Good Morning Garden

When your thoughts flow freely, they tend to move toward problems. Your focus gets snagged on a given problem, circling round and round it in attempts to gain mastery. Your energy is drained away from other matters through this negative focus. Worst of all, you lose sight of Me.

A renewed mind is Presence-focused. Train your mind to seek Me in every moment, every situation. Sometimes you can find Me in your surroundings: a lilting birdsong, a loved one’s smile, golden sunlight. At other times, you must draw inward to find Me. I am always present in your spirit. Seek My Face, speak to Me, and I will light up your mind.

Romans 12:2          Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

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 a precious gift is a moment in physical time. How much would one give for just a few more when facing death or when embracing a loved on who is departing? Treasure each moment as the miracle of beauty, sensation and awareness that it is. In physical reality those moments  are the things of which we have an absolutely  finite number.  Even one is more precious than wealth, and then it is gone.

The past is a memory and the future, but a dream. It is in the present that we live, decide and shape this precious moment; and all the future moments for eternity.    Be fully in each moment, enjoying the awesome physical wonders around us. But more importantly, yea critically essential, be always focused on the spiritual miracles that are God with us in that moment. 

When we focus our attention on the present with God, he will enlighten our physical world without and our spiritual world within.  And when we share one of those moments in prayer for, or helping another, we have given our most valuable earthly gift, our finite moments in physical time.  When we get it right, t hen Eden will be the garden we inhabit.

Renewing focus,

Z gardener

A young man was worried about paying for his final year of college. A benefactor, hearing of the young man’s plight, sent a note through the mail that said, “Don’t worry–you will graduate.” In the midst of his dire financial circumstances, the young man failed to remember a principle: When a person with power and resources speaks, the results are certain.

The disciples of Jesus discovered this truth when Jesus directed them to cross the Sea of Galilee and a storm arose. The disciples were in great fear, forgetting it was Jesus who said they would “cross over to the other side” (Mark 4:35). They were in the center of God’s will while experiencing threatening circumstances, forgetting that God’s will is the safest place on earth to be found. One with power and resources had said they would arrive on the far shore, and they did.

The next time perilous circumstances arise in your life, remember that no circumstance shall keep you from fulfilling God’s will.

Isaiah 54:17   “No weapons formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says 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.

What does it mean to have safety. Does it mean we will be free from danger or peril. In the physical world we may think so. But true safety, the certainty that we will arrive at our true destination, may mean facing very perilous circumstances. But we are assured that following God’s will is the only way to ensure our true safety.

When, by following God’s way, we find ourselves facing danger or trouble, we can feel totally safe because God, the only true power, has got our backs.

Backed by God,

Z gardener

I WANT YOU TO BE ALL MINE. I am weaning you from other dependencies. Your security rests in Me alone–not in other people, not in circumstances. Depending only on Me may feel like walking on a tightrope, but there is a safety net underneath: the everlasting arms. So don’t be afraid of falling. Instead, look ahead to Me. I am always before you, beckoning you on–one step at a time. Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, can separate you from My loving Presence.

Deuteronomy 33:27       The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, “Destroy him!”

Romans 8:39          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.

The need for security is among the highest of universal human needs. Yet true security can not be achieved by our own efforts. It is only when we depend on God for security that we find it. How, one may ask, can I trust that which I cannot see or feel. The answer is that we do not see and feel God with our sensory faculties.

We must go beyond our physical perception and learn to use our metaphysical or spiritual perception. This happens when we pray and commune with God in our hearts (spirit) and mind (consciousness) and our will. It is there that we feel, hear and experience God. Those who do not believe in or spend time in the spiritual world, cuts themselves off from God. Yet even then, we are not separated from God. God is ever present, we have just closed our hearts to him and ignored his presence.

A man with his eyes closed is just as blind as he who cannot see. He could stand in the brightest light, yet see nothing but darkness because his eyes are closed. The light is still there, waiting on us.

Un-separated

Z gardener

SEEK MY FACE, and you will find more that you ever dreamed possible. Let me displace worry at the center of your being. I am like a supersaturated cloud, showering Peace into your mind. My Nature is to bless. Your nature is to receive with thanksgiving. This is a true fit, designed before the foundation of the world. Glorify Me by receiving My blessing gratefully.

I am the goal of all your searching. When you seek Me, you find Me and are satisfied. When lesser goals capture your attention, I fade into the background of your life. I am still there, watching and waiting; but you function as if you were alone. Actually, My Light shines on every situation you will ever face. Live radiantly by expanding your focus to include Me in all your moments. Let nothing dampen your search for Me.

Philippians 4:7 MSG    Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Michael & Alison Smitherman

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.

What is the “one thing” that every human seeks? At its core, the goal of all of our seeking is for peace. That freedom from disturbance, conflict, worry, fear, stress and anxiety that allows security, harmony, joy, hope and love to define our lives. There is a sure way to find true inner peace. But it is not to be found in seeking worldly things. Nor can it be found by seeking it alone.

True peace can only be found by seeking and being with God. We may find physical comfort, some solace and bounty by building up material things around us. But true peace can only be found within us and it only comes through our relationship with God. We may slake our thirst and appetite with food, but to quench our thirst for true peace, we must drink from the well of faith.

When we seek God first in all things, all things will happen to us for our best good. More so than we ever dreamed possible and more than is ever possible on our own.

Christ’s peace be with you,

Z gardener

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

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

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