How Clear is Your Vision?

There comes a day when most of us succumb to reading glasses.  Oh, you may be young and chuckling, but, trust me, the day will come.
It's hard to believe when it happens, but thankfully there are some very cool readers out there so at least we can look good!
Last year I decided to get glasses, progressive lenses they're called.  It's a fancy name for bifocals with no lines.(Like my grandpa's)  |
I was tired of always having to put those darn readers on and off, on and off, so these 'progressive' glasses seemed a good alternative.
When I picked them up the optician told me that they may take some adjustment.  You see, he said, when you look straight ahead, you will see very clearly.  Looking straight down your reading will be clear too.
However, if you glance off to the side, your vision will lose its clarity, so as much as possible, look straight at whatever you are viewing.
That got me thinking...The Bible talks about "look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you." Proverbs
4:25.
What are we looking at?  Hebrews 12:2 says, "let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith"
We easily get sidetracked by our circumstances, the wants and needs of others, and our own selfish desires.
How often do we focus on our wants, our problems, our wants and needs?
Instead of answers, we only find fuzziness and lack of clarity.
When we look straight ahead again, focusing on Jesus, our vision clears and we see again the direction we need to go.
What's fuzzy in your life?
Where do you lack clarity?
I encourage you to identify that area, put on your glasses and look straight ahead to Jesus for a clear vision.
Just like my new "Progressive" lenses, He will make everything clear.

I'm a do-er by nature.  You know, Hey Diane, can you ____________(fill in the blank)?  Sure, I can!
You need some walls painted?  I can do it.
You need a Bible study leader?  I can do it.
You need what?  When?  Of course, I can handle that!
OR CAN I?
Are you a do-er like me?  Of course, I can say no, but too often the things I do are things I love and know that I'm reasonably good at, so why not? 
That's where I find myself today...not over committed yet, but on the verge of it.  So many possibilities looking at me right now and all of them are good.  BUT, are they the BEST?
As a sit and ask God for wisdom regarding all of these choices, I hear Him say 'wait on Me for direction'
In other words, it's time to BE quiet, listen and wait for His BEST.
God is asking me to be a BE-er instead of a do-er for awhile longer.
His best is always worth waiting for.
If you find yourself ready to jump into the next 'good' thing that comes along, I encourage you to BE quiet, listen and wait for God to show you His BEST.
Is He asking you to be a be-er or a do-er? Never settle for good when you can have His BEST!!
Blessings,
Queen Dee

Let Freedom Reign

Fireworks, family, picnics, and parades....it all makes for a great celebration.  The 4th of July.  Independence Day! 
Freedom, sweet freedom.  Simple question for you.  Are you free?
Oh, I don't mean as in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  I mean really free?
We all have areas in our life where we are held captive, don't we?  An addiction, a bad habit, a bad relationship, even negative thoughts can hold us captive.
For many years I fought with negative emotions regarding myself.  Never feeling smart enough, pretty enough, thin enough, just never enough.
I have come to realize that I will never be enough...not in and of myself that is.
Some of you may know I have a tattoo on my foot with Psalm 73: 25,26 on it.
This decision came after I went through divorce and loneliness and searching for worth.
God broke through and I finally understood...He alone is enough.
Enough to fill every empty hole in my heart.
Enough to heal every emotional wound.
I hope you will give Him your place of captivity and ask Him to free you too.
May this year truly be your Independence Day!
"Whom have I in heaven buy You?  There is no one on earth I desire besides You.
My heart and my flesh they fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
Psalm 73:25,26

FLABBY FAITH

There's something that's happening to my body is I get older.  I'm getting 'softer'.  Some may call it flabby, or fluffy,or cushiony,  but I prefer 'softer'. 
Now that I'm working in a women's clothing store, I hear this from many women.  One particular comment stands out..."Oh no dear, not sleeveless.  I don't want my arms to show!"
The conversation continues about how time and gravity make changes, how we should at least be lifting soup cans to build up some muscle and develop tone again.
We know that daily exercise, over time, develops those muscles resulting in less flabbiness and more strength and tone.
To strengthen and tone our flabby arms, we need to exercise them.  In the same way, I think we need to exercise our faith.

But how do we exercise our faith?  Lifting soup cans isn't the answer!
Hebrews 11 says that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
In other words, faith sees the promises of God coming true before they happen.
So, 1st...we must exercise our knowledge of God's Word-His promises, by spending time reading and studying it.
2nd...we must exercise our prayer life, by praying and believing that what God has promised He will be faithful to deliver.
The 3rd and hardest part of training our faith muscle is believing without seeing answers.
That's when we exercise our minds by remembering God's faithfulness in the past and trust that He will be faithful again, regardless of what circumstances may look like.
We all need to challenge ourselves to exercise our physical bodies, but let's challenge ourselves to flex our faith muscles too.
By spending time in His Word, in prayer and reminding ourselves of His faithfulness, we will soon see the results and enjoy the benefits of a peaceful mind, a strong spirit and hope for the future.
Will you take the challenge?

Thoughts from the Throne: A.S.A.P. As Soon As Possible!!Is that how you li...

Thoughts from the Throne: A.S.A.P. As Soon As Possible!!
Is that how you li...: "A.S.A.P. As Soon As Possible!! Is that how you live life? It seems that we live in ASAP mode, doesn't it? Whether it's your job, your hom..."

Thoughts from the Throne: Knit or Knot

Thoughts from the Throne: Knit or Knot: "You know, I love yarn! Walking through a yarn store or aisle just makes me happy! Beautiful colors and glorious soft textures! I just lov..."

Knit or Knot

You know, I love yarn!  Walking through a yarn store or aisle just makes me happy!  Beautiful colors and glorious soft textures!  I just love it! The problem is I can't do a darn thing with it!! I can't crochet or knit.  My son is world class knitter, I'm just a knotter, if you know what I mean.  He makes scarves and mittens, afgans and sweaters and yes, he tried to teach me...without success.  Try as I might, it always ends up a mess.  Knots and dropped stitches, never a finished project.

I feel like that sometimes too.   A mess, lots of dropped stitches and knots.  Ever feel that way?

Does God really know what He's designing in me?

Do you ever dislike the design He has planned for you, like I do?

You know, none of us are completed projects.  We are all works in progress.  And we all have a few dropped stitches too!

Psalm 139:13 says, "for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

Although like me, you may be a knotter, and not a knitter, remember that God is working on us and in us, designing us exactly the way He wants us to be.

So whether you knit or knot, when you think of yarn, remember that you are God's beautiful work in progress and He never drops a stitch.
Blessings,
Queen Dee