I want to encourage all our readers to visit Anna Popescu's web-page, Her page is full of story's of courage, and of encouragement.Of strength in the face of all sorts of adverse circumstances.In the book of proverbs it says; If you faint in the day of adversity,Your strength is small. Prov, 24:10 NKJV.Anna is a woman who has proved time and again that her strength is in the lord, And has been multiplied by her faith.We love you anna! John/ Sylvia. http://www.annapopescu.com/

“Now this is what the Lord Almighty says; ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in your purse with holes in it.’ This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure and be honored,’ says the Lord.”Haggai 1:5-8.

GIVE CAREFUL THOUGHT by: Anna Popescu

I don’t know how I’d live without my lists: grocery lists, to-do lists, devotional idea lists, appointment lists… What I’ve just written is a list in itself! Getting my thoughts down on paper keeps them from rolling around in my mind and helps me to better organize my life.

Does it seem that life is more complicated than it used to be? Personal computers were supposed to free us from tons of paperwork, but in reality we found ourselves printing out many documents as a hard copy in case our computers suffer a glitch where we can lose precious information. We walk around with cell phones sometimes literally attached to our ears or with our thumbs texting messages on our cell phones to others. We probably even use our cell phones while we’re driving, and of course we’ve all heard about people who somehow even send text messages while they are driving!

Is it any wonder that stress-related illnesses are on the rise?

The prophet Haggai uses an interesting phrase twice in these three verses: “Give careful thought to your ways.” God had given the Jews the assignment of finishing the temple in Jerusalem after they returned from their captivity, but fifteen years later, it was not yet completed. Haggai was cautioning them to reexamine their priorities and encouraging them to put their energies into the building of God’s temple instead of embellishing their bodies and homes. He urged them to use their God-given gifts of food, drink, clothing, and money for more than just their physical needs.

In the same way, we can find ourselves caught up in the hectic pace of our world. There are so many people who need us or demand our time. Most of us juggle home, children, school activities, church, and job--trying to fit everything into each 24-hour day. When we finally stumble into bed late at night, we might remember to mumble a few prayers before sleep overtakes us. Where exactly is God in this fast-paced existence we call our lives?

Beloved, I’m here to tell you that He is right there with you in the midst of all the chaos. He longs to be with us every step of the way, gently guiding and prodding us to make the best decisions. He doesn’t want to be left behind; He wants to stick close to us. He loves us and wants the best for us. Perhaps before we take on another activity we should examine our current schedule to see what we can let go of to make more room for God. I’m still searching for just the right mix in my life, but I have found that if I put God first, all the rest seems to fall into place.

And those lists? Well, there are some things this 50-something lady just can’t do without. And besides, I like the sense of accomplishment I feel when I can cross items off my lists! It’s only through God that I can get any of it done anyway, so I try to remember to thank Him for each item He enables me to cross off.

Copyright © 2008 Anna M. Popescu.