Good Morning Garden

COME TO ME, and rest in My loving Presence. You know that this day will bring difficulties, and you are trying to think your way through those trials. As you anticipate what is ahead of you, you forget that I am with you–now and always. Rehearsing your troubles results in experiencing them many times, whereas you are meant to go through them only when they actually occur. Do not multiply your suffering in this way! Instead, come to Me, and relax in My Peace. I will strengthen you and prepare you for this day, transforming your fear into confident trust.

Matthew 11:28-30         “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke easy and My burden is light.”

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.

Each of us will awaken to face days of trouble, fear, difficulties and trials. Some will awaken to the reality of a lost loved one, some to the test results we fear and others to a conflict with one we love. Yet, even as we rise on such days, we are instructed not to relive old hurts or fret about troubles on the horizon. This only compounds the problems rather than resolving them.

Instead, we are to relax and melt into God’s arms. Just as when our earthly Father’s (or other protectors) cradled us up into their arms when we were certain a monster lurked under our beds, or when we fell and skinned our knees, or when life or love collapsed around us. We are to trust God in the same way. Then we will feel that same sense of confidence, safety, comfort and well being that comes from being rescued by our protector.

Then God will strengthen us and God will prepare us for the day ahead. And that day, regardless of its outcome, will be one we spend in Eden.

In God’s arms today,

Z gardener

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LET ME BLESS YOU with My grace and Peace. Open your heart and mind to receive all that I have for you. Do not be ashamed of your emptiness. Instead, view it as the optimal condition for being filled with My Peace.

It is easy to touch up your outward appearance, to look as if you have it all together. Your attempt to look good can fool most people. But I see straight through you, into the depths of your being. There is no place for pretense in your relationship with Me. Rejoice in the relief of being fully understood. Talk with Me about your struggles and feelings of inadequacy. Little by little, I will transform your weaknesses into strengths. Remember that your relationship with Me is saturated in grace. Therefore, nothing that you do or don’t do can separate you from My presence.

Romans 8:38-39     For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our 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.

We are unable to be dishonest with God because he knows us better than we know ourselves. No, it is only ourselves with whom we can be dishonest. That dishonesty does not fool God but it does blind us and blocks us from seeing our own truth. Thus we live a false reality and try to hide God, just as Adam and Eve tried to hide from God and cover themselves.

God knows us. But for us to know us we must face our true selves. Then we will welcome God’s gaze and will eliminate our false perception of separation from God which is sin. When we do this we will once again walk with God in the garden he created for us filled with the grace that surrounds us.

Back to the garden,

Z gardener

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TRY TO VIEW EACH DAY as an adventure, carefully planned out by your Guide. Instead of starting into the day that is ahead of you, attempting to program it according to your will, be attentive to Me and to all I have prepared for you. Thank Me for this day of life, recognizing that it is a precious, unrepeatable gift. Trust that I am with you each moment, whether you sense My presence or not. A thankful, trusting attitude helps you to see events in your life from My perspective.

A life lived close to Me will never be dull or predictable. Expect each day to contain surprises! Resist your tendency to search for the easiest route through the day. Be willing to follow wherever I lead. No matter how steep or treacherous the path before you, the safest place to be is by My side.

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

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.

Just as we would closely follow our guide on a wilderness journey, we are to follow God through the wilderness of life. We would not question our guide on such a trek, nor should we question God’s guidance in our lives. We are to trust and follow. We are also to rejoice and be glad for all aspects of the trip. In this is certain safety and the assuredness of a successful life journey.

Following the guide,

Z gardener

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SOFTLY I ANNOUNCE MY PRESENCE.  Shimmering hues of radiance tap gently at your consciousness, seeking entrance. Though I have all Power in heaven and on earth, I am infinitely tender with you. The weaker you are, the more gently I approach you. Let your weakness be a door to My Presence. Whenever you feel inadequate, remember that I am your ever-present help.

Hope in Me, and you will be protected from depression and self pity. Hope is like a golden cord connecting you to heaven. The more you cling to this cord, the more I bear the weight of your burdens; thus, you are lightened. Heaviness is not of My kingdom. Cling to hope, and My rays of Light will reach you through the darkness.

Psalm 46:1     God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

amduo@bellsouth.net

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

praise to my God while I have my being.

God’s presence is always there, standing quietly, waiting on us to open the door. When we feel weakest, God is closest to us, calling us to let him in so he can lift us with hope. Hope is the rescue line upon which we float over darkness and the selfness of turning inward. The we are filled with lightness. That beaming brightness dispels all darkness and and is our ever present help in trouble.

Lightening up,

Z gardener

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I AM ABLE to do far beyond all that you ask or imagine. Come to Me with positive expectations, knowing that there is no limit to what I can accomplish. Ask My Spirit to control your mind, so that you can think great thoughts of Me. Do not be discouraged by the fact that many of your prayers are yet unanswered. Time is a trainer, teaching you to wait upon Me, to trust Me in the dark.

The more extreme your circumstances, the more likely you are to see My power and glory at work in the situation. Instead of letting difficulties draw you into worrying, try to view them as setting the scene for My glorious intervention. Keep your eyes and your mind wide open to all that I am doing in your life.

Isaiah 40:30-31 NKJV          Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young man shall utterly fall, but those who wait in the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

The Singing NetSurfers

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

As we learn to let God’s spirit control our thoughts, words and deeds, we come to learn there is nothing beyond God’s power. As that reality comes to define our lives, we begin to understand that every obstacle, pain or setback is an opportunity for God to lift us higher than we thought imaginable. When this truly sinks in, we come to feel the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Peace,

Z gardener

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DO NOT LET any set of circumstances intimidate you. The more challenging your day, the more of My power I place at your disposal. You seem to think that I empower you equally each day, but this is not so. Your tendency upon awakening is to assess the difficulties ahead of you, measuring them against your average strength. This is an exercise in unreality.

I know what each of your days will contain, and I empower you accordingly. The degree to which I strengthen you on a given day is based mainly on two variables: the difficulty of your circumstances, and your willingness to depend on Me for help. Try to view challenging days as opportunities to receive more of My power than usual. Look to Me for all that you need, and watch to see what I will do. As your day, so shall your strength be.

Deuteronomy 33:25 NKJV   Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; as your days, so shall your strength be.

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.

Regardless of the challenges we face, the first words and thoughts we should have when overcoming them are “Lord, guide direct and strengthen me”. If we stay focused on God and seeking God’s will, then our best success is assured. And that best good may not be that which we envisioned or for which we longed. But it will be the right way, and it will give us the strength and direction we need to overcome the challenge. It will also become an opportunity to show yourself and the world that God’s power is more than sufficient for all we need.

In dependence,

Z gardener

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SIT QUIETLY WITH ME, letting all your fears and worries bubble up to the surface of your consciousness. There, in the light of My Presence, the bubbles pop and disappear. However, some fears surface over and over again, especially fear of the future. You tend to project yourself mentally into the next day, week, month, year, decade; and you visualize yourself coping badly in those times. What you are seeing is a false image, because it doesn’t include Me. Those gloomy times that you imagine will not come to pass, since My Presence will be with you at alltimes.

When a future-oriented worry assails you, capture it and disarm it by suffusing the Light of My Presence into that mental image. Say to yourself, “Jesus will be with me then and there. With His help, I can cope!” Then, come home to the present moment, where you can enjoy Peace in My Presence.

Deuteronomy 31:6         “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

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.

When we turn our thoughts away from negativity and replace the negative thoughts with thoughts of God, then we allow the light of God’s grace to penetrate us. This not only enlightens our thoughts, but reflects the light of God on everything around us.

As the dark images are replaced with images of light, we can sit quietly with God in Peace.

Letting the light shine in,

Z gardener

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WORSHIP ME in the beauty of holiness. All true beauty reflects some of who I am. I am working My ways in you: the divine Artist is creating loveliness within your being. My main work is to clear out debris and clutter, making room for My Spirit to take full possession. Collaborate with Me in this effort by being willing to let go of everything I choose to take away. I know what you need, and I have promised to provide all of that–abundantly!

Your sense of security must not rest in your possessions or in things going your way. I am training you to depend on Me alone, finding fulfillment in My Presence. This entails being satisfied with much or with little, accepting either as My will for the moment. Instead of grasping and controlling, you are learning to release and receive. Cultivate this receptive stance by trusting Me in every situation.

Psalm 29:2 NKJV          Give unto the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

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.

The passive nature of learning to release and receive is contrary to our culture. Tha’s fine. It just means we must unlearn some bad or unhelpful habits. Time to begin.

Being receptive,

Z gardener

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