Leviticus 26:2-4 You shall keep My sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary: If I am the Lord. If you walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
Ecclesiastes 3:1,2 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven; a time to be born, and a time to die.
Isaiah 55:9-11 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Over the years, many persons have mentioned poor weather to me; and occasionally I have agreed. Certainly, as an adult I no longer enjoyed the winters I had grown up with; they seemed to last far too LONG. All looked dismal to me with no leaves on the trees, and lots of gray and slush covered roads. It did not take long for the dirt of the roads to cover the roadsides with dark mud, making it all look dirty and nasty. The fall colors were brilliant with the bright reds, yellows as the leaves on the trees changed. But all too soon they fell off the trees, and the beautiful color turned all browns, with stark dark trunks and limbs reaching up, making all look forlorn and almost scary. And it lasted from early October through mid-April, and by the time I was an adult, I liked the cold sports less and less.
I was blessed with an opportunity to live in Germany for several years. Occasionally while working at the clinic, one of the patients would complain of the weather. Although there were a few gray days, I found the weather more enjoyable and pretty. Certainly, we got a lot of snow, but the Germans enjoy doing outside walks, sharing coffee in an afternoon, and attending to separate shops for butcher, bakery, and other specialty shops.
We were transferred to North Carolina in January of 2000. Again, many people commented to us about the “awful weather here,” or “it’s NC, wait five minutes and the weather will change.” I did not find this to be true. Maybe, I was not aware of so much poor weather, turning a blind eye to it. with the arrival of 2017, I decided to test that and to record the weather daily. In all honesty, the weather is good to excellent here, 92% of the time. I am convinced it is one of God’s blessings. I save the calendars in case you doubt!!
I am now recording the weather for the fifth year. Certainly it is not wonderful every day, but nor is it dreadful, gray, and long lasting poor weather for the majority of days. I find the majority of days are mostly good even if some are partly cloudy and gray, there is some sunshine and the temperatures are warmer than in New England. Sure, we occasionally gray, cold, dreary days, but that is not what we normally have, even in winter. And when the winter days are raw and bleak, I have only to remember our winter season seems much shorter. Traditionally we are not into very cold days until mid-November, and by mid-March I am making trips to the flower shops and starting to plant bursts of color. It is sometimes too soon, and I lose one or two of my plantings, but this is much more satisfying weather-wise for me to be in warmer temperatures, mostly blue skies even without lots of sun, then the early sprouting of white blossoms and then the Bartlett Pear trees burst into pale green leaves. Within a short while forsythia and azaleas burst out in colors, and Spring has sprung into being
For me, the winters are lovely here. We may get a rare and, therefore more beautiful, snowstorm; many of the bushes retain their green leaves throughout most of the season, the weather, although occasionally damp, is more temperate. It is not as though we do not get very cold temperatures, but generally they stay mostly in the 40’s and 50’s. Yes, we get some biting and damp winds, but temperatures are more temperate. The sun shines about forty minutes longer than in New England. Dusk is beginning about 4:30 in the afternoons there, and we bid adieu to the sun about 4:55; sunrise closer to 7:30 in the morning. Such a decrease in sunlight was a pall for me to endure when living in New England. I find winters much more tolerable in North Carolina than in the darker clime of New England.
I feel blessed that God led us to be transferred to this area. He knew the exact climate that would be best for my husband and myself. So I thank You daily and always, my God, for all of my blessings and for ‘mybellaviews.’
“All the world lives in tents–content and discontent.” Marquee Messages, 2000 pg 74
Proverbs 14:30 A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot
Ecclesiastes 6:9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite; this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and d not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
Oftentimes at least in this day and age, ne sees persons hurrying and scurrying, striving to do many, many things. For many, yes, they are dashing about to increase their position of both power and wealth, believing that more will bring them happiness, pleasure and success. It is not uncommon to see a more financially compensated person working in an office away from, separated by long hours from family, mealtimes, and haven (or nowadays, may be working from home, but still secluded, locked into working and climbing the stressful ladder to the top).
I understand working hard, being loyal to the company. I was employed for a couple of decades with the same hospital and giving my best. Those were traits instilled by my hard-working parents. I do not remember being encouraged to ‘it’s okay if your long work hours separate you from your family and their activities, the one with the most money wins, the one with the impressive title is the king of the hill…’ It was do your best no matter the job, but family life is part of that job and responsibility.
Discontent arises from many areas of your thought processes. Are you pushing yourself in one direction and yearning for family? Are you envious of what someone else (or several someones) may have? Are there new cars, new technology, something else that you yearn for and cannot yet have? You feel you must keep climbing for more money, the next promotion, the power, the admiration?
Upon your death, you cannot take any of that with you. We all leave this world in the same manner we entered–albeit with an older covering. But you arrive naked and alone, usually welcomed with warm caring hands and learn about touch and care; but you leave the same, naked and alone. There is no power or adulation cheering you on, UNLESS you get to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” upon reaching heaven if you have chosen Jesus as your Savior.
It’s my guess, if you are striving to fulfill all that is on your calendar and your personal goals, you are spending more time on what you think is important versus what God calls for you to see as important. And that leads to discontentment. It is not just the person working so desperately to provide and climb who becomes discontent.
The stay-at-home mother also feels discontent–there is the societal competition nowadays to enter your children into all sorts of activities. Let’s do sports (oh, you want to try two different ones? Sure, we can do that. And you want dance? Excellent), but now your second child is also looking to try gymnastics and swimming. Oh, can I do singing lessons too?) Whatever happened to the neighborhood chums getting together and pitching a few balls, running a football up and down a field? Maybe there would be less stress because there is less competition, organized competition to play sports, dance, and other activities. Nothing gets to be spontaneous any longer for parents or children. Stress, therefore discontent brewing.
At the end of each day, all are frazzled; there is no to little time to share a meal together, to determine the kind of day each has had, to show appreciation for the fact they are a family, and to praise God for the meal, for the blessing of being.
Discontentment leads us to search for SOMETHING, ANYTHING to please just fill me, make me stop thinking there is more. It’s obviously just work and same, day after day. But that is not so. God can fill our voids, those deep empty places inside, which can lead to contentment and peace and rest.
You may yearn for more knowledge of Him, but His Spirit will provide. The feeling you need to scurry about as busy ants facing the fall season, or as squirrels gathering their winter nourishment, goes, disappears. Contentment comes and you learn what is most important, and when filling yourself with God and who He is and His plan for your life, there comes a peace and rest, as His Word promises (Matthew 11:28). Yes, you will continue to work, but may chose to take a step down, or a new position/career entirely. God shows you a better way for you and your family.
We may not all be blessed with longevity. Do you want your loved ones gathering in remembrance and your own children cannot comment on the type of person you really are? They may have no knowledge of the joking, good humored, fun person who is loyal, kind and a great listener because drive and competition for more, kept you away from them. How can they know, if they have no opportunity to spend time, quality time, with you? That would fill me with regret. But then it’s too late to be not content.
I believe this drive for more and more things, competition of children in all these activities and more are the work of the devil. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. That is his purpose, his desire, his greatest, greedy, destructive goal.
If you’re frazzled, always pressing intently forward with a drive for more, please take some time to seek God, to ask Him into your life, to take Him up on His rest. Life should not be a competition. You can take NOTHING with you. Your family and loved ones are the most important blessings God has given you after giving you His Son, His only means to salvation and life eternal. Don’t let drive and desire lead you to discontentment. Come to God and surrender. Contentment will begin to seep in.
Thank You, Lord, that I learned how to rest in You, seek You in all my discontent. I thank You the Holy Spirit reminds me whenever me and ‘mybellaviews’ start to feel a bit frazzled.
‘Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
Psalm 17:5 Uphold my steps in Your paths, That my footsteps may not slip
Does it seem that you are tempted more often sometimes than others? Does it feel as though every avenue you take seems to be hampered? Are there suddenly lots of stressors, roadblocks, and hardships as you excitedly start on the path you feel He set before you?
It happens almost all the time when we turn more fully to God and what He wants for us. We are suddenly bombarded by opposition. Opposition from Satan himself. One roadblock, trouble, and doubt after another may spring up as the demon tries to fill us with uncertainty all so we will veer off the right path and stumble along, until we fall. Satan loves and delights in our failures to follow God. And he tries his best to make our paths rocky and rut-filled, he is chuckling (demonically) when we question if the direction is truly of God. And if we persist in the direction set before us by God, the troubles, problems and lies build up.
But when the doubts, fears, uncertainties are attacking, that is when we need to rebuke the demon, continue to seek God and the Holy Spirit’s direction. If our paths are set by God, there will be a peace we have, knowing we are going the right way, and know God will see us through the blocks in the path—often in ways we could never have imagined. There is such marvel when somehow doors open and light shines when we are unable to see any way possible.
‘Suffering and trials are a way God tests our faith, a testing ground for true identity and beliefs. It is also a “hothouse” for character growth and development. Yet God will not leave His people broken or bewildered forever. The question is not whether God will reward the righteousness and punish the wicked, but when He will do it. Whether it happens sooner or later, on earth or in heaven, rewards will indeed be given in God’s perfect timing.’ Pg 667 Of The women’s Study Bible, second edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 2006 referring to Job 42:7-17.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
God allows the evil one to torment us and cause us distress to test us, to develop and strengthen our faith, and to show how He can pull us through when there is no earthly way to finish the task. He asks us to trust, to have faith for what we cannot see, and to walk even when our minds are full of doubt, but our hearts are sure in His peace
It’s scary when we start on a new path, even when we feel SURE(?) that this is the path He wants for us? But is it? Is it our desire for this to be the right path? Are we reading correctly or are we interpreting our own conclusions? Are we in prayer and LISTENING to and for His voice and direction? Do we want something SO badly we want this to be His path, but is it what He wants for us? Is it His will for our lives? Are we trying to write our interpretations of what we THINK He wants?
It’s not always easy to know. We SO want what we want…and because of that our hearing, our heart is affected. We Do NOT hear clearly what He wants. We color it our color, and then try to justify. Difficult.
How can you hear? How can you pray and not influence (sway) and manipulate your answer? Your prayers must be heartfelt and true, LISTENING to what you get back. Read the word. If there is anything that is causing your heart to hesitate, wait. Seek. Do not move ahead without a peace in your heart. The Holy Spirit was given to us when Jesus died. He is a gift. He is to help us remember the Word, to imprint God’s words on our hearts and in our minds, and He is a Counselor, and will guide us when we are confused. But we MUST pay attention.
We are human. We want what we want, when we want it. There is an adeptness we have at convincing ourselves this is God’s direction; BUT IF we pay attention, we know it is not. There is no peace with what we have decided. We are uneasy with our decision. We are fearful. Deep down we know it is not right, it is not God’s direction.
Once I move forward in a direction that is NOT God’s will, I don’t know how to back out. I am too concerned with people’s response, than stepping back and regrouping and moving forward to what God’s will is. Shame. But Okay, now what do I do? I’ve compounded my issue and am not able to fix it. What would be the cost? Hmm, rest, peace? But I can point out at least three times in my life, I followed Kathy’s desires, knowing full well, that was not the direction God wanted for me, yet unsure, frightened as to how to back out and not pay a big price, a human price. A bit of money? Some shame, embarrassment? I certainly have not experienced any time in HELL. Nor do I want to. So is not eternity worth far more than embarrassment or shame?
I believe so, yet, I have messed up in my lifetime. And more than once, I am ashamed to say.
Listen to your heart when you pray. Go with the decision that gives you peace and rest, and a certainty. Do move forward with unease. It is never worth it. He will be there if you follow Him. And if you choose the wrong path, yes, He can turn it to good. But that’s down the road, after a period of time of you being in the wrong place and having to struggle through for a time. Taking His way is always the best choice even if the road looks like it might have some hardships, He is with you and will be there to help.
I choose from now on to seek Your will for me; to make my decisions on Your guidance. I am so thankful You have upheld me even when I made wrong decisions. Thank You for the blessings bestowed on me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Deuteronomy 3:22 Do not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God Himself will fight for you.
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? ‘Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go
Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with recompense of God; He will come and save you.”
Isaiah 41:13 For I, the Lord your God will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done marvelous things!
Matthew 10:28, 31 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell
Hebrews 13:6 So we may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’
There are many verses God repeats through different authors He uses to call His people to Him. He created all, all, and He wants us to thankful, amazed, blessed, and in a relationship with Him of awe, so He can continue to bless us throughout our lives.
Of course, we have a self-centered, selfish and doubting nature. We tend to believe everything is going to last great just like it is, there is never going to be a reckoning for misbehavior, for abusing cigarettes, food, sugar, alcohol, daredevil lifestyle and so many other things that have us choosing to live life on the cusp. Cockily, we tend to make our choices, go our own way, and then sometimes, if we make a mess we might look to Him for help.
But God tells us to repent of our sins, to follow and revere Him, to do as instructed with a heart of thankfulness and things will go well; to not fear or worry; to have courage; to love one another; to seek and follow Him; to care for those among us who need help—widows and children who no longer have a man to supply for family; to eat obediently; to recognize and confess sin in order to be forgiven.
If one reads the bible through, these repeated commands become more apparent. Different authors, in different times and places, have had the same words and thoughts imprinted on their minds to set forth to God’s people.
Moses is believed to have written the first five books of the bible—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Numbers. Throughout, Moses shared instructions that God gave him, One of the many commands we see God say is to ’have courage, to not be afraid’. He is not saying to experience no fear; His encouragement is to make known He is with us even in fearful times and to continue to move forward because He is with us.
The Psalms are generally considered to have been written by David who lived around the time of 1000-930 BC. The Psalms also comment on fearful and anxious times. One of the next big authors of the bible is Isaiah and he lived during the period roughly of 740-700 BC, and often, too his message was one of do not fear.
And while Jesus walked did He not preach and teach to not be afraid, yet He moved forward teaching, showing love, and even with the threat of the Jewish leaders, He moved forward, teaching and healing as many as possible.
In all depictions of the verses of the Bible, He showed no fear, yet resolutely, meekly, went before His accusers, suffered their abuses, verbal and physical, and He died on a cross to free us of sin, and become the only true sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. We know He was grieved, probably anxious as He checked on the disciples and wished they could pray with Him, but He did not run, He did not ask His Father to be released from His hours of torment and torture, but He walked with courage to face what He and His Father had set up for our redemption.
So these verses are to remind us that no matter what we are going through, fearing, and suffering, we are to go forward, knowing God is with us, and we can face it with courage. Courage does not mean not being afraid; it takes courage to go forward when you are afraid, but know that you must fight the fight you have been given.
I thank You, Holy Spirit that in a flash of fear or anxiety, you zap a reminder into my memory of one of the verses I have to not fear, for you are with me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Judges 6:12, 14-17 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”…The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’ “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
Judges 6:36-40 Gideon said to God, “If you save Israel by me hand as you have promised—look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.
I heard a sermon about God calling Gideon to fight against the enemy armies. Gideon had enough nerve to tell God, He must be mistaken, after all, “I am the smallest and weakest of my family. You must want someone else.” But, God persisted, saying He was not mistaken, and the uncertain, low self-esteem Gideon felt he had to MAKE SURE, really, truly sure. I am sure when the angel called Gideon ‘a mighty warrior,’ he probably looked over his shoulder to see if one of his brothers or a neighbor was approaching. (I mean, hey, God, you talkin’ to me? To me? Ya know I’m a nobody, right? You can’t be talkin’ to me.) I can just hear him sounding like a kid from the Italian section of NY or Boston, can’t you?
So, Gideon, apologetic, but still needing proof God actually meant to choose him, asked God to give him a sign, and told God the sign so he could know with certainty that this message, feeling, was from God, our Creator. And for two nights running, God answered Gideon’s test exactly as requested. The first night He sent enough water on the fleece only, to wring out a full bowl of water; the next night, He had wetness with the dew only on the grass, but none on the fleece.
How exciting was this! I had only to ask God a question, tell Him which outcome would show me a specific direction, and then follow what I was told. Truly, that was about as far as I developed as a Christian for several years. But I hungered for more, although I did not know what I hungered for.
Of course, I was not positive why I was restless, dissatisfied, and wanting . . . .something. I thought it must be I was a single parent going to school full time and working fulltime. I must be yearning for downtime, a day off without school work and a day not full of errands and chores. That will probably fix this. But it did not.
I then started questioning God. Should I do this or this? If this, then You will do that, and if You want me to do that, then You will do this. Anyone who has known me for years, will tell you that is the way I lived for years. I depended on the fleeces to show me His Will. Finally, God was irritated and told me to grow beyond being a child and SEEK Him.
I was not quite sure how to do this. I was watching different preachers on television, we were attending a bible teaching church on the Sundays I was off, I had a close friend and her husband and we would discuss our growth and hunger to have more, and finally, one of the preachers on tv said I had to be responsible for reading His word, for learning who He is, and learning all about Him as He wrote the bible.
And about this time, I read Deuteronomy 6:36 “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.” And then Matthew 4:7 Again, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ Uh-oh, that is exactly what I had been doing. Yes, testing direction, testing if He would answer and direct my path, and whining if He did not answer promptly. . . . UNTIL He said I needed to grow up and get deeper.
Where to begin? I must say, much of the first five books in the Old Testament left me discouraged. So, I decided to leave that, and move in to the New Testament. Much better, although I did not understand all that I read there either. But I was growing.
Once Gideon believed God did indeed to have him defeat the Midians, he moved confidently. And God certainly did conquer them, again freeing the Israelites from some of their oppression. I wanted Gideon’s confidence. So my reading the bible and attending bible studies and ensuring I was in a bible teaching church continued.
We grow more confident and more in our knowledge when we study and SEEK God. I wish all could know there may be an answer to their restlessness, their yearning, the craving to know and fill themselves with . . .something, can actually be found in God. But I see a lot of head shaking and scoffing at that suggestion oftentimes, and although I don’t hear the words, am sure it is being thought, ‘for sure that is not it.’ People have to be receptive to hear. I pray that perhaps a seed is planted even as the head shakes and it looks as though the thought will be forever spurned; but I don’t know that it was totally discarded, nor do I know who else our Lord may put in this person’s path. So I pray for them.
I continue to pray for all my family; they will seek God and fill voids, bringing more connection into their lives which has NOTHING to do with computers, phones, entertainment, and has more to do with reading and meditating on His Words. Thank You for introducing me to who You are and rescuing me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Hi, I'm Kathy. Welcome to my website!