This first week of September, 2019, marks a week of great significance for me!

It is not significant because I know what’s ahead of me. I actually have no idea of the outcome! The significance actually comes in the “not knowing!”

I know that it is the first week of November, and I know that I love love love November! My family laughs at me as I clap and cheer on the morning of November 1st!

The first significant mark is that it is November and my heart and mind are turned to giving thanks to my God!

“Give thanks to The Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.”                                     I Chronicles 16:34

I do not know the outcome of my giving thanks, I just know My God is good and He deserves my thanks!

In other words, I do not give thanks to God because of something I want. I am not thanking Him in advance for doing something for me.

I am simply giving Him thanks because HE IS GOOD!

He is my Shepherd, and He leads me even when I can’t see where I am going!

This year we were blessed to all be together as a family on November 1st,  at one of our favorite places, Apple Hill!

The reason that we were there was because we had been evacuated from our home due to the fires near us.

As I focused on this verse I realized that God is good all the time, regardless of our circumstances! And in the middle of some of our most difficult times, God gives us blessings!

My second significant mark this week is that I am leaving for Israel TODAY!

I am going to walk where Jesus walked! I can hardly stop shaking from the excitement to make my hands be still enough to write these words!

I truly never believed that I would see Israel this side of heaven! But last February, Jim and I were gifted with this trip. It is truly a gift beyond measure! We are humbled and thankful!

My mind cannot even begin to wrap itself around the significance of this trip and experience in my life! I have prayed, I have fasted, I have asked God to open up my heart, my mind and my spirit so that I can fully take in all that He has for me during this trip, but I can’t. In my humanness, I am not smart enough, strong enough, or astute enough to prepare myself for something this big! I need my SHEPHERD!

Sheep by nature are not smart. They will wander right into running creeks of water to satisfy their thirst, then while standing in that same water they keep slurping it up while their wool grows so heavy as it becomes wet, that they actually drown.

In preparing for this incredible trip I have felt like a dumb sheep! I have been running around, fretting at times, that I have not prepared properly. I keep asking myself constant questions…Have I packed the right things? Have I attained the right things to take? Have I bought all of the right sizes so they’ll pass through customs? Have I turned off certain features on my phone or computer?Have I bought the right adapters?…And the list goes on and on.

Most of all I have struggled within myself to prepare my spirit for this trip. As I was feeling like a failure on Sunday as I walked out of church, saying the words of one of my favorite Winnie the Pooh characters Eeyore, “I’ll never make it.” I was reminded that God is my shepherd! He will lead me and guide me when I am not wise enough to do it myself and that He is ALL that I need!

TRUTH BOMB

My Good Shepherd is all that I need!

In the book of Psalms we are given a beautiful picture by David who was a shepherd, of our Lord, The Good Shepherd!

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.“ Psalm 23:1

Stop worrying! Stop fretting! Stop trying to figure out everything in your life before you even live it! Our Lord God is our Good Shepherd! He goes before us, He goes behind us, and He goes beside us! He is ALL that we need!

So as I get ready for my plane to takeoff and land in Israel, I am committing to walking alongside my Lord God, my Shepherd!

As I do, I am committing to take these two significant events in my life this month, and share on Psalm 23 with you as I walk step-by-step where Jesus walked, following my Shepherd, and beginning each and every one of my days by giving Him thanks!

I can’t wait for this great adventure and I’m excited for you to walk it along with me!

Love, prayers and a heart full of thankfulness for all of you!

Speak Truth Love