Breath of fresh air!

Yesterday I had the privilege of taking the day off and going out to a special place called the Southwest Churistian Center. It was a heart health spent day—clearing the mind, strengthening the spirit, and delighting the soul.  How so?  The mind was full of God's power to create and sustain as I see the beauty of the Mogollon Mountains and the huge cottonwood trees as ready as we are for "true Spring" weather.....but a lot more patient. The spirit through the fellowship of the ride out with my daughter in law, two grandkids, and their cousin and sharing around the awesome Dutch oven cooked lunch of my Pops was refreshed and renewed.  As I watched the three little kids all between 3 and 4 years old in age ( the director's little boy joined in the happy melee) enjoy each other my soul was delighted. 
Most days it takes a little bit more effort to find some good heart time and experience. It is worth the effort!  Blessings on your day,
Mimi D

Our heavenly Father is watching!

What's your initial reaction to the Scripture above? The continuim  stretches from "Yeah, right" to " Oh, my! He knows not only my actions but what makes me do what I do and don't do!"  The continuim also goes through the intersection of "I'm so glad He's watching over me" and "I'm glad He loves me not because of who I am but because of who He is."  If Everything we need to know we learned in Kindergarten, then I am beginning to realize that we need to just stick to the basics of Sunday School and Vacation Bible School!  Remember the children's song,"Oh be careful little eyes what you see......for the Father up above is looking down with love..." That song pretty well sums up what God desires from his folks.

Have a good weekend—rest. play, and give something away.
Mimi D

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Top of the morning to you....and if you read this in the afternoon, the top of that to you as well!  Have some fun, tell someone about Jesus, and be sure to wear green!
Christ be with me, Christ within me,


Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.



Do you know how St. Patrick's life serves as a Christian model of forgiveness, preparation for service, and dream big for God and trust Him to do it? It's all in an article I wrote and it was published by the Desert Exposure, March issue,www.desertexposure.com in the Body, Mind & Spirit section.
Blessings on your day!
Mimi D

Foil Agent 666's attempts

Sometimes a lot of good comes from just knowing your place.  As a Christian it is behind the breastplate of righteousness.  It protects our heart and spirit. Receive and use this gift everyday. Jesus was given for you!
So stand stong in the Lord......yes, even on a Monday when  our internal clocks are hesitating to adjust to springing forward.
Time to walk with Jesus on the treadmill.
Hugs,
Mimi D

Enjoy God's Presence through Creation

I bind unto myself today                

The virtues of the starlit heaven,

The glorious sun’s life-giving ray

The whiteness of the moon at even

The flashing of the lightning free,

The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks

The stable earth, the deep salt sea

Around the old eternal rocks.





Selah.

Only one week away!

St. Patrick's Day is only one week away!  Do you have your green ready?  I do!  But if the weather continues like the present, an inch of snow and 26, I may momentarily regret shrinking out of my green wool trousers.  Momentarily....Anyway, this newly added section to his prayer is powerful. As milk and cookies does a body and soul good, meditating on this will uplift your spirit! I "bind unto myself today" may sound a wee bit odd to your ears, no matter the color. "I arise today" "I confess today " also convey the idea.

I bind unto myself today



the power of God to hold and lead,


His eye to watch, His might to stay,


His ear to hearken to my need,


The wisdom of my God to teach,


His hand to guide, His shield to ward,


The word of God to give me speech,


His heavenly host to be my guard.

I am sure that I will at some point in my day today need every attribute of God identified in this section of the prayer.
 Hugs and blessings, Mimi D

Get off the beaten path!

Getting out of our typical Sunday routine, yesterday Bob  and I grabbed the essentials for a morning  excursion (coffee, banana, snack, binoculars, hat for the bedhead hair, a warm jacket , and camera—why travel light when you can take the pleasures of cumulus numerous with you) and headed up to check on the mountain snow at Signal Peak.  It was great!  We didn't get very far up the road but that was irrelevant.  The countryside still has snow in varying amounts among the huge giants of the forest, the ponderosa pines, and the creeks and dry ravines were running with water. So if you think you have seen NM because you drove through on your way to or from California, here's some photos to make you reconsider.

                                  I go to the Rock...                       Sorry you can t hear the running water

The air was refreshing!    May the road rise to meet you; may the wind be ever at   your back and May the Lord always keep you in the palm of his hand.  

Blessings on your Mondayy!         Do something different today!All of this good stuff was even before church!  Romans 12: 11 says "Don't burn out, keep yourselves fueled and aflame. 

Time to make meatloaf for tommorow's meatloaf stew!

Hugs, Mini

Two part harmony

Practice playing second fiddle.
Now there's a thought from The Message which  is not advocated by many in our society.  But if we desire to live in harmony, that may be just the thing we need to do.  Realistically speaking, don't we find ourselves playing second fiddle more often than not? We might as well practice so we can play it well. It's the second, third, and fourth fiddles that bring the beautiful symphony to music and to our lives.
Hugs,
Mimi D

Planting and Caring for a Garden of Gratitude

Romans 12: 3 I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.


4-6 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't. Romans 12:3-6

Cultivating Deep Gratitude

TV shows that would probably not go into syndication: “Who wants to be a millionaire and give it all to charity?” or “GSB” (God’s Showers of Blessings). How about “and now a word from your daily sponsor…the TV gets brighter and totally silent….and in a still, small voice we hear God.” I don’t think we’d better wait for any of the above before cultivating a deepening Gratitude for all we are in Christ—a child of God loved beyond measure and part of His body. If you have detached yourself from His body, do you know that just as fingers, toes, and teeth are reattach able so are you? Everyone and their sister, including O, says keep a gratitude journal. That’s good and I say “Amen, sister!” but also cultivate a deepening gratitude in your heart by “living in pure grace” which is defined in the Amplified version as ….grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance].
And say thank you to God for the service He calls you to and enables you to do. Everyday.

“And now we return to our program, God’s Got the Whole World and Me in His Hands.

Time to kick up my heels,
Mimi D

I've got to be me!

My voice yesterday sounded more like the Tinman than me, especially the over the phone voice. But I was still me. This baby toe in the body of Christ was still a baby toe but was volume challenged due to a sinus problem. Folks who know me had to ask whom they were talking to. I assured them that it really was me!
 Romans 12:3 gives us a key to mental and emotional health
                                            "let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be"
It's enough for me!  Being me is a fulltime job! A lesson from the movie "Runaway Bride"—know yourself and be yourself then you can enjoy others and not flee intimacy  of relationships,
Hugs,
Mimi

Nugget from Romans 12

"God brings out the best in you,develops well-formed maturity in you."  Romans 12:2
 And it's true even on a Monday where you feel more like Monday morning coming down than Victory in Jesus is what the fiddler is playing in your heart today. My two questions to let tumble around in my mind are:  How can I today bring out the best in others? and What does well formed maturity look like?" My short answer takes on these questions:
Well formed maturity: built on a firm foundation of a strong relationship with Christ, walk matches your talk, and you look for places to serve.
Bring out the best in others through asking for their help from the place of their strength, expressing encouragement and appreciation, and strengthening your relationship with them.
Hey, I'm starting to whistle Victory....must have something to do with "Fix your attention on God."
Blessings,
Mimi D