I have recently been encouraged to sit in Father's lap. When I first heard this I thought, "First of all, I don't take a lot of time to sit and second of all, how do I sit in His lap?!" But as I began praying about this He began opening my eyes to this wonderful place that He has for each of us.
He designed us each uniquely and for His purpose. He is the artist and we are His MASTERPIECES! The Creator of the world longs for you to spend time with Him. He longs for a word from you. He longs for you to sit and allow Him to take care of you. Yes, it's true. He wants you to be a little girl again, twirling around for her Daddy.
But in our "busy" world we choose to not allow time to be intentional with Heavenly Daddy. We put most things in front of Him and we are missing out on true life here on earth. He wants us to be loved on by Him. He wants to wrap His loving arms around us and fully satisfy us. He has a place set for us at His table.
He loves you so much! He is jealous for you. Ask Him where your special seat is located at His table. You will be fully satisfied....
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Live...
1. Live each day as a gift from God.
2. Live with the end in view.
3. Live to be faithful to Christ.
God gives us a specific number of days on earth. LIVE them with Him as the focus!
"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." I John 4:16
2. Live with the end in view.
3. Live to be faithful to Christ.
God gives us a specific number of days on earth. LIVE them with Him as the focus!
"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." I John 4:16
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Perspective Is Everything
Numbers 13:30-32
"Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses & said We should go up & take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. But the men who had gone up with him said, We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are. And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, The Land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size."
Isn't it amazing to see the vastly different perspectives people have in life? Caleb & his buddy, Joshua, looked at life with a God-centered point of view. They saw the giants in the land and believed. Our God is bigger than those giants, and He will fight for us. They trusted God to come through for them. God promised to give the Israelites the land and they trusted Him to fulfill His promise.
The other men had a fear-filled perspective. Their eyes were myopically focused on the challenges in front of them. They must have forgotten what God had already done. They seemed to think they were going to have to fight this battle on their own. Unfortunately, the fear factor spread more quickly than the faith factor. Before long, all of the Israelites were filled with the same we-can't-do-it attitude.
What giants are you facing in your life right now? Are you willing to seek God's help & ask Him to give you the strength you need? Faith grows when our eyes are on the Lord and we trust Him to do what we cannot do on our own. Fear grows when our eyes are on ourselves and we forget God is with us. Let's choose today to keep our eyes on the almighty God who loves us and is with us always!
"We have a God who delights in impossibilities." Andrew Murray
"Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man's power ends." George Muller
Further reading: Numbers 13:1-33; 14:1-45
Taken from The Power of a Positive Woman by Karol Ladd
"Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses & said We should go up & take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. But the men who had gone up with him said, We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are. And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, The Land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size."
Isn't it amazing to see the vastly different perspectives people have in life? Caleb & his buddy, Joshua, looked at life with a God-centered point of view. They saw the giants in the land and believed. Our God is bigger than those giants, and He will fight for us. They trusted God to come through for them. God promised to give the Israelites the land and they trusted Him to fulfill His promise.
The other men had a fear-filled perspective. Their eyes were myopically focused on the challenges in front of them. They must have forgotten what God had already done. They seemed to think they were going to have to fight this battle on their own. Unfortunately, the fear factor spread more quickly than the faith factor. Before long, all of the Israelites were filled with the same we-can't-do-it attitude.
What giants are you facing in your life right now? Are you willing to seek God's help & ask Him to give you the strength you need? Faith grows when our eyes are on the Lord and we trust Him to do what we cannot do on our own. Fear grows when our eyes are on ourselves and we forget God is with us. Let's choose today to keep our eyes on the almighty God who loves us and is with us always!
"We have a God who delights in impossibilities." Andrew Murray
"Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man's power ends." George Muller
Further reading: Numbers 13:1-33; 14:1-45
Taken from The Power of a Positive Woman by Karol Ladd
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
101st Time
You know when you hear or read a Bible verse 100 times, but for some reason when you read it for the 101st time you hear something totally different? That is how I felt when Beverly read this at the Power Source study:
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29
I always knew the first part, as much as it can be a struggle at times for me, but is was the part in BOLD that jumped out at me recently. It is the ones around us that can either see Jesus in us as we relate to others, or see our selfish nature that says what we want when we want. How I long for my children to hear only loving words come out of my mouth. How I long for my friends, people at church, our new friends at Tuesday lunch, the check-out lady at WalMart, and my husband to hear me encourage others and build them up! That is a tall order, but one that I am CALLED TO DO! Let us encourage one another and spur each other on to speak words of encouragement and love so that those who are listening see us as "different". And that "difference" is that the risen Lord lives and dwells in us and out of our hearts we speak His truth and love!
Jodi
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29
I always knew the first part, as much as it can be a struggle at times for me, but is was the part in BOLD that jumped out at me recently. It is the ones around us that can either see Jesus in us as we relate to others, or see our selfish nature that says what we want when we want. How I long for my children to hear only loving words come out of my mouth. How I long for my friends, people at church, our new friends at Tuesday lunch, the check-out lady at WalMart, and my husband to hear me encourage others and build them up! That is a tall order, but one that I am CALLED TO DO! Let us encourage one another and spur each other on to speak words of encouragement and love so that those who are listening see us as "different". And that "difference" is that the risen Lord lives and dwells in us and out of our hearts we speak His truth and love!
Jodi
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Psalm 143:10
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
That was an awesome Bible Study last night. Blessed by Beverly Ross.
This is the Verse of the day from Read at Bible Gateway
Monday, September 6, 2010
Praying Over Tuesday Night
I am being called right now to pray over Tuesday night's Power Source Bible study...Father with great anticipation we are excited to praise, experience, & learn more about you, your son & the Holy Spirit. I pray over every woman that is desiring to be there. I pray that the evil one is silenced as YOU are proclaimed & praised. I pray for our speaker and those traveling to be here. You are amazing, God. We give you all the glory for what you've done & what you are going to do. In Jesus powerful name...Amen
Monday, August 30, 2010
Slowing Down & Seeing Him
Dear Lord, in the midst of today's fast-paced society, help me to slow down lest I miss all that You have for me. ... There are moments when Your creation crosses my path -- a bird's song, a new rose bud after a dry summer, a clear view of the mountains, a child's laughter, a friend's greeting, a stranger's smile -- but is my mind on other things? ... Have I missed these moments that You have provided for my enjoyment, my renewal, or my opportunity? Have I neglected to recognize another's need -- an encouraging word, a helping hand? ... Have I missed the right time to tell someone about You when I failed to point out that it was not "luck," but You, Lord, when a prayer was answered? Have I forgotten to encourage or express my love to a spouse, an offspring, or a friend? ... Help me to recognize and seize these precious moments that will not come again.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Taken from a prayer email
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Taken from a prayer email
Friday, August 20, 2010
God's Daily Provision
"When you have nothing left but God, you become aware that He is enough." Author Unknown
Exodus 16:11-16 describes how God gave the Israelites quail and manna. Day by day God provided for the needs of His people as they marched through the wilderness. God hasn't changed! He still provides for His people-you and me-day by day. But like the Israelites, we can easily fall into a habit of grumbling and despair, especially when life isn't going smoothly or we don't know what the future holds.
We must make a deliberate choice to turn to God and trust Him for our daily needs. God wants to show us that He is our Lord and our provider, just as He showed the grumbling Israelites. Don't let despair take over your emotions! Instead, with faith, look to God for help and provision for this day. He can be trusted!
Choices to claim this week:
*This week I will choose to turn to prayer instead of despair.
*This week I will choose to trust God to provide for my daily needs.
*This week I will choose to praise God for being my protector & provider!
For further reading: Exodus 16:1-36; 17:1-7
"When you have accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace; God is awake." Victor Hugo
Taken from The Power of a Positive Woman Devotional Book by Karol Ladd
Exodus 16:11-16 describes how God gave the Israelites quail and manna. Day by day God provided for the needs of His people as they marched through the wilderness. God hasn't changed! He still provides for His people-you and me-day by day. But like the Israelites, we can easily fall into a habit of grumbling and despair, especially when life isn't going smoothly or we don't know what the future holds.
We must make a deliberate choice to turn to God and trust Him for our daily needs. God wants to show us that He is our Lord and our provider, just as He showed the grumbling Israelites. Don't let despair take over your emotions! Instead, with faith, look to God for help and provision for this day. He can be trusted!
Choices to claim this week:
*This week I will choose to turn to prayer instead of despair.
*This week I will choose to trust God to provide for my daily needs.
*This week I will choose to praise God for being my protector & provider!
For further reading: Exodus 16:1-36; 17:1-7
"When you have accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace; God is awake." Victor Hugo
Taken from The Power of a Positive Woman Devotional Book by Karol Ladd
Friday, August 13, 2010
Blind Faith
As I was reading an online devotional...... (www.heartlight.com) I came across something that brought me a great sense if peace. I personally try to CONTROL EVERYTHING and in order to do that I feel the need to UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING..... So naturally having FAITH in things unseen is a tough one for me. But read the following taken from Heartlight and I feel & pray that it touches you as well.
From Heartlight....
[Jesus continued] “The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit."
"How are these things possible?" Nicodemus asked.
— John 3:8 tniv
Thought
As a young boy, I remember taking apart an old clock radio to figure out how it worked. I learned a great deal -- including the importance of unplugging something like that before taking it apart! But, I can't figure out the way the Spirit works on the hearts of men and women to bring them to Jesus and to give them new birth. I can see the changes in a person's life. I can hear their confession of faith. I can watch them be baptized. But these are all the evidence of the greater reality that I cannot fully comprehend or explain -- the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives to open their hearts to Jesus, surrender to him as Lord, to cleanse them of their sin, to live inside of them, and to include them in the family of God. However, I am thankful of two things in this regard: first that Jesus said I couldn't fully comprehend this, and second, I have repeatedly seen the Spirit make incredible differences in the lives of people. While you might not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, I know that the Holy Spirit can give anyone, young or old, new life!
Prayer
Thank you, dear God, for things beyond my ability to fully comprehend -- things like your holiness, your grace, and your love. I am thankful today for the work of the Holy Spirit to bring new birth into the lives of people. I confess that I do not fully comprehend how all of this happens, but I do believe the Holy Spirit makes it happen. So thank you! Thank you for your mysteries and thank you for your gift of the Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
From Heartlight....
[Jesus continued] “The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit."
"How are these things possible?" Nicodemus asked.
— John 3:8 tniv
Thought
As a young boy, I remember taking apart an old clock radio to figure out how it worked. I learned a great deal -- including the importance of unplugging something like that before taking it apart! But, I can't figure out the way the Spirit works on the hearts of men and women to bring them to Jesus and to give them new birth. I can see the changes in a person's life. I can hear their confession of faith. I can watch them be baptized. But these are all the evidence of the greater reality that I cannot fully comprehend or explain -- the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives to open their hearts to Jesus, surrender to him as Lord, to cleanse them of their sin, to live inside of them, and to include them in the family of God. However, I am thankful of two things in this regard: first that Jesus said I couldn't fully comprehend this, and second, I have repeatedly seen the Spirit make incredible differences in the lives of people. While you might not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, I know that the Holy Spirit can give anyone, young or old, new life!
Prayer
Thank you, dear God, for things beyond my ability to fully comprehend -- things like your holiness, your grace, and your love. I am thankful today for the work of the Holy Spirit to bring new birth into the lives of people. I confess that I do not fully comprehend how all of this happens, but I do believe the Holy Spirit makes it happen. So thank you! Thank you for your mysteries and thank you for your gift of the Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
1 PETER 5:10-11
To each of you LADIES who opened up and shared what was on your heart last night... THANK YOU! I truly feel as if GOD has placed this Bible study in my life for a reason! Last night I was REALLY feeling it!
This scripture was shared last night and was brought to my attention again today by a sweet sweet sister :)
I always enjoy reading from various translations... Maybe that is because I have a hard time grasping things from time to time and quite possibly because I need to hear things multiple times before they sink in....
So here it is in just a few different translations:
1 Peter 5:10-11
NIV
10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
THE MESSAGE
He Gets the Last Word
8-11Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.
(LOVE THIS..... HE GETS LAST WORD: YES!! HE DOES!!)
THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE
10And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.
11To Him be the dominion (power, authority, rule) forever and ever. Amen (so be it).
NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All power to him forever! Amen.
CEV (CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION)
10But God shows undeserved kindness to everyone. That's why he appointed Christ Jesus to choose you to share in his eternal glory. You will suffer for a while, but God will make you complete, steady, strong, and firm. 11God will be in control forever! Amen
I know that you may be a strictly "NIV kind of girl".........but I found it REALLY powerful and reaffirming to hear this message AGAIN and AGAIN in different translations... they ultimately mean the same thing! WOW! Powerful stuff!
This scripture was shared last night and was brought to my attention again today by a sweet sweet sister :)
I always enjoy reading from various translations... Maybe that is because I have a hard time grasping things from time to time and quite possibly because I need to hear things multiple times before they sink in....
So here it is in just a few different translations:
1 Peter 5:10-11
NIV
10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
THE MESSAGE
He Gets the Last Word
8-11Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.
(LOVE THIS..... HE GETS LAST WORD: YES!! HE DOES!!)
THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE
10And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.
11To Him be the dominion (power, authority, rule) forever and ever. Amen (so be it).
NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All power to him forever! Amen.
CEV (CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION)
10But God shows undeserved kindness to everyone. That's why he appointed Christ Jesus to choose you to share in his eternal glory. You will suffer for a while, but God will make you complete, steady, strong, and firm. 11God will be in control forever! Amen
I know that you may be a strictly "NIV kind of girl".........but I found it REALLY powerful and reaffirming to hear this message AGAIN and AGAIN in different translations... they ultimately mean the same thing! WOW! Powerful stuff!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Lately, my 4 year old has been singing songs during the week that she hears during worship or in bible class and it makes me praise GOD. Yesterday, I asked Isabelle, who our "Heavenly Father" was
and she responds by saying at the top of her lungs GOD! I LOVE our heavenly Daddy so much!
and she responds by saying at the top of her lungs GOD! I LOVE our heavenly Daddy so much!
Verse of the day
“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”- Psalm 119:114Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Ancient Words..EVER TRUE..Changing ME & Changing YOU
Read these lyrics...... imagine hearing a 4 year old singing them. WOW! Touches my heart just to think about it.
Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God's own heart.
Oh let the ancient words impart
Words of Life, words of Hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e'er we roam
Ancient words will guide us Home.
CHORUS:
Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you,
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart
Holy words of our Faith
Handed down to this age
Came to us through sacrifice
Oh heed the faithful words of Christ.
Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world.
They resound with God's own heart
Oh let the ancient words impart.
CHORUS x4
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart
My 4 year old went to another church's VBS this past week and it has truly been a blessing. It was so special to see her become so excited about praising the LORD. We purchased the VBS CD before VBS started so that she could learn the songs. This was one of the songs....... we listen to it ALL of the time in the car. I started to REALLy listen to the words, especially since she asks so many questions and desires to understand EVERYTHING!
This song may seem like an "oldie" and over the head of a 4-year old, but if you could just hear her sing it....... I promise you would be moved!
SING IT LOUD!!!!
I love MUSIC! I LOVE to sing... I know that I am far from a "good" singer, but I still LOVE to sing! I am pretty sure that my family isn't very musically inclined either. When I grew up, I attended a Church of Christ for the Deaf in Austin. There was a handful of hearing people who attended there as well. So, when we did sing... we all thought we sounded pretty good (all 5 of the hearing people) and the deaf members could have cared less how we sounded so we sang loudly! My Dad actually lead the singing at this church too. I always grew up thinking that we were pretty good singers, then around middle school we moved to a bigger church.
My mom and I started attending a Baptist congregation ( my grandfather was a Baptist preacher.) I even SANG in their choir...... only for a brief period of time... no I wasn't kicked out or at least that isn't how I like to remember how things went down! Long story short.... we started attending Westover Hills Church of Christ in Austin. I found a place there and feel that is my church home aside from Altamesa.
We went back to visit over the July 4th weekend and there was a series that they were doing called "Behind the Music."
It is REALLY a special series and I tried to attach a link, but it is complicated and you have to scroll through a lot of the Sunday service to hear it.
http://www.westover.org/node/1754
Basically the purpose of this was to get past the "singing" of the songs and to focus on what we are REALLY singing.
How many of us from time to time sing the words just to sing them without REALLY paying attention to what we are REALLY saying to GOD.
HE is listening.... shouldn't we GET SERIOUS... ESPECIALLY since HE already knows our hearts and minds anyways! I MEAN REALLY.....why SING it if you don't MEAN it. By the way I am talking to myself more than anyone else right now! There are so many times that I zone out and pay attention more to what so and so is doing or wearing and etc. than to singing the words with meaning from my mind and heart.
1 Corinthians 14:15
15So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind
Each person has different spiritual gifts and GOD doesn't care HOW we sing, but we should TRULY mean what we are saying when we sing it. How would you feel if someone you knew lied about everything that they did... every word that came out of their mouth was a lie. Would you want to talk to them? This makes me wonder how GOD feels when we sing without TRULY meaning the words that are coming out of our mouths.
EACH song has a meaning.. each word has a meaning. Westover did this series to talk about what songs meant to the people who attend their church. If we know how songs impacted people individually, we will sing songs that aren't necessarily "our favorite songs" with a new meaning because it is ministering to someone and in turn it will minister to us. WOW.. to think that "my" singing could be ministering to someone.
Here is an example of a "behind the music" story:
(during the church service they showed a video of the members telling their story)
3 years ago a woman and her husband went to the doctor to find out that she had a mass in her abdomen that was going to have to be removed. She had already battled cancer 2 times before. This was a familiar road for them to go down however not a path that they wanted to tread on again. She was sacred... had 2 small children at home... etc.
The Wednesday before her surgery... they went to the Elders and had them pray over her. She specifically remembers one of the Elders kneeling down and in his prayer he asked that God would cover and protect and take care of them because GOD is ever present. Another Elder did the same thing but not only asked for protection for her but also for her small children. Then an Elder's wife sat and prayed with her and talked about God being a SHIELD for us. They attended church on the Sunday before her surgery and they "just happened" to sing "thou oh LORD are a shield about me" This woman felt God's presence and continued to feel that God was her shield. As she went home that night she" happened" to look up at her calendar which had scriptures and it listed Psalms 3: 3-4
Psalm 3:3-4 (New International Version)
3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift [a] up my head.
4 To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
After reading this she felt an ever surrounding presence that God was going to take care of her and her family. Her fear was lifted and the day she went in to surgery she knew it was all going to be ok. In the end it was OK.. she received great news, but also goes on to mention that even if she had not have received "good news" about her mass... that she knew God would have taken care of her no matter what.
God speaks to us in many ways. One of the ways that HE speaks to us is through song. This song is short, but it now holds more powerful meaning to me than ever before.
Thou, O LORD, are a shield about me, your my Glory and the Lifter of my head ...
I know that I am not the GREATEST singer, however I know that GOD delights in hearing me sing, especially when I get past the "going through the motions" of it and sing it with MEANING from my heart and mind.
My mom and I started attending a Baptist congregation ( my grandfather was a Baptist preacher.) I even SANG in their choir...... only for a brief period of time... no I wasn't kicked out or at least that isn't how I like to remember how things went down! Long story short.... we started attending Westover Hills Church of Christ in Austin. I found a place there and feel that is my church home aside from Altamesa.
We went back to visit over the July 4th weekend and there was a series that they were doing called "Behind the Music."
It is REALLY a special series and I tried to attach a link, but it is complicated and you have to scroll through a lot of the Sunday service to hear it.
http://www.westover.org/node/1754
Basically the purpose of this was to get past the "singing" of the songs and to focus on what we are REALLY singing.
How many of us from time to time sing the words just to sing them without REALLY paying attention to what we are REALLY saying to GOD.
HE is listening.... shouldn't we GET SERIOUS... ESPECIALLY since HE already knows our hearts and minds anyways! I MEAN REALLY.....why SING it if you don't MEAN it. By the way I am talking to myself more than anyone else right now! There are so many times that I zone out and pay attention more to what so and so is doing or wearing and etc. than to singing the words with meaning from my mind and heart.
1 Corinthians 14:15
15So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind
Each person has different spiritual gifts and GOD doesn't care HOW we sing, but we should TRULY mean what we are saying when we sing it. How would you feel if someone you knew lied about everything that they did... every word that came out of their mouth was a lie. Would you want to talk to them? This makes me wonder how GOD feels when we sing without TRULY meaning the words that are coming out of our mouths.
EACH song has a meaning.. each word has a meaning. Westover did this series to talk about what songs meant to the people who attend their church. If we know how songs impacted people individually, we will sing songs that aren't necessarily "our favorite songs" with a new meaning because it is ministering to someone and in turn it will minister to us. WOW.. to think that "my" singing could be ministering to someone.
Here is an example of a "behind the music" story:
(during the church service they showed a video of the members telling their story)
3 years ago a woman and her husband went to the doctor to find out that she had a mass in her abdomen that was going to have to be removed. She had already battled cancer 2 times before. This was a familiar road for them to go down however not a path that they wanted to tread on again. She was sacred... had 2 small children at home... etc.
The Wednesday before her surgery... they went to the Elders and had them pray over her. She specifically remembers one of the Elders kneeling down and in his prayer he asked that God would cover and protect and take care of them because GOD is ever present. Another Elder did the same thing but not only asked for protection for her but also for her small children. Then an Elder's wife sat and prayed with her and talked about God being a SHIELD for us. They attended church on the Sunday before her surgery and they "just happened" to sing "thou oh LORD are a shield about me" This woman felt God's presence and continued to feel that God was her shield. As she went home that night she" happened" to look up at her calendar which had scriptures and it listed Psalms 3: 3-4
Psalm 3:3-4 (New International Version)
3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift [a] up my head.
4 To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
After reading this she felt an ever surrounding presence that God was going to take care of her and her family. Her fear was lifted and the day she went in to surgery she knew it was all going to be ok. In the end it was OK.. she received great news, but also goes on to mention that even if she had not have received "good news" about her mass... that she knew God would have taken care of her no matter what.
God speaks to us in many ways. One of the ways that HE speaks to us is through song. This song is short, but it now holds more powerful meaning to me than ever before.
Thou, O LORD, are a shield about me, your my Glory and the Lifter of my head ...
I know that I am not the GREATEST singer, however I know that GOD delights in hearing me sing, especially when I get past the "going through the motions" of it and sing it with MEANING from my heart and mind.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
What On Earth Am I Here For?
Thoughts taken from Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose Driven Life."
"A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree." Proverbs 11:28 (Msg)
It all starts with God. It's not about you.
The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose.
Every other path we try to take to "find" happiness, joy, or contentment is a dead end. But how do we find our own unique purpose? We can turn to what God has revealed about life in His Word. The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same is true for discovering your life's purpose: Ask God.
God's Word is our Owner's Manual, explaining why we are alive, how life works, what to avoid, and what to expect in the future. God has not left us in the dark to wonder & guess. IT'S ALL IN HIS WORD!
"For everything, absolutely everything above & below, visible & invisible,...everything got started in Him and finds purpose in Him." Colossians 1:16 (Msg)
Thoughts to ponder...In spite of all the advertising around us, how can we remind ourselves that life is really about living for God, not myself?
"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord..They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)
Hope you have a great day living a life full of purpose for Him!
"A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree." Proverbs 11:28 (Msg)
It all starts with God. It's not about you.
The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose.
Every other path we try to take to "find" happiness, joy, or contentment is a dead end. But how do we find our own unique purpose? We can turn to what God has revealed about life in His Word. The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same is true for discovering your life's purpose: Ask God.
God's Word is our Owner's Manual, explaining why we are alive, how life works, what to avoid, and what to expect in the future. God has not left us in the dark to wonder & guess. IT'S ALL IN HIS WORD!
"For everything, absolutely everything above & below, visible & invisible,...everything got started in Him and finds purpose in Him." Colossians 1:16 (Msg)
Thoughts to ponder...In spite of all the advertising around us, how can we remind ourselves that life is really about living for God, not myself?
"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord..They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)
Hope you have a great day living a life full of purpose for Him!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
IT WON'T BE LIKE THIS FOR LONG
Who here likes to drink COFFEE? I know I do, and a PERK is to have the opportunity to drink it while it is HOT! FOR ME....that seems to be a rarity these days! However I am starting to learn to enjoy my cold cup of coffee...keep reading to see what I'm talking about!
Anyone else like to take a shower? Without an audience.....? When I say audience..I am talking G rated here. Some of you might be thinking I am crazy...however when I say an audience, I am simply meaning that I leave the door open and gate off the living room so that my 2 kiddos don't hurt themselves or each other while I am getting clean. I also like to close the door from time to time when I am going to the restroom. However, that just rarely happens these days. I do have to remember to close the door when we have company over! Am I exhausted? You betcha! Who isn't? I am willing to bet that I am not ALONE and there are A LOT of other exhausted Mommies out there! Even if you are not a Mommy or a wife , I know how you feel as LIFE just gets busy and we lose focus from time to time.
So, the other day I decided that I needed JUST a brief moment of alone time. I reached up on the bookcase and dusted off (literally) a Women's devotional book. I thought the title was so fitting for me... "15 Minutes of Peace with God" by Emilie Barnes. It should be noted that I also had a devotional book about having "quiet time" with God, but I just wasn't feeling that there would be a quiet moment just yet.
I held the book in my hands...... and did something I have done in the past with devo books and my Bible................... held it unopened and closed my eyes and asked God to "show" me what HE wanted me to learn today. Then I opened it up to the lesson on "being a Living presence."
I have to admit I wasn't feeling "the peace" just yet..... as I had just put one of my children into time out and I was in NEED of a "Mommy-time-out" just a break before I pulled out my hair! This devotional talked about Psalm 127 1-5.
Here it is from the CEV version:
Only the LORD Can Bless a Home
1Without the help of the LORD it is useless to build a home or to guard a city. 2It is useless to get up early and stay up late in order to earn a living. God takes care of his own, even while they sleep. 3Children are a blessing and a gift from the LORD. 4Having a lot of children to take care of you in your old age is like a warrior with a lot of arrows. 5The more you have, the better off you will be, because they will protect you when your enemies attack with arguments.
The author of my devotional went on to tell a story of a young mother who was inquiring about the path of raising children. She was told that "the way IS hard and that she would be OLD before she reached the end, but that the end would be much better than the beginning" This young mother was very happy and she WOULD NOT believe that anything could be better than these years. HOLD THE PHONE.......wow that was convicting to me as there ARE times that I do not feel the way she did... I KNOW my children are a BLESSING however I admit that I become so tired and run down quite often. TOO MANY women and parents have forgotten or have NEVER KNOWN the promise of the LORD...that children are a gift . They are the fruit of the womb. Many young mothers are completely frustrated with life because children take so much time from their day.
REMEMBER we won't always be in this phase... ENJOY the children while they are young because as they get old we (parents & children) will face new sets of difficulties.
ALSO...as stated in Psalm 127, we MUST have the help of THE LORD!!! Without HIM we are wasting not only our time but our children's time as well.
As I am thinking about all of this...... I can hear "Hootie" (Darius Rucker) in my head. I'll spare you from typing all of the lyrics as I have already rambled on plenty...
But, here are a few of the lyrics from his song "It Won't Be Like this for Long" that pretty much sum up the fact that life is quick and we need to enjoy every PRECIOUS minute that we have with our little BLESSINGS!
" It won't be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
And this phase is gonna fly by
So he's trying to hold on
It won't be like this for long
It won't be like this for long"
I am learning that it really doesn't bother me to drink my coffee cold, admittedly I would prefer for it to be hot. But today as I am drinking it and I can hear my children playing and singing in the background...... I am reminded that YES!! IT IS WORTH IT! Children are a gift from GOD! One day soon they will be all grown up and I want to have peace knowing that I have taken care of the SWEET blessings that GOD has entrusted me with! So, if you ever want to grab a HOT cup of coffee....and have a "MOMMY time-out" because we ALL need one..give me a CALL because from time to time I do like to enjoy HOT coffee! May God Bless You and Your family today!
Anyone else like to take a shower? Without an audience.....? When I say audience..I am talking G rated here. Some of you might be thinking I am crazy...however when I say an audience, I am simply meaning that I leave the door open and gate off the living room so that my 2 kiddos don't hurt themselves or each other while I am getting clean. I also like to close the door from time to time when I am going to the restroom. However, that just rarely happens these days. I do have to remember to close the door when we have company over! Am I exhausted? You betcha! Who isn't? I am willing to bet that I am not ALONE and there are A LOT of other exhausted Mommies out there! Even if you are not a Mommy or a wife , I know how you feel as LIFE just gets busy and we lose focus from time to time.
So, the other day I decided that I needed JUST a brief moment of alone time. I reached up on the bookcase and dusted off (literally) a Women's devotional book. I thought the title was so fitting for me... "15 Minutes of Peace with God" by Emilie Barnes. It should be noted that I also had a devotional book about having "quiet time" with God, but I just wasn't feeling that there would be a quiet moment just yet.
I held the book in my hands...... and did something I have done in the past with devo books and my Bible................... held it unopened and closed my eyes and asked God to "show" me what HE wanted me to learn today. Then I opened it up to the lesson on "being a Living presence."
I have to admit I wasn't feeling "the peace" just yet..... as I had just put one of my children into time out and I was in NEED of a "Mommy-time-out" just a break before I pulled out my hair! This devotional talked about Psalm 127 1-5.
Here it is from the CEV version:
Only the LORD Can Bless a Home
1Without the help of the LORD it is useless to build a home or to guard a city. 2It is useless to get up early and stay up late in order to earn a living. God takes care of his own, even while they sleep. 3Children are a blessing and a gift from the LORD. 4Having a lot of children to take care of you in your old age is like a warrior with a lot of arrows. 5The more you have, the better off you will be, because they will protect you when your enemies attack with arguments.
The author of my devotional went on to tell a story of a young mother who was inquiring about the path of raising children. She was told that "the way IS hard and that she would be OLD before she reached the end, but that the end would be much better than the beginning" This young mother was very happy and she WOULD NOT believe that anything could be better than these years. HOLD THE PHONE.......wow that was convicting to me as there ARE times that I do not feel the way she did... I KNOW my children are a BLESSING however I admit that I become so tired and run down quite often. TOO MANY women and parents have forgotten or have NEVER KNOWN the promise of the LORD...that children are a gift . They are the fruit of the womb. Many young mothers are completely frustrated with life because children take so much time from their day.
REMEMBER we won't always be in this phase... ENJOY the children while they are young because as they get old we (parents & children) will face new sets of difficulties.
ALSO...as stated in Psalm 127, we MUST have the help of THE LORD!!! Without HIM we are wasting not only our time but our children's time as well.
As I am thinking about all of this...... I can hear "Hootie" (Darius Rucker) in my head. I'll spare you from typing all of the lyrics as I have already rambled on plenty...
But, here are a few of the lyrics from his song "It Won't Be Like this for Long" that pretty much sum up the fact that life is quick and we need to enjoy every PRECIOUS minute that we have with our little BLESSINGS!
" It won't be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
And this phase is gonna fly by
So he's trying to hold on
It won't be like this for long
It won't be like this for long"
I am learning that it really doesn't bother me to drink my coffee cold, admittedly I would prefer for it to be hot. But today as I am drinking it and I can hear my children playing and singing in the background...... I am reminded that YES!! IT IS WORTH IT! Children are a gift from GOD! One day soon they will be all grown up and I want to have peace knowing that I have taken care of the SWEET blessings that GOD has entrusted me with! So, if you ever want to grab a HOT cup of coffee....and have a "MOMMY time-out" because we ALL need one..give me a CALL because from time to time I do like to enjoy HOT coffee! May God Bless You and Your family today!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Living Like Daughters of the King of Kings!
We enjoyed a great time at the Power Source Bible Study on Monday night. It was so nice being surrounded by women who are filling their hunger & thirst for the Lord! What an encouragement these ladies are to me! Here are our notes from Monday night's study. Let's just don't read the King's Words, let's LIVE THEM!!
We Are Daughters/Princesses of the King of Kings!
*Our identity is in Him, not all the things in our world that try to distract us from who we are designed to be.
*Romans 8:14-17 "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, "Abba, Father." For His spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. And since we are His children, we are His HEIRS. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering."
*John 15:16 "You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go & produce lasting fruit..."
My Chosen Daughter,
You are not a pretend princess, my child. You are a real princess, and I am your God, the King of Kings. I chose you before you were even born to be my princess. You are very important in my kingdom. I have chosen you to do something special that only you can do. I have amazing plans for you now and in years to come. Your love for me and for others makes you a true princess. If you read my Words everyday, I will teach you all you need to know about living like a daughter of the King.
Love,
Your King & Father in Heaven
*Jeremiah 31:3 "I have loved you with an everlasting love!"
Dear Precious Daughter,
I am your Daddy in Heaven and I love you so much! You are precious to me in every way. I think about you all the time. Nothing is more important to me than you. I want you to tuck this truth in your heart: No matter where you go, you'll always be my girl & I will always be your God. I will always love you & I will never leave you!
Love,
Your King who will never stop loving you
*Psalm 139:13-17 "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body & knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!"
My Pretty Little Princess,
I want you to know how very beautiful you are to me. I adore you, my daughter! I love the way I created you. When you look in the mirror, remember that I carefully chose the color of your eyes & the highlights in your hair. I love you so much that I know exactly how many hairs are on your pretty little head! I designed the shape of your nose & your happy smile. I made every part of your precious body. Don't ever try to look like anyone else but you. I think you're perfect just the way you are. There is no one in the world like you.
Love,
Your King who created a perfect you
*Psalm 126 (entire chapter) but focus on verse 5 "Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy."
Dear Princess,
Sometimes sad things happen. Life will not always go the way you want it to. When this happens, it's ok to feel sad & disappointed. I know how hard it is to act like my princess when your heart is hurting. It's ok to cry. Just know I am hear for you and I can make your heart happy again. But it may take some time before you feel better, so stay close to me when you're sad or disappointed. I will help you keep a princess heart, and I will give you joy while you're healing.
Love,
Your King & your joy
*Romans 12:6 "In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well...."
My Princess,
You have a very special gift that I have placed inside of you. Do you know what that gift is? It is something you can do very, very well. You will learn that some things are easy for you and make you feel good when you're doing them. There will be other things your friends do better. Remember, you do not have to try to be like anyone else. I want you to be thankful for the way I created you. Then I can help you open that precious gift inside of you. I have a wonderful purpose for your life. Ask me, and I will help you find it.
Love,
Your King who is preparing you for something special
*I Corinthians 2:9 "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, & no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him."
Dear Daughter,
One day you will come to live with me in Heaven. I am very excited because I have so many presents here to give you. Did you know that every time you do or say something kind to others just because you want them to know you are mine, I am preparing another gift for you in Heaven? Remember, my love: Even if no one else notices the sweet things you do for them, I see everything you do. And for all the kindness you do in secret, I will reward you richly in Heaven. I want you to know in your heart that I am so very proud of you.
Love,
Your King who has wonderful surprises waiting for you
(All the letters came from the children's book, "His Little Princess" by Sheri Rose Shepherd)
*Ephesians 1:13-14. God put His seal on you as His child. This is His signature on you as His masterpiece He created! The word seal means authentic ownership. The Holy Spirit in a believer's life signifies God's ownership in him/her. The Spirit is both God's guarantee of future blessings & a foretaste of eternal inheritance that He has for us!
*We don't always look/act like royalty, do we? We have to CLAIM it if we are going to LIVE it!!
*We are adopted into Father's House. We don't know (as flesh) how to fully live and dine with the Father. As His adopted daughters, we need to be close to Jesus to learn more about Father and how to live in His House. Jesus is our brother. He points us to Father, shows us around, & teaches us how to live in Father's House. Jesus will teach us & guide us if we get to know Him & ask Him.
*I Corinthians 2 talks about receiving wisdom from the Spirit. The end of chapter 2 says that we understand things of the Sprit because we have the MIND OF CHRIST! Did you hear that correctly! We have HIS mind! We don't have to settle for anything less in ourselves. We are HIS daughters, His vessels, with the mind of Christ. We are royalty to Him!
*Monday night, we talked about the crown of life that God has promised us as believers/daughters of Him. Study these to learn more about the crown He has waiting for you...Isaiah 62:2-4, James 1:12-18, Revelation 2:10.
*He also crowns us here on earth as His daughters with gifts. Some we looked at in Scripture were: Victory (Psalm 149:4), Glory & Honor (Psalm 8:5, Hebrews 2:9), Knowledge (Proverbs 14:18), & Everlasting Joy (Isaiah 51:11)
*We also looked at Revelation 2:17 "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches: To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it." HOW AWESOME IS THAT! He has special manna waiting for us. He has given each of us a new name written on a white stone! I can't wait to know what my new name will be from my King! I am charging each of us this week to find a white stone around somewhere and write "My New Name" on it to help us remember whose we are and the gifts He wants to give us both in heaven some day & on earth as well.
*So, what are you going to claim when you look in the mirror this week? Maybe at first, we will see our physical flaws. But we are called NOT TO STAY THERE because we are beautiful and flawless to the Creator. We must not be dictated by the world's standards. Cellulite-So What! Bad Hair Day-So What! Clothes Not Fitting Perfectly-So What! We have to stop obsessing over these things and live like the King of King's Daughters that we are! Write out this week how you are going to change your mindset and start claiming to live like the daughter you are designed to be.
We are so blessed to be His!
Laura
Monday, June 28, 2010
Destined To Be Like Jesus
"Those whom He foreknew, He also destined from the beginning...to be molded into the image of His Son." Romans 8:29
Ephesians 2:10 says we are God's own handiwork recreated in Christ Jesus, that we may do those good works which God predestined for us, that we should walk in them (living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live).
God has destined us to be like Jesus! Connie Witter writes in her workbook, "Because of Jesus," that God's plan is for the nature of Jesus to shine through your life. He wants us to experience His love, joy, and peace abiding in our souls. His plan for you is to live an abundantly, blessed life.
You are God's masterpiece. You are His handiwork. You don't have to try to change yourself, that is the work of the Holy Spirit if you accept His gift. He is the One who produces good fruit in your life. He transforms you into everything God has destined you to be when you look to Jesus and renew your mind to His word.
"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good & pleasing and perfect His will really is." Romans 12:2
When we devote our minds to things other than Jesus and the Truth of the Word, it leads to strongholds (thinking that is contrary to the truth) and bondage of sin.
We can live free from every stronghold by casting down every negative thought and taking every thought captive. We are to renew our minds about who we are and what God has promised us through Jesus.
What an amazing gift God has given us! The Creator, Holy, & Almighty One cares about each of us so deeply! Let's take our thoughts captive and renew our minds as the daughters we are destined to be!!!
Parts taken from, "Because of Jesus" by Connie Witter
Ephesians 2:10 says we are God's own handiwork recreated in Christ Jesus, that we may do those good works which God predestined for us, that we should walk in them (living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live).
God has destined us to be like Jesus! Connie Witter writes in her workbook, "Because of Jesus," that God's plan is for the nature of Jesus to shine through your life. He wants us to experience His love, joy, and peace abiding in our souls. His plan for you is to live an abundantly, blessed life.
You are God's masterpiece. You are His handiwork. You don't have to try to change yourself, that is the work of the Holy Spirit if you accept His gift. He is the One who produces good fruit in your life. He transforms you into everything God has destined you to be when you look to Jesus and renew your mind to His word.
"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good & pleasing and perfect His will really is." Romans 12:2
When we devote our minds to things other than Jesus and the Truth of the Word, it leads to strongholds (thinking that is contrary to the truth) and bondage of sin.
We can live free from every stronghold by casting down every negative thought and taking every thought captive. We are to renew our minds about who we are and what God has promised us through Jesus.
What an amazing gift God has given us! The Creator, Holy, & Almighty One cares about each of us so deeply! Let's take our thoughts captive and renew our minds as the daughters we are destined to be!!!
Parts taken from, "Because of Jesus" by Connie Witter
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
God's Awesome Power
I was so blessed to be a part of last night's Power Source. It was great to be surrounded by sisters in Christ who are hungry and thirsty for Him. It was great to have our guest speaker, Carrie Gurley, who so openly shared the Word and Truth in new and amazing ways that brought us closer to the Creator. It was great to have Carrie's teenage daughter with us who is using God's gifts to glorify Him. What a great reminder that the next generation is ready, hungry, & thirsty for Him! I woke up this morning with a new passion to teach my kids even more deeply and passionately about Him and His awesomeness! (Is that a word?! I don't care if it's not. It's my way to describe Him!!!)
Mostly, I was blown away and continue to be of God's unchangeable love. HE WAS, IS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE! I lift His name and praise Him for our monthly study of Him. Father, I ask that you continue to pour yourself into this group of women. Please be present Lord, active in growing us, revealing to us your might and gifts. Please take the scales off our human eyes and put on our beautiful, new eyes of faith on that are always looking up to you!
I proclaim VICTORY in the precious name of Jesus today....
Laura
Mostly, I was blown away and continue to be of God's unchangeable love. HE WAS, IS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE! I lift His name and praise Him for our monthly study of Him. Father, I ask that you continue to pour yourself into this group of women. Please be present Lord, active in growing us, revealing to us your might and gifts. Please take the scales off our human eyes and put on our beautiful, new eyes of faith on that are always looking up to you!
I proclaim VICTORY in the precious name of Jesus today....
Laura
Friday, June 4, 2010
Stepping Out In Faith
The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people, & your father's house and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation & I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, & whoever curses you I will curse; and all people on earth will be blessed through you." So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he set out from Haran. Genesis 12:1-4
What faith! Abram chose to step out & step up to God's calling. Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone? We all like the safety and security places. Yet there are times when God calls us out of the cozy into an uncomfortable situation that stretches our faith and increases our dependence on him.
Stepping out in faith will look different in each of our lives. But one thing is for sure; as we hear God's call and step out in faith, we can trust him to be with us and to see us through.
Are we listening to God's call? What does He want me to do that may require me to step out in faith?
This week my choices are:
*to choose to seek God's direction in my life
*to choose to step out in faith & obedience.
*to thank the Lord for His blessings & His presence in my life.
Faith puts God between us & our circumstances. F.B. Meyer
Taken from The Power of a Positive Woman by Karol Ladd
What faith! Abram chose to step out & step up to God's calling. Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone? We all like the safety and security places. Yet there are times when God calls us out of the cozy into an uncomfortable situation that stretches our faith and increases our dependence on him.
Stepping out in faith will look different in each of our lives. But one thing is for sure; as we hear God's call and step out in faith, we can trust him to be with us and to see us through.
Are we listening to God's call? What does He want me to do that may require me to step out in faith?
This week my choices are:
*to choose to seek God's direction in my life
*to choose to step out in faith & obedience.
*to thank the Lord for His blessings & His presence in my life.
Faith puts God between us & our circumstances. F.B. Meyer
Taken from The Power of a Positive Woman by Karol Ladd
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Being Refined
There is a cute card out by the famous old lady, Maxine that says: “Don’t believe everything you think!” These are wise words for all of us. Our perception during times of trial is that God is punishing us, or vacated our lives or simply not the loving and attentive God we read about in the scriptures. Here is an analogy that you may have seen before, but I think it is worth remembering and keeping before us in our daily walk with Christ:
Malachi 3:3 “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” Perhaps we don’t believe this or perceive its truthfulness because we haven’t defined the job of a silversmith. A silversmith holds a piece of silver over the fire and lets it heat up. The silver must be held in the middle of the fire where the heat is the hottest and most intense in order to burn away all the impurities.
Furthermore, the silversmith will not leave a piece in the fire and take care of other tasks. He sits as a refiner and purifier of that piece of silver. Not only does he sit there with the silver, but he never takes his eyes off of it. You see, if he leaves it in the fire a moment too long, it would be destroyed and of no use.
How does the silversmith know when the silver is fully refined? When he can see his image in it.
At any time you are feeling the heat of the fire and perceive that God has abandoned you or is punishing, remember that God is holding you, keeping a ready eye on you in order to refine and purify you in His image. How do we know if we are succeeding in our walk with Christ? No matter our struggles or pain, others will see the image of Christ in us. And He has promised that He will not hold us in that fire unto destruction, but only for our good and for increase in our spirit. If we remember this scripture, then perhaps our thinking will be clear and unlike Maxine, we CAN believe what we think!
Seeing His Image in You,
Sharron Drury
Malachi 3:3 “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” Perhaps we don’t believe this or perceive its truthfulness because we haven’t defined the job of a silversmith. A silversmith holds a piece of silver over the fire and lets it heat up. The silver must be held in the middle of the fire where the heat is the hottest and most intense in order to burn away all the impurities.
Furthermore, the silversmith will not leave a piece in the fire and take care of other tasks. He sits as a refiner and purifier of that piece of silver. Not only does he sit there with the silver, but he never takes his eyes off of it. You see, if he leaves it in the fire a moment too long, it would be destroyed and of no use.
How does the silversmith know when the silver is fully refined? When he can see his image in it.
At any time you are feeling the heat of the fire and perceive that God has abandoned you or is punishing, remember that God is holding you, keeping a ready eye on you in order to refine and purify you in His image. How do we know if we are succeeding in our walk with Christ? No matter our struggles or pain, others will see the image of Christ in us. And He has promised that He will not hold us in that fire unto destruction, but only for our good and for increase in our spirit. If we remember this scripture, then perhaps our thinking will be clear and unlike Maxine, we CAN believe what we think!
Seeing His Image in You,
Sharron Drury
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
My King, You Are My Perfect Peace
From the book, "Prayers To My King," by Sheri Rose Shepherd
Lord, thank You for the perfect peace I can know in You, a peace that passes all human understanding. I am so blessed to know You personally & to live a life of peace in this world of confusion & chaos.
I love You for all the times You have carried me through troubles that could have overwhelmed me. And I love You for those times when I have cried out to You and You have answered. Thank You for those times that I thought there was no way and You made a way. I praise You for Your amazing peace.
Lord God, the next time my peace is broken by problems that come, remind me that You are always there caring about anything & everything that concerns me. I want to praise You through the painful places I walk through so I can rest in Your perfect peace.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Love,
Your girl who finds rest in You
"You will keep in perfect peace her whose mind is steadfast, because she trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3
Lord, thank You for the perfect peace I can know in You, a peace that passes all human understanding. I am so blessed to know You personally & to live a life of peace in this world of confusion & chaos.
I love You for all the times You have carried me through troubles that could have overwhelmed me. And I love You for those times when I have cried out to You and You have answered. Thank You for those times that I thought there was no way and You made a way. I praise You for Your amazing peace.
Lord God, the next time my peace is broken by problems that come, remind me that You are always there caring about anything & everything that concerns me. I want to praise You through the painful places I walk through so I can rest in Your perfect peace.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Love,
Your girl who finds rest in You
"You will keep in perfect peace her whose mind is steadfast, because she trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Do I Love Him?
I was recently in a discussion about the Fruit of the Spirit. The apostle Paul lists them in Galatians 5:22 giving us an idea of how we act when the Spirit of God is living in us. In reading over the list….love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control….I began to think, maybe I don’t display these attributes of God very well because I’m doing it for the wrong reason. Maybe I am longing for these traits and working on them in my life so that my relationships with others will be better. Could it be that I want these so that I will be more attractive to others?? That’s when I felt God put on my heart this thought – “aspire to these things for Me, do them for Me.”
What a novel idea! I always thought of this list of attributes as ways to act in relationship with other people. I never thought about God wanting me to show them to Him! I read through the list again. The first one is love….My mind flooded with verses I know about how God feels about me. He is so in love with me….verses like Isaiah 43:4 which say “I am precious in God’s sight; I am honored and loved by Him.”
We all look for love in our lives, even God longs for devoted love. Second Chronicles 16:9 tells us that “the Lord searches all the earth for people who have given themselves completely to Him.”
But, do I love God? Really? It’s a huge commitment when we consider giving our love to another person. How much more should we examine the love we feel and offer to the creator of the Universe? Is it real? Is it deep? Stormie Omartian offers some good guidelines to check our love for God in her book The Power of a Praying Woman. Our love for God is growing deep when:
1 We ask Him what we can do for Him.
2. We find ourselves praying to Him many times a day just because we love to be in His presence.
3. We can praise God no matter what is going on in our lives.
4. We love and reverence God for Who He is, not trying to make Him into something of our own design or loving Him for what He can do for us.
5. We believe that God wants to answer the prayers we pray in line with His will.
God promises to help us with our love and devotion to Him. In Ezekiel 36: 24ff, He promises to give us a new heart that is pliable and give us His Spirit to help us want to love Him and obey Him.
When we are in love with someone, we have pet names that we give that person. Sometimes they reveal to us intimate names that we can call the object of our love. God is no different; in fact He has given us hundreds of names for Him that help us to know Him more intimately. Below is a list of 30 names to call the God you love. We can focus on one a day and read the scripture that accompanies each name. Speak to God all through the day using this name. As you come across other names for God, add them to this list.
As Paul says in Philippians 1:9, “may your love abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.” I pray that this growing, deepening love will lead to a harvest of fruit in our lives that is offered first to God and then to those around us.
Denise Dunlap
What a novel idea! I always thought of this list of attributes as ways to act in relationship with other people. I never thought about God wanting me to show them to Him! I read through the list again. The first one is love….My mind flooded with verses I know about how God feels about me. He is so in love with me….verses like Isaiah 43:4 which say “I am precious in God’s sight; I am honored and loved by Him.”
We all look for love in our lives, even God longs for devoted love. Second Chronicles 16:9 tells us that “the Lord searches all the earth for people who have given themselves completely to Him.”
But, do I love God? Really? It’s a huge commitment when we consider giving our love to another person. How much more should we examine the love we feel and offer to the creator of the Universe? Is it real? Is it deep? Stormie Omartian offers some good guidelines to check our love for God in her book The Power of a Praying Woman. Our love for God is growing deep when:
1 We ask Him what we can do for Him.
2. We find ourselves praying to Him many times a day just because we love to be in His presence.
3. We can praise God no matter what is going on in our lives.
4. We love and reverence God for Who He is, not trying to make Him into something of our own design or loving Him for what He can do for us.
5. We believe that God wants to answer the prayers we pray in line with His will.
God promises to help us with our love and devotion to Him. In Ezekiel 36: 24ff, He promises to give us a new heart that is pliable and give us His Spirit to help us want to love Him and obey Him.
When we are in love with someone, we have pet names that we give that person. Sometimes they reveal to us intimate names that we can call the object of our love. God is no different; in fact He has given us hundreds of names for Him that help us to know Him more intimately. Below is a list of 30 names to call the God you love. We can focus on one a day and read the scripture that accompanies each name. Speak to God all through the day using this name. As you come across other names for God, add them to this list.
As Paul says in Philippians 1:9, “may your love abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.” I pray that this growing, deepening love will lead to a harvest of fruit in our lives that is offered first to God and then to those around us.
Denise Dunlap
Monday, April 26, 2010
My King, I Need To Hear From You
Taken from , "Prayers to My King," by Sheri Rose Shepherd...
My Lord, I let so many things drown out Your voice, things that don't make any difference in the story of my eternal life with You. Forgive me for the times I interrupt and even ignore You when You are wanting to speak to me. By Your Holy Spirit, convict me of the distractions I give in to & point out those people who take me away from You. Help me be quiet so that I can hear Your Spirit speak to me. Please help me be still & rest in Your Holy presence so that I might know what You are saying to me.
Let Your Word penetrate my soul so deeply that it speaks louder than the world, so that I will recognize Your voice above all the chaos & busyness of my days.
In Jesus Name...
Love,
Your girl who is ready to listen
My Lord, I let so many things drown out Your voice, things that don't make any difference in the story of my eternal life with You. Forgive me for the times I interrupt and even ignore You when You are wanting to speak to me. By Your Holy Spirit, convict me of the distractions I give in to & point out those people who take me away from You. Help me be quiet so that I can hear Your Spirit speak to me. Please help me be still & rest in Your Holy presence so that I might know what You are saying to me.
Let Your Word penetrate my soul so deeply that it speaks louder than the world, so that I will recognize Your voice above all the chaos & busyness of my days.
In Jesus Name...
Love,
Your girl who is ready to listen
Thursday, April 22, 2010
30 Good Names to Call Your God
From "The Power of a Praying Woman" by Stormie Omartian
1. Healer (Psalm 103:3)
2. Redeemer (Isaiah 59:20)
3. Deliverer (Psalm 70:5)
4. My Stronghold (Psalm 43:2)
5. Refuge (Joel 3:16)
6. Friend (John 15:15)
7. The Righteous One (I John 2:1)
8. Restorer (Psalm 23:3)
9. Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6)
10. Love (I John 4:16)
11. Mediator (I Timothy 2:5-6)
12. Good (Nahum 1:7)
13. Bread of Life (John 6:35)
14. Hiding Place (Psalm 32:7)
15. Everlasting Light (Isaiah 60:20)
16. Strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10)
17. Resting Place (Jeremiah 50:6)
18. Spirit of Truth (John 16:13)
19. Shelter from the Storm (Isaiah 25:4)
20. Eternal Life (I John 5:20)
21. The Lord Who Provides (Gen. 22:14)
22. Lord of Peace (2 Thess. 3:16)
23. Living Water (John 4:10)
24. My Shield (Psalm 144:2)
25. Husband (Isaiah 54:5)
26. Helper (Hebrews 13:6)
27. Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6)
28. The Lord Who Heals (Exodus 15:26)
29. Hope (Psalm 71:5)
30. God Who Gives Endurance (Romans 15:5)
Thanks so much to Denise Dunlap for sharing this and the valuable lesson to us. Denise suggested that we take one of these names each day of the month, claim this about God in our own life, and speak to God all through the day using this name. As Denise said, He is longing for us to have "pet" names of adoration for Him as the love of our life! What a great analogy! What are the special names that you and God have for each other in your relationship?
Enjoy your day falling in love with HIM!
1. Healer (Psalm 103:3)
2. Redeemer (Isaiah 59:20)
3. Deliverer (Psalm 70:5)
4. My Stronghold (Psalm 43:2)
5. Refuge (Joel 3:16)
6. Friend (John 15:15)
7. The Righteous One (I John 2:1)
8. Restorer (Psalm 23:3)
9. Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6)
10. Love (I John 4:16)
11. Mediator (I Timothy 2:5-6)
12. Good (Nahum 1:7)
13. Bread of Life (John 6:35)
14. Hiding Place (Psalm 32:7)
15. Everlasting Light (Isaiah 60:20)
16. Strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10)
17. Resting Place (Jeremiah 50:6)
18. Spirit of Truth (John 16:13)
19. Shelter from the Storm (Isaiah 25:4)
20. Eternal Life (I John 5:20)
21. The Lord Who Provides (Gen. 22:14)
22. Lord of Peace (2 Thess. 3:16)
23. Living Water (John 4:10)
24. My Shield (Psalm 144:2)
25. Husband (Isaiah 54:5)
26. Helper (Hebrews 13:6)
27. Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6)
28. The Lord Who Heals (Exodus 15:26)
29. Hope (Psalm 71:5)
30. God Who Gives Endurance (Romans 15:5)
Thanks so much to Denise Dunlap for sharing this and the valuable lesson to us. Denise suggested that we take one of these names each day of the month, claim this about God in our own life, and speak to God all through the day using this name. As Denise said, He is longing for us to have "pet" names of adoration for Him as the love of our life! What a great analogy! What are the special names that you and God have for each other in your relationship?
Enjoy your day falling in love with HIM!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Identity In the King
Taken from the book, "Prayers to My King," by Sheri Rose Shepherd...
Lord, set me free from trying to fit in to a world that so easily grabs hold of & twists my identity. I want you to fashion my character & make me a reflection of you.
So, by Your Holy Spirit, warn me when I'm walking in the ways of the world & renew in me a heart that's right with You. Give me the passion to bless people so that I will stop wasting my life trying to merely impress them.
I believe that You can deliver me from the temptation to let others shape my identity & from my desire to please everyone around me. Lord, help me care more about what You think than what others think.
In Jesus name...
"Now glory be to God who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of-infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes." Ephesians 3:20 TLB
Lord, set me free from trying to fit in to a world that so easily grabs hold of & twists my identity. I want you to fashion my character & make me a reflection of you.
So, by Your Holy Spirit, warn me when I'm walking in the ways of the world & renew in me a heart that's right with You. Give me the passion to bless people so that I will stop wasting my life trying to merely impress them.
I believe that You can deliver me from the temptation to let others shape my identity & from my desire to please everyone around me. Lord, help me care more about what You think than what others think.
In Jesus name...
"Now glory be to God who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of-infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes." Ephesians 3:20 TLB
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Website for Bible Reading
Thanks to Samantha Brannan for sending us this link. It is a tool to help us with daily Bible reading.
http://bible-reading.com/bible-plan.html
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105
http://bible-reading.com/bible-plan.html
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Little Girl, God is NOT Santa!
A daddy tucks his little girl into bed and they say their nightly prayers. The little girl begins, “Dear God, Thank you for this day, thank you for the yummy hamburgers daddy made, and thank you SO much for me eating all of my dinner so I could have chocolate ice cream for dessert. I LOVE chocolate ice cream! Now God, I have been really good to my brother even when he is mean to me, so I would really like some new clothes, longer hair, and a new bed spread. Even though mom and dad said they couldn’t afford it, I know that you can do anything! Amen”
Her father sighs and looks into her innocent little face and says, “Little girl, God is NOT Santa Claus and today is not Christmas morning. He doesn’t give you things just because you are good, and take things away just because you are bad.”
20 years later I still smile when I remember having this conversation with my dad. “God is not Santa!” I look around at people that have this Santa view of God. When they find lumps of coal in their lives they think God must be punishing them for their “ungodliness” and the unexpected blessings must be because they have been on fire for the Lord. I have several people in my family with that view of God. The problem is if you treat God like Santa, when the coal keeps coming you wake up to see Daddy in a red suit and lose your faith. Or at least that is what you think you see. Going to church and praying when life is good, and when things take a turn for the worse you get angry and blame God. “God, why did this happen? I don’t understand! I am faithful to you! I spread the word about your love! Then you turn around and give me a stinking lump of coal!!! Why? I don’t deserve that! I deserve your blessings and your gifts! Why are you allowing this to happen to me?”
In my short years on this earth I have come to know God not as a present bringer but more as a gardener and we are His seeds. He gently tills the earth and prepares it for our arrival; He places us in the ground and shelters us with soil. He gives us nourishment, fertilizer (which doesn’t always smell nice but sure does make us grow), He waters us, and when the frost and strong winds come he covers us with a sheet of protection. That doesn’t mean that a little coldness doesn’t make it through, but without that how can He know how hearty we are? He battles tirelessly against weeds to keep them at bay, and when one gets in our garden He destroys it and pulls it out. He knows what we need to thrive. Some of us are vines and we need a trellis to cling too until we are strong enough to branch out on our own. Some of us are sunflowers and there is no stopping our growth, people can see us from far off and if you aren’t careful we can overshadow others, some of us are shade loving plants, we don’t need as much attention to grow and bloom, and we just need love and water. And then there is the beautiful rose that you have to wear gloves and battle thorns before you can get to the sweet smelling and gorgeous bloom. Through the painful pruning, and long winter months we face it is always our gardener that ensures our survival. We depend on Him for everything. And even though the clouds must come and occasionally cover up the Son, we know that the Son is still there waiting to break through the storm and smile down on us with His warmth.
Julia Ekpo
Her father sighs and looks into her innocent little face and says, “Little girl, God is NOT Santa Claus and today is not Christmas morning. He doesn’t give you things just because you are good, and take things away just because you are bad.”
20 years later I still smile when I remember having this conversation with my dad. “God is not Santa!” I look around at people that have this Santa view of God. When they find lumps of coal in their lives they think God must be punishing them for their “ungodliness” and the unexpected blessings must be because they have been on fire for the Lord. I have several people in my family with that view of God. The problem is if you treat God like Santa, when the coal keeps coming you wake up to see Daddy in a red suit and lose your faith. Or at least that is what you think you see. Going to church and praying when life is good, and when things take a turn for the worse you get angry and blame God. “God, why did this happen? I don’t understand! I am faithful to you! I spread the word about your love! Then you turn around and give me a stinking lump of coal!!! Why? I don’t deserve that! I deserve your blessings and your gifts! Why are you allowing this to happen to me?”
In my short years on this earth I have come to know God not as a present bringer but more as a gardener and we are His seeds. He gently tills the earth and prepares it for our arrival; He places us in the ground and shelters us with soil. He gives us nourishment, fertilizer (which doesn’t always smell nice but sure does make us grow), He waters us, and when the frost and strong winds come he covers us with a sheet of protection. That doesn’t mean that a little coldness doesn’t make it through, but without that how can He know how hearty we are? He battles tirelessly against weeds to keep them at bay, and when one gets in our garden He destroys it and pulls it out. He knows what we need to thrive. Some of us are vines and we need a trellis to cling too until we are strong enough to branch out on our own. Some of us are sunflowers and there is no stopping our growth, people can see us from far off and if you aren’t careful we can overshadow others, some of us are shade loving plants, we don’t need as much attention to grow and bloom, and we just need love and water. And then there is the beautiful rose that you have to wear gloves and battle thorns before you can get to the sweet smelling and gorgeous bloom. Through the painful pruning, and long winter months we face it is always our gardener that ensures our survival. We depend on Him for everything. And even though the clouds must come and occasionally cover up the Son, we know that the Son is still there waiting to break through the storm and smile down on us with His warmth.
Julia Ekpo
Sunday, April 4, 2010
In Love With God
Am I in Love? We all need it, even God looks for it.
II Chronicles 16:9 tells us that "God searches all the earth for people who have given themselves completely to Him." How do you know if you are in love...with God?
This Monday we are going to talk about 5 ways to know if we are in love. Come join us and be blessed.
Denise Dunlap
II Chronicles 16:9 tells us that "God searches all the earth for people who have given themselves completely to Him." How do you know if you are in love...with God?
This Monday we are going to talk about 5 ways to know if we are in love. Come join us and be blessed.
Denise Dunlap
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Living in God's Promised Land Today
Hello, I am a guest blogger and Laura’s sister! She has shared with me the awesome power that God has been revealing in her life and the lives of those who have gathered for Power Source. I have been studying the book of Joshua in recent weeks, so I wanted to blog a little bit about what I have been taught about the power of our God!
I love the book of Joshua! The book begins with God giving Joshua a serious pep talk about what is coming as he leads the Israelites to the Promised Land. God repeatedly encourages Joshua with the words “Be strong and courageous.” (I don’t know about you, but if someone says that over and over to me, then sends me out, I’m thinking that I may be in for a tough time!) The story continues as Joshua willingly follows God’s leading to cross the Jordan, conquer Jericho and Ai, and finally to defend the Gibeonites against the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon who had all joined forces against them.
Joshua then continues his conquest over all the area until finally we read in Joshua 10:40-42:
So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41 Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. 42 All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
Wow! Be honest. When you read stories like this, do you feel like that was a little bit of overkill… literally! I mean, really… did Joshua and the Israelites really have to completely destroy everything in all of those cities? Couldn’t they just take over the cities and make the inhabitants their slaves? It seems so violent, right? Besides, they could use some of the good stuff that was in the cities, right? (To see how well that turned out, check out chapter 7!)
Fast forward to my life. What can I learn from a story of utter destruction, killing, burning, etc.? First, I have to ask, “What is my promised land?” What has God promised me? It is the abundant life that I am living right now in Jesus Christ! Remember when Jesus said in John 10:10 that he has come that we may have life and have it abundantly! I believe he is talking to his chosen people (us!) and that he is talking about NOW! We don’t have to wait until Heaven to live in eternity with God. We can start right now! God called Joshua to action when it came to defeating the enemies in his promised land. So why wouldn’t he call us to action to do the same in our promised land (our abundant life right now with God beside us). God called Joshua to defeat Jericho and Ai. He then was to destroy many other cities in the land. What are some of the enemy cities in our promised land? Where has satan held you in defeat, whispering that you will never be free? Pride City, Hidden Addiction-ville, Greed City, The City of Bitterness, Anger City...
I believe it is time to take no prisoners and utterly defeat those cities. But beware… do not try to simply take the inhabitants of the cities captive. They must be destroyed. We are asking God to remove them from our lives. They may seem too big to defeat or you may have been beaten up after trying to defeat them in the past. Take a look at Joshua 1. Read the words of the pep talk that God gives Joshua, and then take action! You never know, once God and you have conquered one of your “cities”, the others may follow. Rest assured, it won’t be easy. It was a lot of work for Joshua and the Israelites, but it was definitely possible. And it is for us too!
“Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take." Joshua 1:9 (MSG)
Shared by Paula Holsberry, Wichita Falls
I love the book of Joshua! The book begins with God giving Joshua a serious pep talk about what is coming as he leads the Israelites to the Promised Land. God repeatedly encourages Joshua with the words “Be strong and courageous.” (I don’t know about you, but if someone says that over and over to me, then sends me out, I’m thinking that I may be in for a tough time!) The story continues as Joshua willingly follows God’s leading to cross the Jordan, conquer Jericho and Ai, and finally to defend the Gibeonites against the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon who had all joined forces against them.
Joshua then continues his conquest over all the area until finally we read in Joshua 10:40-42:
So Joshua subdued the whole region, including the hill country, the Negev, the western foothills and the mountain slopes, together with all their kings. He left no survivors. He totally destroyed all who breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41 Joshua subdued them from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the whole region of Goshen to Gibeon. 42 All these kings and their lands Joshua conquered in one campaign, because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel.
Wow! Be honest. When you read stories like this, do you feel like that was a little bit of overkill… literally! I mean, really… did Joshua and the Israelites really have to completely destroy everything in all of those cities? Couldn’t they just take over the cities and make the inhabitants their slaves? It seems so violent, right? Besides, they could use some of the good stuff that was in the cities, right? (To see how well that turned out, check out chapter 7!)
Fast forward to my life. What can I learn from a story of utter destruction, killing, burning, etc.? First, I have to ask, “What is my promised land?” What has God promised me? It is the abundant life that I am living right now in Jesus Christ! Remember when Jesus said in John 10:10 that he has come that we may have life and have it abundantly! I believe he is talking to his chosen people (us!) and that he is talking about NOW! We don’t have to wait until Heaven to live in eternity with God. We can start right now! God called Joshua to action when it came to defeating the enemies in his promised land. So why wouldn’t he call us to action to do the same in our promised land (our abundant life right now with God beside us). God called Joshua to defeat Jericho and Ai. He then was to destroy many other cities in the land. What are some of the enemy cities in our promised land? Where has satan held you in defeat, whispering that you will never be free? Pride City, Hidden Addiction-ville, Greed City, The City of Bitterness, Anger City...
I believe it is time to take no prisoners and utterly defeat those cities. But beware… do not try to simply take the inhabitants of the cities captive. They must be destroyed. We are asking God to remove them from our lives. They may seem too big to defeat or you may have been beaten up after trying to defeat them in the past. Take a look at Joshua 1. Read the words of the pep talk that God gives Joshua, and then take action! You never know, once God and you have conquered one of your “cities”, the others may follow. Rest assured, it won’t be easy. It was a lot of work for Joshua and the Israelites, but it was definitely possible. And it is for us too!
“Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take." Joshua 1:9 (MSG)
Shared by Paula Holsberry, Wichita Falls
Friday, March 19, 2010
Notes From March Power Source Study
Here are the notes from the March Power Source study. We thought it would be good to post them on the blog so that we all can have a place to find more truths from the word when we need some of Him! Blessings...
Watch Out Big Mac, I’m Hungry For Something More!
Power Source March 1st, 2010
Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.”
Psalm 107: 1-9 “For He satisfies the thirsty & fills the hungry with good things.” (verse 9)
Story of the Samaritan Woman at the Well John 4:1-26 “Jesus answered, Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (verses 13-14)
Revelation 22:17 “The Spirit & the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”
Isaiah 55:1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters....”
How do we satisfy that part in us? LIVING IN FREEDOM WITH HIM!!!
*Beth Moore says in her book, Living Free, that whether we seek to be filled through approval, affirmation, control, success, or immediate gratification, we’re miserable until we fill ourselves with Him. When we draw daily from His well of unfailing love we will be filled.
*Don’t listen to false strongholds. God is our ultimate stronghold (fortress, rock, refuge, blanket of protection) but it is very easy for us to make other things our strongholds that steal our focus & cause us to feel feel overpowered, controlled, or mastered. These are lies & deception from Satan. When satan wages war against us, the primary battlefield is the mind.
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 take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
But, great news! Satan lost all rights to have authority over a believer’s life at the cross (Colossians 2:13-15). The VICTORY is WON! Christ disarmed the forces of evil. Satan makes us believe that he has power but NOTHING is bigger or more powerful than God!
Going to Battle Example - Be Prepared! Claim Him everyday and the Power He has, not only on the day He calls us to heaven, but the Power He has today to live in freedom with Him & not in fear. Choose Truth through the Word of God and Spirit-empowered prayer. He wants to be our Heavenly Daddy in a relationship not some far away thing!
Our Power Source: “Proclaim the power of God, whose power is in the skies. You are awesome, O God. The God of Israel gives power & strength to His people. Praise be to God!” Psalm 68:34-35
Watch Out Big Mac, I’m Hungry For Something More!
Power Source March 1st, 2010
Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.”
Psalm 107: 1-9 “For He satisfies the thirsty & fills the hungry with good things.” (verse 9)
Story of the Samaritan Woman at the Well John 4:1-26 “Jesus answered, Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (verses 13-14)
Revelation 22:17 “The Spirit & the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”
Isaiah 55:1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters....”
How do we satisfy that part in us? LIVING IN FREEDOM WITH HIM!!!
*Beth Moore says in her book, Living Free, that whether we seek to be filled through approval, affirmation, control, success, or immediate gratification, we’re miserable until we fill ourselves with Him. When we draw daily from His well of unfailing love we will be filled.
*Don’t listen to false strongholds. God is our ultimate stronghold (fortress, rock, refuge, blanket of protection) but it is very easy for us to make other things our strongholds that steal our focus & cause us to feel feel overpowered, controlled, or mastered. These are lies & deception from Satan. When satan wages war against us, the primary battlefield is the mind.
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 take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
But, great news! Satan lost all rights to have authority over a believer’s life at the cross (Colossians 2:13-15). The VICTORY is WON! Christ disarmed the forces of evil. Satan makes us believe that he has power but NOTHING is bigger or more powerful than God!
Going to Battle Example - Be Prepared! Claim Him everyday and the Power He has, not only on the day He calls us to heaven, but the Power He has today to live in freedom with Him & not in fear. Choose Truth through the Word of God and Spirit-empowered prayer. He wants to be our Heavenly Daddy in a relationship not some far away thing!
Our Power Source: “Proclaim the power of God, whose power is in the skies. You are awesome, O God. The God of Israel gives power & strength to His people. Praise be to God!” Psalm 68:34-35
Monday, March 15, 2010
Being God's Gals
"A capable, intelligent, & virtuous woman-who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels & her value is far above rubies or pearls." Proverbs 31:10
Sometimes I think it is hard for us as women to see ourselves as God sees us. We might see ourselves in ways of past experiences or what others have said or done to us. We might see ourselves in our roles as wives, moms, sisters, daughters, friends or in our role at work. We might see ourselves in the world's eyes and value ourselves based upon how much we weigh, how much we've accomplished, others' approval, or outward appearance. We have so much thrown at us in media that it is easy for us to confuse our minds on what really makes us valuable. Even checking out in the Albertson's line I can get distracted by the magazines telling me what my body should look like.
Satan tries so hard to distract us from what truly brings us real joy and peace...the relationship we have with the Creator! Connie Witter says in her workbook, Because of Jesus, "Basing your self-worth & self-esteem on these things leads to an unhappy life; but if you base your self-worth on your relationship with God & what He thinks & feels about you, your life will be filled with joy & peace. You are precious & valuable to God because He made you & He purchased you with the precious blood of Jesus. Because of Jesus, you are a virtuous woman."
I know that doesn't mean that if we have a relationship with God that challenges & pain won't come our way. What it does mean to me is that when those challenges come, God as our Heavenly Daddy, will pick us up, give us hope, and amazing strength & insight through the Holy Spirit. What an amazing gift!
It's time we set our eyes on who we are made to be...God's Gals. The Creator wants to be friends with us. He's longing for us to talk to Him in a personal way and have a relationship with Him. Today I am claiming this verse for us:
"We were fearfully & wonderfully created by God. We are His masterpieces." Psalm 139:14
Let's hold our heads up high & live like God's Gals!
Laura
Sometimes I think it is hard for us as women to see ourselves as God sees us. We might see ourselves in ways of past experiences or what others have said or done to us. We might see ourselves in our roles as wives, moms, sisters, daughters, friends or in our role at work. We might see ourselves in the world's eyes and value ourselves based upon how much we weigh, how much we've accomplished, others' approval, or outward appearance. We have so much thrown at us in media that it is easy for us to confuse our minds on what really makes us valuable. Even checking out in the Albertson's line I can get distracted by the magazines telling me what my body should look like.
Satan tries so hard to distract us from what truly brings us real joy and peace...the relationship we have with the Creator! Connie Witter says in her workbook, Because of Jesus, "Basing your self-worth & self-esteem on these things leads to an unhappy life; but if you base your self-worth on your relationship with God & what He thinks & feels about you, your life will be filled with joy & peace. You are precious & valuable to God because He made you & He purchased you with the precious blood of Jesus. Because of Jesus, you are a virtuous woman."
I know that doesn't mean that if we have a relationship with God that challenges & pain won't come our way. What it does mean to me is that when those challenges come, God as our Heavenly Daddy, will pick us up, give us hope, and amazing strength & insight through the Holy Spirit. What an amazing gift!
It's time we set our eyes on who we are made to be...God's Gals. The Creator wants to be friends with us. He's longing for us to talk to Him in a personal way and have a relationship with Him. Today I am claiming this verse for us:
"We were fearfully & wonderfully created by God. We are His masterpieces." Psalm 139:14
Let's hold our heads up high & live like God's Gals!
Laura
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Are You Thirsty?
Are You Thirsty?
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters…” Isaiah 55:1
Have you ever been extremely parched and in great need of water? How did you feel? Did you find yourself consumed with thoughts of negativity and your great need for relief? What happened after you were given a drink of water? Was one glass enough to quench your thirst or did you crave more?
Life in the flesh can be full of parchment and dryness. Where do we go to quench our thirst from our struggles and receive renewal, guidance and love? Do you need a fountain of love that never runs dry? You will find that fountain, overflowing abundantly, at the foot of the cross where Jesus gave His life for your eternal salvation. The fountain is a gift – it is free!
As we seek Christ in our spiritual dehydration and develop a closer walk, He quenches our thirst. But then what happens? The more we drink from His source, the more we want…..just like that first glass of water. His fountain overflows daily and washes over our worries, pains, and sorrows and loves us unconditionally.
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35
God loves YOU! He wants to quench your thirst and meet your every need. His desire is that you never thirst again, so come to His W-E-L-L!
W – Receive His Work
E – Receive His Energy
L – Receive His Lordship
L – Receive His Love
COME TO THE WELL, FILL YOUR CUP AND DRINK DEEPLY!
The Prayer of the Thirsty
Lord, I come thirsty.
I come to drink, to receive.
I receive your work on the cross and in your resurrection.
My sins are pardoned, and my death is defeated.
I receive your energy.
Empowered by your Holy Spirit, I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.
I receive your lordship, I belong to you.
Nothing comes to me that hasn’t passed through you.
And I receive your love.
Nothing can separate me from your love.
From the book, “Come Thirsty”, by Max Lucado
Shared by Catherine Walker
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters…” Isaiah 55:1
Have you ever been extremely parched and in great need of water? How did you feel? Did you find yourself consumed with thoughts of negativity and your great need for relief? What happened after you were given a drink of water? Was one glass enough to quench your thirst or did you crave more?
Life in the flesh can be full of parchment and dryness. Where do we go to quench our thirst from our struggles and receive renewal, guidance and love? Do you need a fountain of love that never runs dry? You will find that fountain, overflowing abundantly, at the foot of the cross where Jesus gave His life for your eternal salvation. The fountain is a gift – it is free!
As we seek Christ in our spiritual dehydration and develop a closer walk, He quenches our thirst. But then what happens? The more we drink from His source, the more we want…..just like that first glass of water. His fountain overflows daily and washes over our worries, pains, and sorrows and loves us unconditionally.
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35
God loves YOU! He wants to quench your thirst and meet your every need. His desire is that you never thirst again, so come to His W-E-L-L!
W – Receive His Work
E – Receive His Energy
L – Receive His Lordship
L – Receive His Love
COME TO THE WELL, FILL YOUR CUP AND DRINK DEEPLY!
The Prayer of the Thirsty
Lord, I come thirsty.
I come to drink, to receive.
I receive your work on the cross and in your resurrection.
My sins are pardoned, and my death is defeated.
I receive your energy.
Empowered by your Holy Spirit, I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.
I receive your lordship, I belong to you.
Nothing comes to me that hasn’t passed through you.
And I receive your love.
Nothing can separate me from your love.
From the book, “Come Thirsty”, by Max Lucado
Shared by Catherine Walker
Thursday, March 4, 2010
"Jiggy" for Jesus!
Is everyone feeling "Jiggy" for Jesus this week? Wasn't that a beautiful picture that Laura painted for us Monday night? Have you just wanted to be wrapped up in a comfy blanket with Jesus ever since?
I am so excited about what God is going to do in the lives of this group of women. I am so grateful that Laura answered the call to have this study.
I thank God for each of you and look forward to getting to know each of you more intimately.
Father, thank You for blessing us with the gift of relationships. Father, thank You for using others to encourage us and sometimes to challenge us. Father, thank You for fashioning us in such a way that we are able to breathe, to think, to feel, to move, to speak.... You knew exactly what You were doing when you created us and You continue to know exactly what we need to grow and serve You.
Father, thank you so much for loving us. Please wrap your arms around each of these women this week. We love you,
Amen
Scooter
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
About The Blog
This Power Source blog is a way for women to share the Lord anytime of the day or night. I love that we can use technology to grow in our walks with Him! Several of us are meeting once a month (the first Monday of every month) from 8-9 p.m. at my home (Laura Drury). If you've been given this blog by a friend feel free to leave your email address and I'll email you directions to the Bible Study. If you're not able to meet with us, feel free to use this sight for encouragement and a way to dive into the Word of God.
This blog is for all of us wanting to grow in our walks with the Lord. I'd love for you to post verses that mean something to you or a way God is working or has worked in your life. He is so amazing & powerful! Let me know if you haven't already & I'll make you an administrator to be able to post. You are also welcome to write something anonymously. However, as the administrators, we will ask that all things posted are for Him and done for His purposes. We will try to have at least one new post a week as well as notes from our Monday night study if possible. This is a way to share what He has done for you to encourage other women. Following & experiencing Him doesn't mean our life will be free from challenges or pain, but it does mean that we can live & dance in FREEDOM WITH HIM even in spite of those challenges.
Thank you for journeying with me to experience Him more!
Laura
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, & where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM!!!" 2 Corinthians 3:17
Monday, March 1, 2010
Praying For Power Source
I am so excited to see what the Lord has prepared for this new Bible Study! Father, I am asking for your blessing on tonight as we meet together & focus on you. Father, I ask boldly that you make your presence known tonight as this group of ladies meets for the first time. You promise in your Word that if we draw close to you that you will draw close to us. We ask that you be present tonight. You are amazing & powerful! You are our true source of joy & power in our lives. I claim this verse today, Heavenly Daddy, and ask that transformation takes place as we proclaim you as our Power Source. In Jesus Name...Amen
"Proclaim the power of God, whose power is in the skies. You are awesome, O God. The God of Israel gives power & strength to His people. Praise be to God!" Psalm 68:34-35
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