Hey Organized Ladies! Here is another great post and message from OBS Team Member, Heather Bleier.
Read Chapter Four, highlight any passages that leap off the page. When you find a Bible verse, copy it into your journal, and highlight it in your Bible. Read and respond to my blog Post, “My New Vue.”
My New Vue
A few years ago my husband and I decided it was time to trade in my little red bean; a Ford Focus two-door hatchback. You see we wanted to start a family. I didn’t want to deal with a baby carrier and my little two-door, while my husband wanted something a little…sturdier to protect his family {ain’t he sweet?}. We ended up at the dealership one evening and settled on a 2007 Saturn Vue; which my youth have nicknamed the “green machine”. It was automatic…which I don’t care for, but it had decent gas mileage and was MUCH safer than my little Ford. Papers were signed and we drove it off the lot.
I was so excited about my “new” car! I’d never seen one on the road and I liked the green. The next day I drove around in my shiny Saturn and that’s when I noticed them…there were other Saturn Vues on the road! Mind you, before we bought ours, I’d never even seen a Vue! Nevertheless, there they were in black, blue, and even in the same shade of green as mine {no I didn’t think I had the only green one}. I thought to myself, “Where did they all come from? And why are they showing up now?” That’s when it occurred to me…
They had always been there…but I’d never looked for them.
I noticed them because my mind was on my new car, so naturally the other Vues on the road caught my attention immediately.
There are so many times when we try to confine God to a specific time of day. We get in our hearts that He lives in our Quiet Time area or in the pew we sit in at church. He becomes something to check off our ever mounting to-do list.
Quiet Time…Check!
Went to Church… Check!
Prayed before meals…Check!
When we’re done spending time with Him, we pack up our things and move on down the list, but we forget one fundamental characteristic of God. He is omnipresent. This is a fancy way of saying, He’s everywhere at all times!
When we look for Him throughout the day we will see Him. Does that mean He’s showing up more often or that until that point He’d been hanging out in His garage? No. We’ll see Him more often throughout the day simply because we have made ourselves more aware of His active presence in our lives.
There is a little prayer that I read in Wendy Blight’s book Hidden Joy…she got the idea from Beth Moore. I have written on an index card and I try to pray it every morning, it’s also becoming more of a habit for me to pray this throughout the day:
“Lord, make it my deepest desire to seek You daily, and may my seeking You grow stronger as You reveal Yourself to me. Amen.” ~ Hidden Joy by Wendy Blight pg 111
As we read Chapter Four, I encourage you to get a new “view” of God by looking for Him throughout your entire day. In the grocery store, sitting in traffic or carline, at the movies, sitting at home with your family, at work, or anywhere you find yourself. Write this prayer on a few index cards so that you are reminded to look for Him every time you turn around. You could even reword this prayer and make it your own. When we are able to see God a bit more clearly…it makes it a whole lot easier to see ourselves through His eyes.
Today be sure to read Chapter Four, highlight any passages that leap off the page. When you find a Bible verse, copy it into your journal, and highlight it in your Bible.
Tomorrow begin your day with the prayer and keep it close as you look for God to show up in unexpected ways. Come back for another “mini-message”.
Sponsor a Child
{ 52 comments }
Oh Melissa this is so true!!! About seeing ‘your’ car everywhere, but also about seeing God everywhere, all the time.
Thanks for your mini-message – a timely reminder and a challenge to be more aware of God’s active presence in my life this week.
Love this! I have been in the same place of not seeing all the cars like mine until buying mine – but wow, never thought about God in that same light – how cool and true is this! Thanks for shedding your light for us today – so we too can see the “view” of our Heavenly Father all day, every day!
I wrote this down my index card with this bible verse–I want to desire our Lord all day long–every day! blessings and thank you for the “vue”
Heather…love this girl! As we travel on our road trip I will be looking for the Lord!
One of my favorite verses, especially after He spoke these words to me, oh so clearly, only two weeks before my husband suddenly died:
““Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”” Psalm 46:10 NLT
This has become my life verse, as I, as you said, go thru my check list each day – conquering each item on my daily list as well as being focused on productivity! after all, I DID have THREE kids and a house, two dogs and a cat, church life, work, studies to “deal” with each day!!! (oh, this feeble mind, NEEDS to be still to regroup and refocus – regularly throughout the day!!!)
Oh Lord, what a lesson to have learned, and I must continue to have to check myself to be still, (especially when I get anxious at the load of chores to deal with each day; it’s been 15 yrs since my husband died), to “be STILL, KNOWING HE IS GOD”, and HE has my back; and if I don’t finish my “list”, it’s ok; Tomorrow is another day’
Oh how I love His gentle reminders – what a SWEET Lord we serve – he loves us so much!
So, I press towards HIS MARK and stop each day to remember, he wants me to live in peace – and with that peace, I can relax, and get reorganized, even in the midst of an unorganized moment in time!
I LOVE your response! What a beautiful woman of God you are!
tHank you Robin!!
Hi ladies! What a great suggestion on the prayer from Wendy’s book. I will definitely copy that down and pray it daily. This post could not have come at a better time for me. After church, I caught up on my reading as my book arrived on Friday, and I immediately highlighted the section where Glynnis said to keep God first in all things. And now this wonderful prayer! He is working mightily in our lives, girls!!! YAY! I cannot wait to feel more organized and, more importantly, more at peace.
Have a BLESSED day!
Oh, I am soooo glad to hear that your book came in on Friday and that you had time this weekend to catch up! Glynnis is soooo right about keeping Him first, not just first in our day, but first in our life! It reminded me of something my friend once told me.
God isn’t a slice of pie…He’s the pie tin that everything else sits in!
<3 Heather
I have taken many of Beth Moores bible studies she is a dynamic teacher!! thanks for your “vue” I too am going to copy that prayer and look for Him throughout my entire day seeking Jesus in every moment. God Bless
Thank you Melissa for this message and the prayer!
I’m so glad y’all are finding this post to be helpful! Just remember, I didn’t write that prayer
. I got it from Wendy Blight’s book Hidden Joy, pg 111. I look forward to hearing how God reveals Himself to everyone today!
<3 Heather
Love the “Lord, make it my deepest desire to seek You daily, and may my seeking You grow stronger as You reveal Yourself to me. Amen” prayer!!
Love the reminder to search for God throughout the day and the prayer!
This morning while I was reading Ch 4, I jotted down the memory verse for the week. I thought “OK I’ll memorize it no big deal”.
Well, when I dropped my son of at vacation bible school this morning they gave us all bracelets. I put mine on, brought my son to his room and left. The same verse i wrote in my journal was plastered all over the doors when I left. Of all verses to have been chosen and of all times for me to have noticed it!
Now, here I am reading the blog entry part of my assignment and it’s talking about looking for God at all times…I just looked down at the bracelet I was given and it says “WATCH FOR GOD”.
WOW how the Lord must have something great in store for me. I LOVE this bible study and the journey that the Lord is taking me on through this and I pray that I will always be open to His will in my life. Thank you Heather & Melissa!! (((hugs)))
Don’t you just LOVE when He does that?! When He gives us a verse and then shows it to us over and over! It really helps us sit up and take notice! Enjoy SKY VBS, ours starts in two weeks
.
<3 Heather
I’ve recently discovered that my job IS my main ministry, and my perspective has changed so much! I have always tried to take the time to acknowledge where the LORD is working throughout my day, but now I REALLY see where He is working in my job. That’s where it can be difficult sometimes, because there are tasks that HAVE to be accomplished, and I have a schedule to adhere to (I am a teacher’s aide). I have had my sense of purpose return and have had my joy return, and it feels so good! God is so GOOD in His provision, and I’m so thankful His ways are so much better than my ways!
Isaiah 55:8-9 “My plans aren’t your plans,nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my plans than your plans.”
What you said also reminds me of Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Everything we do is for Him and everywhere we are is our personal mission field! Like the old song says, “They will know we are Christians by our love!”
<3 Heather
Amen!!
Thank you for the reminder to look for God in everything! I needed this today!
I notice when I am more in the word or music, I SEE HIM more. The sun shines brighter. The flowers are places I haven’t seen them before and even my children like each other just a little. lol. How amazing is our God?!?!
I bet you’re like me, driving down the street with the praise music blasting! It’s amazing how music can help us transcend time and place and help us connect with God in such a powerful way!
<3 Heather
Years ago I was one who limited God to my quiet times. I invited Him in when I was stressed by praying “help” but wasn’t looking for or seeking Him continually. During a very difficult few years with lots of sickness and death, God showed me that He is always there and I began to see Him everywhere!! Sometimes I slip back into the check box mode. Thank you for your post to remind me to continue to look for Him.
I get into that “check box” mode too sometimes. We all need a gentle reminder every now and again to open our eyes a little wider
.
<3 Heather
This is SO true! I notice things so much more when I’ve opened my eyes. Funny thing is that I often think I ‘see’ God’s work in pairs/threes, etc but it’s just my focus and attention and looking glass has been focused on him! Thanks for this post today!
Thanks, Heather, for the “vue” perspective. My favorite quote from chapter 4 is “Dissapointment always follows pursuing significance and identity in accomplishments”. I have to remember that God is looking at my heart, not my accomplishments! I love the bible verse for this week but I noticed in Glynnis’ book she says that Saul went to Bethlehem and annointed David. I believe it should say Samuel in place of Saul. Is that right?
That is right {I noticed it too}. Saul was the King at the time and Samuel was God’s prophet. Samuel was the one whom God told to anoint David as the new King over Israel. We’ll see a little more of David’s story in tomorrow’s post
.
I LOVE that quote by the way!! I have that same one highlighted.
<3 Heather
Hi Jill – That’s one of those mistakes that I have no idea how they happened. Thankfully it’s getting changed in the next printing. Just cross out Saul and write Samuel. (so sorry)
Hi ladies! This is my very first Bible study. I don’t even have a church family. I feel so blessed to be sharing this with you. I am praying that the Lord will keep me close to him….He knows my heart and all my weaknesses & yet He still loves me & never gives up on me. The last few years have been rough and He has used this time to do a work in me. He really has opened my eyes a lot. I pray that each of us will allow Him to change our hearts where they need to be changed.Blessings!
hi back at you, debra! i am sure that the work the Lord has been doing in you has yielded much fruit…we do SO need Him to change our hearts, don’t we? praying with you, too! <3
Oh He certainly has His work cut out. Lol! Thanks for your support. Its so nice to have a safe place to share these things.
I’m so glad that you are apart of OUR family as you join us in this study
! I am confident that He will work a change in your life, sounds like you are wide open for His instruction!
<3 Heather
Oh yes! I am so ready for this change. My eyes are WIDE open. I feel blessed to have everyone’s support here.
I am still convinced Glynnis was peaking in my window when she wrote this book.
“Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Glynnis goes on to say: “I believe if your heart is where God wants it to be, you’ll see things with new eyes, have more peace, and feel less pressure to get things just so.”
Wow. I am not necessarily concerned with outward looks of people, but I sure am concerned with what people think of me and my home! When reading this for the first time, I was convicted by this. This was a renewed reminder to move God into all parts of my life to find peace, not make sure everything is just so according to human expectations!
I continue to pray each day that God continues His work in me. I have a long way to go.
WOW!!! Does this hit home. I also was blindsided. I went from working 40+ hours as a home health RN to permanent didability. I have grown closer to God, and feel blessed to be alive. I quess I had to be put back into my place in order to completely give everything to Christ. Thank you for this bible study. I need this support to conctantly keep God with me ALL day, not just in devotional time or prayers. My 7yr old asked the other day if Jesus climed into the car with us?
It felt great to be able to say yes and to hear the confidence my dgtr had in tis answer. What a great conversation. I feel now I have began a new chapter in life,
This is all posible thru Christ!!!!!
Wow! I love that question from your 7yr old! It’s so amazing how profound they can be without even realizing it! They seem to ask the questions we never think of! I love how children can remind us of the simple things with God, like knowing that He travels with us everywhere
.
<3 Heather
I feel so convicted reading ch 4! I struggle tremendously with not feeling adequate. I am praying that God will be able to show me how to overcome this in this study.
I’ve heard it said that admitting it is the first step toward overcoming! Praying that as you continue with this study, that God will move in your heart in a powerful way!
<3 Heather
Thank you so much for doing this study! I am in a transitional time right now, and for a while, nothing made sense. You are bringing me back to the calm that God’s presence gives me. I wish for everyone to feel it because it is so, so beautiful. Seeing him all through the day, looking for him, is just such a great way to “be”! Love you all!
Maria
Thank you for posting this. Love it and a great reminder!! Writing on my index card. Right now
Ive been reading 1000 gifts & the first lesson deals exspressly with communing with God…no matter how exstreme the process.. it truely is about how we veiw things…..I ve been dealing with genetic precancerous colorectol polyps
& trying to organize everything so I can transistion through all the phases without cancer takeing over my life….I have always chatted at God about everyhting from Homeschool to silently begging him to keep me safe when I hike a 9 degree incline in the rain…he is a very indulgent father…..lately…its been about learning to praise him even through the pain.
enjoying the book, the Spirit is at work within me. FYI- found a typo on page 54, concerning 1 Samuel16, -is be about Samuel going to anoint David, but the book has replaced Samuel with Saul.
Heather–
I KNOW that God has been talking to me through Chapter 4–I have been letting selfishness make the decisions in my life.
I am now seeing how some of my broken relationships are affecting how I look at myself and the tasks in my life. It has been a SUPER big eye-opener! My Facebook group is AWESOME!!! 
I need to remember that God sees me as I am, and loves me anyway! I can focus on BEING His daughter, and let the doing come along for the ride. He can fix what is broken inside like NO ONE else.
Blessings!
Carissa in eastern Iowa
(BTW–How COOL is is to have another LCMS lady helping to lead this study?? It is GREAT!)
There’s a mistake in Chapter 4. In I Samuel 16, God sends Samuel to Jesse, not Saul. Samuel looks at Eliab and thinks he will be the king. God tells Samuel, not Saul, not to look on man’s outward appearance.
Interesting that God should choose David, as Jesse had not even thought him worthy to be called in from the field.
Hi Kasey – That mistake was caught but too late. It’s been changed in new printings, but I wish I could back and change it in all the books. I have no idea how it happened.
This was a perfect mini-message at a perfect time for me
I’ve seen God all over the place today and it’s been fantastic! His love for me and His attention to my needs is so hard for my teeny little mind to comprehend and fully appreciate. Our God is an awesome God!
How True! I hadnt heard it put that way before! I have always known that I sometimes need to change my perspective, in order to see things in a different way. I can’t wait to be more aware of God’s presence! Thank you!
Purposing to keep my eyes open…and praying this prayer with all of you! Thanks, Heather!
So funny, I didn’t even know that a “Saturn Vue” existed until after reading your blog. I though about it trying to recall any Vues I may have seen on my ride into work or just riding around this big old city I call home and no, no recollection of a Vue came to mind, but just yesterday on my drive into work just a few blocks from home what do I pull up to the light behind? You guessed it, a Saturn Vue! Just a few blocks from home! Made me wonder how many mornings I may have been riding right along side this car without even noticing it, I wasn’t even “aware of the cars presence,” until yesterday morning.
Thank you Melissa. I pray that I will become aware of God’s presence more and more in my daily life as I progress through this study. He is there I just have to slow down and see Him.
Thank you so much for this reminder that God is in the details. Wendy Blight’s prayer was such a blessing to me when I first read “Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner” last year. As I read these words, it also reminded me of Israel Houghton’s words at the revival in January. And, he restated them this past weekend. “An atmosphere of expectancy is the breeding ground for miracles.”
As we clean up our living spaces, lives and hearts, it’s refreshing to think that God never leaves us alone in our mess or in our success. If we expect that He will show up even in the most mundane of circumstances, we make ourselves even more available for His glory. I pray that we will all feel His presence in the weeks to come.
I loved your post to look for God in everything and listen for him and to expect him to show up in our everyday circumstances I need to remember that .
Thanks Carol
Can someone please tell me what the memory verse is for week 2? Been on vacay and then company here for a few days. As you can tell, I’m far behind but I will catch up!
Thanks
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