Beginnings, A Driving with Anna Devotional
Anna K Payne
Published by AP Creations at Smashwords
Copyright 2010 Anna K Payne
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Table of Contents
Guard Your Hearth, Diligent Warrior
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Be the Strength of My Life
Every year I pick a theme. At different times I have had theme songs or theme bible verses. For my overall “where I am going this year” I like to have a yearly theme.
In thinking about the New Year and my theme for this year, I had some difficulty getting the ideas to come together. After a while, I finally figured out that it would just take time. And since that time will be spent searching the scriptures and putting together the lessons God will be teaching me this year, I can only say, I will enjoy it, mostly.
For the last several years I have been working through the same verse in Deuteronomy. I have been through do not fear, do not be dismayed, be courageous. Several of these have taken more than one year to understand and attempt to incorporate in my life.
This year is about strength. I have felt drawn to strength in songs and bible verses. I started wondering why I needed strength. I mean, I needed courage and to learn not to fear when everything in my life started changing. My three children moved from high school to college and I started working fulltime and then changed jobs to a high-pressure type of job. So, I am now learning about strength.
I mentioned this new fear to my daughter who reminded me that I needed to take it one step at a time. I said, but! And she said, well, he told me to be a warrior. Just take it one step at a time.
So, for this year, I say, Lord, be the strength of my life. Strengthen my feeble hands and knees. Strengthen me with your power. Strengthen me according to your word. You are my strength and shield. You are my refuge and my strength. You will keep me strong. The joy of the Lord is my strength. You are the strength of my heart. You will strengthen and protect me.
So I will not fear, for God is with me, I will not be dismayed for you are my God. You will strengthen me and help me. You will uphold me with your righteous right hand.
I can do all things through him who gives me strength. I will be strong and courageous. I will not be afraid or terrified for God goes with me, he will never leave me nor forsake me. The Lord himself goes before me and will be with me, he will never leave me nor forsake me. I will not be afraid. I will not be discouraged.
How is God speaking to you? What is your theme?
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Change is Here, Good or Not!
This year my family is going through some changes. I have a new job that isn’t flexible hours and isn’t close to home, so I’m not going to be as available to do things like I have been. My son is attending UCI upper level classes and is finding homework a little bit more challenging, so he is studying more than I have ever seen him study. My middle daughter is getting married in June, just a few short months away, while still attending upper level classes at CSLB. Plans are moving forward, I hope, as she plans to marry her best friend.
My youngest daughter is in her second semester of college, learning new things, making plans to get a job soon. My husband is in a career where everything changes with each new project. He seems to be coping just fine with the rest of our changes.
So as I pray for my family I always pray for myself too, that God will give me a wise mind and spirit attuned to his will, to acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. Because, seriously, I would not have imagined this year quite this way!
Let’s pray for our church staff, our students and children, the volunteers, the parents and ourselves together.
Colossians 1:9-12 (Anna’s Paraphrase) Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you and us, asking God to give us all wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that we will all live well for the Master, making him proud of us as we work hard in his orchard. As we all learn more and more how God works, we all will learn how to do our work. We pray that we will all have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting our teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us all.
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A New Year is Coming…
Every year I try to figure out what God wants me to work on for the year. A few years ago, it was dealing with fear (Fear not, for I am with you), then it was stepping out and doing what God told me to do (Be strong and courageous). I may still have problems dealing with fear.
Ok, I do. Just this last week I spent 2 hours in the car tense and on edge while my husband calmly drove through Saturday night traffic. And I still have problems stepping out and doing what God says when He says it, but I am listening!
This year I found my verse in Ephesians. Actually, I found it at the end of a Christian fiction novel by Patt Marr.
Ephesians 3:14-21 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—which Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in.
And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Glory to God in the church! Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus! Glory down all the generations! Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!
Patt’s response to this verse is: “My 2008 New Year’s resolution is to dream big, ask largely, praise Him generously and surrender what I think I want so the Lord can supply what HE wants for me.” I’m with Patt this year. I will dare to dream and dare to ask!
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Guard Your Heart, Diligent Warrior
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays. I enjoyed my week off with my family last week. I was able to spend some time with each of my children and my husband. It was a precious time.