Expect The Good And Look For Your Emerald When You Are Troubled

Philippians 4:6-13

 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, whatever is true, whatever is lovely, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.

Matthew 6:26,30,33,34

Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow, neither do they reap, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  If God so arrays the grass of the field, will He not much more do for you?  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.

     God doesn’t want you to spend your time worrying about the “what’s gonna” game. You know the “what’s gonna,” as in:  “What’s ‘gonnna’ happen in your life or the life of someone that you really love?” When the eyes of your spirit are focused on the heavy rain of “what’s gonna,” you miss the bright, shining emerald of goodness and hope that God plants in your world every single day.  And so, to keep you from missing your moment and your blessing, God gives you “The Emerald Strategy.” The first step of The Emerald Strategy is to tell God whatever is on your heart so that He can fix it, direct you, and flood your spirit with peace so you can get on with your life’s mission.  The second step is to intensely expect the good. Be on the lookout in every conversation and activity for the specific word that God is trying to send you to ease your heart and give you the guidance that you need or the opportunity for God to use you to share His love and encouragement with others.   Your “emerald” is also another name for your “happy moment.”  When you are focused on the “what’s gonna,” you get ahead of yourself to a road you may never have to travel.  Enjoy the moment that you are in now: your health, your home, the exquisite pleasure of the company of a loved one.  Of course, all this happy thinking is easier to talk about than it is to actually do.  And it’s particularly hard to employ The Emerald Strategy when it comes to someone you love because you don’t want to lose them or you worry that something tricky will happen to them.  That’s when you really have to keep reminding yourself that God loves you and your special person and He is going to work all the circumstances together to get the best possible outcome.  Ask God to co-parent or partner with you and to hold that person in His loving arms and point them in the direction that they should go.  If God cares for each blade of grass and grain of sand, how much more will He care for you and your loved one? Every day, expect the good and look for your emerald.  Be an emerald, a shining light of wisdom and love in the lives of the people that God has put on your path.  That is the best way to keep the rain away…from you and in the lives of those you love.

Click the link below to see my books,
"Keeping Your Lamp Lit"
http://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Your-Lamp-Lit-Schuler/dp/1451559321/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277386999&sr=1-1#noop
"Good Strategies for Bad Times"
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategies-Bad-Times-Schuler/dp/1438257775/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265471485&sr=8-1