Yesterday I didn;t post because I didn't have internet service.
Pastor Anderson gave a great sermon about Hope.
He is preaching about HOPE PEACE LOVE and JOY over the weeks leading up to Christmas.
I am thankful in the Hope we have in Jesus returning.
Isaiah 42:1-9
1 John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
God knew Jesus’s fate before he ever came to Earth. Jesus life and death is an example of God’s love. No other father would ever want to look at us and say, “here is my son, he will die so that you will live.”
God’s love is greater than any love on Earth.
God is good all the time.
My dad got to come up today and we got to talk about our business a little today. It always lifts his spirits when we end things on a positive note. I like to see him smile and hopeful. I love my dad and I do hope that we can prosper in the future.
My friend K had to leave work today because her dad was having some health problems. I pray that he is well and for strenght for k during this time of uncertainty.
I am thankful today for Fathers. I am thankful for God our father and my Earth father.
I am hating all the uncertainty in jobs. My neighbor got fired today. He is a young man that may not have a lot of job skills, he was a furniture delivery guy, until today.
I pray that he will get a job and have a better tomorrow.
May you know the grace and peace from God.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Eighty-nine
John 15:10
I have obeyed my father's commands, and I remain in his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.
Jesus lived his life as an example.
Yesterrday I was crafting and after dinner I went out to the local craft store to look for a manger scene to complete a craft I had seen and wanted to make myself. I wandered around the whole craft store, I saw many chistmas decorations but I did not see a single "Christ" in the whole store. No Mary, No Joseph, No Jesus
Usually I can go into the craft store and find anything I need.
Today I went in search of Jesus and I couldn’t find him in the craft store. I wondered if this was a trend. The next store I went to was the largest retail chain in the U. S. and wandered through their Christmas decorations. They had a lot of decorations, I again was disappointed in my search for Jesus. The only thing I found with Jesus on it was a small 2 ft. x 2 ft. display of religious ornaments.
I know perfectly well that you can not go into a store and just buy a manger scene to have Jesus in your life, but I was wanting to display a manger scene and display Jesus Christ as my symbol of Christmas in my home and anyway isn’t that the real reason we are celebrating Christmas? I know it is the reason I am celebrating Christmas in my home.
I do have a very large nativity scene that takes up about a 6 ft by 2 ft area. I made it out of ceramics the year before I was pregnant with my baby girl so I have had it seventeen years. It is large and is the focal point of our decorations. Truthfully I haven’t shopped for a manger scene over the years. But yesterday I was working on a craft project and I wanted the baby Jesus to be in it.
I was saddened that Jesus has been obsolete in the general retail industry for Christmas. The general public are the people who could benefit from knowing Jesus.
As I was walking around the craft store I was vocal in the fact Jesus was not to be found. “Did you find everything OK?”
“No, I did not. There is not a single manger scene in this store.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Usually a cashier is supposed to get a manager if a customer is negative and make the customer happy, but that didn’t happen. No one but me was concerned the true symbol of Christmas was no to be found in the craft store.
If a person goes in search of Christ they do not seek him in retail. They have to seek him in their hearts and in the bible and that is where he can be found.
I hate that the word “Believe” has become the symbol of believing in Santa.
As for me and my house we will believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and worship the Lord as we celebrate his birth this coming month.
Today I am thankful Jesus is in my life and I am reminded that as Christians we may be the only Jesus some people will ever see.
Keep Jesus Christ in Christmas.
Lord, give us all thankful hearts.
I have obeyed my father's commands, and I remain in his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love.
Jesus lived his life as an example.
Yesterrday I was crafting and after dinner I went out to the local craft store to look for a manger scene to complete a craft I had seen and wanted to make myself. I wandered around the whole craft store, I saw many chistmas decorations but I did not see a single "Christ" in the whole store. No Mary, No Joseph, No Jesus
Usually I can go into the craft store and find anything I need.
Today I went in search of Jesus and I couldn’t find him in the craft store. I wondered if this was a trend. The next store I went to was the largest retail chain in the U. S. and wandered through their Christmas decorations. They had a lot of decorations, I again was disappointed in my search for Jesus. The only thing I found with Jesus on it was a small 2 ft. x 2 ft. display of religious ornaments.
I know perfectly well that you can not go into a store and just buy a manger scene to have Jesus in your life, but I was wanting to display a manger scene and display Jesus Christ as my symbol of Christmas in my home and anyway isn’t that the real reason we are celebrating Christmas? I know it is the reason I am celebrating Christmas in my home.
I do have a very large nativity scene that takes up about a 6 ft by 2 ft area. I made it out of ceramics the year before I was pregnant with my baby girl so I have had it seventeen years. It is large and is the focal point of our decorations. Truthfully I haven’t shopped for a manger scene over the years. But yesterday I was working on a craft project and I wanted the baby Jesus to be in it.
I was saddened that Jesus has been obsolete in the general retail industry for Christmas. The general public are the people who could benefit from knowing Jesus.
As I was walking around the craft store I was vocal in the fact Jesus was not to be found. “Did you find everything OK?”
“No, I did not. There is not a single manger scene in this store.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Usually a cashier is supposed to get a manager if a customer is negative and make the customer happy, but that didn’t happen. No one but me was concerned the true symbol of Christmas was no to be found in the craft store.
If a person goes in search of Christ they do not seek him in retail. They have to seek him in their hearts and in the bible and that is where he can be found.
I hate that the word “Believe” has become the symbol of believing in Santa.
As for me and my house we will believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and worship the Lord as we celebrate his birth this coming month.
Today I am thankful Jesus is in my life and I am reminded that as Christians we may be the only Jesus some people will ever see.
Keep Jesus Christ in Christmas.
Lord, give us all thankful hearts.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Eighty-eight
When someoone says,"Have a wonderful day!" What would wonderful be?
Wonder begins in the senses, smelling, feeling, seeing, hearing.
What do you hear right now?
What do you smell?
What do you see?
What do you feel?
I hear my neighbors moving about. I hear my dog snoring. I hear a basketball bouncing outside.
I smell my fabric softner and my apple juice.
I see my keyboard, my bible, and the sun shining outside.
I feel content. I have my day planned to stay at home today. I don't have to be anywhere or do anything and to have the day to myself I am going to make the most of it.
Today I am working on my homemade christmas decorations. My husband gave me a huge pile of white felt and I have made an advent calendar and some doves and a few other things for my tree. I am making a banner and some centerpiece christmas trees all from the felt.
I am going to let my imagination guide me today in what I create with the felt and think of Jesus as I craft.
Psalm 90:12
"Teach us how short our lives really are so that we may be wise."
Be wise in choosing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior who died so that we may live.
Today I am thankful that I can have a "wonder" ful day and God gives us imagination so that we can know true wonder.
For me, when I see God at work in what I see, smell, feel and hear, I know that God is wonderful. Each day doesn't have to be ordinary, they can be extraordianary with God.
May you know the wonder of God and have His peace.
Wonder begins in the senses, smelling, feeling, seeing, hearing.
What do you hear right now?
What do you smell?
What do you see?
What do you feel?
I hear my neighbors moving about. I hear my dog snoring. I hear a basketball bouncing outside.
I smell my fabric softner and my apple juice.
I see my keyboard, my bible, and the sun shining outside.
I feel content. I have my day planned to stay at home today. I don't have to be anywhere or do anything and to have the day to myself I am going to make the most of it.
Today I am working on my homemade christmas decorations. My husband gave me a huge pile of white felt and I have made an advent calendar and some doves and a few other things for my tree. I am making a banner and some centerpiece christmas trees all from the felt.
I am going to let my imagination guide me today in what I create with the felt and think of Jesus as I craft.
Psalm 90:12
"Teach us how short our lives really are so that we may be wise."
Be wise in choosing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior who died so that we may live.
Today I am thankful that I can have a "wonder" ful day and God gives us imagination so that we can know true wonder.
For me, when I see God at work in what I see, smell, feel and hear, I know that God is wonderful. Each day doesn't have to be ordinary, they can be extraordianary with God.
May you know the wonder of God and have His peace.
Eighty-seven
Psalm 23:1
“The Lord is my Shepard; I have everything I need.”
God is caring for me and I am thankful that He is guiding my life.
To have the promise of heaven is equal to nothing on Earth.
Today I am thankful for love.
Lord, give us all thankful hearts.
Happy Thanksgiving.
“The Lord is my Shepard; I have everything I need.”
God is caring for me and I am thankful that He is guiding my life.
To have the promise of heaven is equal to nothing on Earth.
Today I am thankful for love.
Lord, give us all thankful hearts.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Eighty-six
2 Corinthians 12:10
“For Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
No one in their right mind would ask for weakness.
No one likes to be insulted.
No one takes joy in hardships.
No one wants to be persecuted.
No one revels in difficulties.
But would we – “For Christ’s sake?”
We all have had these things happen to us. Some of us today are feeling the stress of the Thanksgiving Holiday – preparing for family and food.
The holidays affect each individual. Sometimes when families get together we can experience all of the things listed above, weakness, insults, hardship, and persecution. Sometimes it is the people who are supposed to love us the most, do the most damage.
Remember to pray for these people. It is a easy as taking a silent moment locked in the bathroom and say, “Jesus, please bless him or her and help me control my attitude. And thank you for putting him or her in my life.”
Whoa! A thank you???
For someone that has done nothing but criticized and made your life difficult since they walked in the door? Yes, for someone to see Christ in you, you have to bring Christ right there to them. I know, not an easy task. Not a task we welcome.
Later, when the family has retreated and the dishwasher is loaded, take another moment and say another thank-you to God, even if it is only to be thankful that you survived. If you pay attention to God at work, I’m sure you will find a lot of other things to be thankful for that happened in the day.
Some of us will spend the holiday far away from family and food. Many people this holiday season won’t prepare a turkey and dressing. They will open a can of soup, if they have it, and maybe they won’t even eat it, but give it to their children instead. Many will be spending the holiday in grief because of the passing of a loved one, or because of divorce a family has been broken apart. Many will not have a home to have Thanksgiving in because of the economic times. 2009 has been hard for many people.
Many are away from home serving in the military. Thank God for the people who serve and sacrifice their holiday so that we can celebrate Thanksgiving.
May your holiday include God and true thanks giving in all you do and all God has blessed you with.
Today I am thankful that God can change perspective when He is at work in our lives.
“Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings and see what God has done.”
“For Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
No one in their right mind would ask for weakness.
No one likes to be insulted.
No one takes joy in hardships.
No one wants to be persecuted.
No one revels in difficulties.
But would we – “For Christ’s sake?”
We all have had these things happen to us. Some of us today are feeling the stress of the Thanksgiving Holiday – preparing for family and food.
The holidays affect each individual. Sometimes when families get together we can experience all of the things listed above, weakness, insults, hardship, and persecution. Sometimes it is the people who are supposed to love us the most, do the most damage.
Remember to pray for these people. It is a easy as taking a silent moment locked in the bathroom and say, “Jesus, please bless him or her and help me control my attitude. And thank you for putting him or her in my life.”
Whoa! A thank you???
For someone that has done nothing but criticized and made your life difficult since they walked in the door? Yes, for someone to see Christ in you, you have to bring Christ right there to them. I know, not an easy task. Not a task we welcome.
Later, when the family has retreated and the dishwasher is loaded, take another moment and say another thank-you to God, even if it is only to be thankful that you survived. If you pay attention to God at work, I’m sure you will find a lot of other things to be thankful for that happened in the day.
Some of us will spend the holiday far away from family and food. Many people this holiday season won’t prepare a turkey and dressing. They will open a can of soup, if they have it, and maybe they won’t even eat it, but give it to their children instead. Many will be spending the holiday in grief because of the passing of a loved one, or because of divorce a family has been broken apart. Many will not have a home to have Thanksgiving in because of the economic times. 2009 has been hard for many people.
Many are away from home serving in the military. Thank God for the people who serve and sacrifice their holiday so that we can celebrate Thanksgiving.
May your holiday include God and true thanks giving in all you do and all God has blessed you with.
Today I am thankful that God can change perspective when He is at work in our lives.
“Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings and see what God has done.”
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Eighty- Five
Psalm 22:10
“I have leaned on you since the day I was born; you have been my God since my mother gave me birth.”
I’m struggling emotionally today. I’ve been angry at my husband for his words and actions. I said some hurtful things myself. I think it’s best if I don’t talk to him for awhile. I don’t think I forgive him. I don’t think he forgives me.
I know my mouth could use a filter sometimes but lately I haven’t slowed my emotions or my words. It seems like they get all mixed up and burst out of me. Part of me feels like I was silent for too long about things I should have not been silent about and now I would rather express every emotion than not express it at all. He doesn’t like this new me. Mainly because my emotions or words do not agree with him.
I decided today not to make him feel guilty any more for living the life he wants to live and one way to do that is to be silent and not talk to him.
I have to turn my focus on other things, and my faith in God.
Thanksgiving is in a few days. I am going home and making brownies with caramel centers and working on my advent calendar. Usually I put up my tree the weekend after thanksgiving. I almost decided not to put one up since I am displaced, but then I thought, why shouldn’t I?
And am I really displaced or am I exactly where I am supposed to be?
I am the only one that can bring back my joy and find joy in my ever days – including the holidays.
I have a lot to be thankful for.
Today I am thankful that I can cook and have food to eat.
God is good all the time.
Lord, give us all thankful hearts through the good and the bad.
Thank you, God.
“I have leaned on you since the day I was born; you have been my God since my mother gave me birth.”
I’m struggling emotionally today. I’ve been angry at my husband for his words and actions. I said some hurtful things myself. I think it’s best if I don’t talk to him for awhile. I don’t think I forgive him. I don’t think he forgives me.
I know my mouth could use a filter sometimes but lately I haven’t slowed my emotions or my words. It seems like they get all mixed up and burst out of me. Part of me feels like I was silent for too long about things I should have not been silent about and now I would rather express every emotion than not express it at all. He doesn’t like this new me. Mainly because my emotions or words do not agree with him.
I decided today not to make him feel guilty any more for living the life he wants to live and one way to do that is to be silent and not talk to him.
I have to turn my focus on other things, and my faith in God.
Thanksgiving is in a few days. I am going home and making brownies with caramel centers and working on my advent calendar. Usually I put up my tree the weekend after thanksgiving. I almost decided not to put one up since I am displaced, but then I thought, why shouldn’t I?
And am I really displaced or am I exactly where I am supposed to be?
I am the only one that can bring back my joy and find joy in my ever days – including the holidays.
I have a lot to be thankful for.
Today I am thankful that I can cook and have food to eat.
God is good all the time.
Lord, give us all thankful hearts through the good and the bad.
Thank you, God.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Eighty-Four
Last week my hard drive crashed and I lost everything I had on my computer. I didn't backup my files.
Today I got my computer back and had to recreate all my forms that I work with. I feel like I have to start a lot of things over lately. My boss was positive, he was glad I lost some forms and looked forward to something new. that only meant more work for me,but all I could do is press forward and keep on track to make the new forms and continue on with my work.
Everything is not as it was before. I also have new updated computer functions and I am not sure how to use all the new functions. I had to think more about how to make the applications do what I needed them to do. Now is not the time to get frustrated that everything is much like having a deck of cards all in order and then tossed up in the air and the new game is 52 card pick-up instead of a neat shuffle. On top of that I have to close out the month by Wednesday. I could stress. I could be angry at myself. I could whine and complain that I messed up, but I am not doing any of that. I am taking one thing at a time. That is all I can do.
Isn't that how life is sometimes, you have everything in order and planned out, then LIFE happens- that series of unexpected events that wreck out our schedule. What caused the change in our plans? crisis? chance? or a choice we made? As women we take on the crisis, we don't leave things up to chance and we choose to do what needs to be done; we regain control.
What if we took on a different approach- a God approach to our upset? To do nothing in a crisis situation is unthinkable. But in the case of my computer I couldn't fix it. There was nothing to be done. I had to live without my computer for four days at work. I did some other things than my computer work and got some thing done that had been neglected. Praise God!
"Going with the flow" is not easy for women who are constantly in control of households, children and schedules. We have to remember that God is the one who is in control.
Remember that God is in control this week as we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, cooking, families, and travel.
Psalm 62: 1 & 2
1 My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
Today I am thankful that God is in control.
Lord give us all thankful hearts.
Today I got my computer back and had to recreate all my forms that I work with. I feel like I have to start a lot of things over lately. My boss was positive, he was glad I lost some forms and looked forward to something new. that only meant more work for me,but all I could do is press forward and keep on track to make the new forms and continue on with my work.
Everything is not as it was before. I also have new updated computer functions and I am not sure how to use all the new functions. I had to think more about how to make the applications do what I needed them to do. Now is not the time to get frustrated that everything is much like having a deck of cards all in order and then tossed up in the air and the new game is 52 card pick-up instead of a neat shuffle. On top of that I have to close out the month by Wednesday. I could stress. I could be angry at myself. I could whine and complain that I messed up, but I am not doing any of that. I am taking one thing at a time. That is all I can do.
Isn't that how life is sometimes, you have everything in order and planned out, then LIFE happens- that series of unexpected events that wreck out our schedule. What caused the change in our plans? crisis? chance? or a choice we made? As women we take on the crisis, we don't leave things up to chance and we choose to do what needs to be done; we regain control.
What if we took on a different approach- a God approach to our upset? To do nothing in a crisis situation is unthinkable. But in the case of my computer I couldn't fix it. There was nothing to be done. I had to live without my computer for four days at work. I did some other things than my computer work and got some thing done that had been neglected. Praise God!
"Going with the flow" is not easy for women who are constantly in control of households, children and schedules. We have to remember that God is the one who is in control.
Remember that God is in control this week as we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, cooking, families, and travel.
Psalm 62: 1 & 2
1 My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
Today I am thankful that God is in control.
Lord give us all thankful hearts.
Eighty-two and Eighty-three
Over the weekend I was without my computer, but I was not without God.
Saturday I worked on my advent calendar and thought of everything I was thankful for.
Sunday I went to church at Logos Baptist church and Pastor Anderson gave a powerful sermon on Psalm 100; a psalm about giving thanks to God.
Psalm 100
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Pastor Anderson's challenge this week was for us to take 30 min and write down everything we were thankful for. He wrote over 120 items in his list and shared about half with the congregation.
I have been saying each day one thing I was thankful for this month. I have a lot more things than 30 that I am thankful for. Maybe I will come up with over 120 within 30 min.
I will share the top two things as Christians we should be thankful for,
1. Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for our sins
2. Our salvation
Today I am thankful for Jesus Christ and for my salvation.
I am in prayer for healing for hearts that are broken, new friends and new beginnings.
Dear Lord give us all thankful hearts.
Saturday I worked on my advent calendar and thought of everything I was thankful for.
Sunday I went to church at Logos Baptist church and Pastor Anderson gave a powerful sermon on Psalm 100; a psalm about giving thanks to God.
Psalm 100
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Pastor Anderson's challenge this week was for us to take 30 min and write down everything we were thankful for. He wrote over 120 items in his list and shared about half with the congregation.
I have been saying each day one thing I was thankful for this month. I have a lot more things than 30 that I am thankful for. Maybe I will come up with over 120 within 30 min.
I will share the top two things as Christians we should be thankful for,
1. Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for our sins
2. Our salvation
Today I am thankful for Jesus Christ and for my salvation.
I am in prayer for healing for hearts that are broken, new friends and new beginnings.
Dear Lord give us all thankful hearts.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Eighty-One
Today I read I Kings 21. In this chapter Naboth did not want to sell the king his vineyard.When King Ahab was enraged that he couldn’t have what he wanted. Jezabel had Naboth unjustly accused and killed so that her husband King Ahab could have his vineyard. King Ahab and Jezebel had a lot of greed and they wanted what they wanted.
Ahab made bad choices time and time again. He also engaged in idol worship.
Today I am thinking about people who take and take from others for their own benefit and hurt others with lies and deceit to fulfill their greed.
I am praying for release of a friend that has had this done to her.
I pray that anyone in a situation that they feel they can not escape, that God will intercede on their behalf and give them peace that they need to know that there is hope for their situation.
We all could use some hope in these uncertain times.
With the recession we all have to keep ourselves in check about what we idolize. Is it shoes, clothes, expensive things to impress others, and sometimes it is just the way we spend our time?
Living like no one else sometimes makes us stand out. It is the nail that sticks out is the one that gets hammered.
Living different is the life of a Christian. If you are having a hard time, please look to hope in God.
Psalm 129: 2-4
2 they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory over me.
3 Plowmen have plowed my back
and made their furrows long.
4 But the LORD is righteous;
he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.
Today I am thankful that God provides for my needs and I know I don’t have to live a life to impress others. I hope that I can live a life that impresses God and I can live in his favor.
Lord give us all thankful hearts.
Ahab made bad choices time and time again. He also engaged in idol worship.
Today I am thinking about people who take and take from others for their own benefit and hurt others with lies and deceit to fulfill their greed.
I am praying for release of a friend that has had this done to her.
I pray that anyone in a situation that they feel they can not escape, that God will intercede on their behalf and give them peace that they need to know that there is hope for their situation.
We all could use some hope in these uncertain times.
With the recession we all have to keep ourselves in check about what we idolize. Is it shoes, clothes, expensive things to impress others, and sometimes it is just the way we spend our time?
Living like no one else sometimes makes us stand out. It is the nail that sticks out is the one that gets hammered.
Living different is the life of a Christian. If you are having a hard time, please look to hope in God.
Psalm 129: 2-4
2 they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory over me.
3 Plowmen have plowed my back
and made their furrows long.
4 But the LORD is righteous;
he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.
Today I am thankful that God provides for my needs and I know I don’t have to live a life to impress others. I hope that I can live a life that impresses God and I can live in his favor.
Lord give us all thankful hearts.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Eighty
Thinking of Jesus today.
verse of the day:
Hebrews 4:16
"We will find grace to help us when we need it."
Thankful for the grace of God.
Lord give us all thankful hearts.
verse of the day:
Hebrews 4:16
"We will find grace to help us when we need it."
Thankful for the grace of God.
Lord give us all thankful hearts.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Seventy-nine
I am still a little out of sorts today...
I am thankful for my family.
My Mom and dad call me regularly and I am blessed that they are interested in what is going on with me. Not much to tell these days just work. I'm feeling homesick. I miss coming home to some one everyday.
I lived with my parents for a few years in my adult life and there was a lot of comfort in having them as my support group. I'm missing that comfort.
a quick verse
Mark 8: 34
"If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up thier lives to follow me."
Every thing in my life is different.
Thank God!
God is at work in my life.
Tonight I got some part time work and I am praying that it will continue and be so much more.
To God be all the glory honor and praise for the life I am living.
God give us all thankful hearts.
I am thankful for my family.
My Mom and dad call me regularly and I am blessed that they are interested in what is going on with me. Not much to tell these days just work. I'm feeling homesick. I miss coming home to some one everyday.
I lived with my parents for a few years in my adult life and there was a lot of comfort in having them as my support group. I'm missing that comfort.
a quick verse
Mark 8: 34
"If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up thier lives to follow me."
Every thing in my life is different.
Thank God!
God is at work in my life.
Tonight I got some part time work and I am praying that it will continue and be so much more.
To God be all the glory honor and praise for the life I am living.
God give us all thankful hearts.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Seventy-eight
I had a weird day and didn’t feel like I could concentrate on anything. I feel out of sorts.
I just have a short verse for today.
2 Thessalonians 3:5
“May the Lord lead your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s patience.”
We all can use God’s love.
I have Christmas on my mind and I have started thinking of tree decorations. My husband gave me a load of white felt and I made some doves and some hearts and tonight I am making an advent calendar. I’ve never had one, but this year I plan to make a point to see the countdown and spend that time thinking of Jesus Christ and how his life began and give thanks that he died for my sins. I am not going to let the season overwhelm me and take it one day at a time.
As Christmas nears remember to include Jesus.
Dear Lord, give us all thankful hearts.
I just have a short verse for today.
2 Thessalonians 3:5
“May the Lord lead your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s patience.”
We all can use God’s love.
I have Christmas on my mind and I have started thinking of tree decorations. My husband gave me a load of white felt and I made some doves and some hearts and tonight I am making an advent calendar. I’ve never had one, but this year I plan to make a point to see the countdown and spend that time thinking of Jesus Christ and how his life began and give thanks that he died for my sins. I am not going to let the season overwhelm me and take it one day at a time.
As Christmas nears remember to include Jesus.
Dear Lord, give us all thankful hearts.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Seventy-seven
First thing this morning I have some prayer requests:
I am praying for God to send two of my single friend’s husbands. One has a child and the other friend wants a child. Husbands that will love the Lord and be great providers, partners and leaders in their homes, may they be men that are respectable. I pray that God will send the right person into each of their lives and they are receptive to the men the Lord sends.
I am praying for a friend that is seeking the Lord. May God help her find a church home. I am in prayer for her marriage because her husband is not a Christian. I pray that God will be with her in her struggles and provide protection and strength in her family. She also starts a part-time job to meet her family’s financial needs. Thank God for that blessing and give her strength for the long days ahead.
I am praying for a young unmarried couple that just found out they are having a baby. These two young people still have selfish hearts and do not know what the future holds for them. They did not plan on a baby. I pray that God will come into their lives and they will seek God to guide them to marriage and through their parenting journey. They are twenty five years old.
I am also rejoicing for another couple that has been blessed with another child.
I am praying for healing for my friends that are sick and struggling with cancer, kidney stones, surgery, and sickness. I pray also for their families that will uplift them and support them during their time of healing.
I am praying for salvation for several people.
I am praying that the Holy Spirit will come into the life of my husband and lead him in his actions.
I am praying for a couple that is very negative towards me. I pray that God will intervene in that situation and bring about changes.
I am praying about each and every one of us as Christians to seek and follow God, and keep our focus on our eternal salvation and the forgiveness of sin that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.
May we all strive for a relationship with God. I am thankful for God drawing me nearer to him through my recent struggles, I am being patient in the Lord and seeking his will in all areas in my life.
I could spend all day with God presenting Him with a prayer for every person I speak to today, already I have laid eyes on about 24 people that I could say a prayer to the Lord for each of them. My prayers could be endless today from the time I woke up to the minute I fall asleep. May God bless each of those people and every person I come in contact with today. Let us all have a heart of love and concern for everyone in our lives. Even if they are not someone we know.
Letting go and letting God.
When God is at work in our lives, it is hard to have patience.
It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. —Luke 12:43
1. For God to do some good works, sometimes there are changes that have to be made within ourselves. God can be faithful while he makes us aware that some things are not right with us, like our fellowship with God, the choices we make, and our devotion to God. God does expect things from us, we are to worship, serve and love the Lord with all our hearts. Devotion is what God is seeking from his children.
2. God has some things for us to learn. For each of us the Holy Spirit can enter our lives and make us aware of sin in our lives, it could be envy, anger, hatred, unforgiveness, and blaming others.
If this is where you are in your walk, pray for the Holy Spirit to enter your life and change these areas in your life. The Holy Spirit can change the character of a person, if you allow it.
3. Give things time. Give God time. Patience is hard for all of us to accept. We live in a world of instant gratification. God is not an instant gratification kind of God. He allows things to happen in His time. Amen.
In our daily life the most we can do is seek God and study the word and draw nearer to God and get a stronger relationship with God to help us through the times we await what God wants for our lives.
I am thankful that God has all the power over situations and will work them out for His Glory.
To God be all the Glory, honor and praise.
Lord, give us all thankful hearts.
I am praying for God to send two of my single friend’s husbands. One has a child and the other friend wants a child. Husbands that will love the Lord and be great providers, partners and leaders in their homes, may they be men that are respectable. I pray that God will send the right person into each of their lives and they are receptive to the men the Lord sends.
I am praying for a friend that is seeking the Lord. May God help her find a church home. I am in prayer for her marriage because her husband is not a Christian. I pray that God will be with her in her struggles and provide protection and strength in her family. She also starts a part-time job to meet her family’s financial needs. Thank God for that blessing and give her strength for the long days ahead.
I am praying for a young unmarried couple that just found out they are having a baby. These two young people still have selfish hearts and do not know what the future holds for them. They did not plan on a baby. I pray that God will come into their lives and they will seek God to guide them to marriage and through their parenting journey. They are twenty five years old.
I am also rejoicing for another couple that has been blessed with another child.
I am praying for healing for my friends that are sick and struggling with cancer, kidney stones, surgery, and sickness. I pray also for their families that will uplift them and support them during their time of healing.
I am praying for salvation for several people.
I am praying that the Holy Spirit will come into the life of my husband and lead him in his actions.
I am praying for a couple that is very negative towards me. I pray that God will intervene in that situation and bring about changes.
I am praying about each and every one of us as Christians to seek and follow God, and keep our focus on our eternal salvation and the forgiveness of sin that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.
May we all strive for a relationship with God. I am thankful for God drawing me nearer to him through my recent struggles, I am being patient in the Lord and seeking his will in all areas in my life.
I could spend all day with God presenting Him with a prayer for every person I speak to today, already I have laid eyes on about 24 people that I could say a prayer to the Lord for each of them. My prayers could be endless today from the time I woke up to the minute I fall asleep. May God bless each of those people and every person I come in contact with today. Let us all have a heart of love and concern for everyone in our lives. Even if they are not someone we know.
Letting go and letting God.
When God is at work in our lives, it is hard to have patience.
It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. —Luke 12:43
1. For God to do some good works, sometimes there are changes that have to be made within ourselves. God can be faithful while he makes us aware that some things are not right with us, like our fellowship with God, the choices we make, and our devotion to God. God does expect things from us, we are to worship, serve and love the Lord with all our hearts. Devotion is what God is seeking from his children.
2. God has some things for us to learn. For each of us the Holy Spirit can enter our lives and make us aware of sin in our lives, it could be envy, anger, hatred, unforgiveness, and blaming others.
If this is where you are in your walk, pray for the Holy Spirit to enter your life and change these areas in your life. The Holy Spirit can change the character of a person, if you allow it.
3. Give things time. Give God time. Patience is hard for all of us to accept. We live in a world of instant gratification. God is not an instant gratification kind of God. He allows things to happen in His time. Amen.
In our daily life the most we can do is seek God and study the word and draw nearer to God and get a stronger relationship with God to help us through the times we await what God wants for our lives.
I am thankful that God has all the power over situations and will work them out for His Glory.
To God be all the Glory, honor and praise.
Lord, give us all thankful hearts.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Seventy-six
Thank you King of kings, Lord of Lords, God almighty, I worship you!
What if we are in situations that we feel there is no way out?
It is easy for us to leave some things, we can leave work, we can leave a store, we can leave the house. Some things are not easy for us to leave, like addiction, emotions, bad abusive relationships and the like.
Another thing we cannot leave is ourselves. When God is working on our situations we have to do our part too. God takes care of our situations, and he will also be at work within us.
Ephesians 1:18
“May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you.”
Letting go and letting God is hard, it is a choice.
I have a problem with patience. I sometimes pray about things then I take things into my own hands without patience. I tell myself to trust in God, but then I don’t wait on Him.
A few days ago I mentioned getting a part time job, I thought everything was ok, but a week went by and I didn’t get called for any more work. I sent a text to the person, but with no response. I prayed about it, I put it in Gods hands. Every time I pick up my phone I have the urge to call and confront the issue. I didn’t call. Maybe God is testing my faith. I know that I need God to intervene because it is a delicate relationship.
Maybe God is saying no to the situation. I am just lifting it up to God, and having patience about it.
Today’s verse is turning my eyes to God, my focus, my goal to be His goal.
Today I am thankful that God gives us a chance to repent, change our ways, and turn back to Jesus Christ. I am thankful God is at work in my life and I will let God be God and handle my concerns while I do my part by putting my focus on God.
May God bless us with thankful hearts.
What if we are in situations that we feel there is no way out?
It is easy for us to leave some things, we can leave work, we can leave a store, we can leave the house. Some things are not easy for us to leave, like addiction, emotions, bad abusive relationships and the like.
Another thing we cannot leave is ourselves. When God is working on our situations we have to do our part too. God takes care of our situations, and he will also be at work within us.
Ephesians 1:18
“May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you.”
Letting go and letting God is hard, it is a choice.
I have a problem with patience. I sometimes pray about things then I take things into my own hands without patience. I tell myself to trust in God, but then I don’t wait on Him.
A few days ago I mentioned getting a part time job, I thought everything was ok, but a week went by and I didn’t get called for any more work. I sent a text to the person, but with no response. I prayed about it, I put it in Gods hands. Every time I pick up my phone I have the urge to call and confront the issue. I didn’t call. Maybe God is testing my faith. I know that I need God to intervene because it is a delicate relationship.
Maybe God is saying no to the situation. I am just lifting it up to God, and having patience about it.
Today’s verse is turning my eyes to God, my focus, my goal to be His goal.
Today I am thankful that God gives us a chance to repent, change our ways, and turn back to Jesus Christ. I am thankful God is at work in my life and I will let God be God and handle my concerns while I do my part by putting my focus on God.
May God bless us with thankful hearts.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Seventy-five
Hebrews 10:22
“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled cleanse us from guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
Let God remain in everything.
May God bless us with thankful hearts.
“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled cleanse us from guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
Let God remain in everything.
May God bless us with thankful hearts.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Seventy-four
I don’t have a verse for today. I have had faith on my mind lately.
Faith.
This morning I woke up and spent my time in prayer in silence again this morning.
I am thinking about faith in what God can do.
Today I want to pray for others.
I want to pray for God to touch the person who is hurting and struggling with their own emotional crisis and ask God to give them peace about the situation.
I want to pray for people who are having relationship problems, that God would resolve it according to His will. I pray for both parties, that God would touch the life of the unbeliever and that God would put in place a transformation in that person to stop the destructive behavior. And for that person that is hurt and confused that they would lean on God and be accepting of His will.
I want to pray for a couple that is wanting a child,
A person struggling with addiction,
A person that has been in a wreck and is having surgery.
I want to pray for someone that needs God.
I especially want to pray for lost souls.
I read a quote yesterday – “Grace is a sort of ecstatic fire that takes things down to the essentials.” Gilead, by G. Robinson
Listening to a sermon by Dr. Tony Evans “Revive Us again – Shaking things up for Revival”
He said that when God wants to change things he causes an interruption to give us a brand new experience.
Faith. “Shaking the visible to reveal the invisible.” Forcing us to deal with things we can’t see.
Everything can be shaking around you, but with God, He can make you unshakable.
If you get a chance click the link and listen to the sermon. It will speak to you about faith and fill you with some joy from the word of God.
May we all know God and strengthen our relationship with Him. May we all know grace from God our father.
Dear Lord, I am thankful for the shake-ups you cause in our lives for us to receive your blessings for us.
Lord, bless us all with thankful hearts.
Faith.
This morning I woke up and spent my time in prayer in silence again this morning.
I am thinking about faith in what God can do.
Today I want to pray for others.
I want to pray for God to touch the person who is hurting and struggling with their own emotional crisis and ask God to give them peace about the situation.
I want to pray for people who are having relationship problems, that God would resolve it according to His will. I pray for both parties, that God would touch the life of the unbeliever and that God would put in place a transformation in that person to stop the destructive behavior. And for that person that is hurt and confused that they would lean on God and be accepting of His will.
I want to pray for a couple that is wanting a child,
A person struggling with addiction,
A person that has been in a wreck and is having surgery.
I want to pray for someone that needs God.
I especially want to pray for lost souls.
I read a quote yesterday – “Grace is a sort of ecstatic fire that takes things down to the essentials.” Gilead, by G. Robinson
Listening to a sermon by Dr. Tony Evans “Revive Us again – Shaking things up for Revival”
He said that when God wants to change things he causes an interruption to give us a brand new experience.
Faith. “Shaking the visible to reveal the invisible.” Forcing us to deal with things we can’t see.
Everything can be shaking around you, but with God, He can make you unshakable.
If you get a chance click the link and listen to the sermon. It will speak to you about faith and fill you with some joy from the word of God.
May we all know God and strengthen our relationship with Him. May we all know grace from God our father.
Dear Lord, I am thankful for the shake-ups you cause in our lives for us to receive your blessings for us.
Lord, bless us all with thankful hearts.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Seventy-three
Just a short verse today…
Psalm 56:13
“For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of Life.”
I read a quote today-
“Each of us is in various stages of recovery from WHATEVER, and it’s important that we are able to laugh along the way. It’s kept me from insanity numerous times… Out of your heartache comes something beautiful that God has used, is using or will use.”
I started the morning laughing with a friend and it tickled our “funny Bone”
Today I am thankful for laughter. Thank you God that we can laugh.
Lord, thank you for your sovereignty. You are in control. I am thankful that I can present my worries to you and you will handle them in the way that they need to be handled. I can have peace about my life even in the time of trouble and that my friends can give and share laughter with me as we go through this journey.
May you have God’s mercy and peace in your time of trouble.
Thank You God, to you I give all the glory honor and praise for the work that you are doing in each individual that believes and belongs to you, including me. Thank you also for love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ as we move from thanksgiving in the next few weeks, into the Christmas season, let us remember Jesus as we pull out our Christmas decorations and include Him in our holiday celebrations. If it was not for Jesus Christ we would not be forgiven of our sins. Help us all to live right in a world that is so full of wrong, keep our focus on the Lord so that we will know joy.
Lord, Bless us all with thankful hearts.
Psalm 56:13
“For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of Life.”
I read a quote today-
“Each of us is in various stages of recovery from WHATEVER, and it’s important that we are able to laugh along the way. It’s kept me from insanity numerous times… Out of your heartache comes something beautiful that God has used, is using or will use.”
I started the morning laughing with a friend and it tickled our “funny Bone”
Today I am thankful for laughter. Thank you God that we can laugh.
Lord, thank you for your sovereignty. You are in control. I am thankful that I can present my worries to you and you will handle them in the way that they need to be handled. I can have peace about my life even in the time of trouble and that my friends can give and share laughter with me as we go through this journey.
May you have God’s mercy and peace in your time of trouble.
Thank You God, to you I give all the glory honor and praise for the work that you are doing in each individual that believes and belongs to you, including me. Thank you also for love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ as we move from thanksgiving in the next few weeks, into the Christmas season, let us remember Jesus as we pull out our Christmas decorations and include Him in our holiday celebrations. If it was not for Jesus Christ we would not be forgiven of our sins. Help us all to live right in a world that is so full of wrong, keep our focus on the Lord so that we will know joy.
Lord, Bless us all with thankful hearts.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Seventy-two
Philippians 3:12-14
“12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Today I had an emotional day. I’ve been in a lot of conflict about living in my apartment separate from my husband. We had lunch together and talked.
I told him I hated my apartment, but I didn’t think I would be moving back in with him. I have become very insecure, very suspicious, very jealous, and very possessive. I was never this person before. I don’t like being that person.
I’m really sad. This was not an easy thing to admit. I didn’t want to admit that my life may move on without him. I love him. Some things just end. Some hearts just break. Some things can’t be undone. I will have to figure out what to do with the rest of my life, and not consider him or anyone else for a while. I will get to be completely selfish and not hold on to the past. He can have the freedom he wanted and keep our memories.I have to let go, forget, forgive and move on.
Dear God, this is really hard. I am stepping out on faith, because I have prayed and prayed about this for a long time. Please give me a peace about it and guidance about where I am going to live.
May God give us all thankful hearts.
“12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Today I had an emotional day. I’ve been in a lot of conflict about living in my apartment separate from my husband. We had lunch together and talked.
I told him I hated my apartment, but I didn’t think I would be moving back in with him. I have become very insecure, very suspicious, very jealous, and very possessive. I was never this person before. I don’t like being that person.
I’m really sad. This was not an easy thing to admit. I didn’t want to admit that my life may move on without him. I love him. Some things just end. Some hearts just break. Some things can’t be undone. I will have to figure out what to do with the rest of my life, and not consider him or anyone else for a while. I will get to be completely selfish and not hold on to the past. He can have the freedom he wanted and keep our memories.I have to let go, forget, forgive and move on.
Dear God, this is really hard. I am stepping out on faith, because I have prayed and prayed about this for a long time. Please give me a peace about it and guidance about where I am going to live.
May God give us all thankful hearts.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Extra
I just had to post this link.
prayer blog - I cried.
Join in and uplift a prayer.
Prayer warriors are always needed.
Add a prayer if you like.
Thank God for hearing our prayers and those who join us in our prayers.
http://www.prayingforgodsblessings.blogspot.com/
Also if you want go here:
http://www.prayergates.com/
prayer blog - I cried.
Join in and uplift a prayer.
Prayer warriors are always needed.
Add a prayer if you like.
Thank God for hearing our prayers and those who join us in our prayers.
http://www.prayingforgodsblessings.blogspot.com/
Also if you want go here:
http://www.prayergates.com/
Seventy-one
Today I am thinking about moments- I saw a video yesterday just about moments-
Watch it here. It will make you smile.
Since I watched it, I have been paying attention to the moments of my life. Moments I see, moments I share and moments I receive. We only have this one life to soak it all in and experience it.
Just this morning my moments went like this:
Heard the wind and rain- thanked God my upstairs neighbors were silent and I was able to spend my devotional time in quiet.
I got a text message from my husband: he had read my note and in his moment back to me – well I was disappointed. (in that small moment response he told me more in what he didn’t say than what he did say) Thankful that God is there when my heart breaks and will help me through this separation and help me handle my emotions and I didn't reply like I wanted to, I just prayed about it and will let God's will, happen.
Had clean clothes to wear. Thanked God that I have plenty of clothes.
Peeled a ripe banana. The smell was wonderful. The flavor was exactly like a banana. Thanked God for making fruit and provision of food to eat.
Walked my dog and he was happy to be out even though the weather was bad. Thanked God for a great companion.
Saw that my daughter left her legwarmers in my car last night and I thought of her. Thanked God for the blessing of a child and the wonder of her. Thank God for the moments we got to share when I took her to dance and last night I even watched her dance.
I was early to work. Thanked God I arrived safely.
I had God on my mind this morning and he gave me a good feeling about something I needed. Thanked God that he will meet my needs.
I have to repeat what I said about my relationship with God at the beginning of this blog :
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
From day ONE:
“Next consider the weight of what God is asking, he is asking for a commitment, this is serious. If I consent to “let go and let God” the process will begin and I will see things shift, shove, and rearrange to guide my path for what he has planned. He is not asking me for some weak faith, He is asking me for something larger- God is asking me for an ENDURING faith, a faith that will be here daily- for the next 365 days, and the next, and the next- until my mission and my ministry is done. WOW”
Faith in the moments - God in the moments of my life.
Thank you God, for the moments of my life and making me aware that we only get this one chance to do it right. I’m glad I get this chance to do it right from this very moment on, moment by moment.
We can live- Really live in the moment if we include God!
May you know the peace and grace of God Almighty.
Dear Lord, bless us with thankful hearts.
Watch it here. It will make you smile.
Since I watched it, I have been paying attention to the moments of my life. Moments I see, moments I share and moments I receive. We only have this one life to soak it all in and experience it.
Just this morning my moments went like this:
Heard the wind and rain- thanked God my upstairs neighbors were silent and I was able to spend my devotional time in quiet.
I got a text message from my husband: he had read my note and in his moment back to me – well I was disappointed. (in that small moment response he told me more in what he didn’t say than what he did say) Thankful that God is there when my heart breaks and will help me through this separation and help me handle my emotions and I didn't reply like I wanted to, I just prayed about it and will let God's will, happen.
Had clean clothes to wear. Thanked God that I have plenty of clothes.
Peeled a ripe banana. The smell was wonderful. The flavor was exactly like a banana. Thanked God for making fruit and provision of food to eat.
Walked my dog and he was happy to be out even though the weather was bad. Thanked God for a great companion.
Saw that my daughter left her legwarmers in my car last night and I thought of her. Thanked God for the blessing of a child and the wonder of her. Thank God for the moments we got to share when I took her to dance and last night I even watched her dance.
I was early to work. Thanked God I arrived safely.
I had God on my mind this morning and he gave me a good feeling about something I needed. Thanked God that he will meet my needs.
I have to repeat what I said about my relationship with God at the beginning of this blog :
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
From day ONE:
“Next consider the weight of what God is asking, he is asking for a commitment, this is serious. If I consent to “let go and let God” the process will begin and I will see things shift, shove, and rearrange to guide my path for what he has planned. He is not asking me for some weak faith, He is asking me for something larger- God is asking me for an ENDURING faith, a faith that will be here daily- for the next 365 days, and the next, and the next- until my mission and my ministry is done. WOW”
Faith in the moments - God in the moments of my life.
Thank you God, for the moments of my life and making me aware that we only get this one chance to do it right. I’m glad I get this chance to do it right from this very moment on, moment by moment.
We can live- Really live in the moment if we include God!
May you know the peace and grace of God Almighty.
Dear Lord, bless us with thankful hearts.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Seventy
Worship
1 Timothy 6: 11 – 16
"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen."
Today I am thinking about how we as humans strive to do our very best at what we do. I think about how important trophies become and the satisfaction of being a winner. Being a Christian, you get a certificate of Baptism when you are baptized, but other than that there isn’t any other physical symbol that distinguishes you being a Christian. As Christians we are God’s trophy.
We are the thing that people see the reflection of our invisible God. As Christians we are called to follow God. I thought last week I would stop this blog because of my actions, but I was called by God not to stop. I agreed that this blog would include the good and the bad. Maybe I am not completely at the point that others can see God in me yet, but if God is going to use me, I agreed for Him to break down barriers, change my character, and be honest about how God can change someone.
Even in the life of Timothy, there were struggles, and as this letter from Paul in today verses states, he warns Timothy that there is a lot that can tempt a person, disrespect, money, and false doctrines.
“12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
The good confession:
Romans 10:9
"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
As a final note Paul stressed the urgency of Timothy’s example”
1 Timothy 6:20-21
"Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.
Grace be with you."
“God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.”
I am thankful that God can use a broken life. I am also thankful that life will not always be broken.
Romans 4:7
“Happy are those whose sins are forgiven.”
Dear Lord give us all thankful hearts.
Jesus Christ is Lord! Proclaim it, rejoice, and revive our thankful hearts!
1 Timothy 6: 11 – 16
"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen."
Today I am thinking about how we as humans strive to do our very best at what we do. I think about how important trophies become and the satisfaction of being a winner. Being a Christian, you get a certificate of Baptism when you are baptized, but other than that there isn’t any other physical symbol that distinguishes you being a Christian. As Christians we are God’s trophy.
We are the thing that people see the reflection of our invisible God. As Christians we are called to follow God. I thought last week I would stop this blog because of my actions, but I was called by God not to stop. I agreed that this blog would include the good and the bad. Maybe I am not completely at the point that others can see God in me yet, but if God is going to use me, I agreed for Him to break down barriers, change my character, and be honest about how God can change someone.
Even in the life of Timothy, there were struggles, and as this letter from Paul in today verses states, he warns Timothy that there is a lot that can tempt a person, disrespect, money, and false doctrines.
“12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
The good confession:
Romans 10:9
"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
As a final note Paul stressed the urgency of Timothy’s example”
1 Timothy 6:20-21
"Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.
Grace be with you."
“God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.”
I am thankful that God can use a broken life. I am also thankful that life will not always be broken.
Romans 4:7
“Happy are those whose sins are forgiven.”
Dear Lord give us all thankful hearts.
Jesus Christ is Lord! Proclaim it, rejoice, and revive our thankful hearts!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Sixty-nine
Today is a day of worship. I started my morning reading 2 Kings and the reign of Hezekiah. Hezekiah had a troubled reign, but he was a man that followed God and went to God for his needs.
2 Kings 19: 14 – 19
14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD : "O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.
17 "It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. 18 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men's hands. 19 Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God."
What do you need the Lord to deliver you from?
Remember the Lord is Almighty and if you worship Him, there is nothing He can not do.
Some small things I would like deliverance from- noisy upstairs neighbors, and debt. Do these things seem petty to ask for? My neighbors were here before me and my debt was created by me. What is important here is that I turn the focus to God. I can say a prayer much like Hezekiah prayed, first worshiping God, acknowledging His sovereignty.
Here is a prayer I have prayed since I separated from my husband.
Lord,
You are the source of all my sustenance.
I pray that You hear my prayer and guide me in Your infinite wisdom.
My spirit is full, but my wallet is empty. I need Your help.
My finances and marriage is in crisis, and are causing me great pain.
Please uplift my heart so that I may appreciate all that I do have
so that I may also be blessed with more prosperity.
Money issues and the troubles in my marriage bring me down, and I forget to thank You for all that I do have thanks to Your blessings.
Please remind me of Your abundance, so that my money will once again flow in to me
And sustain me as does Your caring.
Heavenly Father, most Gracious and Loving God, I pray to You that You abundantly bless my family and me. I know that You recognize , that a family is more than just a mother, father, sister , brother, husband and wife, but all who believe and trust in You.
God, I send up a prayer request for financial blessing for me. I know You are aware of my needs and will bless me according to Your will for me.
I thank You in advance for Your blessings. God deliver me right now from debt and debt burdens and the trials in my marriage.
Release Your Godly wisdom that I may be a good steward over all that You have given me God, for I know how wonderful and mighty You are and how if we just obey You and walk in Your word and have the faith of a mustard seed that You will pour out blessings.
I thank You now Lord for the recent blessings I have received and for the blessings yet to come because I know You are not done with me yet.
Amen.
God did not instantly answer this prayer.
There were some things in my life that had to change and I had to change. God is still working with me about these changes. He gave me a job that will allow me to make a decent amount of money and I will have to work hard, I know while I work I will be able to draw closer to God and spend time with Him, and He will continue to work in my life. God did bring changes in my husband, and it helped our relationship, we are not living together, and I am trying to adjust to perhaps God is saying no to that situation. I know He is saying no right now, because there are some things that both me and my husband still need to work on.
It is hard to accept when God says no to things. We sometimes do not understand, but we do need to know that God has a plan and trust in that plan. I feel God asking me to trust in Him more than I EVER have. More than trusting Him all those years not having my mother in my life? More than when I was alone with an infant? More than when my child moved out and my world collapsed? Maybe it is not a measure of trust- just simply trusting only in God- the Lord God Almighty.
Today I am thanking God for deliverance, for the things that He has delivered me from in the past and for the things He is at work delivering me from right now, and the things I will trust in Him to deliver me from in the future.
"O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen…”
Dear Lord give us all a thankful heart.
2 Kings 19: 14 – 19
14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD : "O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.
17 "It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. 18 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men's hands. 19 Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God."
What do you need the Lord to deliver you from?
Remember the Lord is Almighty and if you worship Him, there is nothing He can not do.
Some small things I would like deliverance from- noisy upstairs neighbors, and debt. Do these things seem petty to ask for? My neighbors were here before me and my debt was created by me. What is important here is that I turn the focus to God. I can say a prayer much like Hezekiah prayed, first worshiping God, acknowledging His sovereignty.
Here is a prayer I have prayed since I separated from my husband.
Lord,
You are the source of all my sustenance.
I pray that You hear my prayer and guide me in Your infinite wisdom.
My spirit is full, but my wallet is empty. I need Your help.
My finances and marriage is in crisis, and are causing me great pain.
Please uplift my heart so that I may appreciate all that I do have
so that I may also be blessed with more prosperity.
Money issues and the troubles in my marriage bring me down, and I forget to thank You for all that I do have thanks to Your blessings.
Please remind me of Your abundance, so that my money will once again flow in to me
And sustain me as does Your caring.
Heavenly Father, most Gracious and Loving God, I pray to You that You abundantly bless my family and me. I know that You recognize , that a family is more than just a mother, father, sister , brother, husband and wife, but all who believe and trust in You.
God, I send up a prayer request for financial blessing for me. I know You are aware of my needs and will bless me according to Your will for me.
I thank You in advance for Your blessings. God deliver me right now from debt and debt burdens and the trials in my marriage.
Release Your Godly wisdom that I may be a good steward over all that You have given me God, for I know how wonderful and mighty You are and how if we just obey You and walk in Your word and have the faith of a mustard seed that You will pour out blessings.
I thank You now Lord for the recent blessings I have received and for the blessings yet to come because I know You are not done with me yet.
Amen.
God did not instantly answer this prayer.
There were some things in my life that had to change and I had to change. God is still working with me about these changes. He gave me a job that will allow me to make a decent amount of money and I will have to work hard, I know while I work I will be able to draw closer to God and spend time with Him, and He will continue to work in my life. God did bring changes in my husband, and it helped our relationship, we are not living together, and I am trying to adjust to perhaps God is saying no to that situation. I know He is saying no right now, because there are some things that both me and my husband still need to work on.
It is hard to accept when God says no to things. We sometimes do not understand, but we do need to know that God has a plan and trust in that plan. I feel God asking me to trust in Him more than I EVER have. More than trusting Him all those years not having my mother in my life? More than when I was alone with an infant? More than when my child moved out and my world collapsed? Maybe it is not a measure of trust- just simply trusting only in God- the Lord God Almighty.
Today I am thanking God for deliverance, for the things that He has delivered me from in the past and for the things He is at work delivering me from right now, and the things I will trust in Him to deliver me from in the future.
"O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen…”
Dear Lord give us all a thankful heart.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Sixty- Eight
Today I am having a lot of conflict. I admit I brought it on myself. I tend to speak when I should be silent. Then I say some crazy thing that is reckless without regard to my dignity. I really need God to help me control my words and help me to be silent when I need to be silent.
Colossians 4:2
“Continue praying, keeping alert, and always thanking God.”
I am thankful that God has not given up on me.
Thank you God for this beautiful day I will lay this conflict down and let God handle it from this moment on. I can only control my actions and my actions are supposed to be love and not anger. I want to be angry. I want to face the conflict and fuel it by fighting it out, but instead of struggling with the situation any longer, I am handing it over to God. It is a situation that I can not win.
I really need God. I fail a lot when I am on my own.
May we all know the peace and mercy that comes from God.
Lord bless us all with thankful hearts.
Colossians 4:2
“Continue praying, keeping alert, and always thanking God.”
I am thankful that God has not given up on me.
Thank you God for this beautiful day I will lay this conflict down and let God handle it from this moment on. I can only control my actions and my actions are supposed to be love and not anger. I want to be angry. I want to face the conflict and fuel it by fighting it out, but instead of struggling with the situation any longer, I am handing it over to God. It is a situation that I can not win.
I really need God. I fail a lot when I am on my own.
May we all know the peace and mercy that comes from God.
Lord bless us all with thankful hearts.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Sixty-seven
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."
2 Timothy 1:7
I woke up this morning with a lot of energy, the past week I have been very busy. I put in some long days, this has not happened in a while. I am not hanging out, I am working. I have also been fasting this week and under normal circumstances I would want to rest, but on Wednesday I came home about 12:30 and then took my dog out for a jog. The energy I have is not normal. I can feel my muscles, muscles I never think of.
This is the first week of working- really working, but I know if I push through this pain, in a few weeks I won’t feel it. My body will adjust.
I want to thank God for this miracle of a body that He has given me. I want to thank God for my 4 –H’s – my Head, my Heart, my Hands, my Health. I want to thank God for a body that can heal from injury. I want to thank God for making me unique.
I was thinking of the verse I selected today and I think about how God selects us for different jobs to glorify Him. Not all of us can be royalty, not all of us can be millionaires, not all of us can be race car drivers, not all of us can be athletes. We are to do our individual thing and do it to glorify God. Sometimes the focus on the task can put God on the back burner. Please guard yourself of this. Put God in everything you do, “go with God” is a very real thing.
When God is a part of the things you are doing, sometimes life will be hard but remember that God is loving and good and the life – or path we are on – can glorify God.
This week I have kept my heart on God. Humility drives prayer, repentance drives prayer, making decisions require prayer. I have sought God first this whole week. In my head my thoughts go like this,
“God, there is a pancake breakfast this morning and my donation will help someone in need, should I break my fast and have some pancakes?” GOD: Will that glorify me? “ No, it will not show my devotion to you, it will show my selfish nature.” GOD: Then don’t have the pancakes. There will be plenty of other people that will eat the pancakes and make donations.
“God, I want to go home because my phone battery is dead and I should not be without it when I am alone.” GOD: Complete your task, I am with you and no harm will come to you. Have faith. “Ok, I will hurry and finish what I can in the next 30 min and come back in the morning to do things I might have missed.”
“God, I wanted to go to the mall and get some tights.” GOD: Will the tights glorify me? “If I wear them to church they will glorify you.” GOD: You just want the tights, you do not need the tights. Do not go to the mall. Go home.
I feel a little co-dependent on God. Sure I can make these decisions on my own, but the point that I am getting at is that I am making my actions Christ centered. God does give me power, love and self-discipline. I do need Christ during this time of my life, and I admit being co-dependent on God is more than a feeling, it is the start of a way of life. All things come from God.
God please give us a thankful heart.
Thank you God.
Grace and peace to you from God our father.
2 Timothy 1:7
I woke up this morning with a lot of energy, the past week I have been very busy. I put in some long days, this has not happened in a while. I am not hanging out, I am working. I have also been fasting this week and under normal circumstances I would want to rest, but on Wednesday I came home about 12:30 and then took my dog out for a jog. The energy I have is not normal. I can feel my muscles, muscles I never think of.
This is the first week of working- really working, but I know if I push through this pain, in a few weeks I won’t feel it. My body will adjust.
I want to thank God for this miracle of a body that He has given me. I want to thank God for my 4 –H’s – my Head, my Heart, my Hands, my Health. I want to thank God for a body that can heal from injury. I want to thank God for making me unique.
I was thinking of the verse I selected today and I think about how God selects us for different jobs to glorify Him. Not all of us can be royalty, not all of us can be millionaires, not all of us can be race car drivers, not all of us can be athletes. We are to do our individual thing and do it to glorify God. Sometimes the focus on the task can put God on the back burner. Please guard yourself of this. Put God in everything you do, “go with God” is a very real thing.
When God is a part of the things you are doing, sometimes life will be hard but remember that God is loving and good and the life – or path we are on – can glorify God.
This week I have kept my heart on God. Humility drives prayer, repentance drives prayer, making decisions require prayer. I have sought God first this whole week. In my head my thoughts go like this,
“God, there is a pancake breakfast this morning and my donation will help someone in need, should I break my fast and have some pancakes?” GOD: Will that glorify me? “ No, it will not show my devotion to you, it will show my selfish nature.” GOD: Then don’t have the pancakes. There will be plenty of other people that will eat the pancakes and make donations.
“God, I want to go home because my phone battery is dead and I should not be without it when I am alone.” GOD: Complete your task, I am with you and no harm will come to you. Have faith. “Ok, I will hurry and finish what I can in the next 30 min and come back in the morning to do things I might have missed.”
“God, I wanted to go to the mall and get some tights.” GOD: Will the tights glorify me? “If I wear them to church they will glorify you.” GOD: You just want the tights, you do not need the tights. Do not go to the mall. Go home.
I feel a little co-dependent on God. Sure I can make these decisions on my own, but the point that I am getting at is that I am making my actions Christ centered. God does give me power, love and self-discipline. I do need Christ during this time of my life, and I admit being co-dependent on God is more than a feeling, it is the start of a way of life. All things come from God.
God please give us a thankful heart.
Thank you God.
Grace and peace to you from God our father.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Sixty- six
There are times when God is silent. I think during that time we need to be silent also. Silent just being in His presence. I wanted to go to God with some specific questions and have some conversations with God last night. He and I spent some time alone. I know that God was there, and several times I spoke, but I didn’t hear Him speak to me. I didn’t get any resolution to my questions. I admit I was in motion the whole time I was alone. I had a task to do and I did it alone but before I went I prayed that God would be with me. I completed each task and prayed throughout the night. When we are alone without distractions of others we can focus more on God. I had hoped that He would open my eyes to some things, but he did not.
For me sometimes prayer is just being able to speak to God out loud when we are alone. Last night He was just silent. I think this is a part of my humility. I think God has me in a valley right now and I know how human I am. I do make mistakes. I am a sinner. This valley is an uncomfortable place. It is like having someone angry with you and when you reach out for their hand they draw it away. God is here but He is not affectionate right now.
I am reading the book of Nehemiah and the gates of Jerusalem. Each of the gates has a message about our Lord and Savior. They tell about Jesus from His first coming sacrifice to His second coming and final judgment of man and angels.
To read more about the gates go here.
2 Corinthians 7:1
"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."
Today I am thankful to God for time in a valley to take care of the things I need to take care of and hope to come out from the valley different and changed from the experience.
To God be all the Glory Honor and Praise.
Today I praise God for the valley.
James 1:2-4
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing"
Dear Lord give us all a thankful heart.
Grace and peace to you from God the father.
For me sometimes prayer is just being able to speak to God out loud when we are alone. Last night He was just silent. I think this is a part of my humility. I think God has me in a valley right now and I know how human I am. I do make mistakes. I am a sinner. This valley is an uncomfortable place. It is like having someone angry with you and when you reach out for their hand they draw it away. God is here but He is not affectionate right now.
I am reading the book of Nehemiah and the gates of Jerusalem. Each of the gates has a message about our Lord and Savior. They tell about Jesus from His first coming sacrifice to His second coming and final judgment of man and angels.
To read more about the gates go here.
2 Corinthians 7:1
"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."
Today I am thankful to God for time in a valley to take care of the things I need to take care of and hope to come out from the valley different and changed from the experience.
To God be all the Glory Honor and Praise.
Today I praise God for the valley.
James 1:2-4
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing"
Dear Lord give us all a thankful heart.
Grace and peace to you from God the father.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Sixty-five
Today I am reading the book of Nehemiah in the Bible.
I am thankful today that God has provided me with a job and a part time job. I had been praying for the right part time job to come along and God sent a blessing from the last person I expected a blessing from. I just want you to know that God will break someone of hatred and envy and spite. Sometimes He will break your pride also to make us the people we are to be.
I have been struggling financially since the separation. I look at my money every day and consider every penny and no matter how hard I try not to spend, there are little things that come up unexpected like my daughter needing two dance recital costumes at $90 each or emergencies.
I took a part time retail job but was not sure it was the right job for me, but I did not want to turn away something God had provided, so I went a few days and put it to prayer and now God has provided this new opportunity. The retail job required me to sell credit cards. I am in debt because of my credit card. I need to pay it off and get serious about keeping the balance paid off. I did use it for emergencies and now I use it for gasoline because it is easy and I don’t always have cash with me. I had a problem encouraging people to do something that will be potentially harmful to them, especially when it is about money in today’s economy. God doesn’t want anyone to be in debt. When you owe someone you are bound to that debt. Being debt free is freedom. I want some of that freedom.
I took this part time job with Loren’s stepmother. She had mentioned it to me at the Honor Society induction and I told her I would be interested. I would not say that she and I have ever been friends or that I have extended myself to be that with her. She and I have always talked with Loren’s best interest in mind and I haven’t always liked it that my daughter preferred her to me, but God has a plan for all of this.
I know it will keep me close to my daughter and me and her stepmother will work together.
She told me last night that she really appreciated me doing this with her because it is a good opportunity that she couldn’t pass up and everyone she knew couldn’t help her because they have kids and their time is already obligated. She couldn’t do it alone and didn’t know who she would ask to do it with her. I just offered for her to consider me, and she did. We did one job already and we got two more today. Her time is so that she has little to none this week to make these obligations, but I told her I will do them and we will work it out together. We will work together when we can and the other times we will work solo.
In reality she does so much for me taking care of Loren, that I am grateful that she does love Loren and does the best she can- even with three other children.
I mentioned the other day that I have a lot of humility for my actions.
I am praying that God will bless the work of our hands and be with us as He was with Nehemiah as he labored for God. May we always be thankful to God for providing work and that we do it to the best of our ability to bring glory and honor to Him.
Today I am thankful for work.
To God be all the glory, honor and praise!
Grace and peace to you from God our father.
I am thankful today that God has provided me with a job and a part time job. I had been praying for the right part time job to come along and God sent a blessing from the last person I expected a blessing from. I just want you to know that God will break someone of hatred and envy and spite. Sometimes He will break your pride also to make us the people we are to be.
I have been struggling financially since the separation. I look at my money every day and consider every penny and no matter how hard I try not to spend, there are little things that come up unexpected like my daughter needing two dance recital costumes at $90 each or emergencies.
I took a part time retail job but was not sure it was the right job for me, but I did not want to turn away something God had provided, so I went a few days and put it to prayer and now God has provided this new opportunity. The retail job required me to sell credit cards. I am in debt because of my credit card. I need to pay it off and get serious about keeping the balance paid off. I did use it for emergencies and now I use it for gasoline because it is easy and I don’t always have cash with me. I had a problem encouraging people to do something that will be potentially harmful to them, especially when it is about money in today’s economy. God doesn’t want anyone to be in debt. When you owe someone you are bound to that debt. Being debt free is freedom. I want some of that freedom.
I took this part time job with Loren’s stepmother. She had mentioned it to me at the Honor Society induction and I told her I would be interested. I would not say that she and I have ever been friends or that I have extended myself to be that with her. She and I have always talked with Loren’s best interest in mind and I haven’t always liked it that my daughter preferred her to me, but God has a plan for all of this.
I know it will keep me close to my daughter and me and her stepmother will work together.
She told me last night that she really appreciated me doing this with her because it is a good opportunity that she couldn’t pass up and everyone she knew couldn’t help her because they have kids and their time is already obligated. She couldn’t do it alone and didn’t know who she would ask to do it with her. I just offered for her to consider me, and she did. We did one job already and we got two more today. Her time is so that she has little to none this week to make these obligations, but I told her I will do them and we will work it out together. We will work together when we can and the other times we will work solo.
In reality she does so much for me taking care of Loren, that I am grateful that she does love Loren and does the best she can- even with three other children.
I mentioned the other day that I have a lot of humility for my actions.
I am praying that God will bless the work of our hands and be with us as He was with Nehemiah as he labored for God. May we always be thankful to God for providing work and that we do it to the best of our ability to bring glory and honor to Him.
Today I am thankful for work.
To God be all the glory, honor and praise!
Grace and peace to you from God our father.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Sixty- four
I have some amazing friends. I am blessed to have their friendship.
When we get together we get to talk about the things going on in our lives and find comfort in one another.
We are all facing financial struggles, family stress, and our own insecurities of being good wives, good mothers, good women.
We all go through “stuff” I am thankful that I have friends to share with, that have sincere concern, as I do for them. That is the measure of friendship. God blesses us through friends. I welcome time with mine, even if it is an e-mail, phone call or time together. Love and laughter between friends can overcome any brokenness.
We make mistakes it is our friends that laugh at us first, they see the funny side of things before the disaster. So what if you back into a light pole and nearly cause a power outage? So what if you called someone a horrible name in another language? So what if you couldn’t put out the marshmallow on fire with your shoe and the yard caught fire? So what if you made a prank call and the guy turned out to be a serial killer on the nightly news? So what if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time and you were in a fist fight that had nothing to do with you? So what if you sent out that mass e-mail about that very personal thing to all the wrong people?
What mistake have you made lately?
When all these mistakes happen we can usually look around and one or all of our friends are nearby – laughing. Followed by more laughter when they tell everyone about it. Our mistakes seem to put us in some real and unreal situations sometimes and we feel the reality of the situation and personally we don’t take it lightly, but it is our friends that see the laughter of our folly and bring it out.
Most of the time after the severity of the situation passes we laugh together.
You have to laugh.
I have to laugh.
I wonder sometimes if God is sitting back watching with a big bag of popcorn just waiting for us to make a mistake and laugh at us too. I think that laughter is a part of forgiveness and acceptance. I would like to think so anyway. Thankfully God is also sitting there - shaking his head sometimes saying, "Look at that idiot, angels go help her, go be with her, make sure she is safe." Making mistakes are a part of life. I believe in guardian angels, too.
I know my friends are not laughing to be mean, they have genuine goodwill, otherwise I couldn’t call them my friends.
Today I am thankful for my friends.
I am so very thankful for my friends that see my faults and are able to laugh with me about them and lighten the load.
Experience God’s grace today and share a loving laugh with your friends.
Why do the Pilgrims pants keep falling down?
Because they wear their belts around their hats!
Dear Lord bless us with thankful hearts.
Philippians 4:4-7
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Grace and peace to you from God our father.
When we get together we get to talk about the things going on in our lives and find comfort in one another.
We are all facing financial struggles, family stress, and our own insecurities of being good wives, good mothers, good women.
We all go through “stuff” I am thankful that I have friends to share with, that have sincere concern, as I do for them. That is the measure of friendship. God blesses us through friends. I welcome time with mine, even if it is an e-mail, phone call or time together. Love and laughter between friends can overcome any brokenness.
We make mistakes it is our friends that laugh at us first, they see the funny side of things before the disaster. So what if you back into a light pole and nearly cause a power outage? So what if you called someone a horrible name in another language? So what if you couldn’t put out the marshmallow on fire with your shoe and the yard caught fire? So what if you made a prank call and the guy turned out to be a serial killer on the nightly news? So what if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time and you were in a fist fight that had nothing to do with you? So what if you sent out that mass e-mail about that very personal thing to all the wrong people?
What mistake have you made lately?
When all these mistakes happen we can usually look around and one or all of our friends are nearby – laughing. Followed by more laughter when they tell everyone about it. Our mistakes seem to put us in some real and unreal situations sometimes and we feel the reality of the situation and personally we don’t take it lightly, but it is our friends that see the laughter of our folly and bring it out.
Most of the time after the severity of the situation passes we laugh together.
You have to laugh.
I have to laugh.
I wonder sometimes if God is sitting back watching with a big bag of popcorn just waiting for us to make a mistake and laugh at us too. I think that laughter is a part of forgiveness and acceptance. I would like to think so anyway. Thankfully God is also sitting there - shaking his head sometimes saying, "Look at that idiot, angels go help her, go be with her, make sure she is safe." Making mistakes are a part of life. I believe in guardian angels, too.
I know my friends are not laughing to be mean, they have genuine goodwill, otherwise I couldn’t call them my friends.
Today I am thankful for my friends.
I am so very thankful for my friends that see my faults and are able to laugh with me about them and lighten the load.
Experience God’s grace today and share a loving laugh with your friends.
Why do the Pilgrims pants keep falling down?
Because they wear their belts around their hats!
Dear Lord bless us with thankful hearts.
Philippians 4:4-7
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Grace and peace to you from God our father.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sixty- three
What if the destruction in our lives is something we caused by making bad decisions?
How does God deal with us?
God is dealing with me about some things in my own life.
He has been really good to me and answering my prayers about my relationships.
But I did something destructive and trashed all that He did in a matter of hours. I did not post the past two days because of my fault.
I keep asking why what happened happened. Last month I prayed everyday about the coming of fall and with the change in season, to bring a change in me.
I did ask the Lord to reveal things about myself I needed to change.
My action reveiled my destructive tendacy not only to me but to everyone around me. Something happened that can’t be undone. It happened in such a way I NEVER want it to happen again. Sometimes we have to hit rock bottom before there can be a change. I hit my rock bottom. I don’t know why, but I am alive today. I completely believe it is only by the grace of God.
I come before God with humility. I am coming before Him and everyone I hurt and asking for forgiveness. I don’t feel I deserve it. I don’t know what today will hold, but I am going to fast this week and pray that He will forgive me and draw me near to Him instead of turning His back to me.
I removed what caused my self destruction. Repentance is experiencing sorrow for what happened and changing wrong behavior.
I do fear the wrath of God.
Ezekiel 6:8-10
8 " 'But I will spare some, for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations. 9 Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices. 10 And they will know that I am the LORD; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them.
11 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Strike your hands together and stamp your feet and cry out "Alas!" because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the house of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague. 12 He that is far away will die of the plague, and he that is near will fall by the sword, and he that survives and is spared will die of famine. So will I spend my wrath upon them. 13 And they will know that I am the LORD, when their people lie slain among their idols around their altars, on every high hill and on all the mountaintops, under every spreading tree and every leafy oak—places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols. 14 And I will stretch out my hand against them and make the land a desolate waste from the desert to Diblah [a] —wherever they live. Then they will know that I am the LORD.' "
I worship God Almighty. Nothing has been hidden from Him and what I need to change has already begun and today I have such humility that I didn’t sleep at all last night and I will not eat a bite of food this week as I pray for His forgiveness and give thanks that He gave me another day and broke my spirit to change my destructive behavior. I want to know the love of God and fear the wrath of God.
I want my salvation to be without question and my life to be lived according to God’s will.
Thank you God for another extraordinary day. To God be the Glory Honor and Praise.
How does God deal with us?
God is dealing with me about some things in my own life.
He has been really good to me and answering my prayers about my relationships.
But I did something destructive and trashed all that He did in a matter of hours. I did not post the past two days because of my fault.
I keep asking why what happened happened. Last month I prayed everyday about the coming of fall and with the change in season, to bring a change in me.
I did ask the Lord to reveal things about myself I needed to change.
My action reveiled my destructive tendacy not only to me but to everyone around me. Something happened that can’t be undone. It happened in such a way I NEVER want it to happen again. Sometimes we have to hit rock bottom before there can be a change. I hit my rock bottom. I don’t know why, but I am alive today. I completely believe it is only by the grace of God.
I come before God with humility. I am coming before Him and everyone I hurt and asking for forgiveness. I don’t feel I deserve it. I don’t know what today will hold, but I am going to fast this week and pray that He will forgive me and draw me near to Him instead of turning His back to me.
I removed what caused my self destruction. Repentance is experiencing sorrow for what happened and changing wrong behavior.
I do fear the wrath of God.
Ezekiel 6:8-10
8 " 'But I will spare some, for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations. 9 Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices. 10 And they will know that I am the LORD; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them.
11 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Strike your hands together and stamp your feet and cry out "Alas!" because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the house of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague. 12 He that is far away will die of the plague, and he that is near will fall by the sword, and he that survives and is spared will die of famine. So will I spend my wrath upon them. 13 And they will know that I am the LORD, when their people lie slain among their idols around their altars, on every high hill and on all the mountaintops, under every spreading tree and every leafy oak—places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols. 14 And I will stretch out my hand against them and make the land a desolate waste from the desert to Diblah [a] —wherever they live. Then they will know that I am the LORD.' "
I worship God Almighty. Nothing has been hidden from Him and what I need to change has already begun and today I have such humility that I didn’t sleep at all last night and I will not eat a bite of food this week as I pray for His forgiveness and give thanks that He gave me another day and broke my spirit to change my destructive behavior. I want to know the love of God and fear the wrath of God.
I want my salvation to be without question and my life to be lived according to God’s will.
Thank you God for another extraordinary day. To God be the Glory Honor and Praise.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
