Coffee Talk with Christie

So I'm walking down the road of life all by myself feeling like I am doing okay and all of a sudden I come to a road block.

Has that ever happened to you?

It happens to me with more frequency these days. I am thankful.

Tonight I learned that... (and I want this to be an official quote of mine by the way)

"Friends are like road blocks. They slow you down when you are too busy, they tell you of the harm that may lie ahead to protect you and they are always there when you least expect them to be."

In my lifetime I suppose I have had many acquaintances... but friends? Probably not many close friends.

I have had moments of weakness when I just wanted a shoulder to cry on besides Dan's shoulder - no offense to Dan. I just ALWAYS cry on Dan's SHOULDER. I need to give the poor guy a break every now and then don't I?

In these moments, they may be moments of weakness or moments of realness, coming to terms with who I think I am and who I really am.

My story needs to be shared.

When I am weak, I need to share.
When I am strong, I need to share.
When I am hurt, I need to share.
When I am clueless, I need to share.

The Bible says in Revelations 12:11 - And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. Verse 10 says, the "him" in verse 11 refers to "the accuser of our brethren, which accused us before our God day and night."

What is a testimony? It's pretty much a story, I think.

Why feel accused by the father of all lies? Why not just share your story with others who need to hear it? THAT is how we WILL OVERCOME. (not to take away from also having the blood of the Lamb applied to our lives)

Tonight I am thankful for the transparent people in my life. My friends who share their story.

They please God, I am convinced. Psalm 51:7...wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. What is whiter THAN snow? Could it be something that is transparent?

I recently saw a sign like the one you see in this post and thought... "traffic calming eh?" I would give anything to see a sign that says, "people calming ahead" or "thoughts calming ahead" in my day to day travel time.

I imagine if I saw a sign that read, "people calming ahead" I would want to live there. I would pull up to the place where I was to feel calm and just PARK THERE for a few hours a day.

I imagine that I would see thousands of others who also longed for an escape from the daily cares of life. (okay so don't start visualizing too much with me here... with thousands of people there's bound to be noise... and NOT a calming effect at all... my point is, that I'm sure thousands, perhaps millions also long for a place they can go to feel free from their worries and the daily stresses of life.)

The busier I become and the more I add to my plate, the more desperate I find myself for the quiet times in Christ.

After reviewing my trusty online scripture source - I found the word "calm" is located six times in the King James Version of the Bible. Two of these times, the article "a" is found before the word "calm" making it a noun.

These scriptures are:

Psalm 107:29 - He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

In this verse, the word calm is defined with the word, "whisper".

Jonah 1:11 and Jonah 1:12 mentions the word "calm" - in these verses "calm" is referring to being silent or being quiet.

I suppose the last definition is greatly in line with what I am craving right about now in my life... SILENCE. Quietness with Christ.

Based solely on these definitions: "being silent and being quiet" - it sounds to me like being calm is a CHOICE we must make in our day to day travel time - or daily walk with Christ.

I think once we take time to be silent, God whispers into our lives and we feel a calm that seems to wash away all of our worries.

Thanks God for showing me the importance of being quiet in your presence. I want to hear when You whisper.

Matthew 19:17 - And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love. ~Mother Teresa