"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73: 26
As I resolve each morning to be the Mom of my dreams and the Wife I want to be for my husband; my flesh (my human nature) fails. You see, I have God's awesome and perfect word to guide me, to inspire me, to give me hope, but I am broken and will certainly fall short. BUT, I have a Savior who wants to be my portion, to be my everything above all else. What does this really mean......it means that with all loss, all failures, all discouragement and even all victories, to just let God be enough!!!
In a "super sized" world is God ever really enough? Why isn't our Almighty alone enough? Could your love for Him, and your trust in Him, and your devotion to Him be your portion in times of turmoil and even in times of prosperity? Loss of finances, Loss of a loved one, World calamities all have the potential of taking our eyes off Jesus just when we should be Praising and Seeking His Will and above all trusting that He alone is ENOUGH! There is no better offering to our Lord than the surrender of our Will and placing our complete trust in His plan.
"I will praise you in the storm"....Loving and honoring our God regardless of our circumstances is proof He is all you will ever need. Don't allow the smallest of distractions nor the largest of challenges to consume you and become the largest portion on your plate. The larger you make Jesus in your life, the less significant our lives will become. In a "me" world this seems ridiculous I'm sure; but in God's kingdom, eternal salvation through relationship with Jesus Christ is all that matters! Our world wants to minimize Jesus Christ...imagine the change individually and globally if we Maximized our need for Him?
Allow God to be the strength of your Heart!!! God's blessings to you all. To God be the Glory!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, November 8, 2009
God's Promise
Jeremiah 29:11- "For I know the plans I have for you, delclares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
How about that for reassurance both in good times and during those trials that life brings. God is declaring He (the creator of the universe, the giver of life, the Father of Heaven & Earth, the One who always was and will be....) has designed a plan for each of us. The plan that is meant just for us and for His purpose. He is speaking to you and to me and to all who put their hope in Him. This is one of those God promises that I cannot get enough of because it makes His intentions perfectly clear. God's plan for the believer and follower of Christ is one of prosperity (He will always meet our needs) and of hope. We know what lies ahead for us; we as believers and followers know what the great victory and rewards are. Heaven is our hope; eternal life without death is ours to claim. Our future is bright, our future is determined and our future was bought with a price. I say.....Love so amazing!!!
I have certaintly struggled with the questions of why life is so harder for some (believers and non believers) - especially for those who passionately serve Christ! This is where faith must just be enough! Easy I suppose to have faith when all is well; but oh how much greater it is to fervently stay commitment to our Lord when trials come!
Regardless of your circumstances; despite your sin, today is the Day to lay it all at the foot of the cross and be reminded of the One who wants you to put your hope in Him. God's eye is on you. If you have never given your heart to Jesus, I pray you will ask for forgiveness of your sins and declare to Him that Jesus will be your Lord all the days of your life. It is a relationship worth building. God's word (the Holy Bible) is His promise for us. I pray if you are a new follower, you will find a group of believers who offer encouragement and solid teaching in the Word of God. Heaven is an absolute for the follower of Jesus Christ! That is our ultimate hope and future! Love!
How about that for reassurance both in good times and during those trials that life brings. God is declaring He (the creator of the universe, the giver of life, the Father of Heaven & Earth, the One who always was and will be....) has designed a plan for each of us. The plan that is meant just for us and for His purpose. He is speaking to you and to me and to all who put their hope in Him. This is one of those God promises that I cannot get enough of because it makes His intentions perfectly clear. God's plan for the believer and follower of Christ is one of prosperity (He will always meet our needs) and of hope. We know what lies ahead for us; we as believers and followers know what the great victory and rewards are. Heaven is our hope; eternal life without death is ours to claim. Our future is bright, our future is determined and our future was bought with a price. I say.....Love so amazing!!!
I have certaintly struggled with the questions of why life is so harder for some (believers and non believers) - especially for those who passionately serve Christ! This is where faith must just be enough! Easy I suppose to have faith when all is well; but oh how much greater it is to fervently stay commitment to our Lord when trials come!
Regardless of your circumstances; despite your sin, today is the Day to lay it all at the foot of the cross and be reminded of the One who wants you to put your hope in Him. God's eye is on you. If you have never given your heart to Jesus, I pray you will ask for forgiveness of your sins and declare to Him that Jesus will be your Lord all the days of your life. It is a relationship worth building. God's word (the Holy Bible) is His promise for us. I pray if you are a new follower, you will find a group of believers who offer encouragement and solid teaching in the Word of God. Heaven is an absolute for the follower of Jesus Christ! That is our ultimate hope and future! Love!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Worship
It seems that my recent 1st time trip to the Grand Canyon and Zion Nat'l Park sparked my desire to REALLY be in constant worship of our mighty God, Creator, Healer, Comforter, Peace Maker, Father......
His undeniable love for us is so apparent in so many simple things - things I often have taken for granted. Just the beauty and majesty of his artwork in the nature around us brought me to such a revelation of how Worthy He is of our constant AWE and amazement. What I was meditating on so many days out there was thanksgiving for what he created; not just the magnitude of the Grand Canyon, but the simply beautiful small cactus', the delicate colorful butterfly, the intricate rock formations...it just went on and on!!!! His creation is such a gift that I want to be grateful for both the simplicity and complexity of it all. Our lives - the lives of all precious human life is so worthy of our protection!!!
I'm striving to be in constant communication with my God so that my worship pours out with thanksgiving and praise for all the blessings and trials in my life. He is so worthy of our time, our thoughts, our heart and our thanksgiving. Just the day to day drive can bring into view such amazing artwork completed by God - WOW, I never again want to be so unaware!
I actually have not felt a "tug" to post anything in a while (part of it has been the "rat race" of life. During our church service today the worship was so powerful that I knew immediately God was leading me to press in and not be divided with my worship...to focus my thoughts and words toward just him. The distractions of life have gotten in the way for sure. A friend from church posted something on how wonderful the worship was, and I felt confident this is the area God really wanted me to focus on because I had been feeling a need to worship differently than I had been. He desires our time and he desires our Worship.
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs" Psalm 100:2
May you all see God's Creation as a gift of Love from God. His artwork here is just a glimpse of what he is preparing for us in Eternity. "Love so AMAZING!!!!"
Be Blessed!!
His undeniable love for us is so apparent in so many simple things - things I often have taken for granted. Just the beauty and majesty of his artwork in the nature around us brought me to such a revelation of how Worthy He is of our constant AWE and amazement. What I was meditating on so many days out there was thanksgiving for what he created; not just the magnitude of the Grand Canyon, but the simply beautiful small cactus', the delicate colorful butterfly, the intricate rock formations...it just went on and on!!!! His creation is such a gift that I want to be grateful for both the simplicity and complexity of it all. Our lives - the lives of all precious human life is so worthy of our protection!!!
I'm striving to be in constant communication with my God so that my worship pours out with thanksgiving and praise for all the blessings and trials in my life. He is so worthy of our time, our thoughts, our heart and our thanksgiving. Just the day to day drive can bring into view such amazing artwork completed by God - WOW, I never again want to be so unaware!
I actually have not felt a "tug" to post anything in a while (part of it has been the "rat race" of life. During our church service today the worship was so powerful that I knew immediately God was leading me to press in and not be divided with my worship...to focus my thoughts and words toward just him. The distractions of life have gotten in the way for sure. A friend from church posted something on how wonderful the worship was, and I felt confident this is the area God really wanted me to focus on because I had been feeling a need to worship differently than I had been. He desires our time and he desires our Worship.
"Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs" Psalm 100:2
May you all see God's Creation as a gift of Love from God. His artwork here is just a glimpse of what he is preparing for us in Eternity. "Love so AMAZING!!!!"
Be Blessed!!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Truth
The absolute truth for all of us is we have a God who loves us and has a purpose and a plan for our lives. God LOVES you - that is not a cliche, nor is it relative to who you are or what your past is. It is for all who want it. That is truth - the creator of the universe adores you! Maybe it's a sinful lifestyle, or an intellectual barrier, or mediocrity with His Way, or outright rejection.... whatever has come between you and Him can be put at the foot of the Cross and dealt with now! This is not just truth for me, it is the only truth that has stood the test of time and that is grounded in pure Love. His truth is difficult sometimes, but in its entirety, it is the only way to Him! I hate to see people suffering, and I believe out of obedience and reverence to God I must share the truth in hopes of leading others to the Shadow of the Almighty…..
We cannot fool ourselves into believing we can pick and choose what truths to accept and which to ignore – that is not a relationship based on faith and love. His Word needs no interpretation – it’s fairly clear on how we should live our lives and what is acceptable and what is sinful and what the consequences of either are! We all have sinful desires; the solution is accepting a Savior to lead us away from sin! Again, the choice is always ours, but I believe many (and I was guilty of this) take advantage of what their interpretation of God’s mercy and grace are. God’s grace is awesome and sufficient, and once we freely choose to leave our old ways, God’s Mercy and Grace will see us through. It’s the intentional continuation of going against Him that keeps us apart. God and sin cannot dwell together. “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God” (John 2:21).
We, as Christians, should ALWAYS speak of God's truth and promises with LOVE, but never waivering on his absolutes. It's ok to be clear on God's way, but always in Love. Unfortunately, some Christians give all Christians a bad name! Christ was not uneasy about hanging with the unbelievers - he had such a beautiful way of sharing the truth in Love.
I read this from Oswald Chambers this week “Faith, however, is not intellectual understanding; faith is a deliberate commitment to the Person of Jesus Christ, even when I can’t see the way ahead”. We took our kids to see a young Christian musical artist (Lyrycyst) a few weeks back. I was not so moved by his music(rap), as I was his commitment to Christ. Once I head his music, I began to understand why my kids felt such a connection. He had an incredible life story, but what spoke to me most was this: He explained God’s word like an automobile manual. Just because water would be cheaper to put in your car versus gasoline – the manual says you must put in gasoline. Well, if you rip out that page in the manual and replace it with a page that allows water, your car will still not work. He compared this to how some people want to rip out certain pages of the bible and replace it with what will work for their lifestyle and choosing - they call it being "Socially Conscious". It won’t work! God speaks about this and describes it as being “lukewarm” (Revelation 3:16). The commentary in my bible on this verse describes a lukewarm Christian and church “as one that compromises with the world and resembles its surrounding society – it professes Christ, yet in reality does not know him and is in a spiritually wretched state”.
This blog is just one venue to reaching the lost, even if it is only one. Too many are caught up in their religion or denomination. It is not just about where or if you go to church. It is about accepting God’s word as absolute truth and living out your life in relationship with him, so that HE may be glorified. He will show you the way – Just ask!
The fruit of God’s spirit is “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). It is ok to be “single-minded” when it comes to living out your life for Christ! The politically correct world may say otherwise, but God is not about politics; He cares about the condition of the human heart and our eternal destiny!
He is waiting for you to make Him Lord of your life! There is no condemnation in Christ, just redemption! Our conscience may be convicted by his truths, but he always provides a way out!
We cannot fool ourselves into believing we can pick and choose what truths to accept and which to ignore – that is not a relationship based on faith and love. His Word needs no interpretation – it’s fairly clear on how we should live our lives and what is acceptable and what is sinful and what the consequences of either are! We all have sinful desires; the solution is accepting a Savior to lead us away from sin! Again, the choice is always ours, but I believe many (and I was guilty of this) take advantage of what their interpretation of God’s mercy and grace are. God’s grace is awesome and sufficient, and once we freely choose to leave our old ways, God’s Mercy and Grace will see us through. It’s the intentional continuation of going against Him that keeps us apart. God and sin cannot dwell together. “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God” (John 2:21).
We, as Christians, should ALWAYS speak of God's truth and promises with LOVE, but never waivering on his absolutes. It's ok to be clear on God's way, but always in Love. Unfortunately, some Christians give all Christians a bad name! Christ was not uneasy about hanging with the unbelievers - he had such a beautiful way of sharing the truth in Love.
I read this from Oswald Chambers this week “Faith, however, is not intellectual understanding; faith is a deliberate commitment to the Person of Jesus Christ, even when I can’t see the way ahead”. We took our kids to see a young Christian musical artist (Lyrycyst) a few weeks back. I was not so moved by his music(rap), as I was his commitment to Christ. Once I head his music, I began to understand why my kids felt such a connection. He had an incredible life story, but what spoke to me most was this: He explained God’s word like an automobile manual. Just because water would be cheaper to put in your car versus gasoline – the manual says you must put in gasoline. Well, if you rip out that page in the manual and replace it with a page that allows water, your car will still not work. He compared this to how some people want to rip out certain pages of the bible and replace it with what will work for their lifestyle and choosing - they call it being "Socially Conscious". It won’t work! God speaks about this and describes it as being “lukewarm” (Revelation 3:16). The commentary in my bible on this verse describes a lukewarm Christian and church “as one that compromises with the world and resembles its surrounding society – it professes Christ, yet in reality does not know him and is in a spiritually wretched state”.
This blog is just one venue to reaching the lost, even if it is only one. Too many are caught up in their religion or denomination. It is not just about where or if you go to church. It is about accepting God’s word as absolute truth and living out your life in relationship with him, so that HE may be glorified. He will show you the way – Just ask!
The fruit of God’s spirit is “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). It is ok to be “single-minded” when it comes to living out your life for Christ! The politically correct world may say otherwise, but God is not about politics; He cares about the condition of the human heart and our eternal destiny!
He is waiting for you to make Him Lord of your life! There is no condemnation in Christ, just redemption! Our conscience may be convicted by his truths, but he always provides a way out!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Where do I put my hope?
Where do I put my hope? “My hope is in you Lord” (Psalm 39:7)
Where should our hope and trust be? Should it be in ourselves, in our talents, in our accomplishments, in our “intelligence”, in our financial stability? Should it be in our “religion”, in our doctrine, in our traditions, in our churches? Should it be in people, in our idols, our heroes, our “spiritual mentors”? Should our government and leaders be where our hope and trust come from? My answer to all of the above is NO! Our hope and trust must come from the Lord Jesus Christ!
Proverbs 3:5-6 “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”……How about that????? That is a wonderful promise especially in these crazy times when so many have burdened hearts for what is seen.
Faith for me is believing and obeying even when what God tells us does not make sense – believing through uncertainty; believing where my brain stops…... I want the faith of Noah - to build an ark that size and with that much perseverance despite how crazy it must have seemed!
For me it did not happen overnight. I did not have one big “ah ha” moment and turn my life completely over to Christ. For so very long I had one foot in the world and another in what I believed was just enough of God to get by. You see, it is impossible, I found to have it both ways. Sure I was basically a good person and I professed myself to be a Christian – but truthfully I was missing out on all God had planned for me and the hope and assurance of his eternal promises! I took small steps; occasionally slid back; continued to study God’s Holy Word (it became truth and life for me the more I prayed to God for his Revelation – it was so boring and confusing at first) and once I accepted it as ALL truth I began to hunger and thirst for more! He touched the pit of my emotions in such a real way! He knew what I needed in my life; he knew I was a doubter and he gave me confirmation over and over again.
We have to live out Jesus – be vessels through which his love flows. It is guaranteed we will fail at perfection and should never proclaim life as a Christian to be perfect, but it is the only truth!
Hope and trust in Jesus Christ alone is meant for us all, not just a few! “Love covers a multitude of sins” 1Peter 4:8.
God Bless!
Where should our hope and trust be? Should it be in ourselves, in our talents, in our accomplishments, in our “intelligence”, in our financial stability? Should it be in our “religion”, in our doctrine, in our traditions, in our churches? Should it be in people, in our idols, our heroes, our “spiritual mentors”? Should our government and leaders be where our hope and trust come from? My answer to all of the above is NO! Our hope and trust must come from the Lord Jesus Christ!
Proverbs 3:5-6 “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”……How about that????? That is a wonderful promise especially in these crazy times when so many have burdened hearts for what is seen.
Faith for me is believing and obeying even when what God tells us does not make sense – believing through uncertainty; believing where my brain stops…... I want the faith of Noah - to build an ark that size and with that much perseverance despite how crazy it must have seemed!
For me it did not happen overnight. I did not have one big “ah ha” moment and turn my life completely over to Christ. For so very long I had one foot in the world and another in what I believed was just enough of God to get by. You see, it is impossible, I found to have it both ways. Sure I was basically a good person and I professed myself to be a Christian – but truthfully I was missing out on all God had planned for me and the hope and assurance of his eternal promises! I took small steps; occasionally slid back; continued to study God’s Holy Word (it became truth and life for me the more I prayed to God for his Revelation – it was so boring and confusing at first) and once I accepted it as ALL truth I began to hunger and thirst for more! He touched the pit of my emotions in such a real way! He knew what I needed in my life; he knew I was a doubter and he gave me confirmation over and over again.
We have to live out Jesus – be vessels through which his love flows. It is guaranteed we will fail at perfection and should never proclaim life as a Christian to be perfect, but it is the only truth!
Hope and trust in Jesus Christ alone is meant for us all, not just a few! “Love covers a multitude of sins” 1Peter 4:8.
God Bless!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
His Rescue
I'm sitting here in "cookie overload"....my daughter just made the most delicious chocolate chip cookies that were over sized and ohhhhhh so good! I've been able to find some quiet time this weekend and enjoyed my time alone with God. My time lately with Him seems to only come in the early morning and for short periods before the craziness of the day begins. Anytime alone with Him is a treasure, but I have been yearning for more quality time. Well, anyway I'm just rejoicing over the much needed time I was able to carve out.
While looking through my journal, I looked over the prayer requests I've kept for the past few years and all the "TYL" (thank you Lord) notes I had next to so many of my entries. Of course God answers all prayer, just not always in the way we anticipate or hope for. For me, this is where my trust and faith have had to get me through those tough times.
"When I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me the strength I need" Psalm 138:3
I'm not sure if it was a sermon given by our pastor or just a thought I had at the time, but I had written this down a while back about God's Rescue...."Jesus will meet us where ever we are at (no matter the circumstances or the condition of our life) - HE JUST WON'T LEAVE US THERE" !!!! I love that - it sums up not only our need for Him, but his desire to move us out and up if we so desire! ANYONE, no matter their sin, is given this invitation. "Our repentance unlocks our destiny with God"!!! This revelation alone gives me enough to rejoice about!!! I say that only because of my own personal experience.
The possibilities are endless when we become clay in the potter's hand!!! Is that good news or what??? Sorry if I seem overly excited about something that is so obvious to those who believe, I was just remembering back to when I made the leap. I've always believed in God and knew Jesus was my Savior, but when I surrendered my stubborn will and hold on what was important to the world and became intimate with his Word and desired to live each day for Him, things really changed. The change in my life did not happen because of what I did, but because of His Grace!
The "walk" I had down memory lane through my journal really reminded me of How Great our God is. Not that everything turned out according to "my plan", but how much better His Plan is (well, no kidding, right?)! There were prayers not answered "my way" that brought such grief to me and those in my life at the time, but I have great hope for the plan He is continuously unfolding in our lives!
Jesus Christ rescued me from myself and from this world and for that I am beyond grateful!
Thank you Lord!
While looking through my journal, I looked over the prayer requests I've kept for the past few years and all the "TYL" (thank you Lord) notes I had next to so many of my entries. Of course God answers all prayer, just not always in the way we anticipate or hope for. For me, this is where my trust and faith have had to get me through those tough times.
"When I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me the strength I need" Psalm 138:3
I'm not sure if it was a sermon given by our pastor or just a thought I had at the time, but I had written this down a while back about God's Rescue...."Jesus will meet us where ever we are at (no matter the circumstances or the condition of our life) - HE JUST WON'T LEAVE US THERE" !!!! I love that - it sums up not only our need for Him, but his desire to move us out and up if we so desire! ANYONE, no matter their sin, is given this invitation. "Our repentance unlocks our destiny with God"!!! This revelation alone gives me enough to rejoice about!!! I say that only because of my own personal experience.
The possibilities are endless when we become clay in the potter's hand!!! Is that good news or what??? Sorry if I seem overly excited about something that is so obvious to those who believe, I was just remembering back to when I made the leap. I've always believed in God and knew Jesus was my Savior, but when I surrendered my stubborn will and hold on what was important to the world and became intimate with his Word and desired to live each day for Him, things really changed. The change in my life did not happen because of what I did, but because of His Grace!
The "walk" I had down memory lane through my journal really reminded me of How Great our God is. Not that everything turned out according to "my plan", but how much better His Plan is (well, no kidding, right?)! There were prayers not answered "my way" that brought such grief to me and those in my life at the time, but I have great hope for the plan He is continuously unfolding in our lives!
Jesus Christ rescued me from myself and from this world and for that I am beyond grateful!
Thank you Lord!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Getting in God's Way
There have been times as a friend, as a mom, as a wife, as a family member that I can reflect on and realize my offers of "advice", were clearly getting in God's way! As women we have the tendency to want to "talk it out", analyze every aspect and come up with a logical solution. Well, at least I do....something deep within me stirs when I see another suffering (I want to help them find a way out). Where I felt convicted recently was by what standard was I offering my encouragement and opinion? Was it God's standard or my own? Sure, I could find biblical support for my "opinions", but why was I offering advice rather than support in prayer? "God does not lead us all down the same road or require the same action" is what I was hearing in my spirit recently. As friends and family in Christ I believe we MUST support each other in prayer and not perceive to know what is necessarily right for another. Our intentions may be motivated by love and worry, but what if God is trying to teach and grow another through their trial or bring them closer to Him through their brokenness - Who are we trying to be if we assume to know better than the Almighty! I began pondering on how it must have been for Job's family and friends. They were motivated by what was "seen rather than not seen"; while Job "lived by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).
My point is before we assume to know what is best for someone or offer our help, I believe as Christians we must first go to Jesus and ask how and if we are to be used by Him. Prayer is never the wrong answer - it is our greatest weapon. My husband recently told me about something he read----- "We are not to do battle for God, but to be used in his battle" - WOW! This is an area I'm making every attempt to grow in. God's word says it best "to God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his". (Job 12:13)
God Bless!
My point is before we assume to know what is best for someone or offer our help, I believe as Christians we must first go to Jesus and ask how and if we are to be used by Him. Prayer is never the wrong answer - it is our greatest weapon. My husband recently told me about something he read----- "We are not to do battle for God, but to be used in his battle" - WOW! This is an area I'm making every attempt to grow in. God's word says it best "to God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his". (Job 12:13)
God Bless!
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