Howdy y’all – ok…that’s totally not me I am more of a “How ya dern?” Not really either, just a simple “How are you or wassup” is more like me.  Who am I you may, or may not be asking?

I am choosing to keep my name unpublished as it does not matter who I am.  By His grace, He has called me His child.  This blog may be about things that take place in one person’s life, but it is because of the grace of God.  I was a hopeless person, still am sometimes, and He brought me out of darkness into His Light.  I pray that the Lord speaks to each person who reads this.

This does not mean I am perfect by any means – Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – yes even Christians – gasp!

Glory to God who reads these blogs and takes something to heart.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  John 14:27

Please pray for me as I begin this blog.  At this time, I am internalizing John 1:1-18 – I am going on day 6 and have gotten through 14 verses.  Praise God!  He has placed this scripture on my heart along with James 4:13-5:6, Psalm 25 and now Proverbs 31:10-31 (the Lord’s description of a Woman of God should be and what I am continually striving to be)

Many blessings upon those who read this.

In Christ,

~a very small person in this world created by a ginormous, unfathomable, indescribable Lord Jesus Christ, our God.

No this blog isn’t my testimony, but about the  Lord opening the door for me to share my testimony of His grace in my life. at my church this evening.  I plan on “revamping” what I have listed on one of my pages to include reflections on my life. Tonight was WOW, public speaking is not a strong point of mine, but the Lord definitely shines when He helps you through it.

I honestly cut a whole lot out and wonder if I need to go back and share a little bit more about myself. I spent the day at the church in fellowship with C for most of the time, and then a few others later on and it was all fun for them to ask about the time and poking fun about getting up and speaking, needless to say that did not make me at ease, it made me uneasy.  My mom was not able to make it, but Linda was there and it was like having my mom there (Linda is C’s momma and a good friend to me). Praise the Lord, once I got on stage, the uneasiness went away, there was an amazing peace.  I know there is a lot that was left out, but the Lord had me share what He wanted me to share. Before I got on stage and before the pastor prayer with me, I kept playing in my mind what I was going to say, but when I was on stage, my mind went blank so to speak and it just flowed out

After I was done, and I left the stage, my mind started racing again with things to say, but I know that it was not His time to speak of those things.  Possibly a testimony part 2?  I made a comment to one of the lady’s aobut my testimony having had some things cut out and she asked, if I was going to do it again.  Then C and I went to Subway and I commented about not sharing about my biological dad and he comments “So we’ll see you for part 2 huh?”  Pretty funny Lord!  I don’t know, we will definitely see, and I can’t say that door is to be shut.

There is the story of my biological dad and the story of my no longer surfing that were not included, both which have had an impact on my life.

I pray that the Lord was glorified tonight and continue to pray that He is glorified in my life and that when I am not glorifying Him, He show this to me.

I pray that if you have never shared your testimony in a large group setting since coming to know the Lord, don’t rush into it the first time.  Take time to reflect on your life and what He has done and where His hand has been because in the long run when you are sharing your faith it will have even more of an impact, at least I feel as though it has for me.

I’ve blogged about this situation trying to figure it out on my own and finally by God’s grace, He helped me by giving me the boldness to speak to this brother in Christ. In turn, this burden has been taken off my heart.

First and foremost, all glory to the Highest on the throne and thank you all for your prayers!  The Lord is good all the time! Here is the background and resolution.

December 14, I sent him a text asking him to pray about us getting together to discuss some non-church related things. December 15, I get a response back asking what to pray about and when will it take place.  I wrote back about an hour later telling him to pray about our relationship, and for God’s will, discernment,the words to speak, openness and courage and to pray about a day and time.  He replied later that evening to meet on the 17th before our youth meeting at 5-5:30ish.  Worked for me, the sooner the bette r:)

The Lord shows His timing for sure as we were supposed to have talked at 5:30 pm December 17, 2008 but we did not talk until 11pm on December 17.

I praise the Lord it WAS the easiest talk I’ve ever had, to say how easy it was would be an understatement. WOW!  I pretty much think deep down in my heart, I knew the answer. The Lord is doing something amazing, not only with myself but with this young man as well, and will continue to do so through the things He is showing me and speaking to me about.

The blessing of a verdict – We are going down the path as friends only but still a team in the ministry with the youth, as that is def my calling there.  We’ve already set boundaries on when and where we meet up and with families. He was very appreciative of me talking to him about this because he said he didn’t think he could have done it.  He said, which gave me even more peace, that he has no desire to pursue anyone right now, besides with school and the youth ministry, and he doesn’t know if he will ever be in that position. He said some very complimentary things to me also with what he is seeing the Lord do in my life and who I am as a woman of Christ as a Proverbs 31 woman and living out Ephesians 5. He also stated his appreciation of me in his life. I shared with him that the example we are setting with the youth as two single people having a pure relationship is possible with the foundation of Christ and give God all the glory for that.  Was I disappointed, of course, but I know that God’s will for my life is something even more amazing. I know for sure the thoughts I had 2 years ago to be done with dating was true. He wants my whole attention and the thoughts of where this relationship was going was a big distraction.

God is sooooooooooooo good.  For those who are single reading this, a great reminder is in 1 Cor 7:34 “….an unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband.”

Having a foundation in Christ with someone in friendship, setting boundaries from the get-go and being able to communicate and be open makes relationships so much more fruitful and pure – if anything the Lord has revealed it would be that.

**EDIT** – The Lord has given me a word for the year to focus on during my relationship with Him and the word has been BOLDNESS.  This is a hug act of boldness for m – so more reminders of the glory that goes to the Lord.

Again, thank you for your prayers.  He has some amazing things in store and I pray for his blessing upon each of you.

Remember to give thanks to the One who willingly sacrificed His life that we may be forgiven of our sins. We have the privilege to have a relationship with Him and to praise and worship Him.  From the sermon this Sunday, this “holiday” (it is not just this holiday but every day) is not about the food, football, shopping, family, it’s about giving thanks for His multitude of blessings, which come in so many different ways. (Psalm 103:2-5) Blessings are not an accident and sometimes we forget that God’s sovereign hand is at work in every moment, we all know this as followers of Christ, we sometimes just need that little reminder.

One thing I am thankful for and give praise to Him for is 1) having to know each brother and sister in Christ  I have in my life in some way 2) His saving grace and mercy and 3) you the viewers.  My brothers and sisters in Christ have been there for me in the times of joy, sadness and during uncertainty-have there been lots this year in all circumstances (praise the Lord )

I pray for each one of my brothers and sisters this Thanksgiving. On many occasions, He has used each one of them to show, teach, encourage and challenge me to trust in Him more and more as He shows his unfailing love. His unfailing love shows me more and more how to love each one of my brothers and sisters, some more than others ) I also pray for the church body in itself.

“For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exist among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you while making mention of you in my prayers” – Ephesians 1:15-16

A challenge for myself and for you…keep a log of what you are thankful for from now until the end of the year, it can be big things and it should be little things. During prayer, let Him know you are thankful. There are too many times we don’t tell Him we are thankful for the blessings He gives, myself including. We don’t worship Him as we should, myself including again. Also, the opportunities to share your faith are always there, that door is always open – for those movies goers, diners, athletes, people in the work force, it’s always there. Share the free gift of salvation, what have you got to lose?

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!” – Psalm 100:4

God Bless and have a wonderful time of Thanksgiving.

So wow!  I was listening to the tail end of Tony Evans’ sermon on the radio tonight, it hit home in the biggest way.  It was about when Christ was sent into the wilderness as a test from the Father or temptation from the devil (however you want to look at it).  We look at the aspect of the trial/temptation we are in, and don’t focus on the important thing, it’s not the wilderness that should be our issue, it’s how drunk in the Spirit are we?  The Spirit will lead us to places that will test/tempt us.  When we are filled with the Spirit, that test/temptation will be a lot easier to handle.  He never said He wouldn’t put us “in the wilderness”. For me, my wilderness is this “relationship”.  I’m struggling BIG TIME right now, my flesh is coming out in so many different ways and I am fully aware of it, I was on a Spiritual high the last two weeks and this week I’m in my own wilderness.  Am I drunk of the Spirit?  NO I haven’t been, because as soon as things get comfortable, I stop relying on God and figured, “I’m good, God I’ll get you when I need you”. I figured it must be good to lean on my own understanding and then he puts me to the test and I have failed miserably!!  If they gave grades lower than F’s I would get a Z. I have professed I am very comfortable where I am with C and I, I am at peace with having this mini heart to heart with him. I honestly afraid of what the next step may be.  I might be more at ease being just friends, but my heart does want something more, pure, but more – growth more in Christ with this brother.

I have to get back to Him and remember I can not lean on my own understanding, even when times are good, I MUST rely on Him even more because should He decide to test me or, should satan tempt me if you think in the negative aspect, I need to be spiritually prepared.  I read Ephesians 6 and should have seen this coming, He has been preparing me for this time.

It’s great to apply Scripture into your life, even when you think, “Oh I’ll never be in the wilderness” so to speak – your wilderness is your struggle, that temptation in your life.  Just as Christ was tested/tempted, we are tested/tempted, if we are to be Christ-like, shouldn’t we be treated as He was?  We are honored to live in America where we are not persecuted as others brothers and sisters in Christ are.  We are free to worship Him in public everyday.  It is such an honor to glorify His name on high, in good times and in bad.

Time to go back to basics, remember to praise Him when things are going great, because it is because of Him that they are!!!!  Sorry for the ramble, in cohesiveness of what I may have been trying to write.  The thoughts in my head are going all over the place, as they used to.  I’ve had nothing going on this week like this.  Such a Spiritual reawakening after hearing Tony’s sermon tonight.  I have not given God the glory He deserves.

Please pray for brokenness in my heart and stripping away of my pride.

Through the Fire – by the Crabb family

So many times I’ve questioned certain circumstances
Or things I could not understand
Many times in trials, weakness blurs my vision
And my frustration gets so out of hand
Its then I am reminded I’ve never been forsaken
I’ve never had to stand the test alone
As I look at all the victories
The spirit rises up in me
And its through the fire my weakness is made strong

Chorus:
He never promised that the cross would not get heavy
And the hill would not be hard to climb
He never offered our victories without fighting
But He said help would always come in time
Just remember when your standing in the valley of decision
And the adversary says give in
Just hold on, our Lord will show up
And He will take you through the fire again

Bridge:
I know within myself that I would surely perish
But if I trust the hand of God, He’ll shield the flames again, again

Repeat Chorus

Verse to go along with it that God carries us through.

Isaiah 58:11-12

11 The LORD will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
12 Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

What an amazing love song to an exhalted Savior

Your love is extravagant
Your friendship, it is intimate
I feel I’m moving to the rhythm of Your grace
Your fragrance is intoxicating in the secret place
Cause Your love is extravagant

Chorus:
Spread wide in the arms of Christ there’s a love that covers sin
No greater love have I ever known; You considered me a friend
Capture my heart again

Your love is extravagant
Your friendship, it is intimate
I feel I’m moving to the rhythm of Your grace
Your fragrance is intoxicating in the secret place
Your love is extravagant

Spread wide in the arms of Christ there’s a love that covers sin
No greater love have I ever known; You considered me a friend
Spread wide in the arms of Christ there’s a love that covers sin
No greater love have I ever known; You considered me a friend
Capture my heart again

Your love is extravagant
Your friendship, it is intimate

Thanks to a “Kurt Box” from Amazon.com for these awesome discussion questions. I read through this book with the girls in my small group (we range in age from 26-38) and it was life-changing for us all.  I know on Dec 20, 2008 a DVD is due to come out for accompaniment with this book, but since I am in the process of starting this book with some of my high school girls at church, I wanted to get some helpful starter questions.  Lord willing, I will be posting week by week what the overall consensus is gathered from the group or just my own thoughts and ideas.  For any child of God, this is a must read, no matter what point you are at in your walk.

CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan

Discussion Questions

Preface/Foreword/Chapter 1

1. After reading these brief sections, what do you see as Francis’s established main point for the book?

2. Do you “know something is wrong?” What (in particular for you)?

3. Do you lead a comfortable life? What does a “comfortable life” mean to you personally?

4. What is our (people) core problem?

5. Have you ever been in total awe of God? When?

6. Do you believe God and science are at odds or supportive of one another? Why?

7. What do think of A.W. Tozer’s quote “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us?” Why does he say that? What does he mean? Do you agree?

8. Why must God be eternal?

9. Why do you personally believe we (people) are here? Why are you here?

10. Does God’s “hate” seem strange to you? Why?

11. Do you ever stand in awe and silence? When, be specific?

12. Has this chapter changed your view of God? If so, how?

Chapter 2:

1. Paint a picture of what you think it would look like if you were to live as though you knew we were going to die (a) tomorrow; (b) next year; (c) in 5 years. Would it be different from how you live now?

2. Think of people you know, stories you’ve heard, movies you’ve seen that describe what other people live like when they know they have a limited time left to live. How does it match your thoughts above?

3. What kinds of things are keeping us from living like this?
“Intellectually we all know that we will die, but we do not really know it in the sense that the knowledge becomes a part of us. We do not really know it in the sense of living as though it were true. On the contrary, we tend to live as though our lives would go on forever.” -Frederick Buechner (pg 38).

4. Think about the quote above (from Crazy Love). How true does it hold for you?

5. What is the natural way to react to stress or worry? How do you react to stress, conflict and/or worry?

6. Think about how many outside factors govern the activities of your life that are completely out of your control. How do you usually react to those things (especially if they are people)?

7. What is your reaction to having so little control (even though we tend to think we have SO MUCH control) over your own life?

8. Has this chapter changed your “life view?” If so, how?

9. If this has changed your life view how can you stay focused on this new view?

10. Can you justify how you live your life today based on this view?

Chapter 3:

The essence….

1. Why is love such an integral part of who we are as image-bearers of God as well as fellow human beings on this planet?

2. Has the background that you came out of helped or hindered your relationship with God as it stands today? How and why?

3. Devotions have often been very difficult for me to keep up with. I sometimes just don’t want to do them, just don’t feel like it. Is not doing them when I don’t feel like it, a bad thing? Is doing them when I don’t feel like doing them a bad thing?

4. If you had your way, how would you define love (no using scripture explicitly)?

5. What are some basic definitions our culture gives to love? Do these definitions affect how we live?

6. How do you feel about the last section, namely the question asked: “Why would a loving God force me to love Him?” and the response Francis gives?

7. How do we fall in love with God?

8. What are your favorite passages from this chapter?

9. Do you trust God? Can you be “all in?” God says he will repay us 100 times over in heaven what we do for Him on earth. Do you believe that? If we say yes, why are we hedging our bets?

10. Tell me/us where you stand right now. Are you ready to move forward in this book?

Chapter 4:

The rubber hits the road…. After reading Chapter 4 maybe it is a bit clearer why I thought that our “getting God” or getting a new perspective on God is so important to me. Without a correct understanding of God the rest of the book is going to be an exercise in futility.

1. What is your first response to this chapter? Give me your thoughts.

2. Pg. 64 – What is meant by “faking it?” How can you tell (or how do you tell (rightly or wrongly))) if someone is faking it?

3. Pg. 65 – Has your relationship with God actually changed the way you live? If yes, then how?

4. Have you ever suffered for someone else? If yes, tell us about it.

5. Pg. 65 – What or is or is there a difference between “being godly enough” and knowing Christ and who he is? Do you or other Christians you know live like they want either?

6. Pg. 67 – Giving. What is that for us, here, in Katy, TX?

7. Pg. 68 – Give us an example of when you’ve truly hated one of your sins.

8. Pg. 69 – What did Jesus expect of his followers?

9. Pg. 69 – Try to give an example of sharing your faith. How did/does it feel?

10. Pg. 71 – Is your love conditional? When have you loved someone who was “unlovable” or even an “enemy?” How did you “love” them?

11. Pg. 72 – How far do you think you would go for God?

12. In your mind, if you are honest with yourself, have you reinterpreted what you read about what Jesus told people to make it inapplicable to you?

13. When you look at the lives of New Testament believers and compare it with our lives today, what is different in the priorities of the two groups? What is your opinion of the differences (good/bad)? How have these differences affected us?

14. Is there a point at which we can go “overboard” with how we pursue Christian living?

“Love. Love is the most liberating freedom-loss of all. One of the principles of love – either love for a friend or romantic love – is that you have to lose independence to attain greater intimacy. If you want the “freedoms” of love – the fulfillment, security, sense of worth that is brings – you must limit your freedom in many ways. You cannot enter a deep relationship and still make unilateral decisions or allow your friend or lover no say in how you live your life. To experience the joy and freedom of love, you must give up your personal autonomy.”

- Tim Keller – Reasons for God
As Tim Keller eloquently put it, “The love of Christ constrains. Once you realize how Jesus changed for you and give Himself for you, you aren’t afraid of giving up your freedom and therefore finding your freedom in Him.”

What do you think is the greatest barrier for people in loving their neighbors?
Answer: This is probably a longer answer, but I am feeling some anthropology coming on…
It is the natural inclination of men and women to avoid disequilibrium in their lives. They want to stasis… to get set, be in their own community, in their own tribe of like-minded people. They wish to be unbothered and unmolested by those who are different around them. Thus, people spend their lives building a construct of their own making which meets their own needs among their own people for their own purposes.
In other words, they build a kingdom of self.
Jesus comes in and not only demands and breaks down our kingdom but calls us to build his. So, his agenda must be supreme- not ours. His concern for the outsider is priority over our concern to create comfort and equilibrium in our own lives. The agenda of our lives must be for His glory, not our preferences. We are to live for his kingdom- and it is a kingdom of love.
God calls Himself love. He is love. So, if we call him savior, we must live lives shaped by love. Without a doubt, this becomes difficult because the entire fallen creation teaches us to make every experience about our kingdom of self.
Jesus instead tells us to make it about his agenda. In Mark 12:29-30, Jesus declares the Shema and pronounces what we call the Great Commandment. Because of the utter greatness of God, we are to love him supremely and love others richly.
I’m always struck that the Bible always tells us to love others. But there is a reason. Most of instructions in Bible are given to people doing the opposite of what it demands. In other words, if the Bible says “Quit sleeping around,” it means people are sleeping around. If the Bible says “Love one another as I loved you,” it tells us people are not as loving as they should be. That is why the gospel of Kingdom is so remarkable. It is not just a new leaf, it is a new way of life.

Chapter 5
Points for consideration…

1. Given our discussion in Chapter 4, what do you think it mean to be “lukewarm?”

2. Do our beliefs always translate into action?

3. Francis Chan says that those who live like the lukewarm in the last chapter won’t be in heaven. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

4. Based on your answer above, what does that mean for you regarding how you answered the questions during the last study (on an overall basis), especially the last one?

5. Pg. 83 – Have you recently sat down and read the Gospels/James/Colossians as if you were reading them for the first time as Chan did? If so, what was that experience like?

6. From above; did it confirm/deny Chan’s statement that “the thought of calling oneself a “Christian” without being a devoted follower of Christ is absurd?”

7. What do you think about Chan’s statement that we have made the “non-fruit” bearing Christian a means of making Christian living easier?
a. First what do you consider to be a fruit-bearing Christian?
b. Second would you consider “non-fruit-bearing” people (by your definition of what that is) to be Christians?

8. Pg. 83 – Do you agree with Chan’s interpretation of the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9; Mark 4:2-9; and Luke 8:4-8)? Have you heard it interpreted differently? By whom?

The Parable of the Sower concerns a sower who scatters seed, which falls on four different types of ground. The hard ground “by the way side” prevents the seed from sprouting at all, and the seed becomes nothing more than bird food. The stony ground provides enough soil for the seeds to germinate and begin to grow, but because there is “no deepness of earth,” the plants do not take root and are soon withered in the sun. The thorny ground allows the seed to grow, but the competing thorns choke the life out of the beneficial plants. The good ground receives the seed and produces much fruit.

Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sower highlights four different responses to the gospel. The seed is “the word of the kingdom.” The hard ground represents someone who is hardened by sin; he hears but does not understand the Word, and Satan plucks the message away, keeping the heart dull and preventing the Word from making an impression. The stony ground pictures a man who professes delight with the Word; however, his heart is not changed, and when trouble arises, his so-called faith quickly disappears. The thorny ground depicts one who seems to receive the Word, but whose heart is full of riches, pleasures, and lusts; the things of this world take his time and attention away from the Word, and he ends up having no time for it. The good ground portrays the one who hears, understands, and receives the Word-and then allows the Word to accomplish its result in his life. The man represented by the “good ground” is the only one of the four who is truly saved, because salvation’s proof is fruit (Matthew 3:7-8; 7:15-20).

To summarize the point of the Parable of the Sower: “A man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.” A secondary lesson would be “Salvation is more than a superficial, albeit joyful, hearing of the gospel. Someone who is truly saved will go on to prove it.” May our faith and our lives exemplify the “good soil” in the Parable of the Sower.

9. Pg. 87 – Do you feel needy? What do you need that you don’t have?

10. Why do you think Chan talks so much about money and material things? Why do you think the Bible talk so much about material things and money?

11. Pg. 89 – Why do we feel good about what we do give God?

12. Pg. 90 – How do you feel about token praise? Based on what God wants for our lives from the New Testament do you give Him token time/money/praise/worship?

13. Pg. 91 – How do you believe God measures our lives? (1 Cor. 13: 2-3)

14. Pg. 92 – Try the “replace with your name” exercise.

15. Pg. 93 – What is meant by James 2:17 (Faith, by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.”

16. Pg. 94 – I think what I’m having a hard time with is how we can be lukewarm, know it, and NOT care; not feel a pressure in your chest from it! How can we really GET God and what He wants from us and just say, okay, what are we studying next week? What’s for dinner? Etc…

17. Pg. 95 – Do you think that what we do with our time, money, energy, treatment of others, etc. is equivalent to choosing God or rejecting Him?

Chapter 6
When You’re In Love…

1. Pg. 98 – Have you ever met someone who is utterly and desperately in love with God and Jesus? How can you tell they’re so in love? What are they like?

2. Pg. 99 – What is the answer to our lukewarm, selfish living?

3. Pg. 99 – Why do you think God created us? What is our ultimate purpose (in your own words)? How did you come to this conclusion?

4. Pg. 100 – What does being a Christian mean to you?

5. Pg. 100 – Do you feel free in life and in your expressions of your heartfelt beliefs?

6. Pg. 101 – If we have/admit to living large swaths of our lives in a lukewarm way with respect to what God desires from us, how fulfilling and joyful has it been for you personally?

7. Pg. 101 – How do we (realistically and practically) grow in our love for God and Christ? Our love for others?

8. Pg. 105 – What can you give God?

9. What have been the most rewarding times in your life?

10. Pg 108 – Have you ever really tested God? How? In what? What was the result?

11. Pg. 108 – Have you known someone (you?) who has said I’ll come to God when I’ve straightened “this” out in my life?

12. Pg. 109 – What goes in your ________ in this sentence?

Chapter 7
Your best life later…

1. Pg. 111 – Do you currently feel fulfilled in your life?

2. Pg. 113 – What do you make of the statement “something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers?” Do you think that is true statement? Does your life make sense to unbelievers?

3. Pg. 115 – How did Jesus walk?

4. Pg. 116 – Do you take Matthew 25 literally? Why or why not?

5. Pg. 116 – We’ve been talking about how to love God practically. Does this now seem to mean by loving others, especially the less fortunate?

6. Pg. 117 – 1 John 3:16-20 – Does this sting you? We seem to be coming full circle on “how” to love God here.

7. Pg. 118 – It seems that falling in love with God is done through serving others, giving time to others, giving money to others, giving others concern and care. That it is a good “vicious circle,” that the more we give the more we love and the more we love the more we give and the ever closer our relationship with God gets.

8. Pg. 119 – One easy to way to think of taking the words of Jesus literally is by picturing your own children in the place of others? How does this make you feel? Does it change your perspective; bring tears to your eyes?

9. Pg. 121 – What are you preparing for?

10. Is your life characterized by comfort?

11. Pg. 123-125: Isaiah 58 – We need to check out motivations too. Read this passage, it is awesome.

I had some pretty serious spiritual warfare last night and I give glory to God that what is on my heart is of Him because I would not have gone through this if it were not of Him.  I went to bed about 11:30pm, later than the usual.  I woke up at 12:30am, then again at 2:30am, then again at 4:30am – the first time I woke up, it was from a dream about fire, and the other times I woke up my first thought was about this amazing issue that has been laid on my heart to discuss; however, it’s all in God’s timing as always .  Satan got into my home last night and made his way into my mind to try to deter me and stress me out about this situation, I denounced Satan from my home and mind and was at peace.  The text below is an exact copy from my email, of what one of my daily devotionals was, this happened to be from Proverbs 31 Ministries.  It was such a great encouragement for me and it again is all God’s timing   Praise Him for everything good and bad!

I do have a prayer request:  My church youth group and for the Lord to lift up other individuals to help the youth pastor and I to build this ministry and see more kids come to know and grow in Christ.

November 12, 2008

Home: More than Just a Word

Marybeth Whalen

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.”

Romans 12:10 (NIV)

Devotion:

I opened up my email to discover another one of those forwards we all get from time to time.  I almost hit “delete” but my eye landed on this acronym for the word “Home”:

Honor the Lord

Obey His Word

Minister to one another

Establish walls of truth

I was glad I took a look at this forward, because it made me think about whether or not these four components are present in my home.  When looked at it in this light, the word “home” means so much more than just a place to live. Isn’t that what we want all of our homes to be? More than a place to sleep and eat and occasionally clean, we want our homes to be a place where lives are shaped into God’s design. This little acronym zeroes in on four important goals we should have for our home.  The exciting thing is, no matter who lives there, or what problems we are facing, or what limits we feel like we have, with effort and intention our homes can be places where these four things happen.

Honor the Lord: We can honor God with our lips, but yet our hearts can be far from Him (Mt. 15:8) — and the people who live with us will be the first to know when we do this! Let’s seek to honor Him behind the closed doors of our homes, living out our devotion to Him in a visible, gentle way as we realize that our families are watching.

Obey His Word: Obeying His Word at home is not always easy.  The Bible tells us to be submissive to our husbands, to love others more than we love ourselves, and to pick up our cross (as we pick up after our children, or care for our elderly parents).  When we do these things with humility, those we most want to impact will notice.  More than that, they will file it away in their hearts, and our lives will echo in theirs in ways we can’t possibly foresee.

Minister to one another: Ministry requires us to love others, to reach others, and to lay down our lives for the sake of those God has placed in our sphere of influence.  This must happen at home first.  And yet, if we’re honest, it’s usually the last place it happens.  We go out and give the best of what we have to offer to others, then give our leftovers to the people we profess to love the most. Let’s minister to those in our own homes first.

Establish walls of truth: When I first read this, I will confess that something prickled in me.  Establish walls?  How is it Biblical to establish walls? I questioned.  However, I soon realized I was thinking of walls as a means to keep people out.  When in actuality, we need to be building walls of truth—God’s truth, designed not to keep others out but to guard our hearts and give us a safe place to retreat and to rest.  These walls of truth make our homes into fortresses—a place to run to when our daily battles wear us out.

These are not things we can just do once and move on.  They are daily requirements, regular sacrifices, and even personal struggles.  We won’t ever do it perfectly and there will be days we feel we are taking one step up and two steps back. But with God’s help, we can keep working to make H.O.M.E. mean so much more.

Dear Lord, make my home a place that includes these four components.  I want my home to be more than just a place to  live in—I want it to be a place where lives are impacted and relationships are strengthened.  Lord, I need Your help to do these things. Thank You for Your promise to always help me when I ask. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do you know Him?

Dwelling: Living Fully from the Space You Call Home by Mary Beth Lagerborg

A Life That Says Welcome, Simple Ways to Open Your Heart & Home to Others by Karen Ehman

To talk about practical ideas for our homes, visit Marybeth Whalen’s blog

Application Steps:

Choose one of the four components of the word HOME and concentrate on it today.  Ask God to show you creative ways you can live for Him within the walls of your home.

Reflections:

How do you honor God, obey His word, minister to your family, and establish walls of Truth in your home?  Can you share some practical ideas—even simple little things you have seen work?  Pop over to Marybeth’s blog today and share your ideas if you wish.

Power Verses:

Isaiah 32:18, “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” (NIV)

Proverbs 3:33, “The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.”  (NIV)

© 2008 by Marybeth Whalen. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

So this weekend has been pretty God speaking even more than any lately.  A lot of my devotionals have been about God using people in missions.  Saturday for our youth outreach, what I was expecting for us to serve meals, was in fact us delivering the Gospel to the people who were there to eat, handing out Bibles and asking people about the Lord (with discernment of course)! On top of that, the Sermon Sunday (09Nov08) morning was about “The Great Commission” and Sunday 6pm service was about a trip to India our Pastor took recently. Gooooooooooooooooooooooood googly moogly! During the last song that was played for the invitation, I broke.  I’ve never had such a burden to go on a trip then now.  I’ve been “thinking” about missions for some time, not just local missions but overseas, underseas or distant missions Meaning not in the USA basically.

I don’t know where I’m going, but I know I’ve got to get my place better prepared for the future for sure!

Good night and God Bless!

Have sweet rest in Him and have a Spirit-filled day!

Have you ever wanted to be used by God?

I believe it is a God-given desire to want to serve the Lord. But maybe you’ve wondered what qualifications the Lord looks for in the life of a man or woman that He would use.

In the Book of Joshua, we can find at least seven principles that apply to the person God uses.

Principle one: God uses people who realize they are weak. In Joshua 1, God told Joshua to “be strong and courageous” a total of three times in four verses. Why? It was probably because He knew Joshua was afraid—and understandably so.

Moses was gone. Now God had raised up Joshua to lead the people of Israel, and he hardly felt adequate for the task.

It isn’t a bad thing to discover that we are weak. In fact, it is quite good. As Warren Wiersbe has said, “You can never be too small for God to use—only too big.”

Principle two: God uses people who are faithful. Joshua had been Moses’ helper, or as the New King James Version puts it, “Moses’ assistant” (see Joshua 1:1). Joshua was the guy who was there to help Moses get the job done.

He had been born in Egypt and, along with Caleb, would be the only Israelite from the great exodus to survive the wilderness wandering and make it into the Promised Land. Joshua was a faithful man and a worthy successor to Moses.

Principle three: God uses people who study and live by His Word. God told Joshua, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night . . . ” (1:8 NKJV). If you want to be used by God, then you need to know the Word of God. “Meditate in it day and night,” God said to Joshua.

The word meditate means, “to ponder, to consider, to contemplate.” This is where you will have the authority when you are used by God.

Principle four: God uses the person who is patient and waits on His timing. Imagine wandering around the wilderness for 40 years, and finally you are on the brink of entering the Promised Land. Then God says, “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land . . . ‘ ” (1:11 NKJV).

We need to learn to wait on God’s timing, because there is a time and a way to do what God calls us to do.

Principle five: God uses the person who cares about lost souls. There was a lost soul to be saved before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, and her name was Rahab. God would not judge Jericho until Rahab had been reached and told what to do to avoid this judgment that was coming when the Israelites attacked.

God’s heart always is to save people. Every soul is precious to Him. God always cares about individuals, and so should we.

Principle six: God uses the person who sets himself or herself apart. Joshua told the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you” (3:5 NKJV). The word sanctify means, “to set yourself apart, to live a holy life.”

It comes down to this: if you want to be used by God, then you will want to live a life that is right before Him. You don’t need to be perfect. But you need to be someone who is attempting to live a godly life.

Principle seven: God uses the person who knows how to work with others. A good leader will communicate with and encourage the people with whom he or she works.

That is what Joshua did. He called the people together and encouraged them. They were about to undertake a very difficult task. It was going to take faith. He was saying to the people, “Hear what God is saying to you, and let’s move forward.”

Joshua was communicating with the people he was leading, and he was encouraging them. If you want to be used by God, then this is what you need to do.

The Bible says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV). Will you be that person He can use?