You're Blessed

Matthew 5:3-12 The Message
³"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
 ⁴"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
 ⁵"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.
 ⁶"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.
 ⁷"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.
 ⁸"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
 ⁹"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.
 ¹⁰"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.
 ^11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

I am simple and plain.

Isaiah 66:2 " I made all of this! I own all this!" God's Decree " But there is something I am looking for: a person simple and plain, reverently responsive to what I say."
This verse stood out to me today because he said " I am looking for a person simple and plain." That is me I am not praiseworthy, I have done nothing great. In fact I've done some pretty horrible things. BUT I am his child! He choose me, he forgave me, and he wants to use me as long as I listen to him and act on it. I am not worthy of his love but he gives it, I still run away from him but he never leaves, and I don't always listen to his voice but he continues to be patient.
He wants simple and plain people, he doesn't look at your life resume to make sure you make the cut you just do. We do all great things through him, and without him we are nothing.

We are the Church

For the longest time I asked myself what the Church could do for me. I would go on Sunday's and go and complain because it did not meet my needs. Someone didn't come up to me, or I wished they did this or that. I was hurt by the Church and thought that things needed to change, but I never did anything to change them because that is what the "Church" needed to do.
In the book the Christian atheist by Craig he quotes Erwin McManus " The church does not exist for us. We are the church, and we exist for the world."
The Church needs every single one of us Jesus said " First love God, Second, love other people as much as you love yourself. if you can do just these two things, that will fulfill every other law." Matthew 22:36-40.
This is what the Church allows us to do. We all serve a vital role in the church just like different body parts and organs complete the body.God created each one of us different to complete the body of Christ. When we start being the Church instead of just going every need in the Church can be met by the church.
It is also a place to belong. God never intended for us to be alone " So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others" Romans 12:5. We need others and others need us. Its a place to be held accountable, to encourage, and to grow. God is calling all of us to be a part of his church, to be his church. If we don't think we are good enough, then we are exactly who he's looking for. All he wants is a willingness to serve.

A God-Shaped Life

Proverbs 11:17-31 The Message
When you're kind to others, you help yourself; when you're cruel to others, you hurt yourself.
Bad work gets paid with a bad check; good work gets solid pay.
Take your stand with God's loyal community and live, or chase after phantoms of evil and die.
God can't stand deceivers, but oh how he relishes integrity.
Count on this: The wicked won't get off Scott-free; and God's loyal people will triumph.
Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful face on a empty head.
The desires of good people lead straight to the best. but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.
The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.
Curses on those who drive a hard bargain! Blessings on all who play fair and square!
The one who seeks good finds delight; the student of evil becomes evil.
A life devoted to things is a dead life. a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.
Exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air; common sense tells you its a stupid way to live.
A good life is a fruit-bearing tree; a violent life destroys souls.
If good people barely make it, what's in store for the bad!
Everyday we have a choice to lead a God shaped life, or a life of evil. We can produce fruit or destroy. We can either bless others, or be cruel. Everyday we make a choice to live for God.

Proverbs 31 Woman

I have always looked at the Proverbs 31 Woman and been amazed at everything she is. All she is to her family, what she does for the poor, everything she accomplishes in a day. I want to be her! She challenges me to think about everything I do, and who I am.

The Proverbs 31 Woman :
10An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.                                                                          rare, precious 11The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain.                                                                                trustworthy 12She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.                                                                                      kind	Her Character as a Wife
13She looks for wool and flax And works with her hands in delight.                                                                          works joyfully 14She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar.                                       goes extra mile to get choicest goods 15She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And portions to her maidens.                                                                                disciplined 16She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard.                                             enterprising, prudent with money 17She girds herself with strength And makes her arms strong.                                                                                       energetic 18She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night.                                                                             good steward 19She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hands grasp the spindle.                                                                                  diligent	Her Devotion as a Homemaker
20She extends her hand to the poor, And she stretches out her hands to the needy.                                                        compassionate, generous	Her Generosity as a Neighbor
21She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet.                                                                                  provident 22She makes coverings for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.                                                                                     elegant 23Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.                                                                                   influential 24She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies belts to the tradesmen.                                                                                 industrious	Her Devotion as a Homemaker
25Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.                                                                                      poised 26She opens her mouth in wisdom, And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.                                                                                        wise	Her Influence as a Teacher
27She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.                                                                      manages her home 28Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:                                                                               praiseworthy 29"Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all."                                                                                distinguished	Her Effectiveness as a Mother
30Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.                                                                                God-fearing 31Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.                                                                                     honored	Her Excellence as a Person

On my knees

I have always loved this song from Jaci Valasquez, honestly this morning I was struggling with having my quiet time. I can't seem to focus on anything, I'm tired and my mind  is on everything but God. This song popped in my head, and I sang it in my little corner at work (I sing everyday I'm sure my co workers get sick of it). After singing it and thinking about the words it hit me, I just need to tell God the truth. That I really don't feel like reading his word today, and what I'm struggling with in my mind. Doesn't he already know that anyway? When I stop trying to hide from him just be honest, and get on my knees is when it can change. Not when I try to hide and continue to be distracted or think about things that are not from him. If I'm honest with him just maybe my thoughts will change right? Philippians 3:16 " If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision- you'll see it yet!" He wants us to be honest with him when we are mad, upset, worried, distracted whatever it is we need to be truthful with our maker. He longs for us to come to him, and he wants to change us when we get on our knees.
There are days
when I feel
The best of me
is ready to begin (the end)
Then there's (the) days
when I feel
I'm letting go
and soaring on the wind
'Cause I've learned in laughter or in pain
How to survive!

I get on my knees! (x2)
There I am before the Love
That changes me
See I don't know how
But there's power
When I'm on my knees

I can be
in a crowd
Or by myself
and almost anywhere
When I feel
there's a need
To talk with God
He is Emmanuel
When I close my eyes,
no darkness there
There's only light!

I get on my knees (x2)
There I am before the Love that changes me
See I don't know how, but there's power
In the blue skies, in the midnight
When I'm on my knees
I get on my knees (x2)
There I am before the Love
That changes me
See I don't know how, but there's power
When I'm on my, oh, when I'm on my
When I'm on my knees

Forget About Yourself

Matthew 10:38-39 The Message " If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me."
Luke 9:23-26 " Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat- I am. Don't run from suffering, embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose your, the real you? If any of you is embarrassed with me and the way I'm leading you, know that the Son of Man will be far more embarrassed with you when he arrives in all his slendor in company with the Father and holy angels."
In both of these verses he plainly says if we hold on to ourselves, our own selfish wants and desires we will lose ourselves. But if we look to him we'll find ourselves, the true self that he designed us to be, and we'll find him. He wants us to sacrifice our lives because he knows that doing that is best for us. He always wants what is best for us, and that means letting go of our lives and letting him lead us.

God's Grace

Your past is not who you are, but its something you've done. When we let our past pain become our present identity we let shame take over. The way to let go of shame is by the Grace of God. He can transform tragedy to triumph. We are forgivable, changeable, capable, moldable, and bound by the limitless love of God. We have to accept what can't be changed but know your future can. Until we accept that the past is passed, we can't make peace with the present or walk into the future with hope. We may always remember what happened, but we need to believe that we are not what happened. We are who God says we are-new creations 2 Corinthians 5:17 " Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!" Just like a broken bone that heals is often strongest at the point of fracture, the same way God can take the shame of past failures and redirect their outcomes toward great future success.

Today.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 "Whatsoever thy hand fineth to do, do it with thy might."
We should not be comtent with just thinking of things we can do for the Lord in our heart, and talking about them. But we must carry out "whatsoever our hand fineth to do. Do not wait for large opportunities, or for a different kind of work, but do just the things we find to do day by day. We have no other time to live but now. The past is gone, the future has not arrived, we never will have any time but the present. Do not wait until you think you are mature enough before you attempt to serve God. No man ever served God by doing things tomorrow. If we honor Christ and our blessed it is by the things we do today. Whatever you do for him throw your whole soul into it, do not give Christ a little but serve him with your whole heart, soul, and strength. But where do we find the might, it is not in our self for we are perfect weakness. Our might lies in the Lord. So let us seek his help; let us proceed with prayer and faith, and when we have done what our "hand findeth to do" let us wait upon the Lord for his blessing. Than what we do will be done well, and will not fail in its effect.


Morning and Evening Devotion- Charles Spurgeon

Give Thanks!

MMMM Thanksgiving food is on my mind! But I've been thinking about how much I have to be thankful for more than I have my Mom's yummy sweet potatoes...:) I pulled some of my favorite verses about being thankful, and thought I would share.
1 Corinthians 1:4-5 " I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus for in him you have been enriched in every way-- with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge.
I am thankful for each and every one of you. My friends and family because you enrich my life every single day. I have learned something from each and every one of you, and I am completely blessed to be surrounded by such amazing Godly brothers and sisters.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 " Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Psalm 100:4-5 " Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Hebrews 12:28 " Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
2 Corinthians 9:15 " Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift."
Philippians 4:6 " Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"
Colossians 3:17 " And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and enjoy the food and family! But more important remember to thank our Father for all the things he has blessed us with.

God enjoys a good laugh!

A email I recieved from my sister and thought I would share. :)

GOD ENJOYS A GOOD LAUGH!  
   
  There were 3 good arguments that Jesus was Black:  
1.   He called everyone brother .  
2.   He liked Gospel .  
3.   He didn't get a fair trial .  



But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Jewish:  
1.   He went into His Father's business .  
2.   He lived at home until he was 33 .  
3.   He was sure his Mother was a virgin and his Mother was sure He was God .  


But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Italian:  
1.   He talked with His hands .  
2.   He had wine with His meals .  
3.   He used olive oil .  


But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was a Californian:  
1.   He never cut His hair .  
2.   He walked around barefoot all the time .
3.   He started a new religion .


But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was an American Indian:  
1.   He was at peace with nature .  
2.   He ate a lot of fish .
3.   He talked about the Great Spirit .  
   
But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Irish:  
1.   He never got married.  
2.   He was always telling stories.  
3.   He loved green pastures.  
   
But the most compelling evidence of all - 3 proofs that Jesus was a woman:  
1.   He fed a crowd at a moment's notice when there was virtually no food .
2.   He kept trying to get a message across to a bunch of men who just didn't get it .
3.   And even when He was dead, He had to get up because there was still work to do .

Don't take anything for granted

Ecclesiastes 7:1-14 The Message
A good reputation is better than a fat bank account.
Your death date tells more than your birth date.
You learn more at a funeral than at a feast-
after all, that's where we'll end up. We might discover something from it.
Crying is better than laughing.
It blotches the face but it scours the heart.
Sages invest themselves in hurt and grieving.
Fools waste their lives in fun and games.
You'll get more from the rebuke of a sage
Than from the song and dance of fools.
The giggles of fools are like the crackling of twigs
Under the cooking pot. And like smoke.
Brutality stupefies even the wise
And destroys the strongest heart.
Endings are better than beginnings.
Sticking to it is better than standing out.
Don't be quick to fly off the handle. Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head.
Don't always be asking, "where are the good old days?"
Wise folks don't ask questions like that.
Wisdom is better when it's paired with money,
Especially if you get both while you're still living.
Double protection: wisdom and wealth!
Plus this bonus: Wisdom energized its owner.
Take a good look at God's work.
Who could simplify and reduce Creation's curves and angles
To a plain straight line?
On a good day, enjoy yourself;
On a bad day, examine your conscience.
God arranges for both kinds of days
So that we won't take anything for granted.

With the holidays coming up I have really been thinking about how much I have to be thankful for, even the not so good stuff. We should never take for granted this life that God has given us, he has a reason for everything, and in everything we should be thankful and joy full. Courtney's favorite saying "He turns our messes into ministry." I love God's word and the truth he speaks to us through it. This verse really spoke to me in what was best for me, even though sometimes what is best is harder we get a better reward at the end.

Our Counselor

^{John 16:5-15 5} “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹ of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
¹² “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
We live in a world that is constantly trying to drag us down and away from what is right. The Holy Spirit leads us to what is right, he draws us away from danger and harm. He guides us to the truth! God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit who gives us opportunities to tell others about Jesus, what he has done for you and draw them toward the truth of Jesus. If we are following the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit it is evident in our life, and to those around us. What a wonderful gift God have us, a tour guide and counselor to the truth.

Comfort

For so long I have been living for comfort. I do not like to go outside of my comfort zone just like a lot of other people. But I think when we truly go outside our comfort zone is when we can experience life and God. Jesus said " If you love me, you will obey what I command" John 14:15 He often commands us to go outside our comfort zone, and give up things we so tightly hold on to.
So what does that mean he is commanding YOU to do? For so long I was looking at other Christians saying "Ok God has called them to do that so that is what I should do" But Oswald Chambers said " Never make a principle out of your experience, let God be as original with other people as He is with you." We need to be careful not to turn others lives into the mold of our own. Allow God to be creative, Pauls tells us,
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
God created unique people to accomplish a variety of purposes though out the world. We must learn to listen to and obey God, especially in a society where it's easy and expected to do what is most comfortable.

Give Away Your Life

Luke 6:24-42 (The Message)

Give Away Your Life

 ²⁴But it's trouble ahead if you think you have it made.
   What you have is all you'll ever get.  ²⁵And it's trouble ahead if you're satisfied with yourself.
   Your self will not satisfy you for long.
   And it's trouble ahead if you think life's all fun and games.
   There's suffering to be met, and you're going to meet it.
 ²⁶"There's trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.
 ^27-30"To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
 ^31-34"Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that's charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.
 ^35-36"I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.
 ^37-38"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don't condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity."
 ^39-40He quoted a proverb: "'Can a blind man guide a blind man?' Wouldn't they both end up in the ditch? An apprentice doesn't lecture the master. The point is to be careful who you follow as your teacher.
 ^41-42"It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this I-know-better-than-you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

This verse needs no explanation, its powerful in God's truth.

Obsessed

We are obsessed with a lot of things today such as shows, our body, relationships, the list could go on forever but are we obessed with our Savior? I often think we hold back, but the Bible teaches us to be consumed with Christ and to faithfully live out his words. He wants his to be obsessed.
People who are obsessed with Jesus give freely and openly, without censure. Obsessed people love those who hate them and who can never love them back.
People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress.
People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another. Obsessed people believe that Jesus talked about money and poor so often because it was really important to him.
Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo. A person who is obsessed with Jesus will do things that don't always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth.
A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that sin of pride is always a battle. Obsessed people know that you can never be "humble enough", and so they seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known.
People obsessed with Jesus do not consider service a burden. Obsessed people take joy in loving God by loving his people.
People who are obsessed with God are known as givers, not takers. Obsessed people genuinely think that others matter as much as they do, and they are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world.
A person who is obsessed thinks about heaven frequently. Obsessed people orient their lives around eternity; they are not fixed only on what is here in front of them.
A person who is obsessed is characterized by committed, settled, passionate love for God, above and before every other thing and every other being.
People who are obsessed are raw with God; they do not attempt to mask the ugliness of their sins or their failures. Obsessed people don't put it on for God; he is their safe place, where they can be at peace.
A person who is obsessed with Jesus is more concerned with his or her character than comfort. Obsessed people know that true joy doesn't depend on circumstances or environment; is is a gift that must be chosen and cultivated, a gift that ultimately comes from God.
A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the best thing he can do is be faithful to his Savior in every aspect of his life, continually saying "Thank you!" to God. An obsessed person knows there can never be intimacy if he is always trying to pay God back or work hard enough to be worthy. He revels in his role as child and friend of God.
from Ch 8 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan

Lukewarm

Matthew 13:44 " The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."
He sold everything to obtain the only think that mattered, he knew what he stumbled upon-the kingdom of heaven- was more valuable than anything, so he went after it with EVERYTHING. That is what God wants from us, to go after the Kingdom with everything, and to be honest he hates fakers, and lukewarmness.
Revelation 3:16
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
In today's world we are seen as "radical" if we are truly living by God's word. This subject is from the book "Crazy Love by Francis Chan" and I wish I would write the whole chapter out. But I'll try to do my best, I am going to say that our lives today are pretty lukewarm. We have let the worlds standards overtake our Church, and our lives. We think its ok to be "godly enough" attend church, give, love God (but not with all our heart.) But does this not go against everything to bible says? Are we totally in love with God that we give EVERYTHING to him, or do we let things of the world consume us? I would be so bold to say we often think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven.
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Col. 3:2
God urges us to give everything to him and not be lukewarm, or he will "spit you out of my mouth." I want to be radical, I don't want to be lukewarm and be accepted by this world but I want to be on fire for his kingdom.

Strength

"For my strength is made perfect in weakness." - 2 Corinthians 12:9

A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God's work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When we march forth to battle thinking we are strong with our own strength, God will not go forth with us. When we go forth with our own strength we will come back defeated, and tired. Those who serve God must serve him in his own way, and in his strength, or he will never accept their service. God will have no strength used in his battles but the strength which he himself imparts. Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give thee victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.

"When I am weak then am I strong,
Grace is my shield and Christ my song."

I stand in awe

Solomon warned us not to rush into God's presence with words. The wise man comes to God without saying a word and stands in awe of him, the creature of heavens and earth. Sometimes I forget to step back and just admire our Creator and what he has done, and worship his creation. We are a culture that relies on technology over community, a society in which written words are cheap, easy to come by, and excessive. Our culture says anythings goes, and fear of God is almost unheard of. We are slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to become angry. To be bold we have lost who we are supposed to be, and we are missing out on all that God wants for the people he loved enough to die for. We are called to worship him, there is no other like him. He is the King of Kings, the Beginning and the End, the One who was and is and is to come. Our world is bent on ignoring or merely tolerating Him. But God instructs us to worship and fear him. God deserves our worship, his creation echos the truth that he is glorious. I stand in awe of our Creator.

Grace

Grace cannot be bought. It is freely given gift by God to you and me. Grace is the love that gives, that loves the unlovely and the unlovable. We can love others because God first loved us, and we can also forgive others because God first forgave us. Giving grace to others is something our Father calls us to do.
Matthew 6:14 "If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." Grace can be a hard thing to give to enemies, or those we know hate us but God first gave us a gift of grace when we were still sinners. He also gives us strenghth to give grace to others.
2 Thessalonians 2:16 "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father encourage you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us, and through his grace he gave us a good hope and encouragement that continues forever."
Even when its hard to love our enemy we are called to "do good to them! Lend to them! And dont be concerned about the fact that they won't repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as sons of God: for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are very wicked." Luke 6:35 Give grace freely to others, and love like God loves.

Chazown

If you have not watched LifeChurch's sermon called Chazown I strongly recommend it! Craig is talking about God's vision for our life, and I am going to steal a lot of his verses and words. Proverbs 29:18 says
" Where there is no vision, the people perish..." We all receive visions from God but we choose to hear it, and than we chose to act on it. We get a prompting from the spirit to go work with kids, mentor young married couples, go to Africa, etc. After we get the prompting we than say ok God now what? Most of us want the details before we'll take a step forward. Sometimes God will not give details because we can not handle them. If he told us how far he was going to take us or the pain we may endure we may say NO NOT ME! We have to choose to walk by faith, and take steps at a time. Satan will attack, and I can tell you he is raging full force at me as we speak. I have received some amazing visions from the Lord the last couple of months, have taken some steps and in the last week when thrown some pretty crazy curve balls. It will not fail that Satan will attack but we have to stand strong, and fight for God's vision for your life. Acts 20:24 " However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task to testifying to the gospel of God's grace." What is your Chazown?

For Freeeeeee

 Hosea 14:4  The Lord says, "I will forgive them for leaving me, I will love them freely, I am not angry with them anymore.
"I will love them freely" That speaks of the love that streams from heaven to earth, a spontaneous love flowing forth to those who neither deserved it, purchased it, nor sought after it. It is, indeed, the only way in which God can love us as we are. If there were any conditions from God than he would not love us freely. Sometimes we say but I have done so many wrong things, he says "I will love you freely." We say but I do not fulfill everything God calls me to do. He again says "I will not love you because of your works, but I will love you freely. It is so wonderful to know that the grace of God is free to us at all times, without preparation, without fitness, without money, and without price!"

Replace the world with his word.

2 Timothy 4:2-5  So I give you this command: Preach the good news. be ready at all times. Tell people what they need to do, tell them when they are wrong, and encourage them. Do these things with great patience and careful teaching. The time will come when people will not listen to the true teaching. They will find more and more teachers who say the things they want to hear. They will stop listening to the truth. They will begin to follow the teaching in false stories. But you should control yourself at all times. When troubles come accept them. Do the work of telling the Good news. Do all the duties of a servant of God.

I feel like the closer I get to God the more bad I see. We are so consumed with bad things in this world that most of the time we don't even recognize it. I can't even go through my Monday night class now without someone bringing up something that goes against God's word. I sat there wondering last night if I was the only one that knew God's word on the situation we were speaking about bc it seemed everyone was speaking against him. Everywhere you look we are consumed by the things of this world, and it has become so normal to us sometimes we don't see what we are doing is hurting God. When we think about it what benefit do we get from some of the television shows we watch, music we listen to, or activities we choose to do. God has really challenged me in this area the last couple of weeks, weeding out the world and replacing it with the word. Some things were more obvious than others, and  its still a daily struggle to let go of this world and hold on to his word.

His Servant

I have been blogging for a month now, and that month has been one of the most exciting months of my life. God has shown me so many things,opened so many doors, and blessed me everyday. While this month has been exciting it has been hard also. It has brought sorrow but I have been able to rejoice during that sorrow. I am a his servant, his daughter and even though life has been hard I can rejoice because of him. Grace from our father is everything, although sometimes we feel we have unanswered prayers or he does not hear us in our cry for help he does. He will answer you at the right time so be patient, and never stop being his servant even when there may be hard times. 2 Corinthians 6 talks about being his servant always, showing his love through everything, and never losing faith.
 ¹ As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. ² For God says,
   “At just the right time, I heard you.
      On the day of salvation, I helped you.”
   Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.
 ³ We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. ⁴ In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. ⁵ We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. ⁶ We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. ⁷ We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. ⁸ We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. ⁹ We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. ¹⁰ Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
 ¹¹ Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. ¹² There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. ¹³ I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!
 ¹⁴ Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:
   “I will live in them
      and walk among them.
   I will be their God,
      and they will be my people.
 ¹⁷ Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
      and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
   Don’t touch their filthy things,
      and I will welcome you.
 ¹⁸ And I will be your Father,
      and you will be my sons and daughters,
      says the Lord Almighty.

He is holding me.

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That You would take my pain away
That You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crookedly lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands

When You walked upon the Earth
You healed the broken, lost, and hurt
I know You hate to see me cry
One day You will set all things right
Yea, one day You will set all things right

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave Your hands

Your hands
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
Your hands that shape the world
Are holding me, they hold me still

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave You when...

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave...
I never leave Your hands

This song is beautiful, such a great reminder that when Im sad or broken I still will be held by my father. He never leaves even though sometimes I think he has. I love the verse Psalm 46:1-3 " God is our protection and our strength. He always helps in times of trouble. So we will not be afraid if the earth shakes, or if the mountains fall into the sea. We will not fear even if the oceans roar and foam, or if the mountains shake at the raging sea." I know i'll always be in his hands no matter what hard situation I may be going through my father is always holding me.

Don't fret over evil

 ^{1 [a]} Do not fret because of evil men
       or be envious of those who do wrong;
 ² for like the grass they will soon wither,
       like green plants they will soon die away.
 ³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
       dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
 ⁴ Delight yourself in the LORD
       and he will give you the desires of your heart.
 ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
       trust in him and he will do this:
 ⁶ He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
       the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
 ⁷ Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
       do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
       when they carry out their wicked schemes.
 ⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
       do not fret—it leads only to evil.
 ⁹ For evil men will be cut off,
       but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
 ¹⁰ A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
       though you look for them, they will not be found.
 ¹¹ But the meek will inherit the land
       and enjoy great peace.
 ¹² The wicked plot against the righteous
       and gnash their teeth at them;
 ¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
       for he knows their day is coming.
 ¹⁴ The wicked draw the sword
       and bend the bow
       to bring down the poor and needy,
       to slay those whose ways are upright.
 ¹⁵ But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
       and their bows will be broken.
 ¹⁶ Better the little that the righteous have
       than the wealth of many wicked;
 ¹⁷ for the power of the wicked will be broken,
       but the LORD upholds the righteous.
 ¹⁸ The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,
       and their inheritance will endure forever.
 ¹⁹ In times of disaster they will not wither;
       in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
 ²⁰ But the wicked will perish:
       The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
       they will vanish—vanish like smoke.
 ²¹ The wicked borrow and do not repay,
       but the righteous give generously;
 ²² those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
       but those he curses will be cut off.
 ²³ If the LORD delights in a man's way,
       he makes his steps firm;
 ²⁴ though he stumble, he will not fall,
       for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
 ²⁵ I was young and now I am old,
       yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
       or their children begging bread.
 ²⁶ They are always generous and lend freely;
       their children will be blessed.
 ²⁷ Turn from evil and do good;
       then you will dwell in the land forever.
 ²⁸ For the LORD loves the just
       and will not forsake his faithful ones.
       They will be protected forever,
       but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
 ²⁹ the righteous will inherit the land
       and dwell in it forever.
 ³⁰ The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
       and his tongue speaks what is just.
 ³¹ The law of his God is in his heart;
       his feet do not slip.
 ³² The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
       seeking their very lives;
 ³³ but the LORD will not leave them in their power
       or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
 ³⁴ Wait for the LORD
       and keep his way.
       He will exalt you to inherit the land;
       when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.
 ³⁵ I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
       flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
 ³⁶ but he soon passed away and was no more;
       though I looked for him, he could not be found.
 ³⁷ Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
       there is a future ^[b] for the man of peace.
 ³⁸ But all sinners will be destroyed;
       the future ^[c] of the wicked will be cut off.
 ³⁹ The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
       he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
 ⁴⁰ The LORD helps them and delivers them;
       he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
       because they take refuge in him.
One of my amazing mentors read me this verse yesterday. I often find myself worrying about those who I feel are doing wrong, or teaching others wrong. I feel that I need to control the issue and figure out how I can change this. I find myself getting really angry if someone is teaching MY children wrong things and leading their young hearts away from God. This beautiful verse that speaks for itself made me see God is in control of this, and he will cut them off. It is not right to get angry or fret but I need to trust God is taking control of the situation and his way will prevail.

MAKE CHRIST THE CENTER OF OUR LIFE

Working extra hours this week I have been beyond bored so I looked up a website by Leslie Ludy. She has wrote many books for young women, and I recommend all of them! I was just looking around at the website and came across a blog she did a couple days ago. Ill admit I'm stealing some of her words, but it was so powerful and amazing I could not pass it up! She was talking about women that loved God so much that he was the center of their life. They put him above all else family, pleasure, riches, friends and the world. Here are some of their amazing, touching stories.

Amy Carmichael sacrificed her right to be married and chose instead to spend her life rescuing 1,000 children from being sold into temple prostitution in India.  Her romance with Jesus Christ far exceeded the most beautiful fairy tale ever written.

   

Sabina Wurmbrandt sacrificed her right to live “happily ever after” with the love of her life, Richard, when it came down to a choice between saving her husband and standing up for her first Love, Jesus Christ.  She inspired her husband to stand against those who were blaspheming Christ’s name, and as a result she and Richard were separated for ten long years.

   

Gladys Alyward spent all of her youth and beauty in a war-torn Chinese village – rather than pining after men – choosing service for the Kingdom of God over marriage, family and the comforts of this world.  And as a result, a hundred violent prisoners were subdued into quiet obedience, two hundred orphan’s lives were saved and thousands were pulled out of darkness into God’s marvelous light.

   

Catherine Booth laid down her right to a comfortable marriage and family life – not only allowing her husband to pour out his life for the destitute and dying, but serving right by his side as he did so.  She chose all-night prayer gatherings, long days trudging through slums, and attack from the modern church over a stable existence in a cute home with a white picket fence.

These women truly choose to commit everything to God. He was their number one love, and they showed that with how they lived. They sacrificed husbands and comfort for their king, nothing was more important than living for him. When we have a Christ-consumed heart, guys ( or girls) no longer dominate our thinking, our actions, and our decisions.  Rather, the Lover of our soul captivates us so completely that every guy we meet clearly sees that Jesus is, and always will be, the number one Prince of our heart. You can check out her website at http://www.setapartgirl.com/

Seasons

I love the different seasons of Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer because they bring change. Fall is my favorite by far though. I love nature and being outside and fall brings the perfect temperature to do that. I love the changing leaves, and just how beautiful God's creation is during this Season. Not to mention fall brings everything pumpkin which I LOVE! There are different seasons in our life as well. Last night talking to my wonderful Mother she quoted this verse, and i'll never forget this was one of my Uncle Dean's favorite verses as well.
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under the sun. A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill and a time to heal... a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance... a time to embrace and a to refrain from embracing; a time to lose and a time to seek, a time to rend and a time to sew; a time to keep silent and a time to speak; a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Life changes, seasons come and go. Some are hard and bring sorrow, and some bring joy. One thing never changes though and that is our Savior.

WHAT IFS

Jeremiah 17:5-8
 ⁵ This is what the LORD says:
       "Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
       who depends on flesh for his strength
       and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
 ⁶ He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
       he will not see prosperity when it comes.
       He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
       in a salt land where no one lives.
 ⁷ "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
       whose confidence is in him.
 ⁸ He will be like a tree planted by the water
       that sends out its roots by the stream.
       It does not fear when heat comes;
       its leaves are always green.
       It has no worries in a year of drought
       and never fails to bear fruit."
Reading this I was thinking do I put my total trust in God? When I turn to control, strategies, intelligence, and manipulation, I am trusting in myself not him. Instead of giving my fears and "what ifs" to him I trust in myself. The result of me doing this is always disaster. My focus is on what I can do to get what I want rather than how I can trust. We can only trust God when our focus is on Him and not on our circumstances. I struggle with this a lot, because I like to feel in control. But I have seen that when Im not in control is when my life is undercontrol. The Serenity Prayer is a great way to think about dealing with the WHAT IFS in life.
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.

Positive Tommorrows

Ok I am so excited right now I am about to jump out of this chair! Today at work we had a meeting at 8am, I was not so thrilled about it even through I would already be at work. I normally spend my first hour of work reading God's word so I was a little annoyed I wouldn't be able to do that this morning! It was a meeting for United Way and little did I know God was going to speak to me huge through this meeting. We had a lady come from Positive Tomorrows in Oklahoma City, it is a school for homeless and underprivileged children. This lady was the sweetest lady I have ever meet, and her stories and faith in God touched me so deeply. I wanted to tell her I would be there today to help out! I am still amazed when God answers our prayers in a BIG way. I have been praying for a service project my 7th grade girls could do because they are passionate about helping out and THIS is it. I have prayed for him to use me for underprivileged kids because that is where my true heart is and here was a huge door that God opened. Through something like a meeting at work that I was annoyed at going to God spoke to me in a huge way! GOD IS GOOD! Check out the website http://www.positivetomorrows.org/

Drinking his water

"Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst." - John 4:14
God's living water satisfies our thirst beyond what we need, it is overflowing to those who chose to drink. A true believer in Christ is satisfied with Christ and Christ alone. Even through the darkest of times he is still filled with joy because of our father. We never need anything else but him, we never find fulfillment in anything else but him. We should take of the living water freely, God will never think you took to much but welcome you to take more.

Worry is like a rocking chair.

Worry. That is something I do everyday, all day. Most of the time I worry about things that will never happen, and I definitely worry about things I have no control over. I read a quote today that said "Worry is like a rocking chair; it will give you something to do but it won't get you anywhere." When I choose to worry about things I am saying to god "you cant" and not walking in faith. We worry about a lot of things money, health, family, marriage, threats, the list could go on forever. But does worrying about any of these things change what the outcome is going to be? We could worry about if a tornado is going to hit our house, but worrying about it does not change if it does or it doesn't. I think if we looked at the things we worried about a large percent are things that will never happen, or past decisions that we can no unmake, and only a small percent of our worries are really legitimate. Here is what God's word says about worry. Matthew 6:25-34
 ²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[a]?
 ²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Jesus says five times in the passage to stop worrying, I think he wants us to get the message! We are hurting our faith by not trusting that he has control over everyday.He wants to take all our worries and fears 1 Peter 5:6-7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  To humble yourselves before God is to trust in him and him alone. He wants to take the burden away from you if you just let him. If tomorrow brings you worry just remember God is already there. All the tomorrows of our life have to pass through him before they can get to us. Freedom from worry is a process, but once we increase in trust and decrease in anxiety we will have a peace that is unknown.

His ways are better than my ways.

This blog may be similar to other's, but the stage of life I am in right now all I am doing is completely depending on his ways. Not that you shouldn't always do that but my life has changed ALOT over the last couple of months, and it took some time to really see that his plan is better for me than what I thought my plan was for the rest of my life. Yesterday sitting in my sister's church (which had an amazing speaker but thats a whole other subject) this beautiful verse was on the back of someone's shirt.
Ephesians 3:20

²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
This verse brings so much truth to me and my life the last couple of months. I thought I was done, I thought I had reached what God's plan was for a husband but he knew differently. I never could have stepped back three months ago and said or trusted that God was going to take me away from that situation and it was going to be great! God had a plan all along for me that was better than what I could have asked or thought of and he still is not done. God's love and grace has saved me so much the last couple of months. The only way I stand today with no regret of the past, no wanting to go back, healed of what happened, and moving forward to the future is because I know God has promised me something more than I could ever think of. God is my first love, I am falling so in love with him and his ways. This is personal for me, but I do not want to hide what and who God is to me. He gives us so much if we trust and follow his ways. It was hard for me to finally obey that, but when I did his ways continue to surprise and bless me everyday.

Im enough.

I have been looking at this screen for awhile now wondering where to start. God has blessed me with a passion to reach out to young girls, and I have been given so many opportunities to do that. I still stand back sometimes and say wow God look at all the things you have blessed me with! But a situation happened last night that breaks my heart, the not so fun part of this passion God has given me. I got a text message that changed my view on a lot of things going on in my life right now. I started to think about being a young girl in middle school or high school right now and all the world being against me because I am a Christian, or not having a family support me with my walk with God. I can't even imagine because I always had a loving, Godly family to support me but there are so many kids out there that don't. My heart has been breaking for those kids, for what they face every single day. To be honest I get really scared at times and the devil feeds my mind with I can't do it. I have trouble with thinking I have to be the savior for as many people as I can. I often feel spread out to thin, or I bring myself down trying to save someone else. The great thing about our Father is that our works don't make him love us. After talking to a few people today I saw that only God can do somethings that I often try to do for people. I can't be a savior nor do I want to try. I want to do things for his kingdom, but I don't want it to get to the point that Im thinking Im not enough, or I stop doing it out of love. I think because of the world's standards sometimes we think as Christians we aren't enough till we have done it all, at least I catch myself thinking that. Its an everyday struggle for me to know he'll use me how he wants if I give myself completely to him and I don't have to worry about anything else. Sorry if this is just me rambling its just what was heavy on my heart today.
Proverbs 2:1–10 says:
My (daughter), if you will receive my words
         And treasure my commandments within you,
Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
         Incline your heart to understanding;
For if you cry for discernment,
         Lift your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver
         And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
         And discover the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom;
         From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
         He is a shield to those who walk in integrity.

God's Masterpiece

Psalm 139
¹ O Lord, you have examined my heart
      and know everything about me.
 ² You know when I sit down or stand up.
      You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
 ³ You see me when I travel
      and when I rest at home.
      You know everything I do.
 ⁴ You know what I am going to say
      even before I say it, Lord.
 ⁵ You go before me and follow me.
      You place your hand of blessing on my head.
 ⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
      too great for me to understand!
 ⁷ I can never escape from your Spirit!
      I can never get away from your presence!
 ⁸ If I go up to heaven, you are there;
      if I go down to the grave,^[a] you are there.
 ⁹ If I ride the wings of the morning,
      if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
 ¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
      and your strength will support me.
 ¹¹ I could ask the darkness to hide me
      and the light around me to become night—
    ¹² but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
   To you the night shines as bright as day.
      Darkness and light are the same to you.
 ¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
      and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 ¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
      Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
 ¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
      as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
 ¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
      Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
   Every moment was laid out
      before a single day had passed.
 ¹⁷ How precious are your thoughts about me,^[b] O God.
      They cannot be numbered!
 ¹⁸ I can’t even count them;
      they outnumber the grains of sand!
   And when I wake up,
      you are still with me!
 ¹⁹ O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!
      Get out of my life, you murderers!
 ²⁰ They blaspheme you;
      your enemies misuse your name.
 ²¹ O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?
      Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
 ²² Yes, I hate them with total hatred,
      for your enemies are my enemies.
 ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
      test me and know my anxious thoughts.
 ²⁴ Point out anything in me that offends you,
      and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
I have heard or read this passage a hundred times but until I prayed for God to really open up my eyes and heart while reading it did I see its true meaning to me. Honestly I have been struggling trying to control my own life for quite some time now. I read this great illustration one time about imagining your life as a piece of art. The frame consisting of your personality, your physical characteristics, and your gifts and abilities. God has chosen a perfect frame that fits me, and who he created me to be. But I often find myself looking for a more appealing frame, and not until I try that frame on do I see that even that frame comes with problems. God made my frame for me he knew the plans for my life before I was even born, but yet sometimes I want to control and pick my own frame not embrace the one I was given.  George MacDonald C.S. Lewis's mentor wrote, "I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about born in God's thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, and mots precious thing in all thinking." Wow to have that prayer of contentment is amazing to me.  Back to our life as a piece of art. The art inside the frame represents a emerging picture of who you are becoming. God lays out the background, and then sweeps brushstrokes across the canvas of our lives. If we step back and let God do the work, and not try to control our own brushstrokes your picture can reflect a beautiful painting. If we try to control and not let God we could make some bad brushstrokes.I feel like this passage to me helps me see that God knows everything about me, God created everything about me and he does not make mistakes. I need to step back let him create the masterpiece and trust his skills.

Not my wisdom but his.

God has done and shown me some amazing things in the last month. Every single day I have learned a lesson or opened up the bible and had a aha moment. I have had a few people tell me how wise I am becoming, or how great I am doing. Don't get me wrong I love to hear those things, but when someone says that I say its not me its HIM! I am so blessed that God is working through me in ways I never could have imagined. Sometimes I'm like why did you choose me? I don't know if I'm ready for this. But I don't have to be anything because it all comes from him if I trust and believe in him. I was thinking about all this so this morning I remembered a verse I read a couple of weeks ago in 1 Corinthians 1:24-31 " But Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God to those people God has called- Jews and Greeks. Even the foolishness of God is wiser than men. Even the weakness of God is stronger than men. Brothers, look at what you were when God called you. Not many of you were wise in the way the world judges wisdom. Not many of you came from important families. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. And he chose what the world thinks is not important. He chose what the world hates and thinks is nothing. He chose these to destroy what the world thinks is important. God did this so that no man can brag before him. It is God who has made you part of Christ Jesus. Christ has become wisdom for us from God. Christ is the reason we are right with God and have freedom from sin; Christ is the reason we are holy. So as the Scripture says, "If a person brags, he should brag only about the Lord". I am so thankful he is my wisdom, I'm so thankful I have freedom from my old sinful self and can be holy because of him. I hope I never am tempted to brag on myself because it is his wisdom and his way not my own.

Rejoice!

I DID NOT want to get up this morning! I had maybe six hours of bad sleep last night, and have a ton of homework to finish before my class at 2. Driving to work I had the Christian station on and both the songs were really upbeat and just put a smile on my face. It made me think of the song we used to sing in my church at home "this is the day, this is the day that the lord has made, that the lord has made. I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it." I have so much to get up for, I have so much to look forward to today. I wake up and think of all the bad stuff I have to do that day and forget that this is the day the lord has made. He has a plan for today, and I look forward to spending it with him. Sometimes the world can get you down but again remember Psalms 118:24 "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." I am excited to be up because the things I have to get done for this world are such a small thing, I believe God has a bigger plan for today that involves his kingdom and that is something to jump out of bed for!

To be poor is to be rich.

With graduation coming up its been really hard for me not to think about what God's plan is for my life. I would love a job where I could be doing his work all day, such as working with youth. He has kinda cracked open a few doors in the last few weeks I am just waiting to see where those may take me. But when I think about doing that I can't help to think will I be able to provide for myself? Will I be able to make my house payment, or go out and eat once and awhile with friends without going over my budget? You know the first thing I cut down on is my tides. I say well God you know I have a tight budget now so I can't give as much. What am I doing? Can I not trust the God that has gotten me this far to take me the rest of the way? It is crazy the standards the world has now on being "rich". To be rich in God's eyes has nothing to do with money in fact if you are the worlds "rich" you are poor to our father. I read in James today this 1:9-11 " If a believer is poor, he should be proud because God has made him spiritually rich. If he is rich, he should be proud because God has shown him that he is spiritually poor. The rich person will die like a wild flower in the grass. The sun rises and becomes hotter and hotter. The heat makes the plants very dry, and the flower falls off. The flower was beautiful, but now it is dead. It is the same with the rich person. While he is still taking care of his business, he will die." In God's eyes the poor will be rich spiritually. I don't know about you but I would rather be rich spiritually than be rich to the world. The world will all fade away but God will still stand.