Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow isn’t here……….TODAY is a GIFT! How many of us are cheated out of the joys and pleasures of today? When I think of this, I am reminded of one of my grandmother Nobles’ favorite songs. It’s called “One Day At A Time”.
one day at a time sweet jesus – Bing Videos
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
thedailylily.com 
Thank you for such a wonderful song, “One Day at A Time”. It seems everyone and those of fleshly kin are already trying to hurry us ahead to Christmas and beyond. It seems the whole retail world has already kicked into high gear and we can choose to keep up with their beat or walk on with what Jesus would have us do and pray for others this day. May we be HOPE bearers for this day and not defer the HOPE to another day. The HOPE of Jesus for all the many problems people face this day. Jesus knows them all and knows where you need to stand for THIS day. This past year has been very hard. Sometimes I didn’t know if I could STAND at all. The situation around me seemed to be filled thunderheads all around. Who did I go to but JESUS!
Many prayed. I stand and those winds of adversity still blow and all I can say “One Day at a Time Sweet Jesus. Needles I remember you sending me a card telling me the message above at probably one of the dark, darkest time in my life and how I held on to it. I pray that someone else will now hold on to it. It truly is the only HOPE – it is NOW and everyday. Thank you!
Needles, I love this song and thanks for singing it to me! I had allowed Thanksgiving and Christmas to cheat me of today’s joy. It seems like the world has to stop until we all get our Christmas vacations and gifts in order. I thought, no, let me enjoy my hot pumpkin spice coffee in my jack-0-latern mug and my candy corn. The beautiful leaves so aglow and putting on a show of color with formal dress, to casual Friday and then a dropping for a midnight rest. O Autumn, what a wonder you are. I desire Autumn friends to enjoy the fall show and sip a little latte while we wonder at His marvelous ways.
Thanks for reminding me to open my gift of today and savoring it’s flavor.
Needles, this helps me put a new perspective on a dream I had about someone’s wanting to walk in my shoes and complaining that after they put them on that,”these shoes walk funny.” Well, Maybe it is a gentle warning that someone else, friend, relative(s), loved ones even, are trying to twist our walk so that we walk their way..the way they want us to go, as Rena indicated above,…making plans for us to do what they want, instead of the walk that Jesus has planned for us to walk, every moment, every day, every HOLIDAY….the straight and narrow path that leads to the Kingdom of God.
Say Sara, your mother wrote about the AUTUMN and the Harvest moon, seriously and with humor. She knew how to appreciate the season of Fall. Sounds like the saints just before us had that spiritual instinct about life…. THE HARVEST MOON, ONE DAY AT A TIME.
Needles one verse that really stands out to me in the song you shared was, “…there’s pushing and shoving and it’s crowding my mind…”
This made me think of Sara’s blog/poem from Sept 15: “A Crowded Mind”. I think she describes so well why we miss today.
“There is a crowd in one’s mind;
It takes a lot of oxygen to survive.
It drains the mind like a battery
drains its power supply.”…
(and then she offers the solution)
“Straight the road but narrow was the gate;
I made the turn and right through the gate.
I hear a welcome voice that said, “I am the gate;â€
And you have left outside the thieves and robbers
That had crowded your mind!”
Sara©9/6/2011″
Needles, there is a quote…not sure who said it..but an addendum to your quote: “Yesterday’s gone, tomorrow may never come. Today is a gift…that’s why it’s called THE PRESENT.”
Debi, thanks for reminding us about the crowded mind. When I listened to the song I caught that and even commented to Needles. Then the cares of today caught me and I trashed my helpful thought. Thanks for taking out my trash bag.
I imagine that this is what the Psalmist means in Ps. 118:24, “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” While it is still today, we rejoice that we HAVE this day. BUT TO DO WHAT?? Well, the next verse is quite amazing and explains….
“O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us SUCCESS!”
So if we rejoice in THIS day and receive the success that the Lord has promised in His Word…then the NEXT day will take care of itself…and we need not worry about it. Isn’t God Amazing?
“Give me the strength to do everything that I have to do…” This song reminds us to ask for things we might just take for granted each day.
That is good advice Sara. I think it puts our minds and attitudes in action and reality mode.
And what Needles writes…”tomorrow isn’t here…” makes me think there’s a saying I was admonished often with as a child…’never put off for tomorrow what you can do today’. As Needles said, “Today is a gift”. A gift to do or make use of the oppportunities God gives us and not procrastinate or say when ‘this’ happens then I will do ‘such and such’.
Yesterday might just be a bad memory! Have you ever yourself, or seen others, take a bad memory from yesterday and start thinking it was a good memory for today?
Wonder how that happens? O, man, the more I think about this song not sure I understand it!
That is an interesting concept,Sara. One way to look at it…the breakup of a marriage a few years ago had been a painful and hurting experience…. a “bad” memory, as it were but it is through that sad experience that I sought the Lord ( or He sought me) and met Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior….and now I thank God with all my heart that what the enemy meant for evil God turned to the good. David says in Psalm. 119:67, Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I (have learned) and obey your Word.” Whether I would have ever found the Lord in the other relationship, I do not know. But I do know that I am grateful that He rescued me from that whole situation . So now, I can rejoice in Him for that.
Maybe that is like what the world calls, “the good ol’, bad ol’ days”???
MG, your story makes me think of the song, “He made something beautiful of my life…”
The most amazing thing about situations like I describe above and Sara comments on with the song title, is what Paul says in Romans 8: 29-30, “For those whom He has known beforehand ( from the beginning of time that they would come and receive Him) He has also pre-destined ….. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” What a glorious promise….Beauty for ashes, oil of joy for mourning, a garment of praise. All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife…but He is ( in the process of making) something beautiful of my life.” Thanks, God, for the memories!!!!
I think some memories, like looking back to recall the good and great things the Lord has done in our lives can be helpful in building our faith. Especially when faced with trials of today. It seems easy to me to forget what the Lord has done and can do when the daily pressures come. Recall can help get your footing in order to move on.
In lieu of “moving on” let’s move forward, as Jesus told His disciples to, ‘ let’s move forward from this place’ Go ahead, instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. And God permitting, we will do so.(Hebrews 6:1)
If we can move to the beat of His drum, waters, voice or how He decides to speak for the moment would be great. Remember, the story of Jericho and Ai?
Both Jericho and Ai had very specific instructions for how to take the cities and both very different. Also in reading about Ai, they first had to clear up their sin because they couldn’t stand before their enemies if they didn’t and the Lord wasn’t going to be with them. After they did, they got instructions.
Wow! Thank you, Lord for this glorious beautiful sunny day! 🙂
YES, Lord, I thank you for the beauty of this day as well…..
I heard something on the radio today that made me think, “Boy, I’d sure like to be a Nicklas Backstrom….and have my COACH say about me what his coach said about him. “It’s hard to tell whether ( Nick) is having a good day or a bad day as he is always doing the right thing!” Whoa! What a testimony!!
Maybe he didn’t have any bad days. Sometimes when we’re at the top of our game bad days don’t exist. But, as most of us know, life happens. Maybe he had bad days and had parents, family, friends, church and others to help. Ones that have some answers and not the, “I don’t know syndrome’.
Compassion, mercy, and counsel was given for such a time.
Whether we have bad days or “no” yet to do the right thing always is only by the grace of God. When i am having a ‘bad day’, despite prayers, despite circumstances beyond my control….yet, the Lord expects me to do the right thing. That is the mature Christian’s “””INDEED””, that you write about, Sara. “INDEED” I must do the right thing. It’s only the right ‘deed’ to d.