Good evening! This morning I was reading my facebook and noticed that Anne Graham Lotz is requesting Christian women in the US to pray for our country. I think that's a wonderful idea but I think we need to expand it to our sisters around the world.
As I watch the Olympics, I see the unity between the athletes and the countries. God wants that in our lives. Today, we are being called to pray for God's kingdom. We live in our towns and our countries but at the forefront of our minds we must pray that God's will be done. The world needs Christ!
He is righteous and he's calling all of us to let down our guards, to love our neighbors with all our hearts and to remember that He has a plan for our lives, our towns and our nations. It's time we work together and pray that God is with us. We need to bring back God into our homes, our classrooms, and our governments. Life without God is chaos. All you have to do is look around and see the extremes. Countries are failing, especially the US. Why? Because God isn't going to bless any country if the people that live there don't believe in Him. So, let's be women that believe in a Savior. Let's pray for our countries and for the men and women that live there. And let's pray that His kingdom comes and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven! We are His chosen, so please join me in praying for the world.
Matthew 6:33 NKJV:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, You are the leader of the world. The earth is under Your authority and someday, Your kingdom will. We realize that the US as well as other countries, needs to turn our toward You. We have given up the right to call upon You. We have been apathetic and have allowed sin into our lives and our homes. We ask You to forgive us of our sins. The women of the world unite to pray for all countries. We ask that You would lift our men to You. That they would become righteous leaders of their families and of their countries. Please bless the earth with Your power and majesty. We love You Lord and we pray that Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven!
In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
July 31, 2012
Good morning all! Well I wrote a very eloquent post today about prayer and as I pressed the button, oops, it got lost and is nowhere to be found. I'm not discouraged because I know that God will have His will one way or another. With that being said, I am going to have to write this evening. It seems that I am running out of time and need to meet my boss this morning. I hope today finds you well. Please read Matthew 6:33. I will be writing about it, again, later today. God reigns even if technology fails.
Your sister in Christ
Your sister in Christ
Sunday, July 29, 2012
July 28, 2012
Do you ever worry that your decisions will impact the rest of someone's life? Or maybe you're just worried about a decision that needs to be made? Either way, we have to make them. Recently, my husband and I had to make a major decision regarding our youngest son and I was perfectly confident when we first made it. I prayed about it for over a month and it seemed like everything was in place, but then, without warning, circumstances changed and the uncertainty crept in.
I know that God has control and yet, I wonder, what if we're making a mistake?
It's hard enough to make mistakes when you're the only one that will get hurt by your decision. However, things change dramatically when you're making decisions for others. I am, by nature, a very decisive person. I can make decisions faster than most. My husband on the other hand listens to many different people, mulls it over in his head, and most of the time becomes more conflicted. He's afraid more than I am and doesn't do well with change. I'm always changing so it's easier for me to continue to change. I also have the Lord, which He does too, but I pray about everything. That's why this time I am so conflicted because my husband is so uncertain and I want us to be likeminded and believe that we did this together.
I prayed about this and believe in my mind that the Lord gave me peace about this decision. I had a peace that surpassed anything I had ever experienced. Of course, every once in awhile, I let doubt creep in. That was easily turned when I reached out to Christ and said, "I trust in You." When I lost my mom, who was the caretaker of my children, I had to trust in God. I didn't have a choice. I was traveling the US almost every week. I was 3,000 miles a way most of the time. I prayed over my sons and asked the Lord to watch over them, provide me peace and help me find another job. I trusted that He would do that. For over a year, I looked and looked for a job, that would keep me closer to my family and when I relinquished my will, God provided. In the meantime, He provided protection and security for my sons.
So, why as I sit and write this am I so conflicted? I just don't want to make the wrong decision. It's hard to know if you're doing the right thing. You definitely can't go by feelings, you have to prayerfully consider every angle and then forge through. It's a balance of pro's and con's and in the end, you hope that your decision aligns with God's.
I'm reminded that trust is earned. And when we trust, we hold confidence that are lives are secure. So, today, I will trust in the Lord that even though I'm human, He will take care of my son. He will watch over him and protect him. He will mold him as he molds me and that this decision will help my son become a better man of God. Maybe, this is his right of passage. Like the days of old, sons were sent off to war, or to work the fields. Today, we send them to different schools and wait to see if the boy we sent in, becomes the man others can look up too.
My husband and I are just vessels of the Lord's. We can pray about the situation but at the end of the day, our son must align his will to Jesus'. He will walk his path alone and although we are guiding him for a little while, Jesus will guide Him a lifetime. Wherever you are today in the decisions of life, I hope that you will go to Jesus and ask Him to light your way. Because we live on earth, we will have to make many decisions and we will have to live by them. Jesus knows and is here to help us, as long as we trust in Him.
Joel 3:14 NKJV:
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
Proverbs 16:33 NKJV:
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
Joshua 1:7 NKJV:
Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
Psalm 125:1 NKJV:
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, my prayer today is that we will rest in You. That as the decisions come we would prayerfully go to You and sit at Your feet. We would ask today that You would provide the wisdom we need to make all decisions and that You would reign in the middle. We know that if our will aligns with Your will, our paths are clear. So today, as women of You, from every nation on earth, we come before You and ask that our will aligns with Yours in all things. If there are women out there alone, please be their husbands and help guide their paths. For those that are married, please provide unity between man and wife, so that every decision would be of You. We are Your vessels, to do with what You wish. We pray that we would be strong and courageous and that we would trust in You, and become like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved. You are the power behind our lives, they are Yours to command and it is our will that must follow. Guide us to Your cross and give us hearts for all Your people. Wherever we are today, be our guide, light our paths and watch over us all our days. We are a sinful generation, needing a mighty Savior. Be with us today and always. Your servants in Christ. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
It's hard enough to make mistakes when you're the only one that will get hurt by your decision. However, things change dramatically when you're making decisions for others. I am, by nature, a very decisive person. I can make decisions faster than most. My husband on the other hand listens to many different people, mulls it over in his head, and most of the time becomes more conflicted. He's afraid more than I am and doesn't do well with change. I'm always changing so it's easier for me to continue to change. I also have the Lord, which He does too, but I pray about everything. That's why this time I am so conflicted because my husband is so uncertain and I want us to be likeminded and believe that we did this together.
I prayed about this and believe in my mind that the Lord gave me peace about this decision. I had a peace that surpassed anything I had ever experienced. Of course, every once in awhile, I let doubt creep in. That was easily turned when I reached out to Christ and said, "I trust in You." When I lost my mom, who was the caretaker of my children, I had to trust in God. I didn't have a choice. I was traveling the US almost every week. I was 3,000 miles a way most of the time. I prayed over my sons and asked the Lord to watch over them, provide me peace and help me find another job. I trusted that He would do that. For over a year, I looked and looked for a job, that would keep me closer to my family and when I relinquished my will, God provided. In the meantime, He provided protection and security for my sons.
So, why as I sit and write this am I so conflicted? I just don't want to make the wrong decision. It's hard to know if you're doing the right thing. You definitely can't go by feelings, you have to prayerfully consider every angle and then forge through. It's a balance of pro's and con's and in the end, you hope that your decision aligns with God's.
I'm reminded that trust is earned. And when we trust, we hold confidence that are lives are secure. So, today, I will trust in the Lord that even though I'm human, He will take care of my son. He will watch over him and protect him. He will mold him as he molds me and that this decision will help my son become a better man of God. Maybe, this is his right of passage. Like the days of old, sons were sent off to war, or to work the fields. Today, we send them to different schools and wait to see if the boy we sent in, becomes the man others can look up too.
My husband and I are just vessels of the Lord's. We can pray about the situation but at the end of the day, our son must align his will to Jesus'. He will walk his path alone and although we are guiding him for a little while, Jesus will guide Him a lifetime. Wherever you are today in the decisions of life, I hope that you will go to Jesus and ask Him to light your way. Because we live on earth, we will have to make many decisions and we will have to live by them. Jesus knows and is here to help us, as long as we trust in Him.
Joel 3:14 NKJV:
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
Proverbs 16:33 NKJV:
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
Joshua 1:7 NKJV:
Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
Psalm 125:1 NKJV:
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, my prayer today is that we will rest in You. That as the decisions come we would prayerfully go to You and sit at Your feet. We would ask today that You would provide the wisdom we need to make all decisions and that You would reign in the middle. We know that if our will aligns with Your will, our paths are clear. So today, as women of You, from every nation on earth, we come before You and ask that our will aligns with Yours in all things. If there are women out there alone, please be their husbands and help guide their paths. For those that are married, please provide unity between man and wife, so that every decision would be of You. We are Your vessels, to do with what You wish. We pray that we would be strong and courageous and that we would trust in You, and become like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved. You are the power behind our lives, they are Yours to command and it is our will that must follow. Guide us to Your cross and give us hearts for all Your people. Wherever we are today, be our guide, light our paths and watch over us all our days. We are a sinful generation, needing a mighty Savior. Be with us today and always. Your servants in Christ. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Friday, July 27, 2012
July 26,2012
What does it mean to be a woman of Christ? Is it about your image or how much you serve the church? No, to be a woman of Christ you must love the Lord with all your heart. Although image matters to the world, God never looks at image. Image is the deception of the world. If you look a certain way you are accepted, successful and are considered to have a full life. Really? What does that have to do with our eternity or God's plan. Absolutely nothing. God doesn't look at the clothes you wear or how smart you are, he only looks at your heart. We are His chosen women born to live this life fulfilling His plan. You are important, not because you have things or look the part. You are important to Him because He made You!
Today, we unite as women in Christ. We call to our Father and shout, "We are Yours!" Throw away the cares of this world and put on the shield of righteousness. Unite with me as women with one God, loving our sisters and brothers in all nations, praying for one another and praying that God would restore us to Him. The world is changing at a fast rate. We live in a world full of war, famine, death and destruction. Young people are lost and we, meaning Christians, rarely stay steadfast. Sin is all around us and we fall into it so easily. But we have a Savior that came to this earth, perfect in every way. He was born to save us from ourselves. He is the Son of God, who joined His Father at the cross. They are one and we are saved!
Right now as I write this, people are burying loved ones. There are people praying for their children that are lost on drugs. Many are watching crimes happen in the street and feel helpless. And for those without food or shelter, they are wandering, wondering when someone will save them. These are just a few of the many scenarios in the world. There are many more, like female trafficking, prostitution, abuse, neglect and murder. Wow! That's a mouthful. But it exists in our world, just as it has for centuries. The crimes are more vivid because we have mass communication and with it, stories from all over the world are revealed.
I'm glad we were born to this age. A story, a person, or a tragedy is known to thousands and it gives us an advantage because we have the ability to stand in the gap. We can't change the events. However, there is power in prayer. There is power when people come together and pray. There is power in Jesus Christ. Don't ever let anyone tell you that there's not. Jesus knew it. He gave His life so that one day we would be united with Him in Heaven. He threw image out the door and sacrificed Himself for us!
You are an important part of His plan. You were made for this moment. You were designed and molded for today. You are special, not because of anything you have done. He is Your Father and although He could do everything without You, He called You anyway. I don't know what God is doing in Your life right now. I only know what He is doing in mine. My life is open to Him and as I write I feel the Holy Spirit ministering to me and inspiring me. I hope today You find Your path. Reach out to Jesus and hear His call. The workers are few but the fields are many. Like a farmer, our fields need cultivating. We must take care to feed our souls with the word and to ask for boldness. We must believe that our Savior came for us and that we were born for this time.
Please join me in praying for every country around the world. We need to pray for peace, for restoration and for the hand of God to unite men and women all over the world. We need to be one voice, one body, loving our Savior. Time is ticking and at His hand, Christ knows the hour. Meanwhile, we are to be watching over His flock with courage and diligence. We can't do it alone. Christ must be with us and for us. I believe He is; I hope you do too.
May your day be blessed by the words of our Lord today my sisters. We are His! That's the only image we need to count on. For today, as in every day, I'm wishing many blessings on your lives and those of your families. Please join me in being counted as one of Christ's farmers. We have a great work to do, so if you feel called, please have enough courage to move!
Deuteronomy 11:13-14 NKJV:
'And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, my prayer is simple today. Lift up Your workers to cultivate Your fields. Make us women that love You with all our hearts. Give us the courage to be bold in our pursuit of You and unite us one by one for one purpose. We want to serve You all our days. We ask that You would give us enough strength to do Your work and courage to spread Your word. Please take away the bonds of our images and replace them with a need to serve You. This life is hard but You are more powerful than any circumstance. Bring us to YOU!
Until tomorrow...
Today, we unite as women in Christ. We call to our Father and shout, "We are Yours!" Throw away the cares of this world and put on the shield of righteousness. Unite with me as women with one God, loving our sisters and brothers in all nations, praying for one another and praying that God would restore us to Him. The world is changing at a fast rate. We live in a world full of war, famine, death and destruction. Young people are lost and we, meaning Christians, rarely stay steadfast. Sin is all around us and we fall into it so easily. But we have a Savior that came to this earth, perfect in every way. He was born to save us from ourselves. He is the Son of God, who joined His Father at the cross. They are one and we are saved!
Right now as I write this, people are burying loved ones. There are people praying for their children that are lost on drugs. Many are watching crimes happen in the street and feel helpless. And for those without food or shelter, they are wandering, wondering when someone will save them. These are just a few of the many scenarios in the world. There are many more, like female trafficking, prostitution, abuse, neglect and murder. Wow! That's a mouthful. But it exists in our world, just as it has for centuries. The crimes are more vivid because we have mass communication and with it, stories from all over the world are revealed.
I'm glad we were born to this age. A story, a person, or a tragedy is known to thousands and it gives us an advantage because we have the ability to stand in the gap. We can't change the events. However, there is power in prayer. There is power when people come together and pray. There is power in Jesus Christ. Don't ever let anyone tell you that there's not. Jesus knew it. He gave His life so that one day we would be united with Him in Heaven. He threw image out the door and sacrificed Himself for us!
You are an important part of His plan. You were made for this moment. You were designed and molded for today. You are special, not because of anything you have done. He is Your Father and although He could do everything without You, He called You anyway. I don't know what God is doing in Your life right now. I only know what He is doing in mine. My life is open to Him and as I write I feel the Holy Spirit ministering to me and inspiring me. I hope today You find Your path. Reach out to Jesus and hear His call. The workers are few but the fields are many. Like a farmer, our fields need cultivating. We must take care to feed our souls with the word and to ask for boldness. We must believe that our Savior came for us and that we were born for this time.
Please join me in praying for every country around the world. We need to pray for peace, for restoration and for the hand of God to unite men and women all over the world. We need to be one voice, one body, loving our Savior. Time is ticking and at His hand, Christ knows the hour. Meanwhile, we are to be watching over His flock with courage and diligence. We can't do it alone. Christ must be with us and for us. I believe He is; I hope you do too.
May your day be blessed by the words of our Lord today my sisters. We are His! That's the only image we need to count on. For today, as in every day, I'm wishing many blessings on your lives and those of your families. Please join me in being counted as one of Christ's farmers. We have a great work to do, so if you feel called, please have enough courage to move!
Deuteronomy 11:13-14 NKJV:
'And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, my prayer is simple today. Lift up Your workers to cultivate Your fields. Make us women that love You with all our hearts. Give us the courage to be bold in our pursuit of You and unite us one by one for one purpose. We want to serve You all our days. We ask that You would give us enough strength to do Your work and courage to spread Your word. Please take away the bonds of our images and replace them with a need to serve You. This life is hard but You are more powerful than any circumstance. Bring us to YOU!
Until tomorrow...
Thursday, July 26, 2012
July 25, 2012
Take this cup. Do you remember who said that? Do you know what it represents? It was said several very key times in the Bible. Jesus said it. It represents His sacrifice for us. In one passage in Corinthians, He states, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood."
The rules of the past were broken on the cross. A new covenant came into play that encompassed grace. The grace we have in our lives today comes from the cross. Jesus did that for us. He stood in the middle between God and us. He is one with His Father and He earned the right to fight for us, which is why we are led by the Holy Spirit and why we must remember the new covenant.
I'm sure that you have times in your life when you question whether God is listening. I think everyone does but if you remember this promise then you understand the power behind the cross. I have come to realize that everything is not mine. That only what God chooses to give me is. I have also come to realize that this life, just like Jesus's, is not mine, it's His. It's a concept that eluded me for years. Because when I prayed, I really believed He would give me what I wanted. But one day, I grew up and realized that I am given exactly what is in His plan, no more, no less. I'm not two, I'm a grown adult and just like Jesus I must surrender my cup to my Father.
That doesn't mean that I don't struggle with the direction or path He has set. I do. I have taken many maizes in my life, only to come back to the only door that means anything. Jesus is the reason I live, I breathe and I'm alive. I know that now. I won't always get my way and I may still be in a maize a time or two, but I'm learning to look for the door faster and when the door opens, I listen.
We must all take a moment and remember in our busy lives what Jesus did for us today. God made a covenant with Abraham and Jesus made a covenant for the rest of us. We are protected under the trinity, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us, and we have a Father that truly loves us, what more could we ask. Oh believe me, we ask. And yet, we must remember that when we worship Him, when we break bread, when we fast, and when we stand still, He is our Savior. May Christ be glorified by these words and may we all spend some time today thanking Him for His death and for giving us life through His sacrifice.
May God be with you today my sisters, wherever you live. May He bless your families and may He give you strength. He is our Lord and worthy to be praised!
1 Corinthians 11:24-25 NKJV:
and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
Mark 14:36 NKJV:
And He said, "Abba, Father all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."
My prayer today:
O, Lord, my Father, my Savior, grant me the wisdom to follow You all my days. Help me to release my cup to You and to do Your will, not for me but for Your glory. Take my hand and guide me day by day. Enlighten me with Your thoughts and keep me from sin. Show me Your ways and how to love Your people more. Grant me peace that goes beyond all understanding. Give me hands to heal and a heart to be open. Take me through the maize of life and guide me to Your door. I'm knocking, waiting for my Savior to open and lead me on my path. I am weak but You are strong. I am sinful but You are perfect. I'm in need of a Savior that reminds me that His blood made a covenant for me. I am in awe of You, my Father, help me to always be this way. I want to walk with You all my days, speaking and shouting, that You are my Lord. If people walk by me and think I'm weird, so be it, because I serve a Lord that laid down His life for Me and I will forever cherish that. Thank You for giving us grace and mercy. We are lost but You continue to find us and show us our way. Take every woman's hand today Lord and guide them. Nations are crying out to You. They need You. Be there for them today and help the United States get back to being a God fearing nation. We have lost You in everything but we need You Lord. Don't close Your eyes to us but lead us to be a great nation that cares for other nations and watches over the weak. In all I do and for all I am, I give my life to You today. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
The rules of the past were broken on the cross. A new covenant came into play that encompassed grace. The grace we have in our lives today comes from the cross. Jesus did that for us. He stood in the middle between God and us. He is one with His Father and He earned the right to fight for us, which is why we are led by the Holy Spirit and why we must remember the new covenant.
I'm sure that you have times in your life when you question whether God is listening. I think everyone does but if you remember this promise then you understand the power behind the cross. I have come to realize that everything is not mine. That only what God chooses to give me is. I have also come to realize that this life, just like Jesus's, is not mine, it's His. It's a concept that eluded me for years. Because when I prayed, I really believed He would give me what I wanted. But one day, I grew up and realized that I am given exactly what is in His plan, no more, no less. I'm not two, I'm a grown adult and just like Jesus I must surrender my cup to my Father.
That doesn't mean that I don't struggle with the direction or path He has set. I do. I have taken many maizes in my life, only to come back to the only door that means anything. Jesus is the reason I live, I breathe and I'm alive. I know that now. I won't always get my way and I may still be in a maize a time or two, but I'm learning to look for the door faster and when the door opens, I listen.
We must all take a moment and remember in our busy lives what Jesus did for us today. God made a covenant with Abraham and Jesus made a covenant for the rest of us. We are protected under the trinity, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us, and we have a Father that truly loves us, what more could we ask. Oh believe me, we ask. And yet, we must remember that when we worship Him, when we break bread, when we fast, and when we stand still, He is our Savior. May Christ be glorified by these words and may we all spend some time today thanking Him for His death and for giving us life through His sacrifice.
May God be with you today my sisters, wherever you live. May He bless your families and may He give you strength. He is our Lord and worthy to be praised!
1 Corinthians 11:24-25 NKJV:
and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
Mark 14:36 NKJV:
And He said, "Abba, Father all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."
My prayer today:
O, Lord, my Father, my Savior, grant me the wisdom to follow You all my days. Help me to release my cup to You and to do Your will, not for me but for Your glory. Take my hand and guide me day by day. Enlighten me with Your thoughts and keep me from sin. Show me Your ways and how to love Your people more. Grant me peace that goes beyond all understanding. Give me hands to heal and a heart to be open. Take me through the maize of life and guide me to Your door. I'm knocking, waiting for my Savior to open and lead me on my path. I am weak but You are strong. I am sinful but You are perfect. I'm in need of a Savior that reminds me that His blood made a covenant for me. I am in awe of You, my Father, help me to always be this way. I want to walk with You all my days, speaking and shouting, that You are my Lord. If people walk by me and think I'm weird, so be it, because I serve a Lord that laid down His life for Me and I will forever cherish that. Thank You for giving us grace and mercy. We are lost but You continue to find us and show us our way. Take every woman's hand today Lord and guide them. Nations are crying out to You. They need You. Be there for them today and help the United States get back to being a God fearing nation. We have lost You in everything but we need You Lord. Don't close Your eyes to us but lead us to be a great nation that cares for other nations and watches over the weak. In all I do and for all I am, I give my life to You today. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
July 24, 2012
I was traveling for a few days and wasn't able to write. I will be back on tomorrow. Love to all my sisters in Christ.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
July 21, 2012
Everywhere I look, there is tragedy. A shooting one day, a 17 year old boy the next. Death surrounds us, it encompasses our lives. We live, we die. Really, that is the truth. What is it about the timeline that matters so much? If you live to be old, you probably wish you could have died when your friends and family did. If you lose someone young, you wish they had more time to live. The clock is ticking and yet, we look at life as if we have forever.
Forever comes sooner than we think. It might be as an infant, a toddler, a teenager, or you might just live life into your 90's. The wheel turns and no one knows when their last hour will be. We can fear it, we can deny it but someday, we will all perish.
I used to fear death. I used to fear that I would lose my children. Even as a Christian I feared death. Not because I was afraid to be with Jesus but it was more the idea of those that I would leave behind. As if I had a say in it. I don't fear death anymore and I don't worry about controlling events. Because, I have no control over them anyway. But I do know what it's like to mourn and I do know that the clock is ticking.
Time is only important if we aren't using it wisely. Live for today, what does that mean exactly? It means, give yourself to your maker and strive to live in today. Addicts understand this principle. If you want to become clean and free from addiction, you can only live for today. You must participate in that day, make good choices and serve the Lord your God. In AA, they call it your higher power. I understand the concept, but it's a Biblical principle to live in today and there is only one God that can heal you from addiction. Living for today has to become a vital part of who we are. If you look out too far, you might miss your blessing. God works on today because He already knows what will happen tomorrow. It's too hard for us to wait on Him if we are looking at the clock. First of all, we have no control of the time and second, why do we want to anyway?
I guess that's why I live in the moment. I don't know how many days I have on this earth with the people I love. I could remain 50 more years or be gone tomorrow. So, I must concentrate on what God wants me to do today. The one thing I can always do is love someone. I have control of that because I am called to do so. My heart goes out to all those of you that are dealing with loss. It could be a relationship, divorce, or death. God has a heart for you too. It might not seem like it right now but He sees your tears, feels your hurt, and is reaching out to you. He loves you and He is calling all of us to love you too. I can't fix what's happening in this world. I can only participate in today. I wish I could wipe the tears, hold the lost, and love everyone, but there's just me, so I will be praying for the faceless. God knows who they are. I'm just called to love them today.
If you're there today, feeling lost, hopeless and mourning for an event that has occurred, reach out to me or someone you know. We are here for you, soldiers, in an army of One. Jesus came for you. He's reaching out and asking all of us to unite in prayer. We may not know you, but your cries are being heard all over the world. How? Because, God is calling His women to open their hearts, to pray for those they don't know and to use their time, here on earth, wisely. We only have today, so let's do something productive.
I hope you are making memories today. I hope as I write this you are spending time with friends and family. I hope you are making moments count and tonight, I hope you share your heart to our Lord. I hope you lay there and ask the Lord of your life to heal the hurting, seek the lost and lift up the discouraged. Women all over the world need a Savior, call out to Him today. He's waiting to hear from you. Live today my sisters and find joy in the Lord. Take time for Him, so that you can make Him known. And reach out to someone this week, someone you don't know and encourage them in prayer. Thank you for being my sisters.
John 6:37 NKJV:
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NKJV:
My prayer today:
O, Lord, only you know the time and hour when life becomes death. We were born to die and to become one with You again. Help us to live in today and to have hearts for the hurting. Lay women and men on our hearts that need to know You. Or, if they know you but are floundering, give us the courage to be there for them, to stand in the gap and pray. I love it when you lay someone on my heart that I don't know because it reminds me how much You love all Your children. In Your kingdom, there are no favorites, You call us by name and know what must be done today. Help us to be servants to Your flock and give us the wisdom and authority to seek You, while we are praying for Your children. As always, we are women that want to serve our Savior. We ask that You would hold us up, that You would keep sin out of our lives and that You would protect us as we spread Your word. We want to live for today because only You know about tomorrow. Set us on our path and light our way. Help those today that are mourning and give them peace that You are near. We thank You for the love You provide Your chosen. May we seek You daily and learn to love You more. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Forever comes sooner than we think. It might be as an infant, a toddler, a teenager, or you might just live life into your 90's. The wheel turns and no one knows when their last hour will be. We can fear it, we can deny it but someday, we will all perish.
I used to fear death. I used to fear that I would lose my children. Even as a Christian I feared death. Not because I was afraid to be with Jesus but it was more the idea of those that I would leave behind. As if I had a say in it. I don't fear death anymore and I don't worry about controlling events. Because, I have no control over them anyway. But I do know what it's like to mourn and I do know that the clock is ticking.
Time is only important if we aren't using it wisely. Live for today, what does that mean exactly? It means, give yourself to your maker and strive to live in today. Addicts understand this principle. If you want to become clean and free from addiction, you can only live for today. You must participate in that day, make good choices and serve the Lord your God. In AA, they call it your higher power. I understand the concept, but it's a Biblical principle to live in today and there is only one God that can heal you from addiction. Living for today has to become a vital part of who we are. If you look out too far, you might miss your blessing. God works on today because He already knows what will happen tomorrow. It's too hard for us to wait on Him if we are looking at the clock. First of all, we have no control of the time and second, why do we want to anyway?
I guess that's why I live in the moment. I don't know how many days I have on this earth with the people I love. I could remain 50 more years or be gone tomorrow. So, I must concentrate on what God wants me to do today. The one thing I can always do is love someone. I have control of that because I am called to do so. My heart goes out to all those of you that are dealing with loss. It could be a relationship, divorce, or death. God has a heart for you too. It might not seem like it right now but He sees your tears, feels your hurt, and is reaching out to you. He loves you and He is calling all of us to love you too. I can't fix what's happening in this world. I can only participate in today. I wish I could wipe the tears, hold the lost, and love everyone, but there's just me, so I will be praying for the faceless. God knows who they are. I'm just called to love them today.
If you're there today, feeling lost, hopeless and mourning for an event that has occurred, reach out to me or someone you know. We are here for you, soldiers, in an army of One. Jesus came for you. He's reaching out and asking all of us to unite in prayer. We may not know you, but your cries are being heard all over the world. How? Because, God is calling His women to open their hearts, to pray for those they don't know and to use their time, here on earth, wisely. We only have today, so let's do something productive.
I hope you are making memories today. I hope as I write this you are spending time with friends and family. I hope you are making moments count and tonight, I hope you share your heart to our Lord. I hope you lay there and ask the Lord of your life to heal the hurting, seek the lost and lift up the discouraged. Women all over the world need a Savior, call out to Him today. He's waiting to hear from you. Live today my sisters and find joy in the Lord. Take time for Him, so that you can make Him known. And reach out to someone this week, someone you don't know and encourage them in prayer. Thank you for being my sisters.
John 6:37 NKJV:
All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NKJV:
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain and a time to lose;
A time to keep and a time to throw away;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Psalm 56:3 NKJV:
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, only you know the time and hour when life becomes death. We were born to die and to become one with You again. Help us to live in today and to have hearts for the hurting. Lay women and men on our hearts that need to know You. Or, if they know you but are floundering, give us the courage to be there for them, to stand in the gap and pray. I love it when you lay someone on my heart that I don't know because it reminds me how much You love all Your children. In Your kingdom, there are no favorites, You call us by name and know what must be done today. Help us to be servants to Your flock and give us the wisdom and authority to seek You, while we are praying for Your children. As always, we are women that want to serve our Savior. We ask that You would hold us up, that You would keep sin out of our lives and that You would protect us as we spread Your word. We want to live for today because only You know about tomorrow. Set us on our path and light our way. Help those today that are mourning and give them peace that You are near. We thank You for the love You provide Your chosen. May we seek You daily and learn to love You more. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Saturday, July 21, 2012
July 21, 2012
Yesterday, in the United States people woke up to the news that 12 people had died in a movie theatre. The incident is horrific but I'm asking all of us to not look at the act but pray for the victims, the shooter and the families of all involved. We can choose to look at this like everyone else. We can question what kind of parents raised a son that would kill innocent people or we can take the stand that evil lurks but God is good and He will heal those that are left behind. I would rather choose for His glory to be done and healing throughout a nation rather than worrying about why.
I can't change the events that occur all over the world. I wish I could. I would love if women weren't tortured, raped and molested. I would love if the wars would stop and people could find peace. I would love if everyone in Africa and all underprivileged countries had enough food. I would love it if the killing would stop. Unfortunately, I don't get to choose. I get to live in a fallen world, where there is evil. I get to be part of a movement that spreads the Gospel and teaches that God loves us. I get to be a woman praying for a nation and the nation of others. Why? This world may be evil but we bow down to a God that loves us and that will have victory in the end.
I don't want to be afraid to send my kids to a movie, drop them off at school or watch them travel the world. I must raise my sons to look at the world as a canvas and they are the painters. Of course, the minute I heard the news, I stopped. Do you know that my sons, when out of school, attend all the premiers like the Batman one. What if? I don't want to play the game of russian roulette. There is no game for me. This is Christ's will on my life and theirs. I don't want to walk in fear that tomorrow the sky will fall and life will be different.
Satan wants us all to fear the unknown. He plays on it and right now is hoping we are scared to go to the movie theatre. He's hoping that women are watching the news and they are paralyzed. It wouldn't be hard. We want to protect our own and yet, we can't. Our protection comes from our Father. He knows the time we will live and die. He knows every circumstance.
Today, I am having faith that my sisters in Christ will unite and pray for the victims of this tragedy. They are all victims but in the dark there were chosen heroes, saving others, instead of themselves. Those are the stories I want us to remember. Let's thank Christ for those that survived, may they do unbelievable things in their lives through their testimony, like those that came out of Columbine. Many of those children chose Christ and I'm sure they are still thankful that they are here to share their story.
Massacres are never easy. Senseless killing is just not right. But we follow a king that knows what tomorrow will bring. We need to lift our brothers and sisters up and ask that God would do a miracle in their lives. Please pray for the children that attended. That they will see the hand of Christ and that they will walk in the light and not fear evil. Children are resilient and they see God so much better than we do. Pray for all of them please and remember that even though evil lurks, God is here!
1 John 3 16-23 NKJV:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
There are no assurances in this life. We could walk out our doors today and perish. We don't know what the next hour holds, let alone tomorrow. Our only assurance in anything is our belief and love of Christ Jesus. He knows everything and as I write, He has control of every word, every deed and every person. I take comfort that He is present in this tragedy. I also take comfort that He is present with all of us. He is our guide, through His Spirit, He is revealed. If you don't know Him today, please come before Him and ask Him into your heart. People will let you down but He won't. He is the only sure thing on this earth. May God bless all of you as you reach out in prayer for the victims throughout the world. They aren't just in Colorado, they are in every nation. God will have victory but first, we have to believe.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I come before You asking You to heal a nation. We ask that You would bring comfort to the victims in Colorado and that You would be present with them as they deal with the events of July 19, 2012. They are Your people and I'm sure that many came to know You that fateful night. The testimonies of the heroes are about sacrifice and You know sacrifice better than anyone. I'm asking that You protect those that survived and feed them through Your body. I pray that women in every nation would unite and pray that Your will be done on the lives of these victims. I pray that You would have victory in the battle and that people all over the world would come to You, crying that You are king. I ask that Your Holy Spirit minister and pour out to the people of Colorado and that this senseless killing would represent more than lost lives. I pray that there would be an outpouring of love and that we would all respond by lifting these people up. You are the only one that can heal a nation. You are the only one that can save a woman from being stoned. You are the only one that can protect us and keep us all our days. I pray right now that we would see that and we would claim that You are the chosen Son, who came and died for us. We are sinful people, Lord. People will judge the shooter's parents. They will judge the parents that took their children to the movie. They will judge! Please keep us from judgement and help us turn toward You. The judgement comes from our fear and Lord, we don't want to fear. We come before You, Your women asking for You to do miracles in every nation in the world. War will come, people will die but please help us to pray through it, so that we can see Your victory. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
I can't change the events that occur all over the world. I wish I could. I would love if women weren't tortured, raped and molested. I would love if the wars would stop and people could find peace. I would love if everyone in Africa and all underprivileged countries had enough food. I would love it if the killing would stop. Unfortunately, I don't get to choose. I get to live in a fallen world, where there is evil. I get to be part of a movement that spreads the Gospel and teaches that God loves us. I get to be a woman praying for a nation and the nation of others. Why? This world may be evil but we bow down to a God that loves us and that will have victory in the end.
I don't want to be afraid to send my kids to a movie, drop them off at school or watch them travel the world. I must raise my sons to look at the world as a canvas and they are the painters. Of course, the minute I heard the news, I stopped. Do you know that my sons, when out of school, attend all the premiers like the Batman one. What if? I don't want to play the game of russian roulette. There is no game for me. This is Christ's will on my life and theirs. I don't want to walk in fear that tomorrow the sky will fall and life will be different.
Satan wants us all to fear the unknown. He plays on it and right now is hoping we are scared to go to the movie theatre. He's hoping that women are watching the news and they are paralyzed. It wouldn't be hard. We want to protect our own and yet, we can't. Our protection comes from our Father. He knows the time we will live and die. He knows every circumstance.
Today, I am having faith that my sisters in Christ will unite and pray for the victims of this tragedy. They are all victims but in the dark there were chosen heroes, saving others, instead of themselves. Those are the stories I want us to remember. Let's thank Christ for those that survived, may they do unbelievable things in their lives through their testimony, like those that came out of Columbine. Many of those children chose Christ and I'm sure they are still thankful that they are here to share their story.
Massacres are never easy. Senseless killing is just not right. But we follow a king that knows what tomorrow will bring. We need to lift our brothers and sisters up and ask that God would do a miracle in their lives. Please pray for the children that attended. That they will see the hand of Christ and that they will walk in the light and not fear evil. Children are resilient and they see God so much better than we do. Pray for all of them please and remember that even though evil lurks, God is here!
1 John 3 16-23 NKJV:
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
There are no assurances in this life. We could walk out our doors today and perish. We don't know what the next hour holds, let alone tomorrow. Our only assurance in anything is our belief and love of Christ Jesus. He knows everything and as I write, He has control of every word, every deed and every person. I take comfort that He is present in this tragedy. I also take comfort that He is present with all of us. He is our guide, through His Spirit, He is revealed. If you don't know Him today, please come before Him and ask Him into your heart. People will let you down but He won't. He is the only sure thing on this earth. May God bless all of you as you reach out in prayer for the victims throughout the world. They aren't just in Colorado, they are in every nation. God will have victory but first, we have to believe.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I come before You asking You to heal a nation. We ask that You would bring comfort to the victims in Colorado and that You would be present with them as they deal with the events of July 19, 2012. They are Your people and I'm sure that many came to know You that fateful night. The testimonies of the heroes are about sacrifice and You know sacrifice better than anyone. I'm asking that You protect those that survived and feed them through Your body. I pray that women in every nation would unite and pray that Your will be done on the lives of these victims. I pray that You would have victory in the battle and that people all over the world would come to You, crying that You are king. I ask that Your Holy Spirit minister and pour out to the people of Colorado and that this senseless killing would represent more than lost lives. I pray that there would be an outpouring of love and that we would all respond by lifting these people up. You are the only one that can heal a nation. You are the only one that can save a woman from being stoned. You are the only one that can protect us and keep us all our days. I pray right now that we would see that and we would claim that You are the chosen Son, who came and died for us. We are sinful people, Lord. People will judge the shooter's parents. They will judge the parents that took their children to the movie. They will judge! Please keep us from judgement and help us turn toward You. The judgement comes from our fear and Lord, we don't want to fear. We come before You, Your women asking for You to do miracles in every nation in the world. War will come, people will die but please help us to pray through it, so that we can see Your victory. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Friday, July 20, 2012
July 20, 2012
Can you believe July is almost over? The days tick by so quickly. I can remember a time when it seemed like the calendar would never speed up and now, I would like it to slow down. Well, as I've been telling you, we are in a pretty dangerous situation in the middle of the US. Temperatures are rising into the 106 and 108 range this week. Grass is dying and I don't see the birds flying as much as I used too. It's just too hot. But yesterday, as I was driving the clouds were forming overhead and guess what? Five raindrops hit my windshield. Just five, but I praised the Lord for each one. I understand that some areas did get some rain, unfortunately, none of it hit my house. But I was praising God anyway. It's strange, if we didn't need the rain would I have had so much passion for five little drops. I'm not sure, probably not. I can think of many circumstance in life where I praised God when I really needed something but often, if I have an abundance, the praise doesn't come so easy.
It reminded me that my needs are taken care of every day. I have a roof over my head, with air conditioning, food to eat and money to pay my bills. I sometimes take these things for granted and yesterday, I realized that I really need to be praising Jesus for everything. I have been blessed and with that comes a great responsibility to remember exactly who holds my life in His hands. The birds know, the animals know, I think we are the only creatures that are praising Him one minute and grumbling the next.
Which got me to thinking about the Israelites and the praises they sent up to God when the Red Sea parted. I was actually in one of the offices I sell too and they had a little newspaper clipping on this subject. It said that the Israelites were praising and worshipping God but the longer the journey, the louder the grumbling and the less praising they were doing. I guess all of us are like that at times in our lives. I know that I would love for it to rain for several days and coat the land, but if it were to rain for weeks; I'm sure I would be that grumbling Israelite.
Our hearts and our need dictate which way we will go. If our heart needs something badly and God provides it, we will praise Him all day long. If we aren't getting what we think we need, we will grumble. I am going to challenge myself for the rest of this month to praise Him in this excessive heat, with or without rain. I'm going to thank Him for every provision and for every life I meet. I'm going to even thank Him when a doctor walks away from me, which by the way is not that easy for me, it really does hurt the pride.
I don't want to be like the Israelites counting the days, thinking negative thoughts and forgetting that I am in Christ's hands. I want to walk, knowing that every day He is with me and He will provide when the time comes. I want to keep at the forefront of my mind that I don't know His thoughts or His ways, but they are right and just. It's quite a challenge I know! I'm laughing right now wondering when I will fail it. However, I am committed to loving my Lord and that means thanking Him for every provision, every day.
I hope you challenge yourself too. It's amazing how many things we take for granted. As always, I am praying for you my sisters and asking God to further His kingdom through you. Thanks for reading this blog and for giving me inspiration every day to get up and write it. This blog is just another example of why I should be praising God. He provides the words, I'm just the vessel He uses to write them. May God be with you today as you go about your day.
Deuteronomy 14:1-2 NKJV:
"You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead. For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth."
Psalm 132:15 NKJV:
I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV:
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven;
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I come before You, humbled by five rain drops. It was exciting to watch the clouds cover the earth and to see those tiny drops as they hit my windshield. You are the great provider on this earth and I don't think we give You enough credit or praise for our lives and the provisions You provide. I'm in awe of You today and want to shout out to the world, "YOU ARE LORD." Help us to be like You, to take each circumstance and praise You through it. We are so fickle that we wander around in a state of confusion. One minute we are up praising Your name and the next, we are grumbling, depressed and full of unbelief. But You know us and You love us anyway. You are the Father of our hearts, the power behind the Spirit and the God behind His people. We need You daily and we want to praise You for Your life! We never deserved to be saved and yet you came and chose us one by one. Guide Your women to You, help us to raise the next generation, give us the strength and the courage to fight the spiritual battles ahead and unite us all over the world. Please put on our hearts women and countries that need our support. We need to be aware that Your people need us to lift them up and to be ready when called. You are the light in my life. You guide me, You mold me and thank You Lord for You provide for me. We love You Lord, not just today but every day. Be our light in this darkened world and remind us of Your wonderful Spirit. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Thursday, July 19, 2012
July 19, 2012
Do you know what it means to be steadfast? Dictionary.com states, it's unwavering, resolution, faith, attachment, etc. Doesn't that make you think for a moment? How often are you steadfast in your belief that Jesus is God's Son, that God exists and that He sent His only Son for our sins? Or maybe we should take the Bible into hand. Is what is written in the word, honest, true and lasting for all time?
When I think of steadfast, I think of Paul. Maybe it's because he had to endure prison and spread the Gospel at the same time. Or maybe it's David. He really messed some things up with Bathsheba but then he took his consequences and became a man after God's own heart.
Not many in the Bible were truly steadfast. They wavered with circumstances, especially the disciples but in the end they remained steadfast in their faith. I'm comforted that not even the men that walked with Jesus remained steadfast in Him. It gives me a little room to grow, don't you think? Even they cried out on the boat, Peter didn't want to walk on the sea, and Timothy totally doubted.
Are we called to remain steadfast in Him? I believe so. Of course, we can't do this if we don't understand Him, pray to Him, read His word and experience Him. We must be tested and challenged so when our boat starts rocking, we remain still and steadfast in His love. We know He exists because we claim Him as our Savior but do we believe in the power that He represents?
Our lives have been mapped out since the day we were born. He is constantly molding us into the women He needs us to be. The vessels that do the best are those that believe in Him and rarely waver. I say rarely because everyone wavers. We are all like stalks of wheat and when the wind hits us we bend ever so gently but then we stand still and feast in the light of our Lord.
I think we are being called to remain steadfast in Him so that others that are watching can see our passion, our patience, our faith. We are called to unite and encourage one another. There's nothing wrong if you're bouncing all around, feeling lonely and just don't see God, because we do! We can lift you up, we can tell you He's here and we will stand by you in prayer, filling in the gap so that once again you can stand steadfast in Him.
I used to be that shock of wheat, whipping in the wind. If things didn't go exactly to plan, I wavered. For a time, I walked away from church, from people and from God. I didn't deny Him but I walked away. He didn't fix my marriage and I was so angry. Wasn't He a God that heard prayers? I cried out to Him and nothing changed. So, I walked away from everything I loved. I wavered and I suffered. Walking away from Jesus was like me losing a piece of my heart. But do you know what I found out, He never left me. I walked away and He pursued me. Really? Yes, He did. He put people in my path that asked me to church, He brought me to a place I had to run to Him and He loved me even when I walked away, immersed in self-pity and no faith. He brought me to the end of myself so that I could be with Him. I'll never forget the Christmas I sat in church and weeped. I'm not a crier. I don't like to cry and I learned long ago I had to be strong for everyone around me. But Jesus knew that my tears would renew my heart and my relationship with Him. So, I sat there and weeped. I asked Him to forgive me and He loved me right there.
Miracles happened after that day. My marriage was restored. My children no longer had to go to two homes and my life became a journey of believing that Jesus was enough. It wasn't easy and I'm still working on being steadfast in Him but He helps me and I am so thankful for His desire to want me. Even when people abandon you, Jesus loves you and wants you. I take comfort in that, don't you?
Psalm 51:10 NKJV:
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
1 Corinthians 7:37 NKJV:
Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will...
My prayer today:
O, Lord, You are mighty. We waver like the wheat and you pursue us and still our hearts. You know each one of us by name. You call upon us individually and you steer us on the path of Your choice. You have given each of us gifts and You use them to love Your people. Help us all unite and be of one heart, a heart that yearns for You. We are lost but in the darkness, You come before us and ask us to follow You, and hopefully, we do. You are steadfast in all things. Your words are true, Your heart is pure and Your power is magnificent. We owe You our lives, so we come before You asking You to make us steadfast in You, renew our hearts and give us the courage to shout that You are Lord. We desire to know You better, to walk with You more and to be the women You created us to be. Protect our families as You steer our coarse and show us every day the hurting, the lonely, and the lost. Bring women to us that need a Savior and help us to show them the love You have shown us. You are our King! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
When I think of steadfast, I think of Paul. Maybe it's because he had to endure prison and spread the Gospel at the same time. Or maybe it's David. He really messed some things up with Bathsheba but then he took his consequences and became a man after God's own heart.
Not many in the Bible were truly steadfast. They wavered with circumstances, especially the disciples but in the end they remained steadfast in their faith. I'm comforted that not even the men that walked with Jesus remained steadfast in Him. It gives me a little room to grow, don't you think? Even they cried out on the boat, Peter didn't want to walk on the sea, and Timothy totally doubted.
Are we called to remain steadfast in Him? I believe so. Of course, we can't do this if we don't understand Him, pray to Him, read His word and experience Him. We must be tested and challenged so when our boat starts rocking, we remain still and steadfast in His love. We know He exists because we claim Him as our Savior but do we believe in the power that He represents?
Our lives have been mapped out since the day we were born. He is constantly molding us into the women He needs us to be. The vessels that do the best are those that believe in Him and rarely waver. I say rarely because everyone wavers. We are all like stalks of wheat and when the wind hits us we bend ever so gently but then we stand still and feast in the light of our Lord.
I think we are being called to remain steadfast in Him so that others that are watching can see our passion, our patience, our faith. We are called to unite and encourage one another. There's nothing wrong if you're bouncing all around, feeling lonely and just don't see God, because we do! We can lift you up, we can tell you He's here and we will stand by you in prayer, filling in the gap so that once again you can stand steadfast in Him.
I used to be that shock of wheat, whipping in the wind. If things didn't go exactly to plan, I wavered. For a time, I walked away from church, from people and from God. I didn't deny Him but I walked away. He didn't fix my marriage and I was so angry. Wasn't He a God that heard prayers? I cried out to Him and nothing changed. So, I walked away from everything I loved. I wavered and I suffered. Walking away from Jesus was like me losing a piece of my heart. But do you know what I found out, He never left me. I walked away and He pursued me. Really? Yes, He did. He put people in my path that asked me to church, He brought me to a place I had to run to Him and He loved me even when I walked away, immersed in self-pity and no faith. He brought me to the end of myself so that I could be with Him. I'll never forget the Christmas I sat in church and weeped. I'm not a crier. I don't like to cry and I learned long ago I had to be strong for everyone around me. But Jesus knew that my tears would renew my heart and my relationship with Him. So, I sat there and weeped. I asked Him to forgive me and He loved me right there.
Miracles happened after that day. My marriage was restored. My children no longer had to go to two homes and my life became a journey of believing that Jesus was enough. It wasn't easy and I'm still working on being steadfast in Him but He helps me and I am so thankful for His desire to want me. Even when people abandon you, Jesus loves you and wants you. I take comfort in that, don't you?
Psalm 51:10 NKJV:
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
1 Corinthians 7:37 NKJV:
Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will...
My prayer today:
O, Lord, You are mighty. We waver like the wheat and you pursue us and still our hearts. You know each one of us by name. You call upon us individually and you steer us on the path of Your choice. You have given each of us gifts and You use them to love Your people. Help us all unite and be of one heart, a heart that yearns for You. We are lost but in the darkness, You come before us and ask us to follow You, and hopefully, we do. You are steadfast in all things. Your words are true, Your heart is pure and Your power is magnificent. We owe You our lives, so we come before You asking You to make us steadfast in You, renew our hearts and give us the courage to shout that You are Lord. We desire to know You better, to walk with You more and to be the women You created us to be. Protect our families as You steer our coarse and show us every day the hurting, the lonely, and the lost. Bring women to us that need a Savior and help us to show them the love You have shown us. You are our King! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
July 18, 2012
I opened the door to a nice hot breeze. It should be 106 today and that's in the shade. The days have grown hot here in Kansas and it reminds me of how difficult it must have been for the pioneers. I can't imagine what my life would be like without air conditioning, especially on days like today.
I always try to have a positive outlook during weather like this. We haven't seen rain in weeks, grass is dying, trees are losing leaves, and people are getting cranky. If you looked at the circumstances, you might think, bleak, right? I don't. God's in control. If He wants His grass will be watered, His trees will feel the flooding waters and everything will be green again. It's just not right now. So, if I were a weather man, I probably would be saying stay inside, conserve water because we just don't know when rain will come. I'm not though, I'm just a girl praying for Her Father to bring rain to His land.
Amazing when you think about all the things man has no control over. Every day you can wander into a situation you have no control over. Yesterday, I found out my sales numbers tanked again. Normally, I used to fill with fear, beg God to help and feel somewhat helpless. Today, I looked at them, thought about them and then said, "You're in control today, all I have to do is go to work and You will provide." His provision is enough for me, whether that's a great rain storm or turning my territory into a productive one. All I can do is pray and work. Those two things are always in my control.
It sounds simple but then again, like many things, I may have to give those numbers to God a million times this week. I may also be praying for rain for a month or more. But I know in the end, God will have His will on my life and on everything around me. He is in control, when we aren't. It's just recognizing that we have no control, that helps the most.
Like the sheep in the valley, we must follow our shepherd. He will lead and we must follow. I will trust that someday soon He will bring the rain to Kansas and for you, I trust He takes care of you all of your days.
I don't have all the answers but I know who does. Go to Jesus today with your requests and wait to see what He does with them. I challenge all of us to keep a journal of our prayers. Mine are written for all to see, let's see what God does with them as we become His flock. I'm praying for you, please keep praying for me.
Hebrews 10:23 NKJV:
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, You are my shepherd, I shall not want. I will trust in You today for the rain we so desperately need and for my full provision. Help me to look up at all circumstances and trust that You're in control. Life is too hard and things are never the same, I just want to know that when I put my head on that pillow, I've given You the control. Help all of us not to wander in the valley but please lead us by still waters, comfort us and make us Yours. We trust in You to be the great provider. Take us to task if we should waver and love us through ourselves. We come before You asking to know You more. We know that You are our Savior but Father, we want to have a relationship with You of trust, wisdom, discernment and love. We don't deserve a shepherd like You but we are so glad You are with us. I come before You today and ask that You would bless the hurting, calm the fearful and love the sinner. We worship You today. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
I always try to have a positive outlook during weather like this. We haven't seen rain in weeks, grass is dying, trees are losing leaves, and people are getting cranky. If you looked at the circumstances, you might think, bleak, right? I don't. God's in control. If He wants His grass will be watered, His trees will feel the flooding waters and everything will be green again. It's just not right now. So, if I were a weather man, I probably would be saying stay inside, conserve water because we just don't know when rain will come. I'm not though, I'm just a girl praying for Her Father to bring rain to His land.
Amazing when you think about all the things man has no control over. Every day you can wander into a situation you have no control over. Yesterday, I found out my sales numbers tanked again. Normally, I used to fill with fear, beg God to help and feel somewhat helpless. Today, I looked at them, thought about them and then said, "You're in control today, all I have to do is go to work and You will provide." His provision is enough for me, whether that's a great rain storm or turning my territory into a productive one. All I can do is pray and work. Those two things are always in my control.
It sounds simple but then again, like many things, I may have to give those numbers to God a million times this week. I may also be praying for rain for a month or more. But I know in the end, God will have His will on my life and on everything around me. He is in control, when we aren't. It's just recognizing that we have no control, that helps the most.
Like the sheep in the valley, we must follow our shepherd. He will lead and we must follow. I will trust that someday soon He will bring the rain to Kansas and for you, I trust He takes care of you all of your days.
I don't have all the answers but I know who does. Go to Jesus today with your requests and wait to see what He does with them. I challenge all of us to keep a journal of our prayers. Mine are written for all to see, let's see what God does with them as we become His flock. I'm praying for you, please keep praying for me.
Hebrews 10:23 NKJV:
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, You are my shepherd, I shall not want. I will trust in You today for the rain we so desperately need and for my full provision. Help me to look up at all circumstances and trust that You're in control. Life is too hard and things are never the same, I just want to know that when I put my head on that pillow, I've given You the control. Help all of us not to wander in the valley but please lead us by still waters, comfort us and make us Yours. We trust in You to be the great provider. Take us to task if we should waver and love us through ourselves. We come before You asking to know You more. We know that You are our Savior but Father, we want to have a relationship with You of trust, wisdom, discernment and love. We don't deserve a shepherd like You but we are so glad You are with us. I come before You today and ask that You would bless the hurting, calm the fearful and love the sinner. We worship You today. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
July 17, 2012
Is God sovereign? If you look up the meaning of the word, it means having supreme rank, authority, power. Is God all knowing? Is He powerful? Does He rule? The answer to all these questions is a resounding, YES! So if God is sovereign why are we always questioning His will, His authority, His power?
Faith comes from believing that He is sovereign. If you believe His will on your life is good and that He has authority over you, the fires might come but You will give them to Him. Why? Because you have taken Him out of the box and said, "I don't know what You're doing right now but it's right, good and just." Our lives belong to Him, not the other way around. He has the authority to make it rain until the grounds are flooded. He has the power to move mountains and He has the will to do anything He wants with our lives. That right was given to Jesus the minute He hung on the cross for you and me.
We are loved. I realize that we lose focus on what love is and if God exists. There are so many temptations and beliefs that take us away from believing the facts. They exist only in the Bible. They are spelled out in a way that the Bible is as true today as it was years ago. Are there lost books? Possibly, but they weren't meant to be in the Bible anyway. The Bible is an accounting and the only one that decided what would remain is God.
If you're questioning God and His authority, I would stop right now and pray. I've questioned Him, yelled at Him, cried to Him and wandered in the desert way to long for comfort. I've been stubborn, helpless and completely confused. It wasn't until I stopped, got on my knees and asked for forgiveness that I met Jesus. He knew my heart, He knew me and it took me dying to my flesh to see Him again. I have always learned the hard way. My mom used to say if there was a brick wall; I would choose to hit it rather than walk around it. That's me. I am stubborn to the core. Maybe that's why when I talk about Jesus, I am so stubborn about us looking to Him for everything in our lives. I learned the hard way that it's His way or mine. And, knowing what I know now, I would rather walk His path than mine.
We owe Him many things. He asks nothing from us but to love Him and to abide by Him. What does that mean? We must thank Him, follow Him, and trust Him. You can say you have faith but until He has tested you, faith is spoken but not abided by. So, if you have been tested in the last couple years and your faith has grown, I would love to hear about it. Or if you feel like your faith has been challenged and you're not sure that God has your back, give us a chance to pray for you. I have been in both situations and honestly, I came out a much better person.
If you don't want to comment on this blog, I have started a Facebook page called One Servant Full of Faith for Women Everywhere. Comment there. We can't unite if we aren't praying for one another. Also, if you feel led, please join this blog. I can see that women all over the world are beginning to join us. We treasure you and are praying for you. I don't know your names, but I know your countries. God is sovereign! He loves us all, black, white, indian and asian. He doesn't look at the color of your skin or the country you live in, He loves all of us. If you don't know Him, please reach out to me so that I can pray with you. Jesus is amazing, if He saved a retch like me, He definitely wants to save You.
Above all, we must worship Him, believe in Him and love Him! We have to stop looking at God through our eyes and think about Him in a much bigger light. He is the king of the heavens and earth. He reigns and someday He will come back for us. How do I know? Because it is written and when He does, I want to be able to tell Him of all the wonderful women that believed in Him!
Psalm 50:14-15- NKJV:
Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."
Revelation 19:6 NKJV:
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!"
James 2:22 NKJV:
Do you see that faith was working together with His works, and by works faith was made perfect?
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I come before You worshipping You and asking You to pour out Your love on every nation on the earth. You came for all of us and I am so thankful that You continue to choose Your followers and that we continue to hear the call. You are sovereign. I believe in the power that was given at Calgary. You hung on that cross and gave Your life. Some might question why a Father would have His Son killed in such a cruel way. I would say to them that Yours was the greatest sacrifice because when called You believed and trusted in Your Father. Your life was not Your own, as ours are not today. We are Your chosen women from every nation on earth and we come before You praising and worshipping You. I can almost hear the angels singing, "Alleluia! Our God reigns!" We come before You asking You to guide the lost to us Lord so that we can tell them the good news. We want to scream from the mountaintops that You are Lord and that Your will is divine. Help us to trust in You all of our days and give us courage and perseverance to love Your people, no matter what the obstacles look like. We desire to be like-minded with You, dying to our flesh, and following You all our days. Forgive us of our sins and make us new. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Faith comes from believing that He is sovereign. If you believe His will on your life is good and that He has authority over you, the fires might come but You will give them to Him. Why? Because you have taken Him out of the box and said, "I don't know what You're doing right now but it's right, good and just." Our lives belong to Him, not the other way around. He has the authority to make it rain until the grounds are flooded. He has the power to move mountains and He has the will to do anything He wants with our lives. That right was given to Jesus the minute He hung on the cross for you and me.
We are loved. I realize that we lose focus on what love is and if God exists. There are so many temptations and beliefs that take us away from believing the facts. They exist only in the Bible. They are spelled out in a way that the Bible is as true today as it was years ago. Are there lost books? Possibly, but they weren't meant to be in the Bible anyway. The Bible is an accounting and the only one that decided what would remain is God.
If you're questioning God and His authority, I would stop right now and pray. I've questioned Him, yelled at Him, cried to Him and wandered in the desert way to long for comfort. I've been stubborn, helpless and completely confused. It wasn't until I stopped, got on my knees and asked for forgiveness that I met Jesus. He knew my heart, He knew me and it took me dying to my flesh to see Him again. I have always learned the hard way. My mom used to say if there was a brick wall; I would choose to hit it rather than walk around it. That's me. I am stubborn to the core. Maybe that's why when I talk about Jesus, I am so stubborn about us looking to Him for everything in our lives. I learned the hard way that it's His way or mine. And, knowing what I know now, I would rather walk His path than mine.
We owe Him many things. He asks nothing from us but to love Him and to abide by Him. What does that mean? We must thank Him, follow Him, and trust Him. You can say you have faith but until He has tested you, faith is spoken but not abided by. So, if you have been tested in the last couple years and your faith has grown, I would love to hear about it. Or if you feel like your faith has been challenged and you're not sure that God has your back, give us a chance to pray for you. I have been in both situations and honestly, I came out a much better person.
If you don't want to comment on this blog, I have started a Facebook page called One Servant Full of Faith for Women Everywhere. Comment there. We can't unite if we aren't praying for one another. Also, if you feel led, please join this blog. I can see that women all over the world are beginning to join us. We treasure you and are praying for you. I don't know your names, but I know your countries. God is sovereign! He loves us all, black, white, indian and asian. He doesn't look at the color of your skin or the country you live in, He loves all of us. If you don't know Him, please reach out to me so that I can pray with you. Jesus is amazing, if He saved a retch like me, He definitely wants to save You.
Above all, we must worship Him, believe in Him and love Him! We have to stop looking at God through our eyes and think about Him in a much bigger light. He is the king of the heavens and earth. He reigns and someday He will come back for us. How do I know? Because it is written and when He does, I want to be able to tell Him of all the wonderful women that believed in Him!
Psalm 50:14-15- NKJV:
Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."
Revelation 19:6 NKJV:
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!"
James 2:22 NKJV:
Do you see that faith was working together with His works, and by works faith was made perfect?
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I come before You worshipping You and asking You to pour out Your love on every nation on the earth. You came for all of us and I am so thankful that You continue to choose Your followers and that we continue to hear the call. You are sovereign. I believe in the power that was given at Calgary. You hung on that cross and gave Your life. Some might question why a Father would have His Son killed in such a cruel way. I would say to them that Yours was the greatest sacrifice because when called You believed and trusted in Your Father. Your life was not Your own, as ours are not today. We are Your chosen women from every nation on earth and we come before You praising and worshipping You. I can almost hear the angels singing, "Alleluia! Our God reigns!" We come before You asking You to guide the lost to us Lord so that we can tell them the good news. We want to scream from the mountaintops that You are Lord and that Your will is divine. Help us to trust in You all of our days and give us courage and perseverance to love Your people, no matter what the obstacles look like. We desire to be like-minded with You, dying to our flesh, and following You all our days. Forgive us of our sins and make us new. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Monday, July 16, 2012
July 16, 2012
I woke up with lots of things on my mind today and all I could hear in my head is the song, You Raise Me Up. Weird, I haven't heard that song or sang it in awhile and yet, it is in my mind as I write. I could guess why that particular song is going through my mind but in the end, I think it's Jesus's way of saying, "I'm with you." Tomorrow will be my brother's birthday. He left this earth at 38 and he is very missed.
My sorrow is not as poignant as it was when he died six years ago. It's a whisper in the wind now. I have learned to cope with the loss of someone I love but the memories still roll on. He was an inspiration to the family, he loved and we loved him. Loss, no matter how difficult is a part of this world. It creeps in when no one expects it and if you don't have something to cling too; I don't know how you get through it. In my hour of need, the Lord has raised me up and as always, I am grateful.
There have been many times in the last 6 years I wanted to fade away, run from my circumstances and crawl into bed, wishing the world away. I'm not a depressed person by nature. I can find the good in about everything and on the outside, you probably would never know how much the loss of the last 6 years has impacted my life, but it has. In those hours when I was alone, I would share with Jesus my heart. People in general don't know what to say when you lose someone and when you lose three in 5 years, people really don't know what to say. So where did I go when thoughts of sorrow came to me, I went to my Father and thanked Him for all the wonderful things He has done.
Without Him, I would be lost like so many are today. I would run to drugs, alcohol, or any other thing that would help me escape reality. It's what humans do when they are hurt and lost. I can honestly say that in those hours, He was enough for me. For that, I must always thank Him for helping me be strong enough to resist the temptations of this world. Does that mean it's been easy? No, the journey has been difficult but I found Jesus in a whole new way and I pray you will too.
They say, "Time heals all wounds." If Jesus is in the middle it does. Jesus is the key. He is our hiding place. We must trust in Him and hope in a future that He is guiding. The world is negative and void of compassion. People are purposefully hurtful and when you see an act of kindness, you're stunned. Today, I share this not to depress anyone but to encourage everyone. We live in an evil world but we have a heavenly Father that loves us. We are lifted up by Him and He encourages us. He gives us places to rest and lifts us on eagle wings. He is our strength and our comforter. He knows us, our faults, our strengths and our hearts. He hears us in the darkness and ministers to us right where we are.
Today, He is calling all of us to be His hands and feet. We are to minister to His people but as we push forward we must know where our hiding place is. He is our shield, our rock, our deliverer. Of course, I still miss my brother and parents horribly. But I have learned that Jesus is my strength and when I'm lost, He's there guiding me and loving me. He lifts me up. I pray He does the same for you today!
Psalm 119:114 NKJV:
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.
2 Samuel 22:2 NKJV:
And he said: The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
Psalm 18:2 NKJV:
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, You are merciful and just! You are amazing and we are so blessed to be Your chosen. By the cross, we have been redeemed and we have You to thank. You are the air we breathe, the light we see and the strength that raises us up when we are weak. You call us by name and we are known as Your children. In our hour of need, You come to us comforting us and hearing our cries to You. We are Your vessels to mold, to shape, and to spread the Gospel. We were once lost but You found us and gave us a hiding place. You placed us on Your wings and we soar today because of You. We come before You, praying for the masses. Please bring the broken and lost to us. We know they are out there and all they need to hear is how You raised us up. We are indebted to You and so thankful that we have a Father that loves us, not just when we need Him but always. Unite women all over the world to praise and love You. Help us to spread the word without fear. We want to dedicate our lives to You today and in the future. You are our rock, our fortress, and we will stand with You! Protect us, O, Lord, as we share Your glory to the world. We pray this in Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
My sorrow is not as poignant as it was when he died six years ago. It's a whisper in the wind now. I have learned to cope with the loss of someone I love but the memories still roll on. He was an inspiration to the family, he loved and we loved him. Loss, no matter how difficult is a part of this world. It creeps in when no one expects it and if you don't have something to cling too; I don't know how you get through it. In my hour of need, the Lord has raised me up and as always, I am grateful.
There have been many times in the last 6 years I wanted to fade away, run from my circumstances and crawl into bed, wishing the world away. I'm not a depressed person by nature. I can find the good in about everything and on the outside, you probably would never know how much the loss of the last 6 years has impacted my life, but it has. In those hours when I was alone, I would share with Jesus my heart. People in general don't know what to say when you lose someone and when you lose three in 5 years, people really don't know what to say. So where did I go when thoughts of sorrow came to me, I went to my Father and thanked Him for all the wonderful things He has done.
Without Him, I would be lost like so many are today. I would run to drugs, alcohol, or any other thing that would help me escape reality. It's what humans do when they are hurt and lost. I can honestly say that in those hours, He was enough for me. For that, I must always thank Him for helping me be strong enough to resist the temptations of this world. Does that mean it's been easy? No, the journey has been difficult but I found Jesus in a whole new way and I pray you will too.
They say, "Time heals all wounds." If Jesus is in the middle it does. Jesus is the key. He is our hiding place. We must trust in Him and hope in a future that He is guiding. The world is negative and void of compassion. People are purposefully hurtful and when you see an act of kindness, you're stunned. Today, I share this not to depress anyone but to encourage everyone. We live in an evil world but we have a heavenly Father that loves us. We are lifted up by Him and He encourages us. He gives us places to rest and lifts us on eagle wings. He is our strength and our comforter. He knows us, our faults, our strengths and our hearts. He hears us in the darkness and ministers to us right where we are.
Today, He is calling all of us to be His hands and feet. We are to minister to His people but as we push forward we must know where our hiding place is. He is our shield, our rock, our deliverer. Of course, I still miss my brother and parents horribly. But I have learned that Jesus is my strength and when I'm lost, He's there guiding me and loving me. He lifts me up. I pray He does the same for you today!
Psalm 119:114 NKJV:
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.
2 Samuel 22:2 NKJV:
And he said: The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
Psalm 18:2 NKJV:
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, You are merciful and just! You are amazing and we are so blessed to be Your chosen. By the cross, we have been redeemed and we have You to thank. You are the air we breathe, the light we see and the strength that raises us up when we are weak. You call us by name and we are known as Your children. In our hour of need, You come to us comforting us and hearing our cries to You. We are Your vessels to mold, to shape, and to spread the Gospel. We were once lost but You found us and gave us a hiding place. You placed us on Your wings and we soar today because of You. We come before You, praying for the masses. Please bring the broken and lost to us. We know they are out there and all they need to hear is how You raised us up. We are indebted to You and so thankful that we have a Father that loves us, not just when we need Him but always. Unite women all over the world to praise and love You. Help us to spread the word without fear. We want to dedicate our lives to You today and in the future. You are our rock, our fortress, and we will stand with You! Protect us, O, Lord, as we share Your glory to the world. We pray this in Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Sunday, July 15, 2012
July 15, 2012
In the last couple of months, I have friends that have been facing very hard trials. One is losing her hair, with no clear answer in sight and I have another that may lose a marriage of 24 years. Each trial has its own dynamics but in a way they are the same. When things begin to happen in our lives that we can't explain, our faith begins to die. We don't mean it too but it does. Why does our faith waver when our circumstances get tough? I think it's because we feel as though Jesus isn't there. We begin to believe that He doesn't love us anymore. What happened to the God that answered all my prayers? Did He leave me? Is He forsaking me?
If you read the Bible, you have stumbled upon its main characters. David, Job, Paul, Abraham, Adam and Eve, all probably wondered the same thing. Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden and one of their son's killed their other son. Saul was trying to kill David and eventually David became King, only to become an adulterer and lose one of his sons. Abraham took Isaac to the mountain to sacrifice him before the Lord and Job lost everything only to regain everything back and more. Surely, these people wondered on occasion, "Where are You God?"
In reality, we all have. I'm sure there has been a moment in your life that you wondered if God was with you. The darkness was all around you and you cried out, "Where are You?" Do you think He left you? Is that what He has promised all of us? No. He promised to never forsake us and He doesn't. We are like sheep, wandering on a path, falling off and then saying, "You left me!" He never left us. He is waiting in the wings, watching over His sheep, patiently guiding us to Him. He is asking all of us to be patient, wait upon Him and believe that He knows what's best for our lives. If you're counted as one of His, He hasn't left you!
In every story in the Bible, there is a common theme which requires us to align our will to His will. God wants a relationship, not some robots doing exactly what He says. If that was the case, He would have made us like that. Instead, He has given free will and with that comes choice. If you chose to love Him then it's time you choose to believe in Him. People ask me all the time, "How long with this journey be?" They cry and say it's been a year or two. I am not God and have no idea how long the trial will be but I do know one thing; we must go to Jesus, open our hands and say,"Take all of me!" Jesus did. Do you really think a man wanted to hang on a cross? No way. He wanted God to take His cup and to let Him live His days. He was scared, crying out to God and it took an angel to quiet Him. Not even His best friends stood by Him while He called out to His Father. They slept but God knew His Son's turmoil and sent an angel. God didn't change Jesus's course but He did provide peace, understanding and compassion towards His Son. He does that for us too. He loves us. We are His children and He counts us by name.
I believe trials are in place so that God can use us to bring the broken to Him. If we never experienced our ship rocking, we probably wouldn't be able to testify to His majestic powers. We would just be like the blind leading the blind. But that's not the case, we are all here for a purpose and each trial is different and builds different strengths in us. We are His to mold, His to move and His to love. We might set our eyes on a direction but it's His choice to move us off that path. Just like the sheep, a shepherd's job is to guide them from place to place, so that the predators of the night couldn't eat them. He moves us in the same way. Don't count on answered prayers as being a stipulation that God loves you. Count on your will aligning with His and then you will know He loves you. Sometimes our expectations simply don't align with His will for our lives. Take some time today and ask the Lord to show you where your will isn't aligning with His. Begin to pray differently. Instead of praying for what you want, pray His will be done. I promise you, He loves you and when you pray for His will, it happens.
Have a beautiful day my sisters and remember Christ died for you and for me. He is present in this darkened world and He hears us more than you know. May your day be blessed as you walk with Christ!
Romans 8:36-38 NKJV:
As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Kings 8:57-58 NKJV:
May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgements, which He commanded our fathers.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, the nations cry out to You today. The women are gathering and Your flock is aligning. You are calling us to a new standard. We are to carry the torch of our forefathers. We come before You today Your chosen women, from every nation, asking the Lord of our life to be with us. As the dark falls and the trials come, we pray for wisdom, discernment and patience. We cry out to You and ask that You would stand with us and continue to steer our ship as we enter turbulent waters. You are the one we seek, early in the morning for we are sinners that need a Savior. When we are broken, You are with us, when we need shelter, You provide and when we are failing, You lift us up. Please come before us and help us as we believe that Your will is divine and that our lives are Your lives to count. We surrender all to You and pray that as we look upon You in all circumstances, You will provide the way. Our hands are open to You today Lord. Take our cup and make it Yours. Continue to give us hearts for Your people, so that we can love every woman, in every nation. We come together for You, Jesus and ask that You will help us make good choices along the way. We desire to walk in all Your ways, to know You more and to love You more deeply. The seas may be rough, but You are mightier, You are our Savior and we will follow You all our days. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
I thought I would add this to my profile. I'm the one in the red and white shirt, she's standing next to me. This was the last photo taken with my mom in 2009 before she passed away. I found it as I was making my Facebook page for One Servant Full of Faith For Women Everywhere and wanted to share a little bit of my life with you. My true faith journey began that year and it's what propels me today to spread the Gospel.
If you read the Bible, you have stumbled upon its main characters. David, Job, Paul, Abraham, Adam and Eve, all probably wondered the same thing. Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden and one of their son's killed their other son. Saul was trying to kill David and eventually David became King, only to become an adulterer and lose one of his sons. Abraham took Isaac to the mountain to sacrifice him before the Lord and Job lost everything only to regain everything back and more. Surely, these people wondered on occasion, "Where are You God?"
In reality, we all have. I'm sure there has been a moment in your life that you wondered if God was with you. The darkness was all around you and you cried out, "Where are You?" Do you think He left you? Is that what He has promised all of us? No. He promised to never forsake us and He doesn't. We are like sheep, wandering on a path, falling off and then saying, "You left me!" He never left us. He is waiting in the wings, watching over His sheep, patiently guiding us to Him. He is asking all of us to be patient, wait upon Him and believe that He knows what's best for our lives. If you're counted as one of His, He hasn't left you!
In every story in the Bible, there is a common theme which requires us to align our will to His will. God wants a relationship, not some robots doing exactly what He says. If that was the case, He would have made us like that. Instead, He has given free will and with that comes choice. If you chose to love Him then it's time you choose to believe in Him. People ask me all the time, "How long with this journey be?" They cry and say it's been a year or two. I am not God and have no idea how long the trial will be but I do know one thing; we must go to Jesus, open our hands and say,"Take all of me!" Jesus did. Do you really think a man wanted to hang on a cross? No way. He wanted God to take His cup and to let Him live His days. He was scared, crying out to God and it took an angel to quiet Him. Not even His best friends stood by Him while He called out to His Father. They slept but God knew His Son's turmoil and sent an angel. God didn't change Jesus's course but He did provide peace, understanding and compassion towards His Son. He does that for us too. He loves us. We are His children and He counts us by name.
I believe trials are in place so that God can use us to bring the broken to Him. If we never experienced our ship rocking, we probably wouldn't be able to testify to His majestic powers. We would just be like the blind leading the blind. But that's not the case, we are all here for a purpose and each trial is different and builds different strengths in us. We are His to mold, His to move and His to love. We might set our eyes on a direction but it's His choice to move us off that path. Just like the sheep, a shepherd's job is to guide them from place to place, so that the predators of the night couldn't eat them. He moves us in the same way. Don't count on answered prayers as being a stipulation that God loves you. Count on your will aligning with His and then you will know He loves you. Sometimes our expectations simply don't align with His will for our lives. Take some time today and ask the Lord to show you where your will isn't aligning with His. Begin to pray differently. Instead of praying for what you want, pray His will be done. I promise you, He loves you and when you pray for His will, it happens.
Have a beautiful day my sisters and remember Christ died for you and for me. He is present in this darkened world and He hears us more than you know. May your day be blessed as you walk with Christ!
Romans 8:36-38 NKJV:
As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Kings 8:57-58 NKJV:
May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgements, which He commanded our fathers.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, the nations cry out to You today. The women are gathering and Your flock is aligning. You are calling us to a new standard. We are to carry the torch of our forefathers. We come before You today Your chosen women, from every nation, asking the Lord of our life to be with us. As the dark falls and the trials come, we pray for wisdom, discernment and patience. We cry out to You and ask that You would stand with us and continue to steer our ship as we enter turbulent waters. You are the one we seek, early in the morning for we are sinners that need a Savior. When we are broken, You are with us, when we need shelter, You provide and when we are failing, You lift us up. Please come before us and help us as we believe that Your will is divine and that our lives are Your lives to count. We surrender all to You and pray that as we look upon You in all circumstances, You will provide the way. Our hands are open to You today Lord. Take our cup and make it Yours. Continue to give us hearts for Your people, so that we can love every woman, in every nation. We come together for You, Jesus and ask that You will help us make good choices along the way. We desire to walk in all Your ways, to know You more and to love You more deeply. The seas may be rough, but You are mightier, You are our Savior and we will follow You all our days. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
I thought I would add this to my profile. I'm the one in the red and white shirt, she's standing next to me. This was the last photo taken with my mom in 2009 before she passed away. I found it as I was making my Facebook page for One Servant Full of Faith For Women Everywhere and wanted to share a little bit of my life with you. My true faith journey began that year and it's what propels me today to spread the Gospel.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
July 14, 2012
As I look upon the Lord, I find Him. In our hour of need, He is with us. We may stumble and fall. We may make horrible mistakes and we may waver like the sea but He is steady. He knows us and counts each of us as His children. We are fortunate, for we know the mystery of life. It begins with a God that chose men to lead nations. It ends on a cross at Calgary, where Jesus gave His life for us.
If you ever wondered why me? Today is the day to say thank you to our Lord and Savior. He counted us worthy among His flock to come before Him, to know Him and to love Him. It isn't a coincidence that you found this blog or any other resource under the sun. It belongs to Jesus! Everything does. We may believe we have control over the environment, our lives or lives of others. But in truth, there is only one that has control over the sun, the moon, the stars and that's Jesus!
We can choose to look at our circumstances and blame God for all the evil and bad things that happen to good people or we can choose to follow a God that is worthy! For me, I will choose to follow Christ, not because I'm special but because I am a sinner. I confess to you today that I love Christ beyond words and yet, I know that I will stumble, I will waver and I will question my King. Thank goodness for grace. At the end of me is Jesus and that's all I need to know for today.
I have made many mistakes in my life. Probably too many to share and yet, I have a God that walked with me, talked to me and guided me through the mystery of darkness. He was near and asked only that I love Him with all my heart. Really? All we have to do is love Him and confess that He's our Savior and we get to be known. Absolutely!
We are united with the people of Israel to form one body, one mind, one soul. We are counted in heaven as His chosen and we are loved by God, not because we deserve it but because He loved us first. I don't know about you but it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.
I have gone down the road of trying to fix myself, my friends, strangers and anyone else I meet. I can't fix any of it. I don't have the power. My power comes through the cross to be used for the glory of Christ. That's why I look up everyday and say, "Thank You Jesus for loving me enough to want me for Your child." I hate it when I hear that Christians have let people down, judged where they shouldn't and basically, lacked grace for their fellow man. However, we are human and we do let people down. Our sinful nature, which led us to the cross in the first place, leaves us lacking in the judgement department. So if you met a Christian and decided not to walk with Jesus because of them, I implore you to give Jesus a try. Man is sinful but Jesus is God. Hopefully we represent Him well in most cases but then again, I'm not perfect and either are you. If you recognized that flaw, you probably chose to follow Christ and for that, I am extremely thankful.
Today, unite with me my sisters and ask Jesus to provide grace to you and others. Our every thought should be of Him. We should look upon the cross and sing, "Holy, Holy is the King." We live in evil times but everywhere I look, I see victory. Don't close out Jesus just because your circumstances aren't what you want them to be, open your hands and give Him the glory He deserves!
Psalm 73:28 NKJV:
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Jeremiah 10:10 NKJV:
But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, and the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
Psalm 86: 11 NKJV:
Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I look upon You and see Your face. I seek You today and every day and ask that You would guide the nations to You. As You call, I pray that we would answer that call. We are in need of grace, especially in today's world. We think we have the answers. You are the only one that holds the answers. You determined our lives. So today, we come before You seeking a Savior. People will let us down, they will judge us and they will condemn us for believing that You are the only way. Give us strength to fight against evil, to be the women You want us to be and to give everything we have to You. We come before You opening our hearts only to You. Make us like-minded with You and show us the power behind the cross. We are leading the way, confessing You are Lord. Be with us as we spread the word and tell nations that You are their Savior. We thank You for choosing us and for loving us on that cross. May there never be a day we forget what Your sacrifice has meant to the generations. We need You, may the glory of the heavens be at your feet as we worship You! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
If you ever wondered why me? Today is the day to say thank you to our Lord and Savior. He counted us worthy among His flock to come before Him, to know Him and to love Him. It isn't a coincidence that you found this blog or any other resource under the sun. It belongs to Jesus! Everything does. We may believe we have control over the environment, our lives or lives of others. But in truth, there is only one that has control over the sun, the moon, the stars and that's Jesus!
We can choose to look at our circumstances and blame God for all the evil and bad things that happen to good people or we can choose to follow a God that is worthy! For me, I will choose to follow Christ, not because I'm special but because I am a sinner. I confess to you today that I love Christ beyond words and yet, I know that I will stumble, I will waver and I will question my King. Thank goodness for grace. At the end of me is Jesus and that's all I need to know for today.
I have made many mistakes in my life. Probably too many to share and yet, I have a God that walked with me, talked to me and guided me through the mystery of darkness. He was near and asked only that I love Him with all my heart. Really? All we have to do is love Him and confess that He's our Savior and we get to be known. Absolutely!
We are united with the people of Israel to form one body, one mind, one soul. We are counted in heaven as His chosen and we are loved by God, not because we deserve it but because He loved us first. I don't know about you but it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.
I have gone down the road of trying to fix myself, my friends, strangers and anyone else I meet. I can't fix any of it. I don't have the power. My power comes through the cross to be used for the glory of Christ. That's why I look up everyday and say, "Thank You Jesus for loving me enough to want me for Your child." I hate it when I hear that Christians have let people down, judged where they shouldn't and basically, lacked grace for their fellow man. However, we are human and we do let people down. Our sinful nature, which led us to the cross in the first place, leaves us lacking in the judgement department. So if you met a Christian and decided not to walk with Jesus because of them, I implore you to give Jesus a try. Man is sinful but Jesus is God. Hopefully we represent Him well in most cases but then again, I'm not perfect and either are you. If you recognized that flaw, you probably chose to follow Christ and for that, I am extremely thankful.
Today, unite with me my sisters and ask Jesus to provide grace to you and others. Our every thought should be of Him. We should look upon the cross and sing, "Holy, Holy is the King." We live in evil times but everywhere I look, I see victory. Don't close out Jesus just because your circumstances aren't what you want them to be, open your hands and give Him the glory He deserves!
Psalm 73:28 NKJV:
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Jeremiah 10:10 NKJV:
But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, and the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
Psalm 86: 11 NKJV:
Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I look upon You and see Your face. I seek You today and every day and ask that You would guide the nations to You. As You call, I pray that we would answer that call. We are in need of grace, especially in today's world. We think we have the answers. You are the only one that holds the answers. You determined our lives. So today, we come before You seeking a Savior. People will let us down, they will judge us and they will condemn us for believing that You are the only way. Give us strength to fight against evil, to be the women You want us to be and to give everything we have to You. We come before You opening our hearts only to You. Make us like-minded with You and show us the power behind the cross. We are leading the way, confessing You are Lord. Be with us as we spread the word and tell nations that You are their Savior. We thank You for choosing us and for loving us on that cross. May there never be a day we forget what Your sacrifice has meant to the generations. We need You, may the glory of the heavens be at your feet as we worship You! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Thursday, July 12, 2012
July 12, 2012
Last night, I was awake until very late. I was praying for my family, the family of the coach I mentioned and just families in general. I have a heart for hurting people and unfortunately, sometimes, I am kept up thinking and praying. For along time, I wondered why I was able to pray for the hopeless, love the unloveable and have a heart for people others did not. I can meet you on the street, see you standing by a store, and without a thought, I begin to pray for you. I may not know your name but if God puts you on my heart, I'm praying!
Since I was a small child, I prayed to God. I loved being in church. I think I have been in more churches than most people. I love them. I can feel God when I am in church and when the music begins it's like the Holy Spirit is surrounding me. Odd, I know, but there's something to a community of believers, uniting together and worshipping our Lord. Prayer and worship, I wonder what it looked like in Paul's day. Did churches look like they do today or did neigbors get together at a house and worship the Lord? Paul was the designer of the church. He prayed for many churches and was their mentor even in prison. He wrote to them to give them encouragement and I believe those believers encouraged him back. As I was praying for many things last night, I got my trusty iPhone out last night and got on my Bible application and read. I stumbled upon the following passage and I pray that it ministers to you as much as it did to me.
We are living in the end times. Does that mean tomorrow is the end of the earth? I don't know because God said, "No man would know the time or hour." I don't worry about such things because when God is ready, it will happen. Just like Paul, God waited and chose to open his eyes, just at the right time. He chose the right man for the right job and out of His choice came church organizations today. He also knew that Paul would minister to others and that His words would be our guide today. There are no coincidences in life. There is just a plan and fortunately for us, we aren't steering the boat.
While reading this Scripture, starting in Ephesians 3:14, you will be reading the prayer Paul wrote for the Ephesians. Take the words to heart, they aren't just meant for people thousands of years ago, they are meant for us now. Like Paul, we stumble, we fall and we suffer. It's what we do with the lessons of life that count and even though Paul was in prison, he loved people and prayed for them. We are called to unite and I think we are called to unite all over the world. We have a stake on this earth and we need to quit being apathetic and love people. Unite with me today as God's chosen women and hear Paul's prayer to Christ. It's amazing. As always, have a wonderful day my sisters!
Ephesians 3: 1-21 NKJV:
My prayer today:
O, Lord, the words of Paul are enough today. The ladies, throughout the world, ask You to fill our hearts with this prayer. We come together, not knowing each others names or languages but we unite for one common theme, Jesus Christ. We ask that our hearts would be filled with a revelation through the Holy Spirit and as You call us, we would come. One by one, You call and I pray today that we hear that call. Continue, O, God, to lay on our hearts those people You love. Send us out and help us encourage the lost, lift up the destitute and provide food to the hungry. Your love is deep, O, Lord and we ask that You would help us abide in it. You are the Father of our hearts, to You be the glory forever! In Jesus name, AMEN
Since I was a small child, I prayed to God. I loved being in church. I think I have been in more churches than most people. I love them. I can feel God when I am in church and when the music begins it's like the Holy Spirit is surrounding me. Odd, I know, but there's something to a community of believers, uniting together and worshipping our Lord. Prayer and worship, I wonder what it looked like in Paul's day. Did churches look like they do today or did neigbors get together at a house and worship the Lord? Paul was the designer of the church. He prayed for many churches and was their mentor even in prison. He wrote to them to give them encouragement and I believe those believers encouraged him back. As I was praying for many things last night, I got my trusty iPhone out last night and got on my Bible application and read. I stumbled upon the following passage and I pray that it ministers to you as much as it did to me.
We are living in the end times. Does that mean tomorrow is the end of the earth? I don't know because God said, "No man would know the time or hour." I don't worry about such things because when God is ready, it will happen. Just like Paul, God waited and chose to open his eyes, just at the right time. He chose the right man for the right job and out of His choice came church organizations today. He also knew that Paul would minister to others and that His words would be our guide today. There are no coincidences in life. There is just a plan and fortunately for us, we aren't steering the boat.
While reading this Scripture, starting in Ephesians 3:14, you will be reading the prayer Paul wrote for the Ephesians. Take the words to heart, they aren't just meant for people thousands of years ago, they are meant for us now. Like Paul, we stumble, we fall and we suffer. It's what we do with the lessons of life that count and even though Paul was in prison, he loved people and prayed for them. We are called to unite and I think we are called to unite all over the world. We have a stake on this earth and we need to quit being apathetic and love people. Unite with me today as God's chosen women and hear Paul's prayer to Christ. It's amazing. As always, have a wonderful day my sisters!
Ephesians 3: 1-21 NKJV:
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-
Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I have become a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given to me through the power. Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given to me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him and through faith in Him we many approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
A prayer of the Ephesians:
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen You with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 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, forever and ever!
O, Lord, the words of Paul are enough today. The ladies, throughout the world, ask You to fill our hearts with this prayer. We come together, not knowing each others names or languages but we unite for one common theme, Jesus Christ. We ask that our hearts would be filled with a revelation through the Holy Spirit and as You call us, we would come. One by one, You call and I pray today that we hear that call. Continue, O, God, to lay on our hearts those people You love. Send us out and help us encourage the lost, lift up the destitute and provide food to the hungry. Your love is deep, O, Lord and we ask that You would help us abide in it. You are the Father of our hearts, to You be the glory forever! In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
July 11, 2012
I often find myself re-reading each post. I started doing it because I write so early in the morning. I start while my first cup of coffee is brewing and end with my last sip. Yesterday, I wrote about fear and trusting in the love Christ has for us. And like everything in my life, I got tested not 12 hours later.
The incident in question revolves around my youngest son and a coach he adores. Through a technicality and a change in rules, the school he has chosen has decided to let go of a very good coach. I will always owe him a great deal. He believed in my son, long before he believed in himself. It's a rare attribute to be able to take a young mind and help them to realize their potential, but this man did that for my son. I am asking everyone that reads this blog to pray for him. He has many wonderful qualities and time after time encounters huge obstacles. If you would take a moment today and ask the Lord to protect him and his family, I would truly be indebted to all of you. Christ is working on him and I hope He gets him.
Again my faith was tested, the fear creeped in. So, I called one of my friends, we talked and she prayed with me. It happens to be the same friend I have walked beside for months. It's wonderful when your friend can repeat back your words and they are so Holy, you know they were never yours in the first place.
So, today I stand on what I have been saying. I will cast my fear to the sea. I will pray for the coach and my son that God would direct them and keep them all of their days. I will stand on what I believe and that's that even though this doesn't look good, God has a mightier plan. No matter what, I will stand on what the Bible says and what God will provide. I don't have any idea what that looks like right now but I do know that He has a perfect plan and I will align my will to His.
Please pray for this situation and let me know how I can pray for you. If I must be tested to become more like Jesus then I will be tested. I want to know Him better, believe in Him more and always have faith that His will is the best. I don't understand everything that happens but I was never meant too. He is in charge of His people and I am just one of many He has chosen.
If you find yourself in a similar situation today, being tested to believe Christ is enough, just say it out loud. I did yesterday. I cried out to God and said Your will be done. I'm not God and I have no idea what He will do with my son's life. Who would have thought he would be 6'7" tall and love basketball, he was always a baseball player. Things change, life changes and with the changes, we must trust in our Holy Father. Go before Him today and ask for Your will to be aligned with His. I'm doing it right now and will rest in any decision He makes. Because at the end of the day, He is omnipotent and I'm just me!
Psalm 41: 10-13 NKJV
But You , O, Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up. That I may repay them. By this I know that You are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me. As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! AMEN and AMEN.
Jeremiah 10: 12 NKJV:
He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.
Who am I to do this in my own strength? I would be a fool and so would you. It's time we all believe in a Savior that is greater than anything we can imagine. There isn't a soul on earth that has created the beauty or replicated the vastness of this earth. Only God made this! We are His people and we are in His time. Let's take the opportunity He has given each one of us today to call a friend, pray for a stranger, lift someone up and make Christ known today. There will always be setbacks but at the end of the day, He is ALWAYS worthy!
My prayer today:
O, Heavenly Father, I come before You seeking Your wisdom, Your discernment, Your path. Every time I step out an obstacle gets thrown in my path and I find joy that I can look up and always see You in the midst of it. I know life isn't perfect and fear can creep in but I am going to stand on faith and Your love that You will move mountains, change courses and align my families will with Yours. We are all in this together. My sisters are crying out to You asking for Your will to be done in their lives. We want to be women that in any circumstance can and will find You. It may take us fifteen minutes or a day, but I want us on our knees begging for Your mercy and asking for Your grace. We don't deserve You and often times I feel as though my problems are small in comparison; but You know all that and You love me anyway. Love my sisters today as they worship You. We ask You to change our hearts, provide our paths and watch over us daily. Give us eyes to see those areas of our life that are sinful and help us change them. We can't change anything without You and really, we don't want to. We are sheep in a valley, wandering and wondering, "Where is our shepherd?" And then in a moment, we look up and see You in everything. May the power of the cross be on our families as we deal with this life and may we become better servants because of them. In Jesus Name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
The incident in question revolves around my youngest son and a coach he adores. Through a technicality and a change in rules, the school he has chosen has decided to let go of a very good coach. I will always owe him a great deal. He believed in my son, long before he believed in himself. It's a rare attribute to be able to take a young mind and help them to realize their potential, but this man did that for my son. I am asking everyone that reads this blog to pray for him. He has many wonderful qualities and time after time encounters huge obstacles. If you would take a moment today and ask the Lord to protect him and his family, I would truly be indebted to all of you. Christ is working on him and I hope He gets him.
Again my faith was tested, the fear creeped in. So, I called one of my friends, we talked and she prayed with me. It happens to be the same friend I have walked beside for months. It's wonderful when your friend can repeat back your words and they are so Holy, you know they were never yours in the first place.
So, today I stand on what I have been saying. I will cast my fear to the sea. I will pray for the coach and my son that God would direct them and keep them all of their days. I will stand on what I believe and that's that even though this doesn't look good, God has a mightier plan. No matter what, I will stand on what the Bible says and what God will provide. I don't have any idea what that looks like right now but I do know that He has a perfect plan and I will align my will to His.
Please pray for this situation and let me know how I can pray for you. If I must be tested to become more like Jesus then I will be tested. I want to know Him better, believe in Him more and always have faith that His will is the best. I don't understand everything that happens but I was never meant too. He is in charge of His people and I am just one of many He has chosen.
If you find yourself in a similar situation today, being tested to believe Christ is enough, just say it out loud. I did yesterday. I cried out to God and said Your will be done. I'm not God and I have no idea what He will do with my son's life. Who would have thought he would be 6'7" tall and love basketball, he was always a baseball player. Things change, life changes and with the changes, we must trust in our Holy Father. Go before Him today and ask for Your will to be aligned with His. I'm doing it right now and will rest in any decision He makes. Because at the end of the day, He is omnipotent and I'm just me!
Psalm 41: 10-13 NKJV
But You , O, Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up. That I may repay them. By this I know that You are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me. As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! AMEN and AMEN.
Jeremiah 10: 12 NKJV:
He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.
Who am I to do this in my own strength? I would be a fool and so would you. It's time we all believe in a Savior that is greater than anything we can imagine. There isn't a soul on earth that has created the beauty or replicated the vastness of this earth. Only God made this! We are His people and we are in His time. Let's take the opportunity He has given each one of us today to call a friend, pray for a stranger, lift someone up and make Christ known today. There will always be setbacks but at the end of the day, He is ALWAYS worthy!
My prayer today:
O, Heavenly Father, I come before You seeking Your wisdom, Your discernment, Your path. Every time I step out an obstacle gets thrown in my path and I find joy that I can look up and always see You in the midst of it. I know life isn't perfect and fear can creep in but I am going to stand on faith and Your love that You will move mountains, change courses and align my families will with Yours. We are all in this together. My sisters are crying out to You asking for Your will to be done in their lives. We want to be women that in any circumstance can and will find You. It may take us fifteen minutes or a day, but I want us on our knees begging for Your mercy and asking for Your grace. We don't deserve You and often times I feel as though my problems are small in comparison; but You know all that and You love me anyway. Love my sisters today as they worship You. We ask You to change our hearts, provide our paths and watch over us daily. Give us eyes to see those areas of our life that are sinful and help us change them. We can't change anything without You and really, we don't want to. We are sheep in a valley, wandering and wondering, "Where is our shepherd?" And then in a moment, we look up and see You in everything. May the power of the cross be on our families as we deal with this life and may we become better servants because of them. In Jesus Name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
July 10, 2012
Good morning all-
I'm having trouble getting up in the morning ever since my wonderful vacation on the lake. I'm sure you've all faced similar situations but it's really messing with my morning routine. It gets me to thinking about what else messes up my life and for some reason it brings me always back to fear.
Fear holds me and changes my daily life. It keeps me from moving through obstacles. Why? Because I'm looking at the obstacle thinking, "I can't jump that?" But then, as I think about my fear, what's driving it and where it needs to go, the Lord steps in and I can almost hear Him whisper, "What are you afraid of anyway?" Well to be honest, I have always been full of fear, mostly the fear of the unknown. And if I'm honest, everything! I fear my children will die, that my marriage will fail, that the sun won't come up tomorrow and will Jesus be there when I need Him.
That's a pretty big laundry list. I probably could come up with thirty more things if I need too, but I'm sure you have yours too. The point I'm trying to make is that fear binds and when we are in fear; we begin to believe that Jesus isn't trustworthy. He becomes a man instead of our Savior. We can't possibly think like God, so why do we always try. And as far as tomorrow goes, we are not to worry about that at all.
It's not a coincidence that I have spent several days on fear. I have been fighting it for most of my life and I am finally in a place that if I have to cast it 100 times in a day, I do. Because my confidence can't be in what I see, it has to be in Jesus. There is no peace in fear and there definitely is no victory. So, why do we cling to it like its a life jacket? It's not. There is no security in fear but fear will make you feel very insecure. Fear breeds doubt and doubt interferes with trust and if there is no trust then surely God doesn't love me. Really? Yes, ladies we all know that's how our minds work. They spin until we have this picture in our head of what God should be doing, we worry about worrying and then we collapse from it. It's time we change the pattern. It's time we realize that Christ is so much bigger than us. It's time we trust Him with every worry, every obstacle, every thought and every action.
It's time we take His love and let it seep into every fiber of our soul. He presented the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and its supposed to be our counselor. What does a counselor do? They try to help you work out your inner fears and help you find contentment in your circumstances. Interesting? So, if we believe in Christ's perfect love for us, can it cast out fear? I think it can and for my own life, I'm trying to practice what I preach. Honestly, this last week I had to cast my fear to Him many times, especially when my sons went to a higher rock to jump into the water. Why can't they just jump on the shorter side? You know why. It's not as fun. And so, I got to give my fear and my children to the Lord all over again and you know what, they came out safe and sound. They weren't scared; they were determined.
Let's be like children and trust that everything will be okay today. We need to give our fears to the Lord and cast them to the sea. And if you need to cast them a 1000 times, do it! He doesn't care. His only goal for our lives is that we follow Him, trust in Him and love Him. Join me in working on one day at a time and casting your fears before the Lord.
1 John 4:18-19 NKJV:
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, we are silly in our thinking and in our fears. We run around wondering what will happen next, asking ourselves questions we don't have the answers for and basically, putting ourselves in a state of unrest. But You came to show us a different way, a perfect way, through You. We squander that with our need to control and when we do, we fail. The fears of this life are many and yet, you tell us not to fear. We are to cast it out and give it to You. You are the key to our souls and today, we stand together, inviting You to unlock the closet and let all our fears out. We ask that You would provide Scripture that would help us conquer our fears and release them. So that in the morning, we can walk into the light. You came to this earth to give Your life for our sins and we repay You with worry and doubt. Our goal today, Lord, is to abide in You. For You to perfect us and take us out of our fear filled lives and to be saved by You. Thank You for loving us first and thank You for sharing Your wisdom so that we can fight the flesh. You are everything to us and we want to give You everything we have in return. Take our hands Lord and guide us, convict us, and make us Yours. We pray this in Your Holy name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
I'm having trouble getting up in the morning ever since my wonderful vacation on the lake. I'm sure you've all faced similar situations but it's really messing with my morning routine. It gets me to thinking about what else messes up my life and for some reason it brings me always back to fear.
Fear holds me and changes my daily life. It keeps me from moving through obstacles. Why? Because I'm looking at the obstacle thinking, "I can't jump that?" But then, as I think about my fear, what's driving it and where it needs to go, the Lord steps in and I can almost hear Him whisper, "What are you afraid of anyway?" Well to be honest, I have always been full of fear, mostly the fear of the unknown. And if I'm honest, everything! I fear my children will die, that my marriage will fail, that the sun won't come up tomorrow and will Jesus be there when I need Him.
That's a pretty big laundry list. I probably could come up with thirty more things if I need too, but I'm sure you have yours too. The point I'm trying to make is that fear binds and when we are in fear; we begin to believe that Jesus isn't trustworthy. He becomes a man instead of our Savior. We can't possibly think like God, so why do we always try. And as far as tomorrow goes, we are not to worry about that at all.
It's not a coincidence that I have spent several days on fear. I have been fighting it for most of my life and I am finally in a place that if I have to cast it 100 times in a day, I do. Because my confidence can't be in what I see, it has to be in Jesus. There is no peace in fear and there definitely is no victory. So, why do we cling to it like its a life jacket? It's not. There is no security in fear but fear will make you feel very insecure. Fear breeds doubt and doubt interferes with trust and if there is no trust then surely God doesn't love me. Really? Yes, ladies we all know that's how our minds work. They spin until we have this picture in our head of what God should be doing, we worry about worrying and then we collapse from it. It's time we change the pattern. It's time we realize that Christ is so much bigger than us. It's time we trust Him with every worry, every obstacle, every thought and every action.
It's time we take His love and let it seep into every fiber of our soul. He presented the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and its supposed to be our counselor. What does a counselor do? They try to help you work out your inner fears and help you find contentment in your circumstances. Interesting? So, if we believe in Christ's perfect love for us, can it cast out fear? I think it can and for my own life, I'm trying to practice what I preach. Honestly, this last week I had to cast my fear to Him many times, especially when my sons went to a higher rock to jump into the water. Why can't they just jump on the shorter side? You know why. It's not as fun. And so, I got to give my fear and my children to the Lord all over again and you know what, they came out safe and sound. They weren't scared; they were determined.
Let's be like children and trust that everything will be okay today. We need to give our fears to the Lord and cast them to the sea. And if you need to cast them a 1000 times, do it! He doesn't care. His only goal for our lives is that we follow Him, trust in Him and love Him. Join me in working on one day at a time and casting your fears before the Lord.
1 John 4:18-19 NKJV:
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, we are silly in our thinking and in our fears. We run around wondering what will happen next, asking ourselves questions we don't have the answers for and basically, putting ourselves in a state of unrest. But You came to show us a different way, a perfect way, through You. We squander that with our need to control and when we do, we fail. The fears of this life are many and yet, you tell us not to fear. We are to cast it out and give it to You. You are the key to our souls and today, we stand together, inviting You to unlock the closet and let all our fears out. We ask that You would provide Scripture that would help us conquer our fears and release them. So that in the morning, we can walk into the light. You came to this earth to give Your life for our sins and we repay You with worry and doubt. Our goal today, Lord, is to abide in You. For You to perfect us and take us out of our fear filled lives and to be saved by You. Thank You for loving us first and thank You for sharing Your wisdom so that we can fight the flesh. You are everything to us and we want to give You everything we have in return. Take our hands Lord and guide us, convict us, and make us Yours. We pray this in Your Holy name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
Monday, July 9, 2012
July 9, 2012
It's hard to find a needle in a haystack. Have you ever heard that expression? It took Myth Busters hours to find four needles. They used water and fire and when they did find them, they had a mess. I wonder if that's the way God sees us?
He pursues us, we run away and what should take a moment, takes some a lifetime. Our need for God is great but our desire for the flesh is greater. Not surprising when you think about who roams the earth but still, why does it take us so long to be obedient, to hear the call and to follow Christ? What are we afraid of? Why is fear of the unknown so strong? I believe that if Satan can get us to fear, we will be paralyzed. And when we are emotionally paralyzed, we stand still. The call is about taking action and being like-minded with Christ. We can't do that if we continue to worry and fear tomorrow.
If I feel overwhelmed or afraid of my future, I cry out to Jesus and then I find Scripture to help propel me forward. I used to read first, then pray, but I've found that crying out to God helps me identify my weaknesses and fears and then Christ provides the Scripture I need to get me moving. I hate standing still anyway. I'm a Type A at heart. I make decisions faster than you can buy a jar of peanut butter. Seriously, I was made to make decisions and so when I begin to fear and can't make decisions, I'm way too still for comfort. There's a difference in being still and waiting on God and being still because my fear of the unknown stifles me and makes me still.
So, if you're in a pattern of being still and not moving when God is calling. Cry out to Him today and ask Him to propel you forward. Our maturity, although good on some levels, is not so good in trusting God with blind faith. Walking with God, in the dark, is a practice of obedience and often, we just aren't good at practicing. So take my advice, cry out today and find Scripture that will give you the strength to trust in Him. It's vital to our walk and our relationship with Jesus. If you want Him to be fully in Your life, You have to give Him Your life.
Proverbs 29:25 NKJV:
The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.
Proverbs 15:16 NKJV:
Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I pray that our fear would be of You only. That today, we would all learn to walk with You in blindness and that we would trust that You were with us, guiding us and loving us. I pray for all those out there today that don't believe in miracles and whose hearts are devastated, please help them and lift them up to You. Put them on our hearts so that we can lift them up in prayer. We know that You are near and that You love us. But sometimes when the journey is long, we begin to count the days, the hours and minutes. I pray that we would surrender those to You and along with the moments, our fear. We must trust in You for all things and know that Your will is better and greater than ours. Help us to know You better and to believe in You deeper. Mold us today and make us like-minded with You. We desire to follow the cross and in order to do that, we must surrender all to You. Help us conquer our fear of tomorrow and replace it with Holy peace. You are our Savior and You died on a cross for us. We love You with all our hearts and ask You into our lives. At the end of today, we want to be better women for You. Thank You for loving us and for guiding us through the maze of life. You are a great shepherd and we are Your sheep. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
He pursues us, we run away and what should take a moment, takes some a lifetime. Our need for God is great but our desire for the flesh is greater. Not surprising when you think about who roams the earth but still, why does it take us so long to be obedient, to hear the call and to follow Christ? What are we afraid of? Why is fear of the unknown so strong? I believe that if Satan can get us to fear, we will be paralyzed. And when we are emotionally paralyzed, we stand still. The call is about taking action and being like-minded with Christ. We can't do that if we continue to worry and fear tomorrow.
If I feel overwhelmed or afraid of my future, I cry out to Jesus and then I find Scripture to help propel me forward. I used to read first, then pray, but I've found that crying out to God helps me identify my weaknesses and fears and then Christ provides the Scripture I need to get me moving. I hate standing still anyway. I'm a Type A at heart. I make decisions faster than you can buy a jar of peanut butter. Seriously, I was made to make decisions and so when I begin to fear and can't make decisions, I'm way too still for comfort. There's a difference in being still and waiting on God and being still because my fear of the unknown stifles me and makes me still.
So, if you're in a pattern of being still and not moving when God is calling. Cry out to Him today and ask Him to propel you forward. Our maturity, although good on some levels, is not so good in trusting God with blind faith. Walking with God, in the dark, is a practice of obedience and often, we just aren't good at practicing. So take my advice, cry out today and find Scripture that will give you the strength to trust in Him. It's vital to our walk and our relationship with Jesus. If you want Him to be fully in Your life, You have to give Him Your life.
Proverbs 29:25 NKJV:
The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.
Proverbs 15:16 NKJV:
Better is little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble.
My prayer today:
O, Lord, I pray that our fear would be of You only. That today, we would all learn to walk with You in blindness and that we would trust that You were with us, guiding us and loving us. I pray for all those out there today that don't believe in miracles and whose hearts are devastated, please help them and lift them up to You. Put them on our hearts so that we can lift them up in prayer. We know that You are near and that You love us. But sometimes when the journey is long, we begin to count the days, the hours and minutes. I pray that we would surrender those to You and along with the moments, our fear. We must trust in You for all things and know that Your will is better and greater than ours. Help us to know You better and to believe in You deeper. Mold us today and make us like-minded with You. We desire to follow the cross and in order to do that, we must surrender all to You. Help us conquer our fear of tomorrow and replace it with Holy peace. You are our Savior and You died on a cross for us. We love You with all our hearts and ask You into our lives. At the end of today, we want to be better women for You. Thank You for loving us and for guiding us through the maze of life. You are a great shepherd and we are Your sheep. In Jesus name, AMEN
Until tomorrow...
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