This morning I woke up early....just as the sun was coming up.  I slipped out of bed, grabbed my bathrobe and slippers and headed to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.  As the tea water was brewing, I grabbed my Bible and Bible study book.   There is nothing I love more than getting up early when the house is still quiet and spending time with God over a cup of hot tea. 

 As I was walked into the kitchen a sense of peace, joy and comfort came over me.  The kitchen was being bathed in the early morning sun and I looked out the window and saw three horses roaming the hillside while they peacefully grazed on grass.  To really appreciate the beauty of the horses on the hillside you need to know that in Colorado horses, and any livestock, are allowed to roam free with no fences. It really is a very beautiful thing to see.  I looked out another window and I saw the Rocky Mountains in the west being lit up from the sun coming up in the east.  As this sense of peace, joy and comfort came over me early this morning in our kitchen, I quickly realized that the reason why I felt peaceful, joyful and comfortable was because I felt at home!!!  This was such feeling was such a surprise to me because a few months ago I would have given my right arm to be back East.  I immediately thanked God for helping me get to this point where living on the plains of Colorado in a manufactured house, with no trees and occasionally some very fierce winds, could feel like home.  

So how did I get to this point? How did Colorado begin to feel like home instead of strange and foreign land?  How did I get through those awful months of feeling so lonely, homesick and desperate for familiar people and surroundings?  How could I stand in my kitchen this morning and feel at peace and joyful when we have been through some very trying times? 
 
The answer is very simple.  It was through prayer and keeping my eyes on Jesus.  So many of you have been praying for us and we truly can feel your prayers.  Because of your prayers and God's faithfulness we feel ourselves being lifted up on wings like eagles.  There were times during those hard months that I would have hit rock bottom if had I let myself focus on my loneliness and homesickness.  During those hard months I chose instead to keep my eyes focused on Jesus.  So what does that mean....to keep your eyes focused on Jesus?  It means to 
keep Jesus, His power and His love, in the foremost part of your mind.  It means to spend time praying.  It means to spend time reading God's word.  It means to spend a lot of time praising God for who He is in all His majesty and glory.  It means staying connected to Christians who can lift you up and encourage you. It means filling your mind and time with things that are pleasing to God rather than with junk.  

If you are feeling discouraged today, overwhelmed, homesick or lonely.....try keeping your eyes on Jesus.  He is there.  He cares.  He feels your pain.  He wants to lift you up on wings like eagles.  If you don't know where to start to keep your eyes on Jesus, I suggest you read Phillippians 4:8 and apply God's word to your life. "Finally brothers, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things".  

Our thoughts are powerful and WILL affect how we think or feel.  Filling our minds with things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy will help us keep our eyes on Jesus.  

Jesus alone is my source of strength, peace and joy.  It was Jesus that brought me from homesickness and loneliness to standing in my kitchen with peace, joy and a sense of home.   I praise Him and thank Him for always being with me and never forsaking me.  I truly am blessed. Psalm 144: 15b "Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord."