~ Ang4him ~

Free Book Giveaway and Post on 3 Stranded Cord

2011-03-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I posted on my marriage site, Thankful Hearts, about a wonderful book which I'm going to be giving away for FREE. Thank you Lynn & Dineen for the extra copy to put into someone's hands who will be blessed by it. If you don't regularly visit that site of mine, I encourage you to do so. If you are interested in a copy of the book or know of someone you think would benefit from it - please just leave a comment on the post and you'll be entered in the drawing. I will be drawing a name at the end of the week and posting the winner the beginning of next week.

Free Book Giveaway - Winning Him Without Words

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In addition, I was honored to be able to share in Lynn & Dineen's ministry yesterday. They have once again asked me to contribute something to their Spiritually Unequal Marriage blog. I wrote yesterday about The Power of a Three-Stranded Cord in an Unequal Marriage. If you did not get a chance to read it I encourage you to do so. This was an eye opening revelation for me and I pray it will bless others as well.

Secret Millionaire

2011-03-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

I have a short drive to work each day and don't tend to listen to the radio much, but when I do I find myself tuning into Air1. I love this station and often will listen to it over live streaming at work when I have more "brainless" work to do that does not require alot of concentration. Luckily for my co-workers I usually remember where I am at and don't start belting out loud the wonderful music I hear (and if you work with me and I have done so before, I apologize now.)

One day last week on my way to work they had an interview with a woman named Dani Johnson who was going to be in the premier of a new show called "Secret Millionaire" on Sunday, March 6th. After listening I was curious so I set my TiVo to record the series and I had a chance yesterday to watch the first episode.

I must admit, I cried through almost the entire show. Dani is a woman who had a very rough childhood and was homeless and on welfare at the age of 21. Within just a couple years through hard work and perserverance she became a millionaire and is now a radio personality and a motivational speaker, with a heart for those who are now in the place she was once in. In the show she spends one week in a Knoxville area which is known for it's poverty and bad neighborhoods. She is given a small run down one bedroom apartment to live in and $40 cash to hold her through the week.

She spends her days looking for groups who are committed to improving and helping the community. Dani find three such groups and they all touched her heart and mine as I watched. At the end she reveals to them who she really is and gives them money to help in their continued efforts to reach out to others.

The groups she found were:

The Love Kitchen - Their motto is "Everybody is God's Somebody". This is a kitchen which has been opened in the 1980s and is run by twin 82 year old sisters, Helen and Ellen. These women were absolutely adorable and exuded love. Dani mentions in the show that the name fits perfectly because everything about these two women speaks of love, as she is right. They have created a safe place where those who are homeless can come for a good homecooked meal (and these are really good meals!) and create a family environment with others who are in need. The kitchen also delivers meals to those in the area who are homebound. Just thinking of these two precious ladies brings a smile to my face. They are living examples of how we should treat one another. On their website and in the show they talk about the truths their daddy taught them growing up:

1. Never take the last piece of bread. Someone may come by in need of it.
2. There is only one race, the human race.
3. There is only one Father and that is the Father in Heaven.

Please visit their site - http://www.thelovekitchen.org/ And pray for Ellen as she has been admitted to the hospital with chest pains.

The Joy of Music
This is a nonprofit organization in the Knoxville area that provides music instruction for children who could not otherwise afford to learn music. They have a waiting list of about 50 children at any given time due to the need. On the show Dani met with three very talented young men who have benefited from this organization and have in some cases earned themselves scholarships for college. It was so amazing to see the joy and hope in these young men's eyes, young men who without this organization may have ended up in a very different scenario. http://joyofmusicschool.wordpress.com/

Special Spaces
This is an organization started by a mother of nine (three children born to her and six adopted) who remodels rooms for children who are ill. Kind of like a Make A Wish for bedrooms. In the episode Sunday night they were remodeling a little 5 year old girl named Daisy's room to be a princess bedroom. Daisy has leukemia. It was amazing to see the smile on her face and her family when they saw Daisy's new room. **Spoiler Alert** And later in the show when Dani was visiting the groups and presenting them with checks she gave one to this family too. I had tears streaming down my face watching the reaction of her family - especially her older sister and her dad. Wow! http://www.specialspaces.org/

If you missed the episode and did not record it, you can watch the full episode on ABC's website. They also have links to the organizations featured on the show and ways you can help.

I can count on one hand the shows that I record and watch faithfully. If the first episode is any indication for the future of this one, I will be adding this show to my list.

My Big Dream - What's the problem?

2010-12-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

A dear friend of mine recently sent me a book called "The Dream Giver". The first part of the book is written as an allegory or a parable. It is about Ordinary, a Nobody who lives in the Land of Familiar. He decides to leave one day to follow his Big Dream. I love "Pilgrim's Progress" and Randy Alcorn's "Edge of Eternity" so I quickly read the first part of the book.

The second part turns the story to focus on you and your journey to your Big Dream. The Big Dream that our Creator put into our hearts even before we are born. This is where I put the book down and it gathered dust for a couple of months.

However, that little red book caught my eye again on a particularly dreary day in my life. I began reading it again and with that I began asking myself a few questions. Questions like...

Has YHVH put a Big Dream in me?
If yes, what is it? Can I even begin to identify it?
If I can, why haven't I been pursuing it? What is holding me back?

In the book, the author, Bruce Wilkinson, lists the most common reasons he hears people give for no longer pursuing their Big Dream. Honestly, none of them really resonated with me so I began to really start digging. I know what my dream is. It has changed a bit over the years, but it is still the same dream.

"Your Dream may not look quite the same as it did years ago. But the essence of the Dream - the tug of longing you feel to do what God made you to do - is still there."

I've always wanted to write. When I was young it was to become rich and famous. As I got older it was just to support my family by doing something I enjoyed. Now my dream is to write to honor my Adonai by helping others, even if it does not yield so much as a penny.

I've pursued my dream half-heartedly at times. Sometimes I've pursued it with all my energies for a short time. I've attended writer's conferences when I was still a child and even as recently as when I was pregnant with my youngest child. But I have always ended up backing off. Why?

Those are the questions I started digging into, looking for brutally honest answers.

1. Time - I am a wife and a mother of three young children. I work full-time outside the home to support my family. I can barely keep up with basic housecleaning at times. I'm happy if the clothes and dishes are washed (mind you washed, but not necessarily put away!). If my floors are cleaned often enough to avoid attracting rodents I am satisfied. When am I going to find time to seriously pursue writing!? Even this post has been bouncing around in my head for days before I found time to sit down and type it out!

2. Guilt - A part of me feels that to truly pursue my Big Dream I would have to put my family second to it. I already struggle with meeting my expectations of what it means to be a good wife and mother. Pursuing my dream would mean falling even further from the mark of being a devoted and loving wife and mother. It would be selfish of me to pursue my dream now that I have others in my life depending on me. Or is this just another excuse? A wonderful seemingly selfless excuse to cover up my next two, not so selfless reasons?

3. Too much work / Too hard - This is the excuse I hate, the one that makes me cringe. The one I did not want to write down, but if I am going to be brutally honest I need to include it. Bottom line - I'm lazy. It is one of the things about myself that I hate. Writing takes a lot of work, a lot of research and at the end of the day I'm exhausted and don't want to put in the time and effort. It makes me wonder if I really want this Big Dream. Seriously - I've always thought that those who really understand the importance of something and really want it will pursue it at all costs. They will sacrifice all for it. Am I willing to do that?

4. Failure - I'm not good enough. I will fail and others will mock my attempts. I remember at a young age telling an adult I respected that I wanted to grow up to be a writer. This well-meaning person proceeded to tell me how I needed to decide to do something more practical because if I pursued a writing career I would most likely be poor and starve. So although I have always dreamed of writing and have always journaled and dabbled in writing, I pursued a career as an Accountant. It is something I am good at and I enjoy it most of the time - but it is not my Dream. Now that my dream has progressed from wanting fame and riches to helping others, I would have thought this fear would decrease. After all, if I'm not looking to make money off my writing, there should be no fear of rejection, right? So wrong! I fear I don't know enough to truly help others. I don't have enough knowledge or experience under my belt. I fear that what I write, although well intentioned, will mislead others. What if I fail them? What if I fail my Adonai?

As I finished the latest chapter in this book, something caught my attention. Bruce talks about Moses and how his life can give us three insights:

1. A Big Dream always seems overwhelming at first.
2. Ultimately, a Big Dream is aimed at meeting a Big Need in the world.
3. While you still have breath, it's never too late to act on your Dream!

So there it is - my brutal honesty about my Big Dream. I decided to share it here in order to hold myself accountable. Ironic that I'm writing about my Big Dream of writing and why I've not really pursued it before. Maybe, this will be the start of my journey. My journey of one Ordinary Nobody pursuing her Big Dream to become the Somebody that YHVH intended for her to be. A dream He placed in her heart as He was forming her in her mother's womb.

Maybe...

(To be continued...?)

Thankful in Trials

2010-11-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Dineen wrote an amazing post today over at Laced with Grace called "Thankful for Trials?". Please take a moment to visit the site and read what she wrote. I can personally attest to the truth behind what she wrote. The Lord has proven Himself so very faithful in these things in the past weeks for me and I pray everyone I know will one day learn what He has revealed to me recently - how to be thankful, to praise Him and to trust Him in the midst of whatever I am walking through.

Psalm 57:1-2
(Complete Jewish Bible Translation)

Show me favor, God, show me favor;
for in you I have taken refuge.
Yes, I will find refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the storms have passed.
I call to God, the Most High,
to God, who is accomplishing his purpose for me.

Intentional Marriage & Advice to Younger Self

2010-09-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Lynn and Dineen over at SUM have just started a new project called Intentional Marriage. I highly recommend checking out the post on SUM introducing this and watching the video that Lynn did for the first month. I had the opportunity to watch it live, and it was wonderful.

Each month Lynn & Dineen will tape a new video which can be watched live or as an archived video. In addition, they will have a meme each month that viewers can participate in.

This month the meme is to give advice to our younger selves - specifically on our wedding day. Advice regarding what we've learned over the years of being married that we wish we had known on our wedding day.

I will be participating each month in the meme on my Thankful Heart blog, which is my blog dedicated to marriage. Check out this month's post here - Advice to My Younger Self.

Ephesians 1:1-14, In Christ

2010-06-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

Verse 3 of the first chapter of Ephesians talks about us being blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. I found this interesting, these are not just blessings that we are given, we are given them in Christ. Through verse 14 Paul talks about a handful of things that are ours in Christ. So I decided to go through the verses and take notes on these things:

In Christ (Ephesians 1:1-14)

We have been given every spiritual blessing in heaven.
He chose us before the world was made
God made us His own children
God freely gave His grace to us
We are set free from sin by His blood, we are given grace
God let us know His secret purpose for us (see also 1 Corinthians 2:7)
God joined all things in heaven and earth together
We were chosen to be His people
God put His seal, His special mark on us (Holy Spirit)

Ephesians 1 - Blessings & Prayers

2010-06-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms, with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ~ Ephesians 1:3

As I read the first chapter in Ephesians, verse 3 stands out to me. We are blessed in the heavenly realm with spiritual blessings. I began to dig further - what are these blessings? As I continued to read I jotted these down:

BLESSINGS:

He chose us to be holy & blameless in His sight.
He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ
He freely gives us His glorious grace (because He loves us!)
We have redemption through His blood
We have forgiveness of our sins
He lavishes us with all wisdom and understanding
He marked us in Him with a seal, the Holy Spirit. This is our deposit, our guarantee of our inheritance!

In addition, Paul writes about prayers that he has for the Church of Ephesus. Prayers that I truly believe the Lord has for us, even now in this day and age.

PRAYERS FOR US:

Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding: This is God's desire, that we have revelation of Him so we may know Him better.
Eyes of our hearts enlightended: As we receive more wisdom and revelation of God and who He is, our hearts will begin to understand the hope that He has called us to.

Riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints
Incomparably great power for us who believe

Power: Incomparably great power - I love this. He has a mighty power that He wants to give each of us access to through Him. This is the exact same power that -

raised Christ from the dead
seated Christ at His right hand in the heavenly realms - far above all rule, all authority, all power and dominion, far above every and any title ever given or which will ever be given! It is the power that puts all things under Christ's feet and makes Christ head over everything for the Church/His Body.

As I read over this chapter, looked over my notes and prayed, a few things came to mind for me.

God has spiritual blessings for each of us, but we must draw them out by pursuing God through prayer.
Everyone needs prayer, even the best of Christians. When we hear of the needs of other Christians, we should pray for them, lift them up to the Lord in prayer. Paul continually prayed for other Christians and he continually asked for the prayers of others. None of us is above the need for prayer and none of us is above the requirement to lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul prayed for other Believers while he was in prison and being abused. None of us are ever in such need ourselves to where we should think only of ourselves and not take the time to pray for others.
We can only get to know the Lord more through His mighty power. Jesus is the One who supplies us with everything we need, so the more we pursue Him, the more spiritual blessings we receive.
No matter who powerful those around us or the circumstances around us may seem, we need to remember that when we pursue God we have access to His power which is greater than any other.

Ephesians 1: God chose Me!

2010-06-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

While studying the Armor of God, I recently dug up some old notes I took a few years ago when I studied Ephesians with my home church. In with these notes I have quite a bit regarding Ephesians 1 which I want to share with you over the next week or so. I was greatly encouraged while re-reading these notes and pray that you are as well.

v. 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Reading this verse it struck me that the blessings we receive are not just physical, as in material blessings of this world which we often think of in regards to blessings. This verse is telling us we are not only blessed here on earth, but we are already blessed in the heavely realms - with spiritual blessings - which we have because of Christ and who we are in Christ.

v. 4-6 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

God choosing me has absolutely nothing to do with me. He chose me not only before I was born, but also before the world was created. He did it for His glory and He took pleasure in doing this for me. I am NOT a burden to Him.

v. 7-9 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ.

God does not make mistakes. He chose me to redeem and show His grace to, even though He had full knowledge and insight of what that would mean and how I would react (how unfaithful I could be). Once again it speaks of the pleasure He takes in revealing Himself to me and His plan for the future.

God takes pleasure in Me, just the way I am. He takes pleasure in watching me grow in Him.

v. 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment - to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

Remember God's final plan in everything - to bring everything under His Son, Jesus. Through everything God wins, there is no question regarding this.

v. 11 - 14 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are in God's possession - to the praise of his glory.

We have been chosen not only to be redeemed, but also to have an inheritance. We were given a seal to mark us as God's - the Holy Spirit! "A deposit guaranteeing our inheritance" until Jesus returns when we will come into our inheritance and we will bring God glory.

v 17 - 19 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength.

This is beautiful and this is the cry of my heart - to be given the Spirit of Wisdom so I can know the Lord better, so I can grow in my relationship with Him. To shine a light on the eyes of my heart so I know the Hope He has for me, the inheritance He has set for me. There is great power working in us. The same power that raised Christ from the dead and placed Him higher than anything in this world or anything to come.
Stay tuned - more to come...

Worth Fighting For Blog

2010-06-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

I came across this blog today and felt it was worth sharing with my friends. This is a blog written by four teenagers who are taking a stand for unborn children in our world who do not have a voice of their own. I found this site so inspiring, not only because of the stand they are taking but because they are the young people who will soon be the leaders of our world. I thank God that we have young people who are willing to stand for His Truths and are not ashamed to do so.

Please take a moment to visit this blog - Worth Fighting For

In particular this post caught my eye - a poem written by a friend of one of the teenagers who writes for this blog and ministry. Worth Fighting For: The Time for War

Spiritual Warfare

2010-06-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

"There is something in human nature that just doesn't want to face the reality that we live in two worlds. We live in the physical, material world where we have jobs, read books, and go about our business. And we live in a spiritual world - and that is a world at war." ~ John Eldredge

I am a huge Ted Dekker fan. He is an amazing writer with a wide variety of books, however all of them have a common theme. God's love for us and the battle of good and evil in our world. I just happened to pick up a book yesterday that I purchased quite awhile ago but have not yet gotten to. It is called "Adam". As I read the opening pages I realized this book is about spiritual warfare. The quote above and one other I'll list below are at the beginning of the book and at the end they have an dialogue between Ted Dekker and John Eldredge about Spiritual Warfare that is very interesting. I started to read it and then realized it probably has some spoilers for the book, so I'll go back to it later.

But in the meantime a couple things struck me. It sounds like this book goes really deep into spiritual warfare, to the point of demon possession possibly. However, Ted wrote this book to make a point. He says many of his readers are in their mid twenties or younger and don't know much at all about Satan. Christians now days don't want to face the reality of a real personal evil that works in this world. Many believe evil is a just a general force in the world, not real and personal.

This is not to say that we can blame everything on Satan because the reality of it is, we are sin ridden creatures. We cause enough damage on our own. But to live your life in ignorance of the spiritual battle that rages around you is no better than believing everything you do bad is because the devil made you do it.

One thing to be very aware of is that the armor of God we've been talking about is what protects us as Believers. We can't fight these forces in our own power, we MUST have the protection of God. However, keep in mind that those in our lives who are not Believers, do not have this protection. They are wide open for the enemy to attack and many times use to try to trip us up.

The writers of the New Testatment many times warned the churches of not only the sin and evil in their own flesh, but of the spiritual evil that dwelt amoung them that they needed to be aware of and ready to fight. To them it was a given that the Believers of that time were in a spiritual battle. We've lost this awareness in our time for the most part.

There's a thief, and he comes to steal, and kill, and destroy. But I have come that you may have life and have it to the full. - John 10:10

Be on your alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion waiting for someone to devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that your brothers around the world are undergoing the same thing. - 1 Peter 5:8-9

One last quote from Ted Dekker regarding the book Adam:

"This whole novel boils down to these two truths. First, evil is real. Satan and the demons are aggressively arrayed against all Christians, all the children of God, all those who were formed in the image of God. And second, the only way to defeat all the forms of darkness in your own life is through the light of Jesus Christ." ~ Ted Dekker

Armor of God (Ephsians 6:10-18) Establishment of Armor

2010-05-31T18:16:00.000-07:00

Now that we've looked at the different pieces of armor and what they mean to us, it is helpful to understand exactly how do we put on this armor. Knowledge alone does not do us much good. Throughout these verses we are called to be active

v. 10: be strong,
v. 11: put on...take your stand
v. 13: put on...be able to stand...to stand
v. 14: stand firm
v.16: take up the shield
v. 17: take the helmet...
v. 18: and pray in the Spirit, be alert...always keep praying

As Believers there are three of the pieces of armor that we already have on. These are established by our position in Christ. These are referenced in past tense within the verses.

having girded - belt - Truth
having put on - breastplate - Righteousness
having shod - shoes - Readiness/Peace

The protection of these pieces is made possible when we receive Christ. We are being commanded in these verses to stand firm in these areas/items.

The last three items - shield, helmet and sword - we are told to take up (as in we don't necessarily already have them). These three items help us to continue to win the battle.

A few additional items that may help in understanding each of these pieces of armor and how to don and wield them.

Breastplate - God justifies us with His Righteousness. The enemy will often tell us, "You are not good enough to be a Christian." My answer is, "That does not matter."

Romans 8:33 - Who will bring a charge against God's elect?" - I am God's elect!

We are in Christ, so we are already forgiven. We are the righteousness of God in Christ

2 Corinthians 5:21 - God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

To confess (homologeo) means to acknowledge or agree. As Believers we don't confess to be forgiven, we are already forgiven. We confess in order to clear the way for the fruitful expression of righteousness in our daily lives.

Shoes - Peace/Unity
In the Body of Christ, common doctrine is not the basis for fellowship; common heritage is. We are all children of God. I've found some of the brothers and sisters in Christ who I've come to depend on and trust the most are the ones who I see eye to eye with the least in regards to doctrine. That is okay, we are still part of the same body and love one another.

Helmet - Salvation
I am a child of God, and nothing can separate me from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35)

People experiencing spiritual conflict tend to question their salvation or doubt their identity in Christ. I know, I for one have struggled with this alot in the past. I've often thought of myself as being a "fake Christian" and thought fellow Believers were able to see right through me and see me for the fraud I was. This was a lie from the enemy to keep me from being effective for the Lord. As long as I was worried about whether I was truly saved and concerned with how other Believers saw me, I was not able to focus on God and the battle at hand.

Sword - Word/Spirit
In this verse Paul uses rhema instead of logos for word. "Spoken Word" is what this means. Why is this important? Satan is a created being and does not know exactly what we are thinking. He can make some pretty good guesses at times, but he can not read our thoughts as God can. This is important for two reasons:

When rebuking the enemy, especially when using Scripture as Jesus did, do so out loud. The enemy can't hear your thoughts, so you need to speak the Word of God against him out loud, just as Jesus did when he was tempted.
Your unspoken communion with God is your private sanctuary. The enemy can not eavesdrop on you.

We are in a battle, Beloved and the enemy would like nothing better than for us to be unprepared. In order to fully understand the battle we are in and the protection we have through God's armor, we must first learn to run to God and lean on Him. The more we pursue Him, the more we will understand and be able to stand in His Power to defeat the enemy.

I recommend reading all of Ephesians to better understand who God is and who you are in Him. I'll be adding more from the previous chapters in Ephesians soon. I believe this is critical because without understanding who you are in Christ, the armor does not fit correctly. Incorrectly fitting armor leaves gaps for the enemy to sneak in and deal some devastating blows.

Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) - The Armor

2010-05-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

At the time when the letter to the Ephesian church was written, they would have been very familar with Roman soldiers and the armor they wore. Below are notes on each piece of armor and how important they were to the Roman soldier wearing them and how this relates to us in our battle.

One note before I start though - don't only individualize the armor. As a church body we need to do this together and cover one another when needed. Paul wrote this to the church, not just the individuals in the church. We are Christ's body.

There are six pieces of armor mentioned in these verses:

Two Offensive weapons: shoes and sword
Three Defensive weapons: breastplate, shield and helmet
One neutral weapon: belt

Let's talk about each piece now:

Belt (Truth)
The first thing put on by a soldier was his belt. It held all the solidier's necessities (swords, arrows, rations, etc). It was held/tied on in many places to keep it on straight no matter what the soldier did (run, climb, fall, etc). If this was not put on correctly the soldier would not be efficient in battle and could loose his life. In Roman times a tight belt menat the soldier was ready for battle.

The Truth of God's Word is what "holds" us all together while we fight. It must be the first thing we put on every day. We have no foundation on which to stand in our warfare with the enemy without God's Truth.

I'm currently going to the Truth Project and the question came up the first session - What is Truth? The answer: God's perception of reality. This is because our perception is always tainted. God is Truth!

Breastplate (Righteousness)
This piece as attached to the soldier's belt, anchored to the belt by leather passed through rings on the bottom. It was located above the belt and anchored by the belt. This protected the soldier's heart which is the organ responsible for sending blood through the soldier to keep him alive.

If our hearts are not right with God, our spiritual lives will begin to die. If we walk in the righteousness of God we have a defensive weapon to use against the slanderous accusations and outrageous strategies of the enemy. Righteousness is right thinking and doing right. We are able to do this only through God's strength, by His Truth (the belt).

Shoes (Readiness/Peace)
A soldier's shoes had spikes on the soles which provided them a strong stance and balance when fighting, especially on uneven ground. (In martial arts the stance is one of the most important things and is what is practiced first.) Many historians believe these shoes are one of the greatest reasons why the Roman army was so victorious.

The Peace of God will enable us to stand firm with our feet planted firmly on the Word of God. We will be unmoved by the devil's threats, even when we are in the rough places of life.

Shield (Faith)
Roman soldiers had long, rectangular shields that reached from their knees to their chins. It protected them from arrows and spears and could be knelt behind when the enemy shot arrows. Groups of soldiers could get close together to make a huge circle to protect the group from fiery arrows.

The shield represents the faith in the believer in the promises of God. The value of faith is not in the believer, but in the person whom the faith is in (God). This faith comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). God is the one who fights for us and protects us. The more we know Him and His Word the greater our faith and therefore the larger our shield (protection)!

Helmet (Salvation)
Romand had the best helmet in the ancient world. Other nations used cloth, animal hides, bones or hooves. The Romans had a chin strap, a visor and covered the back and sides of the neck. They had a leather lining to be comfortable and so they would fit well. The soldier's helmets were made of bronze cast and the officers had helmets made of iron alloy. A well designed helmet will protect you from various angles of attack.

The greatest battefield with the enemy is in our minds. One key area is our assurance of our salvation. The enemy wants us to doubt this.

Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

We need to guard or minds, the thoughts we dwell on, because this is where we can start to walk away from God. We must have a clear mind to be discerning in all situations. We can only do this by immersing ourselves in God's Word and in prayer.

Sword (Spirit/God's Word)
This was a two-edged sword which could inflict more damage than any other sword. It only had to penetrate 2 to 3 inches to be fatal. Because of the two edges it was considered to be a very deadly and powerful weapon.

The Word of God is like a deadly sword blow to the enemy. When we speak God's Word according to His Will, there is no power in the universe that can withstand it. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness he quoted His Father's Words with authority.

In the book The Final Quest by Rick Joyner, he speaks of climbing the mountain of God while fighting the enemy. He no longer needs the sword because the enemy is too far away and he is fighting with arrows now. But he knows he does not want to get rid of it. He knows this would not be wise. So he drives the sword into the ground and tied himself to it to anchor himself to the mountainside. God's Word should also be used to anchor ourselves to God.

Armor of God (Eph 6:10-18) - Introduction

2010-05-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

We have begun to discuss spiritual warfare at 1Peter3 and of course these verses have popped up as part of our conversations. A few years back my house church went through the book of Ephesians together and we spent a good deal of time on these verses. I've dug up my notes from my studies on the verses back then and thought I would share them in a series of three posts.

Introduction - my prelminary notes regarding things that stood out while reading the verses

The Armor - when this example was given to the Ephesian Church they would have been very familar with the Roman soldiers of the day and the armor that they wore. There is a lot to learn and understand about the Armor of God when we better understand the different pieces of the Roman soldiers armor and the reasons behind each piece.

The Establishment of the Armor - not only is it important to understand the purpose of the armor, it is important to understand how we obtain each of these pieces of armor.

Armor of God - Introduction

Ephesians 6:10-18

The first verse regarding the armor of God says "be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power". We are being told that we are not strong on our own, we are to take action (be strong), but we are not to do it ourselves. Our strength comes from God and His power, not ours.

Verse 11 continues by telling us to "put on the full armor". We need to put it ALL on, not just certain items. The words "full armor" are repeated again in verse 13.

We need to remember through all of this that people are NOT our enemies. This is very easy to forget. Verse 12 tells us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces. We've heard this many times, but we often loose sight of this as we go about our daily lives. This is exactly what the enemy wants. If we are busy fighting other people, hating them and becoming bitter towards them, we won't be able to effectively use God's strength and power to fight him and his forces.

Ephesians 6:10-18

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition, to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep praying for all the saints.

Friendship with a Jealous God

2010-05-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

This week was the final week of our Friendship with God series at SUM. Below are links to Lynn and Dineen's posts this week - I highly recommend reading them. I love both of these women dearly and have been honored to be part of this series. It has been an amazing experience.

I Am THAT Woman by Lynn

Show Me Your Glory, Lord by Dineen

Friendship with a Jealous God

For thou shalt worship no other god:

for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Exodus 34:14

Names mean something, especially in the Kingdom of God. As you read through God’s Word, notice how often we are told the meaning behind the different names people give to their children. God even tells the parents in some instances what they are to name their children. And in some cases He changes a person’s name to represent something significant in their lives. Abram meant “high father” in Hebrew, but when God made a covenant with Abram and promised him to be the father of many nations, He changed his name to Abraham which means “father of many.” Jacob meant “supplanter” however later in his life when he wrestled all night with the angel of the Lord in order to receive a blessing, the Lord changed his name to Israel which means “God contended” or “he struggles with God”.

I have a bookmark that I use frequently which lists the different names of God and what they mean. The names of God are important because they reveal to us His Character. Anything in this world that is good, is good because it is consistent with His Nature and Character. Anything that is evil or wrong is so because it contradicts the very nature of God.

One name of God that I’ve discovered recently though is not listed on my bookmark – El Qanna. That is the word used in Exodus 34:14. God is telling us not only is He a jealous God, but His very name means Jealous. This posed a problem for me the first time I put much thought into it. We’ve been taught that jealousy is wrong. In fact, further down in the Ten Commandments, which this verse is a part of, it specifically talks about coveting what is not yours – being jealous! So then how can one of God’s names (El Qanna) mean Jealous? How can He be named Jealous when jealousy is wrong and we know that anything that is wrong is so because it contradicts the very nature of God?

Read more here

Friendship with an All-Knowing God

2010-05-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

Below is an excerpt and link to my third submission as a guest poster at S.U.M. this month for the series Friendship with God. I've also include a link to a post written by Dineen this week for the series. These are all wonderful and it is amazing how God is working through each of us to create one cohesive series. We truly serve an Amazing God!

Friendship through Confession

Friendship with an All-Knowing God

In my first post for this series I mentioned that one of the keys to any friendship is not only knowing the other person, their character, desires and emotions, but also in revealing your own heart to them. Friendship with God is no different. In fact, in order to truly begin to understand Him and His emotions we must first open ourselves up to Him and allow Him to change us. This is done by pouring out our hearts to Him. However, you may wonder, if God is omniscient, why do we need to pour out our hearts to Him? He already knows our desires, emotions, and character. In fact, He probably knows our heart even better than we do, so why go through all the effort? Isn’t it redundant?

Read more here

Friendship with God: David's Example of Beholding

2010-05-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

Below is an excerpt and link to my post last week for the Friendship with God series at S.U.M. I apologize for being negligent in keeping up here. I'm linknig below to other posts last week in the series written by Lynn and Dineen. I recommend checking them all out! I will add another post with this week's articles later tonight.

Weekend Devotion - Friendship of God

Friendship with God Through Worship

David's Example of Beholding

Awhile back, a good friend of mine asked me a question that I came across again recently in a book I’m reading. I want to pose it to each of you today. Please be very honest with yourself. You don’t have to share your answer with me. My purpose is not to know your secret thoughts. But I will share some of mine with you, on the off chance that some of you share in these same thoughts.

Imagine for just a moment that you were told by a reliable source that tonight you were going to meet Jesus face-to-face and He was going to judge you – He was going to reveal the deepest parts of your life and your heart – what is the first feeling that overcomes you? Is it fear or excitement?

I’ve been on a David quest for almost a year now, or more accurately a quest for David’s heart. He is described in Scripture as being a man after God’s own heart. God Himself, describes David in this way. What made him so special? Sure he was a mighty king and ruler of Israel, but he was also a royal mess up at times. I want to know what it was about Him that caused God to look upon him and describe him in such a way, despite his failures. I want a heart like that. I want to hear my Creator one day introduce me to the hosts of heaven as “Angela, a woman after my own heart”.

Read more here

What's the big deal about Friendship? (Guest Writer at S.U.M.)

2010-05-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

I've been asked to be a guest contributor at S.U.M. for the month of May. Our series this month is Friendship with God. Today was my first contribution to this series. Below is an excerpt and a link to the full article.

If you like this please check out the other posts made by Lynn and Dineen this past week.

Friendship with God - The Journey Starts Now
posted by Lynn - Friday, April 30th

Friendship with God: Come Just As You Are
posted by Dineen - Tuesday, May 4th

What's the big deal about Friendship?

A few days after Lynn asked me to be part of this series, I was having lunch with two of my friends at work when the subject of friendship came up. One of the ladies began to share how she’s never had any really close friends and how she often does not feel like she truly belongs in any group of which she is a part. As the two of us listened we had tears in our eyes. I’d like to say it was just tears of compassion, but in reality it was also tears of empathy because both of us knew exactly what she was talking about. We both felt the exact same way but had never had the courage to voice our feelings. This lunch was a turning point in the friendship the three of us share and I’m thankful my friend was willing to share her heart with us.

This conversation got me to thinking about how many of us, especially women, crave a deep intimate friendship with someone, but seem to not be able to ever really find it. We begin to wonder what is broken within ourselves to keep others at such a distance. Or is the problem with everyone else, why don’t they understand us? Why can’t we find that kindred spirit that understands us, loves us and accepts us – the good, the bad and the ugly? Why can’t we find that special friend who we can pour our hearts out to, share our hopes and dreams with? Someone we can be ourselves with, someone with whom we can let down our guard?

To read more click here

Wabi Sabi Christianity

2010-04-20T23:43:00.000-07:00

I picked up a little book the other day called "The Invisible Church - A Journey into the Future of the UK Church". I'm honestly not sure why I grabbed it other than it was very inexpensive and sounded kind of intersesting.

It is in fact an interesting read, although at this point I would not yet consider it as being a must read, but then again, I'm only a quarter of the way through it so far. But something did catch my attention while reading tonight. The book is a fiction story in which the author plays the main character. One night he is hit by lightning and finds himself transported 40 years into the future where the church as he (and we) know it in the UK has all but disappeared. Each chapter tells the story of what he learns in this future and ends with a letter written by an individual who is back in our current time reading over the notes of the author regarding his trip into the future.

At one point the person reviewing the author's account of his travels into the future is talking about how the early church met in homes and how in the UK many denominations can't afford some of these beautiful ornate buildings they own anymore because of dwindling congregations. He brings up the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi. This really caught my attention and I ended up googling wabi-sabi. The basic concept is finding beauty in things that are simple, imperfect and humble, thing unconventional. In the book and online wabi sabi is referenced as "a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete."

Maybe it is just because of my recent walk with the Lord and the fact that I'm part of what some might call a house church, but this concept really resonated with me. I've grown more in my relationship with the Lord and with my church family since we began meeting in this way about 4 years ago than I ever did in "traditional" church. Doing "church" for us is nothing fancy - we worship together, eat together, study God's Word together and pray together. Our singing is many times off key and usually led by just a simple guitar. Our prayers are often filled with long periods of quiet and are not usually what one would consider flowery or polished. They are often brutally honest and filled with raw emotion. We don't have a set structure per se. We have a basic schedule we kind of follow but we are open to wherever the Holy Spirit chooses to lead us. This means that if He shows up and leads discussion, worship or prayer in a particular direction we try to follow. Sometimes we follow our "schedule" and other times we'll spend the majority of our time in worship or prayer if we feel His leading to do so. We are becoming very honest with one another and learning to hold one another accountable. We are honest and real with one another without taking offense. We look to the Holy Spirit to be our guide and teacher. Jesus is our High Priest, our Pastor. We do have an individual we see as our "elder" but our leader is Jesus. We are far from having it figured out, but we are all united in our desire to pursue our God together and follow His leading the best we can.

So this concept of a wabi sabi church spoke to me. People make up the church (the body of Christ) not a building, not traditions, not a denomination. We are all sinful people and therefore imperfect and incomplete. As I grow closer to the Lord, I'm beginning myself to see more beauty and meaning in simple things. Jesus was not a flashy preacher who used a fancy sound system and colorful lights. He was a simple carpenter who was humble and felt no need to use fancy advertising or marketing campaigns to draw people in. He hung out with simple people and met them where they were.

As I get older I begin to be amazed at how we as humans make things so difficult. I think many times things truly are much more simple than we make them. I find it amazing how God and His Love for us can be so complex and yet so simple at the same time.

Bottom line for me? I'm not saying that tradtional church, traditions, fancy buildings, sound systems, etc are bad, because they are not in and of themselves. However, if we begin to focus on these things in such a way that our focus comes off of Jesus, then they are a stumbling block. Even if our intentions are good and noble, they can derail us if we stop focusing on Jesus and following Him instead of our ideas of how things should work. The concept of house churches can be a stumbling block if the focus becomes defending what we do and how we do it rather than on worshiping and pursuing our God. In the end, I think I agree with the character in the book when he says at the end of one of his letters -

"I should like to see some wabi sabi worship; modest, humble, unconventional. It would take place in wabi-sabi buildings; simple, domestic, ordinary. And it would reflect perhaps, a wabi-sabi God; a God who delights in things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete, and who wants to bring them permanence, perfection and completeness."

Fruitcake & Ice Cream

2010-04-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

I have my house to myself tonight - no kids, no husband - so I pulled out a DVD that I bought months ago called "Fruitcake and Ice Cream - An Unlikely Collision of Friendship and Grace". In it Louie Giglio shares the story of a young college student named Ashley and her "fruitcake" roomate. With permission he shares this story by reading excerpts from Ashley's journal.

Ashley was a typical college student in her final semester of college, trying to balance a life of partying and studying. Events in her life have caused her to look for a new roommate and the girl who moves in with her is different from anyone she has ever known. She is a fruitcake, a Christian. Ashley's journal details her life over the semester and tells a powerful story of God's Grace.

At the beginning of the DVD Loui shares from 2 Corinthians 5 and how it talks about God's Grace. He defines grace as being "God working". God working, not us. God working to do what we can not do.

He also explains in the talk about how those who claim to not believe in God, many times do this as a defense mechanism. They think that God does not believe in them, so in order to protect themselves they choose to not believe in Him. Wow - that really got me to thinking about how important it is for us to understand grace and be able to share that with others. To really share God's Heart and His Love for us and for others with those who think He does not believe in them.

If you have a chance to watch this DVD I highly recommend it. This is the most powerful story of grace I believe I have ever heard. Even more so because the story is not being told from her perspective after the fact. It is Louie actually reading her journal entries which she wrote during this period of time when she wanted nothing to do with a God who she believed had no time for her. A period when she thought her new roommate was nothing but a Fruitcake.

268 Store Fruitcake & Ice Cream DVD
Amazon.com Fruitcake & Ice Cream

Fear - Part 1: My Champion

2010-04-01T22:18:00.000-07:00

I've been looking up verses regarding fear recently. God is dealing with me on the issue of fear and how it affects my trusting Him. One verse given to me was Deuteronomy 20:1-4. At first I glanced over this verse, quickly dismissing it. After all, it is all about going to war which doesn't apply to me - or so I thought.

The Lord drew me back to these verses and as I reread them He began to open my eyes. Now these verses which I so recently dismissed, have become some of my favorites.

When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. When you are about to go into battle the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say: "Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." ~ Deuteronomy 20:1-4

So, how does this apply to us? First, we are all in a battle, a war against the enemy and this world he currently controls. We are constantly battling the temptations and lies of the world. Sometimes, or many times, these circumstances of our lives may seem so large as to be impossible to defeat, but the Lord tells us to not be fainthearted or afraid. He is the God who delivered us from Egypt. "But wait!" you may say, "I've not been to Egypt. God hasn't rescued me from there." Oh, but He has, Beloved. Egypt signifies our lives before Christ, our lives of slavery to sin, to the world. He has rescued us from this!

Further in the verse it speaks of the priest who stands before the army. He tells them to not be afraid and assures them of victory. How does he know this? How can he be so very confident? How can we trust him? We can be confident because our priest, our liaison between us and God is Jesus himself. He stands confidently before us amidst all the circumstances of our lives and tells us not to fear because He knows the final chapter of this story. We are victorious in Him!

The Lord pointed out one more small detail to me regarding these verses. A small detail, easily missed, but with huge implications. Read that last line again.

For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. (v.4)

The Lord is not just telling us we will be victorious, He is fighting for us to give us that victory. I recently watched the new Alice in Wonderland movie. In it the White Queen is looking for a champion to fight on her behalf against her sister, the Queen of Hearts. This is how things used to be done. The Kings (or Queens) did not fight, they were too valuable. Instead they would choose a champion to fight on their behalf. The fight between David and Goliath was such as this. Goliath was the champion of the Philistines and David was King Saul's.

But our God likes to stir things up a bit. His logic and ways of doing things many times fly in the face of the world. You see, as the King of Kings, He doesn't call for a champion to fight on His behalf. We are not called to be God's champions. Instead, the King Himself chooses to be our Champion! He is not saying "Trust me because you will win." He is telling us "Trust me because I have already fought the battle on your behalf and gained the victory!"

If God, the Great I AM, the King of Kings, is our Champion, what more can we possibly ask for? What could we possibly have to fear?

Gone for so long

2010-03-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

Wow - it has been awhile since I've posted on any of my blogs. A few reasons for that are... well, many of them honestly are just excuses.

Work has been crazy - we just acquired a new company and that has things a hopping for me right now.

Kids - of course, they are always keeping me on my toes. Homeschooling two this year and trying to keep up on all that entails. And then our middle child (5 year old) is starting t-ball. Fun, fun, fun - and sooo entertaining.

Housecleaning - actually this one is not much of an excuse because to be honest I feel I'm barely even keeping my head above water. I do the necessities such as dishes, keeping the living room and kitchen clean enough to avoid attracting unwanted varmits and I do laundry. Although that does not always get folded and put away timely - there have been many mornings where you'll find the five of us digging through a large pile of clean laundry looking for something to wear!

Facebook - yes, I'm a bit ashamed to say this has been taking up some of my time, more than it should. It is a wonderful tool for visiting with and sharing things about the kids with my family members who don't live where I do (almost all of them!) However, there are a lot of distractions there too. You have to be careful. But the good news is as of today I have done some Facebook Spring Cleaning. The "delete" button can be your friend.

Lack of journaling - But the biggest reason I have not been blogging much lately is because I have not been journaling. I've found when I journal I'm more likely to post. I have tons of ideas all the time for blog content on all of my blogs. However, I've found if I don't journal, those ideas and thoughts rarely find their way onto my blogs.

So, as of today I'm recommitting myself to journaling. Whether it be things the Lord is revealing to me, things the kids are doing that make me laugh (or cry at times) or just random thoughts and ideas. I will begin journaling more and blogging more. I will no longer rely just only my short Facebook status updates to communicate with the online world. (Of course my posts will show up on my FB profile page!)

I've often told people that for me writing and reading is like breathing. I've not been doing as much of either as I'd like recently. No wonder I feel so short of breath!

Waiting in His Love

2010-01-26T09:45:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share today two songs that have become anthems for me right now. The first is a song that became my song a few months ago. David Crowder Band's "How He Loves Us". And recently they put a video for it on You Tube. Now if you are not familiar with David Crowder Band, please don't let their "look" fool you - these are a group of guys that love the Lord dearly and worship Him with abandon.

Here is their video for "How He Loves Us" on YouTube.

The second video is one that I saw for the first in October when we did our 30 Days Mind of Christ Experiment at SUM. Dineen had posted the video. I remember the song really touching me then. It is from the movie Fireproof. Recently a good friend of mine sent me this song thinking it was bring me some encouragment and hope. I had completely forgotten about it. So thank you Gina!

I feel the Lord impressing this song upon me as well - "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller.

Also, as I mentioned before, the Lord gave me Nehamiah 8:10 this year - The Joy of the Lord is my Strength!

So there you have it - my theme for 2010 - I will worship and serve the Lord while I'm waiting because He loves me dearly and His Joy is my Strength.

God's Ways (not Mine!)

2010-01-24T21:59:00.000-08:00

God's timing is amazing - the way He will give you a word in so many different ways. Isaiah has been popping up alot for me lately, so I've decided to start reading through. In the past when I've tried to read this book it has honestly almost put me to sleep. I just could not make head or tails of it. But this time the Lord is speaking to me.

The other day Isaiah 55:8-11 popped up in a email from someone. Then later that same day a good friend of mine gave me a late Christmas present. A wonderful little devotional book called "Jesus Calling". It is written in the first person, as if Jesus Himself is speaking to you each day. As I read that day's devotion I KNEW the Lord was speaking to me through it. The first words were "Approach this day with awareness of who is Boss!" That is exactly what we were focusing on back in October when we did a series at SUM about putting God on the throne of our lives.

It went on to say that if my plans for the day seem to be all falling apart, to look out for Him. It just might be that He has something better planned for me and that I need to stay in close communication with Him. Wow! What a different way to think of a day that seems to just be going all wrong.

At the end two verses were given. Jeremiah 29:11 and Isaiah 55:9-11. I could go on and on, but I'll just let these verses speak for themselves.

Isaiah 55:8-11

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

After God's Own Heart Book Discussion

2010-01-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

I am so excited and just have to share. Just before the summer started I felt the Lord impressing upon me the desire to study David, specifically his heart and why God Himself called David a man after His own heart.

At one point I mentioned this to my house church and we decided as a group to pursue this. We've spent the summer and fall reading through 1 Samuel and are starting 2 Samuel now.

Then I stumbled across a book by Mike Bickle called "After God's Own Heart". After just the first few pages I knew this book was going to be used by God to change my entire perspective about God's Love for me and how to have a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him.

I've shared what I've been learning and some of the ideas from this book with friends at work. Three of us decided to read this book together and discuss it as we go along. We decided to open it up and throw out the idea to the entire building. I pulled together a synopsis of the book, my reasons for doing the discussion and a couple reviews and sent an email. Now we have ordered our books and should have them next week (I was reading a copy that belonged to a friend, but kept wanting to take notes in it so I figured I need my own copy anyway.) We have 11 people who have committed to reading this book and meeting 2x a month to talk about what the Lord is revealing to us! WOW!!!! God is amazing and I think He is up to some pretty cool stuff this year. I can't wait to find out what it all is!

Here is one of my favorite reviews of this book, which I found on the Forerunner Store website -

WARNING: This book will warp your mind. Do not read it if you plan to live a normal life. It is dangerous. I use to be a normal Christian. But now I am ruined for anything else. ~ Daniel Erwin

The Joy of the Lord is My Strength

2010-01-03T20:05:00.000-08:00

Nehemiah 8:10 tells us the Joy of the Lord is our Strength. I've heard this a hundred times and Chris Tomlin sings a song that I love that says this. But until yesterday I never really stopped to think about what this means. The JOY of the Lord is my strength.

The book I'm reading right now brought this to my attention last night as well as giving me an new perspective on the prodigal son story.

But first, let me ask you a question. If you were told that tonight the Lord was going to meet you face to face and pronounce His Judgment on you, what would be your first reaction? What feeling first pops to the surface for you? Joy? Or is it dread?

We are told He will search the deepest parts of our hearts. When you think about Jesus staring into your eyes and seeing the depths of your heart and soul, do you squirm? Do squirm out of excitement or fear?

I know my heart did a dive into the pit of my stomach when I first thought about this question. But that is slowly changing. Why? Because I'm coming to realize I've always seen my God as being sad or mad in the past. I know He is a loving and kind Father who forgives us, but that image of a scowling or disappointed God had not really left my thoughts. So when I thought of facing Him in His throne room I immediately thought of Him examing all the things in my heart that are dark and bad. I thought of Him going over all my failures.

But as I'm reading scripture I'm starting to realize God doesn't sit up there looking down on me with scorn, disappointment or even indifference. He looks down on me with unconditional love and enjoyment! I'm really starting to get this in my heart. When He searches my heart he find at the deepest part of me that little "Yes" that is determined to follow Him and know Him no matter what it costs me. No matter how many times I may fail on the way. And that little teeny itsy bitsy "yes" makes him smile! (And I'm smiling just writing this and thinking about it!)

I've always thought of the tale of the prodigal son as relating to unbelievers. Those who don't know the Lord or you have walked away from the Lord. And this is true. But last night I started to see this story a bit different. It is also a reflection of us who follow Him and fail along the way (and in case you're not up to speed yet - that is ALL of us!). We react the same way as the prodigal. When we get to the point where we finally admit we have failed and can't go it on our own in our own power and strength anymore, we come to Him on our knees and beg for any small position in His Kingdom. We can't imagine doing anything other than laying out all our failures and begging Him to take us back. But you know what He does? He reaches down, wipes away our tears and engulfs us in the biggest bear hug ever! He leaps and shouts for joy because we are there with him. Even when we are at our lowest and weakest, covered in slop from living with the pigs - He looks on us with enjoyment and love. He desires to gaze on us even when we are covered in filth! Wow!

And what should I expect. If I do believe the prodigal story is of someone coming to know Christ for the first time and God shouts for joy and calls for a celebration at that point, wouldn't He do even more so for someone who is sincerely trying to follow Him - even with all our stumbling? Do I really think His love for me cools and dimishes over time?

So last night as I heard the Lord speaking to me again saying "My Joy is your Strength" it took on new meaning for me. I really started to consider what that meant. What is God's Joy!? When I am weak I can know that the Lord is looking down on me with love, desire and joy and that is what will hold me up and carry me through.

Words can't even begin to express the Joy and happiness that fills me with those thoughts. We truly do serve and AMAZING God!

As I've prayed over this upcoming year the Lord has impressed two words upon me. Last year was a year of REVELATION - it was a time when the Lord began to reveal this great love He has for me. He began to open my heart and mind to what this love really looks like and the true nature of it. His true nature! That will continue into 2010.

However, He also impressed upon me the word SUBMISSION. It is time for me to submit to the love the Lord has for me. To finally accept it and realize His word is true. He says He loves me unconditionally and I need to stop trying to put conditions on His love for me. I need to realize there is nothing I need or even can DO to earn His love. He gazes upon me with love and enjoyment in my weakness. I need to understand this and accept it once and for all. I need to gaze upon Him and His beauty instead of on me and how I can be worthy of His love because the bottom line is I'm NOT worthy of His love. But that does not matter to Him one bit. I'm His cherished daughter, the bride of His Son - Period! End of Story!

Loneliness & Conversations with God

2009-12-29T10:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I had a conversation with God. A dear friend of my posted yesterday about healing. She spoke of those of us who struggle with weight gain due to eating in times of stress etc. She spoke of how things in our past have created bad habits in us and many times the reason why our failure to lose weight is because we are not addressing the root problem. She spoke of how she has realized loneliness in her past had started bad habits for her regarding eating.

I've struggled for awhile now with my eating habits. We ate very healthy growing up. We grew our own vegtables and most of our meat even came from our own efforts rather than from the store. I ate very little junk food or sugar growing up. But I do remember sneaking sweets whenever I could and sometimes gorging myself if I had the chance until I was physically sick. As an adult I've realized that I eat without even realizing I'm doing it at times.

As I read my friend's post yesterday and she mentioned loneliness, it struck a chord. I've always had self-esteem issues. I've had many friends off and on in my life, but never really had any deep relationships with anyone, until recently. And even now I don't have any of those deep relationships which I so desire. I want to be myself with others and really let them get to know me, but I have a fear that if I do I will be judged. So even when I'm transparent with others, there is still something that I'm holding back. Parts of me I'm not revealing, not because I'm a private person, but out of fear.

Even my posts on my blogs are reserved compared to what I'd like to post. I want to be transparent and let the Lord use my words to help others. But I have probably 5 times the number of posts in my head than what ends up on here. The reason for not posting? Fear. Fear of what others will think and the loneliness that will follow as others pull away from me.

As I sat getting ready for my day yesterday, pondering this I began to talk to the Lord.

Me: God, why did you make me this way? I have so many weaknesses that I just can't seem to get past. I want to follow you, to love you and give you my entire life. However, these weaknesses hinder me. I could do so much more for you, be so much more productive if you had just created me with more strength, more confidence. If you had not given me these weaknesses, or allowed them to develop in my life I could accomplish so much for Your Glory.

God's still small voice: Angela, beloved, in your weaknesses, my Strength shines all the brighter.

Me: But Lord, I can't make these changes on my own. I've tried and I just keep failing. I need you to transform me. I'm so lonely, even surrounded by so many people in my life. I need you to change me, to comfort me, to drive out this loneliness. To help me get past all these insecurities in my life that hold me back.

God's still small voice: That's what I've been waiting for, my child. That is all you ever had to do, just to ask me instead of striving yourself. Be still, rest in Me. That is all you need to do. Focus on my love for you, your identify is in Me. I will take care of the rest.

Gazing on His Beauty

2009-12-23T00:31:00.000-08:00

Awhile back I had the desire to study the life of David. Specifically his heart, since he is described by God Himself as being a man after God's own heart. The more I journey down this path with the Lord the more I desire to have that type of relationship with Him.

As I read about David and his relationship with God, I realize the key to having a heart after God's is to understand God's Heart. The more I understand how passionately He loves me, even in the midst of all the "junk" in my life - the more I will begin to love Him. The more I will desire to spend time in His presence and to follow Him.

For too long I've allowed my perfectionist tendencies to drive me to try to be righteous and holy. The problem with this is I am focuing on myself instead of Christ. I've focused on being a "good" christian for so long and when I've stumbled I've focused on how much of a failure I was because of it. I've heard for so long how I need to focus on Jesus and not myself, that God loves me no matter what. But it was not until this last week that this finally clicked for me! I've been preaching this concept to others but without realizing it I was not living it myself. I was still focusing on my failures and running from God when I failed instead of running to Him. I was still focused on my efforts to be "good" for God, trying to earn His love. A love that is greater than I can even begin to imagine and which is already wholly mine - no strings attached!

Now, instead of expending so much energy on being a "good" christian I want to spend my efforts gazing upon God, understanding His emotions and His love. The rest will happen naturally as I fall more and more in love with this amazing, awesome God who loves me.

Remember your first love? The giddy feelings? How you wanted to know as much as possible about the person and could not stop thinking about them. How your heart would flutter everytime you saw them. Remember how when they expressed their love for you, it would increase your love towards them? Our relationship with God is to be like this, but soo much more. And more permanent. It is not a fleeting feeling that fades after a few months when we get to know each other. There is always more to learn about God and His love for us. There is always something new to inspire us.

That is how I've been feeling lately. I've been giddy with excitement for no apparent reason. I'm excited to spend time in His Word, praying, worshiping and just sitting in His Presence. I crave it and run after it. I want more!

Do you feel that way about your Lord and Savior? If not, ask Him to begin to reveal His heart to you. Ask Him to show you His beauty and to give you understanding of how great is His love for you. How passionately He pursues and woos you. Ask Him to give you more understanding of Psalm 27, to truly place this desire deep within your heart.

Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask of the Lord; this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

One book I'm reading right now that I recommend to anyone who wants to take this journey is "After His Own Heart" by Mike Bickle. I leave you now with a quote from this book:

"The heart of God is a wonderland, a universe of beauty like no place mankind could dream up. All beauty on earth is merely a reflection of Him..."

Finding Yourself

2009-12-01T08:58:00.000-08:00

"Finding yourself" or understanding who you really are will never come from examining yourself. Looking within yourself, looking at your heart, your surroundings or those you know will not bring true self-understanding or true purpose to your life.

Our identity flows from Him, His heart. The only way to truly find yourself is to find Him. Understand Him and His heart and you will truly find yourself!

Instead of focusing on trying to "find yourself", focus your energies on understanding our God and His heart and He will reveal who you truly are and your purpose.

Jesus = Passionate Bridegroom
Me/You = Cherished Bride

"Intimacy with God is not just an option, but it is the very essence of true Christianity." ~ Mike Bickle

Anchored in His Word - Fowler's Snare & Deadly Pestilence

2009-11-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. Psalm 91:2-3

What are the fowler's snares and deadly pestilence in your life?

I asked myself this question last week when we began memorizing these verses in a group of which I'm a part.

Fowler's snares - traps of the enemy, lies he tells me that I buy into.
"You are not loved. You are not cherished. You don't fit in anywhere. God can't/won't use you..."
The list goes on and on.

Deadily Pestilence - sin or distractions I allow to keep me from God's Presence. Too much time on the computer, watching TV, even spending too much time doing things that are "good" such as preparing thing for homeschooling my kids.

Question:
Do I truly believe that He is my refuge, my fortress? Do I truly trust Him? When I'm in need of shelter from the storms in life, when those snares block my path, when the deadly pestilence stalks me, do I turn to Him? Or do I turn to myself or other things of this world? How do I further develop that trust?

Answer:
The same as any other relationship, by spending time with Him. The more time I spend with Him, the better I understand His character and know that I can always trust Him.

Anchored in God's Word

2009-11-17T13:39:00.000-08:00

Isn't it amazing how the Lord works to pull a bunch of separate events in our lives together into one big beautiful picture? The Lord has been speaking to me lately about being anchored in His Word. He has done it through a book I'm reading, verses I'm memorizing and through my every day interactions with people in my life.

We have always been told that we should memorize God's Word, that we should be reading Scripture daily in order to fight the enemy. That we should be putting on the armor of God everyday. But do we really understand why and the great importance of it? God is working in His people right now, He is preparing us for something and if we are not anchored in Him and His Word we very well may be left behind in the dust when it all breaks loose.

Here are some tidbits I've "gathered" the past week about this.

Rick Warren - Don't ever try to argue with the Devil. He's better at arguing than you are, having had thousands of years to practice. You can't bluff Satan with logic or your opinion, but you can use the weapon that makes him tremble - the truth of God.

Psalm 91:1 - He who dwells in the Shelter of the Most High shall rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

This is KEY!! I need to rest in God and His Word.

I'm also rereading The Final Quest by Rick Joyner. I found it very profound the first time I read it but this time it seems to be speaking to me so much more. In the first part of the book Rick is part of the army of God fighting the army of the Accuser of the Brethren. The Lord's Army is on a mountain with many ledges during the fight.

Ephesians 6 speaks of the armor of God. The Word of God is our sword. This is our weapon to fight off the attacks of the enemy. It is also our anchor.

In The Final Quest the ledge Rick is on is narrow and slippery, so he uses his sword to anchor himself. He drives it into the ledge and ties himself to it. When he does this he hears God say:

"You have used the wisdom that will enable you to keep climbing. Many have fallen because they did not use their sword properly to anchor themselves."

Then later he writes "I spent every free moment that I got trying to drive my sword deeper in to the ledge, or trying to tie myself more securely to it. Every time I did this, Wisdom would stand beside me so I knew that it was very important."

This is after he describes some on the ledge using the swords to drive off the vultures attacking them but being more easily knocked off the ledge.

** We MUST be anchored in His Word!! **

If this was not clear enough I then received the weekly Facts of the Matter email. Last week started a 3 part series about Truth, Identify and Purpose. This first week was about Truth and talked specifically about being anchored in God's Truth and living it out in our lives!

As I continued to read the Final Quest later in the week there came a point in the book where some of the Christians wanted to go down and fight the enemy. After discussion they decide to stay where they are. When they make this decision Rick hears the voice of the Lord say, "A second time you have chosen wisdom. You cannot win if you try to fight the enemy on his own ground, but you must remain on My Holy mountain."

We need to make sure that we don't try to fight the enemy ourselves - we must do it while staying within the Lord's protection. For me this was in line with my verse for the week (Psalm 91:1) and the quote from Rick Warren which I had read.
At this point Joyner realizes that they have once again made a huge and important decision with just a discussion amoungst themselves. He resolves at this point to make no decisions in the future without prayer. He realizes how without prayer we can so easily fall. As he makes this decision Wisdom grabs his arms and confirms that he must consult the Lord in prayer before making decisions. As Wisdom confirms this he pulls Joyner towards him and at this point Joyner realizes that without even knowing it he had strayed over to the edge of the ledge he was on. At this point Wisdom says to him "Take heed when you think you stand, lest you fall. In this life you can fall from any level."

So last week's theme, at least for me was "Be Anchored in God's Word!" I don't know how the message could be clearer! God's Word tells us in the end many will fall away. I believe this is because there will be so many messages out there that we will not know what to believe. And I believe God will start working in ways that are outside of the boxes we have put Him in. Many will be offended when He does not do things they way we expect Him to (since when has He limited Himself to what we think!?) My concern has been how can I be sure that I'm not offended when God begins to move mightly in this world. How can I be sure that I don't fall for the deceptions of the enemy and walk with the Lord. As Rick Warren points out above, the enemy is very wise and deceptive. I can't in my own human wisdom discern what is Truth and what is his twisted version of truth. How do I set aside my expectations so I am open to whatever the Lord wills for me?

The only answer is to be anchored in God's Word. To spend so much time with Him and in His Presence that I will easily recognize His Voice when He calls to me. He is my shepard, He is your shepard. Do you know His Voice?

But wait! There's more!

To be continued . . .

God's Transformation Process - Part 4

2009-10-26T02:37:00.000-07:00

Below is my last post on SUM for the 30 Days - Mind of Christ Experiment. However the journey continues until Saturday (31st). And to be honest this is just the beginning, this is an ongoing journey of revelation from the Lord. If you want to go through the 30 days yourself please visit Day 1 at SUM and then follow through the posts.

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Over the past three weeks I’ve shared with you the “stages” the Lord has taken me through as He has begun a major transformation process in my life. I’ve walked you through how He revealed His great abiding love and began to help me to truly understand it. How He began to dive deep into my heart and soul to uncover the deepest, darkest and ugliest parts of my life in order to bring healing. And I’ve shared how He has begun to reveal to me the truth about standing with Him while loving others. I pray my transparency regarding my journey will help you in yours. I know that just writing these posts has blessed me tremendously.

I wish I could say the transformation process is over, that I’m a finished and perfected clay vessel. But if these past three weeks have confirmed anything for me, it is that we are all continuous works in process. There is always more to be revealed. These “stages” I’ve shared with you are not a 3 step process that results in a fully transformed mind, heart and soul. Instead they are a cycle which the Lord will take you through repeatedly for the rest of your life. You’ll be able to look back and see how far you’ve come and rejoice in it. And you can also look forward and know you have a lot still to learn. But don’t let this be a discouragement, instead it should be exciting, a sense of expectation. The Lord will continue to transform you as long as you allow Him.

As you continue to yield your life to Him each day and to step down off the throne of your lives, He will reveal His love for you anew, He will reveal the darkness in your heart and heal you, and He will give you His eyes and His heart to see and love the world as He does.

Randy Alcorn wrote a book I love called Edge of Eternity. It reminds me quite a bit of Pilgrim’s Progress. In the story the main character is traveling along a road. As he does he sees two cities. The closest is beautiful and full of wonderful things. At the top of the many tall buildings, he can see that each citizen has their own throne upon which they sit surrounded by vast riches. Far off he sees another city, but it is dark and depressing and only has one throne. However, as he travels farther down this road, his goal being to reach the King’s City, his perspective begins to change. The city in front of him, the one that was depressing and only had one throne begins to become stunningly beautiful, more so than he ever could have imagined. Behind him the city he had thought so beautiful before has become dark. He realizes the thrones that each person sat upon were really tangled webs that held them captive. The people living in the city thought they were free and powerful, but in reality they were in bondage. I read this book a few years back, but this image has stayed with me. It is a powerful picture of our lives.

In your journal today, ask yourself - where are you on this road? Which city do you have your sights set on? Lynn has asked many times during this journey if you are still waking each morning and coming before the Lord on your knees, stepping off the throne of your life and handing it over to Him who truly rules. This is so powerful!

As I sign off on my last post for this 30 day journey I first want to thank all of you. I came into this praying the Lord would give me words to help others and bring Him glory. He has done far more than I could have ever imagined. In some ways I’ve grown as much in the past three weeks as I did over the two years which I’ve shared with you. You have all been part of this transformation for me. I love the way the Lord uses us and our weaknesses to bless others. Isn’t He amazing?

I also want to leave you with a few tidbits the Lord has reminded me of and impressed upon me through this journey.

First, as I said above this is all a transformation process that will continue until we meet our Lord face to face. Look over how far the Lord has brought you and rejoice. Look forward to all that He still has to reveal to you with expectation and excitement. He will continually take you through these stages in one form or another. There are always more layers to peel back as He reveals Himself to us. Always remember He loves you and only wants what is best for you. He has a destiny for you, Beloved. You just need to give Him control of your life and He will lead you there.

Second, God looks at our hearts. I am doing a study of David with my house church right now. Or more specifically we are studying David’s heart. Have you ever wondered what the difference between Saul and David was? Both were anointed by Samuel per the Lord’s instructions, both were filled with the Holy Spirit in a time when the Holy Spirit did not make a habit of indwelling in people, both sinned quite grievously. However, in the end the Lord left Saul, never to return again, but He never left David. Why? It has to do with the heart. God knows that we will mess up at times. This is not an excuse for us to sin or to ignore the promptings of the Lord to confront the sin in our lives. However, please remember beloved, God knows your heart and that is what He honors, that is what pleases Him. Even when your flesh is not able to conform fully, He knows the desire in your heart to be fully transformed. He honors and is pleased by your heart!

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearances, but the Lord looks at the heart.” ~ 1 Samuel 16:7

The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you. ~ 1 Chronicles 28:9

If you are like me you may read that last part above and think, “Ew, I don’t want Him to judge me based on my heart. I know my intentions are not always pure.” If you’ve ever felt like that or maybe do right now, I have a little secret for you that the Lord revealed to me. Are you ready for it?

Recognizing that your intentions are not always pure is part of what He is looking for. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve prayed – “Lord, I desire you and only you. I want your will, not mine to be done. “ And then I pause and have to add - “And if there are any intentions in my heart or desires that are not in agreement with this, please reveal it to me and transform them!”

Even while knowing I desire the Lord, I know there are still parts of my heart that are selfish. I might as well admit these things to God, because He already knows. He knows my heart better than I do. And He is well pleased with us when we are able to be truthful with Him about what we know is in our hearts. That willingness to acknowledge the darkness in our hearts is what God desires of us. That is what pleases Him. David was called a man after God’s heart. Take some time and read David’s story and the psalms he wrote . He readily admits that his heart is not pure, that he had evil and selfish desires. The difference between David and others such as Saul, is that he acknowledges these things and lays them at God’s feet and asks for God’s Mercy and Transformation. That is a heart in which the Lord will be well pleased.

Today as you journal and pray acknowledge those intentions of your heart that are not pure. Ask the Lord to reveal any areas that are not pure and then confess those things and ask the Lord to transform them. Don’t be ashamed of your weaknesses, instead take them to the Lord and trade them in for His Strength. If you do you will hear Him whisper to you “Well, done my Beloved.” and you like David will be considered a man/woman after God’s heart.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

Blessings upon each of you and many thanks for allowing me to share in this journey with you.

Resting in Him,

Angela

God's Transformation Process - Part 3

2009-10-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

Below is today's post that I did for SUM.

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As a new Christian, one of my favorite books to read was “Jesus Freak” by DC Talk. The book is a collection of true stories about individuals who have stood for and given their lives for Jesus. It is amazing and inspiring to read these stories. These are people who have lived out Jesus’ instructions to us:

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ~ Matthew 22:36-39

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. ~ Luke 6:27-28

These people have died standing for Jesus and the most inspiring thing is they do so while praying for and loving those who persecuted and killed them and their families. I remember reading these stories in awe and asking the Lord to strengthen my faith so that if I was ever placed in a similar situation I would be able to stand for Him like that and love my enemies.

However, recently the Lord has brought another scripture to mind for me

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. ~ Luke 16:10

Along with this scripture I hear the Lord whispering to me: “Beloved, can I trust you in the little things?”

Wow, talk about cutting deep. I start to remember that email I received from a co-worker the other day, the one where she threw me under the bus for something I did not do. I remember how as I read it I could feel the heat of anger literally start at the top of my head and pour down over me, leaving me trembling and having to walk away from my desk so I did not respond in an ungracious manner. Instead of praying for my enemy, all I wanted to do was blast her back and defend myself. I did not in the end, but I did let that anger fester and affect my future interactions with her. I did not pray for her or ask for blessings for her.

You see, loving our enemies is a grand and noble idea – until we actually have to put it into practice. Then we realize how very much we need the Lord to transform our hearts because we are not even capable of truly loving our family and friends, let alone our enemies. Our natural tendency is to defend ourselves, to feel entitled to be offended, hurt or angry. Only through God’s transformation process can we face these situations in our lives with a focus first on God and then on loving others, instead of focusing on ourselves.

A few months back, my husband and I got into a disagreement. I honestly don’t even remember what it was about. I do know I was angry and even though I knew the Lord wanted me to let it go, I was determined to wallow in my anger and hurt because I deserved it! (Oh, how we love to wallow in self-pity!) I had to go run some errands and I took my son (then 4 years old) with me. As we left he wanted to sing. I told him Mommy was not in the mood to sing but he could if he wanted. He started to sing a tune that I had taught him. It is called “Be Careful Little Eyes”. We’ve added other verses such as “be careful little hands, feet and ears”. But this day he added his own verse which we had never talked about before. As I drove down the road, blissfully wallowing in my self-pity and anger, my son’s sweet precious voice began to sing:

“Be careful little heart what you feel,

Be careful little heart what you feel,

Because the Father up above is looking down with love,

So be careful little heart what you feel.”

Amazing how God can speak to us through our children, the very ones we are supposed to be raising up and teaching the ways of the Lord to!

In our anger, we need to make sure we are turning our ears to the whisper of the Lord. He usually will not shout at us. He leaves it up to us to listen and follow His voice. We need to listen for His whisper telling us to love those around us instead of the world’s shout that says we are entitled to our anger. No matter how “right” we are in being angry at someone else’s actions or words, the Lord calls us to love. We have to decide what to focus on, what to obey and follow – the world’s view of what we are entitled to or the Lord’s whisper to deny ourselves and love as He loves us.

Over the past months I’ve been struggling with a question which I now believe the Lord put on my heart. How do you stand for God’s Truth in Love?

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. ~ 1 Peter 3:15-16

I’ve compared this to us walking a very narrow path with two very wide and deep ditches on each side. On one side is the Ditch of God’s Truth. This is where we fall when we focus on God’s Truth, His Righteousness and His Holiness. The other side is the Ditch of God’s Love. This is where we fall when we focus on God’s Love, Grace and Mercy. Neither appears to be a bad place to walk and they are easier to walk in because they are so wide! But the true character of our God is made up of both His Righteousness and His Grace. Our human nature has a very hard time combining these two characteristics. It is difficult for us to separate the sin from the sinner. We forget that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against things that are unseen to our natural eyes. The only way we can walk this narrow path is to focus on Jesus in front of us, leading us. We must open our hearts and minds to Him and Him alone.

As with my other prayers, God is answering this one as well. I tend to be a hands-on learner, and the Lord is teaching in the same way. He is showing me how to stand for His Truth in Love by having me do it in my daily life, in the little things - at work, at home, with my husband, my children, my friends, even strangers. I stumble and fall into one ditch or another more often than I can count. But I know that as soon as I’m done feeling sorry for myself and look to Him, He’ll be there holding out His hand, ready to pull me back up on the path and dust off the muck and mire.

Are you on the narrow path, focused on Jesus right now? Or are you walking in one of those wide ditches? In your anger, are you able to hear the whisper of the Lord and do you heed it? Are you able to separate the sin from the sinner? Are you able to stand for God’s Truth in Love? No? Then, are you ready to ask Him to give you the strength and wisdom to do so? Are you ready for some hands-on learning?

Dear Lord,
We ask that you transform our minds and hearts to love the way you love. Please keep us from anger and offense. Please help us to learn to hear your whisper in these times and to yield to You and Your desires for us. Give us wisdom to remember our battle is not against others, but forces and human nature which is unseen. Help us to separate the sin from the sinner. To stand in Your Truth against the sin, but to love the sinner as You love them. Give us Your Mind, Your Eyes, Your Heart!
In Jesus’ Precious Name,
AMEN!!!

God's Transformation Process - Part 2

2009-10-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

Below is my week 2 post on SUM, I've been so busy I forgot to post it on my own blog! :)

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Last week I asked each of you to allow the Lord to show you the great affection He has for you. One fiction series I’m particularly fond of refers to this as the “Great Romance”. I LOVE that. Today I want to tell you about the second stage that the Lord took me through to begin transforming me into the likeness of Him. However, if you have not yet read last week’s post, I encourage you to do so first. I know without an understanding of how much God loved me, I would not have understood what He did next in my life.

I am a bit of a perfectionist and have been known to have some self-esteem issues. I actually have conversations in my head about what others are saying about me. Talk about creating your own issues! Needless to say, I have tended to have a lot of shame and guilt in my life. I tend to beat myself up at times for real and imagined wrongs that I’ve spoken and/or done. Understanding God’s deep love for me is what has broken these chains of bondage over my life. To be honest, they try to creep back in at times, but I’m learning to catch them and put them at the foot of the throne of Jesus. He alone can crush these thoughts.

As a new Christian we are taught that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). We all have darkness in our hearts, hidden sins we hide from others. Sometimes we even hide them from ourselves. The enemy loves to scratch the surface of this evil/darkness that lives within us. He does so in order to shame us or tempt us, sometimes both. God however dives deep into the darkness of our souls and shines His Light on it in order to heal us.

My first bold prayer to do whatever it took to draw my husband to Him had resulted in my finally understanding how much my Savior cherishes me (don’t you love that word? He cherishes us!) My next bold prayer, prompted I know now by the Holy Spirit, was for the Lord to show me the Truth. To show me His Truth (the only Truth) no matter what that looked like. No matter how much it went against what I currently knew and believed.

Once again He heard my cry and was faithful to answer. Once again the results were not exactly what I expected. But oh, they were so much better than I could have ever imagined or hoped! He began to reveal to me all the ugliness of my heart – the selfishness, the pride, the arrogance, the controlling & rebellious nature that lives inside of me. These things when revealed by God’s Holiness and Righteousness were far more appalling than anything I could have ever created in my own mind. However, instead of beating myself up and becoming depressed about how horrible and what a failure I was, I actually felt hope. I finally understood the deep abiding love of my Creator and I knew that God was revealing these things in order to bring healing.

Last week Bonnie left the following comment regarding the Day 5 post:

“I feel like I've been packing so much garbage under some dirt & then planting flowers so no one notices the garbage. It feels like we're going to unearth & destroy the garbage so all that's left is healthy dirt and beautiful flowers...but He isn't playing it soft here. I have most definitely had to get some dirt on my hands & get in there with Him.”

That is exactly what God began to do in my life. I was able to finally let go of the darkness in me instead of dwelling on it. I was able to move forward and allow the Lord to refine and transform me as He removed the garbage from my life and replaced it with healthy rich soil.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart,

O God, you will not despise. ~Psalm 51:17

We say we want to be transformed, but we must realize that in order for the Lord to transform us He requires us to have a broken and contrite spirit. This does not mean that we have low self-esteem. It means we need to be humbled. I think many times today we think low self-esteem and humbleness are one and the same. That is the furthest thing from the truth. A Beth Moore study I’m going through right now explains it this way:

“Lack of confidence does not equal humility. In fact, genuinely humble people have enormous confidence because it rests in a great God.”

This concept has been life changing for me. I’ve spent my entire life battling low self-esteem by trying to prove I was smart enough, pretty enough, funny enough, loyal enough, good enough! But real confidence comes not in whom we are or what we can accomplish – it comes from resting in the strength and abilities of our Awesome God! Our confidence is not in ourselves but in Him!

However, our human nature wants control, believes we need to be able to fix things by our own strength and knowledge. The funny thing I’m realizing is that the world sees low self-esteem and arrogance as being opposite of one another. In reality they are just different symptoms of the same root cause, the human disease called self-centeredness. In both cases, the root problem is that we are focused on ourselves instead of on Jesus.

We are not able in and of ourselves to set aside that human nature. I’ve spent years trying to get rid of this human nature in my own power so I can please God. Ironic since my thinking I can fix it myself comes from the very nature I was trying to rid myself of! We must go to the Lord and ask Him to show us these things in our lives and heal us of them. We must be ready for Him to humble us, to create a broken and contrite spirit in us. To give us a spirit and heart that fully recognizes that we are but humans, and He is our Sovereign Lord.

My question for you today is – do you dare ask the question? Are you bold enough to sincerely ask the Lord to reveal His Truth to you, regardless of what it looks like? Regardless of what beliefs you hold dear which may be destroyed by doing so? Regardless of how ugly and appalling it may be? Do you truly desire humbleness, a broken and contrite spirit and heart? Do you dare ask the Lord to show you who you really are so that He can begin to heal you and transform you into who He has destined for you to be?

"P.S. - For those of you who may have already prayed this prayer and are in this stage of your journey right now - I want to encourage you to persevere. It is very hard to have your true self revealed by God's Light, however the rewards at the end, a transformed mind and heart, are amazing and so well worth the refining period required to get there."

God's Transformation Process - Part 1

2009-10-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

Below is my first post for the 30 Days: The Mind of Christ experiment at SUM. Visit the SUM site to join the journey and read what Lynn and Dineen are sharing too!

* * * * * * * * * *

When Lynn first asked me to join her and Dineen for this 30 Day journey, my mind was filled with so many different things I could write about, things I’ve learned over the last couple years about having a mind and heart after Christ. Then as I began to meditate on these things I realized how very much I have yet to learn. In fact, this process of sharing my heart with all of you is just a continuation of my journey to put Christ on the throne of my life.

My journey began in earnest two years ago when I stumbled across this site and read a post about “the most dangerous prayer”. I prayed that night with a sincere heart. “Whatever it takes, Lord. Whatever it takes draw my husband to you.” The Lord heard my cry and responded, but not in the way I had anticipated.

You see, the Lord knew the best way to draw my beloved husband to Him was to use his wife to show him the love of Christ. And I can’t demonstrate the love of Christ if I am not of one mind and heart with Him.

The first step in my transformation process is what I want to share with you today. To have the mind of Christ, the heart of Christ, we must first love Him with all our heart. As my 5 year old son says “Love God with all my heart, that’s why He made me.” However, in order to do this, we must first begin to grasp the love He has for us, because without His love we would not be able to love Him.

We love Him because He first loved us. ~ 1 John 4:19

One of the first things we are told as a Christian is about how much God loves us, but do you really understand what that means? Has it truly sunk deep into your heart and taken root?

I had thought I understood how much God loved me, but it wasn’t until as couple months after my infamous prayer that I finally began to understand the great love of our God. I began a study on the Song of Solomon which finally hit home with me. I realized even though I said I knew God loved me, I only felt comfortable kneeling before Him when I thought I was being “good”. There was still a part of me deep down that was trying to earn His love. His love can’t be earned, but that is okay because we already possess it. We just need to realize that fact.

It may seem weird that at the beginning of a journey to make Christ our focus instead of ourselves, I would ask you to focus on how much YOU are loved. However I believe it is essential to being able to love Christ with all your heart. We can’t put him on the throne of our life if we don’t love Him wholeheartedly.

Psalm 18:19 says “He brought me into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me”.

God delights in you and wants to rescue you from whatever is consuming your focus in life right now. He knows that the only thing worth focusing on is Him and when we are able to do so the problems of this life fade. They don’t go away, but our perspective on them changes. We begin to see God’s reality instead of the world’s reality.

I ask each of you as we begin this journey to do some deep soul-searching and ask yourself this question. Do you really know how much the Lord loves you? Not because of who or what you are, but because of who He is. Meditate on 1 John 4:19. Ask God to reveal to you what this means, then be still and listen for His voice to answer you.

Click here for a link to the David Crowder Band page. There you can listen to the song, “How He Loves Us." I encourage you to find a quiet place to settle yourselves and listen to this song. Close your eyes, turn up the volume and let the words of this song wash over you and sink deep. He IS jealous for you and your love, you are His Beloved!

30 Day Journey - Update 1

2009-10-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Today is Day 2 of the 30 Days - Mind of Christ journey over at SUM. If you have not already visited over there, I encourage you to take a look. I believe this journey is going to be life changing for many, myself included.

I've been praying for this series now ever since Lynn shared with me what the Lord had laid on her heart and she asked me to join in this journey. Friday the journey began and I found myself staying home from work and sleeping for most of the day due to being sick. And today once again I found myself laid up in bed for the majority of the day. What a way to start a series! But I'm choosing to look at this as a blessing. I've let myself get worn down lately and this illness has forced me into a much needed rest.

I'm also taking this as a good example as to why we need to put Jesus on the throne of our lives. We can NOT do everything we want or even need to do on our own strength. We must learn to lean on Jesus for the strength to do what He has called us to do, each and every day.

Thank you Lord for this reminder at the beginning of this journey.

30 Days - The Mind of Christ

2009-10-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

A blog that I find very dear to my heart and has been a great blessing over the past couple years to me is starting what I believe is going to be an amazing journey tomorrow. Over the next 30 days we are going to explore how to put Christ on the throne of your life. Spiritually Unequal Marriage (SUM) is hosting this "experiment". Please consider joining us in this journey. It is not just for those who are unequally yoked, although some of the experiences shared will be related to this.

To read more about this please take a look at Lynn's first post introducing this journey

30 Days - The Mind of Christ

Then scroll through the other posts made by Lynn and Dineen leading up to the kickoff which will happen tomorrow, Friday, October 2nd.

I pray you will join us and run after having a mind and heart after Christ.

P.S. I have been asked to be a guest contributor on Monday's through this journey. My first post will appear on Monday, October 5th.

Giving an Answer for your Faith and Hope

2009-09-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. ~1 Peter 3:15-16

I've heard the first part of these verses many times, but usually not the second part (amazing how much insight you receive when you start diving into the verses around those you've heard all your Christian life!)

It says when you give your answer to do this with gentleness and respect. How many times when we are questioned regarding our faith do we get defensive or even arrogant? When asked about your faith do you remain gentle and respectful, even in the face of ridicule, mocking and even outright hatred?

David's Backstory - Saul - Self Esteem v. Humility

2009-09-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

(Saul) - 1 Samuel 9-15

Israel insists on a king because they want to be like the other nations around them (1 Samuel 8:19-20). They had rejected God as their King (1 Samuel 8:7).

Samuel annoints Saul as directed by God. Saul has a good reputation, is handsome, strong and stands a head taller than anyone else in Israel. Similar to David, Saul when annointed and then later publicly appointed as king does not appear to let it go to his head. He did not try to build a palace or set up a throne. Instead, like David later does, he returns to his father's home and continues the work he was doing before he was annointed. And like David, we are told the Holy Spirit came on him in power.

We know David committed some very grievious sins later in his life. But what makes him different from Saul? God abandoned Saul, but never left David. Why?

I think the answer to this is very important. Not sure of the answer yet, but I do think I've pinpointed one thing that I need to address in my life.

One characteristic of Saul that stands out is that he was a people-pleaser and had self-esteem issues (when he was appointed king he was nowhere to be found because he was hiding in the baggage!) Self-esteem issues come from the same focus as those who are arrogant. The symptom which the world sees may be different, but the root is the same - a focus on self.

A lack of confidence does not equal humility. A truly humble person looks to the Master while a person with self-esteem issues is still looking to self. A truly humble person in reality has a great deal of confidence - not in themselves - but in the great God they serve.

This difference between lack of self-esteem and true humility is one I'm still trying to grasp - and one that I really don't see as being an issue in David's life. What do you think?

Tormented in Your Righteous Soul?

2009-09-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

2 Peter 2 starts off talking about false teachers and their destruction. It speaks of the righteous and godly who were spared when God's judgment fell on the wicked. It speaks of Noah being spared when God brought the flood to destroy the world. It speaks of Lot being spared when the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

While reading this chapter, one verse stuck out and a question whispered through my mind. Verse 8 says about Lot:

for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard.

The question I keep coming back to is "Am I tormented in my righteous soul by the deeds I see and hear all around me?"

In the past when I saw or heard things that were evil, things that went against God's Truth, I would become indignant. How could they? I would speak out at times, other times I would not, but either way I would smolder with righteous anger.

But lately I've noticed that has changed. As I've prayed for the Lord to give me His Eyes and His Heart for others I've found that while I do still get angry about certain things, I am filled with an even more powerful emotion. A soul wrenching sadness. It is as if the Lord has begun to open my eyes to the person beneath it all. Instead of seeing someone evil and defiant of God, I now more often see the deceived and lost soul underneath - the person who is hiding behind a facade of defiance and self-reliance. A person just like I used to be and honestly still am at times.

There are times I actually find myself in horrible internal agony for a person, tears and sometimes sobs rise up in me for a particular person and the only relief is for me to pray for that person.

I would not say that I am necessarily in torment all the time regarding the evil around me, but the Lord has begun to transform my heart and open my eyes to how He sees others. It is amazing and heartbreaking at the same time.

I never would have thought in the past that I would find myself praying for more torment in my soul, but I do find myself desiring this - to more fully understand how God sees and feels for others. To feel the love He has for them and along with that the sadness that He feels when those He loves dearly choose to turn away from Him.

Effective & Productive Godly Lives

2009-08-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ~ 2 Peter 1:3

I take this verse as saying if we have knowledge of (or in other words, a relationship with) Jesus, then we will have all we need for our lives and all we need to live godly lives.

So then the question becomes how do we have a relationship with Him? I would answer that with another question. How do you cultivate any relationship? You must spend time with the person, put aside your selfish desires and ambitions in order to listen to them and get to know them. Take the time and make the effort to learn and understand their mind and heart.

So, my next question is are we spending time regularly with Jesus? AND is that time spent talking about us or putting ourselves aside in order to truly know His mind and heart?

2 Peter 1 goes on to say we should make every effort to add to our lives the following things:

faith
goodness
knowledge
self-control
perseverance
godliness
brotherly kindness
love

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 2 Peter 1:8

I think this is one of those circles that build upon themselves. Notice it says to possess these in increasing measure. That means we can always use more, we should always seek more.

Spending time getting to know our Savior will increase these qualities in our lives as we know Him better and give Him more control of our lives. Having these qualities increases our ability to know Him better - it is a never ending circle.

As sinful humans we are not able to possess these qualities without our Savior so the best way to get this cycle going is to spend regular time in the Word, in prayer and fasting, in worship in order to see God's heart. As we begin to understand and follow His heart, these qualities will grow in us and we will become effective and productive members of God's Kingdom.

My Heart Aches

2009-08-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

I am part of an online group of mom's with various forums in which I interact. A mom on one of the forum's today had the following in her signature:

The bad news is God does not exist
The good news is you don't need him

Wow! I read this, did a double take, reread it and then as it sunk in felt like the breath had been knocked out of me!

In the past this might have made me really angry but not anymore. Instead I was filled with sorrow. My heart hurt for this person and her family. Not only does she believe this, she feels strongly enough to put it in her signature. The second part hurts the most. I can't imagine living without my Savior and I hurt to think of how much it hurts Jesus to have one of His creation claim this. Imagine one of your children who you love dearly and would give your life for saying this about you!

This world is so lost and so very blind and clueless to the fact. Just because they think they don't need Him, doesn't make it true.

My heart and prayers go out to those who are still blinded by the prince of this world. I pray the Holy Spirit opens their eyes and hearts to the Lord and their desparate need of Him. We all desparately need Him!

My "Right" to Retaliate

2009-08-21T22:36:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 2:23
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

The above verse written by Peter is talking of Jesus, who was without sin, totally innocent but when he was falsely accused and then crucified, never once retaliated in anyway. Even though he could have called down all the angels of heaven to save him, he did not.

My "innocence" is but ashes next to him, but I often believe I have the right to retaliate against those who have wronged me. Even the wrongs that others have perpetrated against me are but mere inconveniences compared to what Jesus suffered.

According to the world though I do have a right to retaliate. If someone speaks badly of me or takes the wrong tone with me, I have the right in the eyes of the world to complain and point out what they have done. The worse the offense, the more "rights" I have.

But as a follower of Him, I am bound not by the rules of this world. I live in the Kingdom of Heaven, ruled by the mighty Creator of ALL creation, not in the kingdom of the world which is darkness. So if I don't live for this world, why do I choose my "rights" based on this world?

National Day of Repentance

2009-07-31T10:52:00.000-07:00

Today is the National Day of Repentance. Please take some time to interced on behalf of our nation and to ask the Lord to search your heart and reveal to you anything that you are in need of repenting.

To learn more about this please visit Days of Repentance

This Declaration of Repentance is a good way to start your prayers. Some of us at my work got together this morning to pray this together and then we walked around our building in prayer.

Sincere Heart

2009-07-29T10:05:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 10 :22
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

This verse tells us not only to draw near to God, but to do so with a sincere heart. I want to draw near to God, but how sincere is my heart? In the past I would have said, “yes, definitely!” but anymore I in all honesty say that.

It is not because I have changed, as if I had a sincere heart at one time but no longer do. Instead it is that I have started to see myself and my motives more clearly recently. I’ve come to see how much selfishness I have in my heart and how much I still cling to the things of this world – material things, worldly thinking and reasoning, worldly desires, the praises of men.

So then the question becomes, if I say I want to draw close to God – what is my reason? If I don’t have a sincere heart then is it because I want something from Him? I’m still seeing Him as a genie in a bottle who will perform as I desire if I just learn the correct way to appease Him?

Lord,
Please transform my heart. Cleanse me of the things of this world which in my weakness I continue to grasp. Soften my heart that I may draw near to You.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.
(Psalm 51:10-12)

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God,
you will not despise.
(Psalm 51:17)

Spiritual Foundations

2009-07-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 2:19-22

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.

Too often we forget Jesus as the chief cornerstone of our spiritual foundation. The one who joins us all together to be a holy temple for the Lord. If we leave out that chief cornerstone and put our focus on anything else (no matter how "good" it may be), we are building on perishable, unstable materials. No matter how beautiful it may look on the outside, the inside is unstable and condemned. It will not last, it will fall and crumble into ashes.

More times than I can count the Lord has revealed to me that I am once again building upon the wrong foundation. I need to keep my focus on Jesus. Doctrine, the church I attend, rules I follow, good works I do - none of them mean anything if my focus and motivation is not Jesus.

I Can Do All Things

2009-07-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. ~ Phillippians 4:13

Funny thing about reading the Bible - it is the Living Word of God and as such God will use it to reveal something new to you each time you read it if you are open and willing to listen to the Holy Spirit.

The scripture above includes giving me strength in learning to bite my tongue, even when I have the "right" to speak out. To love and be kind and gentle even when I'm not being loved. To forgive even when things are being held against me that are not true.

Why?

Because it is not about me or my fragile feelings. It is about Him and following Him. Bringing Him glory and letting His light shine through me to those who need Him most. It is about focusing on Him - not my "rights", my pride or my ego. It is about being content in Him regardless of my circumstances.

Lord,
help me to remember this when I feel the anger rising up, when my pride is hurt, when I start to feel sorry for me because nobody understands. Help me to remember to focus on You and lean into You.
~Amen

Cease striving and know that I AM God. ~ Psalm 46:10

Source of our Good Works

2009-07-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Everyone (or at least every "good" Christian) knows the verses Ephesians 2:8-9, but last night as I read through Ephesians 2 it struck me how that is like cutting off a thought midway. While those verses are good, I really think we do an injusticce by leaving out verse 10.

8 For it is by grace you have been samve, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift from God - 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
~Ephesians 2:8-10

I read this and realize not only is my salvation the work of God and not something for me to take pride in - but the good works that I do for God as a result of my salvation are also His doing - "which God prepared in advance for us to do". Therefore, I can't boast of them either because without Him they would be nothing, worthless, non-existent.

Predestined before the World Began

2009-06-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight, He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.
~ Ephesians 1:4-5

Once again I find myself pondering this verse in amazement. My mind grapples with the idea that He chose me to be holy and blameless even before He created the world! The whole idea of free will and an all-knowing God blows my mind. I am in wonder. And then to know that He chose me!

He adopted me - even knowing what a mess I would make of my life, knowing how many times I would fail Him, turn my back on Him - He chose to adopt me! Why?? Because it pleased Him. He takes pleasure in me - mess and all!

WOW!!!!

Self-examination: Pride (Striking the Rock)

2009-06-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book right now that has me re-examining my life as a Christian quite a bit. It is full of little Truths that when I truly look at my life, I'm realizing that I've not been living my life as much for the Lord as I might have once imagined. I'm beginning to look deeply within myself at my motives, my priorities, my focus and I'm not always very happy with what I see. But the good news is I know as the Lord reveals these things to me I can take them to Him and He will heal me.

So, here is the most recent self-examination:

Numbers 20:1 - 13 tells about how the Israelites arrived at the Desert of Zin which is where Miriam died and was buried. Once again as had happened several times during their wanderings, there was no water and the Israelites began to complain. Moses and Aaron went to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and the Lord spoke to them. He was very clear in His directions.

"Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock from the community so they and their livestock can drink." (emphasis added - Numbers 20:8)

Moses gathered the Israelites, but instead of just speaking to the rock, he took the staff and struck the rock. Not once, but twice. The Lord cause water to pour forth as He had promised, but Moses actions had consequences.

"Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." (Numbers 20:12)

In the past I've read this and just not gotten it. I guess I've been under the assumption that Moses struck the rock out of anger because he was so sick and tired of the Israelites complaining. But the Lord's response leads me to wonder if that was not the true reason for Moses actions. That to root of that action was something much deeper. Regardless, I can only imagine the despair that must have filled Moses when he learned his actions were going to keep him from the Promised Land.

The book I'm reading speaks of this incident and relates it to our lives as Christians in today's world.

"The body of Christ today is encouraged to search the Scriptures for desired promises, hold those Scriptures up to God and demand fulfillment. This could be the ultimate demonstration of the pride of man. This uses God's authority and principles for self-promotion! The Lord wants us to learn to use the rod - but for His purposes. When pride (self-centeredness) enters into spiritual authority, we are in grave danger. He is seeking those who "tremble at His word" to be His habitation
(Isaiah 66:1-2). We must treat Him as holy or we, like Moses, may find ourselves banned from the promised land."
(There Were Two Trees in the Garden by Rick Joyner)

When I read this the first time I was struck with a holy fear. Have I been doing this in my life? Moses was described as the most humble man on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). If this humblest man on the earth can fall victim to pride and self-centeredness, someone who has basked in the glory of the Lord to the extent that he had to wear a veil on his face, what makes me think that I won't fall in the same way?

This is why it is so extremely important for me to continue to ask the Lord to show me areas of my life where pride is taking root (or already has) and to ask Him to pull out these things from my life. It is only through Him and by His power that this can be done. The process of pulling these "weeds" out of my life may be painful at times, but being told by the Lord that I won't see the promised land because I've not honored Him as holy is far worse.

Answers in Colossians

2009-06-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

I'm part of a Christian email distribution group at work which I've found to be very interesting. This group has Christians from all walks of life and the discussions get very 'animated' at times. Recently a post by one member led to discussions regarding how we are to stand for God's Truth, among other Believers and to the rest of the world. I've share before how I constantly wrestle with what it looks like in my life to stand for God's Truth in Grace.

I want to stand for God and His Truth and I know at times that means I will offend others. But I don't want to offend someone needlessly, offend them just to offend them. In fact, I don't want to offend anyone at all. If something I do or say offends someone I want it to be God and His Word that offends them, his Truth piercing their conscience, not my way of presenting that Truth.

Last night as I was reading through Colossians I wrote the following verses in my journal under two headings. I've decide these verses are definitely worth studying closer and asking the Lord to help me properly apply them in my life.

Under the heading "picture of how we are to live and interact as a Body of Christ"

~ Colossians 3:12 - 17
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Under the heading "How to deal with those who are not Believers"

~ Colossians 4:5-6
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Trading our Birthright?

2009-06-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book right now called "There Were Two Trees in the Garden" by Rick Joyner. Tonight I was reading a chapter that begins talking about Jacob and Esau. It speaks of how we will read this story and wonder how in the world could Esau give up his birthright for a bowl of stew, no matter how hungry he is. But are we really any different when we look at our lives honestly.

The Lord Jesus purchased with His precious blood the opportunity to dwell before the very throne of God. How easily we trade this privilege! Many Christians will spend more time each before worthless television programs than they do in the Word of God or in prayer.
(There Were Two Trees in the Garden)

Ouch! How many times have I done this? How often do I still? No just television, but also on the computer or a number of other ways. I need to re-examine my time.

But more importantly I need to change my perspective - I need to realize that time spent in prayer and God's Word is the same as sitting at the foot of God's Throne, being in communion with Him. Not only that, but also that it is not a thing to take for granted, something to do when I feel like it. It is a privilege, one that I should cherish, one that was purchased by another for me by the shedding of His precious blood.

Looking at it in that way sure changes your perspective and your priorities.

What Is My Mind Set Upon?

2009-06-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.
~Romans 8:5-6

Read this last night and it made me stop and consider what I live by and what controls my life. I say I’m a Christian and the Spirit of God lives within me, but I must look deep and examine the fruits. Do they testify to that? Questions to ask myself:

1. Does the fruit of my life attest me being focused on the desires of God or on my own selfish desires? I need to look deep because sometimes my selfish desire may be disguised as desires of God. Have I justified them to myself in such a way?

2. Does the fruit of my mind produce life and peace? Or does it produce death, discord and discontent?

Righteous Live By Faith (another lesson from Romans)

2009-06-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
~ Romans 1:17

I’ve always thought of this last line as saying that if someone is righteous, they have faith. In other words, without faith in our Creator God & Savior, you can’t truly be righteous. I still believe this to be true, but today as I read these words another meaning came to mind.

What if these words are not just describing a characteristic of a righteous person? What if these words are a “heads up”, a warning if you will, to those who are pursuing righteousness? It is not worded to say, to be righteous you must have faith – it says the righteous live by faith.

I think this very well may fly in the face of many of the “prosperity” messages we often hear in Christian circles today. Why? Because when everything is going good in your life and everyone likes you and agrees with you – what need do you have for living by faith?

Maybe living by faith means that even when in the world’s eyes things are falling apart around you (finances, relationships, health, etc) you still have hope, peace and love because you know the Lord is directing your path. He is holding you up in your weakness and you are trusting in the future He has for you, no matter what it may look like to others.

This is not to say that if you are righteous your life will be falling apart around you, or that if things are going well in your life, you are not righteous. But I do have to wonder if Paul is referring to the fact that when you are truly living for God, you will be required to live by faith because things are not always going to be rosy. Just look at Paul’s life. By the world’s standards once he started following Jesus, his life took a total nose-dive. But by heaven’s standards a different story is told.

The righteous live by faith – am I ready to be righteous?

Obedience Through Faith

2009-06-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
~Romans 1:5

We always talk about people "coming to faith" and we speak of how salvation is through faith, not by works. However, true faith and salvation will change us. While we can't do anything to earn salvation, once we have it, it should change us and that change should be evidenced in our lives, it should bear fruit.

We don't change into a perfect person overnight, but we are being transformed from the inside by the Spirit that now lives within us. The change or fruit of our lives that I believe leads to all others is obedience. Obedience to our Lord and Savior, which means totally surrendering and submitting our lives to Him, making Him our sole focus. This does not happen overnight either, but I believe it is the key to true transformation and evidence of true faith.

Paul opens his letter to the Roman church with the above verse. What caught my eye was the end of the sentence - "the obedience that come from faith."

If I am truly a Child of God, a Child of Faith - shouldn't my life be evidence of my obedience to my Lord?

To Judge or Not to Judge

2009-06-05T23:34:00.000-07:00

I've been reading 2 Corinthians and something that has been a bit confusing to me in the past has come to the surface again. It is about judging. God had revealed to me recently just how judgmental I can be and has been working on this in my life (among other things). While that is something I need to work on, I often wonder, are we truly not to judge in any way at all?

I'm part of a Christian email distribution group at work, and this very often comes up. Someone will make a comment which in effect judges the actions of someone in the media. What always follows is a debate (sometimes very heated unfortuately) about whether or not we are to judge others and if so, how exactly do we do that? What exactly are we to judge? Some will say that we can't judge a person's heart but we can judge their actions/fruit. Others say we should not judge at all.

Many on the list and elsewhere in the world will fall back on verses that say we are not to judge others, that only God can judge. I do believe that only God can judge a person's heart - however, is that the end of it? Is it accurate to say that as Christians we are not to judge others in any way, shape or form?

If the answer is yes, isn't Paul in the wrong then? If you read 2 Corinthians he is judging the actions of the Corinthian church and those he labels as "super apostles". He makes it clear, in my opinion, that he is making his observations because he cares deeply for the church. But some of his words are pretty harsh when you read them.

The more I think about this the more I realize this is one of those things that goes round and round and round. By noting that Paul is judging in 2 Corinthians, aren't I judging him and his words? On the email distribution list, those pointing out that others should not judge are actually judging as well, arent' they?

Oh my, I think my brain is going to explode! Seems like every time God reveals something to be addressed in my life, I end up with more questions than answers. But then I guess that is a good thing. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

What Fragrance Are You? - Part 2

2009-05-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.
~ 2 Corinthians 2:15-16

Since my last post I've been thinking about this verse quite a bit. What does it mean exactly to be the smell of death to those who are perishing?

In the past I was very exuberant about my relationship with the Lord. To be honest, I was a bit pushy and annoying. Not at all Christ-like. At that time though I probably would have told you that if my beliefs annoyed you, it was because you did not have a relationship with God. I've learned the hard way though that being obnoxious is not what God has called us to, nor does it draw others to Him. Only His Love will do that and we can't show that Love to others when we are being annoying. We are only promoting ourselves and our own self-righteousness.

Looking back to the years before I came to know the Lord, I realize He was pursuing me the entire time. I think I experienced that smell of death during those years. I could talk the talk with many "religious" people and actually enjoyed doing so. But when I found myself in the company of true Christ-followers things changed. Those whose focus was on Jesus and letting His Glory and Love shine through them, rather than trying to prove their own righteousness put me on edge. It was nothing they did themselves, as they always treated me with nothing but love and respect, but I always felt like I was on the hot seat. Like they could see right through me to who I really was, to the person I did not even want to see.

I know now that they did not really have this "power", but the Holy Spirit who lived within them does have that power. It was His voice calling to me that made me so uncomfortable. His voice was the smell of death to me because I was not yet ready or willing to hear Him.

So, is that what this verse is speaking of? The fragrance that we give off is the Holy Spirit living within us who speaks to those we come in contact with?

I think those who are perishing are not necessarily those who don't know the Lord, but those who don't know Him and are not seeking Him. I believe the Spirit living within us is Life to those who have the same Spirit in them and Life to those who are truly seeking the Lord, though they may not yet know Him. He is only death to those who are still convinced that they are not in need of His Grace and Love.

What Fragrance Are You?

2009-05-12T22:38:00.000-07:00

I'm reading through 2 Corinthians right now and came across this verse the other day. Made me start to think - what kind of fragrance am I to others?

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.
~ 2 Corinthians 2:15-16

I had never really thought of it in this way before. Something to meditate on - am I truly a fragrance of life to those who know God and the smell of death to those who don't know Him? If I can't say "Yes" I may need to re-examine how I am living my life. Am I truly letting the fragrance of Jesus, my Savior, flow through me to the world?

Nick Vujicic - Life Without Limbs

2009-05-04T23:31:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning I had the privilege to hear Nick Vujicic speak at a local church. Amazing and inspiring! Intense and convicting!

Nick is a man who was born 26 years ago with no arms or legs and no explanation from the doctors as to why he was born that way. His parents were just told that he would not be able to do anything for himself and would be a burden to them and others for the rest of his life.
At a young age Nick prayed for the Lord to provide him with a miracle, to give him arms and legs. He promised God that if He gave him this miracle, he would travel the world telling others of how great our Creator is and of the miracle that the Lord did in his life. But as Nick said on Sunday, God chose not to give him his miracle, instead He chose to make Nick a miracle for thousands of others.

Nick now travels the world sharing the Love and Hope that are in Jesus Christ with others, but still without arms or legs. He tells others of how even when God does not change your circumstances, He is still with you and still loves you. He has other plans for you that are greater than anything you can imagine because many times those same circumstances you are trying to avoid, are the very best way for Him to show His Glory, Mercy, Grace, Love and Hope through you.

Nick shared on Sunday about the Peace he has in God, even when things are not going well. He shared about the love of Christ and how it can heal anyone if we just accept it. He talked of how even if we have it all together on the outside, it is all for nothing if we don’t have the Peace that comes with knowing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is the inside that matters, not the outside.

When you see God using someone like Nick, who has no arms and legs, in such a might way, our excuses start to sound pretty lame. God can and will use us if we just choose to submit to Him and allow Him to lead our lives. Nick also made another good point. He said we often compare our circumstances to that of others so we can feel better. You know, things are bad for us but at least we have it better than so-and-so. But as Nick pointed out, that is just temporary peace – just us trying to mask the pain and hurt. The only true way to heal ourselves of whatever we are going through or will be going through is to have a relationship with God and allow Him to heal us from the inside out.

I highly encourage you to check out Nick’s ministry – Life Without Limbs. He has quite a few videos on the site which are very inspiring and are worth taking some time to view.

Miss California's uncompromised answer

2009-04-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

I guess I don't keep up on the news as much as maybe I should - but I just heard about this today. Miss California (Carrie Prejean) in the Miss USA pageant was asked a very controversial question which some say may have cost her the Miss USA crown.

The question was "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?" asked by Perez Hilton.

Miss California's answer was "Well I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. Um, we live in a land that you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and in, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there. But that's how I was raised and that's how I think that it should be between a man and a woman."

Perez Hilton later commented that she lost the crown not because of her opinion but because of how she answered the question (give me a break!). He says she could have answered it in a way that would have held true to her beliefs without alienating others. He has said that she did not answer the question asked.

What??? He asked her what she thought about other states following Vermont's example in regards to gay marriage and specifically asked her why or why not? That is exactly what she did. She answered why she believed what she believed. People are saying she is to answer as Miss USA, not as her personal beliefs. I don't know about you, but if Miss USA is someone that has to sugar coat their beliefs in the name of being politically correct then I have a major issue with Miss USA. I guess Miss USA should be renamed Miss Politically Correct.

One comment from Carrie in a subsequent interview was that it is not about being politically correct - it is about being biblically correct. Amen girl! I for one support her 100% and am very proud of her for standing up for God's Word and her beliefs, even though she had to have known it would cost her all that she had been working so hard to accomplish.

I believe this is a good example of our country right now. We are a nation who is so concerned with being politically correct and sugar-coating things so that nobody feels bad about sin in their lives that we have compromised our morals, we spit in the face of God's Truth. Then we wonder why our country is faltering.

I pray that more of us would have the convictions and courage of Carrie to stand for our beliefs and God's Truth. Unfortunately we are living in a time when God' Truth is often offensive to others, a time when we are being pressured to be "tolerant" of all sin. A time when the only thing that is not tolerated is God's Word. We must each make a choice - as we grow closer to the Lord and He reveals His Truth to us, will we stand by Him or will we be politically correct in order to gain man's approval?

1 Corinthians - Wisdom & Foolishness

2009-04-18T23:21:00.000-07:00

In the 1st chapter of 1 Corinthians Paul says he has been sent to preach the gospel which is not with "words of human wisdom". He then goes on to say the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are lost, but the power of God to those who are saved!

Wow - what a powerful message! In fact, I have been reading 1 Corinthians 1 over and over again the last few days. Just letting this all really sink in. It seems to speak so much to me right now, especially with all that is going on in our world right now.

I praise God that He put this knowledge in my heart as I know it is only by His grace and mercy that I'm able to recognize the gospel of Jesus as being the Power of God. It is only by His power that this message is made known to me, the knowledge of understanding Truth!

If you have a moment - I encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 - these verses are amazing. They are so true and give such hope. True wisdom is of God - all else falls dreadfully short!

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
~ 1 Corinthians 1:25

Drawn from Water - Please Read

2009-04-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently shared this site with me. He knows someone personally who is involved with this group. I encourage you to read the testimony on this page and watch the video.

Drawn from Water is an organization that has set up an orphanage in Ethiopia for children from the Kara tribe. This is a tribe with a superstition regarding evil spirits. The word Mingi is used by this tribe to describe individuals that are believed to be cursed. Parents in this tribe are required to kill their own children by drowning them in the river if they are labeled as Mingi.

What things make a person Mingi? Many different things but one of the most common is a child whose top teeth come in before their bottom teeth. This tribe believes these children must be killed to rid the tribe of evil which will curse the entire tribe. Some of the children are labeled Mingi before they are even born. Can you imagine carrying a child in your womb who you already love, knowing that soon after the baby is born you will be required by your tribe to drown that precious baby?

This group has set up an orphanage to take in these children so they are not killed. The ages of the children rescued so far are between four months and five years. As I read the post from the YWAM missionary involved in getting this set up I was in tears. As I watched the video at the top of the page I kept seeing my own son's face, he is 4 1/2. I can't even imagine being told that I needed to kill him to keep evil from my tribe.

Please take time to visit this site and consider doing whatever you can to help rescue these precious children. If nothing else, please pass this website on to others so it gets exposure.

Resurrection Cookies

2009-04-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

I made these with my daughter last year (she was 6 1/2 then) and this year I plan to make them with all three kids tomorrow night. It is a wonderful way to help the kids understand what Jesus did for us and to focus the day on the One we should be focused on instead of bunnies, chocolate, eggs and candy.

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Resurrection Cookie Recipe
1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 cup granulated sugar
Zip-lock plastic bag
Wooden spoon
Tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place pecans in zip-lock bag and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11. Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah1:18 and John 3:1-3. Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.
GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Resurrection morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Resurrection day Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

HE HAS RISEN!

Prop 8 Backpedaling?

2009-04-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me one of the below articles which desparately saddened me. I've been sitting here debating what to say about it and I must say I'm at a loss for words.

All I know is one of my biggest struggles is learning to please God and not worry about pleasing men. I don't want to needlessly offend men, but I am determined to stand for God's Truth. I think there are many who struggle with this as well and I believe the Church overall (at least in America) is more worried about how it looks in the eyes of men rather than God's view of it.

Now an individual who is highly respected in the Church and is a shepard to many is backpedaling in regards to God's Word. Rick Warren who just weeks before the elections fully and publicly supported Prop 8 and said he recognized marriage to be between a man and a woman has now announced on Larry King Live that he now regrets backing Prop 8.

When such a public and well-respected Church leader backpedals regarding support for God's Truth, it convinces me even more that America and the Church is losing its focus. Our focus should be on Jesus and God's Truth, not the opinion of men.

Warren's backsliding
Rick Warren disavows support for Prop 8
CBN News

Unfortunately for him, many who oppose Prop 8 are also criticizing Rick for his latest statements on Monday. While I and many others see those statements as backpedaling and/or caving into pressure from others, they are seeing it as him lying about his true convictions.

As a sidenote, I will link to Saddleback Church's released statement after Monday's comments. Not sure that I believe this, but I guess I should probably give the benefit of the doubt.

Statement from Saddleback Church

Ok - so I guess I wasn't as such a loss for words!

Bella - Movie Recommendation

2009-04-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to see the movie Bella for the first time last night (I know, I'm a bit behind the game, but that's what happens with a full-time job and three small kids. Most movies I see anymore are animated!)

I highly recommend this movie. It was beautiful and very powerful.

The movie is about two individuals Jose & Nina. Jose is an ex-soccer player whose future drastically changed when he was involved in a tragic accident. He now works as the head chef at his brother's restaurant. Nina is a young single woman who also works at the restaraunt. At the beginning to the movie she finds out she is pregnant and gets fired in the same day. Jose befriends her for the day as she tries to deal with her situation. The movie follows them for the day and reveals the healing that takes place in both of their lives as a result of this newfound friendship.

If you have not yet seen this movie please do. It is a powerful message about life, compassion and healing.

A Tribute to C.S.

2009-04-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

I don't know who to give credit to for this, nor do I know if it was really printed in the London Times - but regardless, it speaks truth. . .

An Obituary printed in the London Times........

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

Knowing when to come in out of the rain; Why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

IHOP-KC Online Archive - FREE!

2009-03-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

Just found this today thanks to a friend on Facebook. IHOP-KC has a site which is a FREE online archive. I've always loved IHOP's copyright - "Our copyright is the right to copy." So if you are a fan of IHOP-KC or just curious check it out. You can even sign up to be a member and personalize your own page there.

IHOP-KC Free Online Archive

Love Dare

2009-03-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

A group that I'm part of just finished going through the Love Dare. Part way through I decided to go out and buy the book for myself. I think this book can be an amazing tool for marriage and even daily living and your relationship with God. It can be applied to more than just your marriage. I've decided I want to make this more than just a 40 Day Dare though. I want to spend more than one day on each dare, so I think this is going to be more like a 120 day dare for me. In addition, I think it is something that would be a great reminder once or twice a year.

So, I'm going to start this book again on my own giving each dare a few days to sink in and become a normal part of my daily life. In addition, I'm going to start two other things:

1. A journal to my beloved husband. Ideally, I pray one day I can give this to him and he can read it (and I hope cherish it). For now, it will be a way for me to record the next 120 or so days as I do this dare. To really express to him how I'm feeling about the dares, how much I love him and anything else that I believe should be shared.

2. Blog - I'm going to blog some of my thoughts for each dare on my Thankful Heart blog. So if you are interested in how these dares can change a marriage, a life - please visit me. I'll be as transparent as I can without sharing things that I believe should be just between my beloved and I.

Call to Prayer - 90 Days - Prop 8 & Marriage

2009-03-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday (March 5th) was the California Supreme Court heard oral arguments regarding three lawsuits regarding Proposition 8 which passed last November in this state. I know many were praying and fasting yesterday and even the days leading up to the hearing.

Please don’t stop. Now starts a 90-day period for the court to make a decision regarding what they heard yesterday. Please continue in prayer these next 90-days that those making these decisions will be influenced by the Spirit of God.

Lou Engle has called the church to prayer not only for this state, but for this nation:

“Pray for these judges that the hand of God will influence their minds and hearts, that the fear of the Lord would fall upon them, and that dreams would invade their world, their wives, their children, and their innermost thoughts. Pray that God would restrain principalities and powers that have mustered their forces of demons to seize this nation through this door in California. Pray for an unprecedented outpouring of the Spirit in California and America. Pray that God would raise up righteous leaders and bring down the unrighteous ones. Pray for the cleansing of sexual compromise and divorce in the church so that she can reclaim spiritual authority. Finally, pray that the love of God would be poured out on those struggling with homosexuality across this nation. Oh that the power of God, the power of the gospel, would be released again to free the captives!”

Please continue to intercede for this state, this nation and the leaders of both over the next few months.

12 yr old's video about Abortion

2009-02-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine posted this on her facebook page recently and I stumbled across it today. Very touching video done by a 12 year old girl for her 7th grade class regarding abortion.

At the end the girl reads a quote from a story she read on Focus on the Family. It was the testimony of Sharon Osbourne and her experience with abortion at 17 years of age and its subsequent effects on her life. I googled "Sharon Osbourne abortion" and found quite a bit more information about this story.

Names of Jesus

2009-02-21T20:53:00.000-08:00

We are studying the book of Revelation right now in my house church. While reading through this book, I noted how many different names/descriptions attributed to Jesus in this book. Here are a few that I noted:

* Him who is, and who was, and who is to come
* Faithful Witness
* Firstborn from the dead
* Ruler of kings of the earth
* Him who loves us
* Him who has freed us from our sins by His blood
* Has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father
* Alpha & Omega
* the Almighty
* "like a son of man"
* the First and the Last
* the Living One
* was dead, and behold I am alive for ever & ever
* holds the keys of death and Hades
* Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands
* Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword
* Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze
* He who searches hearts and minds
* Him who holds the seven spirits of God and seven stars
* Him who is holy and true
* Him who holds the key of David
* the Amen
* the faithful and true witness
* the ruler of God's creation
* Lion of the tribe of Judah
* the Root of David
* Lamb
* Sovereign Lord, holy and true

Wow - we serve such a might and awesome Lord! Don't know about you but reading these things brings me comfort and peace, knowing this is the Lord I'm trying to follow.

Who is your Jesus?

2009-02-08T20:06:00.000-08:00

Recently in an email on the Christian distribution list at work someone brought up a point which I found very profound.

We all say that it is believing in Jesus and confessing Him that is important. We may disagree on some items but believing in Jesus and confessing His name does us no good if the Jesus we believe in and confess is not the True Jesus revealed to us in God's Word.

Makes me stop and consider - the Jesus I confess, how does He measure up to the True Jesus?

O Lord, reveal to me where "my" Jesus has fallen short and strengthen me to make changes where they are needed. Truly knowing You is more important to me than being right. Where that may not be true in my heart, please transform me.

Taking Offense?

2009-01-23T21:00:00.000-08:00

And they took offense at him.
~ Matthew 13:57

Because the people of his hometown thought they knew him, they took offense to what Jesus was teaching.

Are we today any different? Don't we often believe that we know God so well that we know how He will or will not work? Don't we put our great Almighty Creator in a box of our own making and then get offended because He chooses to work in our lives outside of those constraints we've tried to place on Him?

Lord,
Please show me the areas of my life where I've put you in a box, so that when you do act on my behalf, I'm not offended if you don't do so the way I've imagined. Help me to focus on you so that I hear your voice. I want to ensure I don't fall for the lies of the Enemy, but I also want to make sure I don't pass up something of You because I've made assumptions about how you are working in my life and/or in the world. Reveal to me those "boxes" and help me to put them aside and embrace You and Your ways fully.
~Amen

Psalm 9:12 - Blood Avenger

2009-01-20T20:20:00.000-08:00

For He who avenges blood remembers; He does not ignore the cry of the afflicated.
~ Psalm 9:12

As I read these words the other day, all that kept coming to mind was the cries of and the blood of the unborn.

Lord,

I ask that You hear these cries, the voices of those who have no voices. Open the eyes of our country so we will see this is not about a choice, it is about a Life! A beautiful, unique and sacred life which You created. Please speak to the hearts of these poor deceived women, lift the scales from their eyes, reveal the lies they have been told and have been believing. Fill them with your Truth and sustain them with your Strength.

I praise your Holy & Righteous Name - Amen!

Rewards for Enduring

2009-01-17T13:25:00.000-08:00

As a church we are reading through the book of Revelation right now. We are all reading it ourselves and taking notes, discussing it together and watching a video series about it as well. The individual leading the video series had mentioned how important it is to understand the purpose of a book in order to fully understand it. I agree with him 100%.

He had noted that the purpose of the book of Revelation is summed up in Revelation 14:12. I tend to agree with him.

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful.
~Revelation 14:12

The more I read this book and study it the more I realize we may never be able to interpret accurately every part of it until it actually happens. I also realize that God gave us this book to encourage us when these things start to happen. It may get worse for a bit, but in the end we know who will triumph. God is calling us to endure and remain faithful.

The beginning of the book consists of letters written by Jesus to the seven churches in Asia. As I read them over I noted that Jesus speaks of rewards in each one for those who endure, are faithful and overcome. This is significant if you believe as I do that the purpose of the book is to encourage those who are called to endure and remain faithful.

Rewards promised to the churches if they are faithful, endure and overcome:

the right to eat from the Tree of Life
given the Crown of Life
not to be hurt by the second death
given some of the hidden manna
given a white stone with a new name
given authority over the nations
given the morning star
given the right to sit with Jesus on his throne
will be dressed in white
will never have their name blotted (or scratched) from the Book of Life and will have his/her name acknowledged before the Father and his angels
will be made a pillar in God's temple
will have the name of God, Jerusalem and their new name written on them

Now I don't understand exactly what each of these are, but Jesus seems to imply these are pretty good things and I tend to believe him. I find this list of rewards for those who endure to the very encouraging in my own life when I go through trials and disappointments. I pray others will as well.

Trust

2009-01-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.
~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Lord,

I know these verses, but please help them to travel from my mind to my heart and from there translate into a lifestyle for me. I want to truly trust you and look to You in all things, in all ways. I desire to walk down the paths you have for me rather than where my flesh and sin nature lead me.

Transform my mind, my heart and my life.

In Jesus' Name,
AMEN

Relationships & Foundations

2009-01-10T22:02:00.000-08:00

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you, Away from me, you evildoers!'
~ Matthew 7:21-23

I read this tonight and wondered, if that day was to come today, what would Jesus say to me? I know it is truly all about a relationship, so how is my relationship with the Lord? If I was to meet Him face to face would He claim to know me or would he respond with "Away from me!"

The next verses in Matthew are the story Jesus told of two men building homes. One built on a rock and the other built their house on the sand. When the storms came the house built on the rock is the one that remained standing. The emphasis of course is the foundation on which we build our lives. Do we build it on the shifting sands of this world or on the Rock of Jesus. I started to ponder this in my life as well.

As I pondered this and wrote the above in my journal, I received a notification of new email. It was a daily devotional to which I've subscribed. The opening words of the email were "How is your spiritual walk? Do you spend enough time with God that you are happy with your relationship with Him?" It goes on to encourage us to make time with God and nurturing that relationship a priority in our lives.

At another point in the devotional it says "Our relationship with God is foundational to the rest of our lives. His working in our lives makes or breaks the quality of our lives and our ability to love and serve others."

This past week I've been part of a group who has been fasting, looking for direction from the Lord regarding the new year and what the Lord has in store for us and our families. What direction He wants us to take in the upcoming year. This is clearly part of the answer for me. Maybe this is the entire answer for me.

I've often told others that the whole "God thing" is not about religion or rules. It is about a relationship. If we can get that figured out the rest will all fall into place. I guess it is time for me to live this out more fully myself. Obviously the Lord wants me to work on my relationship with Him, to ensure the foundation of my life is the Rock of Jesus. Everything else in my life and that of my family will fall into place if I make my relationship with the Lord my top priority.

Colossians 3:23-24

2009-01-07T22:30:00.000-08:00

Today I came across the following verse. This is great timing for me. One of the things I tend to struggle with is being a people-pleaser. I often ask myself, who do you really fear the most, God or man. I would say God, but to be honest I don't know that someone on the outside looking in would see that based on my actions.

I'm training a new hire to take over my responsibilities at work right now and will be transitioning into my new role beginning the week after next. I think this is a verse I will be posting at my new desk.

Colossians 3:23 -24

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Genesis 5 - Just me?

2009-01-06T21:30:00.000-08:00

I was reading through Genesis the other day and I just have to ask this question. Is it just me or does Genesis 5 make anyone else want to pull out a piece of paper and a pen (or Excel in my case) and plot out the ages of everyone from Adam to Noah? I want to see how many of his "greats" he was able to add in front of grandfather while he was still alive!

Okay, so once again it just may be the nerdy accountant inside of me, but I really want to just map it out and see in a visual format (I'm a visual nerdy accountant!) who was born in each case before each person died!

Created in His Image - Beginning a New Year

2009-01-01T22:26:00.000-08:00

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness. . ."
~ Genesis 1:26

"the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
~ Genesis 2:7

Today I read the creation story in Genesis. These verses stood out to me. I also read the following excerpt from a book I just started. I thought it was very fitting for the first day of a new year.

* * * * * * * * *

From the Prologue of Escape to Freedom,
Book 3 of the Secret of the Rose series by Michael Phillips

In man did the Creator, the Almighty I AM, raise the holy creative act to its very pinnacle, calling into life a being apart from himself that yet reflected his divine nature. Here was a being says his Word, created in the image of God himself, who yet was also given that ascendant capacity, distinct from all the rest of creation, called free will - the power to choose whether to walk in that image so intrinsic to his making.

Ah, God our Father, does such intimacy truly exist between us and thee, that we may lay claim to such hallowed origins? Have we truly - incredible thought! - been created in thy very image! Expand our minds, open our hearts to absorb the lofty and life-changing truth, that in thee we can discover all that a perfectly loving Fatherhood was meant to be!

* * * * * * * * *

The above passage got me to thinking - We each were endowed with free will, we each make our own choices. Blame can be cast nowhere else but in our own laps. What is my choice in the new year?

I choose to follow the Father, to walk in the image He created me in. To pursue that relationship with the Father for which I was created.

A Dead Church - Cecil A. Thompson

2008-12-31T20:27:00.000-08:00

Below I have reposted today's devotional from "Blessings from the Heart". It spoke to me, especially going into this new year.

* * * * * *

DAILY-E-VOTIONAL
BLESSINGS FROM THE HEART
Pastor Cecil A. Thompson
December 31, 2008

“A DEAD CHURCH!”
Revelation 3:1-3

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."

In this passage God is speaking. He is speaking not merely to a first-century church, but also to the churches of our day. Keep in mind that the “church” is not the structure made with wood, brick, stone, or other building materials. A church is composed of the people of God who come together as a body, for worship, fellowship, service and edification.

I want to walk very carefully here, as I express the words that God is laying on my heart at this very moment. We often think of a dead church as being stuffy, stilted, formal, and boring. That is all too often the case, but it goes much deeper than that. A dead church may also be filled with noise, activity, and even spiritual sounding terminology. It is even possible for people to seek emotional feelings in place of tenderly seeking God and God alone.

So what determines if a church is alive or dead? Let's focus in a little closer. What determines if “you” are spiritually alive or dead? One of our typical responses is to focus on, "them." “They are dead! He or she is dead!” I, on the other hand, am practically perfect in every way!" Such an idea, filled with self-sufficient pride, should be a dead giveaway of our spiritual morbidity (death).

We are spiritually dead, or near death, when we no longer have a spiritual appetite. If there is not a hunger in our hearts for God's pure Word—we must check our pulse immediately! Unfortunately there are church members, or should I say, church attendees, who are more interested in the hymn selections, how long the service lasts, color of the carpet, etc., than they are about meeting with God. They fail to cherish a time to shut out the world and listen to His Word read and proclaimed, lift their hearts in prayer, and join with others of His family weekly, for a spiritual family reunion.

We individually are in need of spiritual “911” care if we do not have it daily—YES! I SAID DAILY—times of intimate prayer with God. Not just praying a shopping list of our requests, but sharing our deep feelings of praise and petition. A sign of spiritual life is being silent before Him in order to hear His soft, still voice speaking words of comfort and purpose to us. We need to take the time to lovingly read His Word and then spend time meditating about the words and visualizing what is being said. It is life giving to use scripture as a part of our prayer.

I hope you are beginning to see that death in our midst is not easily covered up with the stench of human programs, practice or pretense. God sees the real us and desires more than "Let's pretend." It is time for a complete spiritual examination. As the Lord dictated this letter to the church in Sardis, and said they were dead, what would He say about us? Do we need to be resuscitated? If so, He stands ready to raise us from our dead condition, and breathe His new life into us.

Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!

- - - Pastor Cecil

Check out our website at: www.daily-e-votional.com

Am I prepared?

2008-12-27T19:20:00.001-08:00

I'm reading a fiction series of books right now set in Germany. The first book is set between 1937 - 1944, during WWII. As I read about these fictional characters, including Christians who risked their lives and those of their families to save Jewish families, God's chosen, I can't help but imagine what it must have been like for those running/hiding for their lives and those assisting them during that time. While these characters are fictional, I realize they represent real people and real events. Families that were torn apart and killed just because of their heritage. People and families who risked their lives to stand against the evil of that day to try to help those who were being hunted down like they were nothing more than animals.

I ask myself the question - what if it was me and my family? How would I feel? How would I react? Would my faith crumble or grow stronger? Would I choose to follow Jesus, obey Him and possibly give up my life in this world doing so? Which life would be most precious to me, which life would be the bigger reality for me? This physical life or my eternal life? When it came down to it, when push came to shove, would I say yes and follow my Lord or would I turn my back and deny Him?

As I ponder these things I realize there could be a possibility of myself or my children having to one day make decisions such as this. Am I preparing my heart, nurturing my relationship with the Father in such as way that if and when that time comes my reality, hope and desire will be eternal regardless of the cost in this brief physical life? What am I doing to prepare my children? I realize the first step is to nurture my relationship with the Lord. No matter what I try to teach these precious little ones that that Lord has given me, nothing will speak louder than my own life and how I've chosen to live it.

Dear Lord,
I fear that when I look into my heart what I see is not the faith and character that would be required of me in similar circumstances. I realize the only way to ever obtain this though is to walk with you, to be your true disciple. Shine your light on those dark places in my heart that would not conform right now to You and Your Ways. Fan the flame in my heart so that it consumes me. Where my motives are not pure, please transform me. I want to be a true disciple of You, but know that I can't do this in my own power. Please nurture within me the heart and spirit that you desire for me to have.
~Amen

Mary Did You Know?

2008-12-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite Christmas Songs. Enjoy!

From the Mouth of Babes

2008-12-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

For those of you who do not visit my Ang4him My Life site - I thought this was worth sharing here as well.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Jesus told us we needed to be as little children to know Him. I find it amazing how my children understand things so much better than I do at times. Today we were in the car and I was angry at someone for how they had been acting towards me. I know I need to let things go, but today I wanted to hang onto that anger. I wanted to wallow in it for a bit.

My four year old son asked me if we could sing. I told him Mommy did not feel like singing but he could if he wanted to. He started singing in his sweet voice a song I recently taught the kids that goes like this:

Be careful little eyes what you see,
Be careful little eyes what you see,
Cause the Father up above
Is looking down with love,
So be careful little eyes what you see.

He then started the following conversation:

A: Mommy, who is the Father up above?
Me: That is God.
A: Good Job Mommy! You are right. And who is his Holy Son?
Me: That would be Jesus.
A: You are right Mommy!! God our Father sent Jesus because He loves us! And they are always watching over us.

Then he began to sing again, and this is when I realized God was using my 4 year old to remind me of how much He loves me and has forgiven me and that He wants me to do the same -

Be careful little heart what you feel,
Be careful little heart what you feel
Cause the Father up above
Is looking down with love,
So be careful little heart what you feel.

The funny part is that I never taught him the heart verse,, he came up with that himself. We had sang verses about eyes, ears, mouths and even our mind - but never about our heart. That is what I needed right then though. I needed a reminder that what I let my heart dwell on, affects me spiritually. I need to stop wallowing in my anger and bitterness and start to let my heart feel God's love and forgiveness.

From the mouth of babes!

Progress

2008-12-21T12:20:00.000-08:00

I'm on a C.S. Lewis kick now. I went to the library here in town yesterday and picked up a copy of The Complete C.S. Lewis which includes seven of his classic works. I've read the Narnia books before and have heard alot about some of his non-ficition works, but have not read any of them myself before. A part of me figured the writing style would be old school and I would find it dry or hard to understand.

Last night I started reading Mere Christianity. I must say, I wish I had picked this up sooner. This is wonderful. It is divided into four "books", of which I read the first last night. In it he talks about how we can know that there is something greater than us out there, that there is absolute morality, right and wrong.

Below is a quote I found interesting.

We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. . . There is nothing progressive about being pig headed and refusing to admit a mistake. And I think if you look at the present state of the world, it is pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistakes. We are on the wrong road. And if that is so, we must go back. Going back is the quickest way on.

For some reason I tend to think at times that the world has just started going downhill recently. However, C.S. Lewis wrote this in 1952. And as he mentions in this "book" there have been those who have been determined to deny God's existence every since the beginning. We may be getting a bit more creative about it and pushing it a bit more, but there really is nothing new under the sun. Until we are willing to admit there is absolute truth and morality and are willing to deal with those consequences; admit there is a real God who is all-powerful and all-knowing; then we are on the wrong road in need of a U-Turn.

Volition - Must See Short Film

2008-12-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

I've not been posting lately due to quarter end at work and other stuff going on at home, but now I'm back. And for my first welcome back post I wanted to share this short film with you. It is about 15 minutes long and definitely worth watching. Please note, the film starts immediately so make sure to watch the whole thing.

The Doorpost Film Project - Volition

The was filmed over 3 days with a small budget to be entered in the Doorpost short film contest, but most importantly to make a point.

Here is the synopsis for the movie:

"Volition (n)- The act of making a choice. Sometimes the choice of inaction has consequences stronger than we could ever imagine. Throughout history, men have been faced with difficult choices in a world that makes it easy for them to conform. This film explores the hope that lies behind every decision made in the face of adversity; the hope that is buried in the heart of those that look beyond themselves and see something bigger worth fighting for."

If you are interested in more information check out the post Randy Alcorn did on his blog regarding this here.

Justice House of Prayer (JHOP) attacked in Castro District

2008-11-23T21:37:00.000-08:00

I had recently been told there was recently a violent incident in San Francisco related in some way to Prop 8, but try as I might I could not find it on any news media, searching for San Francisco Prop 8 violence (the only information I had at the time). I have now been informed more about this incidence.

I am familiar with JHOP (Justice House of Prayer) in San Francisco and know they are a group of mostly young adults with a heart for God and sharing His love with others. They have been regularly meeting on a public sidewalk in the Castro district for months to worship and share God's love with others with no incident. However, their first meeting after the passing of Prop 8 turned violent.

I'm not going to repost it all here, but please take time to read the following post about the incident. Kingdoms in Conflict: Castro District Mob Assaults Christians. Here is another post which includes video of the testimony of one of the JHOP individuals who was there - Joel's Trumpet.

Apparently there was a little bit of news coverage but it was grossly in error and only interviewed individuals from one side of the story. My purpose for posting this though is not to necessarily point out the violence from the gay community in this particular incident. Unfortunately I have heard about violence on both sides of this debate and it saddens me on all counts.

Reading about this, watching the parts of the incident caught on tape and discussing this with others brought two thoughts to mind for me.

1. This is not the end of the violence against those who stand for God's Truth and this will not be the only issue that will draw that violence. God's Word is very clear what things will be like in the end. For those who stand for God's Truth and walk His path it will only get worse. We must start to prepare ourselves for that now.

2. Our response in all of this MUST be Love. God is calling us to persevere through what is to come in His Strength and our response is to show others (including and most importantly those attacking us) His LOVE. God has called us to be a reflection of the Light. That Light is Jesus Christ and His Love for all of humanity. That is the only thing that will soften hearts to the Lord, God's Love.

I pray that when/if I am ever in a similar situation that my reaction will be the same as those JHOP individuals who chose forgiveness and prayer instead of pressing charges which per our current law they had every right to do.

Poured into Vessels

2008-11-23T13:31:00.000-08:00

I may have mentioned recently, but I'm on a Ted Dekker kick right now. God has given him an amazing talent to write books that are fast paced and keep your interest, but that also communicate a message. All of his stories are unique, but they all have the same underlying theme. The unconditional love of God and how we are to stand for God's Truth while showing this same love to others.

Here is an excerpt from the book I recently finished, Thunder of Heaven, which really spoke to me. The scene is in a mission in Venezula between a young woman and a priest.

She shook her head. "I don't feel very spiritual, Father."

"And if you felt very spiritual, my dear, I might worry for you. It's not your duty to feel predisposed to any clear message. Think of yourself as a vessel. A cup. Don't try to guess what the Master will pour into you before he pours. Only pray it is the Master who pours. Then be willing to accept whatever message he wishes to fill you with. It's his to fill, Sherry. You only receive."

I had never thought of it that way before. I tend to like to plan things out so this way of thinking requires a lot of giving up control (which I really don't have anyway!) and a lot of faith and trust on my part. This is something I'm going to think about and pray about in the coming days. I believe this is what God asks of us. The question is - am I willing? Are you?

7 Quick Takes - (Vol. 2)

2008-11-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

You can visit Jennifer over at Conversion Diary to find other 7 Quick Take posters every Friday.

~ 1 ~

So, riddle me this? Why is it that I have so many little things that pop into my head all week long that would make an interesting Quick Take for you, my reader, but when I log on and go to start typing, they all fly right out the window. I guess I'm going to have to start journaling about these things throughout the week so I'll remember these on Thursday nights.

The same thing happens with longer posts too. I don't forget what I want to write about but I start thinking of how to write them out and have amazing ideas while I'm in the shower, doing my hair, driving to work, sitting in the bathroom at work (I know, TMI) and then it all goes right out of my head when I find a piece of paper and pen. I think I need to go dig up that little tape recorder I used to carry around and start using it.

I can just see it know - me making myself notes about some great Truth about God that has just hit me while I'm in the bathroom at work. People will think I'm even crazier than they think I am now!!

~ 2 ~

So, I'm a total nerd - specifically a homeschool nerd. This week I had a meeting with my daughter's supervising teacher through the charter school we are part of. We meet every 4 weeks and I have to provide a homework sample. This meeting I was to provide a Science sample. I have a Science book that is specific for 2nd graders in California. There are chapter reviews in the book but no tests. So I created a test for my daughter which included fill in the blank questions related to vocabulary, some multiple choice questions, a picture I drew by hand of a butterfly lifecycle for which she had to label the phases and instructions for a Venn Diagram.

My printer here at home it not hooked up to my laptop right now, so this entire test was done by me in pencil. I turned in my daughter's answers that had been graded by me and my test questions for her (she got 100% by the way!!!)

Our supervising teacher told me that she has a teacher's manual at home (her daugther is the same age as mine) and I could copy the tests out of there if I want in the future but I turned her down. She had a supervisor from the school observing her for this meeting. This observer looked up quickly and gave me a funny look. But our teacher (who is also part of my homeschool co-op and part of my church, so we know each other pretty well) just smiled at me - "You actually enjoy making up the tests, don't you?" she asked me.

So that is where the nerd part comes in because all I could do is smile and nod. I loved doing the test and my daughter loved that I had made it up for her!

~ 3 ~

There is no way I can get around mentioning this - gas prices! I paid $2.04 this week and my hubby just paid $2.01 today. I heard on the news that the average right now is $1.99 and they are expecting it to get down as low as $.175. It has not been that low since the spring of 2005.

It is so sad that I'm that excited about paying only just over $2/gallon. I remember just before I moved out here from Arizona the station down the road from us had gas for $0.98/gallon sometimes!

~ 4 ~

Have you heard about these Somalian pirates who have hijacked an oil tanker and are asking for millions of dollars to return it? Turns out they hijack boats quite often. I did not even realize there was a such thing as pirates anymore!

This article I found about them says they are even hiring caterers to prepare Western-style food for their hostages. What is really sad though is due to the poverty around where they operate they are being considered heros because they are the only "businesses" there.

~ 5 ~

Do you remember MacGyver, he could hotwire a car with a toothbrooth or break out of prison with just a piece of paper, a piece of yarn and some chewing gum. Well, this show has been off the television airwaves for quite a few years now, I don't even think I've seen any reruns for some years now. However, he has not been forgotten! He has been voted #1 on a recent tough guy poll - read more here.

~ 6 ~

In history we are learning about ancient civilizations such at Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Greece and Rome right now. One thing that keeps coming up is the gods they worshipped. Today while talking about temples in ancient Egypt my daughter very seriously stopped me and told me - "Mommy, the second commandment of the 10 is to not worship idols." That started a really good conversation between us about idols and how idols in our current world are not as easily identified. They are not necessarily images carved in stone or wood as they were back then.

Then tonight I was flipping through my journal from the past year and found an entry I had done from a teaching about a year ago. I found my notes to be very enlightening and a good reminder.

Idols = Objects of Affection

Idols are tied to desires, our affections. What things in our lives take our affections away from God, where do we go for comfort?

Important Points:
1. Choose to serve the Lord, it is not forced on us.
2. If we choose God we need to follow Him, our lives should show that we follow Him.
3. He wants ALL of us - if we follow Him it needs to be 100%
4. We can not sit on the fence - we must choose
5. God thinks we are beautiful and desires for us to love Him. He wants us to make the choice

~ 7 ~

Thought for the week:

Ephesians 1:4-6
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

God chose to redeem me (you) even before He created the world and He took pleasure in it - He did not chose to redeem me (you) out of duty - He did it because He love me (you) and found pleasure in it!

I (you) am NOT a burden to God!

Key to God's Heart - Prayer & Worship

2008-11-17T21:32:00.000-08:00

I've been mulling this post over in my head for almost a week now. Trying to determine how best to approach the subject. In the past year I've been on a very serious pursuit to know the heart of the Lord. In the past it has all been about knowledge for me. Studying God's Word, disecting it, reading the interpretations of others. When it came to church I was totally into the Bible study part of fellowship - doing studies, having discussions. However, the prayer and worship part of fellowship was always lacking for me. I would pray in private a little each week and I would listen to Christian worship music, but I just did not "get" these two things and I honestly felt no desparate need to "get" them. I was often distracted during times of prayer and worship and could not wait to get into what I viewed as the "meat" of things.

However, I've realized now that I had things all wrong. I've recently heard a quote (not sure of it's source) that really hit home for me.

The Bible isn't a magic book . . . we don't open it and the Light shines up in our face. The Light is in us and shines down on the page and illuminates the written word.

No matter how much I study God's Word, if He is not giving me His Wisdom, I will not get it. That is why so many individuals can read the Bible, study it in depth and still not Believe. God needs to touch our hearts first, He needs to illuminate our hearts so we can understand His thoughts. I've come to realize to fully understand God's Word I first need the key. What is the key to understanding God's Word? I believe it is understanding God's heart. This is done through prayer and worship.

Let me explain. If want to get to know someone, want to develop a relationship with someone, how do you do this? By reading about them? Doing research on their past, their present, their thoughts for the future? That may help you to gain a surface understanding of the person. But to really get to know them, to understand their heart, their desires, their dreams - you need to spend time with them face to face. You need to talk to them, reveal your heart to them and allow them to reveal their heart to you. God is the same way. He desires a relationship with us, He wants to reveal His Heart to us and wants us to do the same with Him. This means we need to spend time with Him face to face and talk to Him. This can't be done just by reading His Word. Prayer and worship is the key that unlocks our heart to what God truly wants to show us - His Unconditional Love for us!

God tells us that His ways and thoughts are above ours, that the Wisdom of God is foolishness to those who do not believe. Worship and prayer opens our hearts to see past the wisdom of man to the True Wisdom of God. It speaks to us at a level that involves not only our mind, but also our heart and soul. It allows God to speak to our innermost being and change us from the inside out. It allows Him to truly dwell within us and guide us in our walk with Him. Most of all it allows us to learn to focus on Him and His Kingdom no matter what we are going through in this world. It helps us to see past the flimsy reality of this world to the true reality of God's Kingdom.

In the past year God has used my reality here in this imperfect world to teach me about His perfect love for me. I prayed to better understand His heart and He answered that prayer by teaching me about prayer and worship, the importance of it in my life and in my understanding of His Word.

I recently heard Eddie Boasso speak here at RHOP regarding the importance of Day and Night Prayer. If you are able to listen to this podcast I highly recommend it. I found this message to be very convicting and highly encouraging.

In the end, I'm still in a learning process, probably always will be. I'm definitely not anywhere near being an expert on prayer or worship. But I do recognize the importance of these things in my life. I desire more and my prayer is that God continues to teach me and draw me closer to Him. That He continues to fan the flame He has lit inside me to pursue Him in a deeper relationship. To more fully understand the Love that transcends all and resulted in the Lord giving up everything to become human and give His life for me. A love that will allow me to spend eternity as Jesus' Bride, eternity in heaven worshiping my Creator.

Nov 15 - Big day for protests against God and His Righteousness

2008-11-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had posted about the Great American God Out that is to be held in San Francisco today. I'm now beginning to think there is something about Nov 15th for those who are in darkness and trying to defy our God.

There are numerous pro-homosexual protests being held across the nation led by a group called Impact. This is to be a nationwide protest against Prop 8 which just passed here in California to make marriage between a man and a woman only.

Please join me in prayer regarding these protests. Pray for repentance and light of God's understanding and wisdom. Some are asking that if there is a protest going on near you that you go to the site AFTER the protest intercede for forgiveness and repentance of those who participated. Please remember:

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ~ Ephesians 6:12

I'm sitting here trying to put into words the heaviness and sadness I feel in my heart because of what I've been seeing in this nation the past few months. I don't even know how to express it. Please pray, I fear we are at a place where some hearts may be hardened to the point where they will not be able to see the Light of Truth. I'm beginning to agree with someone who recently told me that sides are being drawn up and there is no real "middle ground" anymore. People are either choosing to follow God our Creator or they are choosing to do things their way, the way of the Enemy. We all serve someone and that distinction is becoming more and more apparent. The chasm between the two camps is becoming wider and deeper and as this happens it will be become harder and harder for those in the dark to cross over to the Light.

This may sound a bit depressing, but please realize that part of me is very excited as well, because although I'm saddened for those who have chosen to not follow the Lord, I'm rejoicing for those who have. I see the Lord drawing those who follow Him into an even more intimate and powerful relationship with Him. I'm experiencing this first hand myself. I praise God for His wisdom and truth and pray that He reveal it more and more to those who choose Him. And for anyone who has not totally hardened their hearts to God, I pray that His Light will find those cracks and penetrate their hearts, minds and lives in an amazing way.

Fight FOCA - Freedom of Choice Act

2008-11-14T18:25:00.000-08:00

During the elections I had posted about the ramifications if the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) was to be signed into law. Click here for that post.

You may have noticed a new link and a new ad on my sidebar called Fight FOCA. This is a site dedicated to educating people regarding the truth about FOCA. It also includes a petition for those opposing FOCA to sign and an open letter to President-elect Obama regarding his promise to Planned Parenthood to sign this into law if he was elected.

If you are Pro-Life and believe in standing for the rights of unborn children who are innocent and have no voice of their own - please visit this site and consider signing the petition. FOCA would make ALL abortions legal on a federal level. This would eliminate restrictions that have already been placed on a state level in some places (partial birth abortion bans, parental notification laws to name a few). It would also ensure our taxpayer dollars are used to fund abortions and would require faith-based healthcare organizations to perform abortions.

Want more information - read here for an analysis of FOCA prepared by Denise M. Burke, Vice President of Legal Affairs for AUL (Americans United for Life)

Another reason to be on our Knees - Great American God-Out

2008-11-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

I had never heard of this before but I checked it out and it is true. Tomorrow in San Francisco they will celebrate the Great Amercian God-Out. Last year on Nov. 15th this event was first held in New York - this will be the first year it will be held in San Francisco.

The Great American God-out

In the very words of the website here is what this is about...

THE GREAT AMERICAN GOD-OUT! is a newly demarcated holiday wherein, like "The Great American Smokeout", individuals are encouraged to combine their supportive efforts to help prevent and cure disease. Even if just for one day--people will live as as if there is no god; people will live as if there only exists the goodness of self and others to sustain healthy living!

The purpose of the the Great American God-Out! (GAGO) is to encourage people to think about the possibility of morality existing independently of theology and to abide by humanistic principles–live as if there is no god–even if only for one day.

The purpose is also to lobby for genuine separation of church and
state and encourage people to acknowledge the proper role of religion in the
private sphere.

Please be in prayer tomorrow regarding this event. We as creations of a Holy and Righteous God, we as a nation can only spit in God's face so many times before He will bring judgment on us (I personally believe it has already started).

I know God's Word tells us what things will end up being like before the end happens and events such as this point to those times. However, that does not mean that we need to sit by and just let it happen. Be on your knees in prayer, repentance and intercession. I pray God uses events like this to open the eyes of His Bride, the church to take a stand for Him and shake off her lethargic attitude.

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the rest of the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

~Ephesians 4:17-19

7 Quick Takes - (Vol. 1)

2008-11-13T18:42:00.000-08:00

Jennifer over at Conversion Diary is starting a weekly 7 Quick Takes Mr Linky post - I love the idea of sharing 7 random things that I've thought about this week but either are not worthy of a full post or I have just not been able to post about yet. So here is volume 1 of the Ang4him 7 Quick Takes!

~ 1 ~

November is National Adoption Month. Someone at work sent out an email this week about this - I had never even heard of it before. It is also known as Orphan Awareness Month and Celebrate Adoption Month. I think this is wonderful!!

To find out ways you can celebrate adoption visit the National Adoption Awareness Month website. Some other good sites to visit to learn more about adoption include:

http://www.hopespromise.com/

http://www.adoptionfellowship.org/

http://www.voiceoftheorphan.org/

~ 2 ~

Along the same lines - I heard about this yesterday and thought it was pretty amazing.

Embryo Adpoption Services of Cedar Park

This church has started a program to match up parents who are interested in adopting with parents who have extra embryos due to fertility treatments. I have mixed feelings regarding fertility treatments, so this warmed my heart to hear about it. From what I heard this is the first church to set up a ministry such as this and it is only the 4th organization to offer this type of service.

The have a page of requirements which I read over and I was encouraged to see that their program does not allow for embryo reduction. They sincerely believe that every embryo is a human life.

~ 3 ~

I know every year someone says something about this but I just have to ask - what is with the Christmas ads popping up the day after Halloween? And what is up with Christmas lights popping up on people's homes already? Seriously, I drove by a house this last Sunday that had their Christmas light and decorations out already and lit up!

~ 4 ~

This past couple couple weeks I've seen and experienced first hand how many indivduals who cry out the most about intolerance and hate are often the ones exhibiting more intolerance and hate than those they are protesting about. And many times they don't even see it! What is more - I realized if I'm honest, I've been in their shoes before.

~ 5 ~

Homeschooling is so fun and I have even learned a thing or two. Today we were doing our history lesson and I learned about how our ABCs where invented. In the beginning there were 22 letters. A was alpha and B was beta - so instead of saying they were learning their ABC's they would say they were learning their alpha beta which is where the word alphabet comes from. Amazing what you can learn when you go through 2nd grade again!

~ 6 ~

Today we also learned about the kings of the Jews. When we talked about Solomon and God coming to him in a dream and asking him what we wanted (wisdom being Solomon's choice) - my daughter told me what she would have asked for from God. She leaned over and whispered to me "I would have asked for a kitten and a baby sister." Wow - I think I need to push Shaun to go get tested to make sure the surgery he went through after Jesse was born worked!

~ 7 ~

So here it is - me introducing officially on this site a book that I'm reading now. It is prompted me to start my new blog - Thankful Heart. It is called Created to be His Helpmeet.

My aunt gave it to me to read and warned me that it had offended her in some parts. So I knew it would most definitely offend me - but I'm determined to be a wife that is honoring to my husband and my God - so I decided to read it.

I have a friend who decided to read it as well and we are planning to discuss it together. She told me to check out the comments left on Amazon - basically it seems people either love this book or hate it. They either think this books is a huge blessing to their marriage or they think it represses women.

So far I have nothing but good things to say about it. I can definitely see where some people may get offended by the book and believe it represses women though. If I had been given it to read even a year ago I probably would have said the same thing. No - I take that back - I KNOW I would have said the same thing!

Sometimes when I think my walk with God is a failure I just look back over the past year and I know that He's been here all along guiding me and helping me to grown. What an Amazing God we serve!

Confusion - How to pray for our nation?

2008-11-10T22:16:00.000-08:00

Lately I've read so many emails, blog posts and articles about how we should react to Obama now becoming our president (and I've posted some of my own!). There are so many differing opinions among those who did not vote for him.

On one hand I know God's Word tells me to pray for him. I know I should pray for him, his family and his administration. Pray that he will turn an ear to God and rely on Him for direction, wisdom and discernment when making decisions on behalf of our nation. Pray that he is surrounded by godly men who also rely on the Lord's wisdom instead of the wisdom of men.

However, another part of me truly believes he is in office because God has given this nation over to their evil desires. He is in office because Jesus' Bride, the Church, has grown lethargic and has chosen compromise over God's Truth. I look at Obama's stand on issues such as religious beliefs in politics, marriage and abortion (in his own words) and I believe our nation has been blinded. As I recently overheard - "we have voted for death".

So, if Obama is in office because God has given us (this nation) over to our evil desires, if in a way he is judgment from the Lord on an unfaithful nation, should I still be praying for blessing on him and this nation?

I believe the answer is yes, God still wants us to pray for Obama and our nation. But we need to do much more than pray for favor and blessing though - we must pray for mercy and grace and nationwide repentance. We must go down on our knees in intercession for this nation and it's leaders (Obama included).

I'm praying that through all that is to come, God's Bride, the Church, will wake from her slumber and rise up to stand beside her Bridegroom in Truth. That we will clearly see God's Truth and have the strength and courage to boldly strive for that Truth. That we will unashamedly proclaim that Truth in love.

77 Days of Prayer for our New President - Day 5

2008-11-09T10:01:00.000-08:00

I received this via email today and wanted to share:

77 Days of Prayer for our New President
Day Five: November 9, 2008
72 days, 16 hours and 59 minutes left until inauguration day.

For Appropriate Submission to Authority
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
—Romans 13:1

Loving Lord God, in Your grace and goodness, You have given us the gift of free will and have mingled it with Your sovereign will and authority. We thank You today for this powerful gift. We open our hearts to trust completely in You—to look to You in every part of our national life, accepting Your will as wise and good.

As we pray for our newly elected President, we ask for grace to see Your hand at work. May we willingly acknowledge that You are the one who establishes all authority, and that those who are lifted up to serve do so at Your good pleasure. We ask You to unite us in that understanding, Lord, that our nation may move forward in Your will. In Your holy name, amen.

Give Me Your Eyes

2008-11-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

I keep hearing this song on the radio and it speaks to me. God has been speaking to me lately about seeing and praying for those who I would normally not give a thought to or who I would normally show anger or bitterness towards. You know, those people you come in contact with who have wronged you in some way and now if you are honest you don't see them as a person any longer. You just see them as someone to hold a grudge against. I know this song is more about those who we usually just don't "see" as we walk by them in daily life, but I think we can just as well apply it to those we do see, but through eyes of contempt.

In two particular situations this past week God has shown me the humanity of someone I would normally not see as a "real" person.

One was our president-elect. I did not vote for him and I have some major issues with his policy. This makes it very easy to forget that he is a person just like me. In the past it would have been easy to do to him what many do to President Bush now because he stands for so many things in direct opposition to what I hold dear. But I committed to pray for him and through that God has been showing me the humanity of Obama. I may not agree with him on certain things, but he is still a human being. He is a father and a husband - just like my own wonderful husband. God has shown me the importance of not losing sight of this.

The other(s) were the individuals which I wrote about yesterday. Normally I would see them only as hateful individuals who have attacked me. People to loathe and despise. But as I mentioned yesterday God started to revel to me that they are just lost individuals filled with hate and bitterness. Very much the way I was at one time.

It is so easy when someone hurts us or makes us angry or does not agree with us to dismiss their humanity. It is easy to see the humanity in those who agree with us, but to deomonize those who we do not see eye to eye with. God does not want us to do this. He sees us clearly through all our sin and still loves us. He wants us to see others the way He sees them - through his eyes of love. But we can only do this through His power and strength.

Brandon Heath - Give Me Your Eyes lyrics



Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere,
Why have I never cared?



Chorus:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
Yeah
Yeah


Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what's underneath
There's a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He's out of work
He's buying time
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared?



Chorus



I've Been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all along



Chorus (x2) 




Lyrics  Brandon Heath - Give Me Your Eyes lyrics

Hatred & Bitterness

2008-11-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

It is amazing the things God uses to transform us into His image, things He uses to bring Himself Glory.

Yesterday, one of my posts from a couple weeks back was stumbled upon by someone who took great offense to it. This person posted a comment on a forum linking to my post which resulted in increasing my blog traffic over the past two days from approx. 20 unique hits a day to over 150 a day. This also resulted in what has probably been the most comments on any single post for me. Unfortunately these posts not only disagreed with me - they were quite nasty and hateful about it.

One cool thing about the internet and blogs is all the tools you can use, including one that can tell you where visitors are coming from when they visit your blog. In this way I was able to find the post that was directing all this traffic to me and I read the comments that had been left in response to that posting (7 pages at that time).

My first reaction was to be angry (the comments on my blog were bad, but these were appalling and many involved my daughter) however as I read the Lord impressed something on my heart. I began to feel compassion on these individuals because as I read further I began to see the hatred and bitterness behind the comments. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want anyone to think I'm something I'm not - I was still filled with anger of my own because of the attacks on myself, my family and my beliefs - but I started to see past those feelings.

So last night I chose to shut down my computer and pray for these individuals. God tells us to pray for our enemies, so I chose obedience. I'm not saying it was easy or that I was all that happy about it, but I figured obedience whether I feel it or not was the first step. I prayed for them and asked the Lord to soften my heart as well. He did start to do this -but He did even more.

As I started to pray for them He started to reveal to me that it was not all that long ago that I was filled with hate and bitterness. I was filled with pride - considering that I was correct in all of my beliefs no matter what - so much so that I was not even willing to accept discipline and correction from the Lord. At this point I began to weep and repent for this past sin.

But the Lord was not done. As I began to admit to Him these things from my past, He began to show me that although I don't live a life necessarily filled with hatred and bitterness any longer - I do still have deep dark places in my heart that harbor these feelings. They are buried deep and don't show themselves all the time, but they are still there. And He showed me two people in particular where I have allowed these feelings rule my heart and mind. And in some cases my tongue. I've justified these because these people have hurt me, they have offended me, they have tread on my rights.

But in the Kingdom of God these things do not matter. If God held these things against us, He never would have offered His gift of Love to us. What these individuals have done to me is nothing compared to the offenses I have committed against my Lord. Yet He has forgiven me and asks me to forgive others as He has forgiven me. He has loved me regardless of what I've done and asks me to do the same to others.

This started out as individuals who disagreed with my stand for God's Truth attacking me, but ended with God using it to reveal to me some ugliness in my own life. As much as I hate to see that within myself, I have chosen to follow Jesus and that means He will continue to guide me and show me areas in my life that I need to address in order to become more like Him. Therefore, today I praise Him for His mercy and grace. I praise Him because He loves me just the way I am, yet He wants to transform me into something even better if I am willing. I praise Him because He has turned what others meant for evil into something wonderful and good that will bring Him glory.

Encouraging Post-Election Posts

2008-11-05T23:45:00.000-08:00

I've been surfing the web a bit tonight to see what is out there after last night's election results. Here are some of the more noteworthy posts I've come across:

Laced With Grace: Winning and Losing
Great post about Winning and Losing as compared to the Kingdom of God

BlogMommas: Call to Prayer

Eternal Perspectives: It’s Over; but It’s not Over (one Day it will be)

Spiritually Unequal Marriage: Thankful Thursday - A Win for Marriage

The Preacher's Wife: It's What We Do With Disappointment

10 Ways to pray for Barack Obama

2008-11-05T20:22:00.000-08:00

This article from Fire in My Bones was shared with me today and I thought it was great - I encourage you to read it regardless of who you cast your vote for yesterday. God's Word tells us to pray for our leaders - this is a good starting point.

10 Ways to Pray for Barack Obama

J. Lee Grady, editor of Charisma

Whether you are happy about this week’s election results or not, all Christians must unite in prayer for our new president. Please don’t forsake this responsibility.

It’s over. We’ve reached the end of the longest, angriest and most nerve-wracking presidential campaign in American history. Finally the “I approved this message” ads have ceased. The endless robot phone calls have stopped ringing. The debates, and the annoying post-debate comments from “experts,” are history—until the next election cycle.

More than half the nation is celebrating today while others are mourning. We are a
divided nation, split into unhappy fragments by abortion, gay marriage, global warming, a failed economy and an unpopular war. Those who voted for Barack Obama have claimed a historic victory; some on McCain’s side are already looking for scapegoats. Politics is politics.

But when I got up this morning, I turned all my attention to the fact that Jesus Christ is still on the throne. His government is what is most important. Regardless of who sits in the Oval Office, the Bible says “the nations are like a drop from a bucket” to God (Is. 40:15, NASB). That includes the United States. We may boast about being “the greatest nation on earth,” but He who sits in heaven has a different perspective. Let’s take a big sigh of relief now and remember that God is sovereign.
Click here to read more

My Prayer for Obama as our next President

2008-11-04T20:51:00.000-08:00

I must say I was disappointed but not altogether surprised as I watched the election coverage tonight and saw that Obama will be our next president. I believe America is going to be in for a rude awakening and I believe Obama is a very smooth talker who many have unfortunately chosen to put their hope in.

However, that being said - I'm even more confident in the fact that my Lord is still in control. I may not understand it, but He knows what He is doing, He is never wrong and He IS in control! My hope is in Him and Him alone.

In the past couple weeks there have been a couple discussions I've been involved in or been privy to that I believe sum up how I'm feeling today. I'm going to share them with you now.

First, in my daughter’s homeschool co-op they are learning about Daniel. The elections came up because they have been praying about the elections and the US. One of the questions was “What if Obama does win?” One child had an amazing answer for someone her age (maybe even for someone our age!). She replied (my paraphrase, but you get the point) – “Well, God is always in control even when we don’t see it ourselves. In Daniel it says that God chose Nebuchadnezzar and used him to do His will even though Nebuchadnezzar did not know God. So if Obama wins maybe this is the same thing. We just have to trust God.” Amazing insight!!

This has also come up as a topic on the Christan email distribution group at work. One question that came up was if Obama does win, how will you react? Especially considering God’s Word tells us to pray for our leaders and to submit to them.

Here is the answer I sent in reply:

Even if Obama wins I will submit to his leadership and pray for him and all our leaders - however I do add one exception, I will not follow any "rules" under Obama (or any president or other leader) if they are in direct opposition to God's Word. I don't plan to be "in your face" about these things if it comes to that point, I will do it in God's Love, but I will only submit so far as it does not make me walk off the path God has put me on.

In a way I live this same way at home. I have a husband I love dearly however, he is not a Believer. God's Word tells me that I should submit to my husband, and so in many matters I do. I've learned to pray and "pick my battles" with him and then to "fight" those battles in a respectful and loving way. In this way I honor him and in doing so honor my Lord (and hopefully in the process show my husband the love of Jesus for him).

Regardless of who becomes president I will handle things the same way. I will pray for the leaders and honor them as long as honoring them will not quench the Light of God that He has asked me to shine on this world. I will probably mess up along the way as I tend to become very passionate about certain things, but the Lord is slowly teaching me in my own home how to stand for His Truth in a way that draws others to Him instead of repelling them.

So - with that being said I lift up our future president in prayer:

Dear Lord,

I put my trust in you 100% even when I don't understand what is happening around me. I lift up to you all our current leaders and all new leaders who have been elected this day, including our president-elect, Barrack Obama. I pray you give them wisdom and discernment in leading this country and pour your blessings upon them.

I pray that you will whisper to them in your quiet still voice and draw their hearts to you, that they will learn to rely on you in all their decisions. I pray Lord, no matter what is in store for this country, that it be within your Will and that many will come to know you more through the circumstances that arise.

I acknowledge your sovereignty Lord and ask that you lead us to walk with you, I pray for repentance and healing for this country and I'm willing to accept that through whatever means you choose to use. Please change my heart where it is not in alignment with your Will. Please give me the grace to look past my biases and see your hand at work around me.

I praise your holy name, Jesus

~Amen~