A process....

I was baptized nearly 20 years ago. That saddens me. It saddens me because I realize now that I did it out of a legalism thing, instead of out of my heart. It was what I was supposed to do.

I went to church regularly during that time of my life, but I never had a relationship with Christ. I never even knew there was any difference in going to church, and having a relationship. I know now that LOTS of people go to church, not half as many have a relationship .... I was one of them, for a long time. I eventually quit going to church (probably due to lack of relationship). The really scary saddest part of all is that I taught Sunday school... I helped with the youth, I taught at vacation bible school. I went to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night.... Yet I knew nothing. NOTHING. I was not a Christian in the Bible sense of the word. I was a Christian in the worldly sense of the word...if that makes sense. The honest truth is, I had no idea I was a "fake".

If you knew me then, forgive me for making claims I knew nothing about. Forgive me for being such a poor example. I was doing the best I could with what knowledge I had. Thank God that He lingered around me...He never gave up. He is revealing himself and His word to me continuously. It is a process. I am loving the trip!

Refresh and Renew

In Epshesian 4:23 we read that we are to be constantly renewed in the spirits of our minds, having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude. Attitudes begin in our minds. Our minds are renewed by the word of God, and by rest.

If reading the word daily renews our minds and changes our attitudes, then why aren't we making more effort to do it? I can start out having the best of intentions, and then the next thing I know it is time for something else....so again I put "refreshing my mind" on the back burner. This keeps happening and happening through the day, until I realize that I am not my usual happy self. My prayers don't seem to "connect". I feel a million miles away from God, when last week I felt like His best friend.

Who do you think moved?

We cannot and will not stay refreshed and renewed if we do not make an effort to do it. He is speaking to us through His word. Pray for your mind to be opened and renewed prior to opening His word. Allow the Spirit to convict you of this and then act upon it. Reading for ten minutes, is better than not reading at all.

Set aside the time. Schedule it if you have to! Don't let other things bump it out. It is crucial and is going to affect all other aspects of your life. Things will actually go much better once you ahve the routine down! You will be amazed how much better your attitude will become when it is freshened up with words from God.

Our pastor told us this weekend that God specifically set a day aside for us to rest. He did this with a purpose. We NEED that time. We need to renew our bodies. We need to rest and refresh! You cannot go,go,go...and keep going. Your body will just eventually stop being able to "go". Our minds are the same way. "Plug in" to the word and get recharged. It is sort of like one of those super chargers.... a little charge goes a long way. Just remember to do it again, and don't ever let the charge go out all the way.

The song that sees me through

I finally found a clip of this music to post. Click on the link below the words to this song to listen to the clip.
What a Faithful God by Robert Critchley

Lord, I come before Your throne of grace. I find rest in Your presence, and fullness of Joy.
In worship and wonder, I behold Your face. Singing what a faithful God have I

What a faithful God have I, What a faithful God What a faithful God have I, Faithful in every way.

Lord of mercy, You have heard my cry. Through the Storm You're the beacon, My song in the night In the shelter of Your wings Hear my hearts reply, Singing what a faithful God have I

What a faithful God have I, What a faithful God. What a faithful God have I, Faithful in every way.

Lord, all sovereign Granting peace from heaven. Let me comfort those who suffer, With the comfort You have given. I will tell of Your great love For as long as I live.. Singing what a faithful God have I.

What a faithful God have I, What a faithful God. What a faithful God have I, Faithful in every way.
What a faithful God have I, what a faithful God. What a faithful God....

http://www.wildox.ca/2002/mp3s/critchley/bt/02-WhatAFaithfulGod.mp3

Come to know His love

Good Morning! I hope your day is awesome and your load is light! I am so looking forward to the next several days of working on the Emmaus Walk. I cannot wait to see lives transformed. It seriously is amazing. Please be praying that God is with each person there and that all get maximum benefits from the time we will spend together.
Ephesians 3:19 Amplified Bible
19[That you may really come] to know [practically, [a]through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses [b]mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] [c]unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and [d]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

I am so thankful for each and every one of you :-) My life has been blessed beyond belief. It is amazing to me that the love I feel for my family, my friends....but, it is nothing compared to the love Christ has for each of us. The Bible tells us His love surpasses all understanding, When I think about how much love I have within me, it is too much to even fathom the love of Christ. I guess that is why I feel this overwhelming joy withing my soul... there is just too much love there to do nothing! It is like that song~ I wanna sing, I wanna shout... praise the Lord da da da da.. da da da da.. praise the Lord!! All you have to do is let Him in, take a little time to become acquainted and allow His love to come to you and in turn pour out of you. Adios Amigos..until Sunday xoxo Michelle

Update from Logan and Amber from Speaking Out Ministries
Dear Friends,
I just wanted to share a quick update with you. Today Logan and I received some more finances and we are now only $500 away from our goal for our trip to China this summer! This is an incredible miracle and we appreciate all of you who have been praying and supporting us. Please e-mail us with any prayer requests that you have!

With Love in Christ,
Amber

Ephesians 3:19
19[That you may really come] to know [practically, [a]through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses [b]mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] [c]unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and [d]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

the weekend whizzed by!

Hello! This weekend has been action packed! Can it truly be Monday morning already??

God blessed me this weekend with not only being able to spend time with my mom and sisters and extended family... but to also give support for cancer research by particpating in the "Walk for Cure" activities on Saturday. Though it was fairly cold and raining, many were there proudly honoring and lifting loved ones affected by this disease.

We all walked in memory and honor of my grandma, Virginia Mattingly. Grandma went to be with the Lord 23 years ago this June. I feel sad that I did not have an opportunity to know her as an adult, but am thankful that I do have many memories of her throughout my life. Some are hilarious and some are sad. I am blessed with all of them and that her life can live on through me. Thanks Grandma !

I also helped to sponsor a friend to go on the Emmaus walk this weekend, so things were pretty busy with that as well. God is amazing how He works everything out! How uplifting to spend the closing ceremony with so many awesome fellow believers! We heard testimony after testimony of how God performed his awesomeness in their lives. It was a great weekend indeed! I am off to work for two days, then headed to Camp Indi-Co-So to work my first Emmaus! If I don't talk to anyone before that, will be back next Sunday night. xoxo Michelle

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

"The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing."

I read that today, written by Joyce Myers, and couldn't agree more! Sometimes it is so hard to keep our priorities in order. Society constantly is badgering us to keep up with the Jones', in reality all we have to do is seek His kingdom, and all else will be given to us.

Matthew 6:33"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

We are so busy trying to keep up to par with everyone else, that we forget the fact that God has promised us to take care of everything if we seek Him first. I am so amazed how my life is flowing without me doing anything other than what I am supposed to be doing according to the Word. I think about how when I was trying to make my life great, to be happy, to keep up... I was self serving, and it never brought me the satisfaction that was promised. NOW, I try to seek self last (key word, TRY) and seek God's kingdom first... and TA-DA .... my life is going along just marvelous! It is funny too how quickly God will remind me of that when I begin to go astray.

I am not saying that I don't have any trials, or nothing bad happens. That is not the case at all. However, when these things happen, I don't fall apart and get freaked out. I know that everything does have a purpose, and my life is not going to abruptly stop if an issue arises. I still have my inner joy, I don't crumble.... I pray to the one who has promised to care for me, comfort me, and never abandon me.

See Psalms 37:4

Sometimes I Forget to be Thankful! please forgive me.

Good Sunday Morning!

I was privileged to participate in a "prayer meeting" last night, where I saw lives transformed. I saw outright gratefulness and awe and people become real. I love to partake in things like this, as it renews my own soul...seeing them so overtaken with God's love. There is just nothing better than to be with a community of fellow believers, to sing together and pray together...to break bread together! I love the bond it forms between complete strangers.

Sometimes as we go along in this life, and things get sort of mundane... I think we forget (or at least I do) how awesome God's love is. We forget how it feels to be totally wrapped up in it! We forget to seriously count our blessing and be truly thankful.

After arriving home last night, as my mind replayed the evening, it hit me how truly blessed I am. I was sitting there thinking about all my blessings, and it was overwhelming! Not only did God sacrifice His only son, for my redemption..He did it with no strings attached. He loves me and wants the very best for me. I have done nothing to deserve this. In truth, I am unworthy.

As I reflected on this, things just came pouring to me... the extreme amount of blessings I have been given personally. All I could think was WOW, WOW, wow! Who am I to receive all of this?

It is easy to get caught up in the little things of life that annoy us. It is so easy to get upset with someone, to have a negative attitude, to lose sight of what is truly important... Really, we don't even deserve the things that are given to us freely. We take them for granted. We complain about our jobs, our kids, the TV is broken, the car won't start... Instead of embracing what God has laid at our feet, we whine about it. We are like an ungrateful five year old that doesn't like the present you got him. The thing is, we aren't five...and we don't even have a reason to have the present given. Yet, we forget to be thankful. To be grateful. Not one of us can claim a bigger sacrifice given than our Creator... and yet, He just keeps giving. Amazing~

Write out your blessings today. Take the time to realize your blessings and to be truly thankful for them. Even the water that comes out the spout is a blessing.

Speaking Out Ministries

A note (see below) from Amber and Logan at Speaking Out Ministries. I highly recommend supporting them!! Every dollar counts, Thanks!

(For those that don't know, this couple is planning mission work in China. They will be going on a "trial run" this summer. China is in desperate need of people to be willing to share the gospel. Their government is quite opposed to Christianity.)

Dear Friends,

Logan and I wanted to write you all and share with you the joy that we have today. We were able to purchase our airplane tickets! Praise God!!! We want to thank all of you who have helped us get this far. We are still needing $3,000 for in country ministry, language studies, and food while we are there. Once again thank you for your prayers and our support, we would not be here without you. Please check out our website http://www.speakingoutministries.com/ for more information.

****If you would like to help support us please make checks payable to Logan Parker and mail them to:

Logan Parker
5604 E 71st place #907
Tulsa, OK 74136

creative writing assignment...

This is a letter I wrote while doing some "creative writing" . I was supposed to be writing an essay about having died.... what would I have wanted to tell those I left behind.
I thought this blog and would be a perfect avenue to tell you all right NOW, what I would have wished I had said before departing.


To my wonderful family and friends,
I know where I am going and for this I am glad. So many people have had direct influence on my ability to reach the ultimate destination. The one that sealed my eternity though, was Jesus.

Many of you know Him, many of you know OF Him. I am imploring with all of you to make it your top priority to develop a relationship with Him. Don’t wait until you die to learn how you should have lived. As Jim Elliott said, “He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”

I spent so much of my life being afraid of what others would think or say… of being ridiculed. There is nothing anyone can say or do that will affect your life more than accepting Jesus as your own personal savior. Now, from beyond, let me tell you how thankful I am that God never gives up on us. He holds nothing against us. Once we confess our sin and ask for forgiveness, it is done! You have nothing to prove to God. He already knows all you have done… good and bad. There is no hiding, no amount of wrong doing. No sin is great enough that would turn his back on you. Sin is sin, a lie, speeding, cheating, and even taking a life. They hold the same weight in God’s eye. To have you in his fold though, that is more important to Him than anything.

The bible, God’s word tells us of amazing things yet to come. We have only been exposed to a small fraction of what truly awaits us. Don’t risk not getting to enjoy it all. Don’t sacrifice your soul for earthly pleasures. I want to see you again. I want to laugh and touch your arm, see your smile.. I want to share a life with you where there are no deadlines, no worries, and no pain.

There is so much I need to say, so much I want you to know. But there is nothing more crucial I can share with you than to open your bible, read God’s word, pray…and ask Jesus into your heart. Confess your sins, ALLOW them to be forgiven, accept your eternal life. Continue this relationship regardless of anything else.

Not sure how to maintain it? Do it just like any other relationship. God wants nothing more from you than you would want out of a relationship. No one knows how long they are going to remain alive here on earth. Ask God for the strength and wisdom to help you live wisely. Seek His will; be convicted through His spirit of your sins…..

Keep your eye on the prize and be ready upon leaving this earth to hear your heavenly father say, “Well done my good and faithful servant, come in…come in!”

Ask for Living Water

I listened to an audio CD of one of Max Lucado's books today, Come Thirsty. I had a long drive, and cannot stand to be doing nothing at all, so I popped it in.

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." John 4: 10

He speaks much of Jesus being the living water... about how God promised to give us His Spirit to dwell within us like living water, when Jesus was gone. It just all clicked to me today when Max was talking about how flood waters can carry a house miles away,,, and yet they are nothing compared to the water we have. He talked about how you don't have to tell water where to go, you just drink it, and it goes to where the body needs it ~ The same is true for living water, but just like tap water.. we have to drink it, sometimes gulp it. Our physical bodies have a way of making us know they are thirsty. Our mouth gets dry, our tongue feels thick our skin gets dry, we get circles around our eyes......

Our spiritual body gives us those same indicators when we need a drink of Living water. We don't feel the joy, we feel lazy, we get irritated easily, we have a bad attitude... We need to take a drink of His water, and allow it to quench our thirst.

Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life


Max goes on to say that even though we may be standing in a river, we can still thirst to death if we don't scoop the water up to our mouths to drink it. The same is true spiritually. We can study, we can go to church, we can listen to christian radio....... it will do nothing for us if we don't take it in. How are we do this? Just ask. Ask to filled with the Living water, the Holy Spirit. We are promised by God that if we ask, He will give it. We have to be open to accept it.

Everyday, before your feet hit the floor, ask Him to be filled with His Spirit, His water...then stay in it all day, let it flow through you and guide you in all you do. Soon you will be like that house, just floating along without a ounce of effort...as God works through you.

Jeremiah 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water

It really is this simple :-)

Look INside

WOW, we went to look at this house today... small home in the country, a creek runs through the property. No neighbors in view...woods behind the property. Looked nice. Looked cozy. Nice new windows and siding. The Flowers were beginning to come up. It was such a beautiful day, which made the surroundings even better! The sun was shining down, the birds were singing and it was warm! Then....

We went inside. The floors were warped..you had to basically climb Mount Everest to get through the hallway, the kitchen was scary (to say the least), the door frames were not aligned, you could see to the outside from one bedrooms. The house smelled horrible. The wiring was from the 20's, the closets consisted of a board nailed up to the wall with a pole hanging from it. The ceilings showed obvious signs of a leaking roof..... on and on.

On the way back to our home, I just could not stop thinking about house this house appeared, and how the house truly was. I thought about how we disguise ourselves to people... and how God sees what is really in the inside. You can do whatever you want to decorate the package, but the package is not what is important. If all you are working on is making things appear like they are in in good shape, then I encourage you to stop. Take inventory, and begin inside. As you work on the inside, the outside will reflect it. Beauty will just shine even if you don't try to let it. The outside should reflect what is in the package, not disguise it. Never think for one minute that what you are showing to the world is all that is seen.

About two years ago, I read this book called "In His Steps" It is a classic by Charles Sheldon. It is not at typical book I would read, as it was somewhat old fashioned like... sorta written different than something that would catch my attention. At the time I was so seeking anything at all that would teach me about real faith in Christ, and how to live that life. It took me awhile to get into it, but soon....I read nothings else. Now, every time I see the book at a used store, I buy it. I have 6,7...8 copies perhaps. I want everyone to read it. Even though the setting and characters are dorky, in my opinion, the message is awesome! A pastor of a church gets tired of his congregation not "being real". He is tired of people talking the talk, but not walking the walk. He makes a challenge to those who truly want to make a difference and commit themselves. They cannot do anything at all without first asking themselves, "what would Jesus do?" NO matter what it might be...... business related, personal ~~ all of their life, at every minute. Is it something Jesus would do, and if not, why are they then. Also, to take a look at things that they are not doing that they should..like getting to know their neighbors, giving of self, giving of money, living each day as it is the last.

I want our church to do this. I want to do this. I cannot imagine the difference we could make as a community of believers if we seriously took every single thing to God before making a decision. If we simply asked, "what would Jesus do?" And then, if we responded as Jesus would. We would need the support of each other, we would need the backing and encouragement. I wonder if there is a bible study on this out there somewhere? I'll let you know what I find. God Bless!