Say No to Satan's Big Toe

From Today:

"How much wiser we are when we live the life out of every day, recognizing all God gives us in the moment." - Luci Swindoll

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16

From 4/10/11:

"The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him." - Nahum 1:7

"Faith is not belief without proof but trust without reservation." - The Simple Life

"... for anger gives a foothold to the devil." - Ephesians 4:27

** If we could give instant recall to that verse every time we are tempted to let our anger get the best of us, would we not be slower to anger? Getting angry lets Satan get his big toe right in the door. I don't know about you, but that makes me picture the scene in the movie, "Signs" where Mel Gibson is in the corn field and he turns the flashlight around and catches the leg and foot of an alien slipping back behind the stalks. Cweeeeeepy! Don't let that toe, foot, etc. get a foothold in your life.

"Get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior." - Ephesians 4:31

"You have given so much to me, give one thing more, a grateful heart." - George Herbert

Father, thank You for my spiritual gifts. I pray I use them as You would have me do. May You be glorified through my blogs and my life.

Blessings Y'all!

Worries Add Not a Thing

From 4/7/11:

"For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." - Psalm 91:11

"God does not shield us from life's storms; He shelters us in life's storms." - Wanda Brunstetter

"Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God." - Luke 12:21

"Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" - Matthew 6:27

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's peace, ..." - Philippians 4:6-7a

From 4/8/11:

"The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you." - Matthew 12:37

** I am going to try to share devotionals in their entirety from now on. Some days I have one verse written down even though I may have read 100. Some days I have a whole lot written down. I may eventually get to where I'm sharing the actual day's devotional thoughts but I'm not there yet.

It amazes me how God will work on a theme sometimes and then other times it feels random but somehow, for what was going on in my life it all fit together just right. He speaks to us through His Word. If you haven't experienced that, you may not be paying attention.

Father, how amazing are You that without email and texting You can still very effectively communicate with those of us in this fallen World!

Blessings Y'all!

Relationally Speaking

From 3/30/11:

"Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." - Colossians 3:12-13

From 3/31/11:

"Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will learn the truth." - 2 Timothy 2:25

"They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone." - Titus 3:2

** Ever really read the book of Proverbs? Sometimes the writing there cracks me up!

"The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense." - Proverbs 10:21

From 5/7/11:

Everyone should listen to Fernando Ortega's "Oh God You Are My God" at least once a day. It is peace on earth.

**Father, I am blessed beyond measure. Thank You for your grace, mercy, and immeasurable love.

Blessings Y'all!

My Cup Overflows

From a bookmark I made and am using now:

My Cup Runneth Over - Psalm 23:5

"Dear Lord,

Help me to have a servant's heart; to be a woman who pours a drink more refreshing that coffee or tea. May the cup I offer to the women you have placed in my life always overflow with your love and acceptance."

by Karla Dornacker

** I love the wording, "my cup runneth over". I've been involved with a retreat with that title. I love the usage of the phrase in the movie, "Hope Floats". I say it to my children when my heart feels like it could burst from love and pride in them.

It is strange that I never equate the verse listed here with Psalm 23. Whenever Psalm 23 is mentioned I immediately go to, "The Lord is my shepherd ... I shall not want". The old, familiar tune of the hymn inspired by this Scripture begins playing in my head. When I began writing this entry, I pulled out my hymnal and saw this edition has 5 verses for this hymn, including one that uses verse 5 of the Psalm.

The Lord's My Shepherd by Scottish Psalter

The Lord's my Shepherd; I'll not want:

He makes me down to lie

In pastures green, He leadeth me

The quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again.

And me to walk doth make

Within the paths of righteousness

E'en for for His own name's sake.

Yea, tho I walk in death's dark vale,

Yet will I fear none ill;

For Thou art with me, and Thy rod

And staff me comfort still.

My table Thou hast furnished

In presence of my foes;

My head Thou dost with oil anoint,

And my cup over flows.

Goodness and mercy all my life

Shall surely follow me;

And in God's house for ever-more,

My dwelling place shall be.

Father, Shepherd me. Remind me to let You lead and protect. It isn't all on me. It's all You.

Blessings Y'all!

Fixer Upper

From Today:

I thought part of my reading for today spoke to the premise of my new blog. I really liked the following, written as if Jesus is speaking directly to me/you.

Quotes from Jesus Lives: Seeing His Love in Your Life by Sarah Young

"Brokenness" p. 44

"Pick up the pieces of your broken heart - scattered all around you - and bring them to Me."

"When you feel on the brink of giving up, remind yourself of My great faitfulness: I never give up on you!"

"Stay close to me as I work on mending your broken heart. Of course, your repaired heart will not be exactly as it was before, but in some ways it will be much better. Your renewed heart - stripped of its cherished hopes - will have more space for Me."

** Sometimes I feel guilty for even scoffing at the rough things I've had to endure over time. My life has been a fairy tale compared to so many out there. I hope that the little things I've dealt with will give me some glimpse of insight that may encourage, inspire, or fill with hope another wandering soul.

Father, let Your light shine through me. Let me lead others to the beacon that is Your guiding light. Help me help other broken-hearted souls.

Blessings Y'all!

Take My Yoke Upon You

From 3/26/11:

"Day after day, and night after night they keep on saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty - the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come." - Revelation 4:8

"God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us." - Acts 17:27

From 3/28/11:

"Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." - Matthew 11:29

From 3/29/11:

"God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth." - Matthew 5:5

"I hope to have eyes that see where to apply a bit of gentleness here and there to soften life's blows for others." - Patsy Clairmont

** I can't help but notice how often I note: "Lord, I need work in this area." And then, every once in awhile, like a little gift, wrapped in a big bow, I'll come across a commandment I'm actually doing pretty good at. And there I find hope; hope that He will make me who He wants me to be and at the hand of the ultimate Potter, this lump of clay may be made into something He can be proud of.

Blessings Y'all!

Patchin' Me Up

So, this is a new blog! I've been wanting to start a spiritual blog and here it is! I guess it is pretty funny that I'm starting a second blog considering I haven't blogged on my original one since the 12th of this month. Oh well, I've felt this was a calling of sorts and who am I to argue with divine design?

Mostly I just want this page to include the notes I make during my daily devotional time. I don't think I'll be able to blog every day, but I hope some of the things the Lord puts on my heart will speak to others as well.

The title of my blog, "A Patchwork Heart" comes from a Bible lesson I entitled that. Several months ago ideas started pouring into my mind for topics or themes for Bible class lessons or even ladies' retreats. "A Patchwork Heart" comes from my love of quilting and from the fact that time and time again in my life, my Heavenly Father has put the broken pieces of my heart and my life back together again.

I think sharing my faith and my shared moments with God with others will be good for me and hopefully bless someone else in the process. It won't necessarily be in chronological order.

From 4/1/11:

"Let prayer be the key to the day, and the bolt to the night."

- "The Simple Life" by Wanda Brunstetter

"You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." - 1 Peter 3:4

From 4/5/11:

"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

Just curious if this eludes anyone else? I think I listen pretty well. The older I get the more I appreciate the value of thinking before I speak. I don't rush into anger I don't believe, but I don't think I can say I'm slow to get angry.

"Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also." - Matthew 5:21

Father, this week I will meditate on awareness of Your Presence.