From DoodleGraphics

If you asked me for a list of 1,000 things that I love, or even like, spiders would not appear.  Not even at 998 or 999.  I really dislike spiders.  However, this past Sunday morning a spider taught me a lesson that I won't soon forget.  You see there is a spider that lives in our driver's side mirror.  I had observed it in days prior but it wasn't bothering me directly so I left it alone.  However, as we pulled out of the driveway on Sunday I realized that it hadn't had time to get from its web to the mirror for a comfortable ride down the road.  Instead it was swinging back and forth like the most crazy amusement park ride you could imagine.  The spider was curled up in a ball and holding on for dear life.

Warren and I were quite amused and he insisted that it was not going to fall.  I was not so sure.  But he ended up being right.  The little critter made it all the way to our destination, which happened to be a restaurant where we were going to grab a quick breakfast on the way to church.  Now normally we don't go in to eat because we don't have enough time on a Sunday morning but yesterday we were a bit earlier than usual and so it worked out.  Warren had assured me that if the spider was still attached when we got there that he would set it free in the parking lot.  We figured that it would just move on and set up house on another car or on a nearby fence post.  We were actually quite pleased at the expected outcome.

He followed through on his promise and I felt much better knowing that we were going to be rid of that pest. While it had been interesting and amusing I maintain my dislike of spiders.

We ate our eggs and toast, paid the bill and returned to the car.  Warren burst out laughing.  The spider was back.  Curled up on the mirror as if it had never been removed.  What could I do but laugh as well.  The attachment of the web had apparently not been broken.  What was the little thing to do but return home?
And so it did.

Of course my mind turned this into a lesson for myself.  A reminder to build my priorities and my home to such a strength and priority that I could not easily be removed and resettled.  How often do we seek to find our happiness and reward outside of the simple things that are most important?  Our faith, our family and our home?

How many times do I disdain the routines of cleaning my house in favor of the more glamorous thrill of ....well...just about anything else!  Or how often do I take a pass on a quiet time in favor of more time on Facebook?  Often, it is true.

Every time we transfer our allegiance to something outside of these basic priorities we are missing opportunities to strengthen our connection to the things that should be our home base.  Those things that when our world gets shaken allow us to find our way home.

Just like the little guy we are now calling Brandon.  Hey, don't blame me.  Chelsea gave him the name.  :-)

Thanks for reading....Becky at Good Neighbors Candles

The day after my husband and I were conversing about this, friends of ours came over. We were to have a meeting, planning our youth camps for the year. We normally have a short devotional before starting our meetings. So we did. We read out of the book of Job.

I began to think...

"I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." Jeremiah 29:11

Let me share this short story with you:

As the father wakes to a blazing fire in his home, he realized his young son is upstairs. The fire is so bad it's hard to see through the flames and smoke. He hears his son screaming for him. The father realizes he is unable to get him, the flames have engulfed the stairs.
As the young boy stand at the top of the stairs unable to see his father standing below, his father yells, "Son, just jump! I can see you. I will catch you!" The son replies, "But dad, I can't see you. I'm scared!" His father again replies, "Son, don't worry! Trust me! I can see you. Jump!"
Although scared, and unable to see his father, he jumps. Only to fall into his fathers arms and out to safety.

Sometimes, we have a hard time trusting Him when we can't see what we were anticipating. We doubt. Always remember He is at times just simply waiting on us to be faithful and have complete trust in Him. Once we let go of our doubts and fears and JUST JUMP, we will realize we will be falling into His arms and taken onto HIS purpose and plans.

If you don't remember anything else from this, remember this...

I hope you have enjoyed this and today's faith driven finds.

In His Love,

Ana

by Phyllis Ducey
pfdoriginalartworks



There are days my heart weighs so heavy I wonder how my body can carry it around. I listen… and people share. They share their heartaches: a cheating husband, an impending divorce, an abused child, money issues… oh so many money problems. Health issues: cancer, surgery, allergies, flu, autoimmune system problems, depression, chronic pain. Interpersonal problems: meddling parents, non-listening children, drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, alcohol addictions… the lists are endless. Oh my goodness, those are just the tip of the ice berg. I have not even touched on the world issues such as hunger, diseases, natural disasters, man-created disasters….

Have you ever been so overwhelmed you could not even pray? What is the use? The world just keeps going and gets worst by the day. What can my little prayer do? Why would God even listen to me? Is He a God who interacts with us or is He just the great chess player in the sky?

How do I reconcile all these questions, doubts and concerns in order that I can continue to function and have peace, even joy in life? I may not have answers and may have more questions than I have paper but I have peace. The peace comes from the Lord. It comes from trust. In God’s word it tells us that he who is faithful in little things will receive much.


I found it worked that way with my relationship with the Lord too. As I began to acknowledge how God was being faithful to me in little things, in spite of my sins, I began to trust Him. I was not an instant truster (I don’t think that is a word but it works for me). I saw God answer prayers before I was convinced that I needed Him or really wanted Him in my life. I knew He was there but was not convinced He cared about me.

One night I was at my sister’s house in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and we got a call that my dad was in the hospital in Arkansas with a gall stone. We decided that we would travel down there (an 18 hour drive) after he came home from the hospital to help my mom with him. I thought it would be best for us to head home the next day which would put us 6 hours closer. I remember that night clearly, it was beautifully peaceful with crisp air, a bright moon and lots of stars. I was out in my sister’s back yard (40 + acres) loading the van praying for my dad halfheartedly (because I doubted God really cared about gall stones nor was I convinced He was listening) when I felt something like a gentle hand on my shoulder. At the same moment I heard or felt a voice telling me I did not have to pray anymore, everything was alright because my dad had just died. Somehow this all was very comforting and reassuring. Strange isn’t it, being told your dad died but everything was alright and finding that comforting? But it was.

I walked into the house and told my sister we ought to call the hospital but did not tell her why. We called and it was confirmed my dad had just died moments before. This was such a strange event to me that I did not share it with anyone for years.

God was faithful to me even before I was faithful to Him. His comfort came before I asked for it. He is God, He does not need to prove Himself to me or anyone but He chooses to. Amazing, isn’t it? God chooses to reveal Himself personally to each of us.


The only times all those overwhelming burdens get to me is when I do not give them to Him. When it is all about me. Then I am “so weighed down” by it all that prayer seems useless. In reality, I am never “so weighed down” unless I choose to be. It is my choice. God has proven His faithfulness… it is I who need to accept the gifts He gives me… including the gift of peace – the peace that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The peace that He knows the end from the beginning and He is in control. God tells us to pray about everything and He will give us peace.


So I can give it all to Him in prayer and I pray because He tells me to… not because I feel like it but in obedience to Him. When I am obedient to Him, I am not weighed down. I find that joy. It infiltrates its way into my being... sometimes ever so subtlety, other times powerfully!

Here are some selections from our awesome CAST Team members. Please check them out and give them some hearts!