ONE DAY AT A TIME

by Frances J. Harvey, Director of Operations

Ever feel like life is just one BIG race and you can't seem to catch up or keep up?  I sure do!

Recently, life has been rather hectic and challenging in the last several months and I just feel like I am losing control and it's slipping away!  With ALL of the busy tasks we have, responsibilities and brain input...we get lost or overwhelmed. Then we start worrying about all the "things" we have to do in life and before you know it we have completely left today! 

A friend of mine (and a good accountability partner) has been encouraging me to take some "me" time every day. Really it is more like "GOD" time, but God time turns into me time!

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As I purpose to do this, I have been reading some devotionals that have blessed me greatly and the Lord has spoken to me through them.  Today, I came across not one, but TWO great ones and felt compared to share.  I KNOW I am not the only one out there that feels this way!

The first is from a book called "Come Away My Beloved" written by Frances J. Roberts.  It was originally published in 1963 and over a course of 7 years it evolved and was updated to its current edition.  I love this book because the author writes it in first person - as Christ talking to me personally!  (which He does in His Word!)  But it brings it so close to my heart and spirit and renews me each day!  I want to share..

One Day at A Time - by Frances J. Roberts - "Come Away My Beloved"

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." MATTHEW  6:34 

O My child, have you not known the way of the Lord, and can you not trust Him now? Nothing shall befall you but that which comes from His hand. No one shall set upon you to hurt you, for your God has built around you a wall of fire. 

Be content with what each day brings, rejoicing in your God, for surely He shall deliver you. He is the One who has brought you here. His way is discernible to the eye of faith. His heart is surely your strong tower. In His affection you have security. In His love are your hope and your peace. Do not question and do not doubt. 

Each day holds some small joy that shall escape you if you are preoccupied with tomorrow. 

Nothing daunts your Father. Nothing can restore the past and nothing can bind the future, but today you may live in the full blessing of the Father's smile. 

Hold to His words, for they are like a nail driven into solid wood. All else may seem shifting and transitory, but His Word is firm. It is a rock that shall not be moved. It is a firm place to stand. Do not walk in the path of human reason, and resist the pressures that would project you into conjectures about the future. 

Live one day at a time! Simply striving to bring joy to your Father's heart is enough to keep you occupied. For you know that He loves you, and you will find your peace as you rest in Him.

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Good one huh?  This helps to remind me that HE ONLY PROMISES US TODAY - Matthew 6:11 - "give us TODAY our daily bread". 

He NEVER promised us tomorrow, next week, next month, year, etc!  So we need to STOP trying to live there and stay in TODAY!  

Matthew 6:34  The Message (MSG)
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

Ok, so here's the last one I want to share with you.  It's short but powerful.  When we DO get "lost", we need to remember that Jesus is there for us interceding in prayer and just waiting for us to come back in His arms, spend time with Him and BE STILL!

Jesus Prayed - by Max Lucado, from his book "A Gentle Thunder"  

Much of life is spent getting out of bed.  Fixing lunches.  Turning in assignments. Changing diapers.  Paying bills. Routine.  Regular.  More struggle than strut.

You thought marriage was going to be a lifelong date?  You thought having kids was going to be like baby-sitting?  You thought the company who hired you wanted to hear all the ideas you had in college? Then you learned otherwise.  The honeymoon ended.

But at the right time, God comes.  In the right way, He appears. So don’t bail out.  Don’t give up.  He is too wise to forget you, too loving to hurt you.  When you can’t see Him, trust Him.

So what does God do while we’re enduring the pain?  Mark 6:46 says, “Jesus prayed.”  He prayed for His disciples when they were in the storm.  And when He heard their cries, He remained in prayer.

He’s praying a prayer right now that He Himself will answer at the right time.

“Jesus is able always to save those who come to God through him because he always lives, asking God to help them.” (Hebrews 7:24-25)

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Next time you find yourself not in today, STOP!  First ask for forgiveness in not trusting Him with tomorrow!  THEN find a few minutes, read His Word, listen for His voice and feel His presence.  That's all He requires of us....HE will do the rest!

Romans 12:1-2 from The Message
"So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!


The material contained in this newsletter has been prepared by an independent third-party provider. The material provided is for informational and educational purposes only. Although the material is deemed to be accurate and reliable, there is no guarantee it is not without errors.

If you are struggling with life's overwhelming demands or know someone who is and would like to schedule an appointment, contact us by call 800-99-TODAY or 800-998-6329.  We have over 40 locations throughout so California.  You can also visit us at www.TurningPointCounseling.org

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