He gives strength

Today I got some crazy news about a person who is dear to me. This wonderful sweet person, who has spent her life taking care of others and offering comfort.... Her time has come to be on the receiving end. Perhaps it will be a challenge for her to go from the comforter to the comfortee.

She is a true example of how God would want his children to live. I think that is why I am struggling right now to understand everything. I know that God has all intentions of using all things for our good and the good of others... I do know that, and I believe~ my heart struggles today to fully acknowledge it though.

I want to know what say and how. I have so many times seen her on the other end of this. She has in fact been on the other end for me myself. I have been astonished at her compassion and caring heart.

Philippians 4:16 tells us " Do not fret or have anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving make your wants known to God.

This is my prayer today. I pray that God wraps himself around you my friend, and just holds you...until you can stand on your own again. I pray for his mighty hand upon you. I pray for the power of his healing. I pray for the outpouring of strength and endurance upon you. I pray for his grace to overwhelm you. I pray for his favor and peace to surround you.

I am wondering why.... I don't understand, and I know that I am not suppose to understand everything. It doesn't make any easier to just accept though. I do know however, that God will carry us through. He is right where he always has been, and will be. He has been where we are. He has hurt, he has grieved. He never moves.

Isaiah 40

29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Living a Life on Loan by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson

Living a Life on Loan is a book about grace. It ask who we really are? Are we defined by our failures and successes? Do you see life a limited due to circumstances or do you see you life as part of something BIG? This book is about living how God designed us, being practical in that, and impacting others to live their life accordingly. Its biggest message is living life to the fullest. NO one knows the day or the hour that God will call them home. No one knows how much time they have left to fulfill the great commission that God gave us. Know one knows if tomorrow is going to be here to present God to your unbelieving child. Don't wait until tomorrow what you can do today. Yours is a life on loan.

"As followers of Christ, we each have the ability to make the invisible God visible by our words and our actions." Eric Swanson

I like that quote.

Sometimes it is tough to remember that the most effective message isn't the one that we heard on Sunday in a building with a large group of other believers... the most effective message is one that is lived day in and day out. Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that you guide me today in living out this message. I pray for the Holy Spirit be with me, and for me to have the ability to discern what is effective and what is not. I thank you for this life, for all you have given me so freely. Let your example shine through me today and touch someones life...

Pray Continually with your Attitude

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (New International Version)

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus

If we followed this verse and carried Christ with us everywhere we went, keeping him in our thoughts with every passing moment. If he were all we wanted and all we desired. If everything else that happened in our life was just a distraction, keeping us from what we really wanted...

Then, we have an idea of what Paul is talking about.

We cannot pray every second of every day any more than we could have been with that person every moment. But it is possible to love Jesus Christ so much that we carry Him with us wherever we go. In this context, Paul is not talking about prayer as an action; He is talking about it as an attitude. It is an attitude that places Jesus above everything else in our life. Even as we work, spend time with friends or relax at home, He is ever present with us.

Our love for Jesus may start small but will grow into a wild fire if we fan the flames. For that to happen, we need to nurture our relationship by remembering Him in everything we do. We need to let Jesus occupy our heart and mind every moment we are awake. If we adopt this unceasing attitude of prayerfulness which Paul describes, our love for Christ and the joy we gain will eclipse anything we have ever known before.

do you practice avoidance?

As I have been studying up a bit on attitude, I have come across some reading on how we, as humans deal with certain situations. The one thing that really stuck out to me the most was the coping skill of avoidance. I don't think I realized how much I do this, until I read all the examples of it...and saw myself clearly in each one! Avoidance is not a true coping skill, it is exactly what the word says a-v-o-i-a-d-a-n-c-e. Not dealing with something is how many of us deal with something. We avoid it.

Avoidance can steal our peace and joy because many of the situations and activities we avoid, in the interest of comfort, that were placed in our lives by God for a purpose. So we end up avoiding the very things we ought to do. A big reason we avoid the situation or activity is due to the anxiety it causes. It makes us uncomfortable. it doesn't matter how much we may want to do it, we far less want the feelings of being uncomfortable, so we just stay away. We never deal with what it is, or we postpone it until it can be avoided no longer...which makes the whole situation 10 times worse. It is this whole fear of the unknown.

Though Jesus taught us to not be anxious, to not worry, to have faith... He does not condemn us for these natural human feelings. We can have them, we cannot let them overtake us. We have to take action against them. Even Jesus sweat blood in anticipation of the cross, but he did not avoid it.

Being anxious and trying to avoid something doesn't mean that you do not have belief or do not have faith. These are normal feelings that have existed since the beginning. However, it doesn't mean that we let these feeling control out lives. We have to let our trust in God control our lives. We have to take action upon the feelings. At times we just have to be obedient and trust God. In James 2, we are told that faith without action is dead. And in Matt 26:41 we are told, The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak". So, it isn't in having these feelings of avoidance or anxiety that we show weakness, it is in our ACTION of disobedience or obedience that we show our strength or weakness.

New Year, New Me!

The sermon today was about having a "new you" for the New Year. That is something that I desire. My life is great, don't get me wrong, but I know how much better it could be.

As I have grown in my spiritual walk, and matured...I have also found myself becoming complacent. I think a big part of that is how very content I feel with life in general. I don't recall ever feeling so content ever before. It is amazing the peace that God brings into your life. That in itself is not bad, nor do I want to change (not after all of the years searching for it). However, I am just coming to realize that because I do feel so content, I have not been making much of an effort to maintain the relationship that brought me this peace and contentment in the first place. I have found myself instead, having become comfortable.

I think at times it easy to take for granted the good life we have. At first it amazes us and it takes all we have to believe it is real...then, we become accustomed to it and perhaps even expect it.

It is our choice to see what we have as a gift, and to continue to nurture it. It is our choice to just be satisfied and settle into where we are. A big part of that decision is our attitude in general. We take so much for granted. We forget how privileged we are not only hear and now, but in the aspects of eternity. We are a blessed people. Sometimes though, we don't act it. I don't act it.

I woke up the other morning so grumbly and negative. All I wanted was to go back to sleep. I was warm and comfy. The last thing that seemed appealing to me was to get up and get a shower and go to work. It was all in my attitude though. Once I made myself recall how privileged I was to have slept in a bed last night, to have a blanket, a roof... to be able to grab a shower and to not only have a job, but a job that I love. What a stinking attitude to be whining about getting out of bed! Poor me, such a rough life.

That is what I want to be new about me this year. I want to have a great attitude, a positive attitude, a friendly attitude, a prayerful attitude, a blessed attitude, a Godly attitude. Lord, forgive my selfish attitude. I pray that I will be prompted by the Holy Spirit every time I have that type attitude. I pray for it to be replaced by an attitude that is pleasing to you.
1 John 4:4"... because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is extending love and mercy to someone who has wronged or hurt you. It is NOT saying that what was done was acceptable, or that it did not matter, but it is a choice to release the person from the burden of guilt for what they have done wrong and not allow that offense to affect your relationship.
Forgiveness is a powerful thing, for both the forgiver and the recipient. It may even be more powerful for the one doing the forgiving... the tension and stress that build in your body from the emotional hurt of someone wronging you (especially if it was someone you loved) wreck havoc on your life. There is not rest. And you know what? The craziness you are putting yourself through is probably doing nothing at all to that person. They probably have no idea how much it is tearing you apart. Maybe they do know, and they don't care. No matter what the situation is, release it. Give it to God, and take his peace instead.
It truly is amazing how much you can just "let go" if you allow God to help you. I might add that true blessings arrive when you then pray for that person. There seriously is a peace that comes to rest upon your soul.
Is this easy? NO, it can be very very hard. So hard that you feel like giving up on everything. I can verify that you are hurting no one, but YOU if you don't even try.
This is where it is crucial too to have others that are praying for you, that keep up with you. Make friends with other believers and be open and honest with them. When you aren't able to carry yourself, someone else can step in the gap and bring you through. They cannot help though, if you aren't up front about your situation. This is NOT the time to try to stand alone. Friends are friends forever...when the Lord is the lord of them.

How Awesome is Prayer

The last couple of days have been full of mercy and grace! I am feeling very embraced in God's arms. I know people have been praying for us, and praying for my family. I want to thank you so much for that! It is amazing how you can seriously feel the love of God. It becomes so obvious that others are lifting you up.

I have a friend, who not too long ago was involved in a bike accident. She called me and asked for me to pray and for me to contact our church to pray. I did immediately. I spoke with her a few hours later, and she told me how this utter calmness just came over her. She knew that she was being prayed for. She could not believe the load lifted from her. It made a difference in her ability to cope at that moment.

I had never really had that exact feeling, but after the past few days, I have! How awesome to have so many people come together and pray specifically for another. Imagine the difference we could make in others lives by lifting them to God in prayer.

My niece does just this. She has a prayer collage. She has pasted pictures and written names of certain people she is praying for. Some prayers are continual, and some are special request, or circumstances. She prays over the entire thing, praying for each of them. It is pretty awesome. Another thing that I heard someone mention was to create a "prayer date book" You write in certain people's name or names on certain days, and then devote a special prayer to that person on that particular day. Depending on how many people you were praying for specifically, you could have a prayer collage for each day!

If we were all praying for our church leaders, political leaders, our co-workers, our families, our church families, our realtives, our neighbors, a person we don't get along with, a stranger we met in the store.... What a serious difference we could be making! If you are reading this right now, STOP..say a prayer for the first person that comes to your mind. Seriously do it.
We could be doing that hundreds of times a day! Thanks to all of you who have been praying for me. I love you guys!

Authentic Christianity

Authentic Christianity is the consistency between words and actions~ between claimed values and actual priorities. It is something I strive for, but have a long way to go to reach. I am working on it daily. Some days are better than others.

You have to truly connect with God to be authentic, not just go through the motions. It begins with spiritual authenticity`daily reserved time.

You have time for what you make time for.

Journaling helps to keep track of where you have been and what you are doing. It is like a post game analysis. It helps you to be authentic. Can you be conformed to the image of Christ without evaluating your progress or mistakes? Try writing out your prayers, your thoughts, your feelings, decisions, frustrations.... analyze your day, see where you can improve and where you did great!

The Fallacy of Full-Time Christian Work

The following is an article by Os Hilman from the Today God is First series


Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord,
not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the
Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24).

"I didn't know you were in fulltime Christian work," said my close friend as we were driving. "I didn't realize that," she went on. I responded, "Every person who has followed the will of God in their life is in full-time Christian work." God calls some to the mission field, others to be accountants, others to be advertising executives, and still others to be construction workers. God never made a distinction between sacred and secular. In fact, the Hebrew word avodah is the root word having the same meaning of "work" and "worship." God sees our work as worship. We have incorrectly elevated the role of the Christian worker to be more holy and committed than the person who is serving in a more secular environment. Yet the call to the secular workplace is as important as any other calling. God has to have His people in every sphere of life Otherwise, many would never come to know Him because they would be
separated from society. I learned this lesson personally when I sought to go into "full-time" service as a pastor in my late twenties, only to have God thrust me back into the business world unwillingly. This turned out to be the best thing He could have done for me, because it was never His will for me to be a pastor. He knew I was more suited for the workplace. We are all in missions. Some are
called to foreign lands. Some are called to the jungles of the workplace. Wherever you are called, serve the Lord in that place. Let Him demonstrate
His power through your life so that others might experience Him through you and see your vocation as worship to His glory. He desires to use you in your area
of influence to impact your workplace, city and nation for His glory.

TGIF TODAY GOD IS FIRST
is written by Os Hillman.
To subscribe to his daily email go to:
http://www.todaygodisfirst.com/ or http://www.marketplaceleaders.com/

Prayer pattern of Paul for the Corinthians

A.C.T.S. A=Adoration, C=Confession, T=Thanksgiving, S=Supplication

In addition to the above listed basics...

1. Ask for understanding of what God wants you to do.
2. Ask for spiritual wisdom.
3. To be honoring and pleasing to God.
4. To produce every kind of good fruit.
5. To learn to know God better and better.
6. To be strengthened with God's glorious power.
7. To have great endurance and patience.
8. To be filled with joy.
9. To give thanks always!

I do not know where I obtained this list.... I just found it jotted in my notebook. I do know however, if you begin incorporating all of this in with your daily prayers....things are going to start happening in your life!

whaddaya mean forgive them?

Sometimes it is not possible to live in peace with everyone, the problem is not always dependent upon what you do. However, we must make every effort to love a person that seems unlovable..
HOW?? Number one is that you have to forgive that person unconditionally. UNCONDITIONALLY, no strings attached. If you leave strings attached, you are not forgiving. You have to forgive them repeatedly if need be. Perhaps that will be a need on your part as thoughts creep into your head drowning out why you forgave them in the first place!! OR perhaps the person just does not "get it". Whatever the case, that choice is yours.
You have to take action on it; pray about it. Pray for enlightenment and for love for the individual. Ask to love them through Jesus... that may be the only way you can.
You cannot assume this persons' motives. Don't even try, unless they are with the best intentions. When you begin to decide for yourself what the motives are, you have just joined ranks with them. Step above that. Stand up tall.
Ask God to search your own heart as we are told in the scriptures to do. Ask him to search it and to reveal to you areas you may be able to change. Maybe you need more tolerance, patience, forgiveness...
Pray before you enter a stormy situation, pray when you are there, pray when you leave it... If you don't ask for the help, you have a high chance of not getting it. We have total free choice with God, if you chose to do it on your own..well, that is your choice. Don't think about how much it hurts you, think about how much they need forgivness. Don't be an enemy even if you have one.
I am typically very quick to forgive. That has not always been the case. God has been working on me though, and I see how much better it is to forgive and forget than to hold on to something that can eat you alive. I am certainly not encouraging anyone to be blind or ignorant~~certain things, certain people, certain places..are just best to stay away from. But given the opportunity to restore a Godly relationship that has gone astray, I think God would back you all the way! Don't worry about what others think(perhaps their hearts are hardened?), they are not going to be there to answer for you, to take your punishment, or to take your crown when we come face to face with the one whose thoughts truly matter. Do what is right, because it is right, you don't need any other reason. Do you have someone you need to forgive today? Do you have a relationship that needs restored? Pray about it, and don't toss God's reply around. Act on it. They may or may not accept it, you can still refuse to be an enemy. Either way is going to be okay..you do what YOU should and let God handle the rest. love, love, love to all of you!

A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place

from a past posting...
In my bible study today ( a woman's heart, god's dwelling place by Beth Moore), it asked me about what I deliberately avoid for the sake of purity and how others know that I am set apart to God?

Wow, that is food for thought for me.

I instantly thought..well, I avoid television....
There are so many other things that I should be avoiding though. I should be avoiding gossip in any way, shape, or form. I should be avoiding anything at all that challenges my integrity~ my witness. Many books, magazines, the newspaper, laziness..... This study has made me aware that lots of things challenge the purity and integrity I am called to uphold as I child of God.

Being set apart to God? How do people know that about me? This is an area I have much work to do. If I cannot answer this with a solid statement, do I stand apart? I have been told that you cannot conquer what you tolerate. I am working to ensure that my actions and my comments set me apart. I think it goes back to what I discussed earlier about being authentic. For me, much of my faith is shown in my actions. What does set me apart? It has been said that there is no greater validity to being a Christian than a changed life.

"People remain the same, until the pain of remaining the same outweighs the pain of change."

Is your life pleasing to God?

1 Thessalonians 4:1 tells us that we should be living a life that is pleasing to God.

That command is so backward of the times today that people treat you like you are totally lost if you are doing something because it is the right thing. You may not feel like it. You may want to do something totally different..
but the truth of the matter is, you need to do what is right.

I think the whole entire campaign of "looking out for number one" has been what has brought this world to its knees. When we seek what self desires, and not what God desires we are going against God and against his commands. This same concept applies when you are attempting do something, you cannot rely upon self. Rely upon God.

By having God with you and drawing upon his strength... you can accomplish much more than you can on your own. God's desire is for us to succeed. He is there to help us and maintain us when the roads get rough. We may think we cannot go another day, put up with another thing... but when we are doing things to please God and not our self, He himself will be the one to carry us through.

Allow him the opportunity to walk with you, to guide you, to carry you when the need arises. It really isn't "all about me" as society would like us to believe. It is all about God, and his desires and living a life that is pleasing and honoring to him. I promise you that living a life that is pleasing to God will bring such a difference to your life, you'll put self away and focus on what is truly important...living a life for eternity.

I have a desire to share my faith, yet I feel so inadequate to do it. I know that God will give me strength.. that He will give me the words, but even knowing this, I struggle. I don't want to struggle, I want to be a shining light, I want to bring others to the joy I have.

My life has been such a wonderful blessing since I accepted Christ, and quit trying to live "my" way. Why should that be hard to share? I think one of the biggest hurdles for me, is the fear of pushing people away. I don't want to force anything on anyone. I don't believe that it is the way to go about things, nor would God want us to. It goes too far for me though, I worry about making the person feel out of place..uncomfortable. So I just keep quiet, and that is totally wrong as well!

I know before I was a Christian, really the last thing I wanted was to have someone hound me about God and Jesus. I would find myself avoiding these people. Even though I avoided them, I also did want to learn more. I wanted to learn more at my level, not theirs. Where is that middle ground? How do we approach someone we love, in a non-threatening way and share the good news with them? I know I have to do it in love. I know I have to do it in good faith with a willing heart. I have to trust God. I have to talk to God about it, I have to listen to his prompting and act upon it.

I try to live by example, I try to let my actions reveal my heart and my beliefs. I want to be easy to approach. I don't do this perfectly. I pray everyday for God's insight, his wisdom... I asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit and led by it. I don't want to push anyone, yet I don't want to leave anyone behind. I also want to do what God desires of me, and leading others to him is a big responsibility of mine. Where is the middle? How do I do this?

Does anyone else have a desire to share your faith, but you don't know how? Anyone have advice? A book to share? A study to do? Please leave me a comment with some advice. Anonymous post are welcome :-)

TRUTH

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Facts, not feelings

Good Morning! I was doing some reading on feelings this weekend. Here are some notes from that.

Feelings... how you feel can be a blessing and/or a problem when it comes to spiritual transformation.

Emotions have been describe as "human bondage". Feelings cause us to do what we want to do...to feel good. No one can just resist these feelings on their own willpower. Through strength given by God though, you can master them.

Feelings can be a major deception of the heart. If you are mastered by your feelings, then you believe your feelings must be satisfied. We are not bound to those feelings!! In John 8:34 we are told that the person who allows the Spirit to control their feelings realize not everything has to be filled. The Spirit allows us to do what we don't want, and to not do what we do want.

It isn't about "want" and "feelings" it is about right and wrong. I have seen more than one interview of someone speaking of Obama. The main thing I hear them all say is that Obama makes them feel good. Lots of things can make you feel good... typically those feelings do not last, nor do they hold substance. Feelings come and feelings go, they can be very fleeting. Don't base your future on a feeling... a hunch... I have been told, to never forget, that public opinion is NOT the voice of God. I hope all of you pray about this. Go with what God tells you, not what you feel. Go with facts, look at the history of what someone stands for. It is your responsibility to see where this man stands on issues, on morals, on life..or lack thereof. Do a little research. Don't rely upon commercials, debates, and other's feelings. Learn the truth. Vote on facts, not feelings.

Feelings move us and we enjoy being "moved".

Today's Prayer

After writing in this last night.. I found true contentment in this prayer I came across today;

Father, Thank you again today for the truth of your word. Lord, I've learned by expericence that hearing your word is not enough. I know I need to act on your word. It's doing what it says that brings results! Lord, don't let me decieve myself today into thinking that I am changed because of what I have read. Let me be changed because of what I do in response to what I have read. Let my home, my place of work and my life this week be filled with contentment.

Lord, I do have enough--- I have you. I have your promises. I have your faithfulness. I have your strength and wisdom to pursue change in the hurtful areas of my life. I know I can trust you with my burdens. Forgive me for thinking that my happiness is in anything external. Help me to embrace the truth that, godliness with contentment is great gain. All that I pray, I pray in the name of Jesus, who is my ulitmate example of true contentment. Amen (by James MacDonald)

There is a plan already made for us.

Saturday! My first Saturday in I don't know how long, that I have nothing I HAVE to do. I told myself last night I was going to sleep late, hang around and not be worried about anything at all. So I woke up this morning and I tried to just lay in bed and be lazy..snuggle up with my blanket. I turned this way and that way.. I stretched out, I curled up, I laid in the middle of the bed, on my "side" , on Greg's "side"... everything felt totally comfortable, I was all set to do nothing at all. I was looking forward to it!

It just wasn't happening though. No matter how comfy I felt, I kept trying different positions. For some reason, nothing kept me satisfied very long. Nothing seemed to be what I had imagined to be, or desired it to be. Was I going to give up?? NO way! This was the day I had been waiting for! Freedom to do whatever I pleased.

I was lying there thinking how typical this would have been of my past life. Searching and searching for the thing that would make me happy, fulfilled... content. I tried everything. I looked everywhere. I was sure that there was something out there that would make this world what I had imagined it would be like as an adult. The thing is, nothing I tried or did really ever met the cravings I had. Did I give up? NO way! This is what I had been waiting for! Freedom to do whatever I pleased.

God kept trying to play this part in my life. He kept trying to show me a way that would be fulfilling... but I knew more. I knew that there was more to life out there, I just had not found it yet. I ignored Him. I continued on my search and had my own goals. Nothing really changed though. Oh, I could find things that seemed to be what would make me happy. The thing is they were so temporary, and always resulted in unhappiness somehow or another in the end.
When I let all go, all my pre-conceived notions... and I honestly gave God the opportunity to love me, to show me love and happiness, WOW! Things are amazing. Seriously amazing. I learned about loving God. I started falling in love with God, like you would anyone that you have a true connected relationship with. I never realized that I could love God. I knew I was supposed to. How different was this feeling! It spread to other areas of my life. I began seeing things differently. I began seeing how wonderful and fun and awesome life is. I began to understand that you can't always have a plan. Sometimes you have to let the plan have you.

So, reluctantly... I threw the covers aside this morning, and rolled out of bed. I am so glad I did! This is going to be a great day, I have been blessed!

I wanna be a child of the LIGHT

We have Internet!! Wow, to live back in the day without it... I dunno. I miss the contact I have with people via the net. So, I am back in business here and ready to get writing!!

Another big thanks to all the wonderful people who went out of their way to help us these last couple of weeks! Huge thanks to my sister Carolyn, who packed things, moved things, primed, painted, cleaned..you name it. The girl never stops, puts me to shame time and time again! I love that she has so much energy though! A blessing for me :-)

I have had time to absorb God's word over the last couple of weeks. It has been pleasant. Sometimes we get so caught up, we just throw a few minutes here and there..but don't truly take the time to read, study, and absorb His word. It is sorta funny to me sometimes how I might have read something many many times over a vast number of years, and then BOOM. I understand what it says. God's word has this effect on me. I know that His word never changes...so it must be me! I am so thankful that God has given that opportunity, to change. Not everyone allows it. Some people hold onto things that have happened, words said, wrong actions taken....... and they just keep on holding on. They can't see past the incident, and everything just stops for them there. I have been guilty of it myself. There was a person that I was like this with for years. YEARS, even after becoming a Christian. I heard her name and would cringe. The thought of her just made my blood get hot. It is so crazy. She has no idea the amount of time I have spent allowing a particular event to define her for me. She has no idea, and I seriously doubt that she cares at all. I however, kept it alive and updated. Refreshing my mind with continual bad thoughts and hurt feelings.

I can only imagine how horrible my life would be right now, if God were like that to me. If He never gave me another chance. If He didn't care to give me the opportunity to change. If He didn't even try to move past my failures, my sins.

We should be following the example that was given us. We cannot be the same person we once were. We cannot assume other people are the same as they once were. It is like the Bible talks about in 1st John, the outside of the cup being clean, but the inside never touched. God looks to the inside, He looks to the heart. He knows your heart. Do you need to give someone another chance? Do you maybe need to not give another chance, but let go of the hurt and anger and pain it caused you? Do it. Don't allow someone else to steal your JOY in Christ. You can't be in the dark and in the light.

Prayer

Samuel Chadwick on Prayer
Here is a great quote on prayer that was sent to me

"The one concern of the devil is to keep saints from prayer. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks our wisdom, but trembles when we pray." Samuel Chadwick

From Pastor Nate

"I have been thinking a lot about faith lately. In staff devotions Wednesday we read Hebrews 11:1,2, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction (evidence) of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval." Quite simpy, faith is being sure of what is unseen. We can say we intellectually believe something, but if our life does not match that belief, I believe, we really don't believe that at all. There are many people who go to church, say they have a belief in God, but their lives do not match their beliefs. So do they really believe these things? If faith is the "evidence" or the "conviction" of the things not seen, then faith ought to be seen by our lives because we live them with conviction, evidence of our faith, and assurance. Faith in Christ is not just another activity in our life like, golfing, swimming, or watching TV. Faith in Christ is our life, and this faith needs to be seen IN our lives by our decisions, our character, our choices, our spending,our relationships, our scheduling, and our convictions. I want to be a person that consistently lives my faith. I want Christ to be my life, not a part of my life, or some ideology stuffed in my brain. Our faith in Christ must be our lives!" Pastor Nate

Simple Faith and Plain Truth

I cannot believe that a week has past since I have written in here! Wow... time flies when you are having fun!!

1 Timothy 2: The Message
Simple Faith and Plain Truth 1-3
The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.

We started a new ministry at our church this past Sunday, called Partners in Prayer. There is a book by the same name written by John Maxwell. I mentioned it on here before and how I would love for our church to do that... Well, a friend of mine and I are going for it! We held a meeting last week regarding our plans, and had pretty good attendance. We got great ideas and input. We went ahead and began the official ministry last Sunday. Things were not necessarily smooth sailing, but I thought they went pretty well considering it was our first Sunday to implement it. We had great participation from people for first and second service. How uplifting to gather in a group and bring your needs before God. There is power in prayer no doubt, I believe it is maximized with great numbers. We still have alot to learn, and much to organize. For now though, we are going with the flow of how God directs us. Please be in prayer for our church as we undertake this.

Complaint-Free Me??

A friend of mine at work bought us some bracelets that are part of the "complaint free world" campaign. Basically you wear the bracelet, and any time you think negative or complain (including gossiping) you have to move the bracelet to the other hand. Your goal is to make it 21 days without having moved it to the other wrist. That is supposed to help you become more aware of what is coming out of your mouth, and what is residing in your mind!

The first day, I didn't make it 21 minutes, but I think I moved it at least 21 times. The second day I was certainly more aware, though I still moved it quite often. By the third day, it was staying on one arm for greater lengths of time. Today..which is like day 14 or so... I still have not made it an entire day with no complaints, BUT... I only move it on occasion. It has been pretty cool to make yourself realize what you sound like to other people, and to change that behavior. I never considered myself too much of a negative person, yet it appears I could certainly refine that area.

It seems like in this day and age no one can just be happy. To greet someone and not hear something negative from them is almost shocking. How come it is totally kosher to gripe and complain and talk about how tired and broke and blah blah blah you are~~ How much different all of our lives may be if we tried to change that behavior. We have life so easy, and yet we probably complain more than any nation. Make an effort to day to realize what comes out of your mouth. Try building others up, and forget about yourself. Believe it or not, it really and truly is not all about you anyway. (should I move my bracelet?)

Do it !

I got a new view on life Sunday. It wasn't anything profound that someone said to me, or anything I read... I was about a milli-second from seriously being dead.

I was a blink of an eye from being t-boned. I am most positive, that had I been hit, I would not have survived. The really weird thing though, is that it didn't so much scare me as make me more aware of things. My first thought was that God wasn't finished me with me here yet. It wasn't my time. My second thought was, what am I doing with my time?

It is odd how much we take for granted and assume will be here tomorrow.

Even the grass seemed different to me. I have thought about things like, what if today were your last. BUT, I don't know that I have truly put into my mind the ramifications, if today were my last. It is really different being there than merely thinking it.

We may never get another chance. Today may be our final parting words. It may be our last opportunity to make the world a better place, to bring a smile to someones face...to listen to the birds. To sing, to play , to dance.

MOST importantly, as good as all that sounds..... today may be our last to turn our lives around.

What do you wish you would have done? Do it!

We rise and we fall and we rise again

"Search me O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,and lead me into the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

I saw this scripture today, and just had to STOP. Is this part of what had been going on with me? Have I asked God to do this and then decided that due to my own request, now, He couldn't exist for doing it?

I am told that the desire for a different life doesn't appear out of thin area. You can wait around and long for this, or you can keep company with the One who delivers it. You wouldn't want more of God if the Holy Spirit wasn't seeking/pursing you. And....You know what, I have come to believe that the Spirit starts pursuing you when you start going astray. Sometimes you have to be slapped in the face to get your attention again.

When you find yourself somewhere out there, When nothing seems to be going the right way and you are stuck in this land of frustration.... You have to take this as an opportunity to draw closer. Look at it as an opportunity to grow and learn and become stronger and deeper in your faith. It may not seem like that at first. It may seem completely the opposite. Burning the candle at both ends though can burn out the soul as well as the body. Maybe you need to STOP, take inventory and reconnect. Acts 2:42

Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Mark 10:14

I have heard this said over and over. For a long time I thought God just liked kids better! I really didn't understand the whole implication of being childlike. I could see the innocence perhaps, but what was it that so made children rank so high with God?

I have been reading a book called "Approaching God" by Steve Brown. It is a book that is basically telling us that prayer isn't some big fancy thing. It is simply communication between a child and his father. In our desire to be a grown up and to fit in to this world, we forget about the child qualities that are so endearing to all. Jesus specifically said that unless we are converted and become like children, we will not enter heaven. What does this mean? I don't know exactly, but I think I have a better picture now.

God is the kind of father everyone wants. He likes to spend time with his children. He cares and he loves us unconditionally. A love that is hard to comprehend at times. Remember this as you go to him. Lay aside your inhibitions, there is no right or wrong way to pray. The heart of the matter is where the importance lies. If you don't know what to say, tell God just that! Don't know where to start? No problem, Tell him that and start in the middle if you want to. It isn't like he doesn't already know...but he still wants you to discuss it with him. Have that childlike faith. Childlike trust.

The following is from the book, Approaching God: "Have that childlike joy.. no matter what happens, there is always joy around the corner! When was the last time you giggled and didn't care what anyone thought? When was the last time you did something "improper" and took joy in it? When was the last time you sang and danced and didn't care if someone thought you lost your mind? When is the last time that you lay in the grass just to look at the sky? What about honesty?, Is there anything so honest as child in just telling it how it is? "

As I read all of this from Steve Brown's book, it began to dawn on me what God means by being a child. Being real, enjoying life, being honest, true to yourself and the joy within you. Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Mark 10:14

Rise Up

What a beautiful Sunday! The weather is awesome the birds are singing and the wild flowers just look artistic! Our sermon was great today. We have been reviewing the fruits of the spirit. The whole series has been enlightening, but most especially the last three weeks for me. Today was on KINDNESS. Specifically on "How to Treat People with Kindness".

Colossians 3:12 (New International Version)
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
James 2:8
8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"[a] you are doing right.

Does this not seem it would be easy? On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the hardest, these commands should not be too high up on being able to accomplish them. They take nothing other than the gifts God freely has given us. We don't have to research, go to school, read, nothing... They are just given to us. All we have to do is to receive them. Receive them, and...oh, um... USE THEM! Perhaps we should even go a bit farther than using them, perhaps we should display them. Imagine the difference we could make in this city, in this world of ours if we did clothe ourselves with compassion and kindness..gentleness. What if it exuded from the depths of our souls~

As our pastor told us today, accept everybody. Find something good about them and focus on it. We all have room to grow. We all have faults, we all have strengths. I am not who I was, I am not who I am going to be. Allow the room for growth in everyone. If you have that one particular person that just grates on your nerves... stop right now. Before you do anything else, find a strength in that person. Pray for the person and your ability to focus on the strength. Commit yourself to letting them know about it. Strive to make a connection with them and to love them for who they are. Rise above, reach out and take the gifts that are so freely given.

Whatever You do to the Least of These

We went and walked for a bit downtown this evening. A young girl, possibly 20, came up to us and asked if we had any extra change. We actually had no money on us at all, just a debit card. I apologetically told her so. She just smiled and walked on. I had never had this happen to me in Bloomington before. I have been to various places and had people approach me for money, but never here in my hometown. Something about her just pulled my heart in. I don't know for sure what it was. She seemed so innocent. She appeared to be pregnant. She was clean and somewhat timid really.

We were actually almost back to our car prior to her asking us. We got in, and I felt sick about it. I felt like it was a chance for me to be Jesus to someone, and I had struck out. We began to drive and I asked Greg if it was wrong of me to not give her anything. We both felt funny about it. We also don't know when we are being taken advantage of and when someone needs help. How do you know this? I got to thinking about how hard that would be to go and ask someone if they had any extra change. a complete stranger. Then I wondered what made her choose us? She had walked by others on her way to us. Did we look more approachable and friendly? Was it my shirt that said, "Spread The Love"? Was I spreading the love? Was God giving me an opportunity to be an angel here on earth, and I just walked right by it? How do you know what is right?

We had planned on getting a bite to eat, but by this point I could not eat. It just seemed wrong. The rest of the way home I prayed about it. We pulled into our driveway and I really felt like God was telling me to go in and grab some money and take it to her, to help her...but to also tell her about Him. I conveyed this Greg and he was fine with that.

I had ordered some booklets awhile back that have the Gospel of John in them. They are real small, decorative, and easy to read. I grabbed one of those as well, and headed back to the car. I drove to where we had seen her, but I couldn't find her. I circled back around, no luck. I felt the need to do it one more time. I did, and I saw her. I went back around the block, I pulled the car over, and got out. I walked up to her and talked a little, handed her the book and the money. She seemed shocked that I came back. She smiled. As I turned to leave, she said "Bless You". I wanted to hug her, but I didn't. I didn't want to freak her out.

It was done, I had already been blessed. My heart felt right again. So did God put this person in my path? Did I make a difference to her? Did I help her, Did I hinder her? Will she read the book? Did she hear the words I said? I don't know. I don't know at all. What I do know is that I have peace about reaching out and trying to be Jesus. I think that is what we are to do. I will pray for her and I know that will do her more good that all the money in the world. I may go back later this week and see if I see her again. Ask if she had a chance to read the book... Be praying about that encounter for me.

who's got your back?

When you give Satan the stronghold, he takes it. I realize now that is exactly what I did last week. It had been coming up, weeks had been spent working on this. He had slowly been sabotaging my faith...I just didn't realize it. I didn't realize it until this morning actually! I was listening to Spirit 95 on the radio. I am not sure who was talking, but they began speaking about how Satan attacks. It was pretty interesting to listen to.

They also explained how when Satan is close to pulling it off, he pours it on hard, doing all he can to make you lose your faith..and when he realizes that you are NOT giving up on God, he backs off. Satan has no desire to wrestle with God. He has been defeated through Christ. When he sees where your alliance truly is and where you are gaining your power from he goes away. He waits to come back during another moment of weakness in your life. This is exactly why you have to be on top of your game. You have got to have all of your resources in place, and you have got to be prepared to battle. You never know when the battle may occur. You have GOT to be in the word. You have GOT to keep that daily time speaking to God. You have GOT to have prayer partners...other Christians willing to watch your back.

After I heard that on the radio this morning. I just had to smile and thank God for placing people in my life that were willing to watch my back. I thought about how I had felt last week. How I felt in the last few weeks before it all came to head. It is amazing to me how different I feel today. How different this entire week had been. I GOT my joy back. What can me more awesome than that?

Pursuit

I am thankful that God does pursue us, even when we aren't pursuing him! His cleverness never ceases to amazes me.

I felt so prompted Sunday to go to the altar, to go for prayer... and yet I felt glued to my spot. People in our church don't go forward too much. Seems we tend to keep our hurts amongst ourselves. The really funny thing is, I had no desire to even go to church this week (nor the last couple of weeks). I just "happened" to wake up without my alarm going off, and I just "happened" to attend a service that talked about peace in our lives, and I just "happened" to have my heart repaired.

So yeah, as they were singing that last song, I had a small battle within my own soul. I was certain that the Spirit was prompting me to go forward and yet my flesh was holding me back. I kept thinking, people don't do this in our church... Suddenly it was more than just me in control and I did find myself going forward. One of the elders came with me and prayed with me. I didn't even know what to say to him, " I think I've lost my faith?" "Does God really exist?" How do you tell someone rooted in their faith that you are feeling like faith is a joke right now? I just told him the best I could at the time, and you know what? He understood. He listened, he encouraged me, he told me of his own valleys, he prayed with me, he invited me to call on him or anyone else there..to not make myself try to handle it on my own. He told me it was ok to question God. It was ok to not understand. We prayed, we hugged..and I was touched by God.

Today, I feel 500 times better. I know that there have been people praying for me, for me specifically. God has lifted the hurt from my heart. I cannot even explain the difference within me. Had these people not been so willing to intercede for me, I don't know what might be happening today. I am blessed to have God in my life and have Godly people willing to sacrifice for me. Sometimes you go through the fire and you are tougher and stronger because of it. And you know what? If I feel like going to the front for prayer, I AM GOING, cause I know that sharing our burdens and praying for one and another work!