Go To The Creative Ladies Ministry Homepage.
The Refreshing Resource for
Women's Ministry Planning Helps.

A place to uplift and encourage you---sprinkled with fun!
Women's Devotoinals
CLM Message Board    CLM Blog    CLM Graphics    Julia's Speaking    Shop WM Resources


Waking Up to the Good Stuff
Julia Bettencourt

"Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning;
for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein
I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee."   Psalm 143:8



Mornings to me are just great. They are clean slates on the day and you get to choose what you do with it. By evening it is just a little too late to start planning your day so why not start it out right at the beginning to get things accomplished and spend time with God before we get bogged down with life?

I can remember how my grandma used to fix breakfast in the mornings when I was little. She didn't just pour a bowel of cereal or throw a pop tart in the toaster. She probably didn't even know what a pop tart was. My grandmother fixed real breakfast food---the good stuff!

I remember she'd start off early because it took her forever to make it. She'd peel potatoes for those yummy fried potatoes cooked in a black iron skillet. How many of us peel potatoes even for dinner let alone breakfast? Some of us rely on our good friend Betty--last name Crocker--to furnish us with those flakes to add water too.

I have such fond memories of my grandma standing there frying bacon and sausage and eggs too. Never scrambled ones. They were always easy over, sunny side up ones. Next came the biscuits. Homemade of course. Not those kind many of us pop out of cans. Then came the gravy. White, country style. Of course when I was a kid I didn't like white country style gravy. I guess because it was all my family ever fixed with anything. I'd always tell everyone I was allergic to gravy. Of course now it's one of my favorite things in life. Rates right up there with pizza, ice cream, and chocolate.

After fixing everything my grandma would get a few tomatoes and slice some on a plate to put on the table. In our family it seemed like no meal was complete until there was a plate of freshly sliced tomatoes on the table. The table would always be full. My grandma believed in fixing the good stuff!

My! How I loved spending the night there or going over early on a Saturday. My dad would pack my mom and all seven of us kids in the car and we'd go eat breakfast at Grandmas. Wow what anticipation of waking up early and heading to Grandmas for the good stuff.

God also fixes the 'good stuff'. He has so much planned for our days but do we miss it because we don't get up early and spend time with Him? Do we anticipate His goodness and kindness to us each day? Do we seek Him early like David did?

"Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk;for I lift up my soul unto thee."   Psalm 143:8

"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up."   Psalm 5:3


I do have days that I don't start it off right. We all do, but if we don't try to spend time with God by reading His Word and communing with Him in prayer at the start of our day then how will we ever be conscious of Him when the afternoon hits or when evening rolls around? My! How much 'good stuff' He offers us. We are given blessings, promises, love, guidance, strength, and protection. We need all of God's 'good stuff' to make it through the whole day.

"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."   Lamentations 3:22

Hope you'll keep your alarm set and wake up to The Good Stuff!


Copyright ©2001-2008 Julia Bettencourt
Scripture References are from the King James Version.
www.juliabettencourt.com


Seek Early Theme
Coffee Theme
Devotional Index


Reprint Guidelines:

Feel free to copy this devotional for personal use and for use within your local women's group. Please leave copyright information and web url in tact when reprinting. No permission is given for reprinting on websites, blogs, online newsletters, or any other internet (online) use. For reprint for publications or any other reprinting not specified, please contact Julia for permission. Thank you!

Menu
Website Content Copyright 2001-2008 Julia Bettencourt
Home       Meet Julia       FAQ       Contact       Mailing List       About CLM       Julia's Art       WM Resources By Julia       Link To juliabettencourt.com