Quotes

Steady in the Flow

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

 

You, Lord,

are unpredictable

in many things

 

But Your love

is sure

 

Even when we don’t understand

Your ways,

We rest in who You are

 

Variable in how You answer

wise in Your sovereignty

steadfast in Your compassion

 

All-knowing

ever mindful

of all circumstances

 

The definition of Love

acting

 

Ebb and flow life

Solid God

 

– Susie Stewart

 

To say that God is faithful or consistent is not to imply, however, that He is predictable. Much bitterness toward God results from a misconception of this. Too often we speculate and try to guess the actions of God and, therefore, develop expectations. Through our limited and often perverted reasoning, we determine the “best” for our lives and then consider God’s only reasonable response to be one of quick and complete fulfillment.

– Bob LaForge

 

…God is love.

– 1 John 4:8 (NIV)

 

God keeps His word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth. Scripture says the same:

“Your words stand fast and true;
Rejection doesn’t faze You.”

– Romans 3:4 (MSG)

 

Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give Him advice or teach Him?

– Isaiah 40:13 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

 

 

 

Complacent

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I know when I’m complacent

I know it’s a choice

 

And I can see why God detests

lukewarm

 

Because when I’m in that place

it’s a miserable place

 

And You, Lord, don’t wake me up

to have me meander, head low, to You

 

You call me to run back!

 

With fervency

and joy

and thankfulness

 

Mercy awaits

the temporarily complacent

 

Mercy beckons

 

Loving with abandon

crushes complacency

 

– Susie Stewart

 

What the world doesn’t need is Christians who tolerate the complacency of their own lives.

– Francis Chan

 

So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.”

But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

– Luke 15:20-24 (NLT)

 

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

– Romans 2:4 (NLT)

 

Those I love I also correct and discipline. Therefore, be shamelessly committed to Me, and turn back.

– Revelation 3:19 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Forever

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

God hath given to man a short time here upon earth, and yet upon this short time eternity depends.

– Jeremy Taylor

 

 

Forever

is a long time

 

and there is no one

I’d rather spend forever with

 

than You,

my beautiful God

 

Uninhibited praise

will be Yours

 

Untainted cherishing

will be ours

 

And I long for the eternity

that my mind can’t fathom

 

even as I walk

through time

 

And then I realize

that now

is part of always

 

Time is swallowed up

by eternal

 

All is present

 

And even as I wrestle

with the dust

 

I will still seek to praise You

uninhibited

 

And I will choose to cherish You

every day

 

As I look up with,

“Come, Lord Jesus, come.”

 

– Susie Stewart

 

With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever.

– 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 (CEV)

 
For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity.

– C.S. Lewis

 

I will be there to greet you personally and welcome you home, where we will be together.

– John 14:3 (VOICE)

 

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy., the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.

– C.S. Lewis

 

When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.

– John 14:3 (NLT)

 

I looked again. I saw a huge crowd, too huge to count. Everyone was there—all nations and tribes, all races and languages. And they were standing, dressed in white robes and waving palm branches, standing before the Throne and the Lamb and heartily singing:

Salvation to our God on His Throne!
Salvation to the Lamb!
All who were standing around the Throne—Angels, Elders, Animals—fell on their faces before the Throne and worshiped God, singing:

Oh, Yes!
The blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving,
The honor and power and strength,
To our God forever and ever and ever!
Oh, Yes!

– Revelation 7:9-12 (MSG)

 

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Today

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

Show me, God, how to

deny myself,

take up my cross,

and follow You

 

TODAY

 

not just in the hazy future

where intentions evaporate,

but Today

 

for, Lord, sometimes I forget

that what matters

is TODAY

 

The enemy wants me distracted

and to keep my mind

on what I might do tomorrow

and the next day

and the next

 

or on the past

 

But TODAY is important

and it is the day

I choose Who to follow

and I choose who to love

 

I choose

You, God,

 

TODAY

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.”

– Matthew 16:24 (NIV)

 

If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship God.

– Joshua 24:15 (MSG)

 

You should therefore be most careful, my brothers, that there should not be in any of you that wickedness of heart which refuses to trust, and deserts the cause of the living God. Help each other to stand firm in the faith every day, while it is still called “today”, and beware that none of you becomes deaf and blind to God through the delusive glamour of sin. For we continue to share in all that Christ has for us so long as we steadily maintain until the end the trust with which we began. These words are still being said for our ears to hear: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion’.

– Hebrews 3:12-14 (PHILLIPS)

 

The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”

– Luke 22:61 (NIV)

 

Photo by Gracie Oertli

Critical

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

If you have a critical spirit

your joy will be swept away

 

plain

and simple

 

You will spend your time thinking

about the flaws of another

 

instead of on the sweetness

and beauty

and loveliness

of life

 

and of God

 

If you find yourself

criticizing

this person

and that person

 

outwardly

or in your thoughts

 

Stop

 

Just stop

 

And send your thoughts

into the realm of joy

 

Your world is small

if all you do is think critical thoughts

of people

 

Expand your heart

to joy

and thankfulness

 

And watch those words

 

Build others up

 

You know that you don’t appreciate

someone being critical

of you

 

Find joy

in focused attention

on goodness

and Light

 

and always be

thankful

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, “Let me wash your face for you,” when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

– Matthew 7:2-5 (MSG)

 

For to him who has shown no mercy the judgment [will be] merciless, but mercy [full of glad confidence] exults victoriously over judgment.

– James 2:13 (AMP)

 

Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive His approval.

– Romans 14:4 (NLT)

 

Do you judge others? Is it easy for you to find fault with those around you? Then beware: Your spiritual life is in danger.

A critical attitude can hinder your walk with God and distract you from God’s purposes for your life.

We judge because of our own selfish interests. For example, we sometimes become critical when comparing ourselves to those around us. We try to find fault in others to prove that we are smarter, better looking, happier or wealthier. But these are selfish reasons. We simply want to feel better about ourselves. We also get critical when others fail to do what we ask, or do not do what we think is right. Often, it is a family member, friend or co-worker who fails to meet our expectations. Our expectations lead to a judgmental attitude.

Even our own frustrations can lead to a critical attitude. If life is not turning out the way we desire, we hide our own frustrations by finding fault with others…

Remember, it’s easy to be critical. The faults of others are often very obvious to us. During these times we need to make sure we give grace instead. Thank God for those people and ask the Lord to bless them and reveal His will to them.

It’s really quite simple: God has granted you mercy. He has paid the debt for your sins. Now, the only debt you owe is to offer His love and mercy to others, for “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13; NASB).

– CBN.com

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Tears

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

I had a good cry this morning

 

Because of fatigue

and chronic pain

and sadness over small stuff

 

And after all the tears

and pouring out my heart

to husband listening

 

I felt better

 

Not wonderful,

but better

 

And then I read a post

from my friend Sandy

about tears

 

And it got me to thinking….

 

About emotion

and expression

and pain in this life

 

And I think

that tears are a gift

 

They cleanse

and show depth

and express

 

the heart

 

And I also thought

of how we not only cry

when sad or in pain

 

but with joy

 

How closely related

pain and joy

really are

 

How water flows

out of the windows

to the soul

 

and that is how

we deeply show

the pains and the joys

of life here

 

But when we arrive

in heaven

all those tears will be gone

 

The pain will be gone

death will be gone

sadness will be gone

 

And even our tears of joy

will be gone

 

For all will be contentment

all of the time

 

No need for moments

of sheer joy

 

ALL will be joy

 

But for now

tears are a gift

 

A show

of what is

heart-deep

 

A river

of pain and joy

 

– Susie Stewart

 

On the subject of tears: God gave us the ability to cry for a reason — so if you feel sad and feel like crying — do so and do so as long as you can —- let every last tear fall – don’t repress them —- tears are the way God heals our hearts —- and afterwards you feel very refreshed — kind of like a good rain after a long dry spell. Oh, and never ever tell someone not to cry — so damaging to the spirit!  And don’t say “I am sorry you are sad” —- sadness is a natural human emotion and nothing to feel shame about!
I had a good cry on Thursday and I felt so good and joyful afterward. I will be missing my Drew coming down from Boulder this Thanksgiving —- He can not come down from heaven but I can go up — and what a glorious day that will be!
Psalm 126:8 Those who sow in tears will reap songs of joy —– and that is exactly what happened!

– Sandy Marthaler 

 

Thank you, Sandy, for your beautiful post!  ❤

 

Then I saw a new Heaven and a new earth, for the first Heaven and the first earth had disappeared and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride dressed in beauty for her husband. Then I heard a great voice from the throne crying, “See! The home of God is with men, and He will live among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death shall be no more, and never again shall there be sorrow or crying or pain. For all those former things are past and gone.”

– Revelation 21:3-5 (PHILLIPS)

 

Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.

– Psalm 126:5 (NLT)

 

Jesus burst into tears.

– John 11:35 (ISV)

 

David got up from his hiding place beside the boulder, then fell on his face to the ground—three times prostrating himself! And then they kissed one another and wept, friend over friend, David weeping especially hard.

Jonathan said, “Go in peace! The two of us have vowed friendship in God’s name, saying, ‘God will be the bond between me and you, and between my children and your children forever!’”

– 1 Samuel 20:41,42 (MSG)

 

Yourself

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I have told you, my children,

since you were young

 

that you are responsible

for yourself

 

Many people will do what is wrong

in the sight of God

 

But you remain true to Him

no matter what

 

And don’t get caught up

and offended

and angry

at whatever they do

 

You be responsible for yourself

 

It is your own life

that God will hold you accountable for

 

You will not change others

Change yourself when God reveals truth to you

 

Just go about your Father’s business

and leave Him to handle others

 

And if God opens a door

for you to speak truth into another

 

invited

 

Do so humbly and boldly

 

You, my dear children,

are responsible for you

 

before man

and before God

 

– Susie Stewart

 

…choose today whom you will serve…But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.

– Joshua 24:15 (NLT)

 

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.

– 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT)

 

Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them!

– Luke 6:31 (MSG)

 

Jesus didn’t try to change the minds of those who firmly believed they were right.  His entire focus was to go about the Father’s business.

– Suzanne Eller

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Listen

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Learning to listen

well

is important

 

To be heard is precious

and affirming

to the sharing soul

 

And those who hear

with their hearts

and with wisdom

 

glorify God

and build people up

 

Listening to ourselves speak

may bring satisfaction

 

but may not bring about

the righteousness of God

 

when done out of selfishness

and talking just to talk

 

Hearing should be more paramount

than being heard

 

And there should be no one

we listen to more

than God

 

Hearing Him more than we talk

 

Humility listens much

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

– James 1:19 (NLT)

 

Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving];

– James 1:19 (AMP)

 

Listen, open your ears, harness your desire to speak, and don’t get worked up into a rage so easily, my brothers and sisters.

– James 1:19 (VOICE)

 

A [closed-minded] fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his personal opinions [unwittingly displaying his self-indulgence and his stupidity].

– Provers 18:2 (AMPT)

 

Being listened to is so close to being loved that most people cannot tell the difference.

– David Augsberger

 

The ear is the road to the heart.

– Voltaire

 

The first duty of love is to listen.

– Paul Tillich

 

He was interesting because he was interested.

– Gore Vidal

 

Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

– Stephen Covey

 

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

– James 1:22 (NIV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Confident

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Do you feel timid when you pray?

 

Do your sins glare before you

and get in the way of your relationship with God?

 

Do you skip it altogether

because you are altogether imperfect

 

to come before a perfect God?

 

Well, I can relate

 

But God has shown me

that something amazing happened

 

when Jesus became my Savior

 

He became my bridge

to God

 

His perfection

sacrificed for me

 

and His righteousness

imparted to me

 

and His white robe of sinlessness

put on me

 

Caused me to be able to approach

that great throne

 

with confidence

and freedom

and boldness

 

And it’s not because I had a sinless day

but because my sins have been washed away

 

And I look my Abba in the eyes

and I talk to Him

 

We are close

and I don’t need to be timid

 

because of Jesus

 

I confess to Him

what is not right

 

But I don’t feel the weight

of condemnation

 

Because I’m not condemned

 

I am free

 

– Susie Stewart

 

In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

– Ephesians 3:12 (NIV)

 

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

– Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

 

It is also very comforting to us to observe that the God who hears prayer is enthroned and glorified. The God of grace sits upon the throne of grace and so grace reigns supreme at the place where God meets with us in prayer! The hands of grace are full of blessings through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ—and those hands are happily employed in dispensing royal largess among the poverty stricken sons and daughters of men! Come here, then, all you who feel your need of grace! Be not afraid to approach the throne of grace. Since Jesus Christ has taken upon Himself our nature and suffered in our place, the throne to which the sinner is bid to draw near is a throne of superlative, unlimited, reigning grace—grace that pardons; grace that regenerates; grace that adopts; grace that preserves; grace that sanctifies; grace that perfects and makes meet for glory!

– C.H. Spurgeon

 

…or He delivered us and saved us and called us with a holy calling [a calling that leads to a consecrated life—a life set apart—a life of purpose], not because of our works [or because of any personal merit—we could do nothing to earn this], but because of His own purpose and grace [His amazing, undeserved favor] which was granted to us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago]…

– 2 Timothy 1:9 (AMP)

 

With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

– Romans 8:1,2 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Live Like It

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

Lord Jesus,

May those of us who know You

as the Way

the Truth

and

the Life

 

Live like it

 

May those of us who know Your

freedom

hope

and

unconditional love

 

Live like it

 

May those of us who know Your

peace

joy

and

kindness

 

Live like it

 

The difference You’ve made,

Jesus,

should be detectable

by those we interact with

 

What we believe

should permeate how we live

 

The difference should be

beautifully plain to see

 

The gospel of peace

in its power

spills over

into all our interactions

 

for a life poured out

 

A revolutionary faith

will not be ignored

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

Every time your name comes up in my prayers, I say, “Oh, thank you, God!” I keep hearing of the love and faith you have for the Master Jesus, which brims over to other believers. And I keep praying that this faith we hold in common keeps showing up in the good things we do, and that people recognize Christ in all of it. Friend, you have no idea how good your love makes me feel, doubly so when I see your hospitality to fellow believers.

– Philemon 4-7 (MSG)

 

Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good?  But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way…

– 1 Peter 3:14-16 (NLT)

 

Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing.

– 2 Corinthians 2:15 (NLT)

 

The hallmark of Christians in the first century was not their wealth.  They had none.  It was not their theology either.  Their beliefs were so odd, religious people couldn’t understand them.  What gave them leverage was their inexplicable compassion and generosity.  They had little, but they gave.   They received little compassion, but they were willing to extend what they had to other people.  They were hard to ignore.

– Andy Stanley

 

Photo by Susie Stewart