My children have been getting up with me at 5:00 am, so my time to spend in God’s Word has been greatly shortened (read: almost eliminated). But, here are a few small treasures that I’ve found in the last few days from sermons or other places. Our church is doing a “God Is” sermon series this summer and Pastor Ed, our children’s minister, did a great sermon on the 4th of July about how God is Freedom. One of his points was that “Christ grants us Freedom from our present situations.” This made me think about my current situations and it brought home the point that I need to surrender this present situation to Christ. I need to stop struggling and trying to find a way out. I need to find the grace and peace that Christ gives in this situation. It’s like snuggling up with a cozy blanket. Stop squirming, snuggle in, find peace where I am, and trust that God has it under control and will work out the details in His time and way. I was listening to Moody Radio yesterday and the lady was talking about a lesson her daughter had taught her because she had been taught Biblical truths as a child. As a parent it’s really easy to imagine horrible things happening to your child and worrying about them all the time. But worry isn’t trust. This woman’s daughter reminded her that God has numbered her days and that nothing can happen to her that isn’t part of God’s plan or that hasn’t gone through the filter of His hand. I like that. There are times when I find the enemy of our souls pushing me towards that place of worry and imagination and this helps me to stop, trust God, and remember that He loves my little ones much more than I ever could and nothing will happen to them that He hasn’t allowed. That’s a comfort! On a podcast from Northpointe Church in Atlanta, Andy Stanley said that “Direction determines Destination.” Often we think that the choices we make only affect the situation we are currently in. For example, I want to marry a Godly guy who treats me well, so I’ll go out with any guy who asks me. Choices aren’t a one time thing. Choices are paths and the paths we choose have destination that are pre-determined. If you choose to date anyone who asks you out, you’ll probably end up with a guy who doesn’t meet those standards you once held dear. The things that catch our attention, catch our eyes, and turn our head. Like in driving, if you turn your head you’re likely to turn your car. So, it’s important to watch the things that we give attention to and the choices we make. Otherwise we’ll end up on path we didn’t want going in a direction we didn’t intend towards a destination we had no intention of going toward. Like he said, no matter how much you intend and plan on a trip to Florida, if you take I-75 North, you’ll never get there! So, there are a few things I’ve learned, that have stuck with me the last few days. Hope they stick with you, too.