Plan and simple...God is pretty gosh darn amazing with the people He put in our lives. I am truly inspired and totally blessed!
I had a unplanned conversation today with one of Nicolette's friend's mother. She shared what it was like growing up in a Christian home and being part of a small "family oriented" church. I am totally psyched about how God is speaking to us as a family though those we come in contact with. We are so lucky to have His love and continued inspiration.
Thank you God!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Thought of the Day
"The church is not a gallery for the exhibition of eminent Christians, but a school for the education of imperfect ones, a nursery for the care of weak ones, a hospital for the healing of those who need special care." (Henry Ward Beecher)
We went to a church on Easter morning that made this statement a reality! It lifted my hopes for the sinners of the world to have a place to heal and be restored! For people like you and me to come to know the true forgiveness of our loving God!
We went to a church on Easter morning that made this statement a reality! It lifted my hopes for the sinners of the world to have a place to heal and be restored! For people like you and me to come to know the true forgiveness of our loving God!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Tis the Season
The snow has melted and the flowers are beginning to push their way through the earth's surface. Christmas has since passed, Spring has sprung and Holy Week and Easter are upon us. This time should be one of reflection and realization of how fortunate we are.
Casting Crowns was playing this morning on The Word FM and the lyrics "But if we are the body Why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching? And if we are the body Why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way? There is a way;" "Jesus paid far to high a price for us to pick and choose who should come."
God gave us His only Son to pay for our sins. He created us knowing how we would let Him down throughout our life here on earth. Could you imagine? That thought alone is hard to fathom.
We were very fortunate to be invited to a church last weekend where we heard such a beautiful message to kick off Holy Week. The Pastor spoke to us about responsibility and accountability. He spoke about how God will take all experiences and use it to aid another. With this mindset, you can transform your thinking to one riddled with negativity to one filled with hope. God does not want us walking around sulking for the rest of our lives for what we have done wrong. He wants us to learn from them and help others struggling, just as we did and may still do.
God had blessed my life in so many ways. As of late, I praise Him for the group of women who meet at my house on a Saturday morning to discuss the Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyers. Most recently, we spoke of God's love for us and how, like a leach, a mind filled with ungodly thoughts can get in the way of how deep His love truly is for us, by draining us dry. Yet, on the other hand, if we fill our minds with His love and thoughts, we will be able to really honor Him and embrace His love. We will than live out His will, taking our sins and turning them into His good will. We will than honor God, our Father!
Casting Crowns was playing this morning on The Word FM and the lyrics "But if we are the body Why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching? And if we are the body Why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way? There is a way;" "Jesus paid far to high a price for us to pick and choose who should come."
God gave us His only Son to pay for our sins. He created us knowing how we would let Him down throughout our life here on earth. Could you imagine? That thought alone is hard to fathom.
We were very fortunate to be invited to a church last weekend where we heard such a beautiful message to kick off Holy Week. The Pastor spoke to us about responsibility and accountability. He spoke about how God will take all experiences and use it to aid another. With this mindset, you can transform your thinking to one riddled with negativity to one filled with hope. God does not want us walking around sulking for the rest of our lives for what we have done wrong. He wants us to learn from them and help others struggling, just as we did and may still do.
God had blessed my life in so many ways. As of late, I praise Him for the group of women who meet at my house on a Saturday morning to discuss the Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyers. Most recently, we spoke of God's love for us and how, like a leach, a mind filled with ungodly thoughts can get in the way of how deep His love truly is for us, by draining us dry. Yet, on the other hand, if we fill our minds with His love and thoughts, we will be able to really honor Him and embrace His love. We will than live out His will, taking our sins and turning them into His good will. We will than honor God, our Father!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Mixed Signals
Take a trip with me....
It's sunny, you've got your sunglasses on, the top is down on your black shiny BMW, you don't have a care in the world. Leeland is blaring from the radio. You feel so cool. Maybe too cool because when someone who is actually going the speed limit gets in your way, it frustrates you to no end. Your blood pressure begins to rise. You begin to tell them to move, in a Christian loving kind of way, even though they can't hear a single word you're saying. After about 10 minutes of this, when you think you can't take another moment, they put their blinker on to make a left hand turn. You're thrilled to finally be getting rid of them, to continue your trip and return to your world or music and a warm breeze blowing through your hair. They slow down. You slow down. Blink, blink, blink. There's no traffic coming in the opposite direction. Yeah, the moment has arrived. As against the law as it is, you being to go around them to the right, that's when it happens. BAMMMM! They aggressively turn the wheel, making a right turn...into your front bumper. You get out of your car and you're screaming at them. You've totally lost your cool. "But you had your left blinker on!!!" Before you stands an older gentleman, obviously scared and upset. Your behavior just makes him even more nervous. He begins to cry. That's when you return to your car to get your information. In your excited state, you never lowered the radio down. That's when you hear it. Tears of the Saints.
Suddenly, I feel convicted. My heart aches with pain, shame and embarrassment. My most recent behaviors have not been those of a Christian. The Saints are crying out with pain. This truly is an emergency.
Ironically, a situation similar in nature happened to me only a few years ago. I had bent down to pick up a water bottle that had fallen out of the car upon opening up that rear passenger's door. Upon my up righting myself, an elderly woman caught a glimpse of my white t-shirt in the dark of the night and swerved. Thank God she did. She barely missed me and clipped the door of my mother's Ford Explorer truck bending it like a tin can. My first instinct was to yell, no scream at her. She was shaking more than I was. I think I was in a bit of shock at how close I had just come to death. She could not stop apologizing and began to cry. That was when it happened, I found myself comforting her. God had convicted me on the spot. The pain my reaction had caused was uncalled for. I thank God for that moment and am grateful for His on the spot aching of my heart to turn my mixed signals instantaneously into His work.
Our God is awesome and on this Easter season, I ask you, are you sending mixed signals or walking boldly in His love?
It's sunny, you've got your sunglasses on, the top is down on your black shiny BMW, you don't have a care in the world. Leeland is blaring from the radio. You feel so cool. Maybe too cool because when someone who is actually going the speed limit gets in your way, it frustrates you to no end. Your blood pressure begins to rise. You begin to tell them to move, in a Christian loving kind of way, even though they can't hear a single word you're saying. After about 10 minutes of this, when you think you can't take another moment, they put their blinker on to make a left hand turn. You're thrilled to finally be getting rid of them, to continue your trip and return to your world or music and a warm breeze blowing through your hair. They slow down. You slow down. Blink, blink, blink. There's no traffic coming in the opposite direction. Yeah, the moment has arrived. As against the law as it is, you being to go around them to the right, that's when it happens. BAMMMM! They aggressively turn the wheel, making a right turn...into your front bumper. You get out of your car and you're screaming at them. You've totally lost your cool. "But you had your left blinker on!!!" Before you stands an older gentleman, obviously scared and upset. Your behavior just makes him even more nervous. He begins to cry. That's when you return to your car to get your information. In your excited state, you never lowered the radio down. That's when you hear it. Tears of the Saints.
Suddenly, I feel convicted. My heart aches with pain, shame and embarrassment. My most recent behaviors have not been those of a Christian. The Saints are crying out with pain. This truly is an emergency.
Ironically, a situation similar in nature happened to me only a few years ago. I had bent down to pick up a water bottle that had fallen out of the car upon opening up that rear passenger's door. Upon my up righting myself, an elderly woman caught a glimpse of my white t-shirt in the dark of the night and swerved. Thank God she did. She barely missed me and clipped the door of my mother's Ford Explorer truck bending it like a tin can. My first instinct was to yell, no scream at her. She was shaking more than I was. I think I was in a bit of shock at how close I had just come to death. She could not stop apologizing and began to cry. That was when it happened, I found myself comforting her. God had convicted me on the spot. The pain my reaction had caused was uncalled for. I thank God for that moment and am grateful for His on the spot aching of my heart to turn my mixed signals instantaneously into His work.
Our God is awesome and on this Easter season, I ask you, are you sending mixed signals or walking boldly in His love?
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Editting
If you could edit your life, would you? Would you click a button to change things or cut them out completely?
There's no way I would! I would not trade my life for the world. Hard to believe, right? Especially after, the "challenges" I've been through in my lifetime. Those whom I call friend, know what I am talking about.
For so many years and especially 2 years and a few months ago , I pleaded with God, "Why me?" The funny thing is, today, I thank Him for it all! Every last second! I honestly believe that, I'm one lucky Chick! I can even say that after all the recent happenings. You know that when you're in the trenches, that God has big plans for you! Let's call it Boot Camp for Believers!
Although I would not change a thing about life, I just love the edit button on here. Post, Edit, Post again, Edit. It's like a big fat eraser, in a button, of course! Click it-poof it's all gone. Change your mind, click it and it's back again.
I LOVE to write. I could do it every day and never get sick of it. I enjoy blogging my thoughts on here just to throw them out there. Get them out of my head and share them with you. I will never deny that what you see here, is the real me. There are times that I may seem angry. I probably am. Last time I checked, I was quite human, just like you. And humans do a lot of stupid things. Trust me, I've done my share over the past 37 years. But what I do know is, I don't live for the edit button. I live to "Publish Post" button. Life is not a blogging post. It's one trip around, one go at it. It is one chance to touch an other's life in a positive way.
What if God chose to make permanent image of you in His heart of the day knowing broke someones heart?
I ask myself this question all the time to keep myself honest and accountable...
If you were to take a long hard look in the mirror, would you be afraid of what it would say back? Live today in a way that you don't have to fret tomorrow and wish there was an edit button. To be able to live our lives with free will is a beautiful, priceless gift that God gives us.
Thanks for listening, well reading. Dawn-Claiming my smile back from those who don't know love. And living each day to show others how to, willingly!
There's no way I would! I would not trade my life for the world. Hard to believe, right? Especially after, the "challenges" I've been through in my lifetime. Those whom I call friend, know what I am talking about.
For so many years and especially 2 years and a few months ago , I pleaded with God, "Why me?" The funny thing is, today, I thank Him for it all! Every last second! I honestly believe that, I'm one lucky Chick! I can even say that after all the recent happenings. You know that when you're in the trenches, that God has big plans for you! Let's call it Boot Camp for Believers!
Although I would not change a thing about life, I just love the edit button on here. Post, Edit, Post again, Edit. It's like a big fat eraser, in a button, of course! Click it-poof it's all gone. Change your mind, click it and it's back again.
I LOVE to write. I could do it every day and never get sick of it. I enjoy blogging my thoughts on here just to throw them out there. Get them out of my head and share them with you. I will never deny that what you see here, is the real me. There are times that I may seem angry. I probably am. Last time I checked, I was quite human, just like you. And humans do a lot of stupid things. Trust me, I've done my share over the past 37 years. But what I do know is, I don't live for the edit button. I live to "Publish Post" button. Life is not a blogging post. It's one trip around, one go at it. It is one chance to touch an other's life in a positive way.
What if God chose to make permanent image of you in His heart of the day knowing broke someones heart?
I ask myself this question all the time to keep myself honest and accountable...
If you were to take a long hard look in the mirror, would you be afraid of what it would say back? Live today in a way that you don't have to fret tomorrow and wish there was an edit button. To be able to live our lives with free will is a beautiful, priceless gift that God gives us.
Thanks for listening, well reading. Dawn-Claiming my smile back from those who don't know love. And living each day to show others how to, willingly!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Thought of the Day
"Non discipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God's overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil" (Dallas Willard)
I want to be a student at Liberty University for forever just so I can read their "Thought of the Day" It's definitely not for the Algebra homework! Or research studies!
Thank you God for an amazing week!!! Just when I think I am the luckiest person in the world, BAMM, you go and bless me with another reason! I may look exhausted, even sound exhausted (it's lack of sleep, really) but God is working me hard and I'm loving it!
If clay could express it's feelings after the artist molded it into a work of art, it would say..."I'm looking good, but boy was that exhausting!" I am far from a work of art, but I am the clay in God's hands!
I want to be a student at Liberty University for forever just so I can read their "Thought of the Day" It's definitely not for the Algebra homework! Or research studies!
Thank you God for an amazing week!!! Just when I think I am the luckiest person in the world, BAMM, you go and bless me with another reason! I may look exhausted, even sound exhausted (it's lack of sleep, really) but God is working me hard and I'm loving it!
If clay could express it's feelings after the artist molded it into a work of art, it would say..."I'm looking good, but boy was that exhausting!" I am far from a work of art, but I am the clay in God's hands!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
A Confession of Forgiveness for the Believer
Father, in the name of Jesus, I made a fresh commitment to You to live in peace and harmony, not only with the other brothers and sisters of the body of Christ, but also with my friends, associates, neighbors and family.
I let go of all bitterness, resentment, envying, strife and unkindness in any form. I give no place to the devil in Jesus' name. Now Father, I ask Your forgiveness. By faith, I receive it, having assurance that I am cleaned from unrighteousness through Jesus Christ. I ask You to forgive and release all who wronged and hurt me. I forgive and release them. Deal with them in your mercy and loving-kindness.
Form this moment on, I purpose to walk in love, to seek peace, to live in agreement, and to conduce myself toward others in a manner that is pleasing to You. I know that I have right standing with You and Your ears are attentive to my prayers.
It is written in Your Word that the love of God has been shed abroad, poured forth into my heart by the Holy Ghost who is given to me. I believe that love flows forth into the lives of everyone I know that I may be with abound in the fruits of righteousness which bring glory and honor unto You, Lord, in Jesus' name. So be it!
Scripture References: Romans 5:5, 12:16-18, 10; Philippians 1:9, 11, 2:2; Ephesians 4:27, 31, 32; I John 1:9; Mark 11:25; I Peter 3:8, 11, 12; Colossians 1:10
I let go of all bitterness, resentment, envying, strife and unkindness in any form. I give no place to the devil in Jesus' name. Now Father, I ask Your forgiveness. By faith, I receive it, having assurance that I am cleaned from unrighteousness through Jesus Christ. I ask You to forgive and release all who wronged and hurt me. I forgive and release them. Deal with them in your mercy and loving-kindness.
Form this moment on, I purpose to walk in love, to seek peace, to live in agreement, and to conduce myself toward others in a manner that is pleasing to You. I know that I have right standing with You and Your ears are attentive to my prayers.
It is written in Your Word that the love of God has been shed abroad, poured forth into my heart by the Holy Ghost who is given to me. I believe that love flows forth into the lives of everyone I know that I may be with abound in the fruits of righteousness which bring glory and honor unto You, Lord, in Jesus' name. So be it!
Scripture References: Romans 5:5, 12:16-18, 10; Philippians 1:9, 11, 2:2; Ephesians 4:27, 31, 32; I John 1:9; Mark 11:25; I Peter 3:8, 11, 12; Colossians 1:10
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