my heart and then spread to those within my influence.

I step back and my heart is listening for your voice...

Am I Listening?

I have read all of one sentence in Matthew this morning and I am aware of God saying... "Are you listening to what I'm saying"? Jesus is talking to His disciples saying "As you know, the Passover is two days away - and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." (Matthew 26:1)

Here is Jesus speaking to His disciples and it could not be any more clear... at least to us. You see we know what happens. How often is God speaking to us just as clearly and yet we hear only what we want to hear. This is quite convicting to me this morning.