I think I have focused too much of my life on what I can't do instead of what God can do through me. 

Believing

I realize that sometimes I look for the answer to my prayers in other people's circumstances. For example, if I don't feel well and I start to pray for healing, doubt comes in and tells me, "Well, so and so prayed for healing too and it didn't really help them so you'll probably have the same outcome."

Doubt is discouraging and is a lie of the enemy. Instead of letting doubt stop me from believing God for His promises, I'm going all in to the arms of God and trusting Him completely. I don't want to let my prayer life be hindered anymore by the "what-ifs". 

I don't have to have any concerns or reservations about trusting God. I believe that fear and doubt are just barriers of the enemy to keep me distracted and blind to what God can really do in my life. 

I will look to God for my answer to prayer and hold on to His promises. I won't let doubt and discouragement try to tell me why God's word won't apply to my life. 

2 year anniversary

Today is the two year anniversary of when I started my blog! 

Two years of when I stepped out in faith, even though it was a little scary, and I believed God for what He wanted to do through me. I'm so glad I did! 

One year after starting my blog I was invited to join the team at Christina Magazine. It was a dream come true! 

How wonderful is God! 

Two years after starting my blog I can see that God has used it to help my writing grow but more importantly to encourage others. 

Mercy poured out new

I'm so glad I serve a God that helps me clean up the messes in my life that I caused: knowingly and unknowingly. I'm so thankful for His forgiveness, unending love, and His mercy that pours out new every morning. 

I have been SO busy! A blog post is coming soon! :) 

My Spiritual Bucket List

I heard something on the radio today that I wanted to share. The guest speaker asked, "Do you have a spiritual bucket list?" "If you do, how is it going for you?"

This is such a good point. I have a bucket list of things I want to do in my lifetime but I don't have a spiritual bucket list. 

It's a great thing to think about and to follow through with. I once heard someone say, "We can be as close to God as we want to be." This is so true! What are we waiting for?!? I want to be closer to God and know Him more than I ever imagined I could. I want to be so close to Him that I experience Him in ways that most people don't get to. I want to build my faith and have the faith to pray and heal others in His name and all for His glory. This is the start of my spiritual bucket list. What's yours? :) 

What is maturity?

What is maturity? Maturity means I cannot treat people how I want to based on my current mood. It means having respect for others and doing the right thing even if I don't get what I want. Treating people however we want, when we want, are the ways of a child.

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." (I Corinthians 13:11 NKJV)

For Yours God is the power

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. II Corinthians 12:9 NKJV (Bold emphasis mine.) 

There are many things beyond my control but that's ok because when I can't do anything to fix my problem, He gets all the glory. 

Personal Observation

Sometimes when I receive something that I prayed for, I discover that I don't really want it after all.

On the contrary, I have hoped for something not to happen and then it does, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it'd be. I actually really liked it! 

My conclusion to this? I don't always know what's good for me but The Lord always does! :) 

These experiences remind me to trust Him. 

It is not always easy to step out and be obedient to God regardless of what other people think, say, or do. It's an awful feeling to know that I let fear stop me from being obedient to God. Even if it's the smallest thing, sometimes I don't move or speak when I should because I try to over analyze and make sense of things. But God helped to bring me this wisdom that helps me to keep moving forward:

Jesus didn't need other people to agree with Him or understand Him before He made decisions for God. He didn't wait for approval before He did what God asked Him to do. 

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10 NIV)

Today is the first of July 2014. Although I can't commit to writing in my blog every day as I did in June, I can commit to writing in it as often as possible. Every other day or every few days. 

Thank you to my readers, my encouragers. You have helped me to continue to move forward in the direction that God has called me to. 

Last day of June

Today is the last day of June 2014. At the beginning of June I committed to writing in my blog every day this month. One of the reasons I wanted to write on a daily basis was so that I could grow as a writer. I didn't share this reason with anybody but was just holding myself accountable for it. 

I figured that if I want to grow as a writer (or in any area) then I need to practice the skill and spend time doing what I want to get better at. 

So, sometime in the middle of June my friend told me that she noticed that my writing was getting better. I was so glad to hear that because that was my prayer! It meant even more to me because she didn't know that was one of my goals. She saw progress and cared enough to let me know. 

I'm reminded that our words have the power to really encourage people, propel them forward, and make a difference. Sometimes we just need a little confirmation along the way. 

Sweet Souvenir

My family just came back from Sweden and my little brother brought me back a sweet souvenir. He said he searched a whole village just to find this for me! Lol. Well that makes it mean so much more to me! :) How sweet! A pink tea cup. 

I have decided that even if I don't know the outcome of something or if I find out that things will end sooner than expected I still need to give it all that I've got. If I keep focusing on how long I think something is going to last then I'm not being faithful where I'm planted and I'm not enjoying it as much as I can and I'm not pouring into it all that God wanted me to. 

I can't keep living life wondering how long good things are going to last because that robs me of enjoying the present. 

Pride: a wolf in sheeps clothing

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18 NIV)

This is so true. I like this scripture because it reminds me how to stay humble and to keep my heart in tune to God. 

I have seen that when I get prideful or start to think I know it all, The Lord reminds me of this scripture and I quickly go back to sitting at His feet. He loves me that much that He would discipline me and gently admonish me when I need it. I have found that I'm not very helpful to others when I start to get prideful because I'm depending on myself and not on God. I also don't feel as friendly or loving because pride makes me bitter. I don't like feeling that way and so I'm thankful that The Lord gets me back on track. 

"And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!" (Hebrews 12:5-9 NIV)

The following is a poem written by author and teacher, Beth Moore. The poem is called, "My Name is Pride". 

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.

I cheat you of your God-given destiny…

because you demand your own way.

I cheat you of contentment…

because you “deserve better than this.”

I cheat you of knowledge…

because you already know it all.

I cheat you of healing…

because you are too full of you to forgive.

I cheat you of holiness…

because you refuse to admit when you are wrong.

I cheat you of vision…

because you’d rather look in the mirror than out a window.

I cheat you of genuine friendship…

because nobody’s going to know the real you.

I cheat you of love…

because real romance demands sacrifice.

I cheat you of greatness in heaven…

because you refuse to wash another’s feet on earth.

I cheat you of God’s glory…

because I convinced you to seek your own.

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.

You like me because you think I’m always looking out for you.

Untrue.

I’m looking to make a fool of you.

God has so much for you, I admit, but don’t worry…

If you stick with me you’ll never know.

Hello everyone! I just realized I missed posting in my blog! :( It's 12:15am and I have been busy cleaning my Dad's house as a surprise for when my family came back in town. I knew I had to post but didn't realize it was so late and I lost track of time. Sorry! I look forward to posting tomorrow and the rest of June. I'm on my way with my sister to pick up my family from the airport. :) 

2 Timothy 1:7

Sometimes when a scripture really speaks to me and I want to get it down deep in my Spirit, I keep reading it so that I can memorize it, confess it, meditate on it, keep learning from it, and understand what God is speaking to me through it. What I also like to do is to look up the same scripture in different versions of the Bible. I have done this before in regards to 2 Timothy 1:7. 

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7 NASB)

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7 NKJV)

Niceness vs Kindness

I think there is a difference between being nice and being kind. Kindness comes from the heart. Anyone can be "fake nice" but people can't be "fake kind". 

Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit but niceness is not. (Galatians 5:22, 23) Niceness helps people and they appreciate it but kindness leaves an impression on people and changes lives. Niceness is good and there's nothing wrong with it but sometimes we can get caught up in going through the motions of niceness. I am so guilty of this. 

For example: Sometimes I give a polite answer to people and treat them nice as I'm in a hurry or trying to focus on a task but I realize later that I didn't really interact with them or connect with them. 

I can do something nice for someone throughout my day but if I do something kind for someone it will have more meaning, thoughtfulness, and love behind it. 

I realize that I often hear the phrase "random acts of kindness" but I've never heard the phrase "random acts of niceness". 

Again, there's nothing wrong with being nice. We should be nice and respectful to people. But kindness is taking niceness a step further. Kindness is living outside of ourselves and thinking about others. 

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22, 23 NASB)

This post is a continuation of yesterday's post regarding Proverbs 21:21. Basically I'm just studying the following scriptures. :) I wanted to share what I've learned. This is just my own personal interpretation and I don't consider it to be officially accurate. I just enjoy studying the word of God and these are the thoughts that I had as I studied: 

Scripture:

"The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness." (Proverbs 15:9 NIV)

My Thoughts: 

From this scripture I read that The Lord does not like the ways of the wicked but He loves those who want to walk in His ways and He loves those who want to do what is right. Notice that it doesn't say He doesn't like the people that do wicked things, but rather it's their sin He doesn't like. God loves His children unconditionally but He doesn't like their wicked ways. 

Scripture:

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."  (Matthew 5:6 NIV)

My Thoughts: 

From this scripture in Matthew, Jesus Himself is teaching. He says that those desiring righteousness will be blessed. Not only will they be blessed but they will receive the righteousness they are seeking. (The Bible says if we seek Him we will find Him.) 

Think about the ways we hunger for food and thirst for something to drink. The Lord is saying that when we hunger and thirst for righteousness we will not only find righteousness but we will be filled. Filled doesn't mean we receive just a little, filled means to be full. The Lord will fill us with righteousness if that's what we want to be filled with. Amen! 

This next scripture was my favorite one out of the three: 

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV)

My Thoughts: 

Paul, the apostle, is said to be the author of 1 Corinthians. He starts off this scripture telling his brothers and sisters in Christ to "stand firm". 

Paul is also the author of the book of Ephesians. The reason I bring this up is because Paul also mentions the words "stand firm" when he tells us to put on the full armor of God in Ephesians 6. 

Paul also writes, "Let nothing move you." I think what he was saying is to be confident in our faith in God and not to get off track. To continue on and persevere with focus. 

He encourages his readers to continue to go all in and give it their all as they work for The Lord because it will produce fruit and it does make a difference. There is a purpose to their labor for The Lord. 

There are times when a scripture really gets my attention and makes me want to study it and dig a little deeper. 

Yesterday Proverbs 21:21 was so refreshing to me as I read it and it captured my attention. 

"Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor." (Proverbs 21:21 NIV)

I felt like there was more for me to learn from this scripture so I looked up the scripture references for it in my Bible. These are the scripture references that it listed: Proverbs 15:9, Matthew 5:6, and 1Corinthians 15:58. 

Each of these scripture references helped me to understand Proverbs 21:21 a little better. 

"The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue righteousness." (Proverbs 15:9 NIV)

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."  (Matthew 5:6 NIV)

This next scripture was my favorite one out of the three: 

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV)

There were several things that I learned during this mini study. I am still trying to organize my thoughts and pray about the scripture meanings, so I will be posting more about them tomorrow. 

Yesterday I was enjoying lunch at a restaurant with my sister, sister-in-law, and my little neice. When it came time to pay the bill my sister said she would pay for me. But I politely declined because she's always doing nice things for me and I didn't want her to feel like she had to do that. I wanted to pay for myself and didn't want her to do too much for me. 

The waiter came with our bills and I was getting my card out and I looked up as my sister-in-law slid my bill towards her and handed it to the waiter and told him to put it on her card. 

I was not expecting that and I found myself grateful yet speechless. I muttered thank you in the middle of my shocked expression. Lol. I was also in awe of God. I guess He had been trying to bless me through my sister and I unknowingly declined. Then my sister-in-law paid for me instead. I'm thankful that even when I don't even know that I discount myself from a blessing, The Lord's goodness and mercy keeps following me. His love is so deep and He makes sure that I receive the gift that was meant for me. 

Thank you God that You don't leave me in my stubbornness even when I deserve it. 

"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:6 NIV)

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (1 John 3:1 NIV)

The love of God melts my heart and I'm so thankful for His unconditional love. I'm so glad that He has accepted me and I don't need to try so hard to fit in. I find my identity in Him. My Creator is the one who made, understands me better than anyone else, and calls me His own. I am a daughter of the most high King. 

Have you ever forgiven someone before they apologized? 

There are times in life that we may not receive an apology even when the situation calls for one. 

It can be tough to walk towards forgiveness depending on how bad someone has hurt us. The flesh wants us to hold a grudge but The Lord calls us to be set free from resentment and all other things that we harbor due to unforgiveness. Forgiving others is a gift to ourselves. 

We know what true forgiveness is because of our Heavenly Father.

Whenever I am slow at forgiving others I remember that I make the same mistakes that others do and sometimes even worse. That gives me a great perspective and then I am so grateful that The Lord forgives me and then I follow His example to forgive others. 

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 NIV)

"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:14, 15 NIV)

We know that The Lord asks us to forgive others and we know that forgiveness helps our hearts feel better but it can be difficult and take time to forgive others. 

I wanted to share something that The Lord has helped me to experience: forgiving others before they apologize. 

This is possible with God. I will expand on this in my next post tomorrow. 

The Sword

Yesterday I posted about the armor of God and I wanted to study it a little more and post what I learn. 

Today I looked a little further into the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" Ephesians 6:17. 

There's a scripture reference in my Bible that led me to Isaiah 49:2, "He has made My mouth like a sharp sword,..." 

There is also a scripture reference for Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." 

These two scripture references reminded me of something that I've heard someone preach before. They said that when we speak the word of God out loud, it's like a sword coming out of our mouths in the spiritual world. That's why the word of God is part of our armor. We can speak it in prayer and fight the good fight of faith. 

The sword of the Spirit is the word of God and we speak the word of God out loud through our mouths so it makes sense that the sword comes out of our mouth in the spiritual. In the natural, we hold swords in our hand but remember what it says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, 

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

 

I think the most important thing that we can put on while we are getting ready for work, school, or wherever, is to put on the full armor of God. 

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:13-17 NIV)

Just as we go about our daily routine I believe The Lord wants us to put on our armor daily as well. 

This chapter in Ephesians also goes on to say, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." (Ephesians 6:18 NIV)

Right after the armor of God is listed, verse 18 tells us to pray. Although it's not specifically listed as part of the armor I think it's important that we cover ourselves in prayer too. I love how this scripture encourages us to pray "in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests". That is so encouraging. We can come to God just as we are and there's nothing we can't talk to Him about. 

Do you want to know a quick way to happiness that I discovered this morning? ...Don't complain. Especially at the beginning of the day. How I start my day has a great influence on how I go about the rest of my day. The sooner I catch myself complaining the sooner I can correct it. I realized I started complaining about traffic on the way to work and then that turned into me being critical about how other people drive and then that turned into other things. Who am I to criticize? I have no right because I make those same mistakes that I'm calling other people out for. 

How awful it felt when that negativity started sinking in. I didn't like feeling icky like that. I realized that I had a choice. I could decide to change my attitude and therefore change my day (my immediate future). I want my heart to be kind and loving not critical and judgemental. I asked for forgiveness for being a sourpuss and made an intentional change. It really helped my heart feel happier in seconds. I know The Lord can hear our hearts and I am sure He is pleased to hear gratitude instead of complaining. 

This is what I ask myself for a good perspective: if I could record the things I complain about throughout the day, would I be embarrassed if I heard it played back to me?

I visited Lakewood church last night and I heard Victoria Osteen say something that really spoke to my spirit. She said, "God does not judge your worth based on your performance." That helped me so much and instantly made me feel better inside. 

I can be so hard on myself sometimes and it was like a heavy burden was lifted. There was so much hope in the atmosphere. The Lord was surely there. 

"'For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'." (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

As a human, I base my self worth on what I've accomplished. I'm naturally task oriented. Many times I feel good about myself based on how much I get done at work each day. If I don't feel like I was very productive I can start feeling a little down. 

I'm so glad that God's unconditional love sees past my failures, mistakes, and shortcomings. I mean more to Him than the completed tasks on my to-do list. It's Him that gives me my worth. It's Him that defines me and fills me with purpose. My heart is truly full when I follow Him and walk out the plans that He has for me. 

I love how The Lord grows us and teaches us. 

When I was elementary age and going to church I used to find myself just going through the motions during worship and waiting for the sermon. I used to wonder when the singing would be over so I could hear the message. I know this sounds awful but I really didn't understand the significance of worship. (I should have gone to children's church but I was always in the main sanctuary with the adults.) 

As I got older I started understanding what worship was for. To usher in the Lord's presence. To worship and glorify God. To give Him the first part of the service. To give Him the praises He is so worthy of and more. 

I look back at those times and am thankful that I am not the same. I love and very much appreciate worship. I am grateful to be in His presence and sometimes I pray that worship would run longer than expected and that The Lord would have His way in the service. 

His Goodness

We have the unique ability to choose what kind of day it's going to be. We may not be in control of others or be able to control what happens throughout the day but we can control how we respond to things that come our way. I've learned that it pays to be flexible and many times when things don't work out the way I planned, plan B worked even better, but I had to be open to plan B to receive the blessing that God was trying to give me. In my own experiences, plan A is not always better than plan B. Plan A was simply what I thought of first. Once plan A was out of the way, The Lord was able to carry out plan B. I am so thankful for His grace and mercy.

Love, Love, & more Love

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:1-13 NIV)

Do you ever hear a certain scripture repeatedly in a short span of time? For example, sometimes I hear a scripture on the radio, then I hear it at church, and then I hear it from one of my friends. That's when it gets my attention and I feel like I need to really take that to heart because The Lord is speaking to me. 

This past Saturday I completed another 7 days of worship. In previous blog entries I mentioned that I accepted an invitation from a daily devotional to commit to 7 days of worship. 

It was 7 days of me trying to get my thoughts in order and thinking on Godly things instead of worrying about things unnecessarily. I also kept bringing Him my heart and trusting Him with it completely. When I'd worry about something, I would be comforted in knowing that the safest place for my heart to be is in His hands. I kept bringing my heart back to Him and He brought me peace and rest where I normally had insecurity. 

Meditating on His words and giving Him my own words of worship helped me to feel His loving presence. Through His love, I have received more wisdom and guidance than I had before because I can hear Him clearer now that my mind is more steadfast on Him. 

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

I have a challenge for anyone reading this: Try your best not to say bad things about yourself for an entire week. This means no self insults. You can extend the challenge for a longer period of time of course if you want to. The idea is to stop putting ourselves down. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy. The Lord would have us be encouraging, even to ourselves. It's good for us. 

For example: if you usually call yourself a name after making a mistake like, "I'm such a dork." Instead maybe try saying, "Oh my goodness. I can't believe I did that." Don't be unnecessarily hard on yourself.

Try to celebrate even the smallest things in life and recognize the good about yourself. 

How Great is our God?

How Great is our God? 

Both New Testament and Old Testament tell us how great He is. 

"Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?" (Isaiah 40:13, 14 NIV)

“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” (Romans 11:34 NIV)

Looking too far behind and/or looking too far ahead. I can get caught in the unknown, what was, or what is to come, but I believe The Lord wants me to focus on what He's doing in present day. To appreciate and be present in the present. 

I don't have to look at my past because it's already been forgiven. I don't have to worry about my future because I can pray and because God is already there. 

If I feel like I need to look behind me, all that I'll find is the Lord's goodness and mercy. 

"Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:6 NIV)

I can press on through the challenging times. 

"Brothers and sisters, 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,"(Philippians 3:13 NIV).

The Lord is all around me and I can trust Him to plan good things for my future. 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

Practicing Gratitude

In the book of Genesis, chapter 3, we find the familiar story of Adam and Eve. They were deceived by the serpent and ate of the forbidden fruit. They focused on the one thing they couldn't have instead of focusing on the rest of Eden that God had made for them. 

I feel like this story is seen in the lives after Adam and Eve and in the lives of people today. 

Let's trust and honor God. Let's not get so focused on what we don't have that we are not appreciative of the people in our lives and all that God has give us. 

We have the armor of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit to guide us. Let's not desire something of this world more than we desire God. He is worth far more. 

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:29, 30 NIV)

"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4 NIV)

Though we fall, we will arise

A few months ago a friend invited me to her birthday party at a skating rink. It had been many years since I skated. Although I was hoping that it wouldn't be hard to get back into the swing of things, it turned out to be pretty challenging. The thought of the skates on the slippery floor was a little scary. I didn't think I was going to be able to keep my balance. 

I practiced for a while on the carpet until I felt ready to get in the rink with the more experienced skaters. I was hoping nobody would bump into me. I skated on the hard floor and then I got back on the carpet. Then I built up the courage to skate a few times around the skating rink all the while staying close to the rail if I needed to reach out. Yes, I was being way too cautious! 

I realized that the whole time I was trying so hard not to fall. In the middle of all my safeguards, I realized that if I really wanted to learn how to skate then my goal shouldn't be to not fall. The whole time I was learning how to not fall and not how to skate.

In times of learning I should know that I will fall and I will make mistakes. Many things have been discovered and invented through mistakes and the willingness of people who didn't give up.  In life, my goal should not be to not make mistakes. That attitude will keep me from ever trying.

"for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes." Proverbs 24:16 NIV

Paul - A chosen instrument of The Lord

I want to share one of my favorite passages in the Bible from Galatians 1:1,10-17 NIV.

Paul, the apostle, is speaking:

"Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead,..."

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus." 

These scriptures help me to rid myself of people pleasing and focus on purpose. Paul makes it very clear from the very beginning of his letter to the churches of Galatia that he was not sent from man but through Jesus Christ. In the same way, I realize that I am not sent by man and man does not give me my calling. So although I believe in being respectful to man I do not have to earn their approval before living out the gospel or living out the faith. 

Paul is wonderfully confident in his identity and in preaching and defending the Gospel. Paul was once Saul who persecuted the church (Acts 9) but is now preaching Jesus. He was stopped in his tracks by The Lord and "immediately began to proclaim Jesus" Galatians 9:20. Once he became a believer, a brand new believer, he didn't waste any time. How encouraging and motivating that is to me! He was called by The Lord and he says that he didn't go consult with people first or go see others with the same calling to get their advice, he just went. 

How many times do I hesitate even if it's just for a moment?

How often have I taken time to consult with others and waste time being analytical when I just need to go?

And when things got challenging and he had to defend his ministry he didn't let doubt take over or allow himself to be confused. He boldly shared his testimony and remained confident that he received the gospel from Jesus Christ. 

Hello :) 

This entry is a continuation of the two previous entries. I have recently accepted an invitation for 7 Days of Worship. What this means is that I went about my daily life as usual but for 7 days I intentionally offered worship to God in my thoughts and in my heart especially in those quiet moments. 

The more I worshipped the more it pushed aside worry and my mental "to-do" list. I felt more focused on who He truly is and in turn it made me more confident in who I am in Him. 

This intentional daily worship also helped my faith. His Holy Spirit showed up every time I started praising Him. My worship turned into prayer and I knew that if He was there with me in worship, then He would be with me in prayer. It helped me to believe that I would see the answers to my prayers. 

God kept confirming how omnipotent He is and that He can handle it all. I was shown the truth that there was a way that I could live life differently and more joyfully. I could trade in fear and anxiety for faith and peace. I took every thought and insecurity captive and made it obedient to Christ. In relinquishing all control to God, I found His freedom. 

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV)

"Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:39 NIV)

I wanted to share a little more about my experience from "7 Days of Worship". Throughout the seven days I had to continually remind myself that I wanted to focus on worship and keep my mind and heart fixed on Him. I kept getting distracted with things that needed to get done that day or that week. There were times that I was in my car on the way to and from work and I thought that I could put some worship music on to help me but the truth was that the music felt like it was getting in the way. I felt like I needed to turn off the music and just get quiet before God. I felt like I needed to come up with my own words of worship and speak to Him from my heart. Faith started to rise and hope, peace, and joy started to fill my heart. I started to lift up praises and worship to The Lord. I could feel His peace. He really is everything His word says He is. He is the great I AM. The more I focused on who He was, the more I learned who I am. I am who I am because I was made by the great I AM. I find my identity in Him. 

7 Days of Worship

About a week ago I came upon my daily devotional/prophetic word that I receive by e-mail. As I read it, there was an invitation for "7 days of worship". 

I gladly took the invitation and yesterday was my 7th day. In this blog post and the posts that follow, I wanted to share my experience. 

The first day of worship started off good on a Sunday at church. However, throughout the rest of the day, I noticed that I had to keep reminding myself of what my mind needed to be doing - worshipping. The next few days I had to keep redirecting my mind to be in worship to Him. It was a great eye opener to see what my mind tends to focus on and I realized what unnecessary thoughts and worries frequently clutter my mind. Choosing to continually turn back to worship brought peace and freedom to my heart, mind, and spirit. 

Here is an excerpt from the devotional/prophetic word: 

"There are many voices, many voices are speaking, many voices that you listen to and give heed to. For the next 7 days I want you to abandon all other voices. The way that you will abandon them, is to pipe in nothing but worship. Worship, and as you do it will become louder than every other voice you hear, and the worship will begin to change the way you think and feel about things. It is breaking up, yes breaking open the box of the pure anointing of your God." 

If this was encouraging and you'd like to receive these prophetic words in your email visit http://ft111.com to subscribe. 

Hello :) I am going to be posting in my blog every day in June. I'm excited to get back to writing. I'm grateful to those who read my blog and encourage me. Thank you so much. 

Do we sometimes look for an answer within ourselves instead of looking to God? 

I have. Sometimes I have gotten so caught up in what I think I should do that I'm not waiting to hear an answer from God. But when I completely yield to Him in obedience, and abandon what I think should be the solution to my problem, I can feel the peace of the Holy Spirit usher in and He gives me guidance and directs my steps. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5, 6 NIV)

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105 NIV)

John 3:16

These are just some thoughts that I wrote 

earlier this month:

Jesus, in all His power, could have saved Himself from dying on the cross. He was more than able to. But He chose to keep the will of the Father and give His life. He died for me so that I could have life and experience true freedom. 

He knew who He was. He knew His purpose and mission. He was sure of His identity. 

He loved me that much that He gave His life for me. Even when people told Him to prove that He was the Son of God, He didn't have to because He knew who He was. His mission was not to prove, His mission was to save. 

Before His death, He had previously done great signs, wonders, and miracles anyhow and people still chose not to believe. 

I am thankful that Christ died for me and that I can celebrate a risen Saviour this Easter Sunday and every day. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16, 17 NIV

"But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Matthew 26:32 NIV

"He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Luke 24:6, 7 NIV

Press On

There is a song by Building 429, called, "Press On". One of the lyrics is, "I am a mess, I am a wrecking ball." 

This made me laugh because I completely relate to this! I am not only a big mess sometimes but sometimes I feel like a wrecking ball that makes the mess. 

I thank God so much for forgiving me and helping me clean up a mess that He didn't make. I am a mess sometimes but I am a mess in progress. :)

"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."(Hebrews 12:2 NIV)

Only from you God can we receive a clean heart. We cannot do it ourselves. It has to be created and you are The Creator. Create a pure and clean heart in me God. 

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me."(Psalms 51:10 NKJV)

Lord, you are a wealth of beautiful things such as love and mercy and kindness. I can find so many more valuable things in You than I can ever find in this world. You are love, joy, goodness,forgiveness, and faithfulness. You are great in size and mercy and power. 

It is not my job to keep track of offenses or wrongdoings. In fact that is the opposite of love and that is not what it says in 1 Corinthians. Our job is to forgive and it is God's job to work everything else out.

Love:

"It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs." (1 Corinthians 13:5 NIV)

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." (Matthew 6:12 KJV)

God did not give you a talent so you could hide it and keep it to yourself. So do not let the enemy scare you or try to keep you from sharing what God wants to give to His people. 

If we focus on our setbacks, we will be set back.

If we focus on our limitations, we will be limited.

I have been so discouraged before when things don't work out as planned. God is helping me to learn to keep getting back up and push past the discouragement.

If at first I don't succeed, then God has plans for something greater. :) 

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20, 21 ESV)

"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13, 14 ESV)

Whole hearted commitment brings fulfillment and joy of life. 

Bumper Lanes

I often pray and try to remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit. I want Him to guide me and speak to me about which ways to go and to guide me and correct me in life. 

This reminded me of the bumper lanes that they use for kids at bowling alleys. 

As we steer our lives in one direction God helps us by giving us the Holy Spirit which acts like bumper lanes. As we veer off too much in the wrong direction He gently guides us back down the lane we need to be in. 

I trust You when You say no God and I trust You when You say yes.   

I'm finding the significance of pressing through, getting back up when I've failed, trying again, being resilient, not giving up. Learning and being open minded and solution minded. Seeing the bigger picture. Trusting God. 

It's amazing how much joy comes from being obedient to God even in the littlest things. 

Psalm 23 has really been in my mind and in my heart recently. I wanted to post it. I find myself praying it and reciting it for a variety of situations. I speak it out loud when possible and I think about every sentence and its significance. It's powerful yet peaceful. Let God comfort you and speak to you through His word. 

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalms 23:1-6 NASB)

I have struggled with people pleasing for a long time and God has been so gracious and mighty and powerful to help me come out of it. 

One of my favorite scriptures about people pleasing is this:

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10 NIV)

Love defined

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13 NIV)