Life…it’s like a roller coaster and a water slide!

I had a dream last night about a roller coaster that became a water slide. The roller coaster was actually a car, but you could tell it was on one of those tracks that the cart is secured to it with a middle bar.

It started by being a roller coaster, but inside the roller coaster car it looked like a real car with a dashboard. As we are going into a tunnel for the rollercoaster, it looks like a cave inside. In the cave, you can see the tracks but nothing underneath the track. When you look to the side you see nothing but what looks like a big, long deep cavern – something out of Carlsbad Caverns (which I’ve been to). Lighting was throughout so you could see enough, but the area still had shadows. Suddenly there is a big huge dip going down. You can see the tracks clearly and you can see a curve ahead. Suddenly, what you think is a curve is a new portion of the ride. It becomes like a water slide and goes into a deep pool or water. The pool of water has a polar bear. I ride this ride twice. The first time around the polar bear is real and stays on its own side of the water area as we whisk right by him. There is a dip and then another water pool. Then, like all water rides, you have a curved, fun section. Finally, you have the last portion of the ride that is quick and swift and straight before plunging into the bottom.

I know this sounds like a bizarre dream, but it is interesting as it repeats itself again. This time everything is the same except the polar bear. It has now been replaced by a big stuffed polar bear that pretends to come out at you, then a smalled stuffed polar bear is thrown out at you to scare you. Your watercraft (car) hits the side of the pool and you scrap the side. Suddenly you are thrown into the next pool. The person you are with is thrown out of the car, but you keep on going and having fun with all the splashes of water and going side to side. You see the other person behind you struggling because they don’t have a vehicle any more. They are trying to enjoy the ride, but it makes it difficult. You feel sorry for that person, but know that you can’t go back to get them but must go on.

Why did I entitle this blog entry as “Life…it’s like a roller coaster and a water slide?” Well…I was thinking. When we go with God we are on a roller coaster. It has been preset by God. It has been mapped out and we are glued to him. He takes us sometimes through dark places, but there is always just enough light to see. There are ups and downs to this life, but God is still in control. Suddenly, we get thrown into wavy places like a water slide that seem to splash up at us and try to make us feel like we are going to drown. Sometimes the things we face are real and sometimes they are things that have been made up to make us think they are real (you know — the devil goes about like a roaring lion 1 Peter 5:8. He thinks he is a lion, but he is not).

We have times when people are with us all the way through things and then other times they get thrown off by the wayside. We see them struggling, but they are no longer with us on our journey. We want to help, but we can’t for whatever reason.

We are on a water slide because we are still in His wonderful plan and have been given the ability to have free choice, but because we are His, we are still secure in his loving tracks/arms (whether it be a roller coaster that is rigid or one what is like a water slide giving us some maneuvering room).

Speaks Truth, Not Lies

“Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies.”
John 7:18

Teach Me

“Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

Being Wise

“Whoever walks with the wise will become wise; whoever walks with fools will suffer harm.”
Proverbs 13:20

Light & Protector

“For the LORD God is our light and protector. He gives us grace and glory. No good thing will the LORD withhold from those who do what is right.”
Psalm 84:11

My Beloved

You’re My Beloved
You’re My Bride
To sing over you is My delight
Come away with Me My love

You’re Beautiful to Me
So beautiful to Me

Under My mercy
Come and wait
Till we are standing face to face
I see no stain on you
My child

You’re Beautiful to Me
So Beautiful to Me

I sing over you My song of peace
Cast all your care down at My feet
Come and find your rest in Me

I’ll breathe My life inside of you
I’ll bear you up on eagle’s wings
And hide you in the shadow of My strength
I’ll take you to My quiet waters
I’ll restore your soul
Come rest in Me and be made whole

You’re My beloved
You’re My Bride
To sing over you is my delight
Come away with me my love

Hard Work

“Hard work means prosperity; only fools idle away their time.”
Proverbs 12:11 (NLT)

A Certain Kind of Faith

Jesus said,

“I assure you, anyone who doesn’t have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God.”
Mark 10:15

Don’t Be Afraid

“But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just trust me’”
Mark 5:36 (NLT)

Last Year Versus This Year

There have been some things that I have been thinking about lately. What makes this year so different from last year?

1. Older….
2. Wiser…
3. Stronger…
4. Better…
5. Determined…
6. Prayerful…
7. Busier…
8. Helpful…
9. Stressed…
10. Blessed…

I wrote the above as they came to my mind. Now…what do I need to focus on?

1. Be Prayerful
2. Be Walking In The Spirit
3. Be Prepared both in season and out of season
4. Be Proactive
5. Be Gracious
6. Be Prayerful
7. Be who Jesus Wants Me To Be…Like Him
8. Be always with Praise in My Mouth
9. Be Helpful
10. Be Prayerful

I can’t help but think about being prayerful. David prayed at least three times a day…morning, noon and night. Daniel prayed at least three times a day. Jesus prayed always…but you will notice in scripture that he prays often early in the morning. You see Jesus didn’t do anything during the day unless he had spoken with the Father. Jesus was given his direction, or some would say his marching orders, for the day. I believe that if Jesus had not done this every day he could not been in complete alignment with God’s plan. I know that Jesus was the Son of God and part of the triune, yet…you know that he was like us, yet without sin.

How many times have I missed an opportunity to pray with someone or for someone when I have been too busy with whatever I was doing. I know that God has been working on me to pray without ceasing. That means if it is a quick, “Guide me Father.” I am praying. So many times lately God has been placing people in my path to pray for. They often ask me to pray for them. I find myself when they say this doing it right away. I know this is what God wants me to do. Many times you hear someone say to someone else…pray for me. Well….do we? Let me always LORD to do it RIGHT AWAY!

I would ask that each of you pray for me as I continue to do God’s will for my life. That I be sensitive to what he has for me THAT day. Not for the upcoming days..but THAT day. I know he gives us glimpses into the future so that we can prepare and anticipate what is coming next. But I find myself needing strength for that particular day as my call is expanded and enlarged to something greater than what it is right now. I ask for wisdom and discernment into how to orchestrate administratively those things that are happening. I need God’s help in learning to trust people and to let go of those things that so easily beset me. I need to learn to press DELETE. I need to have God direct me and not me direct me.

Much love to all of you.