Side By Side

"If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another!"

~ 1 John 1:7 ~

WOW......I really can't believe I have not posted here since January. Where does the time go? Things here have been busy, as I am sure that goes for you all as well.  Life has a habit of getting in the way sometimes, doesn't it?   Some of those time are not what we have wanted nor what we had expected, but PRAISE THE LORD, good or bad, He gets us through them!

I have been trying to make going for a walk part of my daily routine, to get myself back into a healthy physical state, which I know will get my mind back to where it needs to be. I really would love My Skippy Man to go with me, but he gets up between 2:30 - 3:00 every morning for work and by the time he gets home he is just EXHAUSTED and will normally fall asleep on the couch after taking his shoes off.....poor guy.

Anyway, I was reading from a book that a precious friend gave me,  "Soul Retreats for Couples" and came upon this little meditation/devotional that I really feel I need to share with you.  Each entry has three sections to it:  A Moment to Pause, A Moment to Reflect, and A Moment to Refresh.  Today's is titled....

Side by Side

A Moment to Pause ~ Plan a walk today, perhaps in the early morning when the air is fresh and the sun is just beginning to make an appearance.  It's fun to be together first thing before the demands of the day start.  Evening is also a good time to walk, just before dusk, as the brilliant colors of the sunset decorate the sky.  Take the opportunity to set aside the busyness of the day and reestablish the special rhythm of your life together as you walk.

Purposefully strolling along a quiet street, a wooded trail, or even a sandy beach can provide an opportunity for relaxed conversation, renew you mentally and spiritually, and give you healthy exercise.

As you walk, make a game of it.  Notice your footsteps.  Who walks faster? Whose steps are longer?  Do your arms swing in unison?  Do you hold hands?  Listen to the rhythm of your breathing, separately and together.  Notice how each of you responds to obstacles in the path.  think about how God caused your steps to cross and how He brought you both together to pursue His purposes.

Most of all, enjoy the physical connectedness of walking side by side, being one unit, each of you complementing and fulfilling the other.

A Moment to Reflect ~ God sees you and loves each of you as individuals, and He loves you as a couple  Your walk with each other represents your commitment to love and support each other, your commitment to walk together through the ups and downs of life.  At a word from you, God walks alongside.

God will teach you to walk in harmony with each other by giving you an appreciation for your differences and similarities, and He will provide you with wisdom and counsel as you come across obstacles in life's path that threaten to cause you to stumble.

Walk quietly--

And know that He is God.

Let your life be governed by His guiding hand

E'en though it varies from the way you planned, 

Bow your head in sweet submission and

Walk quietly--

~~

Author Unknown

 A Moment to Refresh

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  Isaiah 40:31 NIV

"He who walks with the wise grows wise."  Proverbs 13:20 NIV

"Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart.  Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.  Turn my heart toward your statues and not toward selfish gain."  Psalm 119:34-36

"The Lord gies wisdon, and from His mouth come knowledge and undestanding."  Proverbs 2:6 NIV

"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, 

O Lord."  Psalm 89:15 NIV

"Live in harmony with one another."  1 Peter 3:8 NIV

"Walk in all the way that the Lord your God hs commanded you."  Deuteronomy 5:33 NIV

"Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.  Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.  Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.'  Proverbs 4:25-27

GOD BLESS!!

The Season of Friendship

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

” When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support,
To aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
This person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,
Things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson,
Love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. “

Got to read this in a forwarded mail. Really true lines. I had/have few peoples for a reason and more peoples for a season and very few for a lifetime.The lessons learnt were harder at times and difficult to accept. But valuable lessons for lifetime. Nothing is occurring/happening for granted …everything has a reason.