New Year's Eve 2014 - TFW

As another year comes to a close, I can't help but sit in my quiet living room, gazing at my tree shining through the darkness and feel the peace around me.  Not the peace of the quietness but the peace in my heart, knowing that I am not doing this life alone.  Knowing that the presence of the very God of the universe is right here with me.  He holds my heart and soul in His capable hands and this is why I get to experience His amazing peace that I cannot find anywhere else in this mixed up world. We all need these time to step out of our busy lives to sit and know that He is God. That He is here. That my life is but a vapor in His timing but that His timing is always perfect and that is why I am right here.  Here in this crazy world of busyness with the unending things that entice us to take our eyes off from things above as we continue to listen the lies that we so willingly learned over our lifetimes.  I am so thankful for the past few years that God has seen fit to show me more clearly how these lies so readily shaped what I have believed and my actions and reactions.  He has shown me these things through sermons at my church, the women's bible studies, my personal devotions with the Scriptures, Jesus Calling and the Daily Bread.  However, I have to say that the "rubber hit the road" in our Faithful Weigh meetings and book studies.  God saw fit to bring His truths home to my heart by meeting me right where I thought I had "control" over.  Wow.  Was my thinking ever wrong!!  I am so thankful for each of our Faithful Weigher's, whether there in person at our meetings, receiving our emails or Facebook posts.  God has used all of this and our interactions with you all to reshape my thinking.  To bring forward the lies I have believed so that I had to deal with them.  Some of them so very deep in my character that I didn't even know they were lies.  Our defense can be that "this is who I am"!  But God...in His almighty, sovereign wisdom and design of our amazing bodies, knew different.  If we truly believe and desire the words that we repeat from God's word, "to be holy as I am holy", we must surrender each and every one of those beliefs based on the lies of this world, to His truths.  His truth will set us free and we will be free, indeed.  Ahhh...with this progress I have made...in my eyes it may seem great...in God's smiling, all-knowing eyes, He knows I have far to travel but that my life is reflecting more and more of His truths.  What a blessing to look back on this past year and to actually realize the changes He has made through this avenue of my eating!  Who knew that what and why I put food in my mouth is a very reflection of my trust in Him!!  Wow....I have so far to go but I am so thankful for the journey with Him and each of YOU, that I have been blessed to travel this past year.  As random as my brain thinks, this thought just came to me!  Have we ever wondered why an onion smells so bad and strong that it can force our tear ducts to leak?  Aha!!  God knew that as we "peeled off" the onion layers of the lies we have believed, that we would weep with surrendered hearts and then realize the joy and peace when that smelly stuff is thrown in the garbage!!  (aka...as far as the east is from the west!)  Whooohooot!  Praise His Name for the amazing work He has done in our lives and with this knowledge, we have hope in the days to come because He is faithful and His way is true!  Hence we came to this wonderful weight-loss support ministry that God has blessed Laurie and I to facilitate for Him.  The Faithful Weigh!  My prayer for this New Year of 2015 is that this journey we are walking, even though it may feel like we are trudging along, may bring you the hope that God is with you, that He is for you and that He will keep you close to Him as you continue to surrender your layers of onions to the amazing truths, peace and joy that awaits us along the way.  Many blessings to each of you, my sweet Faithful Weigh Friends.  I truly love you all in the Name of my Lord and Savior.  Mary Ann

The Light of the Christmas Star....

I have always loved the picture of the little shepherd boy gazing heavenward at the bright shining star over Bethlehem.  The light that announced the coming of God's only Son to save a lost world from the darkness of sin.  I, too, want to gaze heavenward at the Light of this world each day that God gives me on this earth.  To allow His Light to seep into my heart and illuminate every dark shadow with His presence.  To bring me the joy and peace that we hear so much about this time of year.

One morning recently, I got to thinking about God's light pouring down on me and the shadow behind me from His light. 

First, that His light shines down on me, almost like a spotlight with a circle of light around me, to show me the next step.  If I try to look beyond the circle of light, it is dark.  Where the footstep in the darkness may lead can only be imagined.  I am only to take that next step on my path of life, that God is allowing me to see by His light.  If I choose to turn away from His light, then I will be taking those steps in darkness of my own shadow.   Because I am His child, He does not remove His light from me.  I create the shadow from His light behind me when I think I can do things my own way, in my own strength.  I came upon this verse in my pondering.  2 Corinthians 4:6,  "For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."    "Lord, help me to walk only in Your light that shines in my heart."

The second thought that rolled around my thinking was that when God's light shines on me, it also reflects off from me.  When I thought about the science of light bouncing off from objects it hits, it was a clear picture of God's light bouncing off from what He is doing in my life WHEN I am keeping my eyes focused on Him and walking in His lighted path for me.  The purpose of a light is so that one can see the way.  The purpose of God's plan for me is to reflect His light and His glory to those around me who may be struggling to keep their faces lifted towards God's  light of hope or may be choosing to walk in their own shadows.  One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 3:5 that says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding."   I have learned through many years of walking in God's light and trudging in my own shadow, that trusting the Lord for my very next step is the only place that I can find hope, peace and joy that the angels sang about in the lighted sky that night so long ago.  The song that God brought to me to sing for our Christmas Eve service tonight is the "Christmas Star" by Cece Winans.   These words say what my heart is thinking this morning.

 "The greatest gift that God could give became the Christmas Star.

There's a light that shines on everyone, 

Burning brighter everyday

For the souls who search for peace on earth

It's the Christmas Star that lights the way."

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to each of you and may you lift your face to the only source of peace and joy, Jesus Christ our Lord.