1. Susan Schmidt

    Ask For Instructions

    by
    | Faith, General
    September 4, 2014

    Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”

    “Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him. – Luke 22:8-9

    This passage of Scripture tells us that Jesus was preparing for the Last Supper. What struck me was Jesus telling them to go and prepare and rather than just running off to do what they thought they needed to do, they first asked Him where they should go.

    How many times do we know the Lord is sending us off to do His work and we just rush off without first asking Him for instructions? The disciples had been with Jesus for a number of years and they knew that He would have a plan, so they simply asked Him.

    As we read further through the following verses, we see that Jesus gave them specific instructions on what they were to do. And it’s no surprise that they found everything as He had said.

    May we also learn this lesson: To ask the Lord first and wait for His response before we go rushing ahead.

    Father, Thank You for Your word and the lessons that You teach us. May I also ask You for instructions before I go rushing off to do Your work. May I also be still to listen so that I may follow your instructions fully. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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  2. Susan Schmidt

    Let Me Carry You

    by
    | Walks With the Lord
    July 22, 2014

    Picture yourself as we walk along. We are beside the water and you are tired from this journey. I pick you up and carry you in my arms. For I am strong and mighty and I comfort my children when they need comforting. I carry you gently and wipe your tears. Hear the waves as they continually come to the shore. The birds play in the surf and the wind caresses your face. As easily as I carry you, I carry your burdens and your dreams. Rest against Me as I walk along.

    Do not look behind you for that journey is past. The waves erase your footsteps. As these steps are erased, this shows you that you cannot go back and try to retrace them for that time is now gone.

    You look ahead of us down the shoreline and you cannot see the end. This is the path ahead of you and while you cannot see the end, I see each step of the journey ahead of you. Rest for a while as I carry you. Lay against Me and know that I am the Lord God of all and that nothing is impossible with Me.

    For as I created the oceans and set their boundaries, so I also know the details of your life. My child, My arms are strong and I will not drop you or let you fall. Rest in Me and let Me carry you now. Don’t let your hope dissipate nor your hope be crushed. For I am the God of hope and as I lift You, I lift up your spirit.

    You will soon laugh and rejoice with Me as we walk along the sand tog

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  3. Susan Schmidt

    Tears In a Bottle

    by
    | Faith, Prayer
    December 27, 2013

    You keep track of all my sorrows.You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. – Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

    This year brought me some unexpected sadness and I’ve cried many tears. What a loving Father we have…He has caught every one of those tears and put them in a bottle. Not only that, He has recorded why those tears were shed. Perhaps when I finally see Him, we will sit together as we go through His book and review those times of tears of joy and sadness. It will be then that I’ll see how His loving hand was on me and comforting me through each of those moments – when we are together in a place where there are no more tears or sadness. Thank You, Father, for your loving care and mercy.

    Father God,

    Your care for me during times of sorrow warms my heart. You are such a loving Father full of compassion – beyond my finite understanding. I anticipate the time when I can see how Your loving hand was over me during my time here on earth. I bless You, Father. Praise to You Lord! Praise You, Jesus! Hallelujah!

    In Jesus’ Name, Amen

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  4. Susan Schmidt

    Meet Him In the Morning

    by
    | Prayer
    December 3, 2013

    “Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.

    Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” – Psalm 5:3 (NLT)

    Do you meet with God in the morning before the busyness of the day? My journal time used to be in the evenings, but I now include my prayer time in the morning. Why? As the day goes on my mind becomes more “cluttered” with the busyness of the day and I find it more difficult to focus on my time with the Lord. Mark 1:35 tells us “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” (NLT) How can we do any less?

    Father God,

    Thank You for this special time of day when You and I can meet together to share before the day begins. Thank You for bending down to listen to me as I talk with You. You are such a loving Father and I am blessed to know that You are with me now and throughout my day. I ask for Your guidance and direction as I go through this day, and that Your creativity flows through me. May my to do list become Yours, and may I be a help to those who cross my path today for I’ll know that You have sent them my way. I praise You, Lord, for Who You are and I thank You for the blessings that You have sent to me. May Your will be done in my life today.

    In Jesus’ name, Amen

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  5. Susan Schmidt

    Are You a Good Steward?

    by
    | General
    November 26, 2013

    For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. – Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT)

    My pastor had a powerful message on stewardship. In part of the message he spoke about being good stewards of what God has given us. He has given us everything – money, jobs, a car, a home, talents and skills. OK, I knew that. What struck me, though, was that we are also to be good stewards of our time. Uh oh. Hadn’t thought about that one before. I’m self-employed and my clients pay me for my time, so through my work day I am extremely aware of my time and how it’s being spent. But my “off” time is another matter. Am I being a good steward of my time? How am I using it? Am I watching mindless TV or have I spent some of that time reading the Word and learning more about my Father? Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tells us that for everything there is a season. May this season of my life be a time that I will use wisely.

    Father God,

    You are the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and end of time. Thank You for making me aware that I need to be a good steward of my time. I ask that You give me discernment today that I would use my time wisely, and would know those things that need to be done today and those that can wait for another day. Show me, Father, how to use my time wisely. Be with me during this season of my life that I may use my time to talk with You and to spend more time learning about You. Thank You for being such a loving Father and for showing me in Your gentle way that You want to spend more time with me.

    In Jesus’ name, Amen

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  6. Susan Schmidt

    Be Still….

    by
    | Prayer
    November 19, 2013

    “Be still and know that I am God!” – Psalm 46:10

    You’ll note that the verse in Psalms ends in an exclamation point. The Lord is emphasizing to us that we need to be still before Him. When was the last time that you were still before God? Have you ever tried to sit with no noise for just five minutes and to quiet your mind? It’s very difficult – at least it was for me – to try to be still for even a short period of time. Last week I prayed aloud to the Father about my hopes, fears, expectations and to ask His advice on a path that I feel He is opening for me. As I asked Him to speak to me and then I sat quietly and waited to hear from Him, words came to mind that I wrote down:  all my heart, obey, love, follow His path, know Him, trust, serve, depend on Him, and pray. My devotions recently have been teaching me that prayer is not a monologue, it’s a conversation with the Creator – the One who loves me and is my Father. I’m trying to learn to listen for His voice. Won’t you join me?

    “for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today!” – Psalm 95:7

    Father God,

    Thank You for Your teachings and for showing me that I need to be still before You and to listen for Your voice. Please continue to teach me not only how to pray, but how to be still. Thank You for Your wisdom, Your guidance, Your patience, but most of all Your unending love. May Your will be done in my life.

    In Jesus’ Name,

    Amen

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  7. Susan Schmidt

    Friends of Faith

    by
    | Friends
    November 12, 2013

    Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” – Mark 2:5 (NLT)

    The story of the paraplegic man is told in Mark 2:1-12. Can you picture it? Four men hear about the Master healing the sick, blind and disabled so they put their friend on a mat and carry him to see Jesus (Mark 2:3). The passage doesn’t say that they were friends, but I like to think that it was friends who carried him to Jesus. Can you just imagine the four of them talking and believing that Jesus could heal their friend? But how to get him there…..so they put him on a mat and carry him to see Jesus. What did they talk about on their walk? They arrive where Jesus is preaching only to find such a crowd that they can’t get their friend close enough for Jesus to touch him. These enterprising friends carry him to the roof where they dig a hole in the roof and lower him down to Jesus. You’ll note that it wasn’t necessarily the faith of the paralyzed man that healed him – the scripture says, “Seeing their faith…” – so it may have been the faith of the friends that helped to heal him. We’re later told in this passage that Jesus told the man to “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” (Mark 2:11) This man experienced a healing because he had friends who carried him to meet Jesus. Friends who had the faith to know that Jesus would heal their friend and who made the time to help a friend. Imagine the celebration that these friends had! I can picture them laughing and dancing along the road as their friend walked with them.

    Do you have friends of faith? Friends who stand with you in prayer and who carry you when you need their help? Are you a friend of faith? I am blessed to have “friends of faith” and it’s my prayer that I’m a friend of faith to them as well.

    Father God,

    Thank You for blessing me with wonderful friends of faith – friends who are with me in times of grief as well as in times of joy. Thank You for providing me with friends whose loving arms embrace me and who hold my hand in prayer. You have sent these wonderful, special people into my life and I will be eternally grateful. Father, I ask that You help me to be a friend of faith to them as well. May You use my arms to embrace them when they need to feel Your love, or to speak a word of encouragement at a time when they need it most. You are a God of love, and may Your love flow through me to those friends You have placed into my life.

    In Jesus’ name,

    Amen

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  8. Susan Schmidt

    What’s In A Name?

    by
    | General
    November 5, 2013

    I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty’—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. – Exodus 6:3 (NLT)

    He has revealed His names to us and recently in my studies I’ve been reading about the names of God and that we should use His name as we pray. Just as we love to hear our names called by our loved ones, how He must love to hear us call Him by His name! El Shaddai, El Elyon, Adonai, Yahweh, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah-Raah, Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Shammah, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Mekoddishkem, El Olam, Elohim, Qanna, Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Shalom and Jehovah Sabaoth are some of the many names of our Father.

    He knows you and me by name, and if you’re a child of God, He has your name written on the palm of his hand. “See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands……” – Isaiah 49:16 (NLT). How wonderful to know that He loves us so much that our names are written on His palms! Not only that, we will eventually have a new name that He gives us. “….And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it. – Rev. 2:17 (NLT).  Wow! He knows each of His children so well that He will give each of us a new name engraved on a white stone. A name that only He and I will understand. The Bible doesn’t tell us any more, but perhaps the name will be based on our personalities or how our walk has been with Him. What a loving Father we have!

    As He knows you so well, are you going to get to know Him as well? Will you join with me in learning His names and calling Him by name when you pray?

    El Shaddai,

    You alone are El Elyon and I praise Your name! Thank You for Your love and for writing my name on the palms of Your hands. No one can erase it or take it from me and I thank You for being my Yahweh. Father may I learn Your names and commit them to memory so that I can call You by name when I talk with You. Thank You for Your love, mercy and grace.

    In Jesus’ Name – Amen

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  9. Susan Schmidt

    What’s Your Plan?

    by
    | Service to God
    October 29, 2013

    The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.  Don’t abandon me, for you made me. – Psalm 138:8 (NLT)

    It’s truly amazing that the Lord has plans for my life! My studies have recently shown me that the Lord has a plan for each of us to do a purpose here on earth for Him. Each of us has unique skills, talents, and life journeys that prepares us to accomplish the Father’s plan for our lives. It’s enough to boggle the mind! How do we determine what our purpose is for Him? You may have met people who knew from an early age what their purpose is for Him. At middle age and after going through the death of a spouse as well as other life experiences, I believe that the Lord is revealing His plan for me. I wonder why it didn’t happen earlier, but as I reflect on my life experiences, I can see the Lord’s hand gently guiding me along His path for me to this point.

    My service for Him now includes interpretative signing to contemporary Christian music at my church. I began classes after my husband’s passing and found – much to my surprise – that the Father has given me a gift for remembering the sign language that I’m taught. Combining signing with movement to the songs is a beautiful form of worship and my group has been blessed to be able to present to the congregation. This comes at a cost – I am not comfortable being in front of large groups of people but I do it as it’s for Him.

    The Lord is calling me into another aspect of service for Him and I’m tentatively starting down that path on this new journey. This journey involves trusting Him to provide His wisdom, creativity and resources and I’m excited to see where He will lead me!

    Other verses for His purposes for us:

    So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny. – Job 23:14 (NLT)

    I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. – Psalm 57:2 (NLT)

    Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock—not one!” – Isaiah 44:8 (NLT)

    And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. – Romans 8:28 (NLT)

    The Maker of the universe has plans for me that only I can accomplish. May I listen to His voice and obey what He tells me to do.

    Father God,

    Thank You for Your love and guidance in my life. Thank You for preparing me for the purpose that You have for me. I ask that You continue to lead me on this incredible journey and may I follow Your plan in obedience and love.

    In Jesus’ Name, Amen

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  10. Susan Schmidt

    Your Prayer Journal

    by
    | Prayer Journal
    October 24, 2013

    Have you tried writing or typing your prayers? Not sure where to start? My prayer journal originally started as a diary not long after my husband passed away. I wanted to write about what I was going through, and it eventually turned into my prayers as well. I typed my prayers and found it easier to focus on praying than just thinking my prayer. As the months went on I found that I spent more time in prayer than in a diary. There are days when I’m not sure how to start, so to break my block I begin with praise and thanks to my Father. I thank Him for a good night’s rest, for watching over me through the night, for the beautiful morning. You get the idea. I share my thoughts with Him and ask Him for His advice. It’s a beautiful time for me to spend with a Father who loves me unconditionally. There are 121 references to unfailing love in the Bible with approximately 72 of those appearing in Psalms.

    A dear friend of mine shared with me that she’s tried typing her prayers and found that it helped her to focus more on her prayer when she typed it. However you choose to keep a prayer journal, give it a try and see how the Lord uses the time that you spend in His presence.

    Blessings to you in your Journaling for Your Soul Journey.

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