Life

March 21, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

God is not far

from any of us

He made us

and in Him

we live and move

and have our being

We exist because

of Him

He gave us breath

and movement

and life

Our being here

is because

of Him

Our living

should be

for Him

Living out loud

in light of who He is

– Susie Stewart

“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since He is Lord of heaven and earth, He doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve His needs—for He has no needs. He Himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need. From one man He created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and He determined their boundaries.

“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him—though He is not far from any one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’ And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.

“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now He commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to Him. For He has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man He has appointed, and He proved to everyone who this is by raising Him from the dead.”

– Acts 17:24-31 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart

OJ & Life

March 19, 2016March 19, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

A glass of orange juice

knocked over the breakfast table

all over me

Sticky liquid splattered

my beginning of the day

outfit

Server youth, red-faced and apologizing

brings another orange juice

We take some of breakfast with us

a great oblong cinnamon toast cracker

ready to eat

Falls to the ground

and shatters into pieces all broken

We head for a change of clothes

and

a fresh start

Wouldn’t you know it

thumb burns

on hot flat iron

It was a rough start

to the day

And some days are like that

And some days

start

with more

than an orange juice in your lap

Some days bring a splattering

of hopes and dreams

And some days

start

with more

than cinnamon toast all over the floor

Some days bring a shattering

of what you thought

your future would be

And some days

start

with more

than a burned thumb all painful

Some days bring a burn intense

red hot

to your tender heart

But whatever the intensity

whatever the circumstance

whatever the heartache

God’s grace will carry you

His strength will hold you

His love will envelope you

Each day has the potential

for trials

large and small

Let His grace be everything

for you

– Susie Stewart

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

– 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

– Hebrews 4:16 (AMP)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Discipline

March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

A child disciplined

in love

cries

but knows

that love cares about the child

love cares about the sin

love cares about refining

and loves cares about humbling

so the child

will be lifted up

in honor.

– Susie Stewart

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)

For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.

– Hebrews 12:6 (NLT)

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor.

– 1 Peter 5:6 (NLT)

For the Lord corrects those He loves,
just as a father corrects a child in whom He delights.

– Proverbs 3:12 (NLT)

I know, O Lord, that your regulations are fair;
You disciplined me because I needed it.

– Psalm 119:75 (NLT)

I correct and discipline everyone I love. Take this seriously, and change the way you think and act.

– Revelation 3:19 (GW)

God is interested in developing your character. At times He lets you proceed, but He will never let you go too far without discipline to bring you back. In your relationship with God, He may let you make a wrong decision. Then the Spirit of God causes you to recognize that it is not God’s will. He guides you back to the right path.

– Henry Blackaby

Love precedes discipline.

– John Owen

Photo by Susie Stewart

His Words, My Delight

March 14, 2016March 14, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Does the Bible, this ancient document, thrill you?

Do you know that it is timeless?

Do you understand the treasures

that await your heart

if you will only commit to pick it up

and read it?

Do you know that true peace is possible

found in His Words?

What a loving, amazing God we have

that He would share His heart

and His truth

with us, His beloved.

Do you want to be firm and grounded

with your roots deep

in the soil of truth?

Do you want to be well-watered, growing, thriving

and not hopelessly withering?

Open this ancient,

timeless,

God-inspired book.

Find Eternal God in the pages.

Find salvation for your hurting soul.

Find hope forever.

– Susie Stewart

* There are many translations of the Bible. I grew up using both the KJV (King James Version) and NIV (New International Version) of the Bible. I tend mostly toward the NIV and NLT (New Living Translation) these days, although I look into many different translations online at Biblegateway.com. The MSG (Message) version is a modern paraphrase that can word God’s truth in a way that is closest to how I talk. I take it as a paraphrase and not a literal translation, much like a pastor would paraphrase a portion of Scripture he reads. Whatever your translation, make sure that it is accurate and not a skewed version (i.e. – Mormon version of the Bible). Online Bible tools are very helpful. Websites like Biblegateway.com and YouVersion.com give you access to so many tools and searches. I utilize them a lot when writing my blogs.

Regardless of how you get into the Word, get into it! And stay in it! The Lord blesses those who delight in His Word.

Find your salvation in Jesus, trusting Him to save you from your sins, paying for all of them on the cross, conquering sin and death. You can have new life in Him! Ask for His forgiveness of your sins and accept His free gift of eternal life. The Scriptures will open up to you in a new and powerful way. A.W. Tozer says, “The Bible is a supernatural book and can be understood only by supernatural aid.” God’s Spirit must help you understand and soak up Scripture.

Let me know if you have any questions. I’d be glad to communicate with you about salvation, God, the Bible…

Read and mediate on the Bible’s life-giving words! ~Susie

Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
But not the wicked!
They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

– Psalm 1:1-6 (NLT)

Instead you thrill to God’s Word,
you chew on Scripture day and night.
You’re a tree replanted in Eden,
bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf,
always in blossom.

– Psalm 1:2,3 (MSG)

Photo by Susie Stewart

7 Days A Week

March 11, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Sunday best

Dressed

Outer Core

Impressive

Inner sanctuary

Ragged

Calloused

Dirty

Weekday shabby

Dressed

Outer core

Forgettable

Inner sanctuary

Lovely

Sincere

Honorable

7 Days A Week

A heart

knowing God is observing

not

the outside

but the in

And that

is the focal point

of existence

– Susie Stewart

People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

– 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

– Jeremiah 17:10 (NLT)

…Grant forgiveness according to each person’s heart, for You know the heart of every man. You, and only You, know every heart

– 1 Kings 8:38-39 (VOICE)

Sitting across from the offering box, He was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called His disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.”

– Mark 12:41-44 (MSG)

And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

– 1 Chronicles 28:9 (NIV)

…for He knows the secrets of every heart.

Psalm 44:21

Photo by Susie Stewart

Strength

March 10, 2016March 10, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I get, Lord,

that I need to love You with my everything

heart

soul

mind

strength

and I find myself pausing at the strength part

because it’s an interesting word to use

and I ask You to help me grasp what that means…

…what it has meant to me

in my life

Loving You with all my strength

brings to mind

times of feeling weak

and life was dim

but I trusted

and I loved

beyond reason

because I was loving You with the strength

that I had

You were my strength

My body felt weak

but I loved You with my trust

and You would remind me

that Your grace is always sufficient for me

And I think about times

when I felt so confident

and strong

but I was easily pulled down

because my eyes were on self

and not on You

Love of self

focus on self-preserving

focus on self-promoting

weak

Not loving God with all my strength

Seemingly strong on the outside

but compromised on the inside

And so I know that

no matter my weakness

my suffering

my conditions

my surroundings

I can love You with all my strength

because it is the power

that You give that’s important

Everything I can love You with

first came from You

Which is all the more reason

to love You

with all of it.

– Susie Stewart

Love the Lord your God with all your heart,

all your soul,

all your mind,

and all your strength.

– Mark 12:30 (NCV)

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

– 2 Corinthians 12:9-11 (NIV)

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

– 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (MSG)

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

– 1 John 4:7,8 (NLT)

Photo by Nicole Stewart

Trust

March 9, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Trust in God

is not

feeling assured

that He will keep me

from all harm and disappointment

It is believing with confidence

and depending on

who He is,

that He loves me completely,

and that He truly works all things

for my good

– Susie Stewart

If the basis of peace is God, the secret of peace is trust.

– J.N. Figgis

And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.

– Romans 8:28 (AMP)

This means that we trust all that the love of God does; all He gives, and all He does not give; All He says, and all He does not say. To it all we say, by His loving enabling, I trust. Let us be content with our Lord’s will, and tell Him so, and not disappoint Him by wishing for anything He does not give. The more we understand His love, the more we trust.

– Amy Carmichael

O my people, trust in Him at all times.
Pour out your heart to Him,
for God is our refuge.

– Psalm 62:8 (NLT)

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust Him.

– Psalm 91:1,2 (NLT)

Those who trust in and rely on the Lord [with confident expectation] Are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but remains forever.

– Psalm 125:1 (AMP)

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit.

– Jeremiah 17:7,8 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Immersed

March 8, 2016March 8, 2016 / Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

You will hear lies

coming from within

and from the outside

And it is infinitely important

that you immerse yourself

in Truth

For if you hear the lies

about you

or God

or life

and you can’t recall Truth

You just might believe

those lies

So immerse

saturate

drown yourself

in Truth

It’s about life or death

for your mind

for your heart

for your soul

– Susie Stewart

…Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

– 2 Corinthians 11:14 (NLT)

Let the words from the book of the law be always on your lips. Meditate on them day and night so that you may be careful to live by all that is written in it. If you do, as you make your way through this world, you will prosper and always find success.

– Joshua 1:8 (VOICE)

How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Be blessed, God; train me in your ways of wise living. I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you’ve done it. I relish everything you’ve told me of life, I won’t forget a word of it.

– Psalm 119:14-16 (MSG)

May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

– Psalm 19:4 (NLT)

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

– Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Joy

March 8, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Are you familiar

with Joy

these days?

Is Joy a companion to you?

Or a stranger?

Has your Joy been

stolen

snuffed out

fleeting

stifled?

Has busyness

or shame

or self-hatred

or the weight of the world

stolen your Joy?

Maybe you forgot

about Joy?

Who has time for Joy?

In God’s presence

there is Fullness

Abundance

Overflowing

Joy

More of Him

brings more Joy

and

Foundation

March 6, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

What is your foundation, friend?

At the bottom of everything in your life

what is your security

your strength

your purpose

your reason to live?

Maybe all you know

is to believe in your self.

And what happens when you fail?

Every self does.

Is your foundation crumbling?

Or is your foundation secure?

Because the only foundation

that will not crumble in the end

is Rock

My Rock is Jesus

He will not fail

He will not crumble

And because I am secure in Him

in His Truth

in His Word

in His Love

when I fail

I know He won’t

And we all need a foundation

for the walls we build

the walls of knowledge

of good works

of family

of purpose

will fall

without The Foundation

What a gift,

my Foundation

in Him

– Susie Stewart

Those people who are listening to Me, those people who hear what I say and live according to My teachings—you are like a wise man who built his house on a rock, on a firm foundation. When storms hit, rain pounded down and waters rose, levies broke and winds beat all the walls of that house. But the house did not fall because it was built upon rock. Those of you who are listening and do not hear—you are like a fool who builds a house on sand. When a storm comes to his house, what will happen? The rain will fall, the waters will rise, the wind will blow, and his house will collapse with a great crash.

– Matthew 7:24-27 (VOICE)

Therefore the Lord God says this, “Listen carefully, I am laying in Zion a Stone, a tested Stone, A precious Cornerstone for the [secure] foundation, firmly placed. He who believes [who trusts in, relies on, and adheres to that Stone] will not be disturbed or give way [in sudden panic].

– Isaiah 28:16 (AMP)

Come to Him [the risen Lord] as to a living Stone which men rejected and threw away, but which is choice and precious in the sight of God. You [believers], like living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house for a holy and dedicated priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

– 1 Peter 2:4-6 (AMP)

Jesus Christ is the Stone on which other stones for the building must be laid. It can be only Christ.

– 1 Corinthians 3:11 (NLV

Photo by Susie Stewart