My Divine Notes

Me. Today. Isaiah 46:4 (NLT) I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you.  I will carry you along and save you.   Today I’m celebrating with the Lord that I am a year older! What an honor it is to wake up with a mission each day! As I thought and prayed about what I would write today, the Lord reminded me of my growth over the last year, which I’ll share… · I may not understand God’s timing and reasons, but I can have peace.   · While I don’t have to understand God's reasons, I can ask questions. · As I go deeper with God through spending time in His presence, reading the Bible and learning about His heart, I gain understanding. · I will reap the consequences of doing things my way…no fun.   · I don’t have to go along with popular culture, but I do have to love those who choose life’s tough...

May 1, 2012 John 15:16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. Just like the girl in the photo, I’m grinning as I write these words to remember how my life was before I saw the hand of God six years ago. Like that girl in the mirror who is preoccupied backtracking, I spent decades walking away, looking back and heading in the direction of the crowd.   That girl had a very good but silently desperate life. She was smart, talented, ambitious, caring and kindhearted. She had excellent opportunities, but she preferred to do life her own way. She never stopped to consider that God had a plan for her life even though deep down in her heart she heard His calling at a young age. God gave her specific gifts that she used in irresponsible or ineffective ways for many years. That girl did it her way. Time and time she was disappointed by her choices, which she...

April 15, 2012 Psalm 121:8 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. Cars and pedestrians sometimes just don’t mix. I live and work in a large city, so I share my life with cars, trucks, buses and an assortment of other vehicles.   I cross very busy streets on foot each day without giving it a thought. Most of us who live in large, heavily congested cities never think about all that traffic, it goes with big city life which I enjoy and would never trade. J The sound of screeching tires about two feet from me recently got me to thinking: I could have been hit by a car…my life could have been over!   I had just stepped onto the pavement after crossing a major street when a car came barreling out of nowhere, and made a screeching halt just under the red light signal. This startled me – what if I had slowed my pace while crossing? I would more than likely be dead. I share this story because none of us are guaranteed a spec...

Matthew 15:7 You are hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he said about you: 8 'These people show honor to me with words, but their hearts are far from me. One thing that was clear with Jesus during his earthly ministry, he didn’t have a problem challenging the religious people of his day. He saw through their traditions and empty words. In the same way, he sees through our words, hearts and traditions. Going to the front of the pew at a church, revival meeting (or in the comfort of your own home while watching TV) and declaring that you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior doesn’t guarantee that you are saved any more than a person who claims that they are saved just because they are good and live life doing good deeds.  Many people head to church or watch TV on Sunday mornings looking for something they just can’t find. More and more people are voicing dissatisfaction with “churchianity” as they struggle to find meaning in their lives. I know because I’ve lived on both sides...

March 26, 2012 Mark 5:37 Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me.” A stirring in my soul points to my greater need for the Lord’s presence. I need God. I need God so much. There isn’t a new crisis to report. Things are as stable as they can be right now, and my soul yearns for a deeper walk with God. I feel as if I’ve graduated to the next level, but that level requires total surrender…commitment. My walk with God has taken new turns, new twists, and new flavors – all very different from what I thought possible. Not that I would put God in a “possible” box.   ·         The things I thought possible or what I thought I wanted are no longer important. ·         The walk with God is more intense, more lovingly demanding. I don’t always want to go. ·         The things I thought I knew for sure are not for sure. · ...

Written March 21, 2012 Ephesians 1:19 (GW) You will also know the unlimited greatness of his power as it works with might and strength for us, the believers. A few days ago, I realized that God answers my most pressing questions in such a loving way so that I can understand. He reduced me to grateful tears. It was such a tender moment. It was an unexpected moment that opened my eyes to his love. I had been wrestling with a situation for a while. Those who have children understand how kids can be relentless in their pursuit of things they really want. That describes my relationship with the Lord. There are a few wishes I have that are not becoming reality. God knows my history, my desires and my gifting. He desires that I understand and accept things about myself, so that I can move on. In responding to me, He set the record straight so that I understood the benefits of his decision. I was unable to struggle because he touched the very core of who I am. You see, only God kno...

Proverbs 19:3 We are ruined by our own stupidity, though we blame the Lord. I am so glad that I finally told the Lord that I could not do life on my own. Since I was a child, I recall having an independent spirit and wanting to do things on my own. The same spirit continued throughout my life, I wanted to do things on my own and my way. So I left God out. Of course, when things went wrong, I’d blame God. I didn’t even know God, but I still blamed him. My family loved God, so it’s not like I didn’t know he existed. As I look back, I realize how God carried me through all the messes, doubts and pain I encountered, which I blamed on Him. Knowing God hasn’t made me perfect, but it has made me more in tune with myself and I also have more compassion for others. It also makes me more sensitive when I encounter people who don’t believe in God or people who believe in little gods who need answers to their questions. Regardless of how “perfect” our lives are and how much we study, rese...