Good morning all-
Four whole days into the new year and things are already heating up at the Roger's residence. It's amazing how things were so peaceful and then the new year began and a ton of new decisions are at the door, waiting for one unlucky adult to play roulette to see what decisions in 2013 are the right ones.
Have you ever felt like life is going along wonderfully and then one day, things change overnight and you're back to wondering what direction God wants you to take? I'm a firm believer in praying about my decisions. I am also an extremely decisive person. I rarely look back at my decisions with regret. I move forward take the challenges and victories of my choices and ask God for guidance along the way. That method has served me well until I talked to my teenager last night and then I had some doubts.
We were having challenges with one coach within a school system he had been in since 2nd grade. I prayed and fasted over the situation when he announced that he wanted to leave all his friends behind and go to a bigger school. It was probably easier because this coach was harassing my son. Nevertheless, my son asked if he could go back to his old high school. Everything I thought he loved, he hates and herein lies my impasse. So because I believe in going to God, we are going to pray about this situation. I don't have any problem with him going back if that's what he truly wants as long as God wants that for his life. He took a big jump, going from a small school system to one of the roughest schools in Wichita Kansas. They have at least 5 active gangs, numerous problems and they've already experienced a lock down. It's tough and all his friends live in a community he loved.
So what to do? That is the question I will pray over. I told him that I wanted him to start asking God for direction and that no decision would be made until May. For a teenager, that's a long time. I believe that prayer will give us the direction and that any feelings I have can be washed away if God leads us to the right place for my son. The good news is he did it. He went out on a journey and became his own man and if he decides to spend his senior year with his friends so be it. I can worry about a ton of things but at the end of the day, Hunter belongs to God and that's as simple as that. It's his journey with God that will count and I have faith that Hunter will see Christ more clearly as we pray for his direction.
If you're in a situation where you just don't know what God has in store for you, please take time to pray and fast over it. Worrying about it in your mind will not help you make the next step. Only Christ can give you wisdom and direction. Ask someone to pray with you and to be there to listen to the reasons around your decision and then get on your knees. Humans can be filled of wisdom if Christ chooses, but it's still His wisdom. I hope today finds you well and I hope that you are working on getting your prayer life stronger so that when troubles come, decisions need to be made or you just need a direction, you know who to go to. He's ready, waiting and can handle our burdens, remember He did it all on the cross! Be well today.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV:
For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
I have personally prayed this every time I needed to make a decision that would impact my future. It has been my staple through my life and I hope it brings you the same kind of comfort it has brought to me. Knowing that God knows the plan takes me off the hook and gives me peace that His decision will be far better than mine. Have a great day!
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I come before You once again asking You to clear my path. I have important decisions to make and only You can give me the wisdom to know which direction to choose. I am counting on Your wisdom to guide me and those that love You. Our future is in Your hands. Even our children must come to You and find what You have for their lives. We don't know the future, only You do. So help Your children all over the world make decisions that align with Your will. Help us to give up our pride and the trust in ourselves to see the only one that we can trust is You. I believe that You lead us where You wish us to go and just like sheep we will follow. Guide us today as we repent and rejoice in Your presence. We need You Lord and we need Your guidance for today. We thank You for loving us, for directing us and for giving us light in this darkened world. Please give us hope in You as we seek You daily! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Friday, January 4, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
January 3, 2013
I would normally start with good morning but it's much later than that. I hope today has found you well and that you, like me, have learned another wonderful thing about God. I don't know about you but whenever I speak of God in a strong way, an attack is surely to come. That's what happened today.
I believe that God is God. I believe that He is holy and just. I believe that even when we don't feel Him; He is near and I believe that He loves me. I'm not the smartest person on the block and like you, I screw up often, but I know what I know and He is my Lord.
I spoke of Him today. I spoke of hope, trust and faith and then my husband came home and I was tested. Have you ever noticed the more passionate about Christ the greater the attacks? Well let me tell you it happened to me. We went from bliss to anger in about 30 minutes. And although I am not normally an angry person, one word brought me to the boiling point and oops, human nature took over, you can imagine the rest.
As I was driving to pick up my son, by myself, wonder why? Well we'll leave that for another day. More to the point, I began to put 2 and 2 together and I had an epiphany, whenever we believe our faith can be shattered. We have to stand strong and remember that people are people and God is God. So, I let out some steam, came to my senses and asked God to heal the wounds of a very stupid argument. I'm waiting to see if He will but I know that if I trust Him, He will put my feet on the right path. I could have gone on today with a chip on my shoulder and a sense of pride, instead I chose to ask for forgiveness and let God heal the anger.
I learned long ago that anger doesn't make me right, it doesn't heal the wound and in the end, it causes senseless damage. I want to be more like Jesus, so I surrendered, asked for forgiveness and was forgiven by my maker. It's good to surrender. It makes us better people when we can admit that our way is not always the right way and relinquish control by saying, "Your will, not mine."
If I believe that God is merciful and forgiving then I must be merciful and forgiving too. This is not a one way relationship. It was designed to teach us God's way and to give us a model that works. I have heard from people that "'God is so far away', 'He doesn't love me', 'He is punishing me', 'My prayers won't be answered if I'm not good.'" What does that all mean? We can't win our salvation. He died so that we could have eternal life. He took the greatest punishment of all time and He did it freely and our prayers are answered, maybe not the way we want, but they are answered.
Our will must align with His will. We must understand Scripture and be prepared to fight an enemy we can't see by standing on faith that God is near. Finally, We must believe that He loves us, even when we don't feel Him, see Him or hear Him.
God is not a puppet. We can't argue with Him. We can't manipulate Him and we can't choose which test we will undergo. We are His to do with what He will and the stronger our faith the harder we will be tested. Like I said before, I'm not the smartest person in the world but I do understand that evil lurks in this world and that satan wants us as far away from Christ as possible. Why do you think prayer has been taken out of so many things? Guess. We are becoming the minority, not the majority. People will fight for animals harder than they will fight for religious freedom. It's a fact. So, as you go about your day be aware that faith does come at a cost. You will be tested and the test may take everything you have to be victorious. You can't do it alone and you shouldn't want to. God gave us His word to help us fight any battle that comes our way. He gave us prayers to help us fight the dark and He gave us each other to unite for His glory. We have all the tools but we have to surrender, ask for forgiveness and prepare for battle.
God does love you even if you can't feel Him. He tells us that He is always near. We must believe that. He also tells us that His thoughts are not our thoughts so we can't rationalize or figure out what He's doing. We have to trust that He will do what's best for His kingdom, even if we don't think it's best for us. For at the end of this journey, we will figure out what we did wrong, what He was doing with our lives and if we passed the test.
Psalm 57:1 NKJV:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by.
Exodus 34:6 NKJV:
And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,
Romans 12:2 NKJV:
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I thank You for helping me be bold and for loving You. It has taken many hard bumps for me to see You like I do now. I remember when I would pray and I would have an answer right away and then, I remember when I prayed and no sure answer came. I might have figured out later what You were trying to do or I decided that it was better off for me to surrender and let You do the rest. Help us all to surrender unto You what is Yours. I know that we belong to You and that our lives are not our own. We come before You, women that desire to know You intimately. We want to stand on rock and be still. We want to know You are near even when we can't see You. Like Job, so many go through trials they don't understand and the only way to be victorious is to put You at the forefront of the fight. The Holy Trinity is in place to help all of us get to the destination we so desperately want to be. Give us wisdom in the fight and help us surrender our desires for Yours. I thank You Lord for loving us so much and for being merciful and just, even in the face of our iniquity. You know us better than we know ourselves so please cleanse our hearts, align our will with Yours and make us heaven minded. Our joy is not in what we have but what we have in You. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
I believe that God is God. I believe that He is holy and just. I believe that even when we don't feel Him; He is near and I believe that He loves me. I'm not the smartest person on the block and like you, I screw up often, but I know what I know and He is my Lord.
I spoke of Him today. I spoke of hope, trust and faith and then my husband came home and I was tested. Have you ever noticed the more passionate about Christ the greater the attacks? Well let me tell you it happened to me. We went from bliss to anger in about 30 minutes. And although I am not normally an angry person, one word brought me to the boiling point and oops, human nature took over, you can imagine the rest.
As I was driving to pick up my son, by myself, wonder why? Well we'll leave that for another day. More to the point, I began to put 2 and 2 together and I had an epiphany, whenever we believe our faith can be shattered. We have to stand strong and remember that people are people and God is God. So, I let out some steam, came to my senses and asked God to heal the wounds of a very stupid argument. I'm waiting to see if He will but I know that if I trust Him, He will put my feet on the right path. I could have gone on today with a chip on my shoulder and a sense of pride, instead I chose to ask for forgiveness and let God heal the anger.
I learned long ago that anger doesn't make me right, it doesn't heal the wound and in the end, it causes senseless damage. I want to be more like Jesus, so I surrendered, asked for forgiveness and was forgiven by my maker. It's good to surrender. It makes us better people when we can admit that our way is not always the right way and relinquish control by saying, "Your will, not mine."
If I believe that God is merciful and forgiving then I must be merciful and forgiving too. This is not a one way relationship. It was designed to teach us God's way and to give us a model that works. I have heard from people that "'God is so far away', 'He doesn't love me', 'He is punishing me', 'My prayers won't be answered if I'm not good.'" What does that all mean? We can't win our salvation. He died so that we could have eternal life. He took the greatest punishment of all time and He did it freely and our prayers are answered, maybe not the way we want, but they are answered.
Our will must align with His will. We must understand Scripture and be prepared to fight an enemy we can't see by standing on faith that God is near. Finally, We must believe that He loves us, even when we don't feel Him, see Him or hear Him.
God is not a puppet. We can't argue with Him. We can't manipulate Him and we can't choose which test we will undergo. We are His to do with what He will and the stronger our faith the harder we will be tested. Like I said before, I'm not the smartest person in the world but I do understand that evil lurks in this world and that satan wants us as far away from Christ as possible. Why do you think prayer has been taken out of so many things? Guess. We are becoming the minority, not the majority. People will fight for animals harder than they will fight for religious freedom. It's a fact. So, as you go about your day be aware that faith does come at a cost. You will be tested and the test may take everything you have to be victorious. You can't do it alone and you shouldn't want to. God gave us His word to help us fight any battle that comes our way. He gave us prayers to help us fight the dark and He gave us each other to unite for His glory. We have all the tools but we have to surrender, ask for forgiveness and prepare for battle.
God does love you even if you can't feel Him. He tells us that He is always near. We must believe that. He also tells us that His thoughts are not our thoughts so we can't rationalize or figure out what He's doing. We have to trust that He will do what's best for His kingdom, even if we don't think it's best for us. For at the end of this journey, we will figure out what we did wrong, what He was doing with our lives and if we passed the test.
Psalm 57:1 NKJV:
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by.
Exodus 34:6 NKJV:
And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,
Romans 12:2 NKJV:
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I thank You for helping me be bold and for loving You. It has taken many hard bumps for me to see You like I do now. I remember when I would pray and I would have an answer right away and then, I remember when I prayed and no sure answer came. I might have figured out later what You were trying to do or I decided that it was better off for me to surrender and let You do the rest. Help us all to surrender unto You what is Yours. I know that we belong to You and that our lives are not our own. We come before You, women that desire to know You intimately. We want to stand on rock and be still. We want to know You are near even when we can't see You. Like Job, so many go through trials they don't understand and the only way to be victorious is to put You at the forefront of the fight. The Holy Trinity is in place to help all of us get to the destination we so desperately want to be. Give us wisdom in the fight and help us surrender our desires for Yours. I thank You Lord for loving us so much and for being merciful and just, even in the face of our iniquity. You know us better than we know ourselves so please cleanse our hearts, align our will with Yours and make us heaven minded. Our joy is not in what we have but what we have in You. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
January 2, 2012
Good morning all-
I'm getting a late start today. I go back to work and I have been off for over a week. I enjoyed my time off immensely but it's time to get back out and sell something. I am very blessed because God has given me a talent to sell things. It allows me to be with people and that's what I most want to concentrate on this year. The sales will come as long as I remember that people are at the end of every sale.
Jesus knew that. He was pitching mercy, grace and forgiveness. Are any of these important if people aren't involved? No. Animals don't need to be forgiven or given mercy, the trees definitely don't need grace and the earth, it's mighty but without people its just a planet. Christ knew that people needed Him, so He went about recruiting young men to follow Him so that He could spread the word, not just during His lifetime but after. And that's exactly what's happened. We are all disciples of Jesus. Someone cared enough to talk to us about God's mercy and forgiveness, as we became mature Christians we began to talk about what God had done for us and hopefully, those people will go out and spread the word. We didn't get to walk and talk with Jesus but He lives inside of us because He knew that it was worth it to sacrifice His life for many. Now that's a true hero!
We all love when someone cares enough to send us an email, call us or even text. We like to be loved and wanted. It's really how we were wired. We also like to be forgiven even when we don't deserve it. No one forgives like our Father. No one has the power to look at us and say, "You are washed of sin." Of course, we forgive one another, often begrudgingly but we do forgive. God forgives forever. Now that's the plan I want to be on don't you. Temporary forgiveness or eternal forgiveness, which will you choose?
Again, everything comes down to choice and people. Jesus didn't die to be known; He died to save us! He should have been housed in mansions, clothed in the finest cloth and served. Instead He served others, walked among the people and His home was wherever He laid it for the night. I can't think of too many famous people that have done that. I like my creature comforts just like the next person. I wouldn't do well in the desert or on the cold ground. I have always had a roof over my head and food to eat. I've been one of the fortunate ones but there are people living today in those conditions. There are people right next door that need to hear about Jesus. We can't forget that the greatest sale and purchase of all time was what Jesus did for us on the cross. It astounds me that people still don't know Him. As we know, many have heard but few receive. We need to continue to grow in our courage to speak of the Lord, not just in our circles, but broadly so that many will hear about mercy, forgiveness, and grace. These are our sales tools and the purchase is eternal life. Think about that today, I'm going too.
Well it's time for me to get out the door and see what God has in store for 2013. I hope this day finds you well and that you think about the cost Jesus paid for you and me on the cross. His mercy is enough. I'm praying for all women to come to Him and to see His mighty hand. Continue to pray with me for the generations to come and for boldness today. May God bless you today.
Daniel 9:9 NKJV:
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.
Romans 12:20 NKJV:
Therefore, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink;
Exodus 34:7 NKJV:
keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the forth generations."
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I love You so much. Thank You for reminding me that people are the most important thing to You. You died for us so that we could be with You, not just today, but for eternity. I have never walked beside You or talked to You personally but through my prayers, I have come to know You. I want Your will to be done on my life and the life of others. You are wonderful and Your attributes should be shouted all over the world. Help those that are in need today. Give us the ability to see the need and to minister to it. These are Your people and we are just human vessels You use to intercede and be Your hands. We pray that Your will be done today and that Your mighty hands will be on the leaders across the globe. Give them wisdom to lead their nations and give us the ability to pray for them. We need Your mercy, Your grace and most especially, Your forgiveness. Thank You for sacrificing Your life and remembering that people are the most important commodity. May You bless us today as we come closer to knowing You! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
I'm getting a late start today. I go back to work and I have been off for over a week. I enjoyed my time off immensely but it's time to get back out and sell something. I am very blessed because God has given me a talent to sell things. It allows me to be with people and that's what I most want to concentrate on this year. The sales will come as long as I remember that people are at the end of every sale.
Jesus knew that. He was pitching mercy, grace and forgiveness. Are any of these important if people aren't involved? No. Animals don't need to be forgiven or given mercy, the trees definitely don't need grace and the earth, it's mighty but without people its just a planet. Christ knew that people needed Him, so He went about recruiting young men to follow Him so that He could spread the word, not just during His lifetime but after. And that's exactly what's happened. We are all disciples of Jesus. Someone cared enough to talk to us about God's mercy and forgiveness, as we became mature Christians we began to talk about what God had done for us and hopefully, those people will go out and spread the word. We didn't get to walk and talk with Jesus but He lives inside of us because He knew that it was worth it to sacrifice His life for many. Now that's a true hero!
We all love when someone cares enough to send us an email, call us or even text. We like to be loved and wanted. It's really how we were wired. We also like to be forgiven even when we don't deserve it. No one forgives like our Father. No one has the power to look at us and say, "You are washed of sin." Of course, we forgive one another, often begrudgingly but we do forgive. God forgives forever. Now that's the plan I want to be on don't you. Temporary forgiveness or eternal forgiveness, which will you choose?
Again, everything comes down to choice and people. Jesus didn't die to be known; He died to save us! He should have been housed in mansions, clothed in the finest cloth and served. Instead He served others, walked among the people and His home was wherever He laid it for the night. I can't think of too many famous people that have done that. I like my creature comforts just like the next person. I wouldn't do well in the desert or on the cold ground. I have always had a roof over my head and food to eat. I've been one of the fortunate ones but there are people living today in those conditions. There are people right next door that need to hear about Jesus. We can't forget that the greatest sale and purchase of all time was what Jesus did for us on the cross. It astounds me that people still don't know Him. As we know, many have heard but few receive. We need to continue to grow in our courage to speak of the Lord, not just in our circles, but broadly so that many will hear about mercy, forgiveness, and grace. These are our sales tools and the purchase is eternal life. Think about that today, I'm going too.
Well it's time for me to get out the door and see what God has in store for 2013. I hope this day finds you well and that you think about the cost Jesus paid for you and me on the cross. His mercy is enough. I'm praying for all women to come to Him and to see His mighty hand. Continue to pray with me for the generations to come and for boldness today. May God bless you today.
Daniel 9:9 NKJV:
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.
Romans 12:20 NKJV:
Therefore, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink;
Exodus 34:7 NKJV:
keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the forth generations."
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I love You so much. Thank You for reminding me that people are the most important thing to You. You died for us so that we could be with You, not just today, but for eternity. I have never walked beside You or talked to You personally but through my prayers, I have come to know You. I want Your will to be done on my life and the life of others. You are wonderful and Your attributes should be shouted all over the world. Help those that are in need today. Give us the ability to see the need and to minister to it. These are Your people and we are just human vessels You use to intercede and be Your hands. We pray that Your will be done today and that Your mighty hands will be on the leaders across the globe. Give them wisdom to lead their nations and give us the ability to pray for them. We need Your mercy, Your grace and most especially, Your forgiveness. Thank You for sacrificing Your life and remembering that people are the most important commodity. May You bless us today as we come closer to knowing You! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
January 1, 2013
Good morning all-
I hope you are welcoming in the New Year with friends and family. I spent most of my time with family this morning and this was the first opportunity I had to write. So in an attempt to look back, I read my very first blog dated January 1, 2012. I was scared and said so to no one in particular. I started that day with a thought and a Scripture and over time, the blog took over and prayer was introduced. That was the Holy Spirit not me for sure. Who writes their personal prayers for everyone to see? I do. So today, I hope the New Year brings you courage to step out on faith and to spread the gospel. I can tell you from experience it's exhilarating and scary all at the same time. The reward is getting to know Christ better, understanding His heart for the hopeless and reaching people that don't know Him.
I'm looking forward to the coming year to see what Scripture and message He brings to all of us that read this blog. I often go back and read my words so that I can get the full impact of what He teaches me. This has been a personal as well as a public journey and it's with His grace that I continue.
I'd like to leave you with the Scripture that was first given to me last year, Psalm 116: 12-14 NKJV, I think it's only befitting that I start where I began last year. I can't thank God enough for the wonders He has shown me this year. I pray that all of us will find Him in a greater way this year. If nothing else, we need to put Him first so that we can be faithful all our days. I pray that God will bring blessings to you.
Psalm 116: 12-14 NKJV:
What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I come to You and ask that You will bless Your people. We need Your light today. Like the snow, we need You to cover the earth with peace and prosperity. Please take care of Your chosen as we continue to follow You this year. Help us be better at being closer to You. We are waiting for Your return but until that day, we want to run the race well. Give us eyes to see You, hearts to worship You and a strong need to seek You daily. I praise You Lord and thank You for every minute You have been in my life. My vow is to continue to look for You always. Please help all of us as we face the coming year. You are our Lord and we worship You with a passion. Light the way for others to know You all around the world by guiding them to resources and people that know You well. Come to us in dreams and make us strong in You. We desire to be in a growing relationship with our King. For today and everyday, thank You for forgiving us and giving us life! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
I hope you are welcoming in the New Year with friends and family. I spent most of my time with family this morning and this was the first opportunity I had to write. So in an attempt to look back, I read my very first blog dated January 1, 2012. I was scared and said so to no one in particular. I started that day with a thought and a Scripture and over time, the blog took over and prayer was introduced. That was the Holy Spirit not me for sure. Who writes their personal prayers for everyone to see? I do. So today, I hope the New Year brings you courage to step out on faith and to spread the gospel. I can tell you from experience it's exhilarating and scary all at the same time. The reward is getting to know Christ better, understanding His heart for the hopeless and reaching people that don't know Him.
I'm looking forward to the coming year to see what Scripture and message He brings to all of us that read this blog. I often go back and read my words so that I can get the full impact of what He teaches me. This has been a personal as well as a public journey and it's with His grace that I continue.
I'd like to leave you with the Scripture that was first given to me last year, Psalm 116: 12-14 NKJV, I think it's only befitting that I start where I began last year. I can't thank God enough for the wonders He has shown me this year. I pray that all of us will find Him in a greater way this year. If nothing else, we need to put Him first so that we can be faithful all our days. I pray that God will bring blessings to you.
Psalm 116: 12-14 NKJV:
What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I come to You and ask that You will bless Your people. We need Your light today. Like the snow, we need You to cover the earth with peace and prosperity. Please take care of Your chosen as we continue to follow You this year. Help us be better at being closer to You. We are waiting for Your return but until that day, we want to run the race well. Give us eyes to see You, hearts to worship You and a strong need to seek You daily. I praise You Lord and thank You for every minute You have been in my life. My vow is to continue to look for You always. Please help all of us as we face the coming year. You are our Lord and we worship You with a passion. Light the way for others to know You all around the world by guiding them to resources and people that know You well. Come to us in dreams and make us strong in You. We desire to be in a growing relationship with our King. For today and everyday, thank You for forgiving us and giving us life! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Monday, December 31, 2012
December 31, 2012
Good morning all-
I can't believe the year is coming to a close. It just feels like yesterday that I sat down to develop this blog and to write for the very first time. I can remember what triggered it and how excited I was to be able to see what God would do in 2012. I don't believe in coincidences and when I was sad, lonely and missing my parents, I sat down to watch, "Julia and Julia." How does one sit down to watch a show and come out of it saying, "I need to start a blog for women." Interesting? Well that's exactly how it happened. I was sitting watching the story of one woman cooking her way through Julia Child's cookbook, writing her blog and then it hit me, "That's what God wants you to do." So the next morning, early, I began to try to figure out how to make a blog. It didn't take me long and the next thing I knew I was writing. I had hoped to write 365 entries but unfortunately I only make it to 272. I can live with that for this year and will try to reach my goal next year. Who knows how God will inspire me next?
The call for me didn't happen just last year. It has been pending as I thought to myself, "You're not good enough to speak on God's behalf." That is of true but I love Christ and I have a way of seeking Him that I think does benefit others. I love to pray and I love to know His word. I wish I could memorize better but that's for this year too. I am going to try to memorize Scripture. I have a recorder on my iPhone and I will play it back while I'm driving. It's good to have goals and it's good to look for ways to serve God. I hope my journey won't end on a blog. I hope to one day speak to women all over the world, I have the training and the passion to do it and of course, I have Christ. I also hope to one day write a book dedicated to the God I love so much and probably most importantly, my prayer is that women will come to know Him through my love for Him.
I realize that's a lot but then when I look at the fact that I have written 271 posts, it really doesn't seem impossible. I wonder if that's how the disciples felt while they were following Christ. Obviously, they wanted to walk with Him. The listened to Him and saw great miracles but did they think about their journey and how Christ would use them in the coming years. For He lead them, so when He left did they flounder or did they take the lessons He taught them and move forward? Well, we know they did at great cost to themselves. We know Peter denied Him, Judas died, and Paul was found on a road blind. We know that Mary and Mary Magdalene were at the tomb and we know that Thomas needed proof of the risen Savior. In each one of them, we can identify ourselves. I know that I loved Christ but once I walked away and you know what? He came looking for me. Once, I was called to do His work and I said, "I'm not worthy to do anything for Christ." Once, I felt like nothing and He met me right where I was and once, I feared the unknown and He said, "Follow me."
These themes are not unique to my situation they are part of the lives of all people that follow Christ. We are His and we make choices everyday to follow Him or stay stagnant. I have loved this year, not because I have been so blessed with everything I desire but because in my loss, Christ was there, picking me up and giving me a greater purpose. It has been a pleasure to sit at this keyboard and write about Him. My other pleasure is watching as people hit the blog, from other nations and I know that only Christ can do that. This is His blog, dedicated to Him so that women can find their faith and learn that their hope resides in Him. How do I know? Because every day I sit down to write my faith is renewed in Him. Sometimes the trials are long but when I get into Scripture and realize all the powerful testimonies that make the Bible up, I'm in awe. The people of the Bible are the same as you and me; they just lived in a different time and place. As much as scientists want to deny that Jesus lived and was resurrected they can't. The government will try to take Christ out of schools, streets and lives, but Christ stands alone. We may be a minority all around the world but we are the minority with all the answers because everything points back to Jesus.
May the new year show you Christ in a whole new way. Please pray for my ministry. I need to be lifted up and encouraged. I hope that the time you have spent on this blog has caused you to see Christ in a whole new way. I challenge you this next year to look inside yourself and see what God has in store for you. I can tell you that it will take sacrifices, it will stretch you but in the end, it's all worth it. For we are not on earth for ourselves, we are here to fulfill His purpose. May God show you that this year and may He bless this blog as I move forward in my journey with Jesus.
Happy New Year and may God bless each and every one of you. Spread the word today. If you love someone let them know by telling them the story of Christ's birth and resurrection.
1 Peter 1: 3-5 NKJV:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, if I had one thing to ask it would be that You would be revealed among the nations. This year has gone by with a blink of an eye and everywhere I look, You are missing. Not because You are but there are so many distractions that people have forgotten about You. Place on the hearts of Your warriors to pray for their nations, their cities, their families and perfect strangers. Give us Scripture to minister to the lonely, the lost, the brokenhearted. Show us our purpose as we look for You and remind all of us that this life is Yours. We thank You for dying on that cross, for giving us a reason to be here and for fulfilling the promise Your Father made to Abraham. We are part of Your chosen and we thank You everyday for sacrificing Yourself so that we can have eternal life. I am just one sinful follower, asking for Your forgiveness, and walking in Your light. You come to us and we say, "Yes." May our lives shine in this darkened world. May You protect the innocent and help all of us have the urgency to speak of You. Give us courage where we lack it and give us confidence, not in ourselves, but in You. One year is passing and another begins. I pray that this year begins with Jesus written on the hearts and minds of people all over the world. Bring forth Your soldiers and help us die to ourselves as we serve You. You are all we need in 2013 may we remember that. Thank you for this year and as it closes please help those that lost children, spouses and parents. You know who they are. Give them purpose in their loss and guide them by still waters. Those waters are what keep us a float in the sea of sadness. Lift up those that have lost money, homes and jobs. They need You this year and always. I am forever in Your debt. I didn't deserve the path You chose for my life, nor did I deserve for You to love me through all my stubbornness and yet, You did and I am blessed to call You my Father. We need You in 2013, please rain down the Holy Spirit upon the nations and bring up leaders that know You by name. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
I can't believe the year is coming to a close. It just feels like yesterday that I sat down to develop this blog and to write for the very first time. I can remember what triggered it and how excited I was to be able to see what God would do in 2012. I don't believe in coincidences and when I was sad, lonely and missing my parents, I sat down to watch, "Julia and Julia." How does one sit down to watch a show and come out of it saying, "I need to start a blog for women." Interesting? Well that's exactly how it happened. I was sitting watching the story of one woman cooking her way through Julia Child's cookbook, writing her blog and then it hit me, "That's what God wants you to do." So the next morning, early, I began to try to figure out how to make a blog. It didn't take me long and the next thing I knew I was writing. I had hoped to write 365 entries but unfortunately I only make it to 272. I can live with that for this year and will try to reach my goal next year. Who knows how God will inspire me next?
The call for me didn't happen just last year. It has been pending as I thought to myself, "You're not good enough to speak on God's behalf." That is of true but I love Christ and I have a way of seeking Him that I think does benefit others. I love to pray and I love to know His word. I wish I could memorize better but that's for this year too. I am going to try to memorize Scripture. I have a recorder on my iPhone and I will play it back while I'm driving. It's good to have goals and it's good to look for ways to serve God. I hope my journey won't end on a blog. I hope to one day speak to women all over the world, I have the training and the passion to do it and of course, I have Christ. I also hope to one day write a book dedicated to the God I love so much and probably most importantly, my prayer is that women will come to know Him through my love for Him.
I realize that's a lot but then when I look at the fact that I have written 271 posts, it really doesn't seem impossible. I wonder if that's how the disciples felt while they were following Christ. Obviously, they wanted to walk with Him. The listened to Him and saw great miracles but did they think about their journey and how Christ would use them in the coming years. For He lead them, so when He left did they flounder or did they take the lessons He taught them and move forward? Well, we know they did at great cost to themselves. We know Peter denied Him, Judas died, and Paul was found on a road blind. We know that Mary and Mary Magdalene were at the tomb and we know that Thomas needed proof of the risen Savior. In each one of them, we can identify ourselves. I know that I loved Christ but once I walked away and you know what? He came looking for me. Once, I was called to do His work and I said, "I'm not worthy to do anything for Christ." Once, I felt like nothing and He met me right where I was and once, I feared the unknown and He said, "Follow me."
These themes are not unique to my situation they are part of the lives of all people that follow Christ. We are His and we make choices everyday to follow Him or stay stagnant. I have loved this year, not because I have been so blessed with everything I desire but because in my loss, Christ was there, picking me up and giving me a greater purpose. It has been a pleasure to sit at this keyboard and write about Him. My other pleasure is watching as people hit the blog, from other nations and I know that only Christ can do that. This is His blog, dedicated to Him so that women can find their faith and learn that their hope resides in Him. How do I know? Because every day I sit down to write my faith is renewed in Him. Sometimes the trials are long but when I get into Scripture and realize all the powerful testimonies that make the Bible up, I'm in awe. The people of the Bible are the same as you and me; they just lived in a different time and place. As much as scientists want to deny that Jesus lived and was resurrected they can't. The government will try to take Christ out of schools, streets and lives, but Christ stands alone. We may be a minority all around the world but we are the minority with all the answers because everything points back to Jesus.
May the new year show you Christ in a whole new way. Please pray for my ministry. I need to be lifted up and encouraged. I hope that the time you have spent on this blog has caused you to see Christ in a whole new way. I challenge you this next year to look inside yourself and see what God has in store for you. I can tell you that it will take sacrifices, it will stretch you but in the end, it's all worth it. For we are not on earth for ourselves, we are here to fulfill His purpose. May God show you that this year and may He bless this blog as I move forward in my journey with Jesus.
Happy New Year and may God bless each and every one of you. Spread the word today. If you love someone let them know by telling them the story of Christ's birth and resurrection.
1 Peter 1: 3-5 NKJV:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, if I had one thing to ask it would be that You would be revealed among the nations. This year has gone by with a blink of an eye and everywhere I look, You are missing. Not because You are but there are so many distractions that people have forgotten about You. Place on the hearts of Your warriors to pray for their nations, their cities, their families and perfect strangers. Give us Scripture to minister to the lonely, the lost, the brokenhearted. Show us our purpose as we look for You and remind all of us that this life is Yours. We thank You for dying on that cross, for giving us a reason to be here and for fulfilling the promise Your Father made to Abraham. We are part of Your chosen and we thank You everyday for sacrificing Yourself so that we can have eternal life. I am just one sinful follower, asking for Your forgiveness, and walking in Your light. You come to us and we say, "Yes." May our lives shine in this darkened world. May You protect the innocent and help all of us have the urgency to speak of You. Give us courage where we lack it and give us confidence, not in ourselves, but in You. One year is passing and another begins. I pray that this year begins with Jesus written on the hearts and minds of people all over the world. Bring forth Your soldiers and help us die to ourselves as we serve You. You are all we need in 2013 may we remember that. Thank you for this year and as it closes please help those that lost children, spouses and parents. You know who they are. Give them purpose in their loss and guide them by still waters. Those waters are what keep us a float in the sea of sadness. Lift up those that have lost money, homes and jobs. They need You this year and always. I am forever in Your debt. I didn't deserve the path You chose for my life, nor did I deserve for You to love me through all my stubbornness and yet, You did and I am blessed to call You my Father. We need You in 2013, please rain down the Holy Spirit upon the nations and bring up leaders that know You by name. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Sunday, December 30, 2012
December 30, 2012
Good morning all-
We are nearing the end of the year with many things to think and act on in the coming days. A new year is like a new beginning, your just one year older. However, with each year change comes and we must deal with the ever changing world along with life. Sometimes I wish I could predict the future but then I think of Daniel, Jeremiah and Isaiah and I think, "Maybe I don't want to know."
If I could capture one wish this year it would me that millions would come to know Christ. I wish that a flood of people would fall on their knees and proclaim that Jesus is Lord. My hope is that it will happen, maybe not this year but in years to come and of course, when He comes back, all with bow. And if millions can't come this year, I hope that many will find God through evangelists, preachers, teachers and those that have heard the call. I'm praying for everyone that stands up and says, "Jesus is Lord." The difference between us and non-christians is that we recognize we are sinners and need a Savior. I love when people put Christians on a pedestal and think they are perfect. We are far from it because we know the hand of God and what a mess we were before we met Him. Even when we try to be good, we fail and thank goodness God is molding us and stretching us.
I can't imagine a life without Jesus. I always believed in God actually from the time I was little but it was through my struggles that I found Him. His grace is enough. I will never be perfect, my only hope is that as I grow in Him, people will see Jesus. I hope they don't look too close because I'm as flawed as flawed can be. The flaws are what make me real and it's real people Christ calls to walk beside Him. He quit ministering to the Pharisees when they quit believing. Remember?
I'm comfortable with my flaws and that Christ continues to grow me up. I want to stand on a rock not the sand. And when I stand, I want to reside in the one that's majestic. I don't need to know what tomorrow will bring because tomorrow will take care of itself. I just need to take the moment and make it His. So last night as I contemplated the new year, I took some time to remember those that have gone on and the memories that they left behind. I baked cookies with my son's girlfriend and we talked about silly stuff and important stuff. My boys thanked me for all the goodies and fled to play a mad game of ping pong and all throughout the house I heard joy.
I won't always have those sounds or the feeling of completeness I felt last night. Things will be changing fast. Hunter is a junior and Austin is a senior in college. Soon they will be in their own dorms or homes and I will be left with the quiet of the morning. Things change but one thing remains, Jesus is Lord, He is near and He is my Savior. The coming months and year may hold challenges, who knows, but for today, I'm resting in the quiet of my Lord and Savior. May He guide many to Him.
My heart cries for the lonely and lost. I hope yours does too. Many people are facing hardships, sorrow, and turmoil. The world is a crazy place. Everywhere you look there are massive natural disasters, bombs being set off, people dying and hopelessness. Christ can heal the wounds the world just needs to look for Him. We are in the end times and although we hate to read Revelation; its testimony is very powerful. John saw into the future. He saw Jesus coming back for His bride. He watched as the 7 seals were broken and he saw a new Heaven.
The world didn't end on December 21, 2012 because only the Father knows the time and hour. Don't let that fool you though, we are to be ready for the thief to come in the night. He will someday, but for now we need to continue to pray for the lost and lonely, lift up our pastors, our leaders and people. There are so many that need our prayers. We are warriors and this is our time. I may not be able to predict what will happen tomorrow but I know that I have a job to do today. We must shout to the rooftops that Jesus is Lord! None of us can predict what will come but we know in today we have Jesus.
May today bring you a sense of peace as you put your trust and hope in Jesus. One day passes and another day comes. What will you do today? May God bless and keep you until tomorrow.
Titus 2:13 NKJV:
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:18 NKJV:
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance to the saints,
Isaiah 40:31 NKJV:
But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Our day is today. We must shout that Jesus is the Lord. In the face of hardship, He is the only thing that stands true, not just today but for eternity.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I come before You, petitioning on behalf of the lost and lonely. I'm praying today for the millions of people that don't know You. They are crying, feeling depressed, sitting in chaos and needing a Savior. You know who they are, they are written on Your heart. Please hear the cries of women all over the world. We need You to come into the hearts of people, to change them and make them new. We are praying for the children, for the men and women that think they don't need You and for Christians to stand up and be counted in Your army. This world is in need of a Savior. Place on our hearts Your concerns, give us eyes to see and hearts that yearn for what you yearn for. We are a fallen people, with pride issues, greed issues and sin issues. We need You to come into our homes and into the lives of people, reform us Lord and make us white as snow. I am so thankful that You came into my life and changed me forever. I want that for all those that are hurting, lost and without hope. I want them to know a Savior that stands beside me and that with mercy provides me grace. Give us a heart for You today and for those that You want to save. I pray that we would have courage in our lives and that we will stand at the foot of the cross, shouting, "Jesus is Lord." In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
We are nearing the end of the year with many things to think and act on in the coming days. A new year is like a new beginning, your just one year older. However, with each year change comes and we must deal with the ever changing world along with life. Sometimes I wish I could predict the future but then I think of Daniel, Jeremiah and Isaiah and I think, "Maybe I don't want to know."
If I could capture one wish this year it would me that millions would come to know Christ. I wish that a flood of people would fall on their knees and proclaim that Jesus is Lord. My hope is that it will happen, maybe not this year but in years to come and of course, when He comes back, all with bow. And if millions can't come this year, I hope that many will find God through evangelists, preachers, teachers and those that have heard the call. I'm praying for everyone that stands up and says, "Jesus is Lord." The difference between us and non-christians is that we recognize we are sinners and need a Savior. I love when people put Christians on a pedestal and think they are perfect. We are far from it because we know the hand of God and what a mess we were before we met Him. Even when we try to be good, we fail and thank goodness God is molding us and stretching us.
I can't imagine a life without Jesus. I always believed in God actually from the time I was little but it was through my struggles that I found Him. His grace is enough. I will never be perfect, my only hope is that as I grow in Him, people will see Jesus. I hope they don't look too close because I'm as flawed as flawed can be. The flaws are what make me real and it's real people Christ calls to walk beside Him. He quit ministering to the Pharisees when they quit believing. Remember?
I'm comfortable with my flaws and that Christ continues to grow me up. I want to stand on a rock not the sand. And when I stand, I want to reside in the one that's majestic. I don't need to know what tomorrow will bring because tomorrow will take care of itself. I just need to take the moment and make it His. So last night as I contemplated the new year, I took some time to remember those that have gone on and the memories that they left behind. I baked cookies with my son's girlfriend and we talked about silly stuff and important stuff. My boys thanked me for all the goodies and fled to play a mad game of ping pong and all throughout the house I heard joy.
I won't always have those sounds or the feeling of completeness I felt last night. Things will be changing fast. Hunter is a junior and Austin is a senior in college. Soon they will be in their own dorms or homes and I will be left with the quiet of the morning. Things change but one thing remains, Jesus is Lord, He is near and He is my Savior. The coming months and year may hold challenges, who knows, but for today, I'm resting in the quiet of my Lord and Savior. May He guide many to Him.
My heart cries for the lonely and lost. I hope yours does too. Many people are facing hardships, sorrow, and turmoil. The world is a crazy place. Everywhere you look there are massive natural disasters, bombs being set off, people dying and hopelessness. Christ can heal the wounds the world just needs to look for Him. We are in the end times and although we hate to read Revelation; its testimony is very powerful. John saw into the future. He saw Jesus coming back for His bride. He watched as the 7 seals were broken and he saw a new Heaven.
The world didn't end on December 21, 2012 because only the Father knows the time and hour. Don't let that fool you though, we are to be ready for the thief to come in the night. He will someday, but for now we need to continue to pray for the lost and lonely, lift up our pastors, our leaders and people. There are so many that need our prayers. We are warriors and this is our time. I may not be able to predict what will happen tomorrow but I know that I have a job to do today. We must shout to the rooftops that Jesus is Lord! None of us can predict what will come but we know in today we have Jesus.
May today bring you a sense of peace as you put your trust and hope in Jesus. One day passes and another day comes. What will you do today? May God bless and keep you until tomorrow.
Titus 2:13 NKJV:
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:18 NKJV:
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance to the saints,
Isaiah 40:31 NKJV:
But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Our day is today. We must shout that Jesus is the Lord. In the face of hardship, He is the only thing that stands true, not just today but for eternity.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I come before You, petitioning on behalf of the lost and lonely. I'm praying today for the millions of people that don't know You. They are crying, feeling depressed, sitting in chaos and needing a Savior. You know who they are, they are written on Your heart. Please hear the cries of women all over the world. We need You to come into the hearts of people, to change them and make them new. We are praying for the children, for the men and women that think they don't need You and for Christians to stand up and be counted in Your army. This world is in need of a Savior. Place on our hearts Your concerns, give us eyes to see and hearts that yearn for what you yearn for. We are a fallen people, with pride issues, greed issues and sin issues. We need You to come into our homes and into the lives of people, reform us Lord and make us white as snow. I am so thankful that You came into my life and changed me forever. I want that for all those that are hurting, lost and without hope. I want them to know a Savior that stands beside me and that with mercy provides me grace. Give us a heart for You today and for those that You want to save. I pray that we would have courage in our lives and that we will stand at the foot of the cross, shouting, "Jesus is Lord." In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Saturday, December 29, 2012
December 29, 2012
Good morning all-
Last night my husband went out of town and I found myself in front of the television. I don't watch much T.V. because normally I'm busy doing other things but I've had a week off and find myself caught up on the laundry and dishes, so I sat down to watch "Undercover Boss." I am fascinated with leaders of large corporations and have read many books about CEO's. My favorite book was called, "God is my CEO." It chronicled the top CEO's in the nation and what God showed them in each one of their roles, so I was fascinated to see what would be revealed on "Undercover Boss."
They took two Presidents of companies, one from Budget Blinds and the other from RotoRooter. Each very different in persona but the conclusions were the same. People make business. It's the dedication and passion of the people that own franchises, work in factories and dig out nasty hair, plunge sewer lines and help people that make the difference. At headquarters important decisions are made every day; like where to spend money on advertising and how to make more money. Profit is important to companies, without it, they die. So, when corporate people spend their time making decisions for the workers, they have two things in mind: How do I make this business grow? How much money can I make this year? Money keeps businesses hiring and that's what gives us economic growth. When businesses aren't doing well, the economy isn't doing well.
Needless to say, these two CEO's know how to make good decisions. Their businesses are doing well but they wanted to be with the people and that's where the show got interesting. I once read that if you value people, you will make money. It's a simple truth that many have forgotten. People make businesses grow and make profit. Decisions do effect the outcome but at the end of each decision someone has to do the work.
Both CEO's went out and spent time with their people and found similar situations. Some were worried, some wanted their franchisee money spent differently and all had a personal story. First they cared about their jobs and second they were making an impact in the communities where they lived. These two men watched as men and women showed them how important it was to be with the worker. You can't find out what people need if you sit in a glass tower, you have to go where they are to understand the challenges and triumphs of your business. The profit sheet can show you a lot but only by listening and learning do you get the full impact of what your decisions are doing for people.
I watched as these two men changed. Rick, the RotoRooter President was captured crying many times. He had found peace from a lifetime of living with his father's alcoholism. One man, a worker, provided him the avenue to heal an old wound and in the end gave him peace. We never know when our journey will take us into the face of our greatest fear or our most fearsome pain but in the end, God can heal the wounds and make us better.
What did these two men learn? They learned to listen and to care more. They saw what needed to be done and will make appropriate changes that will help their companies flourish and in the end, they have valued a handful of people that will continue making their companies safe and happy places to come to work. Random acts of kindness happened on both shows but in the end many watched and saw how two very different men learned valuable lessons that will lead them on paths of greatness.
It has been stated so many times in the Bible that wise men take counsel and foolish men flounder. I know that we all have ideals of what we think should be done, how we believe people should act and what should be done to be successful. I am as head strong as the next person but I have always believed that ideas should be listened too and that we should never just take our own counsel. People make up companies, families and the world. We were born unique and with our uniqueness comes talents that can be used for the whole. Sacrifice and love for people is what makes this world go round. We need money to survive today but there is so much more to making money than putting it in our pockets.
If you are at home, don't feel bad. You are raising the next generation and you are sacrificing and loving for God's kingdom. If you work outside of the home, please remember that people and wise counsel are what make success, not your decisions. Although your decisions can impact profitability, your sacrifice and love of people can go so much farther. We should all take a lesson from these two men who went to the people and found out that even though they were doing a good job, they could do better. Our actions do matter in this fallen world. And at the end of the day, wise counsel, loving people and making a difference at our jobs or homes greatly impacts our world. We are being looked at to show the world the light of Jesus and even when people least suspect it, God is doing miracles. Just ask the people on the show. They were rewarded for their hard work, their dedication and their ability to do a job well. They never saw it coming and yet, they did the right thing and were rewarded for it.
We never know who we will lead in this life. It could be our sons or daughters. It could be a friend, a co-worker or our spouses. It might be a stranger that needs a hand. Giving of oneself is the greatest gift. I'm not just talking to you; I'm talking to me too. The last year at work has been life changing for me and I am determined to continue showing people that dedication and hard work pay off. And at the end of the day, I want my sons to have Jesus as their guide; to remember the words of Solomon and to seek wise counsel all their days. For we never know where God will put us and when. We just know we have a purpose and talents that He will use to further His kingdom. If you get a chance, check out last nights episodes, they were worth the time. People are the reason we are here. They were who God came to save. We can talk about the economy all day long but at the end of all political decisions, there are people. Please pray for your countries and for the businesses that encompass your economic structure. There are men and women making decisions every day and we want Jesus to be in the mix. Our intellect can only take us so far, we need Jesus because He is the Great Counselor.
Isaiah 61:1 NKJV:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tiding to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
Proverbs 11:14 NKJV:
Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 15:22 NKJV:
Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.
Isaiah 9:6 NKJV:
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Our hope of prosperity resides in wise counsel. It is through Jesus that we love and honor people. It's how we sacrifice our time and what we do in our every day lives that matter. Our roles are set, either at home or at work, but wherever God has placed you one thing remains true, Jesus is our counselor and we can always learn from Him. Make today a day filled with Him as you work or play. Remember that His greatest gift was His life. He knew the right way when men didn't. He frees us, loves us and carries us. We can learn a lesson from a television show but the greatest lesson comes through the word breathed by God!
My prayer today:
O, Lord, thankfully there are no coincidences. As I watched the television yesterday, I saw transformation and understanding. I saw how good people make a difference and whenever I feel like everything is for not, I see You. Your hand is on us every minute of every day. You show us the way and fill us with love. We can't do that on our own. We don't have the capability to sacrifice and to love by ourselves, we are too selfish. But when we look upon the cross and take You in, we become transformed. As I write, I pray for the business owner, the President of companies and the leaders all over the world. It is easy to believe we have all the answers but through wise counsel, we can make better decisions, decisions that are God formed. So please lead our leaders to their knees, give them wisdom and help the struggling economies all over the world. We don't need to make more money; we need to get on our knees and You will do the rest. I pray that You will raise up men and women that know You and that can be vital counselors to those that are making important decisions. You gave us our brains but we need You to guide them to further Your agenda, not ours. We come before You as one, asking that You lead us through wise counsel and that You provide many opportunities to love and value people. I may not always feel valued by the world but I do feel valued by Your sacrifice for me. You gave Your life so that I could have eternal life. My trust and my hope must come from You. We live in a fallen world but everywhere I look, I see miracles. Please help guide our leaders today and give mothers and fathers the ability to grow up wise children that love You. Lead men and women to us that need a Savior and guide us on the right path. We are human and often make bad decisions. Help us today to remember that every dollar, every euro, every decision leads back to You. For today we fall on our knees and thank the Wonderful Counselor for all You do. Thank You for blessing people and for reminding all of us that You are near. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Last night my husband went out of town and I found myself in front of the television. I don't watch much T.V. because normally I'm busy doing other things but I've had a week off and find myself caught up on the laundry and dishes, so I sat down to watch "Undercover Boss." I am fascinated with leaders of large corporations and have read many books about CEO's. My favorite book was called, "God is my CEO." It chronicled the top CEO's in the nation and what God showed them in each one of their roles, so I was fascinated to see what would be revealed on "Undercover Boss."
They took two Presidents of companies, one from Budget Blinds and the other from RotoRooter. Each very different in persona but the conclusions were the same. People make business. It's the dedication and passion of the people that own franchises, work in factories and dig out nasty hair, plunge sewer lines and help people that make the difference. At headquarters important decisions are made every day; like where to spend money on advertising and how to make more money. Profit is important to companies, without it, they die. So, when corporate people spend their time making decisions for the workers, they have two things in mind: How do I make this business grow? How much money can I make this year? Money keeps businesses hiring and that's what gives us economic growth. When businesses aren't doing well, the economy isn't doing well.
Needless to say, these two CEO's know how to make good decisions. Their businesses are doing well but they wanted to be with the people and that's where the show got interesting. I once read that if you value people, you will make money. It's a simple truth that many have forgotten. People make businesses grow and make profit. Decisions do effect the outcome but at the end of each decision someone has to do the work.
Both CEO's went out and spent time with their people and found similar situations. Some were worried, some wanted their franchisee money spent differently and all had a personal story. First they cared about their jobs and second they were making an impact in the communities where they lived. These two men watched as men and women showed them how important it was to be with the worker. You can't find out what people need if you sit in a glass tower, you have to go where they are to understand the challenges and triumphs of your business. The profit sheet can show you a lot but only by listening and learning do you get the full impact of what your decisions are doing for people.
I watched as these two men changed. Rick, the RotoRooter President was captured crying many times. He had found peace from a lifetime of living with his father's alcoholism. One man, a worker, provided him the avenue to heal an old wound and in the end gave him peace. We never know when our journey will take us into the face of our greatest fear or our most fearsome pain but in the end, God can heal the wounds and make us better.
What did these two men learn? They learned to listen and to care more. They saw what needed to be done and will make appropriate changes that will help their companies flourish and in the end, they have valued a handful of people that will continue making their companies safe and happy places to come to work. Random acts of kindness happened on both shows but in the end many watched and saw how two very different men learned valuable lessons that will lead them on paths of greatness.
It has been stated so many times in the Bible that wise men take counsel and foolish men flounder. I know that we all have ideals of what we think should be done, how we believe people should act and what should be done to be successful. I am as head strong as the next person but I have always believed that ideas should be listened too and that we should never just take our own counsel. People make up companies, families and the world. We were born unique and with our uniqueness comes talents that can be used for the whole. Sacrifice and love for people is what makes this world go round. We need money to survive today but there is so much more to making money than putting it in our pockets.
If you are at home, don't feel bad. You are raising the next generation and you are sacrificing and loving for God's kingdom. If you work outside of the home, please remember that people and wise counsel are what make success, not your decisions. Although your decisions can impact profitability, your sacrifice and love of people can go so much farther. We should all take a lesson from these two men who went to the people and found out that even though they were doing a good job, they could do better. Our actions do matter in this fallen world. And at the end of the day, wise counsel, loving people and making a difference at our jobs or homes greatly impacts our world. We are being looked at to show the world the light of Jesus and even when people least suspect it, God is doing miracles. Just ask the people on the show. They were rewarded for their hard work, their dedication and their ability to do a job well. They never saw it coming and yet, they did the right thing and were rewarded for it.
We never know who we will lead in this life. It could be our sons or daughters. It could be a friend, a co-worker or our spouses. It might be a stranger that needs a hand. Giving of oneself is the greatest gift. I'm not just talking to you; I'm talking to me too. The last year at work has been life changing for me and I am determined to continue showing people that dedication and hard work pay off. And at the end of the day, I want my sons to have Jesus as their guide; to remember the words of Solomon and to seek wise counsel all their days. For we never know where God will put us and when. We just know we have a purpose and talents that He will use to further His kingdom. If you get a chance, check out last nights episodes, they were worth the time. People are the reason we are here. They were who God came to save. We can talk about the economy all day long but at the end of all political decisions, there are people. Please pray for your countries and for the businesses that encompass your economic structure. There are men and women making decisions every day and we want Jesus to be in the mix. Our intellect can only take us so far, we need Jesus because He is the Great Counselor.
Isaiah 61:1 NKJV:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tiding to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
Proverbs 11:14 NKJV:
Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 15:22 NKJV:
Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.
Isaiah 9:6 NKJV:
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Our hope of prosperity resides in wise counsel. It is through Jesus that we love and honor people. It's how we sacrifice our time and what we do in our every day lives that matter. Our roles are set, either at home or at work, but wherever God has placed you one thing remains true, Jesus is our counselor and we can always learn from Him. Make today a day filled with Him as you work or play. Remember that His greatest gift was His life. He knew the right way when men didn't. He frees us, loves us and carries us. We can learn a lesson from a television show but the greatest lesson comes through the word breathed by God!
My prayer today:
O, Lord, thankfully there are no coincidences. As I watched the television yesterday, I saw transformation and understanding. I saw how good people make a difference and whenever I feel like everything is for not, I see You. Your hand is on us every minute of every day. You show us the way and fill us with love. We can't do that on our own. We don't have the capability to sacrifice and to love by ourselves, we are too selfish. But when we look upon the cross and take You in, we become transformed. As I write, I pray for the business owner, the President of companies and the leaders all over the world. It is easy to believe we have all the answers but through wise counsel, we can make better decisions, decisions that are God formed. So please lead our leaders to their knees, give them wisdom and help the struggling economies all over the world. We don't need to make more money; we need to get on our knees and You will do the rest. I pray that You will raise up men and women that know You and that can be vital counselors to those that are making important decisions. You gave us our brains but we need You to guide them to further Your agenda, not ours. We come before You as one, asking that You lead us through wise counsel and that You provide many opportunities to love and value people. I may not always feel valued by the world but I do feel valued by Your sacrifice for me. You gave Your life so that I could have eternal life. My trust and my hope must come from You. We live in a fallen world but everywhere I look, I see miracles. Please help guide our leaders today and give mothers and fathers the ability to grow up wise children that love You. Lead men and women to us that need a Savior and guide us on the right path. We are human and often make bad decisions. Help us today to remember that every dollar, every euro, every decision leads back to You. For today we fall on our knees and thank the Wonderful Counselor for all You do. Thank You for blessing people and for reminding all of us that You are near. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Friday, December 28, 2012
December 28, 2012
Good morning all-
I was a little stunned yesterday when my youngest son asked, "Why do you keep writing your blog?" He thinks that the 20 hits I get a day are insignificant and I guess if you look at other blogs and websites it might be. Then again, if I just wanted hits on my blog I would have probably stopped months ago. Would it be nice to look up and find out that hundreds of women were hitting my blog? Of course. And yet, I don't write for my own fame or glory; I write for Christ's. For some it wouldn't be enough to see just a few hits, a few countries and a few followers, for me, it's about obedience and the love I hold deep in my heart for our God.
Have I wondered why hundreds of women haven't caught on or if this blog touched someones life and they came to know Christ through it? Absolutely. I wouldn't be human if I didn't wonder how the words that are inspired through the Holy Spirit are working in others lives but in the end, I write out of a calling so deep in me I can almost hear God whisper as I sit down to type this out.
I have to admit there are things that got in the way this year, like work and family, so I haven't written every day but I have written a ton. I believe this will make the 271st blog. That's a lot of words, a ton of Scripture and an immense amount of prayer. Just think if you journaled every prayer from the beginning of the year until now. We are just a few days away from the new year and my journey has been chronicled on the Internet for all to see.
If you steadily read this blog, you have been with me in sorrow, in prayer, in warfare and in love of Christ. You have walked with the Holy Spirit, cried out to our Lord and sought to find Him in every corner of the world. Your heart has expanded with the need to pray for other countries and other women dealing with far worse situations than us. You have sought to find solace and peace in a fallen world through Jesus and you have continue to grow spiritually so that you could participate and spread the gospel. You have sought to be a force against the darkness and God has heard your words, your prayers and His Scripture as we have bowed our heads and prayed to our glorious maker.
For me, He has grown me up and continued to guide me on my path. He has walked with me as I felt like I might not have anything else to say and then given me verses and words to speak to you. He has guided me in prayer and heard each one as if it was new everyday. He knows my heart and He calls women to this site and others, not for my glory or yours, but for His. He is the maker of the universe, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, we are just His vessels, trying to be obedient in a world that captures our interests anywhere but to Him.
So from a child's perspective, I guess I am wasting time but from my perspective, I began to see more clearly and love deeper the minute my fingers hit the keyboard. I lost myself and gained Jesus in the midst of every word and every prayer. It's almost like the Holy Spirit took over and I am just a vessel to be molded and formed. I have become a new creature this year. I'm excited to see what God will put on my heart and to have a format to express it. Yes, it leaves me vulnerable to the world, but who cares as long as I live in obedience to a God that loves me. Being quiet never got me anywhere. I loved Christ but I did not live to love Him out loud. Now I do, with all the passion I have held in my heart, ever since I was little. I haven't always got my way and for that I'm grateful because along the way I have learned to trust Him more, love Him deeper and worship Him stronger and bolder than ever before.
He is the reason I live and my life is not my own. When we are born, our mothers and fathers try to protect us and raise us up and then we must be put out into the world. Who stays with us as we try new things, slide down the slope of sin and come up for air just in time to be saved, Jesus! We are His and our life belongs to Him. He knows this better than anyone else. He asked His Father to take this cup from Him and in the end He was beaten and hung on a cross, not because He wanted to but to fulfill a covenant for His people. He bears our sins and was beaten and hung for them. He is the one that ultimately knows true sacrifice. My son may not understand that now, although He knows the story but every time I write and bear my soul, I hope he sees that my obedience is all that matters and hopefully, Jesus will use it to further His kingdom all around the world.
Be aware my sisters that we are in a time where personal glory is very important. It is part of human nature to be successful, driven and accomplished. Jesus was all those things and more but although He could have been the High Priest, He chose to be the lamb. Confusing even to me that this great man, God in human form, would not have received His true place on earth. That He would have to die a horrific death to show the world who He was and still we have people that don't believe.
I challenge you today to look at yourself in the mirror and see what God is calling you to do. It might seem risky and more than likely it will put you in a very vulnerable place but take the call, it's totally worth it. I hope as always that these words, inspired by our maker will give you courage to take the call and walk beside Him. It's not enough to call Him our Savior if we aren't willing to give something back to Him. If you think your life is your own, think again. It belongs to our Lord who lost His life for you and me. May God bless you and keep you today and may the Lord of light shine down upon the world and reveal Himself in all His majesty.
Mark 14:36 NKJV:
And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."
Luke 22:42 NKJV:
saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done"
Psalm 116:13 NKJV:
I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.
Jeremiah 25:15 NKJV:
For thus says the Lord God of Israel to me: "Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.
My prayer today:
O, Lord the nations are calling for a Savior. You can hear the cries to heaven for peace instead of war, for safety instead of chaos, and for food instead of hunger. The world is raging like the sea and the men that lead the nations are full of foolishness. Only You can save a broken world. Only You can bring peace among the people and only You can feed the starving. I beg of You to hear the cry of the women Lord and begin to show Your mighty hand on every nation and to every people group around the world. We beg of You to share Your words and Your wisdom with our leaders and to have them come before You, denying themselves fame, and living for Your glory. We are like robots, following a silent leader that puts a command in and spits out a formula. You are the only formula we need. You took the cup of righteousness to be able to stand by Your Father. You gave us the Holy trinity and are continually fighting the battle for souls. Help us stay obedient to Your word and forgive us when we sin against You. Give us wisdom in the face of difficult decisions and help us stand with You no matter the sacrifice. Show our sons and daughters that what we do for You, we do willingly and that in return, all we ask is that You are with us. We want men and women to grow up knowing and seeking Your face for generations to come. I know that every bad situation here on earth will not be reconciled, at least until You come again, but show us our paths and light our way and give us hope to continue on in the journey You have given us. We give You our lives and all the glory, for without You we are nothing but with You, we are loved. Love the nations, bring peace to Your people and give us purpose beyond ourselves. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
I was a little stunned yesterday when my youngest son asked, "Why do you keep writing your blog?" He thinks that the 20 hits I get a day are insignificant and I guess if you look at other blogs and websites it might be. Then again, if I just wanted hits on my blog I would have probably stopped months ago. Would it be nice to look up and find out that hundreds of women were hitting my blog? Of course. And yet, I don't write for my own fame or glory; I write for Christ's. For some it wouldn't be enough to see just a few hits, a few countries and a few followers, for me, it's about obedience and the love I hold deep in my heart for our God.
Have I wondered why hundreds of women haven't caught on or if this blog touched someones life and they came to know Christ through it? Absolutely. I wouldn't be human if I didn't wonder how the words that are inspired through the Holy Spirit are working in others lives but in the end, I write out of a calling so deep in me I can almost hear God whisper as I sit down to type this out.
I have to admit there are things that got in the way this year, like work and family, so I haven't written every day but I have written a ton. I believe this will make the 271st blog. That's a lot of words, a ton of Scripture and an immense amount of prayer. Just think if you journaled every prayer from the beginning of the year until now. We are just a few days away from the new year and my journey has been chronicled on the Internet for all to see.
If you steadily read this blog, you have been with me in sorrow, in prayer, in warfare and in love of Christ. You have walked with the Holy Spirit, cried out to our Lord and sought to find Him in every corner of the world. Your heart has expanded with the need to pray for other countries and other women dealing with far worse situations than us. You have sought to find solace and peace in a fallen world through Jesus and you have continue to grow spiritually so that you could participate and spread the gospel. You have sought to be a force against the darkness and God has heard your words, your prayers and His Scripture as we have bowed our heads and prayed to our glorious maker.
For me, He has grown me up and continued to guide me on my path. He has walked with me as I felt like I might not have anything else to say and then given me verses and words to speak to you. He has guided me in prayer and heard each one as if it was new everyday. He knows my heart and He calls women to this site and others, not for my glory or yours, but for His. He is the maker of the universe, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, we are just His vessels, trying to be obedient in a world that captures our interests anywhere but to Him.
So from a child's perspective, I guess I am wasting time but from my perspective, I began to see more clearly and love deeper the minute my fingers hit the keyboard. I lost myself and gained Jesus in the midst of every word and every prayer. It's almost like the Holy Spirit took over and I am just a vessel to be molded and formed. I have become a new creature this year. I'm excited to see what God will put on my heart and to have a format to express it. Yes, it leaves me vulnerable to the world, but who cares as long as I live in obedience to a God that loves me. Being quiet never got me anywhere. I loved Christ but I did not live to love Him out loud. Now I do, with all the passion I have held in my heart, ever since I was little. I haven't always got my way and for that I'm grateful because along the way I have learned to trust Him more, love Him deeper and worship Him stronger and bolder than ever before.
He is the reason I live and my life is not my own. When we are born, our mothers and fathers try to protect us and raise us up and then we must be put out into the world. Who stays with us as we try new things, slide down the slope of sin and come up for air just in time to be saved, Jesus! We are His and our life belongs to Him. He knows this better than anyone else. He asked His Father to take this cup from Him and in the end He was beaten and hung on a cross, not because He wanted to but to fulfill a covenant for His people. He bears our sins and was beaten and hung for them. He is the one that ultimately knows true sacrifice. My son may not understand that now, although He knows the story but every time I write and bear my soul, I hope he sees that my obedience is all that matters and hopefully, Jesus will use it to further His kingdom all around the world.
Be aware my sisters that we are in a time where personal glory is very important. It is part of human nature to be successful, driven and accomplished. Jesus was all those things and more but although He could have been the High Priest, He chose to be the lamb. Confusing even to me that this great man, God in human form, would not have received His true place on earth. That He would have to die a horrific death to show the world who He was and still we have people that don't believe.
I challenge you today to look at yourself in the mirror and see what God is calling you to do. It might seem risky and more than likely it will put you in a very vulnerable place but take the call, it's totally worth it. I hope as always that these words, inspired by our maker will give you courage to take the call and walk beside Him. It's not enough to call Him our Savior if we aren't willing to give something back to Him. If you think your life is your own, think again. It belongs to our Lord who lost His life for you and me. May God bless you and keep you today and may the Lord of light shine down upon the world and reveal Himself in all His majesty.
Mark 14:36 NKJV:
And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."
Luke 22:42 NKJV:
saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done"
Psalm 116:13 NKJV:
I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.
Jeremiah 25:15 NKJV:
For thus says the Lord God of Israel to me: "Take this wine cup of fury from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.
My prayer today:
O, Lord the nations are calling for a Savior. You can hear the cries to heaven for peace instead of war, for safety instead of chaos, and for food instead of hunger. The world is raging like the sea and the men that lead the nations are full of foolishness. Only You can save a broken world. Only You can bring peace among the people and only You can feed the starving. I beg of You to hear the cry of the women Lord and begin to show Your mighty hand on every nation and to every people group around the world. We beg of You to share Your words and Your wisdom with our leaders and to have them come before You, denying themselves fame, and living for Your glory. We are like robots, following a silent leader that puts a command in and spits out a formula. You are the only formula we need. You took the cup of righteousness to be able to stand by Your Father. You gave us the Holy trinity and are continually fighting the battle for souls. Help us stay obedient to Your word and forgive us when we sin against You. Give us wisdom in the face of difficult decisions and help us stand with You no matter the sacrifice. Show our sons and daughters that what we do for You, we do willingly and that in return, all we ask is that You are with us. We want men and women to grow up knowing and seeking Your face for generations to come. I know that every bad situation here on earth will not be reconciled, at least until You come again, but show us our paths and light our way and give us hope to continue on in the journey You have given us. We give You our lives and all the glory, for without You we are nothing but with You, we are loved. Love the nations, bring peace to Your people and give us purpose beyond ourselves. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Thursday, December 27, 2012
December 27, 2012
Good morning all-
I took a few days off to spend with family and friends but I'm back and ready to write once again. I hope the season found you well and in it you found Jesus. At the end of the day presents are wonderful and the snow is magical but Jesus is our steadfast hope. Without Him, we are nothing but with Him we can do all things.
It seems like the last couple of days have been a flash. I don't know about you but I'm completely exhausted. I went into my room at 7:30 to read and relax and woke up at 1 am. I don't remember the exact time I closed my eyes but it was way before it should've been. Oh well, I can start again today.
So now that Christmas is over, the presents are unwrapped and the company is gone, what should we be thinking about? For some it will be the new year and for others it's just getting through today. I don't know where you are but for me, I'm just looking at today. In years past, I would be thinking about 6 months or a year down the road, today I want to remain steady and the only way to do that is to see what God unfolds for today. It really is the only way to live.
Those that look far ahead will miss something or worry about things they don't have any control over. I know how it goes because that has been me in the past. Only through reading Scripture and prayer have I found that Jesus will take care of tomorrow and I should just live in today. That doesn't mean I don't look toward the future, it just means that I try to stay steadfast and let the Lord do the rest.
Romans 8:28 NKJV:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Hebrews 5:5 NKJV:
So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: "You are My Son, today I have begotten You."
1 Thessalonians 5:21 NKJV:
Test all things, hold fast what is good.
Revelation 3:11 NKJV:
Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
Titus 1:9 NKJV:
holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
We have many challenges in this life and one of them is holding fast in Jesus. When obstacles come and the seas roar it is easy for us to go off and say, "All is lost." We have marriages failing, children dying and people who are filled with hate. We have wars and storms and we have a sense of foreboding that the world will soon destruct. But much of what we feel is false. Our feelings have nothing to do with the words of Jesus. We will always feel but in those times of great struggle we must remain steadfast in our Counselor. We can't predict tomorrow but we can have courage to put Jesus in today and then stick to our guns and believe that He is near. That's why we have a choice. We get to choose whether we work or not or whether we love or not. We get to choose what we wear, where we worship and who we worship. It's all a choice, divinely given. There are no robots on earth, no monkey that can be like us, we are who we are with choices all around us. And we fail miserably sometimes but then we need to pick ourselves back up and choose Jesus instead. We will never be perfect at least not until Jesus comes to receive His bride, so instead, let's live for today and let God work out the details of tomorrow. He knew the perfect time for His birth and death and He knows right where we are today. I hope the season was good to you but my greater hope is that you remain steadfast in Jesus in the coming year. My prayer continues to be that He will lead women and men to Him and that we would become mighty warriors for Him. The only way we can do that is to look for Him, seek Him and be with Him: mind, heart and spirit. We need to believe that He is the only way and that all things work for good, according to His purpose. We may never know why things happen but then, we didn't need to know anyway. The Bible is clear, our ways are not His ways and our thoughts are not His thoughts but we are His and He loves us so let's give Him tomorrow and see what He has for us today.
My prayer:
O, Lord, we come before You and thank You for we are blessed. We are blessed today because You constantly show us what we need to know through Your word. The word is living and mighty and although as humans we screw things up, You seem to manage to spin our mistakes and make a better day. There will be trials along the way with many raging seas, but in the turbulent waters, we can rest in You. Help us to capture You in our day and to really see our purpose and not just the routine of life. Life has many stresses and we feel each one of them. But you promise to take care of tomorrow as long as we live in today. So, we give You our lives today and ask that You help us remain steadfast in You through our daily lives. We don't know about tomorrow but we can face anything today. Help time to go away and in its place may we see the blessings all around us. Love those that are hurting today and give all of us courage to shout that Jesus is the season and He's here not just during Christmas or Easter but every day we walk this earth. We are blessed to be in Your presence and we are honored to call You Lord. Help lift up the weak, give strength to those that are lonely and please fill us with Your Spirit so that we can minister to Your people. Thank You for the gifts that You have given each one of us, may we use them to further Your kingdom. You are Lord and we love You. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
I took a few days off to spend with family and friends but I'm back and ready to write once again. I hope the season found you well and in it you found Jesus. At the end of the day presents are wonderful and the snow is magical but Jesus is our steadfast hope. Without Him, we are nothing but with Him we can do all things.
It seems like the last couple of days have been a flash. I don't know about you but I'm completely exhausted. I went into my room at 7:30 to read and relax and woke up at 1 am. I don't remember the exact time I closed my eyes but it was way before it should've been. Oh well, I can start again today.
So now that Christmas is over, the presents are unwrapped and the company is gone, what should we be thinking about? For some it will be the new year and for others it's just getting through today. I don't know where you are but for me, I'm just looking at today. In years past, I would be thinking about 6 months or a year down the road, today I want to remain steady and the only way to do that is to see what God unfolds for today. It really is the only way to live.
Those that look far ahead will miss something or worry about things they don't have any control over. I know how it goes because that has been me in the past. Only through reading Scripture and prayer have I found that Jesus will take care of tomorrow and I should just live in today. That doesn't mean I don't look toward the future, it just means that I try to stay steadfast and let the Lord do the rest.
Romans 8:28 NKJV:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Hebrews 5:5 NKJV:
So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: "You are My Son, today I have begotten You."
1 Thessalonians 5:21 NKJV:
Test all things, hold fast what is good.
Revelation 3:11 NKJV:
Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
Titus 1:9 NKJV:
holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
We have many challenges in this life and one of them is holding fast in Jesus. When obstacles come and the seas roar it is easy for us to go off and say, "All is lost." We have marriages failing, children dying and people who are filled with hate. We have wars and storms and we have a sense of foreboding that the world will soon destruct. But much of what we feel is false. Our feelings have nothing to do with the words of Jesus. We will always feel but in those times of great struggle we must remain steadfast in our Counselor. We can't predict tomorrow but we can have courage to put Jesus in today and then stick to our guns and believe that He is near. That's why we have a choice. We get to choose whether we work or not or whether we love or not. We get to choose what we wear, where we worship and who we worship. It's all a choice, divinely given. There are no robots on earth, no monkey that can be like us, we are who we are with choices all around us. And we fail miserably sometimes but then we need to pick ourselves back up and choose Jesus instead. We will never be perfect at least not until Jesus comes to receive His bride, so instead, let's live for today and let God work out the details of tomorrow. He knew the perfect time for His birth and death and He knows right where we are today. I hope the season was good to you but my greater hope is that you remain steadfast in Jesus in the coming year. My prayer continues to be that He will lead women and men to Him and that we would become mighty warriors for Him. The only way we can do that is to look for Him, seek Him and be with Him: mind, heart and spirit. We need to believe that He is the only way and that all things work for good, according to His purpose. We may never know why things happen but then, we didn't need to know anyway. The Bible is clear, our ways are not His ways and our thoughts are not His thoughts but we are His and He loves us so let's give Him tomorrow and see what He has for us today.
My prayer:
O, Lord, we come before You and thank You for we are blessed. We are blessed today because You constantly show us what we need to know through Your word. The word is living and mighty and although as humans we screw things up, You seem to manage to spin our mistakes and make a better day. There will be trials along the way with many raging seas, but in the turbulent waters, we can rest in You. Help us to capture You in our day and to really see our purpose and not just the routine of life. Life has many stresses and we feel each one of them. But you promise to take care of tomorrow as long as we live in today. So, we give You our lives today and ask that You help us remain steadfast in You through our daily lives. We don't know about tomorrow but we can face anything today. Help time to go away and in its place may we see the blessings all around us. Love those that are hurting today and give all of us courage to shout that Jesus is the season and He's here not just during Christmas or Easter but every day we walk this earth. We are blessed to be in Your presence and we are honored to call You Lord. Help lift up the weak, give strength to those that are lonely and please fill us with Your Spirit so that we can minister to Your people. Thank You for the gifts that You have given each one of us, may we use them to further Your kingdom. You are Lord and we love You. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Sunday, December 23, 2012
December 23, 2012
Good morning all-
Well I don't know about all of you but I'm already exhausted and the 25th isn't even here yet. Last night, my husband's dad and all the kids got together for a wonderful celebration filled with laughter, crying and a ton of eating. The crying was the 11 month old because he wanted to pull things down. It was a wonderful time filled with lots of memories for the years to come.
After each celebration, I always take time to reflect. Mark still has both of his parents. They seem healthy and they are older than what mine were when they died. And even though they seem okay today, I know that tomorrow could bring another story. So with each moment and each bit of laughter I hold it close and remind myself that this world is for a moment and that each memory carries the next generation on. I hope our kids will see the importance of making memories so that the ones that come after us will spread the love of Jesus and of course, hold onto the memories of the past.
I have wonderful memories especially on today. Today is my birthday and the first thing I thought in my head this morning was, "Happy Birthday Lisa!" My mom would call every birthday, even though I thought it was dumb and sing Happy Birthday whether I wanted her to or not. How I long for those days. But I had my time and now I have all my beautiful memories. I have a husband that loves me and children that honor me and I am part of a huge wonderful family. And most importantly, I have a Heavenly Father that knows the hour I was born, holds my purpose and steers my path. Thank goodness for Jesus!
I hope that as you approach the coming days you will wash away the stress and put a whole lot of Jesus into the mix. He is the reason for the season and although we feel like the work will never get done, the packages will never be wrapped and the food will never be good enough, all of that washes away as we sit still and thank Jesus for His birth.
I hold onto that today and for the life and love He has given me. He loves us and we are loved, not because we deserve it, for we don't, but He loves us anyway. I'm praying that as you hit this blog that you will find Him this season. He is so close if we let Him in. I'm not guaranteeing that all your problems will be solved but I know that when we seek Him, we will find Him.
Isaiah 9:6 NKJV:
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, may You light up this world. Show all of us Your majesty and power. Rain down the Holy Spirit on Your people and help us to be the kind of men and women that will serve You. We must have courage in darkness and I'm asking for that today. I pray that people will see Your birth and realize that You are Lord. Many are skeptical and not many call upon You but this is Your season and Your will, so let Your will be done. When You died, You left with us the Holy Spirit. Call upon it in our hearts and make us women that adore You. We want to be faithful with our words, with our actions and in our prayers. Raise up Your people to call upon You in the dark and in the light. There are millions waiting to hear so make us bold and make us honorable. Please forgive us of our sins, for we are a sinful people and replace them with forgiveness. I'm so thankful that I have You in my life and in the life of those that call You Lord. Bring many to this site and to other sites to hear Your word and to experience You in a whole new way. May Your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. We need a Savior, we need YOU! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Well I don't know about all of you but I'm already exhausted and the 25th isn't even here yet. Last night, my husband's dad and all the kids got together for a wonderful celebration filled with laughter, crying and a ton of eating. The crying was the 11 month old because he wanted to pull things down. It was a wonderful time filled with lots of memories for the years to come.
After each celebration, I always take time to reflect. Mark still has both of his parents. They seem healthy and they are older than what mine were when they died. And even though they seem okay today, I know that tomorrow could bring another story. So with each moment and each bit of laughter I hold it close and remind myself that this world is for a moment and that each memory carries the next generation on. I hope our kids will see the importance of making memories so that the ones that come after us will spread the love of Jesus and of course, hold onto the memories of the past.
I have wonderful memories especially on today. Today is my birthday and the first thing I thought in my head this morning was, "Happy Birthday Lisa!" My mom would call every birthday, even though I thought it was dumb and sing Happy Birthday whether I wanted her to or not. How I long for those days. But I had my time and now I have all my beautiful memories. I have a husband that loves me and children that honor me and I am part of a huge wonderful family. And most importantly, I have a Heavenly Father that knows the hour I was born, holds my purpose and steers my path. Thank goodness for Jesus!
I hope that as you approach the coming days you will wash away the stress and put a whole lot of Jesus into the mix. He is the reason for the season and although we feel like the work will never get done, the packages will never be wrapped and the food will never be good enough, all of that washes away as we sit still and thank Jesus for His birth.
I hold onto that today and for the life and love He has given me. He loves us and we are loved, not because we deserve it, for we don't, but He loves us anyway. I'm praying that as you hit this blog that you will find Him this season. He is so close if we let Him in. I'm not guaranteeing that all your problems will be solved but I know that when we seek Him, we will find Him.
Isaiah 9:6 NKJV:
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, may You light up this world. Show all of us Your majesty and power. Rain down the Holy Spirit on Your people and help us to be the kind of men and women that will serve You. We must have courage in darkness and I'm asking for that today. I pray that people will see Your birth and realize that You are Lord. Many are skeptical and not many call upon You but this is Your season and Your will, so let Your will be done. When You died, You left with us the Holy Spirit. Call upon it in our hearts and make us women that adore You. We want to be faithful with our words, with our actions and in our prayers. Raise up Your people to call upon You in the dark and in the light. There are millions waiting to hear so make us bold and make us honorable. Please forgive us of our sins, for we are a sinful people and replace them with forgiveness. I'm so thankful that I have You in my life and in the life of those that call You Lord. Bring many to this site and to other sites to hear Your word and to experience You in a whole new way. May Your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. We need a Savior, we need YOU! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Saturday, December 22, 2012
December 21, 2012
Good morning all-
In the last month quite a few things have happened all around the world. The news is full of negativity and so is the world. I wonder what it was like the year Jesus was born? I would imagine much of the same. People were dying, wars were breaking out and disasters were happening. The difference between then and now is our media and our entire communication system. Just think, 20 years ago, there wasn't away for me to communicate in Mandarin, Chinese, German, Russian or any other language. The most I knew was a little Japanese and English, which is still most of our problem in the US. We know our language. Today, I can communicate to women in every country and in most languages. How? Because God wants all of us to know His story and hopefully, we will choose Him.
Life is never easy. Even if you have a roof over your head, money in your pocket and a man at your side, you will have challenges. Mary had a good man at her side, he worked and was obedient to God. Really, she had more than most people do today. She might not have had a place to put her head but he made sure that she was protected and loved. The Bible doesn't detail their relationship but it does share Joseph's faithfulness to God. So, even in their lives they would encounter challenges, trials and loss. Life wasn't easy then or now. I don't know why we expect it to be.
Roads are paved and paths are set all across the world. We never know when our number will be selected and God will call us to do a great work. Someone invented the Internet, cameras, light bulbs, and mass media. Someone took it upon themselves to develop a translator for Microsoft Word so that we can read in other languages and Joseph chose Mary so that Jesus could be born into a family. Coincidence? I think not. Every road taken, every invention, every relationship, every child, every event in History has a purpose, we just have to seek it.
We are part of a huge passion play with many characters. The play was painstakingly written with curve balls, mysteries and miracles. It began the night the angel came to Mary and ended on a cross. This season we need to remember that a baby was born and that He died for you and me. In the coming months and years stories will come across the news that will frighten us, sicken us and make us feel helpless. I would ask you to turn those feelings over to Jesus because He is the great comforter. Although we might not understand the evil that lurks, He does. He was tempted in the desert and still went on that cross.
Our Father isn't some mythical creature. The God we serve is real. He was born as man, tempted as man and died as man. Our lives depend on knowing this one fact. If we believe with all our hearts and all our minds, we will have eternal life. Our table is set, our feast is being readied, take the cross my sisters and send someone the best gift you can, the gift of Jesus.
Over the next few days I will be with family and friends celebrating the birth of my dear Lord. This time of year is beautiful to me and holds many wonderful memories of being with my parents and holding great traditions. Many of those traditions are changing but the one thing that remains is that I am loved, I'm not alone and Jesus is always near. I pray that you find Jesus the way that I have and that we would continue to pray for the families that lost loved ones this year. Their memories will feel like wounds but someday Jesus will restore them and they will remember the joy of the memories that were made. At the end of the day, we only have a couple things to hold onto. We can choose to believe that Jesus is who He said He was and we can walk and talk about Him. He's all we need this Christmas season. May the joy of the season wash over your families and may Jesus be revealed in a mighty way. The world is looking for answers but they find them in all the wrong places. Please let Jesus be the reason for this season and hug your loved ones.
With all my heart, thank you for supporting me this year. I will be writing spontaneously through the next 5 days. I have lots of people to love this season. May God bless you and keep you until tomorrow...
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I pray that the women all around the world would look toward you. I pray that we would be faithful warriors for you and that you would bring about a change in this darkened world. People are seeking answers, control and comfort and yet, without You there is none. I believe that You set Your eyes on Mary to fulfill Your greatest prophesy and through her virginal womb, You brought Jesus. You watched over them and helped them until He grew of age. He was Your Son and You know what it's like to watch Your only child die. This life, although full of joys, comes with many burdens, some of which are much to bare. But You know all things, You were tempted by the best and You intentionally hung on a cross so that we could have life. As I write, I hear the angels singing, the choir in masses singing, HOLY HOLY IS THE LORD. Those words are on my heart of late. Why? Because many are mourning loved ones, possessions and hunger. Tremendous disasters have occurred this year, senseless loss of life, great storms and many know the pangs of hunger. In all of it, I see Your hand, sending faithful servants to love those that are less fortunate. May the women that read this blog and even me throughout the coming days and weeks become more faithful, love more deeply and honor You by serving You. I was lost but now I'm found. Thank You for loving us so much and may we be blessed as we seek Your face. Please forgive us of our sins and right our paths, fulfill Your commission through our lives and help men everywhere seek You too. We need our men to bow down before their maker before the world destructs itself. Be with us today and leading to Your birthday and may we rejoice in our Lord, our Savior, our Friend. Thank You Jesus for coming to this earth and for giving of Your life, no present is greater than Your love for us. May we treasure that and love You more. For everything You are and for everything You will be, thank You for saving the world. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
In the last month quite a few things have happened all around the world. The news is full of negativity and so is the world. I wonder what it was like the year Jesus was born? I would imagine much of the same. People were dying, wars were breaking out and disasters were happening. The difference between then and now is our media and our entire communication system. Just think, 20 years ago, there wasn't away for me to communicate in Mandarin, Chinese, German, Russian or any other language. The most I knew was a little Japanese and English, which is still most of our problem in the US. We know our language. Today, I can communicate to women in every country and in most languages. How? Because God wants all of us to know His story and hopefully, we will choose Him.
Life is never easy. Even if you have a roof over your head, money in your pocket and a man at your side, you will have challenges. Mary had a good man at her side, he worked and was obedient to God. Really, she had more than most people do today. She might not have had a place to put her head but he made sure that she was protected and loved. The Bible doesn't detail their relationship but it does share Joseph's faithfulness to God. So, even in their lives they would encounter challenges, trials and loss. Life wasn't easy then or now. I don't know why we expect it to be.
Roads are paved and paths are set all across the world. We never know when our number will be selected and God will call us to do a great work. Someone invented the Internet, cameras, light bulbs, and mass media. Someone took it upon themselves to develop a translator for Microsoft Word so that we can read in other languages and Joseph chose Mary so that Jesus could be born into a family. Coincidence? I think not. Every road taken, every invention, every relationship, every child, every event in History has a purpose, we just have to seek it.
We are part of a huge passion play with many characters. The play was painstakingly written with curve balls, mysteries and miracles. It began the night the angel came to Mary and ended on a cross. This season we need to remember that a baby was born and that He died for you and me. In the coming months and years stories will come across the news that will frighten us, sicken us and make us feel helpless. I would ask you to turn those feelings over to Jesus because He is the great comforter. Although we might not understand the evil that lurks, He does. He was tempted in the desert and still went on that cross.
Our Father isn't some mythical creature. The God we serve is real. He was born as man, tempted as man and died as man. Our lives depend on knowing this one fact. If we believe with all our hearts and all our minds, we will have eternal life. Our table is set, our feast is being readied, take the cross my sisters and send someone the best gift you can, the gift of Jesus.
Over the next few days I will be with family and friends celebrating the birth of my dear Lord. This time of year is beautiful to me and holds many wonderful memories of being with my parents and holding great traditions. Many of those traditions are changing but the one thing that remains is that I am loved, I'm not alone and Jesus is always near. I pray that you find Jesus the way that I have and that we would continue to pray for the families that lost loved ones this year. Their memories will feel like wounds but someday Jesus will restore them and they will remember the joy of the memories that were made. At the end of the day, we only have a couple things to hold onto. We can choose to believe that Jesus is who He said He was and we can walk and talk about Him. He's all we need this Christmas season. May the joy of the season wash over your families and may Jesus be revealed in a mighty way. The world is looking for answers but they find them in all the wrong places. Please let Jesus be the reason for this season and hug your loved ones.
With all my heart, thank you for supporting me this year. I will be writing spontaneously through the next 5 days. I have lots of people to love this season. May God bless you and keep you until tomorrow...
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I pray that the women all around the world would look toward you. I pray that we would be faithful warriors for you and that you would bring about a change in this darkened world. People are seeking answers, control and comfort and yet, without You there is none. I believe that You set Your eyes on Mary to fulfill Your greatest prophesy and through her virginal womb, You brought Jesus. You watched over them and helped them until He grew of age. He was Your Son and You know what it's like to watch Your only child die. This life, although full of joys, comes with many burdens, some of which are much to bare. But You know all things, You were tempted by the best and You intentionally hung on a cross so that we could have life. As I write, I hear the angels singing, the choir in masses singing, HOLY HOLY IS THE LORD. Those words are on my heart of late. Why? Because many are mourning loved ones, possessions and hunger. Tremendous disasters have occurred this year, senseless loss of life, great storms and many know the pangs of hunger. In all of it, I see Your hand, sending faithful servants to love those that are less fortunate. May the women that read this blog and even me throughout the coming days and weeks become more faithful, love more deeply and honor You by serving You. I was lost but now I'm found. Thank You for loving us so much and may we be blessed as we seek Your face. Please forgive us of our sins and right our paths, fulfill Your commission through our lives and help men everywhere seek You too. We need our men to bow down before their maker before the world destructs itself. Be with us today and leading to Your birthday and may we rejoice in our Lord, our Savior, our Friend. Thank You Jesus for coming to this earth and for giving of Your life, no present is greater than Your love for us. May we treasure that and love You more. For everything You are and for everything You will be, thank You for saving the world. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
December 19, 2012
Good morning all-
For most of the world Christmas will soon be here. I started over a week ago talking about Jesus' birth and the wonders of what it meant. Then tragedy struck the US and God put many things on my heart. Every day holds its own mystery. We never know when our lives will change forever. If we worry, we will miss out on the blessings that are in front of us, so let's surrender all to Christ so He can have His will on our lives.
I heard many years ago that our lives are His, not ours. I can't remember who said them but it has stuck with me ever since. As a child, I worried that people would leave me, that they would die and that I would feel great loss. One of my most memorable dreams was sitting under a big oak tree with my brothers. We were young and Satan was there. He told me to deny Christ or he would take each one of them. I can't remember the order he took them in, but one by one they died. And then in 2006, the first one died while mountain climbing. That dream has never left me, I would say that it has impacted my whole life. For if I fear death, then I really don't understand God. I should rejoice in death because the dead will live again. That's if they know Christ. I guess that's why this year has been so important to me. I have prayed that people that don't know Christ would see this blog and read at least one page. Because at the end of the day, our lives are not our own.
There is purpose everywhere. Everyone constantly is wondering what they should be doing. I say, sit still and listen. There are always hurting people. You saw a few in the news this week. But babies die everyday all over the world, war has taken children and senseless pain is caused everywhere. There is a need for love and prayer, for someone to stand up for the innocent and for people everywhere to unite in prayer. There are more lost than found and those are the ones we need to concentrate on.
So as we approach the season that I love, let's put Christ first. As women we have a great influence over our husbands, boyfriends, children and friends. We don't have to be married with children to make impact; we just have to reach people. I am going to begin to pray starting today that one person comes to know Christ every day leading up to the 25th. I hope it multiplies to millions but for now I will concentrate on one. If you know someone that isn't saved, talk to them and encourage them to read the Christmas story and let God do the rest. Because a child was born to a virgin and His name is Immanuel. Jesus did come and He will come again. We are not lost if we know Him and although we fear the unknown, Jesus is always with us. I don't have many answers when it pertains to this world but the one answer I do have is that Jesus is the way to heaven and I want to make sure that my life meant something in this darkened world.
Take time to read the Christmas story to your family this week. I'm going to on December 25th when all my men will be in one place. It's a time of great rejoicing and I'm so glad that God has me and that I have Him and that He will send His Holy Spirit all around the world. No matter where you live, Jesus is near and He is our Savior, who needs Santa Claus when you have Jesus. HOLY HOLY IS THE LAMB!
Luke 2:11 NKJV:
For there is born to you the day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, come before Your faithful flock and show each woman her purpose here on earth. Give us the strength and the courage to walk in faith and not by sight. Hold us tight through our worries and our trials. Make us Your women, women that speak of Your name in our homes, our cities, and our nations. Challenge us to do Your work and to come before You daily. We are far from perfect and as we confess our sins we look toward the plan You have for us. I am just one of many that love You and that want to shout Your name from the rooftops. I know that a child was born and that child was You. Jesus Christ is my life and with all my imperfections I come before Him and praise You for everything You are and everything You're doing. We may not understand why tragedy has to strike or why little ones must come to You, that's for another time. All I want to know is that as we seek You, we will find You and that many will come to know You this Christmas. A child was born and many have been born before Him and after Him but none had the significance of You. We cherish Your birth and pray for the day You will return to take Your bride. Until that day, I sing Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty! No words are great enough to describe Your worth. Your life is love and as we approach this season may we spread Your love to every country around the world. My prayer is that many will see You and that they will come to You with haste. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
For most of the world Christmas will soon be here. I started over a week ago talking about Jesus' birth and the wonders of what it meant. Then tragedy struck the US and God put many things on my heart. Every day holds its own mystery. We never know when our lives will change forever. If we worry, we will miss out on the blessings that are in front of us, so let's surrender all to Christ so He can have His will on our lives.
I heard many years ago that our lives are His, not ours. I can't remember who said them but it has stuck with me ever since. As a child, I worried that people would leave me, that they would die and that I would feel great loss. One of my most memorable dreams was sitting under a big oak tree with my brothers. We were young and Satan was there. He told me to deny Christ or he would take each one of them. I can't remember the order he took them in, but one by one they died. And then in 2006, the first one died while mountain climbing. That dream has never left me, I would say that it has impacted my whole life. For if I fear death, then I really don't understand God. I should rejoice in death because the dead will live again. That's if they know Christ. I guess that's why this year has been so important to me. I have prayed that people that don't know Christ would see this blog and read at least one page. Because at the end of the day, our lives are not our own.
There is purpose everywhere. Everyone constantly is wondering what they should be doing. I say, sit still and listen. There are always hurting people. You saw a few in the news this week. But babies die everyday all over the world, war has taken children and senseless pain is caused everywhere. There is a need for love and prayer, for someone to stand up for the innocent and for people everywhere to unite in prayer. There are more lost than found and those are the ones we need to concentrate on.
So as we approach the season that I love, let's put Christ first. As women we have a great influence over our husbands, boyfriends, children and friends. We don't have to be married with children to make impact; we just have to reach people. I am going to begin to pray starting today that one person comes to know Christ every day leading up to the 25th. I hope it multiplies to millions but for now I will concentrate on one. If you know someone that isn't saved, talk to them and encourage them to read the Christmas story and let God do the rest. Because a child was born to a virgin and His name is Immanuel. Jesus did come and He will come again. We are not lost if we know Him and although we fear the unknown, Jesus is always with us. I don't have many answers when it pertains to this world but the one answer I do have is that Jesus is the way to heaven and I want to make sure that my life meant something in this darkened world.
Take time to read the Christmas story to your family this week. I'm going to on December 25th when all my men will be in one place. It's a time of great rejoicing and I'm so glad that God has me and that I have Him and that He will send His Holy Spirit all around the world. No matter where you live, Jesus is near and He is our Savior, who needs Santa Claus when you have Jesus. HOLY HOLY IS THE LAMB!
Luke 2:11 NKJV:
For there is born to you the day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, come before Your faithful flock and show each woman her purpose here on earth. Give us the strength and the courage to walk in faith and not by sight. Hold us tight through our worries and our trials. Make us Your women, women that speak of Your name in our homes, our cities, and our nations. Challenge us to do Your work and to come before You daily. We are far from perfect and as we confess our sins we look toward the plan You have for us. I am just one of many that love You and that want to shout Your name from the rooftops. I know that a child was born and that child was You. Jesus Christ is my life and with all my imperfections I come before Him and praise You for everything You are and everything You're doing. We may not understand why tragedy has to strike or why little ones must come to You, that's for another time. All I want to know is that as we seek You, we will find You and that many will come to know You this Christmas. A child was born and many have been born before Him and after Him but none had the significance of You. We cherish Your birth and pray for the day You will return to take Your bride. Until that day, I sing Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty! No words are great enough to describe Your worth. Your life is love and as we approach this season may we spread Your love to every country around the world. My prayer is that many will see You and that they will come to You with haste. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
December 18, 2012
Good morning all-
I'm stumped at what to write this morning. So many things are happening at once. Change is all around us and I'm finding myself saying, "I hope tomorrow is better." I didn't think I was stressed out about anything, of course, I feel for the victims and their families, I feel bad that I will be celebrating Christmas with no parents, and I'm still worried about whether I make good decisions in my own life. If you let your mind spin, it definitely will.
My son came home last night, angry. I'm not sure what exactly he was mad about. It might be the offense his coach put in or it could have been that his mentor told him that he was done with the varsity team. They have lost every game. I think more than likely that's why he was so mad. No one likes to lose especially a 16 year old kid but I am floored at how many men will give up on people because they aren't winning. That's like giving up on Michael Jordan in high school and yet, he went on to be the greatest player in History.
People easily give up. We give up when things are hard or we aren't getting what we want. We forget that God never gives up on us and He has a great number of reasons to let us go. We aren't exactly a perfect people. We constantly make mistakes and need forgiveness at every turn but still, in the wings, He waits and is there to catch us when we fall. The rest of us could take a good lesson from our maker. I can't imagine what the Israelites would have done if God said "I'm sorry no manna or water today." We wouldn't even be talking about them coming home to the promise land. Or what about David? He killed a man for his wife. What if God said, "You have made me angry, I no longer love you." Can you imagine where Israel would be today. I can, it would be part of palestine. But no, our maker comes in, helps us see our faults, we repent and He's right back there helping us get through the next mess we create.
Man is a mess and we consistently let Him down and yet, He says He will always be with us. Of course, repentance is important and asking Him what you need to repent for is even more important but God loves us and He never gives up on us. He loves us so much that He gave His only Son for us. There is a lot of rumors on how you get to heaven, did aliens make the pyramids and so forth. The Bible is clear, no man can enter heaven without first knowing Jesus. He is the only way.
We mess Scripture up a hundred different ways too. We fit it into a box so it looks good for us. Does God promise that there will be no hardship in this life/ No, He tells us that as His followers trials will come but that He will be near. His life was full of trials. He was the greatest man to be born. He had no solid home, was innocent of a crime that hung him on a cross, was beaten and bled so that He would die with the worst criminals of His time. The King of Kings hung on a cross. Why? Because we give up on people, we sin and we needed a Savior. So He gave His Son and watched as His Son said, "Forgive them Father for they no not know what they do." Really? Yes. That's how much love our Father has for us.
It's easy to turn from those that don't do exactly what we think they should. It's even easier to judge others and give up on them. Jesus didn't give up on the prostitute, the murderer, the criminal, the infected or the possessed. He went to them day after day and loved them. He saved them and through the generations, He has saved more. This world can make you believe there isn't any good but there totally is; His name is Jesus!
I encourage you not to give up on the lost or those that are difficult to love. Be there for them, pray for them but don't think that they are going to change overnight. Believe that God has called you to love them and ask God continually to help you love them the way He does. We only have one chance to get this life right and although we will stumble, I know God can right our paths and make us women that know and love Him. I will never be perfect but I can always seek Christ and through my heart, He can change you and me.
I won't give up on my son or on his basketball team this season either. They may lose every game but I believe that each game they play will help them learn to give God the glory. If everyone gave up on the weak, there would be no reason to preach that Christ is King. As we near next week please keep this important thing in mind, Christ came and was born to save the world and whoever chooses Him will have eternal life. Our bodies begin to die the minute we are born, let's make the most of the time we have and make Him known!
Psalm 1:6 NKJV:
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
John 14:1-4 NKJV:
"Let not your heart be troubles; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know."
My prayer today:
O, Lord, man gives up so easily. They would rather be right than to invest in the brokenness of this world. I don't want to be a person that judges; I want to be a person that loves. And through my love, I want people to see You. Every corner I turn and every street I walk, I want people to know that You love them, that You are there for them and that You never give up. I once walked a lonely path with no end in sight. It was dark and lonely and then You brought someone into my life that gave me hope, took me to an evangelist meeting and fast forward to today; I'm Yours. I write not because it's convenient. I write because You have written women on my heart. I come before You today asking that You will unite our countries and our towns and that women will hear Your call. We must pray for those that are lost and not loved. We must sing to the rooftops that Jesus is Lord. Your time is coming, a time to remember and although we don't know the day or hour, help us to be with You, speaking Your word and loving Your people. I am honored to serve You and my prayer is that millions will come to know You all over the world. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
I'm stumped at what to write this morning. So many things are happening at once. Change is all around us and I'm finding myself saying, "I hope tomorrow is better." I didn't think I was stressed out about anything, of course, I feel for the victims and their families, I feel bad that I will be celebrating Christmas with no parents, and I'm still worried about whether I make good decisions in my own life. If you let your mind spin, it definitely will.
My son came home last night, angry. I'm not sure what exactly he was mad about. It might be the offense his coach put in or it could have been that his mentor told him that he was done with the varsity team. They have lost every game. I think more than likely that's why he was so mad. No one likes to lose especially a 16 year old kid but I am floored at how many men will give up on people because they aren't winning. That's like giving up on Michael Jordan in high school and yet, he went on to be the greatest player in History.
People easily give up. We give up when things are hard or we aren't getting what we want. We forget that God never gives up on us and He has a great number of reasons to let us go. We aren't exactly a perfect people. We constantly make mistakes and need forgiveness at every turn but still, in the wings, He waits and is there to catch us when we fall. The rest of us could take a good lesson from our maker. I can't imagine what the Israelites would have done if God said "I'm sorry no manna or water today." We wouldn't even be talking about them coming home to the promise land. Or what about David? He killed a man for his wife. What if God said, "You have made me angry, I no longer love you." Can you imagine where Israel would be today. I can, it would be part of palestine. But no, our maker comes in, helps us see our faults, we repent and He's right back there helping us get through the next mess we create.
Man is a mess and we consistently let Him down and yet, He says He will always be with us. Of course, repentance is important and asking Him what you need to repent for is even more important but God loves us and He never gives up on us. He loves us so much that He gave His only Son for us. There is a lot of rumors on how you get to heaven, did aliens make the pyramids and so forth. The Bible is clear, no man can enter heaven without first knowing Jesus. He is the only way.
We mess Scripture up a hundred different ways too. We fit it into a box so it looks good for us. Does God promise that there will be no hardship in this life/ No, He tells us that as His followers trials will come but that He will be near. His life was full of trials. He was the greatest man to be born. He had no solid home, was innocent of a crime that hung him on a cross, was beaten and bled so that He would die with the worst criminals of His time. The King of Kings hung on a cross. Why? Because we give up on people, we sin and we needed a Savior. So He gave His Son and watched as His Son said, "Forgive them Father for they no not know what they do." Really? Yes. That's how much love our Father has for us.
It's easy to turn from those that don't do exactly what we think they should. It's even easier to judge others and give up on them. Jesus didn't give up on the prostitute, the murderer, the criminal, the infected or the possessed. He went to them day after day and loved them. He saved them and through the generations, He has saved more. This world can make you believe there isn't any good but there totally is; His name is Jesus!
I encourage you not to give up on the lost or those that are difficult to love. Be there for them, pray for them but don't think that they are going to change overnight. Believe that God has called you to love them and ask God continually to help you love them the way He does. We only have one chance to get this life right and although we will stumble, I know God can right our paths and make us women that know and love Him. I will never be perfect but I can always seek Christ and through my heart, He can change you and me.
I won't give up on my son or on his basketball team this season either. They may lose every game but I believe that each game they play will help them learn to give God the glory. If everyone gave up on the weak, there would be no reason to preach that Christ is King. As we near next week please keep this important thing in mind, Christ came and was born to save the world and whoever chooses Him will have eternal life. Our bodies begin to die the minute we are born, let's make the most of the time we have and make Him known!
Psalm 1:6 NKJV:
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
John 14:1-4 NKJV:
"Let not your heart be troubles; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know."
My prayer today:
O, Lord, man gives up so easily. They would rather be right than to invest in the brokenness of this world. I don't want to be a person that judges; I want to be a person that loves. And through my love, I want people to see You. Every corner I turn and every street I walk, I want people to know that You love them, that You are there for them and that You never give up. I once walked a lonely path with no end in sight. It was dark and lonely and then You brought someone into my life that gave me hope, took me to an evangelist meeting and fast forward to today; I'm Yours. I write not because it's convenient. I write because You have written women on my heart. I come before You today asking that You will unite our countries and our towns and that women will hear Your call. We must pray for those that are lost and not loved. We must sing to the rooftops that Jesus is Lord. Your time is coming, a time to remember and although we don't know the day or hour, help us to be with You, speaking Your word and loving Your people. I am honored to serve You and my prayer is that millions will come to know You all over the world. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
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