I'm simply amazed at times at how God brings my Bible reading and my "other book" reading together in such powerful ways and with such unexplainable (in earthly ways) timing.

I am behind in my daily Bible reading, so today I was on September 23rd in my chronological Bible.  I was reading in Malachi about the sacrifices the people were making to God that were defective, sick, weak, blind....

God wanted to literally "shut the doors of the temple"-

He was so angry, because the people were giving Him the "leftovers."

After I finished reading this section of Malachi, I picked up the book I am reading right now...

Crazy Love by Francis Chan.

Today I was reading chapters four and five.

Guess what they were about and what Scriptures were quoted?

"Giving God leftovers" and Malachi!

Wow.

I sit here now thinking of several orphanages that we have been made aware of recently  through this blog and through a cousin of mine.. One is in India....a very long ways from the orphanage that we are trying to help raise funds for to build a kitchen and dining hall.  One is in Romania.

When I visit with the people at these places through email, I am convinced of one thing every single time.

THESE PEOPLE LOVE GOD AND DEPEND ON HIM FOR EVERYTHING AND THEY HAVE GIVEN THEIR ENTIRE LIVES TO SERVING HIM WHOLEHEARTEDLY!

There's no half-way living for God when you depend on Him for every bite of food you eat. 

See, right now my refrigerator is full. 

So is my pantry. 

When Nick was sick, I had to depend on God for strength to make it through each new day. 

Now, I still depend on Him in my grief, but it's not the same step-by -step dependence that I had to have last year.  The kind of dependence that made me realize I couldn't make it any other way than by Him carrying me.

And you know what happens when the dependence level changes?

I think what I offer Him changes, too.

I don't want to offer God less of me because I can make it through a day of life with only a whispered prayer here or there.

I want to offer all of me to God.  All I have.

So what can, I do today to show God that yes, I still depend on Him for every step and for every breath and at the same time demonstrate to Him that I want to offer myself as a living sacrifice?

I guess for me today it is by saying,

"God, use me.  Open my eyes to where you need me to be.  Lead me to those who need you today.  Place on my heart what it is you are calling me to do.  Give me the courage to say what I need to say when talking to people.  Help me to be Your light to a dark world.   I am Yours and I am totally dependent upon You and I am thankful for Your love."

Tomorrow I will share with you about the orphanages in India and Romania.  Maybe your churches would like to send them some kind of gift for Christmas to help make their holidays a little brighter.

I just imagine hugging these children some day in Heaven and being thankful that God was able to bring our lives together through the use of the Internet so that we could help them learn about His love.

Won't that be a great day?

And while I think of all of this, I still remember Ed and his family right here in the same area of the country as me.  And I ask God to show me what I can do show His love to this family today.  I know that He will.

I pray that all of you will have the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with someone today.