Good morning all-
I hope you are well. I have been in a state of finding myself, finding my path and finding God. These last months have held some times of stress,worry and fear. I have fought down panic, provision, worry, anger, and depression. I have lived in the world and not in God. Now, you might be wondering what I mean by living in the world. I'm talking about forgetting the power of the cross, spending to much time whining about things I can't control and losing who I am in Christ.
I never thought I would say this but I'm that Israelite waiting for Moses to come down off the mountain. I am that person who wanted more than the manna He provided. I am that person that believed that what worldly people said and felt about me mattered. I was that person and I didn't like it one bit. It's taken months of prayer, many Scriptures and the power of the Holy Spirit to pull me out. This was not a personal battle it was a spiritual battle for my mind and my heart. Who was going to win? I know I wasn't during the last couple of months. I was full of feelings and my sight was clogged up with the mud of the world and then, through prayer I started to see the unseen. I'm sure about now your thinking I'm crazy but that's exactly what happened.
This week as I have been diving into Scripture, listening to a wonderful minister on the web and praying alone, I found me again. I wasn't wallowing in things I couldn't control; I was giving them to God. He was fighting my battle, going before me, renewing my mind and fixing me. He was with me in my pain and He was present when I finally saw the path before me. I have always wondered why the Israelite's weren't grateful to God for His provision. Unfortunately, I found out. We are all human and when we get caught up in the world, it will catch you, shake you and try to destroy you. That's not God's way and that's not the message of the cross. The message is that we are chosen to be warriors for God. We were put on this earth for a purpose and He will use us if we let Him. I have struggled to regain my confidence, which is really sad because my confidence comes from the Lord! I have struggled with my pride. What does God say about pride? And I have struggled with believing for myself that He will go before me and that His provision is enough.
I'm ashamed and rejoicing all in the same moment, am I crazy? No. I am a warrior for God. I have spent many days in the seen to be awakened by the unseen. I've been carried on the back of Jesus and washed from blindness to light. I can see better today then I've been able to see in months, all because of Jesus. I owe Him my life, my heart and my mind. I might have walked like an Israelite but my heart is a heart that yearns after my Savior. Through the storm, I feared, fought and challenged everything I knew to be true and when it calmed, all I saw was Jesus. The stories in the Bible are about real people, real feelings and real trials. We can say, "That won't happen to me." I beg to differ. When God is calling you, the attacks on your mind will be sharp. The devil can't penetrate the heart, it belongs to Jesus but He is a great deceiver and that's how the Israelite's lost their focus. They lost sight of God.
Fear is not from the Lord! Worry is not from the Lord! Defeat is not from the Lord! Depression is not from the Lord! However, He can use all of it for His glory. The battle was tough and I'm not totally out of the woods yet. I have come to realize that my manna is the Bible and meditation. If I'm not in it, I will be attacked. I must renew my mind, put on my spiritual armor and sing praises to the Lord. I'm praising Him today. I feel as though I've been in the desert and have been taken to the promise land. My path, my purpose and my life is to proclaim the word of God. In the last couple months, every insecurity I have has tried to beat, brake and crush my spirit but God has redeemed me. He has pulled me from the pit and given me eyes to see Him. Do you ever wonder why John had the experience He writes about in revelation? I don't anymore. He was given the revelation because He could see what most couldn't. He was looking with his spiritual eyes. That was his path and now I have mine. I am giving God all the glory.
If you're going through a battle that just doesn't seem to end, then get with someone to pray for you. Take time away from everything and go to your bed and pray. And no matter what, pick up your Bible, get on the web, go to your minister and immurse yourself in the Word of God. I feel like I've died to every insecurity I've ever carried and am free. The power of the cross is real, speak it out loud and the power before you will not be your will but His.
Glory to God in the highest, who was and is and is to come! Thank you Jesus for taking me to all the places I've been in the last weeks and winning me back, hook, line and sinker. Be aware that our feelings will get us in trouble. Looking at only the seen will make you feel fear, frustration, hate, and worry. The signs the Lord is breaking you out are: Hope, Love, Peace, Quiet, and Understanding. That's why He came, that's who He is and that's who we need to bow down to. He's already made His decision, have you?
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:6 NIV
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Monday, July 20, 2015
Glory to God
We must look with our spiritual eyes if we fully want to see Him! Glory to God who was and is to come!
Open our eyes Lord to the majestic wonder of Your word. Renew our minds and spirits to believe that You are God and that you can do immeasurably more than we can see. We believe that Your love bears all things, believes all things and can be spread far and wide. You are holy!
I'm in awe today. Be in the world spreading Your wisdom, Your power and Your glory!
In Jesus Name we pray! Can I have an Amen!
Open our eyes Lord to the majestic wonder of Your word. Renew our minds and spirits to believe that You are God and that you can do immeasurably more than we can see. We believe that Your love bears all things, believes all things and can be spread far and wide. You are holy!
I'm in awe today. Be in the world spreading Your wisdom, Your power and Your glory!
In Jesus Name we pray! Can I have an Amen!
Sunday, July 5, 2015
What's in the unexpected...
Good morning all-
This is my fourth day off and it's been renewing in a way I couldn't imagine. There's something about going out to the country and listening to God's wonderful creatures. I woke up yesterday to every kind of noise imaginable and to be honest it was unexpected. Your probably asking yourself how that could be. Well, most of us run through life, I know I do. The days fly by without even a thought to what God created or why. I get up at 5:30 am and finish the dishes about 9 pm. I sit down for an hour, fall apart and am in bed by 10 pm. I do this every day of my life but this weekend I stayed up until 1 am, woke at 5:30 am and sat for two solid hours watching and listening to every creature stir, sing, crawl or meow. It was wonderful and very unexpected.
I'm one to go until I can't go anymore. It's what keeps me from getting depressed and worrying about tomorrow. I get antsy if I have an hour with nothing to do. I've always been this way and even though I'm getting older, I still am who I am. Yet yesterday morning, I sat and watched as a huge family sleep and the activity around me wasn't people but the sheer joy of being alive. The trees were full of sounds and actions that were so surreal. I found myself hoping for the unexpected.
My personality is such that I have always taken care of everyone else. I am responsible and if I had a wild moment, it wasn't long. I learned from early on that I was going to have to work harder than most and in order to be the best I had to persevere. When my brother and parents died, it was my responsibility to take care of them and my family and I did it. I have always been proud that I was strong and resilient. I knew that God had made me for such a time but I have forgotten a very important lesson, to rest and listen to God's creation. Watching the wind blow, seeing a hummingbird feed, listening to the cows moo as the sun comes up or watching the moon rise above the sunset; these are the things that remind us that God is good and that He is with us. In this life, we know what to expect but we forget to watch for the unexpected.
I thank God for the unexpected. Those hours re-fueled my soul and gave me ideas, desires and a renewed passion for His passion. His creatures are the most important thing to Him. He has waited thousands of years to bring us back to Him and we run so fast, with so much human emotion that we forget to sit and listen to the orchestra He created. If God so loves these little creatures, imagine how much we're loved. I can still worry, have prideful moments and wish the day away but God sees the purpose of my life and yours and He's trying to get us to look for him in the unexpected. Will you join me in asking the Lord our God to show us the unexpected and to rid us of what we believe is true. Our lives are a moment compared to the nurturing He has done over thousands of years. He is waiting for His bride to repent, to cry out to Him and to trust Him. His creatures do. They sing to Him in the morning and they cry out from the fields. They are provided for and there anticipation of dawn is filled with song. What do we anticipate at 5:30, is it work, school, the kids or is it God?
Those few hours reminded me of my purpose. I was to raise my boys and to help them carry on the generations. I am to be a helpmate to my spouse and help him with his business and I am to pursue Christ with unexpected anticipation every day, waiting, watching and loving Him. I started my book yesterday. I'm not sure how it will go but I'm excited about the unexpected moments with Christ. I've missed Him through this trial. He's been silent and I've been faithful to cry out but it's taken a lot of energy to get on this blog. What do you say to encourage people when you find so little to be excited for? That's how every trial is and then there's the moment that you're sitting on a porch watching the life around you sing with such unexpected anticipation for the day ahead and you say, "I see you Lord and know you're near." Look for the unexpected and never settle for what's expected.
Be well my beautiful sisters. I'm praying for you and for the future of the men, women and children who give their lives every day to promote the unexpected.
Jonah 2:2:10 NIV
He said: "In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, "I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple." The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me, seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. "Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, 'Salvation comes from the Lord.' " And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Jesus always left to be alone in the wilderness, do you know why? He needed to see the unexpected. He knew the ending but He also knew He needed His Father to lift Him up, guide Him and love Him until the end. Jesus cried out when His Father did leave Him on the cross because He felt alone but through His sacrifice, none of us will ever be alone. This beautiful prayer from Jonah shows the emotion of a lost man coming to his maker and his maker hearing him. If you feel like life is the same old boring routine and God is barely in it, say a prayer that will renew your heart with Him. We expect to be deflated and defeated so why don't we expect to see Him, now that would be truly unexpected! Be well and let Jesus bring you out of the pit and onto dry land where the creatures of this earth sing to Him! In Christ we live!!!!
This is my fourth day off and it's been renewing in a way I couldn't imagine. There's something about going out to the country and listening to God's wonderful creatures. I woke up yesterday to every kind of noise imaginable and to be honest it was unexpected. Your probably asking yourself how that could be. Well, most of us run through life, I know I do. The days fly by without even a thought to what God created or why. I get up at 5:30 am and finish the dishes about 9 pm. I sit down for an hour, fall apart and am in bed by 10 pm. I do this every day of my life but this weekend I stayed up until 1 am, woke at 5:30 am and sat for two solid hours watching and listening to every creature stir, sing, crawl or meow. It was wonderful and very unexpected.
I'm one to go until I can't go anymore. It's what keeps me from getting depressed and worrying about tomorrow. I get antsy if I have an hour with nothing to do. I've always been this way and even though I'm getting older, I still am who I am. Yet yesterday morning, I sat and watched as a huge family sleep and the activity around me wasn't people but the sheer joy of being alive. The trees were full of sounds and actions that were so surreal. I found myself hoping for the unexpected.
My personality is such that I have always taken care of everyone else. I am responsible and if I had a wild moment, it wasn't long. I learned from early on that I was going to have to work harder than most and in order to be the best I had to persevere. When my brother and parents died, it was my responsibility to take care of them and my family and I did it. I have always been proud that I was strong and resilient. I knew that God had made me for such a time but I have forgotten a very important lesson, to rest and listen to God's creation. Watching the wind blow, seeing a hummingbird feed, listening to the cows moo as the sun comes up or watching the moon rise above the sunset; these are the things that remind us that God is good and that He is with us. In this life, we know what to expect but we forget to watch for the unexpected.
I thank God for the unexpected. Those hours re-fueled my soul and gave me ideas, desires and a renewed passion for His passion. His creatures are the most important thing to Him. He has waited thousands of years to bring us back to Him and we run so fast, with so much human emotion that we forget to sit and listen to the orchestra He created. If God so loves these little creatures, imagine how much we're loved. I can still worry, have prideful moments and wish the day away but God sees the purpose of my life and yours and He's trying to get us to look for him in the unexpected. Will you join me in asking the Lord our God to show us the unexpected and to rid us of what we believe is true. Our lives are a moment compared to the nurturing He has done over thousands of years. He is waiting for His bride to repent, to cry out to Him and to trust Him. His creatures do. They sing to Him in the morning and they cry out from the fields. They are provided for and there anticipation of dawn is filled with song. What do we anticipate at 5:30, is it work, school, the kids or is it God?
Those few hours reminded me of my purpose. I was to raise my boys and to help them carry on the generations. I am to be a helpmate to my spouse and help him with his business and I am to pursue Christ with unexpected anticipation every day, waiting, watching and loving Him. I started my book yesterday. I'm not sure how it will go but I'm excited about the unexpected moments with Christ. I've missed Him through this trial. He's been silent and I've been faithful to cry out but it's taken a lot of energy to get on this blog. What do you say to encourage people when you find so little to be excited for? That's how every trial is and then there's the moment that you're sitting on a porch watching the life around you sing with such unexpected anticipation for the day ahead and you say, "I see you Lord and know you're near." Look for the unexpected and never settle for what's expected.
Be well my beautiful sisters. I'm praying for you and for the future of the men, women and children who give their lives every day to promote the unexpected.
Jonah 2:2:10 NIV
He said: "In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, "I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple." The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me, seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. "Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, 'Salvation comes from the Lord.' " And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Jesus always left to be alone in the wilderness, do you know why? He needed to see the unexpected. He knew the ending but He also knew He needed His Father to lift Him up, guide Him and love Him until the end. Jesus cried out when His Father did leave Him on the cross because He felt alone but through His sacrifice, none of us will ever be alone. This beautiful prayer from Jonah shows the emotion of a lost man coming to his maker and his maker hearing him. If you feel like life is the same old boring routine and God is barely in it, say a prayer that will renew your heart with Him. We expect to be deflated and defeated so why don't we expect to see Him, now that would be truly unexpected! Be well and let Jesus bring you out of the pit and onto dry land where the creatures of this earth sing to Him! In Christ we live!!!!
Friday, July 3, 2015
The Voice of the Martyrs...
Good morning all-
We are approaching the 4th of July where the US celebrates freedom. I have to question if we have any freedoms anymore. We have free speech but we remove hundred year old monuments. We have free commerce but China owns us. We have the right to worship but we choose not to. And finally, we have the right to vote but we choose to neglect it. We have rights just like the Romans did and yet, being a Roman citizen holds no weight today. Will we be like the Roman Empire, casualty to our own stupid pride? Let's be real, we have no power. We are just another country who was founded on Godly principles that has lost all conviction to what we once knew. Our currency is marked with "God We Trust." Do we? I have many doubts on that subject.
Here is what I know for sure; we must turn back to God. Our teenagers are being deceived and so our the adults. We are all skirting issues that will impact our lives and those generations to come. We need to unite and pray. I'm tired of being afraid. I see the warnings just like anyone else. I'm watching radicalism sweep Europe. There are so many defenseless countries. What are we waiting for? Why do we continue to pursue the things of this world over the things of God? Even I have been chastising myself for not buckling down more. I have made excuses about my busy life and my personal trials and still, Jesus listens to me.
Our freedoms in this life have come from provision. There are men and women risking their lives for the Gospel. They sneak into villages and countries just to spread the good news. They risk everything to build a church and to get the word out. People are being blessed because of these unknown soldiers. They are faceless but their hearts beat for Jesus. These men and women care more for the lost soul than their own. People that were once lost are saved due to the dedication and passion of those mighty warriors.
Men, women and children are dying for the Gospel. In 2015, who would have thought that people would be tortured, beheaded and persecuted for believing in Jesus. You can close your eyes to it but it's happening. We may not live in one of those countries now but we are brothers and sisters with these people and we must pray for the workers. The voice of the Martyrs is calling out to all of us and asking us to re-dedicate ourselves to the cross. The cross was not just a despicable torture device. The cross symbolizes the true sacrifice of the Almighty. Paul was not afraid to die and Peter was prepared to die. Why? Because Christ died for them. I often wonder if I'm prepared to die for what I believe. I hope that if I ever face that day; I will say yes to Jesus and no to myself. But for now, I have a choice to lift up those that are sacrificing their lives for the Gospel. I must pray that the hearts of those that don't believe will change and that Jesus will defeat those that hate Him. I must pray that His united body will repent and turn away from our selfish ways and that we will put him first in our hearts and minds. Finally, I must pray that I will lead women to the cross with the passion I have for my own life. These are our defenses. These are our freedoms. We can choose to stay silent or we can shout to the world that Jesus came and died for our sins. It is by His faith alone that He became one with His father.
Love heals all things. Love never ends. I hear these words in my head over and over. These are the words left to us in the Bible. Hate destroys and is a characteristic of the evil one but love never fails. My love for you will remain always and so it was of the disciples. Through their love we now know love, not in the romantic sense but in the commitment sense. God loves us. A rainbow is the symbol of God's covenant to His people. Why then do we turn away? It's time to really buckle down and ask God to help us to remember His words and not the laws of this earth. The Martyrs knew His word and died for it. Please stand with me this 4th of July all over the world and ask the God of Abraham to heal the hearts of those that hate Him. We must stand in love for all people and let God judge. We are not judge and jury. We are His chosen people, scattered among the nations with one voice and one faith in our mighty Savior.
This message is not just for the US. God's message is for every nation and every tongue all over the world. Please ask God to protect His workers and please continue to pray for those that hate all things biblical.
The Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come! He is real; He is power and He is love! Pray this with me my sisters and unite to love the world.
1 Samuel 2:2 NIV
"There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God."
We are approaching the 4th of July where the US celebrates freedom. I have to question if we have any freedoms anymore. We have free speech but we remove hundred year old monuments. We have free commerce but China owns us. We have the right to worship but we choose not to. And finally, we have the right to vote but we choose to neglect it. We have rights just like the Romans did and yet, being a Roman citizen holds no weight today. Will we be like the Roman Empire, casualty to our own stupid pride? Let's be real, we have no power. We are just another country who was founded on Godly principles that has lost all conviction to what we once knew. Our currency is marked with "God We Trust." Do we? I have many doubts on that subject.
Here is what I know for sure; we must turn back to God. Our teenagers are being deceived and so our the adults. We are all skirting issues that will impact our lives and those generations to come. We need to unite and pray. I'm tired of being afraid. I see the warnings just like anyone else. I'm watching radicalism sweep Europe. There are so many defenseless countries. What are we waiting for? Why do we continue to pursue the things of this world over the things of God? Even I have been chastising myself for not buckling down more. I have made excuses about my busy life and my personal trials and still, Jesus listens to me.
Our freedoms in this life have come from provision. There are men and women risking their lives for the Gospel. They sneak into villages and countries just to spread the good news. They risk everything to build a church and to get the word out. People are being blessed because of these unknown soldiers. They are faceless but their hearts beat for Jesus. These men and women care more for the lost soul than their own. People that were once lost are saved due to the dedication and passion of those mighty warriors.
Men, women and children are dying for the Gospel. In 2015, who would have thought that people would be tortured, beheaded and persecuted for believing in Jesus. You can close your eyes to it but it's happening. We may not live in one of those countries now but we are brothers and sisters with these people and we must pray for the workers. The voice of the Martyrs is calling out to all of us and asking us to re-dedicate ourselves to the cross. The cross was not just a despicable torture device. The cross symbolizes the true sacrifice of the Almighty. Paul was not afraid to die and Peter was prepared to die. Why? Because Christ died for them. I often wonder if I'm prepared to die for what I believe. I hope that if I ever face that day; I will say yes to Jesus and no to myself. But for now, I have a choice to lift up those that are sacrificing their lives for the Gospel. I must pray that the hearts of those that don't believe will change and that Jesus will defeat those that hate Him. I must pray that His united body will repent and turn away from our selfish ways and that we will put him first in our hearts and minds. Finally, I must pray that I will lead women to the cross with the passion I have for my own life. These are our defenses. These are our freedoms. We can choose to stay silent or we can shout to the world that Jesus came and died for our sins. It is by His faith alone that He became one with His father.
Love heals all things. Love never ends. I hear these words in my head over and over. These are the words left to us in the Bible. Hate destroys and is a characteristic of the evil one but love never fails. My love for you will remain always and so it was of the disciples. Through their love we now know love, not in the romantic sense but in the commitment sense. God loves us. A rainbow is the symbol of God's covenant to His people. Why then do we turn away? It's time to really buckle down and ask God to help us to remember His words and not the laws of this earth. The Martyrs knew His word and died for it. Please stand with me this 4th of July all over the world and ask the God of Abraham to heal the hearts of those that hate Him. We must stand in love for all people and let God judge. We are not judge and jury. We are His chosen people, scattered among the nations with one voice and one faith in our mighty Savior.
This message is not just for the US. God's message is for every nation and every tongue all over the world. Please ask God to protect His workers and please continue to pray for those that hate all things biblical.
The Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come! He is real; He is power and He is love! Pray this with me my sisters and unite to love the world.
1 Samuel 2:2 NIV
"There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God."
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Persecution..Do you care?
Good afternoon my sisters-
I've been traveling a lot lately, which gives me a ton of time to think. I also look more at the news briefs on twitter late at night. One thing continues to remind me to pray and that's the persecution of the church. Men, women and children are being tortured, beheaded and slaughtered because of hate and a people groups beliefs. Throughout history people groups have suffered from evil, deception and rage. Our world is evil and our world is hope. How can we have both? We must go back to Jesus' life and times and see how hate, deception and evil gave us life and the hope in our futures.
Is our time just like then? Although many still enjoy freedoms, there are those that wish to rob us of our freedoms and of our religious beliefs. Those same people can change. Any hour of the day, Christ can come in and show them their way. Paul was one of those people. He was part of people being killed for being Christians and today, he is the father of the church. What happened? God of course. He stepped in and the rest is history.
In the coming days, Islamic believers will be celebrating a time of fasting and prayer. Let's join them in that journey and pray that hate would cease and that the love of God would impact all our lives. We only have this day to be faithful to our Lord and Savior. One God for all eternity. Please join me in prayer and ask God to change the hearts of men and make them like-minded with Him.
One Voice, One God, One Message! Our path has been defined by sacrifice, surely we can all take a moment a day and ask God to come into the lives that have been deceived. It's our time to carry the torch and to love our neighbor more than ourselves.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, God of Israel, come upon your people and guide them in prayer with one voice. Give us the words to pray for this evil world and for the men and women that are being deceived. Give us the tools and the fortitude to pray for peace on earth and Your will to reign forevermore. Love conquers all, so in the days ahead, I pray that Your mighty love will conquer the hearts of those filled with hurt, anger, and destruction. May we all find peace and understanding under Your wings. I pray that You would protect Your people throughout the world and that our prayers will count for those that can't pray! Hear our cries Lord. In Jesus name, AMEN.
I've been traveling a lot lately, which gives me a ton of time to think. I also look more at the news briefs on twitter late at night. One thing continues to remind me to pray and that's the persecution of the church. Men, women and children are being tortured, beheaded and slaughtered because of hate and a people groups beliefs. Throughout history people groups have suffered from evil, deception and rage. Our world is evil and our world is hope. How can we have both? We must go back to Jesus' life and times and see how hate, deception and evil gave us life and the hope in our futures.
Is our time just like then? Although many still enjoy freedoms, there are those that wish to rob us of our freedoms and of our religious beliefs. Those same people can change. Any hour of the day, Christ can come in and show them their way. Paul was one of those people. He was part of people being killed for being Christians and today, he is the father of the church. What happened? God of course. He stepped in and the rest is history.
In the coming days, Islamic believers will be celebrating a time of fasting and prayer. Let's join them in that journey and pray that hate would cease and that the love of God would impact all our lives. We only have this day to be faithful to our Lord and Savior. One God for all eternity. Please join me in prayer and ask God to change the hearts of men and make them like-minded with Him.
One Voice, One God, One Message! Our path has been defined by sacrifice, surely we can all take a moment a day and ask God to come into the lives that have been deceived. It's our time to carry the torch and to love our neighbor more than ourselves.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, God of Israel, come upon your people and guide them in prayer with one voice. Give us the words to pray for this evil world and for the men and women that are being deceived. Give us the tools and the fortitude to pray for peace on earth and Your will to reign forevermore. Love conquers all, so in the days ahead, I pray that Your mighty love will conquer the hearts of those filled with hurt, anger, and destruction. May we all find peace and understanding under Your wings. I pray that You would protect Your people throughout the world and that our prayers will count for those that can't pray! Hear our cries Lord. In Jesus name, AMEN.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
There's no where to go but up...
Good morning all-
Well little did I know my life was about to turn upside down this week. I was in Vegas when I got a call no parent ever wants to receive. I won't go into the details but you can only imagine. I felt fright, desperation and anger all in one moment. How could this have happened and what do I do now? After four panicked phone calls and almost throwing up, I got control of my emotions and began to pray. It's really the only thing I know to do in a stressful situation. The strange thing is I had just tweeted the day before, "When everything around you seems bigger than you can handle, that's when you must trust in Christ!" Little did I know how much I would need to hear those words myself.
So for the last couple of days, I have woke up in prayer and have gone to bed in prayer. I prayed 30,000 feet in the sky and I have prayed while driving. I really haven't stopped praying. My world got rocked this week and I guess I could have done the blame game on myself but what I realized is that sometimes God has to wake up those that are not listening. My hope is that's exactly what happened. Only time will tell but I'm not going to stop praying.
The details aren't necessary in this post but the situation is very serious. It's going to take a miracle and I'm going to sit back, pray and find peace in my God's arms. I'm going to pray like no tomorrow and I hope you will join me in prayer too. I have my journey and this is just part of the many challenges in life. Please join me in praying for our teens. They are being swayed by all the evil forces on this earth. Boys and girls are being desensitized to drugs, sex and other more enticing things than Christ. These same boys and girls can be great leaders for God but we must put our prayer warrior hats on and pray for them. We must never forget that it's the children that are the next generation of mothers and fathers and it's with our prayer that we will be able to fight evil. Join with me in this prayer for the youth of the world.
O, Lord, Jesus, we come to You as one throughout the world. We call upon You and all Your warrior angels to surround the young men and women of the world. We ask that You will turn them from the dark and that You will light their path to You. We call on You to right the wrongs of this world and to give us strength to pray for the youth of this generation. They are fighting against such tremendous pressure and the only one that can save them is You. We know that they are Your children and that You are their Father. Come to them now, wherever they live and guide them to You. My heart breaks for these kids and I know Yours does too. Unite women all over the world to pray like they have never prayed before. I believe that these children are being called one by one to You and that You see this lost and confused generation. Help all of us to put on the full armor of God and cry out to You on behalf of all the children that are being tempted and deceived. We believe in miracles and we believe in the power of prayer. We know You have raised some from the dead, delivered others from drugs and turned lives around that seemed hopeless. Infuse hope into these young people and make them messengers for You. I stand now with my sisters and ask You to cover our children with Your crown of thorns and the wounds from the nails that were in Your hand's and feet. Nothing is too large for You. Please soften the hearts of our teens and help them run to Your light. I pray this in Jesus name, AMEN!
Well little did I know my life was about to turn upside down this week. I was in Vegas when I got a call no parent ever wants to receive. I won't go into the details but you can only imagine. I felt fright, desperation and anger all in one moment. How could this have happened and what do I do now? After four panicked phone calls and almost throwing up, I got control of my emotions and began to pray. It's really the only thing I know to do in a stressful situation. The strange thing is I had just tweeted the day before, "When everything around you seems bigger than you can handle, that's when you must trust in Christ!" Little did I know how much I would need to hear those words myself.
So for the last couple of days, I have woke up in prayer and have gone to bed in prayer. I prayed 30,000 feet in the sky and I have prayed while driving. I really haven't stopped praying. My world got rocked this week and I guess I could have done the blame game on myself but what I realized is that sometimes God has to wake up those that are not listening. My hope is that's exactly what happened. Only time will tell but I'm not going to stop praying.
The details aren't necessary in this post but the situation is very serious. It's going to take a miracle and I'm going to sit back, pray and find peace in my God's arms. I'm going to pray like no tomorrow and I hope you will join me in prayer too. I have my journey and this is just part of the many challenges in life. Please join me in praying for our teens. They are being swayed by all the evil forces on this earth. Boys and girls are being desensitized to drugs, sex and other more enticing things than Christ. These same boys and girls can be great leaders for God but we must put our prayer warrior hats on and pray for them. We must never forget that it's the children that are the next generation of mothers and fathers and it's with our prayer that we will be able to fight evil. Join with me in this prayer for the youth of the world.
O, Lord, Jesus, we come to You as one throughout the world. We call upon You and all Your warrior angels to surround the young men and women of the world. We ask that You will turn them from the dark and that You will light their path to You. We call on You to right the wrongs of this world and to give us strength to pray for the youth of this generation. They are fighting against such tremendous pressure and the only one that can save them is You. We know that they are Your children and that You are their Father. Come to them now, wherever they live and guide them to You. My heart breaks for these kids and I know Yours does too. Unite women all over the world to pray like they have never prayed before. I believe that these children are being called one by one to You and that You see this lost and confused generation. Help all of us to put on the full armor of God and cry out to You on behalf of all the children that are being tempted and deceived. We believe in miracles and we believe in the power of prayer. We know You have raised some from the dead, delivered others from drugs and turned lives around that seemed hopeless. Infuse hope into these young people and make them messengers for You. I stand now with my sisters and ask You to cover our children with Your crown of thorns and the wounds from the nails that were in Your hand's and feet. Nothing is too large for You. Please soften the hearts of our teens and help them run to Your light. I pray this in Jesus name, AMEN!
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Having our eyes on God...
Good morning all-
Have you ever noticed what screwed up people were in the Bible? I think about that a lot. Look at all the men that God made His men and they fell one after another, only to be picked up by God. To start the list there is Adam, fast forward and we have Moses, King David, to top it off we have Timothy, Peter and Paul. Wow! Each one of these men were mighty in their own right. The world would have seen them as conquerors, trailblazers and powerful. What happened? We come to find out they are human, they have flaws and they need a God of mercy and strength. Fast forward to today, men all over the world are being deceived by their own temptations. Women are too so I don't want to leave us out. But our men are the leaders of families, they are the leaders of hate, they are the leaders of power. And between all of those men are the men that are down on their knees praying for all the other men in the world because they know that nothing comes to them by their own power.
Having our eyes on God is a daily struggle. We toss and turn in our beds because we worry, we wonder and we try to guess the future, which by the way, none of us gets right. We have faith for our friends but then we turn around and doubt for ourselves. We begin to believe we have control when we have none and then the worst, we try to be God. We put games, books, chores, work, and even our kids before God. We work to worry and then we worry some more. We all must unite and learn from what some call characters of the Bible. They were real men and women facing the same things we face now. Most of the men in the Bible started in humble beginnings and then were made to take on the journey that would get them into the History books. They were ordinary people with ordinary lives just like us and then one day, God spoke to their hearts and things changed. God is so much more than even I can imagine and I have a great imagination. I sometimes think of Him when I'm flying. I wonder what the choirs of the heavens look like. I wonder what beauty the little children see when they get there. I wonder if the streets are really gold or are they just the most brilliant sparkle. Mostly, I wonder what it's like to sit at the feet of our Savior. When I really get stressed out from the worries of this world, I like to crawl in my bed and close my eyes and just imagine for a moment I'm in heaven at the foot of Jesus. It only lasts for a moment but that moment gives me courage to wake up the next day and fight the battle before me.
I have done much wrong in my life. I have let people down, walked away from what I believed in and worried to the point that I can see signs of that worry in my health. On the flip side, I have grown stronger in the lord day to day. I have overcome obstacles by His grace. I have witnessed miracles in peoples lives an through prayer, I have seen the impossible become possible. I, like Ann Graham Lotz have been hearing God's call to the women and men of this earth, not just in the US. All the terrorist groups in the world don't match to our God's anger. Luckily for us, He is merciful and patient and not like the rest of us that want instant satisfaction and correction. He is mighty and He deserves our time and when we don't give Him that, we should repent. He is a jealous God and He should be. He does all things great and small in our lives. He has provided every need and all He asks is for us to read His word and pray. You would think that it would be that hard but in this day with so many distractions, it is.
So my call to you today is to allow yourself the time to close your eyes and focus on our Lord and Savior. In the end as we close our eyes for the last time it won't be about the worries of tomorrow, it will be about the glory of our God and Father. There are no words to express what that day will be like but I know one thing, there will come a day just like that. I hope when it does, we can say together, that we united not just for the US but for every nation and that we took the challenge and we trudged deeper into ourselves to prepare the desert highway for the Lord.
Have you ever noticed what screwed up people were in the Bible? I think about that a lot. Look at all the men that God made His men and they fell one after another, only to be picked up by God. To start the list there is Adam, fast forward and we have Moses, King David, to top it off we have Timothy, Peter and Paul. Wow! Each one of these men were mighty in their own right. The world would have seen them as conquerors, trailblazers and powerful. What happened? We come to find out they are human, they have flaws and they need a God of mercy and strength. Fast forward to today, men all over the world are being deceived by their own temptations. Women are too so I don't want to leave us out. But our men are the leaders of families, they are the leaders of hate, they are the leaders of power. And between all of those men are the men that are down on their knees praying for all the other men in the world because they know that nothing comes to them by their own power.
Having our eyes on God is a daily struggle. We toss and turn in our beds because we worry, we wonder and we try to guess the future, which by the way, none of us gets right. We have faith for our friends but then we turn around and doubt for ourselves. We begin to believe we have control when we have none and then the worst, we try to be God. We put games, books, chores, work, and even our kids before God. We work to worry and then we worry some more. We all must unite and learn from what some call characters of the Bible. They were real men and women facing the same things we face now. Most of the men in the Bible started in humble beginnings and then were made to take on the journey that would get them into the History books. They were ordinary people with ordinary lives just like us and then one day, God spoke to their hearts and things changed. God is so much more than even I can imagine and I have a great imagination. I sometimes think of Him when I'm flying. I wonder what the choirs of the heavens look like. I wonder what beauty the little children see when they get there. I wonder if the streets are really gold or are they just the most brilliant sparkle. Mostly, I wonder what it's like to sit at the feet of our Savior. When I really get stressed out from the worries of this world, I like to crawl in my bed and close my eyes and just imagine for a moment I'm in heaven at the foot of Jesus. It only lasts for a moment but that moment gives me courage to wake up the next day and fight the battle before me.
I have done much wrong in my life. I have let people down, walked away from what I believed in and worried to the point that I can see signs of that worry in my health. On the flip side, I have grown stronger in the lord day to day. I have overcome obstacles by His grace. I have witnessed miracles in peoples lives an through prayer, I have seen the impossible become possible. I, like Ann Graham Lotz have been hearing God's call to the women and men of this earth, not just in the US. All the terrorist groups in the world don't match to our God's anger. Luckily for us, He is merciful and patient and not like the rest of us that want instant satisfaction and correction. He is mighty and He deserves our time and when we don't give Him that, we should repent. He is a jealous God and He should be. He does all things great and small in our lives. He has provided every need and all He asks is for us to read His word and pray. You would think that it would be that hard but in this day with so many distractions, it is.
So my call to you today is to allow yourself the time to close your eyes and focus on our Lord and Savior. In the end as we close our eyes for the last time it won't be about the worries of tomorrow, it will be about the glory of our God and Father. There are no words to express what that day will be like but I know one thing, there will come a day just like that. I hope when it does, we can say together, that we united not just for the US but for every nation and that we took the challenge and we trudged deeper into ourselves to prepare the desert highway for the Lord.
Quiet time...the search for Christ
Good afternoon all-
I'm sure you've noticed my radio silence. I have gone through a trial that left me depleted and more aware of my need for Christ. You might think that it's personal but it actually hit me in my professional life. I won't go into all the details but I have learned many lessons. The most important was to remember my worth, through Christ and what I'm meant to do on earth.
It's sort of funny because I have this vision in my mind of what God wants me to do but as the time came closer to me jumping out of the boat; I felt like staying inside, hunkering down and not letting go of the rail. Why? Because I didn't get concrete confirmation that my vision is His vision. I needed more time, more knowledge and more passion. Where was it going to come from? I had no idea, so I stopped writing and withdrew. Not a very wise decision on my part but then again, maybe it was.
I found myself last week at my table with my head down. It was 6:00 am and all I could do was confess my sin, give it to God and change my very bad attitude. It's easy to trust God when everything is coming your way. It's so much harder when the world seems against you and your fighting yourself more then anything.
I gave up a lot that day. Mostly, I gave up my pride, my situation and my selfishness. I began to concentrate on helping my husband with his business, spent time with my kids and just forgot about work and all the things that go with it. And then, I began to think about Christ more. That's the best part of it. He came into focus and I died to myself.
The sermon on Friday cinched my resolve. In Matthew, Jesus wanted to walk away from everyone after His cousin died but instead, He ministered to 5000 people. We want to run from our responsibilities but we need to run toward them. I normally do, but one thing always holds me back and that's the potential to fail. Failure is not an option, it definitely wasn't for Jesus so it can't be for me either. I apologize for my time away and with much prayer; I hope to continue this blog for a long time. I also hope that this vision of speaking to women everywhere will come true and that my time away has revitalized my pursuit for His will on my life. I don't have a publisher or a million people hitting this blog but I do have a God that is so much bigger than me. I need to trust in Him always and work toward dying to myself. At the end of me is Christ. I count on that and I count on the fact that although I took time off, He will bring me back every time.
May God be with you my sisters and may you hear Him calling to each of you. Our talents are His, Our lives are His but our attitudes, drive and passion are our own. May God fuel the fire hot in our hearts and remind us to live in faith not in fear. Thanks for following and have a great day!
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV)
I'm sure you've noticed my radio silence. I have gone through a trial that left me depleted and more aware of my need for Christ. You might think that it's personal but it actually hit me in my professional life. I won't go into all the details but I have learned many lessons. The most important was to remember my worth, through Christ and what I'm meant to do on earth.
It's sort of funny because I have this vision in my mind of what God wants me to do but as the time came closer to me jumping out of the boat; I felt like staying inside, hunkering down and not letting go of the rail. Why? Because I didn't get concrete confirmation that my vision is His vision. I needed more time, more knowledge and more passion. Where was it going to come from? I had no idea, so I stopped writing and withdrew. Not a very wise decision on my part but then again, maybe it was.
I found myself last week at my table with my head down. It was 6:00 am and all I could do was confess my sin, give it to God and change my very bad attitude. It's easy to trust God when everything is coming your way. It's so much harder when the world seems against you and your fighting yourself more then anything.
I gave up a lot that day. Mostly, I gave up my pride, my situation and my selfishness. I began to concentrate on helping my husband with his business, spent time with my kids and just forgot about work and all the things that go with it. And then, I began to think about Christ more. That's the best part of it. He came into focus and I died to myself.
The sermon on Friday cinched my resolve. In Matthew, Jesus wanted to walk away from everyone after His cousin died but instead, He ministered to 5000 people. We want to run from our responsibilities but we need to run toward them. I normally do, but one thing always holds me back and that's the potential to fail. Failure is not an option, it definitely wasn't for Jesus so it can't be for me either. I apologize for my time away and with much prayer; I hope to continue this blog for a long time. I also hope that this vision of speaking to women everywhere will come true and that my time away has revitalized my pursuit for His will on my life. I don't have a publisher or a million people hitting this blog but I do have a God that is so much bigger than me. I need to trust in Him always and work toward dying to myself. At the end of me is Christ. I count on that and I count on the fact that although I took time off, He will bring me back every time.
May God be with you my sisters and may you hear Him calling to each of you. Our talents are His, Our lives are His but our attitudes, drive and passion are our own. May God fuel the fire hot in our hearts and remind us to live in faith not in fear. Thanks for following and have a great day!
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV)
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Close your eyes and see the power of God...
Good morning all-
I woke up at 4:30 with tons on my mind but my very first thought was to pray. What am I praying about? My son and his future wife, my other son and my husband. I'm praying for the parents that lost their marine son in Katmandu while trying to help starving and homeless people. I'm praying that the world will see our God in all His glory. Those are just some of my prayers. With all of that, there is just one common denominator, Jesus Christ.
Why did God let His son die in such a violent way? Why did His disciples, men that walked with Him, die for Him? Why when we are scared, hurt or afraid, do we go to Him and why do we need Him? I'm sure you have asked yourself these questions a million times and my answer, "We need Him!" We need Him in every way. He was the only messenger that ever delivered the power of God and He took the cross for it.
So as I woke this morning, I closed my eyes and imagined the power of our Lord and Savior. People don't believe and horrible things are happening around the world and we just look at it and for a second feel bad, sad and hopeless. And then, of course, our day begins and all of that thoughtfulness is washed with a blink of our eye. There are other things to worry about, like feeding your family, taking care of your husband, children or friends. We live in a world where life flies by and we forget to do the one thing we were called to do, worship our mighty God.
Lately, life has been full of momentous changes. My oldest son is getting married in just two weeks and I feel lost already. He was my calm in every storm, my companion and over the last year we have become friends. It's wonderful to see them grow up but in the same moment, so very painful. You realize that you can't keep them from falling, pick them up when they are down or just sit with them in the quiet. Your talks will be with someone else in the room and your moments of laughing will only be heard occassionally, when he comes to visit. Life changes and the road and path is rocky for every one of us. We must have something that reminds us that with every curve there is a blessing on the other side.
So this morning, I closed my eyes and was reminded of God's true power. It's in every word He spoke and in every person He touched. Mostly, it's in the cross where He sacrificed Himself for us. His cousin knew he was the messenger before the Messiah. He was preparing the way to the One that mattered the most. He knew that His mission was to spread the Word and look for Him and then one day, when Jesus was ready, He came to be baptized and no longer was John His messenger because the Messiah had come to teach the world.
Precious is every morning when God comes first. Precious are the souls that He brings near. Precious is our time in prayer where we can see His power. Precious is knowing and loving Him. Sometimes I think I may be a messenger. I'm just an average person with a love for God that I have carried since I was little. I can remember being five and asking Him to help me. I can remember being scared in the dark and asking Him to help me and I am presently asking Him to give my son courage to be a good husband and someday father. I am trusting that the man I have raised will do his duty and that He will be God's hands in this unruly world. I also am praying that my youngest son would truly find Him and know Him the way I do. And if that's not enough, I'm praying for you too. I believe the words that He spoke to His children so many years ago and when I close my eyes I see His power and majesty. The world may believe that it has all the power but there is only one with the power of the cross and that's Jesus.
May the God of my heart come down and rain on His children. May the Holy Spirit be cast far and wide like the great oceans. May the lost come to the cross with abandonment and may we all make way for our Lord and Savior.
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:3-5 NIV)
Be well today and know that God is near. Pray for someone that needs to be encouraged, uplifted or just needs our Savior.
I leave you with Isaiah 40:3-
I woke up at 4:30 with tons on my mind but my very first thought was to pray. What am I praying about? My son and his future wife, my other son and my husband. I'm praying for the parents that lost their marine son in Katmandu while trying to help starving and homeless people. I'm praying that the world will see our God in all His glory. Those are just some of my prayers. With all of that, there is just one common denominator, Jesus Christ.
Why did God let His son die in such a violent way? Why did His disciples, men that walked with Him, die for Him? Why when we are scared, hurt or afraid, do we go to Him and why do we need Him? I'm sure you have asked yourself these questions a million times and my answer, "We need Him!" We need Him in every way. He was the only messenger that ever delivered the power of God and He took the cross for it.
So as I woke this morning, I closed my eyes and imagined the power of our Lord and Savior. People don't believe and horrible things are happening around the world and we just look at it and for a second feel bad, sad and hopeless. And then, of course, our day begins and all of that thoughtfulness is washed with a blink of our eye. There are other things to worry about, like feeding your family, taking care of your husband, children or friends. We live in a world where life flies by and we forget to do the one thing we were called to do, worship our mighty God.
Lately, life has been full of momentous changes. My oldest son is getting married in just two weeks and I feel lost already. He was my calm in every storm, my companion and over the last year we have become friends. It's wonderful to see them grow up but in the same moment, so very painful. You realize that you can't keep them from falling, pick them up when they are down or just sit with them in the quiet. Your talks will be with someone else in the room and your moments of laughing will only be heard occassionally, when he comes to visit. Life changes and the road and path is rocky for every one of us. We must have something that reminds us that with every curve there is a blessing on the other side.
So this morning, I closed my eyes and was reminded of God's true power. It's in every word He spoke and in every person He touched. Mostly, it's in the cross where He sacrificed Himself for us. His cousin knew he was the messenger before the Messiah. He was preparing the way to the One that mattered the most. He knew that His mission was to spread the Word and look for Him and then one day, when Jesus was ready, He came to be baptized and no longer was John His messenger because the Messiah had come to teach the world.
Precious is every morning when God comes first. Precious are the souls that He brings near. Precious is our time in prayer where we can see His power. Precious is knowing and loving Him. Sometimes I think I may be a messenger. I'm just an average person with a love for God that I have carried since I was little. I can remember being five and asking Him to help me. I can remember being scared in the dark and asking Him to help me and I am presently asking Him to give my son courage to be a good husband and someday father. I am trusting that the man I have raised will do his duty and that He will be God's hands in this unruly world. I also am praying that my youngest son would truly find Him and know Him the way I do. And if that's not enough, I'm praying for you too. I believe the words that He spoke to His children so many years ago and when I close my eyes I see His power and majesty. The world may believe that it has all the power but there is only one with the power of the cross and that's Jesus.
May the God of my heart come down and rain on His children. May the Holy Spirit be cast far and wide like the great oceans. May the lost come to the cross with abandonment and may we all make way for our Lord and Savior.
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:3-5 NIV)
Be well today and know that God is near. Pray for someone that needs to be encouraged, uplifted or just needs our Savior.
I leave you with Isaiah 40:3-
Sunday, May 10, 2015
To Mother's around the world....
Good morning all-
I'll keep this message brief today. I just wanted to depart something my mother said over and over that has been continued on even so many years after her death. She always left with, "I love you more!" Not everyone in this world gets to hear those words, which really is a shame. There are mothers that aren't great, they love themselves more than the children they created and even some to death. Today is not a day to judge but a day to encourage you to reach out to the motherless. There are children all over the world that need to know they are loved. A hug, a gift, a smile can mean so much to someone that doesn't have a mother or does, but they weren't very good.
Today, we celebrate Mother's Day and with that we must thank God for every good mother on this earth. You know the one. The woman that would throw her baby in a trash can trying to save them, or maybe lay on them during a tornado. It's the woman that would give her own life for her child. And then, there's the woman that teaches her children to love the Lord our God with all their hearts. These are the women we celebrate and that we pray for daily. We pray that women would be encouraged to be the mother God intended. He left us with Mary who loved unto death and showed how love could fill all voids.
Around the world, children are dying, women are hurting and love is lost through war, poverty and nature. We must stand together on Mother's Day and ask our Lord to heal the hurt and honor those that are honoring Him. May we find favor in our Savior's arms. I love you ladies and my prayer today is that God will help us build an army that loves the generations so that we leave a legacy of love. Happy Mother's Day!
I'll keep this message brief today. I just wanted to depart something my mother said over and over that has been continued on even so many years after her death. She always left with, "I love you more!" Not everyone in this world gets to hear those words, which really is a shame. There are mothers that aren't great, they love themselves more than the children they created and even some to death. Today is not a day to judge but a day to encourage you to reach out to the motherless. There are children all over the world that need to know they are loved. A hug, a gift, a smile can mean so much to someone that doesn't have a mother or does, but they weren't very good.
Today, we celebrate Mother's Day and with that we must thank God for every good mother on this earth. You know the one. The woman that would throw her baby in a trash can trying to save them, or maybe lay on them during a tornado. It's the woman that would give her own life for her child. And then, there's the woman that teaches her children to love the Lord our God with all their hearts. These are the women we celebrate and that we pray for daily. We pray that women would be encouraged to be the mother God intended. He left us with Mary who loved unto death and showed how love could fill all voids.
Around the world, children are dying, women are hurting and love is lost through war, poverty and nature. We must stand together on Mother's Day and ask our Lord to heal the hurt and honor those that are honoring Him. May we find favor in our Savior's arms. I love you ladies and my prayer today is that God will help us build an army that loves the generations so that we leave a legacy of love. Happy Mother's Day!
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Facing the giants in my life...
Good morning all-
Oh how beautiful God has made today. After three days of no sleep, I slept like the dead. You know what I'm talking about, peaceful sleep provided only by my Savior. I am blessed! Today, I want to talk about facing our giants. I just listened to James McDonald on his message of God's "eternality." We don't know everything about God. If you get a chance it's on: youtube/jorZVfisw-w and it was beautiful. He talked about Moses, Miriam, and Aaron and the promise land. Mighty are His workers but we still sin, have regrets and yes, make peace with our God.
If you've been reading my blog, you know that I have faced some giants in the last week. I spoke truth and it came back to bite me. I knew it when I did it because the person I did it to is powerful and has the ability to crush me, which he did. So much so, that I lost confidence in who I am and what my purpose is. Through prayer and a God that loves me, I found myself again at 7:15 am yesterday. I found courage, a fighting spirit and a direction only Christ could give. He painted the picture of Paul in my mind and his journey. Paul had regrets because of the moments he spent crucifying the people group he would eventually help to save. He killed people, that he would later lead to Christ and he died for Christ because of the power he experienced here on earth.
That picture was so clear that now I know the true path I am to take. I am God's woman. I have been chosen for this time, not to be liked, adored and lifted up. I have been chosen to lead women all over the world to know Him, to follow Him and to lead their families to His cross. That is a huge giant! Ask me how I'm going to do it, I have no idea. Ask me if I think I'm talented enough to do it, probably not. Ask me if I'm brave enough, strong enough, un-selfish enough, faithful enough and my answer: doubtful but I'm willing to give it all I have.
He has been preparing me for my time. See I care so much about what you think. I care about what my neighbor thinks, my co-workers, my family but in God's mission field there is only one thing I can care about and that's the cross. For years, I have walked with the Lord and I have made grave mistakes. I said all the things young women are thinking today including that, "The Bible was written in a different time, therefore, some of the things it says don't apply today." Wrong. Every word of the Bible is meant for our journey today. Aren't are men being killed for crazy leaders? Doesn't ISIS believe that Christians should be desecrated? Don't people believe that our beliefs are old school and don't exist in this world? And finally, aren't children turning on their parents with disrespect and hate. That's what the world believes but we must believe that the words that were written thousands of years ago stand today. Can anyone dispute the fact that if we lived like the Ten Commandments, we wouldn't be doing all the wrong things? Can anyone dispute if we love our neighbor greater than ourselves, the world wouldn't be a better place? Can anyone dispute if we keep ourselves pure for our spouses our lives wouldn't be filled with less pain, regret and shame? Can anyone dispute that forgiveness heals? I can't.
I have made mistakes believe me. I have walked in the path of sin, walked away from Christ and chosen to live my way. I have kept my mouth shut when I should have spoken truth and I have walked away from my giants to save myself. No longer. I must walk in the face of adversity with a sure foot and a path etched in my heart. I must believe that Jesus can do anything He wants to do. He can even use a weak person who loves to be loved and use her to bring change into thousands of women's lives. I don't know how but I know He will and I'm holding on to that. There isn't one single thing in my life that matters more than seeing His chosen brought to the cross. God is calling women all over the world to be faithful and to spread the gospel. We are in a confused generation where young women believe the wrong things. They are dominant, forthright and really confused. We live in a generation that has forgotten the power of Jesus Christ. Some may say, what is she talking about? Others may say, it's easy to sit behind a computer and write. I say to them, it takes more to write than any other thing I could do because I'm exposing my thoughts, failures and faith moments. If you read this blog, you have a very good picture of who I am as a person and as a woman. I have failed, I have succeeded, and I have walked away from God. I know what it is to rest in His arms after being unfaithful. God is my Father and He is yours. Let's face our giants and walk toward the path He has set for each one of His!
Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old. Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.” Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear. Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.” David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.” When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!” David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:8-47 NIV)
I am not going to bold this today because it is very long but read the words of a young boy and see how his faith brought down a giant. Don't you think Christ can do the same for all of us. Be well and know He is God!
Oh how beautiful God has made today. After three days of no sleep, I slept like the dead. You know what I'm talking about, peaceful sleep provided only by my Savior. I am blessed! Today, I want to talk about facing our giants. I just listened to James McDonald on his message of God's "eternality." We don't know everything about God. If you get a chance it's on: youtube/jorZVfisw-w and it was beautiful. He talked about Moses, Miriam, and Aaron and the promise land. Mighty are His workers but we still sin, have regrets and yes, make peace with our God.
If you've been reading my blog, you know that I have faced some giants in the last week. I spoke truth and it came back to bite me. I knew it when I did it because the person I did it to is powerful and has the ability to crush me, which he did. So much so, that I lost confidence in who I am and what my purpose is. Through prayer and a God that loves me, I found myself again at 7:15 am yesterday. I found courage, a fighting spirit and a direction only Christ could give. He painted the picture of Paul in my mind and his journey. Paul had regrets because of the moments he spent crucifying the people group he would eventually help to save. He killed people, that he would later lead to Christ and he died for Christ because of the power he experienced here on earth.
That picture was so clear that now I know the true path I am to take. I am God's woman. I have been chosen for this time, not to be liked, adored and lifted up. I have been chosen to lead women all over the world to know Him, to follow Him and to lead their families to His cross. That is a huge giant! Ask me how I'm going to do it, I have no idea. Ask me if I think I'm talented enough to do it, probably not. Ask me if I'm brave enough, strong enough, un-selfish enough, faithful enough and my answer: doubtful but I'm willing to give it all I have.
He has been preparing me for my time. See I care so much about what you think. I care about what my neighbor thinks, my co-workers, my family but in God's mission field there is only one thing I can care about and that's the cross. For years, I have walked with the Lord and I have made grave mistakes. I said all the things young women are thinking today including that, "The Bible was written in a different time, therefore, some of the things it says don't apply today." Wrong. Every word of the Bible is meant for our journey today. Aren't are men being killed for crazy leaders? Doesn't ISIS believe that Christians should be desecrated? Don't people believe that our beliefs are old school and don't exist in this world? And finally, aren't children turning on their parents with disrespect and hate. That's what the world believes but we must believe that the words that were written thousands of years ago stand today. Can anyone dispute the fact that if we lived like the Ten Commandments, we wouldn't be doing all the wrong things? Can anyone dispute if we love our neighbor greater than ourselves, the world wouldn't be a better place? Can anyone dispute if we keep ourselves pure for our spouses our lives wouldn't be filled with less pain, regret and shame? Can anyone dispute that forgiveness heals? I can't.
I have made mistakes believe me. I have walked in the path of sin, walked away from Christ and chosen to live my way. I have kept my mouth shut when I should have spoken truth and I have walked away from my giants to save myself. No longer. I must walk in the face of adversity with a sure foot and a path etched in my heart. I must believe that Jesus can do anything He wants to do. He can even use a weak person who loves to be loved and use her to bring change into thousands of women's lives. I don't know how but I know He will and I'm holding on to that. There isn't one single thing in my life that matters more than seeing His chosen brought to the cross. God is calling women all over the world to be faithful and to spread the gospel. We are in a confused generation where young women believe the wrong things. They are dominant, forthright and really confused. We live in a generation that has forgotten the power of Jesus Christ. Some may say, what is she talking about? Others may say, it's easy to sit behind a computer and write. I say to them, it takes more to write than any other thing I could do because I'm exposing my thoughts, failures and faith moments. If you read this blog, you have a very good picture of who I am as a person and as a woman. I have failed, I have succeeded, and I have walked away from God. I know what it is to rest in His arms after being unfaithful. God is my Father and He is yours. Let's face our giants and walk toward the path He has set for each one of His!
Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was very old. Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.” Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear. Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.” David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.” When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!” David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:8-47 NIV)
I am not going to bold this today because it is very long but read the words of a young boy and see how his faith brought down a giant. Don't you think Christ can do the same for all of us. Be well and know He is God!
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Troubled waters...
Good morning all-
Have you ever wondered how Paul forgave himself and how he forged ahead to bring people to Jesus? Recently, I made a very bad judgement call and it has bitten me harder than I can say. I was right in protecting the weak and trying to get someone to see the truth but that doesn't matter. Now, I'm facing my consequences with regret and worry. I haven't been able to sleep for several nights, even though I've tried to give it to God. Scripture has flooded my mind. God is so mighty even when we are being so very stupid. I am in awe that He could even get through my obsessive, worried thoughts and yet, He has. I asked Him to go before me and I pray that He will because I have just set into motion something I can't go back on. Luckily, I really thought about it this time.
Paul believed he was right when he was killing the Christians until the day He was struck blind by Jesus. I doubt one person could have told him he was wrong. He even held the robes of those that killed Stephen. He was a man on a mission and right, meant death for religious reasons. But on that road, he was blinded and then a light revealed to him the power of Jesus and all at once, what was right was wrong. His destiny was set, he would become a great man for God but I can't even imagine the shame he felt.
I live by conviction, even in troubled waters. When I believe I'm right, I don't back down but today; I'm choosing to back down because I know that God will go before me, all I need is time. I think that's how Paul got through his troubled waters. I'm sure he felt remorse but his mission was so much greater, so he forged ahead and proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ.
My journey is just beginning. I believe I've been given a true path and I need to follow it. I have been released to follow it and I'm going to do just that. The waters are troubled for sure and yet, my God is stronger than the sun, wind and rain combined. I will trust in Him and He will help lighten my burden. I can't go back and either could Paul but we can forgive ourselves and move forward. I worship a God that forgives. I worship a God that takes bad things and makes them gold and I worship a God that loves His people, even when they have muddied the waters. Oh, how I hate troubled waters. Then again, I love them because if change is to occur, only God can change it. I'm hurt, I'm worried, I'm sad, I'm mad, I'm broken, I'm loved, I'm His! Paul went on to build the church. Through his troubled waters, he left a legacy. He believed that Jesus was who He said He was and gave His life for that very cause. His shame humbled Him to the very cross he denied. And when all was said and done, we all reap the benefits of the day he was blinded and the Son was revealed.
I, for one, will live with my troubled waters if Jesus reveals Himself to me. Be well my sisters and know that through the rain always comes the rainbow.
who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:4 NIV)
Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish. (Psalm 25:17 NIV)
Have you ever wondered how Paul forgave himself and how he forged ahead to bring people to Jesus? Recently, I made a very bad judgement call and it has bitten me harder than I can say. I was right in protecting the weak and trying to get someone to see the truth but that doesn't matter. Now, I'm facing my consequences with regret and worry. I haven't been able to sleep for several nights, even though I've tried to give it to God. Scripture has flooded my mind. God is so mighty even when we are being so very stupid. I am in awe that He could even get through my obsessive, worried thoughts and yet, He has. I asked Him to go before me and I pray that He will because I have just set into motion something I can't go back on. Luckily, I really thought about it this time.
Paul believed he was right when he was killing the Christians until the day He was struck blind by Jesus. I doubt one person could have told him he was wrong. He even held the robes of those that killed Stephen. He was a man on a mission and right, meant death for religious reasons. But on that road, he was blinded and then a light revealed to him the power of Jesus and all at once, what was right was wrong. His destiny was set, he would become a great man for God but I can't even imagine the shame he felt.
I live by conviction, even in troubled waters. When I believe I'm right, I don't back down but today; I'm choosing to back down because I know that God will go before me, all I need is time. I think that's how Paul got through his troubled waters. I'm sure he felt remorse but his mission was so much greater, so he forged ahead and proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ.
My journey is just beginning. I believe I've been given a true path and I need to follow it. I have been released to follow it and I'm going to do just that. The waters are troubled for sure and yet, my God is stronger than the sun, wind and rain combined. I will trust in Him and He will help lighten my burden. I can't go back and either could Paul but we can forgive ourselves and move forward. I worship a God that forgives. I worship a God that takes bad things and makes them gold and I worship a God that loves His people, even when they have muddied the waters. Oh, how I hate troubled waters. Then again, I love them because if change is to occur, only God can change it. I'm hurt, I'm worried, I'm sad, I'm mad, I'm broken, I'm loved, I'm His! Paul went on to build the church. Through his troubled waters, he left a legacy. He believed that Jesus was who He said He was and gave His life for that very cause. His shame humbled Him to the very cross he denied. And when all was said and done, we all reap the benefits of the day he was blinded and the Son was revealed.
I, for one, will live with my troubled waters if Jesus reveals Himself to me. Be well my sisters and know that through the rain always comes the rainbow.
who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:4 NIV)
Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish. (Psalm 25:17 NIV)
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Do nothing in vain conceit.....
Good morning all-
I'm once again at the airport and ready to go home. I spent most of yesterday working, thinking and praying. I was washing myself clean and taking emotion out of life and replacing it with God's wisdom, power and glory. I was inundated with Scripture yesterday as I sought God in my circumstances and because of that this Scripture popped out at me today. I waited to pick my 9th verse for Beth Moore's siesta group. This one needed to impact my life, not just today but for my future endeavors.
Like you, I struggle with wanting to be valued, getting recognition for a job well done and then there is always that stupid need to be liked. The last has to go if I am ever going to succeed in God's plan for my life. People could potentially hate me for what I believe and I just need to care less about me and move forward in love. Like you, I'm a work in progress, so we will see as God molds me like clay. For now, I am open to it.
I am often on the go with not much alone time. I took it yesterday as a sign He wanted my attention and Christ got it. I asked Him to remove emotion to help me see and He did. I asked Him for me not to take my pride and crush others and yes, you guessed it, I was given this Scripture to memorize. I don't know about you but sometimes what I ask for is irritating but so what I needed at that moment. I am in a time of reflection and reflection will help me grow and prosper through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So today I leave you with my memory verse. It hits home like an arrow to the heart. It is pointed, sharp and refining. I hope that I spend many hours thinking about it and how it will help me lead women to Christ. My other hope is that God will give me reflection time, love for His people and the spirit to lead with courage, hope and direction. I'm His to mold even if it's painful. Please join me in praying this Scripture and giving selfish ambition and vain conceit to Him because we all carry it and it needs to go.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4 NIV)
Lord, I pray with all my heart that I will not only memorize this Scripture but that I will learn to live like this. Give me wisdom to seek You, courage to go in Your direction and a heart for your people above my own. In Jesus Name I pray, AMEN
I'm once again at the airport and ready to go home. I spent most of yesterday working, thinking and praying. I was washing myself clean and taking emotion out of life and replacing it with God's wisdom, power and glory. I was inundated with Scripture yesterday as I sought God in my circumstances and because of that this Scripture popped out at me today. I waited to pick my 9th verse for Beth Moore's siesta group. This one needed to impact my life, not just today but for my future endeavors.
Like you, I struggle with wanting to be valued, getting recognition for a job well done and then there is always that stupid need to be liked. The last has to go if I am ever going to succeed in God's plan for my life. People could potentially hate me for what I believe and I just need to care less about me and move forward in love. Like you, I'm a work in progress, so we will see as God molds me like clay. For now, I am open to it.
I am often on the go with not much alone time. I took it yesterday as a sign He wanted my attention and Christ got it. I asked Him to remove emotion to help me see and He did. I asked Him for me not to take my pride and crush others and yes, you guessed it, I was given this Scripture to memorize. I don't know about you but sometimes what I ask for is irritating but so what I needed at that moment. I am in a time of reflection and reflection will help me grow and prosper through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So today I leave you with my memory verse. It hits home like an arrow to the heart. It is pointed, sharp and refining. I hope that I spend many hours thinking about it and how it will help me lead women to Christ. My other hope is that God will give me reflection time, love for His people and the spirit to lead with courage, hope and direction. I'm His to mold even if it's painful. Please join me in praying this Scripture and giving selfish ambition and vain conceit to Him because we all carry it and it needs to go.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4 NIV)
Lord, I pray with all my heart that I will not only memorize this Scripture but that I will learn to live like this. Give me wisdom to seek You, courage to go in Your direction and a heart for your people above my own. In Jesus Name I pray, AMEN
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