Footprints in the Sand - Poem

 One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
             Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
                  In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
                       Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
                           other times there were one set of footprints.
 
                                  This bothered me because I noticed
                                that during the low periods of my life,
                             when I was suffering from
                         anguish, sorrow or defeat,
                     I could see only one set of footprints.
 
          So I said to the Lord,
      "You promised me Lord,
         that if I followed you,
             you would walk with me always.
                   But I have noticed that during
                          the most trying periods of my life
                                 there have only been one
                                       set of footprints in the sand.
                                           Why, when I needed you most,
                                          you have not been there for me?"
 
                                 The Lord replied,
                          "The times when you have
                  seen only one set of footprints,
          is when I carried you."

When I was first introduced to this poem and began reading through, I got to the part where there were only one set of footprints in the sand and paused. I questioned why God would abandon this person and honestly thought, "He better have a really good explanation for that one..." and then I continued. After I finished I reprimanded myself for ever questioning God's aid. He will always be there; to rejoice in our joyous moments and a hand to hold in our trying times.

2. Control

Decisions out of our control are not to control us but cause us to trust Christ's control.

I love to be in control. When I'm leader of something, it makes me feel important and supreme. Sometimes, however, decisions can be just out of our reach. Decisions on where you want to spend your time, what flavour of ice cream the family should buy, and where we will end up in 10, 20, 50 years from now. There is a decision in my life right now that I need to leave in God's hands. It is seemingly out of my control. But we as Christians have the blessed assurance that God's control is SO much more than we ever could have. Trust in the Lord today with whatever may be looming in your life. Don't let it take control of your being with worry, anxiety, or anger...Trust in Him and He will direct your path. (:

1. Going Through a Tunnel

When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and jump off; you sit still and trust the engineer.



It would be silly wouldn't it? A ticket is given to you by Someone who paid for it by His own blood. You are going on a journey to the BEST more SPECTACULAR place ever to be mentioned and then you go through a temporary tunnel. It's dark and you can't see what's behind you, in front of you, or all around you; but you're on the train. You don't need to worry. It has the destination marked out. Don't be scared by a little shadow because the Engineer has everything under control. He will get you out of the darkness as fast as you entered it. Just sit tight and trust in Him. (:

News!

- I have been playing around with the look of my blog - trying out new things and possibly deleting my pages. I have yet to decide. Let me know what you think by voting on the poll!

- Starting tomorrow, I am going to be posting an encouraging saying, quote, or verse either daily, every other day, or weekly. Again, I have yet to decide. I guess it depends on how many I can find that truly speak to the heart.

- I thank any and all of you for the prayers you have spoken in my behalf (for those of you that know my predicament). It is still up in the air...we have about 1-2 weeks to make a decision. I have no doubt that God can and will work a miracle as long as my will is His. There is still an earthly opposition that is keeping me from stepping out. Should I just step out in faith that God will work?
          * for any of you that are curious as to what I may be talking about (my struggle), feel free to email me! (baileymuller@gmail.com) Even if it's just to chat and/or get to know a new friend. (:

~ Avoid looking forward or backward and try to keep looking upward! ~

Submit and Resist

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you...Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 4:7, 8

          When trying to learn a new piece on the piano, I practice diligently and am careful I play each note correctly. As my skills improve and memorization kicks in, I push my music aside and play by ear. After a while, the composition is added to my playlist and  is no longer practiced as meticulously as before. Sometimes I notice myself getting lazy with my preformance. When I play the song and hear a wrong note, occasionally I will try playing the piece again until I hit the right key (rarely pulling out the music to see what the correct note is), but sometimes I will skip over it like nothing happened; when doing so, I allow myself to accept the error and the next time I play I tend to make the same mistake. As I practice the piece from time-to-time that missed note will still be there but as time progesses, I recognize the blunder as part of the music.

         As with practicing, our spiritual life is the same way. When God convicts us of a particular sin in our life that we need to master, we tend to work hard to overcome it and resist the temptation to do wicked. God pricks our heart so often that we then have a desire to change in order to rid ourselves of that transgression. Sometimes, however, we slip; we fall into that old way. When we realize it, we go to God for help and forgiveness, but occasionally we forget about it. In doing so, we make it easier to transgress the next time over. From there it is a downward spiral unless we straighten ourselves from the get-go.

          It is my solemn prayer that you and I will not harden our hearts to our slips. When we recognize we did something incredibly wrong in the eyes of the Lord, we need to completely surrender self and earnestly ask God to forgive us and to help us conquer that which we keep falling into. Just like I know I need to fix my blunders on the piano, I also know I need to watch my gaffe in my life.

The GREATEST Encouragement!

“The LORD said to Moses, "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites… Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." Numbers 13:1a, 30-31
 
As we face life, we can be overwhelmed by its giant obstacles or be inspired by its giant opportunities. Challenges and uncertainties tend to corrode our confidence. It is in the face of the unknown that we can move forward by faith, or backward in disbelief. What giant obstacles are you facing? How can your obstacles be converted into opportunities? Obstacles are stepping stones for obedient feet to follow.

Therefore, stay focused with aggressive patience and you will eventually see some obstacles dissolve while others are transformed into treasures. Possibly a financial opportunity is looming large but it seems like an intimidating obstacle. If so, stay true to your integrity by not selectively suspending your core values for much needed results. Instead, remain faithful to wise stewardship and honesty. The right results will follow at the right time. Trust God to use scary giants for His glory.

God orchestrates giant opportunities for His greater good. He told Moses that He was giving His children the promised land; all they had to do was show up and receive His gift. Giant opportunities often require faith, planning, perseverance, and hard work, buy sometimes the reward of obedience and trust in the Lord is enough. So how are you facing the giants in your life; as obstacles or opportunities?

Leaders look and pray for opportunities, exploring them with energy and enthusiasm. Your relentless leadership inspires your family, friends, and work associates to remain faithful and not freak out. Therefore, take the opportunity the Lord has given you. Difficult days and economic challenges are great opportunities for God to get the glory. So be aggressive, increase your efforts, actively pursue heaven with prayer, and by faith receive what your Savior Jesus has already given you. Go after the giant opportunities with gusto and with grace.

The Bible says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NASB).

God can literally do ANYTHING!

With our willing availability and His infinite ability, God can literally do anything. It is not our battle but His. When we face our giants, don't they look intimidating? When I'm in the middle of my trial and see it's perplexity...I am undoubtably afraid! But then I look at God and his enormity and realize the battle is already His. When David saw Goliath was he afraid? No! Because he knew what God had already promised. David did not have the sharpest blade nor the strongest armour. With sling and stone he  ran straight to that giant and with one stone in the forehead, he cam tumbling down. Could David himself have defeated Goliath? Never...but with God, anything is possible.
My life may not be easy. It may have a lot of uncertainties, giants, and opponents, but my God stands ever higher and is my Rock and sure defense. Thank you Lord Jesus!!