Have you eaten your words today?

open mouth, insert foot...

You could say I have an eating disorder, speech-wise, I eat my words so often.

When we talk of “eating our words”, it’s an “oops!” statement. We regret something we’ve said, put our foot in our mouth, etc.

Well, instead of eating our words, why not gorge ourselves on God’s instead?

Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. ~ Jeremiah 15:16

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! [yea, sweeter] than honey to my mouth! ~~ Psalm 119:103

O taste and see that the LORD [is] good: blessed [is] the man [that] trusteth in him.  ~~ Psalm 34:8

God’s words are perfect; no foot-in-the-mouth, wish-he-hadn’t-said-that statements.

Perfectly good words that he’ll never take back till they’ve accomplished all the good for which he sent them (Is 55:11)

And speaking of “all”, I’m about to serve you a plateful of “all” verses from the Bible.

They’re verses that remind us of all God’s done for us,

all He can do for and through us,

and all the reasons we should just love Him

even more than our daily bread...

or chocolate

or even an ice cream mocha!

No need to grab a fork or spoon, just dig in.  These verses are all calorie-free comfort food from the “God of all comfort”! (2 Corinthians 1:3)…

“ALL” verses:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  ~~ Romans 15:13

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  ~~ 2 Corinthians 9:8

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. ~~ Ephesians 3:20-21

Whew!  That was a mouthful. I encourage you to write them all down and look at them all the times you feel hopeless, joyless, or powerless.

Do you have other verses that encourage you?  Share them with all of us!

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On the Road Again…

Well, my hubby and I are back on the road tomorrow early to continue our…(dramatic music)

Ride Across America!

— our virtual tour of the Southern states.  We do the miles in and around our midwestern town and track our progress on a google map.  We started in Florida back in March (pretend) and are now in Texas, where’s we’ve stuck in Van Horn, near the western border,  for almost a week now because my husband has had to work overtime back here in Illinois.

Confused?  Scroll down a few posts to catch up.

Now where was I?

Oh, so we’ll fall leap out of bed at 4 am and be sluggishly eagerly pedaling 30 minutes later down highway 10.

By Saturday, Lord willing and if the tires hold out, we’ll be 80 to 100 miles further down the road, soon to be entering New Mexico on our way to San Diego, CA.

Riding that many miles takes fuel, so we eat a quick breakfast to start out right and snack along the way.

To ride through life, the Christian needs fuel, too.

Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.  ~~ Jeremiah 15:16

A quick read in the morning to start out right (longer when time permits) and snacking on Scripture throughout the day keeps our faith strong.

And we need to talk to and listen to God.  He’s got important things to say, like, “I love you! I love you!  I love you!”  And, “I’m with you!  I’m with you! I’m with you!”

“You’re not alone.”  “We’re in this together.”  “Listen to me, follow me, and share my love with others.”

It’s the day to day pedaling with God that gets us closer and closer to the goal:

LOVE!!!

“Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts. For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the LORD.”  ~~ Proverbs 8:35

Stop, Drop, and Pray!

Let’s Pray:

But first, a quick note:

I LOVE to pray God’s words back to Him.

Why?

Because there’s POWER in it.

One of my favorite Bible teachers, Beth Moore (who IS a Texas woman, by the way, so it’s fitting I should mention her since we’re pretend biking through her state.)

Anyway, Beth Moore said that because both are so powerful, prayer AND God’s Word, when you combine them together, it’s like strapping two sticks of dynamite together.  KABOOM!!!

Though we may not hear it or see it, there’s an explosion in the spiritual realm.

So, let’s get to lightin’ that fuse….

Oh, Father in heaven, thank you for Your Word.  It’s a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my way. (Psalm 119:105)

Your word revives me. (Psalm 119:50)

And I am BLESSED when I follow You and seek You with all my heart. (Psalm 119:2)

Teach me, Father.  Give me understanding.  Direct me in the paths of Your commands, and may I just be delighted to follow your lead. (Psalm 19:33-35)

In Jesus’ name, Amen!!!!

Do you know the Lord, or are you biking solo?  Click on the pic below for a quick introduction.  Come on!  You need your “helmet of salvation” in place as you ride out the rest of your life:

"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God." Ephesians 6:17

*****Cute doggie picture from: Cycleicio.us

Scrumpdily-itious Faith

"Thy words were found and I ate them and they became for me a joy and the delight of my heart..." Jeremiah 15:16

See those yummy, scrumptious cookie bars on the plate there?  Highly addictive.  I just can’t stop shoving them in my mouth!  They’re “Big Sur Power Bars” and contain all kinds of good stuff, like coconut,  slivered almonds, oats, brown rice crispies (like rice crispies, but healthier), and the paste of resistance? –that’s French, ya know. 🙂  — Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chocolate!  Applause all around!!

And look at Papa Bear’s smug little grin. ( *frown*)  Not exactly fair.  He didn’t get that paunch eating porridge, ya know.

Ah, if only I could be so eager for the Word of God.  It’s a tasty morsel for the soul, and much, MUCH better for me than power bars. (See below for recipe.)

Well, here’s a yummy recipe for PEACE and JOY:

~1 part Bible reading, daily is best.

~mixed with 1 part prayer, make sure to pour your heart out here.

~combine with 2 parts obedience.

I got that recipe from a Master Chef.  🙂  See?

BIBLE READING: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

PRAYER: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7

OBEDIENCE: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”  Matthew 7:24-25

The Power Bar Prayer: “ Oh, Father, you are a Master Chef and have cooked up all kinds of good things for me in the Bible.  Help me to love Your Word so much I want to eat it up like chocolate.  AND help me to DO IT, not just hear and ignore it.  And Lord, I want to pour my heart out to you now about this thing that’s really bothering/hurting/worrying me…(fill in the blank, take your time). 

Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.  Thank you, Father, for Your peace, which surpasses understanding.  In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Do you know the Master Chef?  Click on the pots and pans to cook up a relationship with him:

Big Sur Power Bars (I added the chocolate!) 

pots and pan clipart from: www.clipartguide.com