Why do we sabotage relationships? Have you ever thought about it? It's so present in our flesh and yet, we just don't diagnose it until it's too late. It really is unfortunate that we let our mouths get away from us too quickly or even our actions. Women are infamous for putting their feet into their mouths. We get angry about inconsequential things, we gossip, and we just plain don't think about what we say.
I think it starts at puberty when the popular people become popular and the nerds emerge. We are all trying to be powerful in our own way. The problem is that we destroy the good that we do when we work to be the best, the most beautiful, or the most popular. Young girls don't often get this but we should.
Women have the ability to raise leaders, humanitarians, ministers, missionaries and presidents. From the time a child is born, we have no way to know what he or she might do. And yet, we gossip behind peoples backs, we sabotage good relationships because we fear and we worry about what people think about us. Why? Because we want power. The power we have through Jesus has nothing to do with any of those things. It has to do with the ability to allow the Holy Spirit in and to really be a prayer warrior for those that can't pray. We can unite and become one, which helps others to have courage in their storms, fire under their feet, and a sense of oneness that we all desire. We don't do it; Jesus does.
In order for us to fulfill our purpose we must desire to be in relationship without asking for anything in return. We must move through our hurts and pains and work toward being the kind of women Jesus wants. We must strike at fear, frustration and anger and replace it with love, trust, faith and peace. Basically, we must die to our flesh so that we can reap the full benefits of Jesus Christ.
I have sabotaged many relationships. Especially when it came to the male persuasion. And because I lacked faith in women, I really didn't have much in the way of friends either. It was only when I began to look at myself that I realized I feared getting hurt. When you fear hurt, you will not invest. If you don't invest, you will miss out. I understand the need to protect yourself but I also know the blessings we miss out on when we protect too much. Jesus will protect us. Our flesh won't.
People need people. Look around. We need each other and God made it that way. If you're scared today to be in relationship with someone, I beg of you to ask Jesus to heal that part of you that wants isolation. The greatest events in History have come from people uniting for a common cause. Just look at the Susan B Komen organization.
People will and can hurt us. The key is if we are willing to stand up, walk away from our fear, and fight for each other. I have corrected a lot of my lifetime fears through Jesus Christ. I am now able not to look at the end but approach everything as if it's the beginning. How did I do that? Through a lot of prayer. I needed God to diagnose and heal me. Every event begins with me, I'm the only common denominator in my relationships. I'm the only one that can see the fear and hurt and I'm the only one, with Jesus, that can fix it.
Whether you are challenged by your relationships with women or men, please take some time with our maker. Ask Him to diagnose and to reveal your fears, hurts, and frustrations. Start small and invest in one person. Don't look toward the end of the relationship, walk daily. We need to approach relationships in a healthier way. Christ did. All would fail Him and yet, He came to save us all!
Colossians 4:5-6 NKJV:
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Psalm 73:26 NKJV:
My flesh and my heart fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
If your desire is to have a truly meaningful relationship with a male or female, then you must be right with Jesus. Our flesh will let us down, Jesus won't. Take heart and know that many of us fail this particular test. The winners ask for help, persevere and die to their flesh. Today, I am able to be in community with many different women. It didn't happen by chance; it happened through Jesus. There are still times I fail this test but I always walk back to Jesus and ask Him to fix me. I'm not perfect but I have a God that is. Walk with Him daily, so that You can walk with those He chooses to bring into your life. The reward is great!
My prayer today:
Lord, we love you so much and yet, we let our flesh do the talking for us. I pray that we would die to our flesh so that You can use us. Although I have failed myself and others, I pray that I will not fail You now. I come before You asking for You to restore in me a new heart. I want a heart that yearns for others and that will love them through the test of time. I pray that all women everywhere will throw off their hurts, frustrations and anger and in there place will be love, peace, trust and faith, that You are the key to every relationship. I grow weary of my own failures but I have You to lift me up, mold me and to make me Yours. In all things, I pray that we would all see Your mighty hand on our lives. That we would invest in one, so that many can know Your name. We ask that we would die to ourselves and that You would be our every focus. For as long as You are the king of our hearts, we will succeed in every battle. We need You to reveal to us our weaknesses so that they can be replaced with Your strength. Thank You for never turning Your back on this broken generation, for loving us when we are unloveable and for making us Yours! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Monday, June 18, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
June 17, 2012
Today is Father's day and it brings me great sorrow and much joy. The sorrow comes from losing my hero and the great joy comes from knowing that my Father in heaven is with me. As I write, I realize there may be women out there that didn't grow up with a father, or their father was abusive, hurtful or absent. Unfortunately, not every one is a good parent and for that I have great sorrow in my heart. But I am encouraged by God, because in the absence of a father, He is all we need.
My father was a wonderful man. He made leaf piles for us to dive into and gave us ski lessons, swimming lessons, and life lessons. He loved us and showed us every day that he was committed to his family and my mother. He sacrificed much, so that all of our needs would be met, no matter how many hours he had to work. For most of my life, he worked seven days a week and would come home and play with us, do homework or just sit and listen to us.
He was an unbelievable role model, not just for the four of us but for the nine grandchildren he left behind. He instilled in my brothers to cherish their wives and to make time for their children. He taught me what a man looks like and acts like. He cared for our mother with passion and remained by her side until she died. He was everything and yet, I still have a great Father. I can't see Him but I feel Him, I read about Him and I pray to Him.
No longer do I have a physical man to be my father but I do have Christ. I hope to see my dad one day. And I am so thankful for the care, consideration and respect he gave me. The loss is great but if I didn't have Christ, the loss would be shattering. If I have learned one thing in the last six years, it's to really depend upon Jesus Christ. I don't know what people do without Him and I'm glad I never have to find out. He is my crutch. And although I miss my father horribly, I have a Father still guiding me through life's challenges, holding my hand when I get hurt and guiding my feet through the fire. I can't see Him but I know He is near. Even when I disappoint Him, I know He stands beside me.
I am encouraged that all of us have the power to feel what I feel. To know, that even though our earthly fathers are gone, God is near. If you don't know that kind of love because you haven't asked Christ into your heart, I pray that you will today. A father represents many things here on earth. But God represents something so much more. He is love. People can let us down, abuse us, neglect us and throw us away, but God never does. He is essential to us. We need Him and He loves us.
My hope is that you have all experienced a wonderful earthly father. However, if life hasn't offered you that, please go to a Father that never leaves us. He is with us. We don't have to have a father to experience the full love and grace of Jesus Christ. We just have to receive Him and He does the rest.
If your father is still here, make sure you thank him for the love and guidance he has brought to your life. They are human like us and many times feel as if they have failed us. At the end, when my dad was not feeling very well, he shared with me his deepest regrets. He thought that he had failed all of us. As he laid dying in that hospital, I assured him that he never let us down. Why? Because he never did. He gave his all, loved his family and worked to provide our every need. I am the mother I am to today due to him and my mother. Possessions will never bring us happiness but investing in someone always will. I thank God that He brought my father into my mother's life and that He delivered Him with great peace and grace.
I loved my father will all my heart. I will always remember the joy he provided to my children, how he sat on numerous benches watching my son play, how he guided my sons and showed them how a man should be. He was a great man but with all that being said, Christ has been more. Christ represents the best of my dad without all the baggage. I can go to Him when I am weak and He knows exactly what I need. His love is sufficient and although my loss is great, He covers me.
2 Corinthians 2:4 NKJV:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
John 3:16 NKJV:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
My prayer today:
Thank You Lord, for being our Father. For taking the time to listen to us, love us and be with us, no matter where we are. I pray today that if someone doesn't know You, that they will come before You and confess that You did die on a cross for our sins. I pray that You would show them what You have shown all of us. That a life without You is empty but a life with You is full. You are my Father and I am so grateful for Your compassion and grace. Please lead women to You, through all of us. Bless this blog and give women an understanding of what You mean to me and so many more. I lift up the women in other countries that might not have the freedom we have today and ask You to come into their lives. Freedom comes from You and although we all live in different circumstances; You are the light of the world. My heart goes out to every woman that didn't have a great earthly father. I pray today that they receive something better, a heavenly Father. You are sufficient for me today and I want to honor You always. So on this Father's day, I honor You and thank You for my life. May it be a blessing to You always. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
My father was a wonderful man. He made leaf piles for us to dive into and gave us ski lessons, swimming lessons, and life lessons. He loved us and showed us every day that he was committed to his family and my mother. He sacrificed much, so that all of our needs would be met, no matter how many hours he had to work. For most of my life, he worked seven days a week and would come home and play with us, do homework or just sit and listen to us.
He was an unbelievable role model, not just for the four of us but for the nine grandchildren he left behind. He instilled in my brothers to cherish their wives and to make time for their children. He taught me what a man looks like and acts like. He cared for our mother with passion and remained by her side until she died. He was everything and yet, I still have a great Father. I can't see Him but I feel Him, I read about Him and I pray to Him.
No longer do I have a physical man to be my father but I do have Christ. I hope to see my dad one day. And I am so thankful for the care, consideration and respect he gave me. The loss is great but if I didn't have Christ, the loss would be shattering. If I have learned one thing in the last six years, it's to really depend upon Jesus Christ. I don't know what people do without Him and I'm glad I never have to find out. He is my crutch. And although I miss my father horribly, I have a Father still guiding me through life's challenges, holding my hand when I get hurt and guiding my feet through the fire. I can't see Him but I know He is near. Even when I disappoint Him, I know He stands beside me.
I am encouraged that all of us have the power to feel what I feel. To know, that even though our earthly fathers are gone, God is near. If you don't know that kind of love because you haven't asked Christ into your heart, I pray that you will today. A father represents many things here on earth. But God represents something so much more. He is love. People can let us down, abuse us, neglect us and throw us away, but God never does. He is essential to us. We need Him and He loves us.
My hope is that you have all experienced a wonderful earthly father. However, if life hasn't offered you that, please go to a Father that never leaves us. He is with us. We don't have to have a father to experience the full love and grace of Jesus Christ. We just have to receive Him and He does the rest.
If your father is still here, make sure you thank him for the love and guidance he has brought to your life. They are human like us and many times feel as if they have failed us. At the end, when my dad was not feeling very well, he shared with me his deepest regrets. He thought that he had failed all of us. As he laid dying in that hospital, I assured him that he never let us down. Why? Because he never did. He gave his all, loved his family and worked to provide our every need. I am the mother I am to today due to him and my mother. Possessions will never bring us happiness but investing in someone always will. I thank God that He brought my father into my mother's life and that He delivered Him with great peace and grace.
I loved my father will all my heart. I will always remember the joy he provided to my children, how he sat on numerous benches watching my son play, how he guided my sons and showed them how a man should be. He was a great man but with all that being said, Christ has been more. Christ represents the best of my dad without all the baggage. I can go to Him when I am weak and He knows exactly what I need. His love is sufficient and although my loss is great, He covers me.
2 Corinthians 2:4 NKJV:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
John 3:16 NKJV:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
My prayer today:
Thank You Lord, for being our Father. For taking the time to listen to us, love us and be with us, no matter where we are. I pray today that if someone doesn't know You, that they will come before You and confess that You did die on a cross for our sins. I pray that You would show them what You have shown all of us. That a life without You is empty but a life with You is full. You are my Father and I am so grateful for Your compassion and grace. Please lead women to You, through all of us. Bless this blog and give women an understanding of what You mean to me and so many more. I lift up the women in other countries that might not have the freedom we have today and ask You to come into their lives. Freedom comes from You and although we all live in different circumstances; You are the light of the world. My heart goes out to every woman that didn't have a great earthly father. I pray today that they receive something better, a heavenly Father. You are sufficient for me today and I want to honor You always. So on this Father's day, I honor You and thank You for my life. May it be a blessing to You always. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Saturday, June 16, 2012
June 16, 2012
All I can think about today is how life is a battlefield. And, I wonder, will I win. I'm not talking about winning in a way many of us do. Many times we consider victory when it's personal, like winning a race, getting promoted or seeing a situation rectified. I'm talking about winning for Jesus.
Whenever I'm struggling and feel lost, I think of the Israelites. I can tell you that I've been in that mode a lot in my life. I find comfort in their lack of understanding, complaining and overall sense of defeat. I know that sounds weird but if you look at their story and the promise God made to Abraham, the battle was long but the victory came.
I think we love to grumble in the battle. We stomp our feet and say, "why me." We forget the provisions that God has brought us and we only look at today. Our faith waves like wheat in the wind and still, He delivers us. I wonder how many out there are just like that. You're going along, everything is going your way and bam, you hit a wall and forget about every provision, every gift, every victory through Jesus. I'm sure there are many but I want us to begin to look at provision in a different way. I want us to realize that daily we have manna but often, we just don't use it.
The difference between us and the Israelites are two things: they only had Moses and Jesus wasn't even born yet. Why does that matter? Because their promise was delivered by a man and most of the time they wanted to stone him. And through Jesus, we received the Holy Spirit and the living word. All those poor Israelites had was the 10 commandments and you know how often we all break those. So, I guess when you sit still and really think about it, God could have chosen to let those wandering sheep despair forever. Was that His choice? No. At the end of the journey, when He believed they were ready, He delivered them into Israel.
That took 40 years. Now, for many of us our tribulation might last a week, a month or a year. Depending on our choices, it might last for many years. I can think about several people I know where they fought cancer over years and then were finally delivered to Him. I love to say that life just isn't fair but Jesus is. Sometimes we must wander in the desert to understand the power of the victory. For me, wandering in the desert has always heightened my faith. Why? Because I look back and even though I don't understand what God is doing; I know He's doing it for His glory.
I want to challenge us to face our fears and instead of asking "why," let's have faith that He is in the middle of our situation and sit still. Not easy, I know. I have worked on sitting still all week and I can say, I've failed many times. But today, I'm sitting still asking God to go before me. I hope that every day, even if I do win a personal victory, I stay in the race for Jesus. Really nothing in this life is worth it, if Jesus is not on the battlefield with me.
So, release your fears, quit asking why and start asking Christ, "where do you want me today?" We do have the tools to win a victory for Him. He laid it all out. It won't be easy and we won't understand but we can grow our faith and see His hand. As I continue to say, read your Bible, pray for forgiveness and pray that women all over the world will unite for one cause, Jesus!
1 Peter 5:8-11 NKJV:
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
Psalm 46: 10 NKJV:
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
John 6:31 NKJV:
Our fathers ate manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Even the Israelites knew the grace of God. They were angry complainers but God always provided. He provides many of the same things to us today that He gave them. Before we can experience His grace, we must be still. God calls us to be vigilant. Evil does roam this earth and only when we have faith enough to believe, will we really understand the grace we are under. I hope today, you see the grace of God and have faith, through being still. I don't think any of us wants to wander for 40 years, do you?
My prayer today:
O, mighty Lord, grant us the wisdom to be wiser and smarter than the Israelites. Like them, we are human and our flesh gets in front of our Spirit. However, we have a desire to know You in all circumstances. Life isn't fair and we will have trials. All we ask is that when we do face them, You will help lift us up and give us a great faith. You are the King of our hearts and the power behind the cross. We worship You, not just in the good times, but in the bad. None of us want to wander for 40 years, our prayer is that Your will be done and that we complete the race. Thank You for Your grace, Your wisdom, Your power and Your word. We would be nothing in this life without You. Help us be determined to sit before You daily, so that when we do face a bump in the road, we know who to turn too. You are our manna in the morning, our sun at dawn and our moon in the evening. Please help us to become mighty women of You and provide us with the strength to fight whatever comes our way, with our Spirits, instead of our flesh. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Whenever I'm struggling and feel lost, I think of the Israelites. I can tell you that I've been in that mode a lot in my life. I find comfort in their lack of understanding, complaining and overall sense of defeat. I know that sounds weird but if you look at their story and the promise God made to Abraham, the battle was long but the victory came.
I think we love to grumble in the battle. We stomp our feet and say, "why me." We forget the provisions that God has brought us and we only look at today. Our faith waves like wheat in the wind and still, He delivers us. I wonder how many out there are just like that. You're going along, everything is going your way and bam, you hit a wall and forget about every provision, every gift, every victory through Jesus. I'm sure there are many but I want us to begin to look at provision in a different way. I want us to realize that daily we have manna but often, we just don't use it.
The difference between us and the Israelites are two things: they only had Moses and Jesus wasn't even born yet. Why does that matter? Because their promise was delivered by a man and most of the time they wanted to stone him. And through Jesus, we received the Holy Spirit and the living word. All those poor Israelites had was the 10 commandments and you know how often we all break those. So, I guess when you sit still and really think about it, God could have chosen to let those wandering sheep despair forever. Was that His choice? No. At the end of the journey, when He believed they were ready, He delivered them into Israel.
That took 40 years. Now, for many of us our tribulation might last a week, a month or a year. Depending on our choices, it might last for many years. I can think about several people I know where they fought cancer over years and then were finally delivered to Him. I love to say that life just isn't fair but Jesus is. Sometimes we must wander in the desert to understand the power of the victory. For me, wandering in the desert has always heightened my faith. Why? Because I look back and even though I don't understand what God is doing; I know He's doing it for His glory.
I want to challenge us to face our fears and instead of asking "why," let's have faith that He is in the middle of our situation and sit still. Not easy, I know. I have worked on sitting still all week and I can say, I've failed many times. But today, I'm sitting still asking God to go before me. I hope that every day, even if I do win a personal victory, I stay in the race for Jesus. Really nothing in this life is worth it, if Jesus is not on the battlefield with me.
So, release your fears, quit asking why and start asking Christ, "where do you want me today?" We do have the tools to win a victory for Him. He laid it all out. It won't be easy and we won't understand but we can grow our faith and see His hand. As I continue to say, read your Bible, pray for forgiveness and pray that women all over the world will unite for one cause, Jesus!
1 Peter 5:8-11 NKJV:
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
Psalm 46: 10 NKJV:
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
John 6:31 NKJV:
Our fathers ate manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
Even the Israelites knew the grace of God. They were angry complainers but God always provided. He provides many of the same things to us today that He gave them. Before we can experience His grace, we must be still. God calls us to be vigilant. Evil does roam this earth and only when we have faith enough to believe, will we really understand the grace we are under. I hope today, you see the grace of God and have faith, through being still. I don't think any of us wants to wander for 40 years, do you?
My prayer today:
O, mighty Lord, grant us the wisdom to be wiser and smarter than the Israelites. Like them, we are human and our flesh gets in front of our Spirit. However, we have a desire to know You in all circumstances. Life isn't fair and we will have trials. All we ask is that when we do face them, You will help lift us up and give us a great faith. You are the King of our hearts and the power behind the cross. We worship You, not just in the good times, but in the bad. None of us want to wander for 40 years, our prayer is that Your will be done and that we complete the race. Thank You for Your grace, Your wisdom, Your power and Your word. We would be nothing in this life without You. Help us be determined to sit before You daily, so that when we do face a bump in the road, we know who to turn too. You are our manna in the morning, our sun at dawn and our moon in the evening. Please help us to become mighty women of You and provide us with the strength to fight whatever comes our way, with our Spirits, instead of our flesh. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Thursday, June 14, 2012
June 15, 2012
I have a heavy heart today because like all mothers; I would like to keep the trials of this world away from my sons but as we all know, this is impossible. When a person attacks your own, you want to attack them too. It's part of human nature. But are we right to go at someone in anger?
We are never right to do anything in anger. The Bible is clear on that. God is slow to anger and I thank Him repeatedly and work very hard to do the same. I am approaching a very difficult time in my son's journey and I need to protect him. In some ways I feel as though my husband and I let an adult verbally abuse him and we stood by and told him that he had to take it.
We never have to take abuse. Abuse is power. And most people don't handle power over others well. It's a way for them to control the weak and defenseless and we have an obligation to protect the weak. With that being said, I have had several days to pray about how to handle a very delicate situation concerning an adult and my son. If you are reading this, please pray that I handle this situation with wisdom and with God's grace.
My main concern is for my son and a friend of his. I want the abuse to stop and I am praying that how my husband and I handle the situation will help to correct the situation. My mind has gone in a thousand different directions and I finally have come to the conclusion that I must forgive and leave my anger behind. Why? Because that's what I get every day from Christ. He forgives me even when I fail Him and I must show the same kind of compassion and grace towards my fellow man, even if I believe them to be wrong.
Forgiveness is a big part of our overall maturity. When we are able to forgive, we can receive grace. If we hold that bitterness in our hearts, the light of Christ will not be able to penetrate our hearts. I want to always be able to forgive and have grace. So, today as I go to meet with the administration of my son's school, I hope that I will approach this situation fairly and amicably. All I want is that my son be left alone. I realize I can't control the situation but I can speak out for the weak and hopefully, every one in this situation will be better for the experience.
It's not easy to stand up for what you believe in. And it's definitely not easy to face hard situations. But in the end, when I look at all the hardships I have faced, I have become a better person because of them. I hope that today I show my son that love means standing up for the weak. I hope he will remember this trial and it will remind him that we must have forgiveness and grace. But mostly, I hope that he feels protected by his Father. For God goes before us. Vengeance is not ours; its Gods. So if your dealing with a great hurt, facing a person you consider your enemy, or facing a difficult confrontation, remember that God will take care of it for you. Conduct yourself with love and let God take care of the rest.
Psalm 145:8 NKJV:
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.
Proverbs 19 NKJV:
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. And his glory is to overlook a transgression.
My prayer today:
Lord, please go before us. Be our strength in trials, hurts and confrontations. Provide the love and grace we need for our fellow man and help us lift them up in prayer. Place on our hearts the need to forgive so, that we may be forgiven. We owe You so much. I am extremely grateful that You are slow to anger and that You fight for the weak. We need to always remember that You have grace and we did nothing for it. Personally, I pray that I would handle this situation with poise, dignity, grace, and love. If I could ask one thing, it would be that You would help women release their anger and unite women all over the world to pray for one another. Please forgive us for our sins and make us Yours. In Jesus Name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
We are never right to do anything in anger. The Bible is clear on that. God is slow to anger and I thank Him repeatedly and work very hard to do the same. I am approaching a very difficult time in my son's journey and I need to protect him. In some ways I feel as though my husband and I let an adult verbally abuse him and we stood by and told him that he had to take it.
We never have to take abuse. Abuse is power. And most people don't handle power over others well. It's a way for them to control the weak and defenseless and we have an obligation to protect the weak. With that being said, I have had several days to pray about how to handle a very delicate situation concerning an adult and my son. If you are reading this, please pray that I handle this situation with wisdom and with God's grace.
My main concern is for my son and a friend of his. I want the abuse to stop and I am praying that how my husband and I handle the situation will help to correct the situation. My mind has gone in a thousand different directions and I finally have come to the conclusion that I must forgive and leave my anger behind. Why? Because that's what I get every day from Christ. He forgives me even when I fail Him and I must show the same kind of compassion and grace towards my fellow man, even if I believe them to be wrong.
Forgiveness is a big part of our overall maturity. When we are able to forgive, we can receive grace. If we hold that bitterness in our hearts, the light of Christ will not be able to penetrate our hearts. I want to always be able to forgive and have grace. So, today as I go to meet with the administration of my son's school, I hope that I will approach this situation fairly and amicably. All I want is that my son be left alone. I realize I can't control the situation but I can speak out for the weak and hopefully, every one in this situation will be better for the experience.
It's not easy to stand up for what you believe in. And it's definitely not easy to face hard situations. But in the end, when I look at all the hardships I have faced, I have become a better person because of them. I hope that today I show my son that love means standing up for the weak. I hope he will remember this trial and it will remind him that we must have forgiveness and grace. But mostly, I hope that he feels protected by his Father. For God goes before us. Vengeance is not ours; its Gods. So if your dealing with a great hurt, facing a person you consider your enemy, or facing a difficult confrontation, remember that God will take care of it for you. Conduct yourself with love and let God take care of the rest.
Psalm 145:8 NKJV:
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.
Proverbs 19 NKJV:
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. And his glory is to overlook a transgression.
My prayer today:
Lord, please go before us. Be our strength in trials, hurts and confrontations. Provide the love and grace we need for our fellow man and help us lift them up in prayer. Place on our hearts the need to forgive so, that we may be forgiven. We owe You so much. I am extremely grateful that You are slow to anger and that You fight for the weak. We need to always remember that You have grace and we did nothing for it. Personally, I pray that I would handle this situation with poise, dignity, grace, and love. If I could ask one thing, it would be that You would help women release their anger and unite women all over the world to pray for one another. Please forgive us for our sins and make us Yours. In Jesus Name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
June 14,2012
If I learned one thing this week, it's to invest in people. I had a wonderful time during my training, learning new things but if I have one takeaway from my meeting and my travels home yesterday; it's that people matter. We can isolate ourselves or we can challenge ourselves to grow, by meeting people right where they are and investing in them.
As you all know my passion is women in their early twenties. This is largely due to the fact that I believe we make a lot of choices in those years that can hurt us. We don't realize how many choices we face that will have an effect on us later. Those choices will shape us and if we make too many bad choices they can have an overall impact that can be devastating.
Because I opened myself up yesterday and invested in others, I met a beautiful woman last night in Atlanta. I would really like to thank her for talking with me through the hours we waited to get to Kansas. She is a wonderful woman with a very interesting past. You know ladies, we all have pasts. I hope you can look back and your closet isn't full with them. But for most of us, we will regret one or more of our choices. They cling to us like a bad suit and yet, are we to feel the shame of these mistakes? The Bible is clear; God washes us of our sins, when we come to Him and confess them. Our consequences we must pay but the shame and hurt we feel must be released.
I'm not perfect and I never will be. I finally have come to a place in my life where I'm okay with that. I am being perfected, however and I'm willing to continue that process as long as Christ sees fit. We are one in a journey of many choices. Life is like a puzzle. One piece fits perfectly. If you have made some choices you regret, like you didn't finish college or maybe you have been married several times, please don't choose to define yourself by those choices. Go to Jesus for wisdom and ask Him to put your feet on the right path. He will. I can't change the bad choices I've made in my past but I can make better future decisions through prayer and seeking Christ.
I was honored as God brought two very special women into my life yesterday. I always pray that God will bring women to me and it was a mighty blessing to honor Him. I hope they get on this blog today and realize that although strangers; we are one body. It will take all of us to fight the wars of life. If I had one takeaway from this week, it's to invest in people. After this week, I may end up being more successful in my job, due to the training I received, but my greater hope is that I was a blessing to others.
May God be with you today. May He come to you and show you how much He loves you and may you, in turn serve someone else. I am so thankful I didn't put my head in that book yesterday. If you are both reading this blog today, you know who you are. I pray that God would bless you both on your new journey's and if you took anything from yesterday; I hope you realize God was right there, leading our discussion and investing in all of us.
Ephesians 4:30-32 NKJV:
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
I hope that as you go along today; you will receive the forgiveness that Christ gave to all of us. The Holy Spirit is in us, to remind us, of the love and forgiveness God has for His people. If you dare to receive it, you will find many past burdens lifted off your shoulders. Healing from sin begins with us but ends with Christ!
My prayer today:
Thank you Lord, for bringing two very wonderful women into my life yesterday. It was a blessing to me and hopefully, I was a blessing to them. We all make mistakes that cause us to be angry with ourselves but at the end of the day; we must lay them at Your feet and let You wash them away. I am constantly reminded of Your mercy and Your immense grace for those You love. Help us to unite and love all those You love. I wish that we didn't have to sin, but we all fall short. Thank you for washing those mistakes away and covering us. Until the day we bow at Your feet, I pray that we would become women of You. Help us to be bold in this journey and surround us with people that will lift us up, so that we can move through our pasts and put all hurts, bitterness and shame away. You are the greatest Father a girl could ever have and I just want to praise You and thank You for your constant commitment to Your chosen people. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
As you all know my passion is women in their early twenties. This is largely due to the fact that I believe we make a lot of choices in those years that can hurt us. We don't realize how many choices we face that will have an effect on us later. Those choices will shape us and if we make too many bad choices they can have an overall impact that can be devastating.
Because I opened myself up yesterday and invested in others, I met a beautiful woman last night in Atlanta. I would really like to thank her for talking with me through the hours we waited to get to Kansas. She is a wonderful woman with a very interesting past. You know ladies, we all have pasts. I hope you can look back and your closet isn't full with them. But for most of us, we will regret one or more of our choices. They cling to us like a bad suit and yet, are we to feel the shame of these mistakes? The Bible is clear; God washes us of our sins, when we come to Him and confess them. Our consequences we must pay but the shame and hurt we feel must be released.
I'm not perfect and I never will be. I finally have come to a place in my life where I'm okay with that. I am being perfected, however and I'm willing to continue that process as long as Christ sees fit. We are one in a journey of many choices. Life is like a puzzle. One piece fits perfectly. If you have made some choices you regret, like you didn't finish college or maybe you have been married several times, please don't choose to define yourself by those choices. Go to Jesus for wisdom and ask Him to put your feet on the right path. He will. I can't change the bad choices I've made in my past but I can make better future decisions through prayer and seeking Christ.
I was honored as God brought two very special women into my life yesterday. I always pray that God will bring women to me and it was a mighty blessing to honor Him. I hope they get on this blog today and realize that although strangers; we are one body. It will take all of us to fight the wars of life. If I had one takeaway from this week, it's to invest in people. After this week, I may end up being more successful in my job, due to the training I received, but my greater hope is that I was a blessing to others.
May God be with you today. May He come to you and show you how much He loves you and may you, in turn serve someone else. I am so thankful I didn't put my head in that book yesterday. If you are both reading this blog today, you know who you are. I pray that God would bless you both on your new journey's and if you took anything from yesterday; I hope you realize God was right there, leading our discussion and investing in all of us.
Ephesians 4:30-32 NKJV:
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
I hope that as you go along today; you will receive the forgiveness that Christ gave to all of us. The Holy Spirit is in us, to remind us, of the love and forgiveness God has for His people. If you dare to receive it, you will find many past burdens lifted off your shoulders. Healing from sin begins with us but ends with Christ!
My prayer today:
Thank you Lord, for bringing two very wonderful women into my life yesterday. It was a blessing to me and hopefully, I was a blessing to them. We all make mistakes that cause us to be angry with ourselves but at the end of the day; we must lay them at Your feet and let You wash them away. I am constantly reminded of Your mercy and Your immense grace for those You love. Help us to unite and love all those You love. I wish that we didn't have to sin, but we all fall short. Thank you for washing those mistakes away and covering us. Until the day we bow at Your feet, I pray that we would become women of You. Help us to be bold in this journey and surround us with people that will lift us up, so that we can move through our pasts and put all hurts, bitterness and shame away. You are the greatest Father a girl could ever have and I just want to praise You and thank You for your constant commitment to Your chosen people. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Sunday, June 10, 2012
June 11-13
Hello all. I will be out of town for the next few days and probably won't have time to write. I will be back in action the morning of the 14th. I just wanted to wish you all a very blessed week and remember although I am not writing, God's word is nearby.
June 10, 2012
This weekend my son was invited to play in a basketball tournament. It's always interesting when your trying to get your house in order because you have to leave on a business trip and you get a text that says, "I need to be at the gym by 6:30 tonight." Of course my whole life must stop, drop and take him to the court. And like most moms, I did.
As I was sitting in 100 degree gym, which by the way, I am not a person that loves heat. I swell easy and need to be cool, but nevertheless, I sat there. I thought about what it was taking for those boys to run up and down the court. They were sweating, tired and trying to win a tournament. I thought to myself; I hope they give up so we can go home. What a horrible thought? But I still smile when I think about it. All in all, they did lose and had to be back in an hour to play another game.
You would have thought these 15-16 year old boys would have quit. That just wasn't the case. They came out fighting, like the team that had played the previous day. I don't know if it was the food, or just the anger from losing, but they all came out fighting to win and did.
They were undefeated up to their loss. Everything was going their way and then, they began to forget they were a team. Every one of them was doing their own thing and they weren't playing together and I watched this team fall apart. Because at the end of the day, to be a good basketball player, you have to be a team member. There is no "I" in team. In many ways, I correlate that to God's kingdom. He made us to be individuals, with different talents and different paths, but we are all on one team, His! He decided the day we would be born, the day we would come to Him, the day we would fulfill our purpose and the day we will see Him again. It's all in His hands. The only thing that is truly in our hands is to pray for one another and build His team.
Often in sales, you begin to think the "I" way. You are only as good as you were yesterday and it pushes you to win. Only in the last couple of years have I equated success with Christ. I will only be successful in my profession if God desires it. I still have to work hard but at the end of the day, it's for His glory not mine. So, today, I am going to pray with my son and his two friends before they go into that game. I am going to pray for his team. I want my son to always remember what team he plays for and for me and him too, it's Jesus's team.
I know there are very talented people that are hugely successful that don't have Christ. But in my world, the only team that will every truly bring fulfillment is Christ's. That's why I am so thankful that He is with me on every road, on every sales call and sitting in that gym with 20 sweaty boys. Wherever we are, if we have Him in us, He is with us. And even when we don't know Him, He still pursues us. We are His team and our job is to spread the word, to every country around the world.
If you are successful in anything today, thank Jesus Christ. It's not you; it's Him. At the end of the day, whether it's a basketball game or a major project for your job, it's all His. They are stepping stones into Heaven. So let's always try to remember that everything under the sun belongs to Him, including you. He deserves our praise in the morning and our prayers of thanksgiving at night. He is the maker of the universe and the tower of peace. He provides our manna and asks us only to be faithful. Look up today and thank Jesus for your life. He deserves our undivided attention. And without a doubt, let's form a union, a team for Jesus. If we would unite around the world, amazing things would begin to happen. People would find Jesus and at the end of the day, that's how we all win.
Ecclesiastes 9:10-11 NKJV:
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or devise or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.
Isaiah 45: 6 NKJV:
That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other;
There are so many great and wonderful teams in the world. It's wonderful to be part of a team and make a difference in peoples lives. So, let's contribute to a team that will make a life changing difference in a woman's life. I love to give to world vision, juvenile diabetes and the many other great charities but my time needs to go to the sharing of the gospel. If one person is saved from a debilitating disease but doesn't know Jesus, have I really done anything? I'm sure that I have put food in someone's mouth or possibly helped to find a cure, but at the end of the day, my team goal is to bring women to the foot of the cross and sing, Glory, Glory to the King! Have a beautiful day my sisters. I love all of you.
My prayer today:
Lord, you are so amazing. Thank you for always providing a word picture for me. So often, we look to ourselves for success. We believe that if we work hard, fight to the end, we will win. That's just not the case. We must remember that every success comes from you, whether it's our boyfriends, husbands, children or careers; You are the source of success. We bow down to You today and thank You for reminding us all that there is no "I" in team and that we all have to look for You in every thing we do. You are the maker and developer of every living creature and we thank You for including us in Your team. I pray today that women would come to You, seeking answers and committing their lives to You. Help us be one with You for Your glory and be here with us today and provide opportunities to share Your love. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Saturday, June 9, 2012
June 9, 2012
Like all things in life, these blogs have a pattern and I guess this week, the pattern concerns love. How do we come to a great faith? By loving one another and acknowledging the love Jesus has for all of us. It's really not rocket science. The reason the world scorns God is because they don't understand Him and they don't really know what it's like to be loved.
The world views love from a romantic sense. We have movies, books and television to tell us how we should feel and what love looks like. The truth is that we live by feelings, but true love is not a feeling, it's a commitment. God intended us to all know it and live it. Why do you think He wants us to love our neighbors more than ourselves? Crazy, but if you look it at, it's because love means we are committed to doing the right thing for others and denying our own selfish ways.
The flesh enables us to feel all kinds of things; anger, bitterness, joy, and even love. Love in the romantic sense of course. If we couldn't feel the euphoria of love, which really is sexual desire, we wouldn't even know what the word love meant, at least from a worldly prospective.
I have learned that over time, love means sacrificing for someone else, pushing your own needs aside and striving to give when you can't give anymore. If you've had the opportunity to birth a baby, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Every two hours, you get out of bed, get the baby and feed it and you do that for as long as it takes. You barely get a few hours sleep and you're up again and you do it gladly. Why? Because you love that baby. You brought it into the world and you are willing to carry it's burdens, it's heartaches, and cater to it's every need. No one wants to go without sleep, or food, or shelter but you will do anything you have to in order to protect and take care of that child.
Part of that protection is providing a safety net, through rules and guidance. Once they are able to walk, you don't want them to hurt themselves, so you start to gently provide authoritative monitoring so that they know, no means no. Why? Because you want to guide them. That's what love is. It's a commitment to love, as well as, providing consequences so that one day, they can provide the same direction to someone else.
No one likes rules. We all want to buck the system. I'm sure you remember saying to your mom, why do I have a curfew and why do you need to know who I am going out with? I'm sure you hated checking in with your mom, just to get a few hours away from her. That's probably pretty normal for most families. But the problem comes when there are no consequences. Because absolutely no consequences doesn't equal love; it equates to chaos.
Love has consequences. If the world doesn't understand that God is love, it's probably because of the rules he set out for us to follow. There's a reason for the 10 commandments, even if the world says there isn't. If you read them, and I suggest you do, they are right. No one feels better when they break a commandment, eventually they will feel shame, hurt, or their lives will become empty and depressing. God knew that we could not live with just a rule system to follow. We break it way to much. So, He provided grace through His Son, so that we could have eternal life. That's how a Father shows His children they are loved. He sacrifices His own to win many.
I don't know where you're at in your spiritual walk today. Maybe you feel hurt or angry because life isn't giving you a great dose of joy. I know those feelings but I want you to replace them with the awareness that your Father sacrificed His Son, so that you could experience Him.
He made a promise to Abraham and He kept it. We have all failed our Father. There isn't one person that won't fall short. But He gave His grace to light our path and provide a way to Him. I hope if you have never experienced it, that you will ask Jesus into your heart today. The world will say you can go to heaven if you're a good person but the truth is there is just one way, through the Son of God.
1 John 4:9 KJV:
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.
If you don't know Him, you are probably wondering how our Father sacrificed His son. We will never understand the full power or glory of God. His ways are not our ways. Obviously, because we wouldn't want to sacrifice anything, including our lives. But in His infinite wisdom, He chose to bring His son into this world, so that you and I can be with Him and for that; we should all be grateful.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, you know how messed up we all are on earth. We lash out at one another, forge wars, take from the innocent, become greedy and spiteful and through all our failures; You love us anyway. You loved us so much that You made a promise to Abraham that You have fulfilled through many generations. The world continues to turn from You, but for me, I choose You. You are my faithful companion, my shepherd, my father, my love. Without You, I would vanish because there isn't a possession or a person that could fill my heart this full. You gave Your life, so that I would be with You. I don't deserve it, but You did it anyway. Today, we come before you, women that need a Savior. The world wants women to look the other way, to use their bodies and their minds to destroy themselves and others. I pray for all those women, Lord, lift them to You, love them and bring them into Your Holy presence. Help the young girls too, Lord. Protect them from the evil that preys on them. We need You to be with us as we fight this battle from the earth to Heaven. You came to us so that we might know what love means. Help us make the commitment to love one another no matter where we live or what color our skin is. Take us up and bond us in the one thing that holds true, You. Bring women to us that will be mighty warriors for You and mold us and make us Yours. We desire You. Forgive us and wash us of our sinful nature and raise up bold and beautiful women that love You. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Give us hearts for women everywhere. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
The world views love from a romantic sense. We have movies, books and television to tell us how we should feel and what love looks like. The truth is that we live by feelings, but true love is not a feeling, it's a commitment. God intended us to all know it and live it. Why do you think He wants us to love our neighbors more than ourselves? Crazy, but if you look it at, it's because love means we are committed to doing the right thing for others and denying our own selfish ways.
The flesh enables us to feel all kinds of things; anger, bitterness, joy, and even love. Love in the romantic sense of course. If we couldn't feel the euphoria of love, which really is sexual desire, we wouldn't even know what the word love meant, at least from a worldly prospective.
I have learned that over time, love means sacrificing for someone else, pushing your own needs aside and striving to give when you can't give anymore. If you've had the opportunity to birth a baby, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Every two hours, you get out of bed, get the baby and feed it and you do that for as long as it takes. You barely get a few hours sleep and you're up again and you do it gladly. Why? Because you love that baby. You brought it into the world and you are willing to carry it's burdens, it's heartaches, and cater to it's every need. No one wants to go without sleep, or food, or shelter but you will do anything you have to in order to protect and take care of that child.
Part of that protection is providing a safety net, through rules and guidance. Once they are able to walk, you don't want them to hurt themselves, so you start to gently provide authoritative monitoring so that they know, no means no. Why? Because you want to guide them. That's what love is. It's a commitment to love, as well as, providing consequences so that one day, they can provide the same direction to someone else.
No one likes rules. We all want to buck the system. I'm sure you remember saying to your mom, why do I have a curfew and why do you need to know who I am going out with? I'm sure you hated checking in with your mom, just to get a few hours away from her. That's probably pretty normal for most families. But the problem comes when there are no consequences. Because absolutely no consequences doesn't equal love; it equates to chaos.
Love has consequences. If the world doesn't understand that God is love, it's probably because of the rules he set out for us to follow. There's a reason for the 10 commandments, even if the world says there isn't. If you read them, and I suggest you do, they are right. No one feels better when they break a commandment, eventually they will feel shame, hurt, or their lives will become empty and depressing. God knew that we could not live with just a rule system to follow. We break it way to much. So, He provided grace through His Son, so that we could have eternal life. That's how a Father shows His children they are loved. He sacrifices His own to win many.
I don't know where you're at in your spiritual walk today. Maybe you feel hurt or angry because life isn't giving you a great dose of joy. I know those feelings but I want you to replace them with the awareness that your Father sacrificed His Son, so that you could experience Him.
He made a promise to Abraham and He kept it. We have all failed our Father. There isn't one person that won't fall short. But He gave His grace to light our path and provide a way to Him. I hope if you have never experienced it, that you will ask Jesus into your heart today. The world will say you can go to heaven if you're a good person but the truth is there is just one way, through the Son of God.
1 John 4:9 KJV:
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.
If you don't know Him, you are probably wondering how our Father sacrificed His son. We will never understand the full power or glory of God. His ways are not our ways. Obviously, because we wouldn't want to sacrifice anything, including our lives. But in His infinite wisdom, He chose to bring His son into this world, so that you and I can be with Him and for that; we should all be grateful.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, you know how messed up we all are on earth. We lash out at one another, forge wars, take from the innocent, become greedy and spiteful and through all our failures; You love us anyway. You loved us so much that You made a promise to Abraham that You have fulfilled through many generations. The world continues to turn from You, but for me, I choose You. You are my faithful companion, my shepherd, my father, my love. Without You, I would vanish because there isn't a possession or a person that could fill my heart this full. You gave Your life, so that I would be with You. I don't deserve it, but You did it anyway. Today, we come before you, women that need a Savior. The world wants women to look the other way, to use their bodies and their minds to destroy themselves and others. I pray for all those women, Lord, lift them to You, love them and bring them into Your Holy presence. Help the young girls too, Lord. Protect them from the evil that preys on them. We need You to be with us as we fight this battle from the earth to Heaven. You came to us so that we might know what love means. Help us make the commitment to love one another no matter where we live or what color our skin is. Take us up and bond us in the one thing that holds true, You. Bring women to us that will be mighty warriors for You and mold us and make us Yours. We desire You. Forgive us and wash us of our sinful nature and raise up bold and beautiful women that love You. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Give us hearts for women everywhere. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Friday, June 8, 2012
June 8, 2012
Do you remember the first day you got to drive? Do you remember who took you? As my son and I went driving yesterday, it brought back a flood of memories. My mom was not the patient one when
it came to most things but when she instructed, she did it like a champ. Her voice was always pitch perfect and she gave you the confidence you needed to go around each turn. I loved the times we went to the parking lot and she would call out, "stop sign." I can remember the 1977 station wagon coming to a complete halt and her eyes almost popping out of her head, but all she said was, "proceed with caution."
Helping my son, giving him confidence and watching him blossom into a man is an unbelievably wonderful experience for me. I am continuing traditions. Losing your parents, you wonder if the traditions and love they showed you will continue on in your children. You worry that you weren't good enough, or at least, not as good as they were. Like all parents, I make my fair share of mistakes and of course, at this age, I am an embarrassment. Which always makes me laugh, because when I was growing up, I asked my mom to walk behind me so that no one knew she was with me. But as I got older, I walked beside her, asked her for her advice, and respected her for all the many sacrifices she made for me. I can stand a little payback now, if it means that her love continues through every generation.
I guess that's why I love tradition. I love family and I love watching my boys blossom into men. My job is to love, teach and send them forward to be men of God, fathers, and husbands. They have had beautiful role models. My parents demonstrated how love and respect can last a lifetime and I will forever be grateful for the tender care, words of encouragement and years of traditions.
Soon my boys will leave my home. They will forge on their own journey. Time is running out for me to influence them in the important things, like loving Christ with all their heart, taking care of people, being kind and working hard to provide. As I look back, my parents gave me a road map and luckily, I have followed it. I will continue as they did and look forward to the day I hold my first grandchild, watch my son's stand to wait for their brides and for every moment I can invest in the memories and legacies my parents left with me.
The one thing this world lacks is love. I wish I could serve it on a platter to everyone. We are molded by our circumstances but we always remember those that took the time to share a kind word, served us, or just rapped their arms around us and promised tomorrow would be better. Love is a universal language. I might not be able to speak Korean, Malaysian, Russian, or Latvian but I can call out in love and pray for women everywhere. I can love you even though I don't know you and I can ask our Father to provide people that will hold you in your sadness and encourage you in your victories.
I hope today holds nothing but great memories for you. I hope that someone takes the time to show you how much they love you. But mostly, I hope you show Christ and give someone a hug today or a word of encouragement. He is love! Pay it forward and show someone what it means to be loved by God.
Leviticus 19:18 NKJV:
You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Deuteronomy 10:13 NKJV:
And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season
My prayer today:
O, Lord, at every corner I am reminded of you. Thank you for providing people we can love and if we don't have our own, thank you for providing strangers. We all need to know the power of love. Love can heal marriages, people, and nations. Love is a commitment and a covenant. We are to love you with all our hearts and we come before you confessing how much we love you. As we go about our days today, bring forth memories of people taking the time to love us. Please put them front and center so that when you deliver someone to us, we will love them, like we were loved. And as always, we all need to feel Your mighty love. Thank You for all You have done for us. Thank You for the memories, good and bad. Thank You for giving us hearts for You. Please help us love those we don't know today. We desperately want to pay it forward! In Jesus Name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
it came to most things but when she instructed, she did it like a champ. Her voice was always pitch perfect and she gave you the confidence you needed to go around each turn. I loved the times we went to the parking lot and she would call out, "stop sign." I can remember the 1977 station wagon coming to a complete halt and her eyes almost popping out of her head, but all she said was, "proceed with caution."
Helping my son, giving him confidence and watching him blossom into a man is an unbelievably wonderful experience for me. I am continuing traditions. Losing your parents, you wonder if the traditions and love they showed you will continue on in your children. You worry that you weren't good enough, or at least, not as good as they were. Like all parents, I make my fair share of mistakes and of course, at this age, I am an embarrassment. Which always makes me laugh, because when I was growing up, I asked my mom to walk behind me so that no one knew she was with me. But as I got older, I walked beside her, asked her for her advice, and respected her for all the many sacrifices she made for me. I can stand a little payback now, if it means that her love continues through every generation.
I guess that's why I love tradition. I love family and I love watching my boys blossom into men. My job is to love, teach and send them forward to be men of God, fathers, and husbands. They have had beautiful role models. My parents demonstrated how love and respect can last a lifetime and I will forever be grateful for the tender care, words of encouragement and years of traditions.
Soon my boys will leave my home. They will forge on their own journey. Time is running out for me to influence them in the important things, like loving Christ with all their heart, taking care of people, being kind and working hard to provide. As I look back, my parents gave me a road map and luckily, I have followed it. I will continue as they did and look forward to the day I hold my first grandchild, watch my son's stand to wait for their brides and for every moment I can invest in the memories and legacies my parents left with me.
The one thing this world lacks is love. I wish I could serve it on a platter to everyone. We are molded by our circumstances but we always remember those that took the time to share a kind word, served us, or just rapped their arms around us and promised tomorrow would be better. Love is a universal language. I might not be able to speak Korean, Malaysian, Russian, or Latvian but I can call out in love and pray for women everywhere. I can love you even though I don't know you and I can ask our Father to provide people that will hold you in your sadness and encourage you in your victories.
I hope today holds nothing but great memories for you. I hope that someone takes the time to show you how much they love you. But mostly, I hope you show Christ and give someone a hug today or a word of encouragement. He is love! Pay it forward and show someone what it means to be loved by God.
Leviticus 19:18 NKJV:
You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Deuteronomy 10:13 NKJV:
And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season
My prayer today:
O, Lord, at every corner I am reminded of you. Thank you for providing people we can love and if we don't have our own, thank you for providing strangers. We all need to know the power of love. Love can heal marriages, people, and nations. Love is a commitment and a covenant. We are to love you with all our hearts and we come before you confessing how much we love you. As we go about our days today, bring forth memories of people taking the time to love us. Please put them front and center so that when you deliver someone to us, we will love them, like we were loved. And as always, we all need to feel Your mighty love. Thank You for all You have done for us. Thank You for the memories, good and bad. Thank You for giving us hearts for You. Please help us love those we don't know today. We desperately want to pay it forward! In Jesus Name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Thursday, June 7, 2012
June 7, 2012
Don't you ever wish you could see God, even for just a minute? In dreams, I believe I have seen Him but I often just wish, for a moment, I could touch and walk with Him the way Adam and Eve did in the beginning. Unfortunately, we have to wait until we die or He comes back. I guess that's why I love the song, "I can only imagine." It helps me contemplate what I will do when I finally get to see Him.
When you look into the Scripture, you can read about the men and women who experienced the hand of God. Adam walked with Him, Abraham talked to Him, Moses experienced Him, and many had visions, dreams and spiritual moments with God, but only a few really walked with Him. The disciples actually got to eat, walk, talk, and see Christ on a daily basis. The Son of God and yet, even when they had the opportunity, they probably didn't seize on it as much as they should have.
That's how I feel sometimes. I feel as if He is close, and yet, I don't seize the moment and really spend time with Him. I get distracted and I forget. But the truth is, Jesus died so that a part of Him could live within us. We have the ability to be one with Him through the Holy Spirit and even if I can't see Him or touch Him, He lives within me. That's the price He paid for us. We get to have a vital part of His Spirit because He sacrificed for our sins.
It's not every day I contemplate these things but today I do. I am lifting up a friend right now that at every turn has run into nasty, hateful people. These people were supposed to help but because they don't know what to do, no one helps. I keep reminding her, as well as myself, that Jesus will help. My job is to let her know that Jesus is near and even though we can't see Him, He is working behind the scenes for His glory. It's while I am talking to her, praying for and lifting her up, that I wish I could fix this problem. I wish that I could restore her hair and make her all better. But like Job, no one could really help. He was being tested and Christ knew he would be faithful. I know in my heart that Christ will be faithful to my friend. I know that her journey and mission for Him has just begun. My only wish is that He could tell me what to do, face to face, but then, we all know that through prayer; He will speak and I will hear.
I hate that my friend is having to endure all this pain and hardship. However, I am grateful that God, in His infinite wisdom, left us a guide. We have the ability to read His word and pray to Him. We have the ability to look back at His promises and see them fulfilled. We also have the ability to lift our burdens to Him and He, in His timing, will bring resolution.
It would be nice if there weren't any more trials, hardships, hurts or brokenness. However, that's just not the case, so I sit here tonight and realize that I am one of the lucky ones. I have been chosen to be His daughter and to walk with His people. We are all blessed, those of us that come into fellowship with the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings!
Some day I will face my Savior and when I do, I will be on my knees thanking Him for all the moments I thought about how great it would be to sit at His feet. I'm not perfect and I know the day of judgement will come; but it will come, with me knowing that I am with my Lord and Savior. Until that day, I need to remember that even though I can't see Him, He is in me and He is in you, forever.
1 John 4 NIV84:
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, how I wonder what it will be like to sit at Your feet and worship You. I wonder what You will look like, how it will feel and will I have done my job well. I pray that I would be faithful today and remember that You are a prayer away. Give each woman and man that reads this blog, wisdom and discernment. Help us to look upon Your beauty and remember that Your sacrifice was for us. Help us to depend on You and to stay in today, for that is all You called us to do. We thank You for Your word that washes over us and for the stories that portray the hearts of men and women through the ages. We call upon Your Holy name to help us through today and to be Your servants. Come to us so that we can minister to Your people. We want to be faithful to You, for You are the air we breathe, the water we thirst for and the sky that covers us. For all You are and for all You will be, thank You Lord for giving us a piece of You. May Your Spirit reign today! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
When you look into the Scripture, you can read about the men and women who experienced the hand of God. Adam walked with Him, Abraham talked to Him, Moses experienced Him, and many had visions, dreams and spiritual moments with God, but only a few really walked with Him. The disciples actually got to eat, walk, talk, and see Christ on a daily basis. The Son of God and yet, even when they had the opportunity, they probably didn't seize on it as much as they should have.
That's how I feel sometimes. I feel as if He is close, and yet, I don't seize the moment and really spend time with Him. I get distracted and I forget. But the truth is, Jesus died so that a part of Him could live within us. We have the ability to be one with Him through the Holy Spirit and even if I can't see Him or touch Him, He lives within me. That's the price He paid for us. We get to have a vital part of His Spirit because He sacrificed for our sins.
It's not every day I contemplate these things but today I do. I am lifting up a friend right now that at every turn has run into nasty, hateful people. These people were supposed to help but because they don't know what to do, no one helps. I keep reminding her, as well as myself, that Jesus will help. My job is to let her know that Jesus is near and even though we can't see Him, He is working behind the scenes for His glory. It's while I am talking to her, praying for and lifting her up, that I wish I could fix this problem. I wish that I could restore her hair and make her all better. But like Job, no one could really help. He was being tested and Christ knew he would be faithful. I know in my heart that Christ will be faithful to my friend. I know that her journey and mission for Him has just begun. My only wish is that He could tell me what to do, face to face, but then, we all know that through prayer; He will speak and I will hear.
I hate that my friend is having to endure all this pain and hardship. However, I am grateful that God, in His infinite wisdom, left us a guide. We have the ability to read His word and pray to Him. We have the ability to look back at His promises and see them fulfilled. We also have the ability to lift our burdens to Him and He, in His timing, will bring resolution.
It would be nice if there weren't any more trials, hardships, hurts or brokenness. However, that's just not the case, so I sit here tonight and realize that I am one of the lucky ones. I have been chosen to be His daughter and to walk with His people. We are all blessed, those of us that come into fellowship with the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings!
Some day I will face my Savior and when I do, I will be on my knees thanking Him for all the moments I thought about how great it would be to sit at His feet. I'm not perfect and I know the day of judgement will come; but it will come, with me knowing that I am with my Lord and Savior. Until that day, I need to remember that even though I can't see Him, He is in me and He is in you, forever.
1 John 4 NIV84:
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, how I wonder what it will be like to sit at Your feet and worship You. I wonder what You will look like, how it will feel and will I have done my job well. I pray that I would be faithful today and remember that You are a prayer away. Give each woman and man that reads this blog, wisdom and discernment. Help us to look upon Your beauty and remember that Your sacrifice was for us. Help us to depend on You and to stay in today, for that is all You called us to do. We thank You for Your word that washes over us and for the stories that portray the hearts of men and women through the ages. We call upon Your Holy name to help us through today and to be Your servants. Come to us so that we can minister to Your people. We want to be faithful to You, for You are the air we breathe, the water we thirst for and the sky that covers us. For all You are and for all You will be, thank You Lord for giving us a piece of You. May Your Spirit reign today! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
June 6, 2012
At every point in this journey, we must look for Jesus. I can't say it enough. In the last couple of days, the Lord has brought me three different hurting individuals. One is still losing a great amount of hair, with no healing in site. The next is reclusive, drinking and wandering in the desert. And the third was angry at a company and people. Each of these people have a faith in God, one more than the other. But like all of us that are hurting, they forget that Christ is near.
What is faith? Faith is trust and confidence in the Lord. I realize that during times of great trouble we can put our heads down, pursue our feelings over fact, but at the end of the day, we must look up. Jesus can't do anything for us if we are looking at our circumstances. We have to look with our spiritual eyes and our spirits to interpret God's hand.
Life is not going to be easy. Anyone that says it is, is dead wrong. Look around, is there anyone in your world that hasn't gone through a challenge at one time or another? The world is in chaos. The economies around the world are devastated, countries are building nuclear weapons, the middle east is in great turmoil, so, does it all stop. It stops when Jesus returns and not a moment sooner.
We are His hands. We need to stand up and help those in need during a difficult time. We can't judge; we must love. Love is a commitment. It does not work by feelings. Feelings are fickle, just like us, so it must come with trust and confidence in Jesus.
At the end of the day, we must pray for the world, for our families and for others. We are called to love our neighbors and to love Jesus. We must stand on faith for the faithless and be there in those times. We must help the faceless as if they were our own. It's time we stand up as women and be counted as part of God's faithful people. I know that many of You have a great faith and it was born out of great trial. That's the way we all learn to trust in God. So, if you really want to do something with your life and you're looking for a purpose, reach out to someone and tell them that Jesus is near. All we have to do is look up and He will reveal Himself to us.
Try it for yourself. This journey is a maze of triumphs and tribulations. The greatest one is near. It may take another 2000 years but Jesus will have victory. If God made promises to His people and He fulfilled them, then why don't you think He's near when you need Him? Praise Him in this moment and thank Him for always being faithful, even when you're not.
Hebrews 12:28 KJV:
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Mark 11:22 NIV84:
"Have faith in God," Jesus answered.
Romans 14:2 NIV84:
One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is week, eats only vegetables.
Galatians 3:26 NIV84:
So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
You can receive the kingdom of God, eat everything and be blessed by God. All you have to do is ask for faith and believe. There are many that will lack faith but we must have great faith for them. I'm tired of hearing that people's circumstances can't change, they can! We have the best opportunity to show Christ right now. All around the globe people are hurting. Will you take the call?
My prayer today:
O, Lord, You are mighty and beautiful. Thank You for being with us as we walk this hard and lonely road. Thank You for being our guide, for lighting the way, and for providing people that carry our burdens. Please make us women that look toward You for all our needs. Give us a faith that is faithful and provide us the courage to be bold. We have continued to ask You to bring hurting people to us, when You do, please provide the words and the wisdom to minister to Your people. Every day, I pray for women all over the world. Give them strength and unite us in one body for the good of Your people and Your kingdom. I pray for the hurting, the sick and the broken, give them the power to see You in ALL their circumstances. Thank You for being a God that doesn't let go and who knows exactly what we need when we need it. You are a wonderful Father, help Your children today. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
What is faith? Faith is trust and confidence in the Lord. I realize that during times of great trouble we can put our heads down, pursue our feelings over fact, but at the end of the day, we must look up. Jesus can't do anything for us if we are looking at our circumstances. We have to look with our spiritual eyes and our spirits to interpret God's hand.
Life is not going to be easy. Anyone that says it is, is dead wrong. Look around, is there anyone in your world that hasn't gone through a challenge at one time or another? The world is in chaos. The economies around the world are devastated, countries are building nuclear weapons, the middle east is in great turmoil, so, does it all stop. It stops when Jesus returns and not a moment sooner.
We are His hands. We need to stand up and help those in need during a difficult time. We can't judge; we must love. Love is a commitment. It does not work by feelings. Feelings are fickle, just like us, so it must come with trust and confidence in Jesus.
At the end of the day, we must pray for the world, for our families and for others. We are called to love our neighbors and to love Jesus. We must stand on faith for the faithless and be there in those times. We must help the faceless as if they were our own. It's time we stand up as women and be counted as part of God's faithful people. I know that many of You have a great faith and it was born out of great trial. That's the way we all learn to trust in God. So, if you really want to do something with your life and you're looking for a purpose, reach out to someone and tell them that Jesus is near. All we have to do is look up and He will reveal Himself to us.
Try it for yourself. This journey is a maze of triumphs and tribulations. The greatest one is near. It may take another 2000 years but Jesus will have victory. If God made promises to His people and He fulfilled them, then why don't you think He's near when you need Him? Praise Him in this moment and thank Him for always being faithful, even when you're not.
Hebrews 12:28 KJV:
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Mark 11:22 NIV84:
"Have faith in God," Jesus answered.
Romans 14:2 NIV84:
One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is week, eats only vegetables.
Galatians 3:26 NIV84:
So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
You can receive the kingdom of God, eat everything and be blessed by God. All you have to do is ask for faith and believe. There are many that will lack faith but we must have great faith for them. I'm tired of hearing that people's circumstances can't change, they can! We have the best opportunity to show Christ right now. All around the globe people are hurting. Will you take the call?
My prayer today:
O, Lord, You are mighty and beautiful. Thank You for being with us as we walk this hard and lonely road. Thank You for being our guide, for lighting the way, and for providing people that carry our burdens. Please make us women that look toward You for all our needs. Give us a faith that is faithful and provide us the courage to be bold. We have continued to ask You to bring hurting people to us, when You do, please provide the words and the wisdom to minister to Your people. Every day, I pray for women all over the world. Give them strength and unite us in one body for the good of Your people and Your kingdom. I pray for the hurting, the sick and the broken, give them the power to see You in ALL their circumstances. Thank You for being a God that doesn't let go and who knows exactly what we need when we need it. You are a wonderful Father, help Your children today. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Monday, June 4, 2012
June 4, 2012
Over a year and half ago, I took on mentoring a young woman. My heart has always been with the girls from 19-25. It's during this time that we make the most mistakes and need a sound guide to help us through the challenges we face as young woman. This is the time we desire to get married, have kids, break away from our parents and find independence.
Many of the things girls feel at this age are very normal. I believe that God puts a desire in our heart for family and yet, we must still grow up and make wise choices. The choices we make during our formative years, continue with us. During 19-25, we must choose a career, move out of our parents home, find a college, build new relationships and if God blesses us, fall in love. That's a lot in a few short years.
I have seen young couples in my church meet and marry in just a couple of months. Because of the purity vows they have taken, I think sometimes they rush into marriage without really looking at the dedication, commitment, and character it will take to make a marriage work. However, I am not judge and jury and only God knows really if these couples will survive the test of time.
My point is that women need elder women, who have experienced all these changes, to help lift them up in prayer, listen, and guide them in a Biblical fashion. We will be able to see the road blocks and help these girls get back on track. It's during these times that woman can lose focus on God, what he means to their lives and why it's so important to have Him in the middle of every situation. Who better to mentor than someone that has walked through fires, fought them and now has the faith to walk with God.
It really is amazing when I think about it. I went into it totally with the intention of forging a relationship to help someone else. I had lost my mother only 6 months prior to God putting her on my heart. What I didn't realize at the time, is she helped me too. My mom was my best friend and I loved talking with her. Having boys, you come to realize they just don't have the capacity to chat as much as women. It has truly been a mutually wonderful experience.
I have watched this girl become a rose during our time together. She was just a bud, waiting for the sun to penetrate her petals to full bloom. She's there now. Not without strife, or worries, but she has become a new creature in Christ. Through trials, she has witnessed first hand how we can isolate ourselves, push God to the side, and walk in our own strength. I know you can relate because most of us have been there.
I hope if God puts on your heart a young woman, whether it be a child, a teenager or a 20 year old, you will take the time to be a part of her life. It truly has been a blessing to me. I haven't been able to keep her from heartache or save her from life's disappointments but I have been there to lift her up, pray for her, encourage her and help her see, that through Christ, we can do all things.
Proverbs 13:14 NIV84:
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
Colossians 1:28 NIV84:
We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
Romans 12:7 NIV84:
If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
I would like to wish the beautiful lady I mentor a wonderful and blessed birthday today. You are a light in my world and I thank God every day for the opportunity to mentor you and love you. May this day be full of beautiful memories. You are so very special to me.
My prayer today:
Lord, my prayer is simple, bring woman forward for us to mentor. I can think of no better way to be in relationship with You than to build up the young women of the world. They need guidance and You are the ultimate guide. Let us be Your voice, Your hands, Your feet in this dark and hardened world. Help us to help Your children become women of You. The spiritual realm wishes us to lose the battle for our young women today but You, O, Lord are mighty and I pray now that the Holy Spirit would give us the tools to battle for the youth. They are the future. Guide them to us as we seek You daily. They are lost but You always find them. We come to You a broken generation, beginning with Eve and asking for Your power to be over all our lives. That we would come before You daily to do Your will on earth as it is in Heaven. Please forgive us our sins so that we can mentor the next generation. You are mighty and Holy and we are in awe of Your love. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Many of the things girls feel at this age are very normal. I believe that God puts a desire in our heart for family and yet, we must still grow up and make wise choices. The choices we make during our formative years, continue with us. During 19-25, we must choose a career, move out of our parents home, find a college, build new relationships and if God blesses us, fall in love. That's a lot in a few short years.
I have seen young couples in my church meet and marry in just a couple of months. Because of the purity vows they have taken, I think sometimes they rush into marriage without really looking at the dedication, commitment, and character it will take to make a marriage work. However, I am not judge and jury and only God knows really if these couples will survive the test of time.
My point is that women need elder women, who have experienced all these changes, to help lift them up in prayer, listen, and guide them in a Biblical fashion. We will be able to see the road blocks and help these girls get back on track. It's during these times that woman can lose focus on God, what he means to their lives and why it's so important to have Him in the middle of every situation. Who better to mentor than someone that has walked through fires, fought them and now has the faith to walk with God.
It really is amazing when I think about it. I went into it totally with the intention of forging a relationship to help someone else. I had lost my mother only 6 months prior to God putting her on my heart. What I didn't realize at the time, is she helped me too. My mom was my best friend and I loved talking with her. Having boys, you come to realize they just don't have the capacity to chat as much as women. It has truly been a mutually wonderful experience.
I have watched this girl become a rose during our time together. She was just a bud, waiting for the sun to penetrate her petals to full bloom. She's there now. Not without strife, or worries, but she has become a new creature in Christ. Through trials, she has witnessed first hand how we can isolate ourselves, push God to the side, and walk in our own strength. I know you can relate because most of us have been there.
I hope if God puts on your heart a young woman, whether it be a child, a teenager or a 20 year old, you will take the time to be a part of her life. It truly has been a blessing to me. I haven't been able to keep her from heartache or save her from life's disappointments but I have been there to lift her up, pray for her, encourage her and help her see, that through Christ, we can do all things.
Proverbs 13:14 NIV84:
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
Colossians 1:28 NIV84:
We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
Romans 12:7 NIV84:
If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
I would like to wish the beautiful lady I mentor a wonderful and blessed birthday today. You are a light in my world and I thank God every day for the opportunity to mentor you and love you. May this day be full of beautiful memories. You are so very special to me.
My prayer today:
Lord, my prayer is simple, bring woman forward for us to mentor. I can think of no better way to be in relationship with You than to build up the young women of the world. They need guidance and You are the ultimate guide. Let us be Your voice, Your hands, Your feet in this dark and hardened world. Help us to help Your children become women of You. The spiritual realm wishes us to lose the battle for our young women today but You, O, Lord are mighty and I pray now that the Holy Spirit would give us the tools to battle for the youth. They are the future. Guide them to us as we seek You daily. They are lost but You always find them. We come to You a broken generation, beginning with Eve and asking for Your power to be over all our lives. That we would come before You daily to do Your will on earth as it is in Heaven. Please forgive us our sins so that we can mentor the next generation. You are mighty and Holy and we are in awe of Your love. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Sunday, June 3, 2012
June 3, 2012
Is the Bible true or not? It's a simple question and yet it has been debated by the greatest minds of History. Are we going to believe that God exists or not? I ask this question today because either the Bible, in its entirety is real, or it isn't? There is no middle ground when it comes to the word of God.
We can piece it, theorize over it, change it, examine it, debate over it, but either we believe the word is true and that it stands today just like it did 2000 years ago, or we truly don't believe. Buddhists believe in meditation, peaceful thinking and a sense of oneself. To be a muslim you must do good works. The mormon religion believes that Jesus existed but only as a prophet and the atheists believe in nothing. So where does the Bible say peace comes from? Did Jesus come to save or not? Are we meant to meditate on ourselves or Him?
All good questions and the answers are right at our fingertips. Peace comes from God in its entirety. There is no denying that kind of peace. If you have experienced the hand of God in your life, then you have experienced his peace. It is a feeling of freedom. It comes when we ask and it overwhelms us, calms us and makes us feel secure, even when our lives are in chaos. It's Holy and we know it because we feel God. So why do we question whether He exists in our lives?
The second question I asked today is did Jesus come to save us or not? The Bible is clear He came to save those that call on Him. He desires not just to be our God but to be in relationship with Him. We have the ability to choose. His sacrifice is our reward. If we believe that a man was born of a virgin and came to earth to sacrifice His life, then we have eternal life. If we don't believe that, we won't be saved.
The final question of the day, whose life are we concentrating on? Our lives are for one purpose and that purpose is to love Christ with all our hearts. He didn't come for Himself; He came for all of us. If you believe that then you must believe that that He believes in one man and one woman being married. He believes in people loving their neighbors more than themselves. He believes in a body of believers spreading the word throughout the world. He believes that we must die to ourselves and follow Him.
I am not a theologian or a scholar of the Bible or other religions. The lovely thing is I don't have to be. God pours out His wisdom and words to me daily and shows me right from wrong. He breathed into the word and now, all of us have the luxury of opening it up and reading it. The Israelites had nothing until Moses brought down the ten commandments and even they failed once they had God's words. We fail now and will continue to fail, as long as we live on this earth. But there is power in the word and it was given for the purpose of directing His children to move in this world with wisdom, peace, hope and love.
I hope you take some time today to reflect on the power behind the cross. Debate in your own head if you must what is right or wrong. The answers to all of life's follies is in the Bible. All we have to do is call out to God and ask Him to pour the word out to us so that we can understand Him. I am glad I'm not a scholar because I don't want to miss one of Christ's blessings. I definitely want to love people more than myself. And as we all know truly brilliant people have a hard time being humble. Humble yourself before the Lord and ask Him to direct you in all His ways. The Bible is true in its entirety. Don't doubt it. There may be lost books out there but they were never meant to make it into His book! Times have changed but Jesus remains the same. Be aware that the world tries to confuse the facts. Let's make sure we have the sword so when the time comes, we can slay the dragon.
Ephesians 6:10-20 NIV84:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
I have underlined some of this Scripture to emphasize the importance of the full armor of god and the word. Please read this passage in its entirety and look at the words Paul wrote. He was in chains explaining to all of us the dire need to put on our full armor and of course, the word is included. The only way to fight spiritually is to use the word. The word of God is truth and we must believe as followers of Christ that it stands alone in this unforgiving world. Go out and be brave my sisters, fight the good fight and lead by example. Believe me, the next generation is watching!
My prayer today:
I pray Lord that we would all stop and quit being so apathetic. That we would believe that the word holds true in its entirety and that we would live our lives proclaiming that. There is so much outside of the truth here on earth and all I want is to know is what you want me to know. Lift us up so that when we read Your word, Scripture becomes a way of life, not just a book on a shelf. Help us all to love one another, to pray for one another and to pray for the nations we live in. You have scattered us all over the world and therefore, I pray that Your soldiers would spread the word of hope to women everywhere. You are my only hope, my peace, my joy, my soul. When You are near, I know and when I call, You answer. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I am able to read and interpret Your word and for that I am most grateful. Please help us all realize the power You have given us and the call that is so great today. We lift up those that are less fortunate, who need You and ask that You would bring them to us. Make us bold today and give us the courage to do Your work. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
We can piece it, theorize over it, change it, examine it, debate over it, but either we believe the word is true and that it stands today just like it did 2000 years ago, or we truly don't believe. Buddhists believe in meditation, peaceful thinking and a sense of oneself. To be a muslim you must do good works. The mormon religion believes that Jesus existed but only as a prophet and the atheists believe in nothing. So where does the Bible say peace comes from? Did Jesus come to save or not? Are we meant to meditate on ourselves or Him?
All good questions and the answers are right at our fingertips. Peace comes from God in its entirety. There is no denying that kind of peace. If you have experienced the hand of God in your life, then you have experienced his peace. It is a feeling of freedom. It comes when we ask and it overwhelms us, calms us and makes us feel secure, even when our lives are in chaos. It's Holy and we know it because we feel God. So why do we question whether He exists in our lives?
The second question I asked today is did Jesus come to save us or not? The Bible is clear He came to save those that call on Him. He desires not just to be our God but to be in relationship with Him. We have the ability to choose. His sacrifice is our reward. If we believe that a man was born of a virgin and came to earth to sacrifice His life, then we have eternal life. If we don't believe that, we won't be saved.
The final question of the day, whose life are we concentrating on? Our lives are for one purpose and that purpose is to love Christ with all our hearts. He didn't come for Himself; He came for all of us. If you believe that then you must believe that that He believes in one man and one woman being married. He believes in people loving their neighbors more than themselves. He believes in a body of believers spreading the word throughout the world. He believes that we must die to ourselves and follow Him.
I am not a theologian or a scholar of the Bible or other religions. The lovely thing is I don't have to be. God pours out His wisdom and words to me daily and shows me right from wrong. He breathed into the word and now, all of us have the luxury of opening it up and reading it. The Israelites had nothing until Moses brought down the ten commandments and even they failed once they had God's words. We fail now and will continue to fail, as long as we live on this earth. But there is power in the word and it was given for the purpose of directing His children to move in this world with wisdom, peace, hope and love.
I hope you take some time today to reflect on the power behind the cross. Debate in your own head if you must what is right or wrong. The answers to all of life's follies is in the Bible. All we have to do is call out to God and ask Him to pour the word out to us so that we can understand Him. I am glad I'm not a scholar because I don't want to miss one of Christ's blessings. I definitely want to love people more than myself. And as we all know truly brilliant people have a hard time being humble. Humble yourself before the Lord and ask Him to direct you in all His ways. The Bible is true in its entirety. Don't doubt it. There may be lost books out there but they were never meant to make it into His book! Times have changed but Jesus remains the same. Be aware that the world tries to confuse the facts. Let's make sure we have the sword so when the time comes, we can slay the dragon.
Ephesians 6:10-20 NIV84:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
I have underlined some of this Scripture to emphasize the importance of the full armor of god and the word. Please read this passage in its entirety and look at the words Paul wrote. He was in chains explaining to all of us the dire need to put on our full armor and of course, the word is included. The only way to fight spiritually is to use the word. The word of God is truth and we must believe as followers of Christ that it stands alone in this unforgiving world. Go out and be brave my sisters, fight the good fight and lead by example. Believe me, the next generation is watching!
My prayer today:
I pray Lord that we would all stop and quit being so apathetic. That we would believe that the word holds true in its entirety and that we would live our lives proclaiming that. There is so much outside of the truth here on earth and all I want is to know is what you want me to know. Lift us up so that when we read Your word, Scripture becomes a way of life, not just a book on a shelf. Help us all to love one another, to pray for one another and to pray for the nations we live in. You have scattered us all over the world and therefore, I pray that Your soldiers would spread the word of hope to women everywhere. You are my only hope, my peace, my joy, my soul. When You are near, I know and when I call, You answer. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I am able to read and interpret Your word and for that I am most grateful. Please help us all realize the power You have given us and the call that is so great today. We lift up those that are less fortunate, who need You and ask that You would bring them to us. Make us bold today and give us the courage to do Your work. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
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