Good Morning Girls!  I can honestly say I am back to my confident self after a few weeks of ups and downs.  When I say "confident self", I am not talking about confidence IN myself, or self-confidence.  I am talking about returning to the truth, and having confidence in HIM. Having confidence that the Lord has it all figured out.  He knows the plans he has for me.  He knows what needs to occur in order these plans to unfold.  He knows the proper timing of things.  As I am waiting for all of these things to unfold, I have renewed confidence that he will continue, just has he has faithfully in the past, to provide me and my family with all of our needs.

It's so easy to get caught up in our own lives.  So easy to spend our prayer time begging and pleading for answers.  I would say things like "I know the Lord orders my steps BUT I don't trust myself anymore.  What if I don't hear the right thing?  What if I this? What if I that? What if I, I, I, I and I?"  Now who am I kidding?  Pretty much what I am saying when I say things like this is that I don't believe the Lord is patient or smart enough to speak to my heart.  Seriously.  Sure, I may sound all righteous, never pointing the finger at God with all of my "I just don't know if I am hearing him right" comments.  The truth is, when the time is right for me to move ahead with something, the Lord will make sure I hear him loud and clear.

I've come to learn two patterns of thinking that quickly lead to nowhere.  The first one is when I catch myself thinking about myself.  When I have thoughts like "I want. I need.  I feel"  When I take the time to recognize the abundance of "I" statements either in my head, or coming out of my mouth, I stop and tell myself "get your eyes off yourself.....and get them on Jesus".  I start confessing the Word, or singing, or giving thanks.  If I find myself having difficulty focusing I simply pray in the spirit, and let it all go.  You will be amazed how quickly your attitude changes.

The other pattern of thinking that gets me into trouble is trying to figure out the end from the beginning.  I take one prompting from the Holy Spirit and turn it into a "I bet that means this and this.  Now what should I do?  How am I gong to get this and this?  Or should I do that?".  Boy do I exhaust myself.  I can understand why the Lord keeps me on a tight leash.  On a strict "need to know" information only.  I have a way of unfolding the Master Plan of my life off of one prompt.  Or should I say clue, since that is how I act.  I'm like a Nancy Drew for the Lord, running around trying to piece the clues together in order to discover the Master Plan........

Girls, if you can identify with either of these two exhausting tendencies, I encourage you to stop.  It will only leave you frustrated, overwhelmed and confused.  As my dad used to sing all the time one day at a time, sweet Jesus.  One day indeed.  Trust me, you will have enough today to deal with.  The good news is, God's grace will carry you through....today.  It will be renewed tomorrow.  Don't bother trying to borrow tomorrow's grace for today, it doesn't work........ask me how I know!  Today and today only.  Trust the Lord, he will give you the answers when the time is right.  He created you.  He knows how to communicate with you.

Matthew 7:31-32,34 "so do not worry about these things, saying, "what will we eat? what will we drink? what will we wear?" these things dominate the thoughts of the unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it's own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today"-

Love, peace, and one day at a time living to you all,
Jen