Tag Archives: anitanorton

Unfulfilled Longing – Anita Norton
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As the deer pants for the water brooks so my soul pants after Thee, Oh God. Psalms 42:1

“Hello, Sweetheart. I’m recording this from my quanset hut about eight at night and I am aching to hold you in my arms.”

My heart raced as the tape player sang his voice into my bedroom. It was the first time I’d heard it since he’d left for Korea. Wracking sobs poured from me as I ached physically to have the arms of the one I loved wrapped around me – but he was 8000 miles away. After I’d cried into my pillow, I began to think how good it was that I missed him and how wonderful to have a love in my life who meant so much to me. One who missed me too.

Sometimes I get that same ache, longing to be with my heavenly Father. I want to talk to Him face to face — know His physical presence. Jesus loves us so much. He waits with excitement for us to finish the race and join Him at home for all eternity. God has placed within us an unfulfilled longing…a hunger to be with Him and know Him better. And that is a good thing.

Does your heart burn with a longing that hasn’t been fulfilled? Reach out to Jesus. Let Him cradle you in His arms…it’s a good thing.
Anita Norton is a retired teacher and military wife who now loves to garden and travel to be with seven grandchildren. She lives in central Illinois and the children live in northern Illinois and Missouri. She is still married to the same man after forty-three years. She has found journaling to be a valuable tool in her walk of faith, to capture the moments God is teaching her something important. Recently, she discovered others might enjoy her sharing some of the lessons God taught. Read Anita’s devotions.
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God Will Fulfill His Purpose – Anita Norton
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God will fulfill His purpose for me. His loves endures forever. He will not abandon the work of His hands. Psalms 138:8

“How can YOU do this to one of your faithful servants? It’s not fair to make him suffer!” was my angry protest to God when my dad, a minister for over 60 years, had a stroke and lost vision in his left eye. He was “the eyes” and mom was “the ears” as a team. I had prayed for years that God would take him gently with an attitude that God owed him.

For six months, we watched dad slowly lose more each day, enduring the humiliation of becoming helpless. I spent time reading the Bible and singing old hymns with my parents, went to church support groups, and listened to Christian radio. Gradually, God showed me I needed to change. I couldn’t judge what He was doing or know who was watching.

Despite my anger and frustration with his suffering, Dad escaped into God’s arms. I knew in his earthly body there was suffering but in his new body, a reward of great proportion would come. God used Dad as a faithful servant and one who brought glory to Him. Without a doubt, Father God could be trusted with the exact days of His child – and He knew exactly what was best.

How do you cope with darkness when God doesn’t seem fair or loving by your standards or limited understanding of the circumstances? Trust in His promise and He will never abandon you. Believe and you will see the purpose and plan somewhere down the road.

Anita is a retired teacher and military wife who now loves to garden and travel to be with 7 grandchildren. She lives in central Illinois and the children live in northern Illinois and Missouri. She is still married to the same man after 43 years. She has found journaling to be a valuable tool in her walk of faith, to capture the moments God is teaching her something important. Recently, she discovered others might enjoy her sharing some of the lessons God taught. Read Anita’s devotions.
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School of Corrected – Anita Norton
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You will never be able to eat solid spiritual food and understand the deeper things of God’s Word until you become better Christians and learn right from wrong by practicing doing right. Hebrews 5:12-14

“Back to school again?” I have a Master’s degree already, I thought. Why do I need to go back to school again?

“Because you have a real problem with stinking thinking,” answered God.

As I entered into another time of problem solving in relationships, a huge challenge, a surgery, my attitude needed to be different – focused on the positive and not on grumbling.

I love being a student and learning in the school God wants me to attend. The experience can be an exciting adventure if I have the right attitude.

God wants me to graduate with a PHD — Personal Healing Difference. He wants me to earn a Master’s — learning victory in overcoming circumstances by allowing Him to be the Master.

If I study the manual daily and pray to walk in its truth with humilit, there is hope. I won’t need as many remedial courses as I’ve needed in the past. After all, who likes to repeat a grade?

When you are a student, how does your attitude toward learning and growth determine how long it takes you to finish the class? Study to show yourself approved.

Anita is a retired teacher and military wife who now loves to garden and travel to be with 7 grandchildren. She lives in central Illinois and the children live in northern Illinois and Missouri. She is still married to the same man after 43 years. She has found journaling to be a valuable tool in her walk of faith, to capture the moments God is teaching her something important. Recently, she discovered others might enjoy her sharing some of the lessons God taught. Read Anita’s devotions
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God Works in Mysterious Ways – Anita Norton
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For My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than yours. Isaiah 55:8

“Margie, get out the fine china and make a meal for these four pastors who’ve come to visit with us.”

“But, Bruce, they are not real. There is no one here in the house but you and I today.”

“Not real? Not real? Why, they’re as real as you are sitting here with me.”

We can’t explain this hallucination that my father had all day Sunday before his death on Thursday. He was a pastor. Four pastors came and stayed with him and he spoke with them about the goodness of God. What seemed confusing at the time now seems like a blessing; some kind of gift to prepare my father for his hospitalization and death. There were several little surprises during the trial of Dad’s last six months after the stroke that took the vision of his left eye and weakened him.

God doesn’t fit in our box of expectations. He will gift us with unexpected surprises during our trials if we can have our eyes and ears open to receive them. We’ll miss them if we have a strong will and expectation about how God must answer our prayers.

Do you choose to try to dictate to God what you expect of Him, or do you let Him be sovereign God and delight in His unusual surprises?

Anita is a retired teacher and military wife who now loves to garden and travel to be with 7 grandchildren. She lives in central Illinois and the children live in northern Illinois and Missouri. She is still married to the same man after 43 years. She has found journaling to be a valuable tool in her walk of faith, to capture the moments God is teaching her something important. Recently, she discovered others might enjoy her sharing some of the lessons God taught. Read Anita’s devotions.

No Excuses, No Regrets – Anita Norton
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Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see The Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25

Why did it take Dad’s death to get them to come home? We’d begged for years for them to visit. It would have brought him so much happiness in those last months following the stroke and loss of vision in his right eye.

Those that didn’t make it before his death were robbed of the precious memories of his last jokes, songs, and I love you’s that were such comfort for those of us who spent precious moments with him.

Hebrews tells us not to give up meeting together or encouraging one another. I count the verse as an admonition to be alert for those times we need to draw together in times of crisis to encourage and support one another. Being regular and faithful in our support to our local church, our families, and friends is so important. God calls us to this challenge.

We never know when it will be our last opportunity to make a difference. God teaches us as we are obedient, to minister to others even when it’s painful and sacrificial to be a servant. Sure, it’s sometimes hard to visit with those who teeter on the cusp of death, but it’s far more painful to be the one to cry in anguish by a missed opportunity. Imagine the difference that could be made when we walk through the door of opportunity.

When you think it’s the hardest to visit those in anguish and need, reach to the Christ who set the perfect example of servanthood and love. Accept His challenge to serve.

Anita is a retired teacher and military wife who now loves to garden and travel to be with 7 grandchildren. She lives in central Illinois and the children live in northern Illinois and Missouri. She is still married to the same man after 43 years. She has found journaling to be a valuable tool in her walk of faith, to capture the moments God is teaching her something important. Recently, she discovered others might enjoy her sharing some of the lessons God taught. Read Anita’s devotions.

Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!