Good Morning Garden

SEEK TO PLEASE ME above all else. As you journey through today, there will be many choice-points along your way. Most of the day’s decisions will be small ones you have to make quickly. You need some rule of thumb to help you make good choices. Many people’s decisions are a combination of their habitual responses and their desire to please themselves or others. This is not My way for you.

Strive to please Me in everything, not just in major decisions. This is possible only to the extent that you are living in close communication with Me. when My Presence is your deepest delight, you know almost instinctively what will please Me. A quick glance at Me is all you need to make the right choice. Delight yourselves in Me more and more; seek My pleasure in all you do.

John 8:29       “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” 

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 our over-arching priority is staying in close touch with God., then all our decision options will be clearer and our path well defined. It is when our priorities  are about us that our decisions are murky and our path confused.

By seeking to please God instead of ourselves we ensure our best good and walk with confidence into each day.

Seeking to please,

Z gardener

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YOU CAN LIVE as close to Me as you choose. I set up no barriers between us; neither do I tear down barriers that you erect.

People tend to think their circumstances determine the quality of their lives. So they pour their energy into trying to control those situations. They feel happy when things are going well, and sad or frustrated when things don’t turn out as they’d hoped. They rarely question this correlation between their circumstances and feelings. Yet it is possible to be content in any and every situation.

Put more energy into trusting Me and enjoying My Presence. Don’t let your well-being depend on your circumstances. Instead, connect your joy to My precious promises:

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.

I will meet all your needs according to My glorious riches.

Nothing in all creation will be able to separate you from My Love.  

Philippians 4:12    I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.

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.

How are we to rejoice in all things when life is full of so many heartaches and concerns? The answer is that “we” are not able to do this without trusting God and his promises. It is through God’s help that we are able to be content even when the world offers little or no contentment or happiness. In fact, if we remain close to God, nothing can take away our peace or joy. And nothing can separate us from God but us.

Un-separated,

Z gardener

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WALK PEACEFULLY WITH Me through this day. You are wondering how you will cope with all that is expected of you. You must traverse this day like any other: one step at a time. Instead of mentally rehearsing how you will do this or that, keep your mind on My Presence and on taking the next step. 

The more demanding your day, the more help you can expect from Me. This is a training opportunity, since I designed you for deep dependence on your Shepherd-King. Challenging times wake you up and amplify your awareness of needing My help.

When you don’t know what to do, wait while I open the way before you. Trust that I know what I’m doing, and be ready to follow My lead. I will give strength to you, and I will bless you with peace.

Exodus 33:14         The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

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 told to trust and wait. That is very hard to do when sadness and hurt weigh us down. But if we turn to God and seek God’s way, we will have a way opened to us. And that way will give us strength and peace as we follow God’s will. Then we can take the next step…and all the steps that follow with confidence, grace and gratitude.

Step By Step,

Z gardener

Author’s note: It is my prayer that each of us end this year in light with joyful anticipation of the coming year. May God bless us each and every one.

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LINGER IN MY PRESENCE A WHILE. Rein in your impulses to plunge into the day’s activities. Beginning your day along with Me is essential preparation for success. A great athlete takes time to prepare himself mentally for the feat ahead of him before he moves a muscle. Similarly, your time of being still in My Presence equips you for the day ahead of you. 

Only I know what will happen to you this day. If you are not adequately equipped for the journey, you will grow weary and lose heart. Relax with Me while I ready you for action.

Hebrews 12:3         Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

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.

No better time can be spent than time spent with God. It is the “one thing” that ensures our best good.

In the presence of the Lord,

Z gardener

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DO NOT EXPECT to be treated fairly in this life. People will say and do hurtful things to you, things that you don’t deserve. When someone mistreats you, try to view it as an opportunity to grow in grace. See how quickly you can forgive the one who has wounded you. Don’t be concerned about setting the record straight. Instead of obsessing about other people’s opinions of you, keep your focus on Me. Ultimately, it is My view of you that counts.

As you concentrate on relating to Me, remember that I have clothed you in My righteousness and holiness. I see you attired in these radiant garments, which I bought for you with My blood. This also is not fair; it is pure gift. When others treat you unfairly, remember that My ways with you are much better than fair.My ways are peace and love, which I have poured out into your heart by My Spirit.

Colossians 3:13      Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievance you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgives 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.

The surest way to overcome unfairness is to forgive the person who is being unfair. In fact, the only way such treatment can truly harm us is if we let it remain within us. By simply choosing to forgive, we have risen above it and converted our mistreatment to a blessing of grace and growth.

For giving,

Z gardener

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AS YOU BECOME increasingly aware of My Presence, you find it easier to discern the way you should go. This is one of the practical benefits of living close to Me. Instead of wondering about what is on the road ahead of worrying about what you should do if . . . or when . . . , you can concentrate on staying in communication with Me. When you actually arrive at a choice-point, I will show you which direction to go.

Many people are so preoccupied with future plans and decisions that they fail to see choices they need to make today. Without any conscious awareness, they make their habitual responses. People who live this way find a dullness creeping into their lives. They sleepwalk through their days following well-worn paths of routine.

I, the Creator of the universe, am the most creative Being imaginable. I will not leave you circling in deeply rutted paths. Instead, I will lead you along fresh trails of adventure, revealing to you things you did not know. Stay in communication with Me. Follow my guiding Presence.

Psalm 32:8     I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over 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.

So, its about God, not us. Its not about “what should I do?’ It is about “how can I stay close to God?” so I can be shown what to do. The first decision we must make about what to do is to decide whether God is in charge. If so, then all we have to do is stay close.

In the wilderness, we follow a guide. We do not decide which trail to follow. We just listen tot he guide and follow the path as directed. So it is with our lives as we wander in a spiritual wilderness. If we are to be sure of our path, we must follow our guidance from God.

Following close,

Z gardener

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To many of us Christmas really means “getting in the Christmas spirit “. That warm glow in our hearts signaling the coming season. That anticipation for the time when we think of peace on earth and goodwill toward all. The season of giving and receiving love, comradeship and charity. A time for lights and miracle stories and joy. A time for family, friends and memories of Christmases long ago. Yes, all these things and more.

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TRY TO STAY CONSCIOUS OF ME as you go step by step this day. My Presence with you is both a promise and a protection. My final statement just before I ascended into heaven was: Surely I am with you always. That promise was for all of My followers, without exception. The promise of My Presence is a powerful protection.

As you journey through your life, there are numerous pitfalls along the way. Many voices clamor for your attention, enticing you to go their way. A few steps away from your true path are pits of self-pity and despair, plateaus of pride and self-will.

If you take your eyes off of Me and follow another’s way, you are in grave danger. Even well-meaning friends can lead you astray if you let them usurp My place in your life. The way to stay on the path of life is to keep your focus on Me. Awareness of My Presence is your best protection.

Matthew 28:20      “And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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.

Keeping our focus on God is like a captain keeping his focus on the ship’s compass. God is our compass, and just as the ship is in danger of being lost or crashing on the rocks if the captain loses focus on the compass, so too are we in danger if we are not constantly aware of God’s presence. That focus on God is our protection, and it will keep us from danger as it bring us to our best harbor when we stay on God’s course.

In this season of preparation and anticipation, let us remember from where we came, and may God’s light illumine and guide our direction going forward. 

Focused on the compass,

Z gardener

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