05.19.12
Posted in God's Love, Hope, Suffering at 1:54 pm by Administrator
Tears are a part of life and even if they are shed in private, God sees each and every one. This devotional talks about that. If you’ve shed some tears recently, may this minister to you! Blessings – Bridget Gazlay
Devotional:
“Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll – are they not in your record?” (Psalm 56:8)
I love watching someone’s tears being wiped away by a loving parent, relative or friend. That interaction is so precious. Maybe it’s seeing the concern and care taken to collect each and every tear. Maybe it’s knowing someone else cares so much about you they will gladly wipe away your tears that stirs my heart. Whatever the reason, it’s an emotional scene for sure.
For those of us going through hard situations, tough physical challenges or tight finances, tears can be a regular occurrence. When I read this passage, the tenderness expressed by David here made me shed some tears. Several other versions say it this way, “You Yourself have recorded my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your records?” (HCSB) To me, this is a reminder that God sees every one of our tears; He collects them so not one will be forgotten or missed. Essentially, God is saying He grieves right alongside us. When we are hurting and sad, He is hurting and sad. When we are happy, He is happy. He is the truest Friend we’ll ever have.
Wow, what a loving picture of God’s affection toward us. It encourages me greatly to know that God cares that much about me to collect my tears in His bottle! Know that whatever you are going through God DOES see you and mourns along with you. Let your tears fall onto His hands; He cares so much about you (1 Peter 5:7).
Prayer: Dear God, Your love and compassion touches me greatly. My soul takes comfort in knowing you collect each and every one of my tears. Thank you for never letting me go through something alone. Amen.
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05.13.12
Posted in God's Love, Hope, Trusting God at 8:32 pm by Administrator
My newly acquired basket of pansies inspired this devotional – I hope it touches you like it did me! – Blessings always, Bridget Gazlay
Devotional:
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1-2)
I received a hanging basket full of beautiful pansies as a gift. I’m not the best with plants so I watch them carefully. I have to say I’m amazed at their resilience. I only water them at night and by the time I get home they are pretty droopy and lifeless. But, as soon as I give them a little water within minutes they perk right up and look as good as new.
That is such a good illustration of what Christ does for us – He is our living water. He gives us love, life, and purpose. It doesn’t matter what is going on in our lives or how much we think we messed up, God can help us. Even if you are brokenhearted, lifeless, and disillusioned, God can restore your soul.
I am reminded of Psalm 42:1 – about thirsting for God (“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.”). Do I thirst for the living God like that? Do I look to Him for the living water I need to endure each day? If you find yourself getting a little down and droopy, are you trying to provide your own nourishment? Are you trying to work out everything on your own?
If you find yourself in this boat- turn to God today! Let God fill you with His Spirit. Let Him lift up your heart and refresh your mind! May God alone quench your thirst!
Prayer: Dear God, I admit I tend to do a lot of things in my own strength instead of leaning on You. Help me to recognize this thirst within my soul as only quenchable by Your love. Thank You for always working in my life, even if I do not see it. Amen
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05.06.12
Posted in Hope, Trusting God at 3:45 pm by Administrator
I don’t know about you, but there are times I feel stuck where I’m at – especially physically. I recently wrote about that (and Chinese finger traps!). Enjoy – Bridget Gazlay
Devotional:
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).
When I was a kid I received a Chinese finger puzzle from another child. I was so overjoyed at receiving this wonderful gift. In case you aren’t familiar with this present, its other name is called, “Chinese Finger TRAP”. It’s a cylindrical tube that you put your index fingers into. The only problem is once your fingers are in there you’re stuck. If you try to pull them out the tube gets tighter. Some present! I was terrified my fingers were going to be stuck forever! Sometime later another child showed me the secret of getting them out –what a relief.
It’s easy to feel like that Chinese finger trap when we’re in a place we don’t want to be. This could be in our finances, work, health, schooling, or family. When things aren’t going to way we’d planned we can feel like there’s no hope, no future. We may even wonder how we can get out of the mess we’re in.
This is what happened to the Israelites when they were exiled for 70 years for refusing to turn to God. If you don’t continue reading you’d think it was over the Israelites. But, that isn’t the case. God tells them to continue on in their life – to make the most of where they are at because in 70 years God would restore them to their rightful place. He reminded them that He was with them, even during those many years in captivity.
What a good reminder – no matter what we are enduring presently, we aren’t stuck. God will provide a way out for us; He will restore us to our rightful places. We can have hope for our future, just like the Israelites. I hope this is encouraging to you today.
Prayer: Dear God, I admit I do feel stuck sometimes and feel I will never get out of the place I’m in. But, Your Word tells us otherwise – that You do have a plan for us and that You will be with us every step of the way. Thank You for Your grace and mercy! Amen.
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04.23.12
Posted in About Bridget, Beauty, God's Love at 7:23 pm by Administrator
Okay, so I struggle with seeing myself as beautiful sometimes. I think my health struggles and weight play a big part of that. So, I pulled up one of the devotionals I wrote years ago and was reminded again of how much God thinks I’m beautiful – and that’s the most important thing! May these thoughts touch you as well! – Bridget Gazlay
Devotional:“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14, NIV)
“It’s hard to feel beautiful when I have so many physical problems!”…There, I said it. I didn’t want to admit that, but it’s something I struggle with every second of the day. I tend to think back to when I was thinner, healthier, and prettier. I compare myself to every woman I meet, although just because someone is picture-perfect on the outside doesn’t mean he or she is beautiful on the inside, or that things are going great.
God says in His Word that He doesn’t look at the outward appearance like man does; He looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Our character, values, intelligence, and relationship with God are what make us beautiful. Scripture reminds us that, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeing; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:30).
I know these verses by memory. I know these verses in my heart. So why is it so hard to accept that I’m beautiful just the way I am – physical limitations and all? I guess it’s because I take man’s opinion more than I trust God’s truth. This was hard to admit as well.
I know that whatever God creates is beautiful and exactly the way it’s supposed to be. When I stop and think about the people I find most beautiful, its people who are God-honoring, self-sacrificing, kind, compassionate, and patent. That’s the kind of woman I strive to be. I don’t base my friendships on how thin someone is or how attractive they are – I base my friendships on who they are as a person.
I am beautiful not because of what I have done or what I look like; I am beautiful because God made me beautiful and in His image. What a marvelous concept! Maybe you’re down on yourself today. Stop and meditate on God’s Word and thank Him for being the master artist that He is!
Prayer: God, knowing that you made me with perfect hands is humbling. May your love overflow from my heart and may your beauty continue to shine in my life. Amen.
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04.22.12
Posted in About Bridget, Quiet Time With God at 2:20 pm by Administrator
I think every Christian struggles with making God a daily priority. I wrote about this recently in my journal. Take a peek into my personal thoughts on this. May this devotional be a blessing to you! – Bridget Gazlay
Devotional:>“It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold” (Psalm 119:71-72).(From my journal during a recent health battle):
The nausea and back pain are getting worse. All I want to do is sit by my fireplace, put some heat on my back and open the Word. I love how the Word instantly calms my anxiousness and restores my inner peace. Why is it then that I only seem to read my Bible and pray when I’m sick, tired, or frustrated?
Dear God, I know how important it is for me to spend time with You daily, but yet I do not do it. I know that when I do make my quiet time with You a priority my day starts off better, even if the day ends up challenging. I know that when I do not seek You, my attitude and temper seems to fly everywhere.
God, I don’t understand why it is I wait until I’m in a perilous condition BEFORE I decide to turn to you. Forgive me using You as my needs warrant. I will strive to spend more time with You because I love You and want to get to know You more!
For me, one ”good” thing about being ill is that I am reminded at how much I love being in the Word. When I’m sick, the first thing I do is snuggle up and open my Bible. Every time I tell myself, “Why not do this every day?!” In one sense, God uses my illness and health struggles to bring me back into a healthy relationship with Him. I don’t believe God causes me to be sick, but He does allow it because He knows it will make our relationship stronger.
Whenever I see this Scripture passage about how “good it is to be afflicted” I would say, “Whatever!” But now, I do believe the psalmist was right. Before, when my life was perfect and healthy, I did not seek out God. But now, because every day is a challenge, I turn to God much more often; His Word and Strength comforts me. May He comfort you as well!
Prayer: Dear God, I’m sorry for only coming to you when I need you. Help me to grow in my relationship with You as I daily strive to spend more time in the Word and in prayer. Amen.
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03.17.12
Posted in God's Love, Suffering, Trusting God at 1:41 pm by Administrator
The last five months have been very challenging for me and I wondered if God was seeing anything that I was going through. Was He allowing these new trials for a reason? After pouring myself in Scripture and prayer I came across a passage that really spoke to me. Below is a devotional that talks about that. Enjoy! – Bridget Gazlay
Devotional:Sleep, riches, health, and every other blessing are not truly and fully appreciated until they have been interrupted. When I read this quote by Jean Paul Richter I laughingly thought, “Exactly! It’s just too bad that my ‘blessings’ have been interrupted for quite a while!” It’s so hard to see our blessings when we’re in the midst of a hardship.
When I came across Deuteronomy 2:7, I literally stopped in my tracks and with tears in my eyes asked God to forgive me for doubting His provision in my life. The past five months have been a whirlwind of new pain and infection for me, and frankly some of the worst months of my life. It seemed everywhere I looked discouragement was around the corner. How do I discover God’s blessings when all I see and hear are hurting people?
We have to look past our adversity and chronicle all that has happened in our lives. When we do that we will see God’s hand at work. For me the words in this verse echoed what God needed me to hear. The LORD has blessed my hands in all that I do – whether at work, in writing, or in art. Just like the Israelites, God never left me to wander in the desert of life’s trials alone! Over my lifetime (almost forty years), there was never a time that God didn’t provide for my needs – whether financially, physically, or materially.
This verse convicted me in the sense that I was looking for a sign to see for sure God was working in my life. I don’t need a sign – my life is a sign. Being able to work while chronically ill and single is a sign. Being able to make it through the day is a sign. God is ALWAYS at work even if we don’t see it or believe it.
Prayer: God, I am so sorry for not seeing You in my life sometimes. Thank you for all the blessings in my life – those I see and those I don’t see. Help me to be more aware of Your work in my life. Amen.
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12.19.11
Posted in Christmas, God's Love, Sharing God's Love at 12:25 pm by Administrator
“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11: 25)
Don’t ask me why, but my favorite Christmas movie is “Scrooge”. Maybe it’s because by this time in the Holidays I am all shopped out, I’m sick of check-out lines, and the busy traffic spikes my nerves. And let’s not even talk about wrapping presents! I definitely feel like Scrooge!
But I forget that this movie has a happy ending. Scrooge has a change of heart. He begins to see how precious people are. He sees that people are hurting around him and he begins to give generously to those who need help. He starts to see the world in a different light.
That’s how we need to see things – in a different light. We need to see the world through Christ’s eyes. When we go through our daily lives with God in mind, that affects our every action, our every thought. Like Scrooge, we begin to see how precious ALL people are.
Christmas isn’t just about buying or receiving gifts. It’s about sharing the best gift of all, Jesus Christ, with those around us. This week, relax and enjoy the Holiday. Reflect on all we have to be thankful for – especially Jesus’ birth. This Christmas, may you truly be a light to those around you – you really don’t want to be a Scrooge!
Prayer: Dear God, this time of year can get so crazy. Help me to not fret over little things and to look to you for guidance and peace. Thank you for sending your Son to be born of a virgin so He could save our lives! Amen.
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09.20.11
Posted in Attitude, Beauty, fabric art, Trusting God at 10:24 pm by Administrator
Progressing in the art world has been a slow one for me. God has brought me a LONG way! Every piece of art I create is a reminder that with God all things are possible. This devotional talks about my journey in accepting the artistic way God created me. Enjoy – Bridget Gazlay
Devotional: “and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts – to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship.…” Exodus 35:31-33, NIV
“Bridget, you really are an artist – you’re just a very detailed artist and not abstract.” I was blown away when my friend and counselor said this to me in 2002. In my eyes I was not an artist – even though I was working on my first craft book at the time. Art classes weren’t something I grew up with. I didn’t even know I could draw until I tried in 2000. I was just following the inspiration God put before me. Could I really be an artist? Is this something God could use in my life to help inspire and encourage other people? I just wasn’t sure.
In spite of my shortcomings in the art arena, God led me down that path. It’s amazing now to look back on my earlier work and see just how much God has helped me progress in this area. Some of my earlier fabric art only took me 2 hours to make from draw-to-finish and consisted of a few basic shapes (like a generic lighthouse or round-shaped bird). Now some of my pieces take up to 20 hours (or 160+ hours like the piece I made for a contest in 2011) and have many intricate pieces.
When I am working on a new project, I am always amazed and overwhelmed at the beauty of it. I feel so blessed and privileged to have God use me in this way. It’s taken me a long time to consider myself an artist. But, once I realized that God is the One who gave this talent to me and created me this way, then I can believe He would actually use this as a ministry to touch others’ lives. That’s the exciting part – knowing God will use it somehow.
Some of my favorite chapters in Scripture are Exodus 35-39. Normally, reading about the building of the Tabernacle and all its parts and materials wouldn’t be overly exciting, but when I began to see how God gifted certain people to help craft particular pieces of the Tabernacle, I realized God does the same for us today. God gifts us all in unique and special ways – so we can use those gifts to touch other people’s lives and to help accomplish God’s plan.
When the Tabernacle was built, God needed linen-makers and carpenters. He needed stone-cutters and artisans. He needed welders and blacksmiths. God inspired all of these talents and used them in mighty ways. When these people came to offer their talents to help build the Temple, it was an act of worship to the Lord.
Wow, how neat to see that God crafts us each into special people – people that should be ready to serve him. What a powerful message. This sure was eye-opening to me. My little craft hobby wasn’t just a hobby – it had the potential of being a powerful act of worship to the Lord. That’s how we all should look at our talents and skills – after all it is the Lord who’s given those to us.
What are your special skills? Is this something God could use as a ministry? Do you recognize that God made you for a particular purpose? Meditate on this and thank God for the special ways he’s gifted you!
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Posted in Determination, Discipline, fabric art, Pruning, Trusting God at 10:14 pm by Administrator
There is nothing pleasant about having to redo something you’ve spent hours and hours on. But on the other hand – knowing it can be better in the end makes me want to redo it and make it all it can be. God is like that with us too – He wants us to be the best we can be too and that means sometimes we have to go through disciplinary times. But the end result is worth it. This devotional talks about my “fixing mistakes” drama. Enjoy – Bridget Gazlay
Devotional:“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11, NIV
I spent nearly seven months working on a fabric art piece for a national contest in 2011. It was almost four feet wide and one of my biggest pieces I’ve ever worked on. It took me 20 hours to draw the design and over 140 hours to make it in fabric.
I’d say it was an easy process, but it wasn’t. In fact, at one point I had to rip out 32 hours of work I’d done and redo it! (I’m crying just thinking about it.) That very same weekend I got two rejection letters from other contests/design teams I applied to. To say that weekend was upsetting is an understatement!
I didn’t want to rip out those problem areas, but I knew I couldn’t leave it the way it was – it just wouldn’t be right or as good as I knew it could be. So, with many tears I fixed it. Now that the entire picture is done, I am so glad I made it the best it could be.
It was during these frustrating times that God reminded me He does the same with us. He takes special care to mold us and teach us to be the best that we can be. With His special pruning, we can become more than we ever imagined. It certainly isn’t easy or fun when we have to endure the circumstances of our sin, but God always teaches us and guides us into doing what is right and holy. If we stick with it and ask God to show us what we can learn, He will teach us.
God too could decide to leave us the way we are and not help us fix our problem areas, but then we would not reach our greatest potential – the Godly people we were meant to be. God never gives up on us, no matter what we’ve done or what we’ve been through. Knowing that allows me to have the confidence to admit my mistakes and sin and to ask for forgiveness and to let God help me through those hard times.
Those hard times usually inspire me to try new things …if I’m willing to look past my current hurt and pain. If I had let my pain consume me, I never would have finished my art piece. I never would have learned some new techniques. I never would have seen the beautiful end result. I feel so blessed that God thinks I’m worth his time and effort! And you are worth it too!
Maybe you’re right in the middle of some difficult circumstances or sin. If you go to God and ask for His help, He will give it to you. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it in the end. Trust God and He will prune you into the perfect masterpiece!
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06.20.11
Posted in Trusting God, Worry at 9:19 pm by Administrator
Boy, sometimes I worry way more than I need to. After all, 80% of what we worry about never occurs! There are many things to worry about these days, but after reading the Mary and Martha passage in Scripture, I have decided to let Jesus take all my worries! I hope you enjoy the devotional I wrote about that! Blessings….Bridget Gazlay
Devotional:
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).
“I really don’t have the money to go to another doctor appointment. I have enough bills as it is.” My thoughts that day kept going. Before I knew it I was thinking about my car and started imagining that it would be taken from me since I paid a month late. Then I started wondering if I would lose my house too someday. All because I had to pay for another doctor appointment copay! Wow, did that get out of hand. In no way did my thoughts help my feelings of unease.
On my way in to work, I heard a speaker talking about the Mary and Martha passage in scripture. Jesus was at their home teaching. As the host Martha prepared the meal and made sure all her guests were taken care of. Her sister Mary however, was not helping Martha at all. She was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Him. Martha was distracted by all that she felt she needed to do and complained to Jesus about Mary’s unwillingness to help.
Jesus lovingly reminded Martha that Mary was right in choosing Him over the housework. This was the time to put Jesus first above all else. Worrying did nothing to help Martha’s attitude. All it did was make Martha more upset. When I heard Jesus’ words, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed”…I quickly realized my own sin in letting myself get worked up and worried about my finances. That certainly didn’t help my attitude any, except to make me more moody and sad. What I should have done was leave my concerns at His feet.
I know how hard it is not to worry when we’re chronically ill – especially since every day is a mystery in regards to how we will feel that day. But, Jesus tells us to focus on Him instead. He knows what will do our hearts good!
Prayer: Dear God, I admit I do worry sometimes…about everything. But I now lay all my concerns at Your feet. Please touch my heart and turn my worry into Love for You! Amen.
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