Good Morning Garden

THIS IS THE DAY THAT I HAVE MADE! As you rejoice in this day of life, it will yield up to you precious gifts and beneficial training. Walk with Me along the high road of thanksgiving, and you will find all the delights I have made ready for you.

To protect your thankfulness, you must remember that you reside in a fallen world, where blessings and sorrows intermingle freely. A constant focus on adversity defeats many Christians. They walk through a day that is brimming with beauty and brightness, seeing only the grayness of their thoughts. Neglecting the practice of giving thanks has darkened their minds. 

How precious are My children who remember to thank Me at all times. They can walk through the darkest days with Joy in their hearts because they know that the Light of My Presence is still shining on them. Rejoice in this day that I have made, for I am your steadfast companion.       

Psalm 118:24         This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Michael & Alison SmithermanThe Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

There have been so many days in which rejoicing seemed absurd or inappropriate. To be clear, the instruction to rejoice does not apply to the negative circumstance itself, but more to the fact that God is always with us and will take any pain, any setback, any tragedy and turn it into a blessing. That is what we are truly rejoicing. 

Of course, we are also to be grateful for all of God’s blessings such a faith, family and friends. However, the greatest joy for which to be thankful is that God’s shining love is always with us and will overcome any obstacle to our peace, joy and hope. And that is the central reason to rejoice and be glad for all things. 

Let us rejoice,

Z gardener

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After George Washington authorized the first Thanksgiving Day in 1789, 74 years passed without another such day of thanks.  Then Abraham Lincoln established the holiday as an annual event in American life.  His Thanksgiving Proclamation is worth reading again today:

And so, from our home and our hearts to yours, have a very blessed Thanksgiving Day.

“God commanded us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

May the God of all power and mercy open our eyes to the blessings we have and give us a grateful heart for God’s love and bounty.

Giving thanks,

Z gardener

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THANK ME FREQUENTLY as you journey through today. This practice makes it possible to pray without ceasing, as the apostle Paul taught. If you are serious about learning to pray continually, the best approach is to thank Me in every situation. These thankful prayers provide a solid foundation on which you can build all your other prayers. Moreover, a grateful attitude makes it easier for you to communicate with Me.

When your mind is occupied with thanking Me, you have no time for worrying or complaining. If you practice thankfulness consistently, negative thought patterns will gradually grow weaker and weaker. Draw near to Me with a grateful heart, and My Presence will fill you with Joy and Peace.

Romans 15:13        May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

During this week our thoughts focus on all we have for which to be thankful. But please remember, that as we count all our blessings, our thankfulness should also extend to those things that we would rather do without.

It is easier to thank God for our positive blessings and gifts. However, it is even more important to give thanks for the hurts and pains we endure as humans. For there is no hurt or pain that can overcome God’s desire that we be the very best we can be; even, and especially, when that best good comes wrapped as losses or setbacks.

So, let us be thankful this day, this week and every day for all that life brings our way. Then the blessings of God almighty will shower us with the most precious of all gifts; to live in joy and hope each day. Regardless!

Thank you, Father,

Z gardener

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THANKFULNESS takes the sting out of adversity. That is why I have instructed you to give thanks for everything. There is an element of mystery in this transaction: You give Me thanks (regardless of your feelings), and I give you joy (regardless of your circumstances). This is a spiritual act of obedience–at times, blind obedience.

To people who don’t know me intimately, it can seem irrational and even impossible to thank me for heart-rending hardship. Nonetheless, those who obey Me in this way are invariably blessed, even though difficulties may remain.

Thankfulness opens your heart to My Presence and your mind to My thoughts. You may still be in the same place, with the same set of circumstances, but it is as if a light has been switched on, enabling you to see from My perspective. It is the Light of My Presence that removes the sting from adversity.

Ephesians 5:20       Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

Thankfulness allows us to see things with new eyes. No, we are not thankful that someone we love is sick or has passed away.  We are to be thankful that God is with us, and them, no matter what the hurt or how great. We are to be thankful because it is the sure way to see God’s blessings that are hidden in our pain. 

And when we give thanks in all circumstances, God will reveal the blessing to us and will convert our sorrow to joy in some way we can not see with our merely human eyes. Then the tears will have no sting and the adversity will become a blessing.

In thanksgiving,

Z gardener

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I AM PERPETUALLY WITH YOU, taking care of you. That is the most important fact of your existence. I am not limited by time or space; My Presence with you is a forever promise. You need not fear for the future, for I am already there. 

When you make that quantum leap into eternity, you will find Me awaiting you in heaven. Your future is in My hands; I release it to you day by day, moment by moment. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow.

I want you to live this day abundantly, seeing all there is to see, doing all there is to do. Don’t be restricted by future concerns. Leave them up to Me! 

Each day of life is a glorious gift, but so few people know how to live within the confines of today. Much of their energy for abundant living spills over the time line into tomorrow’s worries or past regrets. Their remaining energy is sufficient only for limping through the day, not for living it to the full. 

I am training you to keep your focus on My Presence in the present. This is how to receive abundant life, which flows freely from My throne of grace.

Matthew 6:34    Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

There is only one today. It will never come again nor will it not ever be repeated. They way we live it is up to us. That which we do today is forever done. And that which we leave undone will never be a part of this day. 

Let us live in this present moment by focusing on God’s presence with us. Then we can know that which was left undone as well as that which was done, was for our best good and according to God’s will.

Then we can walk in joy and rest in peace at the end of each day,

Walking with God,

Z gardener

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LEAVE OUTCOMES UP TO ME. Follow Me wherever I lead, without worrying about how it will all turn out. Think of your life as an adventure, with Me as your Guide and Companion. Live in the now, concentrating on staying in step with Me. When our path leads to a cliff, be willing to climb it with My help. When we come to a resting place, take time to be refreshed in My Presence. Enjoy the rhythm of life lived close to Me.

You already know the ultimate destination of your journey: your entrance into heaven. so keep your focus on the path just before you, leaving outcomes up to Me.

Psalm 27:13-14      I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

This means we are to work hard at being righteous, follow the Lord and let God handle how it turns out. It does not mean we are to stop planning, preparing, working toward and visualizing a beautiful future. We must do all those things to our best ability according to God’s will. Then we can rest, sure that God will deliver the very best outcome.

So, let us this day embark on the ultimate adventure with joy and anticipation with God as our guide. 

And as Eden reveals itself on our journey, our best good is assured. And we can know with certainty that God is with us and that no evil can overcome us, ever!

Enjoying the rhythm of life,

Z gardener

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I AM WITH YOU and all around you, encircling you in golden rays of Light. I always behold you face to face. Not one of your thoughts escapes My notice. Because I am infinite, I am able to love you as if you and I were the only ones in the universe.

Walk with me in intimate Love-steps, but do not lose sight of My Majesty. I desire to be your closest Friend, yet I am also your sovereign Lord. I created your brain with capacity to know Me as Friend and Lord simultaneously. The human mind is the pinnacle of My creation, but so few use it for its primary purpose—knowing Me.

I communicate continually through My Spirit, My Word, and My creation. Only humans are capable of receiving Me and responding to My Presence.

You are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made!

Psalm 34:4-6    I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

Yes, we are fearfully and wonderfully made to communicate with God and receive God’s radiant presence in our lives. Yet so often we get distracted by the overwhelming sensory environment in which we live. The loud busy-ness of the physical world can drown out the wee small voice of the creator, if that is our only focus.

So be still and know God. Be quiet in the spirit within and in the world without. Focus attention on the relationship with God, and that wee small voice will roar above the loudest storm. And his radiance will guide us in peace and joy through anything the physical world throws at us.

Being still,

Z gardener

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COME TO ME, and rest in My Peace. My Face is shining upon you, in rays of peace transcending understanding. Instead of trying to figure everything out yourself, you can relax in the Presence of the One who already knows everything. As you lean on Me in trusting dependence, you feel peaceful and complete. This is how I designed you to live: in close communion with Me.

When you are around other people, you tend to cater to their expectations–real or imagined. You feel enslaved to pleasing them, and your awareness of My Presence grows dim. Your efforts to win their approval eventually exhaust you. You offer these people dry crumbs rather than the living water of My Spirit flowing through you. This is not My way for you! 

Stay in touch with Me, even during your busiest moments. Let My Spirit give you words of grace as you live in the Light of My Peace.

Philippians 4:6-7           Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

Peace is the core of joy. It is also God’s antidote to the negative potentialities that life’s challenges raises around us and within us. It does not have to be understood or created because it is there waiting for us. 

By trusting God, being ever-aware of God’s presence and our relationship to God, we may find that peace. It is what all humans are truly seeking in their daily lives regardless of their activities, goals, dreams or fears. 

Imagine leaning on God, free of anxiety, doubt and fear; resting in the radiant light of unconditional love, a child of God walking with God in the garden each day. 

Well, guess what? It’s not your imagination. It is the real path to the joy that flows from true peace. It is available to us at any instant, anywhere, anytime. All we have to do is receive it.

In the sunshine of your love,

Z gardener

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Attune yourself to My voice, and receive My richest blessings. Marvel at the wonder of communing with the Creator of the Universe while sitting in the comfort of your home. Kings who reign on earth tend to make themselves inaccessible.

Though I am King of the Universe, I am totally accessible to you. I am with you wherever you are. Nothing can separate you from My Presence! When I cried out from the cross, “It is finished!” the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This opened the way for you to meet Me face to face, with no need of protocol or priests. I, the King of kings, am your constant Companion.

Isaiah 50:4    The sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

I will sing to my Lord as long as I live, I will sing

praise to my God while I have my being.

What would we give to sit with Warren Buffet and get his financial advice; or to be with Einstein and discuss the secrets of the universe; or to commune with the highest holy person in our faith. Most of us would give a lot and still feel very fortunate to have such good counsel.

Yet each day, the one who gave all this wisdom and knowledge to these people, is available to us wherever we are. And what must we do to gain this audience with the source of all knowledge and creation itself? All we have to do is respond to God’s call. For God is always near us, in us and watching over us. God is calling to us “Come to me and listen”.

Then, when we obey the voice of God calling to us, we find God in Eden waiting for us to fully live with him in the garden here and forever.

Here listening,

Z gardener

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