Hair Drying and God Speaking

I hear from God most clearly when I am drying my hair.  Go ahead and laugh.  It is funny but it's true.  Could be the hum of the hair dryer drowns out all the other noise that is constant in my house.  It is one moment in my day when I am relatively still and I stand in front of the mirror almost robotically to dry my hair and my mind always starts to wander.

I think about my life, my husband, my children and  trials my friends and family may be going through.  It is often a time when I pray for people who I have promised to pray for.  I don't take that lightly. That is one lesson God taught me through my own daughter's illness.  Don't flippantly tell people you are going to pray for them.  If you say it really do it.  They are counting on you. Do it while you dry your hair each morning;)

A couple of weeks ago, while drying my hair God put one of my girlfriends on my heart and a specific message I felt she needed to hear.  I immediately stopped and went to email her.  She called me a week later and told me that is exactly the encouragement she needed.  I never want to miss a time when God wants to use me to speak to someone.

Sunday morning I was thinking about my own life and some things I am worried about and the verse "The joy of the Lord is my strength," popped right into my head.  The last month or so the verse "Be still and know that I am God." seems to appear everywhere. It was a verse in my morning devotional, it was a title to a song on my daughter's lullaby tape, my sister has it written  on Caleb's nursery wall. Coincidence? I think not.  I had to smile.  "Okay God. I get what you are trying to tell me." 

I haven't always heard from God so clearly and I have been a Christian for many years.  I had the thought yesterday that in order for God speak to me He uses His word.  I haven't always had a consistent devotional time and I haven't always hungered for God's word.  Once I started making it a priority and I became more familiar with different Bible verses I saw how God used this to speak to me.

I had been thinking about all this the past few days and then I heard a song on the radio today as I was chauffeuring my kiddos to school.  I thought, "Okay God, I know you want this to be my next blog post and it prompted me to write today.  The chorus goes like this:

Word of God speak
Would you pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That you're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In your holiness
Word of God speak

I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice.

So whether it is while you are drying your hair, or running, or at night after the kids go to bed  or early in the morning over a hot cup of coffee ( or even luke warm...mine is always luke warm due to interruptions;) take some time to let Jesus speak to you.  If you delve into His word and learn it, it will be easier to discern what God is saying to you. It will give you peace in your own life and He will be able to use you to impact others.  Trust me there is a peace knowing that no matter what happens God is near.  I believe He is near to me and I am thankful.

 A picture of my hair actually dried and fixed!  I have to admit I have been pony tailing it up and slapping on a hat all too often lately.  Guess I should fix my hair everyday and give God a chance to speak!  There is some motivation!

A Challenge.

November.  I love November.  The hot, sticky Florida air cools down.  We open our windows and let the breeze refresh our home and our souls.  It's a first opportunity for new fuzzy sweatshirts and sparkly boots.

 

I have noticed over the past few years that people on Facebook are doing the 30 Days of Thankfulness and naming things they are thankful for each day.   What a great idea.  However, I want to propose a challenge.  Since people are very focused right now on the blessings in life take the time to bless someone else.

Step our of your box, your busy schedule, your everyday routine and take the time to brighten someone's day.  Take someone a meal, send a hand written note to let somebody know how special he/she is to you, pay for the persons dinner behind you in the drive thru line, drop by a friend's home with their favorite coffee, volunteer at the food pantry, take care of your neighbor's children for a few hours, donate some clothes to Goodwill, give money to a worthy cause.  That's just for starters.

I am just so convicted lately how easy it is to sit back stagnantly in our comfy, privileged lifestyles and tell everyone how blessed and thankful we are. Do we pay it forward?  God commands us to.

Actions speak louder than words. 

It's so true.

Not such a bad thing to get your kiddos involved in either.  Show them in a tangible way what it means to care and to give back.

 I am allowed to enjoy my blessings but, I must remember that the main reason for which God has blessed me is so I may be a blessing to others.

Christian love puts others above ourselves

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."  Philippians 2:3-4

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."  Matthew 5:16

Stop talking, get up and go.

And by the way today and everyday I am thankful for the greatest blessings of my life.... my nest of little girls.  Oh how I love them so.

Do you think I can say the word blessing one more time in this post?  I need a thesaurus.

Blessings to you...hehehe.