Super busy with the holidays and then leaving on vacation for a week so I will blog again after the New Year.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Psalm 51 - Joy After Repentance
Psalm 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
The Lord chastens us because He loves us. If He didn't care about us He wouldn't care what we do. But then after the chastening if we are repentant He pulls us up again and restores the joy and gladness in our hearts. Isn't it amazing that He takes those marred vessels, cleans them up, and makes them new again. David committed adultery, lied, and then murdered. But when caught by the prophet he admitted his sin and got it right. Yes, he still suffered the loss of a child because of his sin. Yes he still reaped what he had sowed. But God also still used him greatly after he repented. How many times have we sinned and He restored us along with the joy and gladness?
Just a month or so ago I was angry, bitter, depressed, discontented, judgmental and just plain miserable. I still went to church but not because I wanted to, it was because I had to. I was having all kinds of problems with my fellow christians, friends, and family. I just wanted to call it quits. Nobody could do anything to please me. Was it their fault? Nope it was mine. When you get out of His word and stop praying you can't hear the Holy Spirit speaking to you anymore. You don't have the mind of Christ. Anything and everything seems to go wrong and you can't handle it properly. I felt like I was in bondage. It was such a struggle to read the Bible and pray. But now praise the Lord it is like the chains have come off and I am free again. I love reading the Bible, I love praying, I love church, I love my family. Yes I still struggle with being negative and not having faith. But now I can hear the Spirit speaking ever so gently to my heart. And I can work through it instead of dwelling on it. Praise the Lord I am out of the dungeon!!
My chains fell off my heart was free I rose went forth and followed Thee. Amazing Love how can it be that thou my God wouldst die for me!!!
The Lord chastens us because He loves us. If He didn't care about us He wouldn't care what we do. But then after the chastening if we are repentant He pulls us up again and restores the joy and gladness in our hearts. Isn't it amazing that He takes those marred vessels, cleans them up, and makes them new again. David committed adultery, lied, and then murdered. But when caught by the prophet he admitted his sin and got it right. Yes, he still suffered the loss of a child because of his sin. Yes he still reaped what he had sowed. But God also still used him greatly after he repented. How many times have we sinned and He restored us along with the joy and gladness?
Just a month or so ago I was angry, bitter, depressed, discontented, judgmental and just plain miserable. I still went to church but not because I wanted to, it was because I had to. I was having all kinds of problems with my fellow christians, friends, and family. I just wanted to call it quits. Nobody could do anything to please me. Was it their fault? Nope it was mine. When you get out of His word and stop praying you can't hear the Holy Spirit speaking to you anymore. You don't have the mind of Christ. Anything and everything seems to go wrong and you can't handle it properly. I felt like I was in bondage. It was such a struggle to read the Bible and pray. But now praise the Lord it is like the chains have come off and I am free again. I love reading the Bible, I love praying, I love church, I love my family. Yes I still struggle with being negative and not having faith. But now I can hear the Spirit speaking ever so gently to my heart. And I can work through it instead of dwelling on it. Praise the Lord I am out of the dungeon!!
My chains fell off my heart was free I rose went forth and followed Thee. Amazing Love how can it be that thou my God wouldst die for me!!!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Psalm 36:7 His Lovingkindness
How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Lovingkindness is defined as tender and benevolent affection. Fond, doing good, showing care, loving.
One of the reasons I can put my trust in the Creator is because of His lovingkindness. Remember He is always righteous and always judges perfectly. He knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. When He judges He doesn't just look at the evidence, He takes into account the motives and feelings. I am thankful that He is not just a dictator that demands perfection. There have been many times in my life that I have wandered away from the Lord in my heart. Yet, God has always so patiently and tenderly loved me back to Him. I have wondered what makes me so different from those that just completely turn their backs on God and go back to the world. I believe it is because God knows the thoughts and intents of my heart. He knows that even though I fail a lot I want to serve Him completely. He knows my hearts desire is to please Him. He knows my weakness and He knows my frame. God knows that sometimes I am insecure, hard on myself, and I give up easily. He looks at the whole picture.
I need to add a caveat here though - this does not give me license to remain a cold apathetic christian and to wallow in my sin. If I stay in that state without a real relationship with the Lord then yes eventually He will shelf me and I will be left to my own devises. But that isn't His fault it is mine. And He would be the righteous judge to do so. Psalm 36:10
Lovingkindness is defined as tender and benevolent affection. Fond, doing good, showing care, loving.
One of the reasons I can put my trust in the Creator is because of His lovingkindness. Remember He is always righteous and always judges perfectly. He knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. When He judges He doesn't just look at the evidence, He takes into account the motives and feelings. I am thankful that He is not just a dictator that demands perfection. There have been many times in my life that I have wandered away from the Lord in my heart. Yet, God has always so patiently and tenderly loved me back to Him. I have wondered what makes me so different from those that just completely turn their backs on God and go back to the world. I believe it is because God knows the thoughts and intents of my heart. He knows that even though I fail a lot I want to serve Him completely. He knows my hearts desire is to please Him. He knows my weakness and He knows my frame. God knows that sometimes I am insecure, hard on myself, and I give up easily. He looks at the whole picture.
I need to add a caveat here though - this does not give me license to remain a cold apathetic christian and to wallow in my sin. If I stay in that state without a real relationship with the Lord then yes eventually He will shelf me and I will be left to my own devises. But that isn't His fault it is mine. And He would be the righteous judge to do so. Psalm 36:10
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Psalm 33 - His Works
Psalm 33:4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth.
I am so thankful that God is true and honest. He has no ulterior motives, He is not trying to sneak one past me, or use me up for His gain. He always has the right Words and always does things in truth. He can be trusted. He is the definition of trust.
Psalm 33:5 He loveth righteousness and judgement: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The earth is filled with His goodness. There are blessings all around us every day. From the flowers, mountains, and trees to the oceans, rocks, and hills. His majesty is everywhere. We can even find His goodness in man. The Lord has led so many people to be a blessing to me.
Praise the Lord for His goodness, righteousness, truth, and judgements.
I am so thankful that God is true and honest. He has no ulterior motives, He is not trying to sneak one past me, or use me up for His gain. He always has the right Words and always does things in truth. He can be trusted. He is the definition of trust.
Psalm 33:5 He loveth righteousness and judgement: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
The earth is filled with His goodness. There are blessings all around us every day. From the flowers, mountains, and trees to the oceans, rocks, and hills. His majesty is everywhere. We can even find His goodness in man. The Lord has led so many people to be a blessing to me.
Praise the Lord for His goodness, righteousness, truth, and judgements.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Psalm 32 Forgiven
vs 1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
My sins are covered by the blood. My sins of the past are forgiven. My sins of the present & future can be forgiven. When I stop and really think about the person I am and once was it is an awesome thought that a righteous HOLY GOD would forgive me. I have broken so many laws and commandments, been so stubborn & rebellious. But yet He still sent His Son to save me. Glory to God that He loves me in spite of me.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Amen!!
My sins are covered by the blood. My sins of the past are forgiven. My sins of the present & future can be forgiven. When I stop and really think about the person I am and once was it is an awesome thought that a righteous HOLY GOD would forgive me. I have broken so many laws and commandments, been so stubborn & rebellious. But yet He still sent His Son to save me. Glory to God that He loves me in spite of me.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Amen!!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Psalm 30
What a great chapter! Verse 6 really got me - And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
How many times have I been up on that mountain and said those words? It is so easy to praise the Lord and stand firmly for Him when everything is going right. What about the troublesome times? What about the dark times? What about the valley times? It seems that sometimes when all is right in our lives we forget Who brought us there. Almost as if we blessed ourselves. It was by our own merit. Then when trials come and we are in the valley we curse Him because now its His fault. He doesn't get praise for the blessings in our lives and He gets cursed for the trials. Doesn't seem quite fair does it?
He can turn our mourning into dancing (Ps 30:11), our joy comes in the morning (30:5). If we wait out the trials and praise the Lord for them then He can work the miracle of turning our pain into joy. I have seen it happen in my own life. During my second pregnancy I was so sick, in & out of the hospital, till I ended up having a miscarriage. God became so real to me during this time or should I say His grace became so real to me. It was like He reached down from Heaven and put His arms around me and told me He would take care of everything if I trusted Him. And He did. I saw miraculous things happen that year in so many lives including my own.
As I sit here and look back I see so many times that He brought me through the roughest times. But then I see many times that I got ahead of God and took matters into my own hands, I think those times were the darkest and seemed to last the longest.
I will give thanks unto thee forever - no matter what! This is my prayer for my life!
How many times have I been up on that mountain and said those words? It is so easy to praise the Lord and stand firmly for Him when everything is going right. What about the troublesome times? What about the dark times? What about the valley times? It seems that sometimes when all is right in our lives we forget Who brought us there. Almost as if we blessed ourselves. It was by our own merit. Then when trials come and we are in the valley we curse Him because now its His fault. He doesn't get praise for the blessings in our lives and He gets cursed for the trials. Doesn't seem quite fair does it?
He can turn our mourning into dancing (Ps 30:11), our joy comes in the morning (30:5). If we wait out the trials and praise the Lord for them then He can work the miracle of turning our pain into joy. I have seen it happen in my own life. During my second pregnancy I was so sick, in & out of the hospital, till I ended up having a miscarriage. God became so real to me during this time or should I say His grace became so real to me. It was like He reached down from Heaven and put His arms around me and told me He would take care of everything if I trusted Him. And He did. I saw miraculous things happen that year in so many lives including my own.
As I sit here and look back I see so many times that He brought me through the roughest times. But then I see many times that I got ahead of God and took matters into my own hands, I think those times were the darkest and seemed to last the longest.
I will give thanks unto thee forever - no matter what! This is my prayer for my life!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Amen! Yes the Lord is my strength and shield. I have to say that since I have stopped trusting in myself or others and started trusting the Lord again my heart is able to rejoice. When trusting in man I am fearful because men can fail, they can make mistakes. This includes trusting in myself. I screw up all the time. But God never fails and never makes mistakes. It is so funny to me that I try to take control of the situation like God can't do it without me. Or like I can do it better than God can. He knows the beginning and the end and everything in between. I can only see a bit of the past and present. He sees everything. Confidence in man brings fear, doubting, and ultimately a huge let down. God has never let me down. And in the Lord there should be no fear and no doubt.
The LORD is my strength - I am going to praise Him for it.
Amen! Yes the Lord is my strength and shield. I have to say that since I have stopped trusting in myself or others and started trusting the Lord again my heart is able to rejoice. When trusting in man I am fearful because men can fail, they can make mistakes. This includes trusting in myself. I screw up all the time. But God never fails and never makes mistakes. It is so funny to me that I try to take control of the situation like God can't do it without me. Or like I can do it better than God can. He knows the beginning and the end and everything in between. I can only see a bit of the past and present. He sees everything. Confidence in man brings fear, doubting, and ultimately a huge let down. God has never let me down. And in the Lord there should be no fear and no doubt.
The LORD is my strength - I am going to praise Him for it.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday Message from Ken Dean
Evangelist Ken Dean comes to our church every year for Thanksgiving. He always has a way of convicting my heart but he does it in such a kind way. On Sunday both messages were about our Christian Report Card. Grading yourself on your walk with God. Wow! I have to admit there is a lot of room for improvement in my life. If you would like to hear the messages go to http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/11168577
One statement he made on Sunday night was "Do you spend more time praising God each day or rebuking man?" Need I say more.
One other thing- God gave me the answer to something I have been struggling with but not really understanding how to solve. When it comes to have a scheduled prayer time I always seem to dread it and I would think to myself why in the world would I dread prayer? This is also how I felt toward making a daily schedule & being organized. This to is a good thing that I dreaded doing. I would almost feel a rebellion in my heart towards it. As I went forward to pray about my inconsistency in child rearing and prayer I asked the Lord to show what the real problem is. He asked me to think about where this problem might arise from, what is the root of the problem? I realized its laziness on my part. If I make a prayer list, schedule, etc then I am accountable to it. I can't do whatever I feel like doing I have to do what is scheduled. It also may be a little rebellion on my part as I have always seemed to buck at the system of things. I want my own way. I do have to say that for the most part I have overcome this but in just a few areas it still raises its ugly head. So this week is a week of scheduling, organizing, making a prayer list, getting up on time. Wouldn't you know it I started out the week with a head cold? LOL Oh well, I am not going to let this get me down.
These are just a few more areas that cause me to not have joy in my life. These are just a few more areas that I don't put my trust in the Lord. Praise the Lord for walking me through these things and patiently waiting for me to get them right. So thankful that His mercies are new each day.
One statement he made on Sunday night was "Do you spend more time praising God each day or rebuking man?" Need I say more.
One other thing- God gave me the answer to something I have been struggling with but not really understanding how to solve. When it comes to have a scheduled prayer time I always seem to dread it and I would think to myself why in the world would I dread prayer? This is also how I felt toward making a daily schedule & being organized. This to is a good thing that I dreaded doing. I would almost feel a rebellion in my heart towards it. As I went forward to pray about my inconsistency in child rearing and prayer I asked the Lord to show what the real problem is. He asked me to think about where this problem might arise from, what is the root of the problem? I realized its laziness on my part. If I make a prayer list, schedule, etc then I am accountable to it. I can't do whatever I feel like doing I have to do what is scheduled. It also may be a little rebellion on my part as I have always seemed to buck at the system of things. I want my own way. I do have to say that for the most part I have overcome this but in just a few areas it still raises its ugly head. So this week is a week of scheduling, organizing, making a prayer list, getting up on time. Wouldn't you know it I started out the week with a head cold? LOL Oh well, I am not going to let this get me down.
These are just a few more areas that cause me to not have joy in my life. These are just a few more areas that I don't put my trust in the Lord. Praise the Lord for walking me through these things and patiently waiting for me to get them right. So thankful that His mercies are new each day.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
Just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving!!
Make a list of all you are thankful for today and just praise the Lord for all the blessings He bestows on us!!
Make a list of all you are thankful for today and just praise the Lord for all the blessings He bestows on us!!
Psalm 16
What a great chapter! The Lord is my inheritance. I have a goodly heritage. He counsels me even in the darkest of times. He is on my right hand- I SHALL NOT be moved. I can rest in His hope. I am not going to hell. He shows me the path of life, and in His presence is fulness of joy. In His right hand there are pleasures evermore. Wow, that right there makes me want to jump for joy and shout Hallelujah!
We have a lot to be thankful for and to rejoice about. Time to get out of the dungeons and start praising, and start living.
I really like the words to this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecyu24yuVfU
We have a lot to be thankful for and to rejoice about. Time to get out of the dungeons and start praising, and start living.
I really like the words to this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecyu24yuVfU
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Psalm 13:5,6
But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
As I read this Psalm I realized that we all go through times of doubt. David starts out by asking God "How long will you forget me?' How many times have we been down or upset and have forgotten the blessings of the Lord? How many times have we cried out "How long do I have to go through this?" I know there have been times in my life where I have prayed and felt that all hope was gone but as I knelt there God slowly and quietly reminded me of all the blessings. He reminded me He was still in control taking care of me. I have a song from the Blunkalls going through my mind right now "He can speak peace to your soul." So many times He has spoke peace to me. Like He did with the sea "Peace be still."
I do have a caveat here though - if your relationship is not right with the Lord or if you are regarding iniquity in your heart you will not feel the peace. This last year I have had a major storm blowing around in my heart but I wouldn't give in and the storm remained. I kept my pride, anger, and discontentment. I kept my unthankfulness, and selfishness. It wasn't until I started dealing with these sins and repenting of them that I started feeling the peace He bestows. Ps 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. I think the key here is repenting. The Webster dictionary defines repent as to turn from sin, to change ones mind. You can ask for all the forgiveness you want but if you don't make an effort to change or to turn away from your sin you are just saying words. You may be like me and have said "Oh but I have tried and tried again." Whenever I say that the Lord always says right back "Really? How hard have you tried? Honestly?"
The Lord has been so good to us, He has dealt bountifully with us. If He only gave us salvation that would be so much more than we deserve. He gave His only begotten Son so that we could live eternally with Him in Heaven. Don't you think it's time we praised Him for it?
As I read this Psalm I realized that we all go through times of doubt. David starts out by asking God "How long will you forget me?' How many times have we been down or upset and have forgotten the blessings of the Lord? How many times have we cried out "How long do I have to go through this?" I know there have been times in my life where I have prayed and felt that all hope was gone but as I knelt there God slowly and quietly reminded me of all the blessings. He reminded me He was still in control taking care of me. I have a song from the Blunkalls going through my mind right now "He can speak peace to your soul." So many times He has spoke peace to me. Like He did with the sea "Peace be still."
I do have a caveat here though - if your relationship is not right with the Lord or if you are regarding iniquity in your heart you will not feel the peace. This last year I have had a major storm blowing around in my heart but I wouldn't give in and the storm remained. I kept my pride, anger, and discontentment. I kept my unthankfulness, and selfishness. It wasn't until I started dealing with these sins and repenting of them that I started feeling the peace He bestows. Ps 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. I think the key here is repenting. The Webster dictionary defines repent as to turn from sin, to change ones mind. You can ask for all the forgiveness you want but if you don't make an effort to change or to turn away from your sin you are just saying words. You may be like me and have said "Oh but I have tried and tried again." Whenever I say that the Lord always says right back "Really? How hard have you tried? Honestly?"
The Lord has been so good to us, He has dealt bountifully with us. If He only gave us salvation that would be so much more than we deserve. He gave His only begotten Son so that we could live eternally with Him in Heaven. Don't you think it's time we praised Him for it?
Just some rambling
My pastors wife said something to our Ladies Bible Study that convicted my heart. So many times people come to me for advice on things and sure I can usually give some biblical advice (I have had my fair share over the years) but do I know where to find the verses in my Bible to help them? God's Word and power is going to be what helps them not my eloquent (or not so eloquent) speech. Then I had someone who just got saved ask me what the bible says about Catholicism. I realized sure I can tell you some things but do I know where they are in the scriptures to back it up. I remember my former pastor saying that most Christians don't know their Bible and couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag let alone stand up for Christ in an argument against Him. I really need to memorize the scriptures more. I really need to make it part of my daily Bible study. I also should have some reference verses for certain questions in my Bible so that I am ready. We memorize phone numbers, addresses, birthdays but not the most important thing - God's Word.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Psalm 9:2
I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou, most High.
I like this, I like the attitude behind it. I WILL be glad and rejoice! I WILL sing praise!
The verse before says I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
I will praise Him and sing His praises no matter what is going on in my life. I will praise Him on those days when I feel like I want to run away to a beautiful island paradise. I will praise Him in sickness. I will praise Him with no money. I will praise Him during hurts and pains. I will praise Him when I don't understand.
I can't say that this is going to be easy. It may be a daily struggle, on some days it may be a minute by minute struggle. But doesn't He deserve it? He never messes up we can always trust Him.
I like this, I like the attitude behind it. I WILL be glad and rejoice! I WILL sing praise!
The verse before says I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
I will praise Him and sing His praises no matter what is going on in my life. I will praise Him on those days when I feel like I want to run away to a beautiful island paradise. I will praise Him in sickness. I will praise Him with no money. I will praise Him during hurts and pains. I will praise Him when I don't understand.
I can't say that this is going to be easy. It may be a daily struggle, on some days it may be a minute by minute struggle. But doesn't He deserve it? He never messes up we can always trust Him.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Psalm 5:11& 12
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Amen I feel something there =)
I love the book of Psalm - always encouraging to my spirit.
Wow, how can you not be joyful when God - the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Almighty Supreme is defending you?
Trust is the hard part although it shouldn't be. After all He controls everything and we trusted Him with our salvation. My pastor preached about trusting the Lord this last Sunday - we say we trust Him but then we make Him prove it to us every time something new comes up. Then if He doesn't take care of it the way we think He should we get upset and lose our faith. The definition of trust is assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. Which part do you doubt? His character? His ability? His strength? His truth? When I ask myself that I realize how wrong I have been to not trust Him. Out of everyone and everything even myself I should trust Him more. He has never once failed me, lied to me, deserted me, or hurt me. He is the Creator and Ruler - He can do anything! I love the song by the Nichols family - with all the many miracles why don't you think it's possible, with all the many things we've seen why do you think it's just a dream, with all the things He's done for us, don't you think it's time we trust? Remember what is possible with all the many miracles.
Ok so now we know we can trust Him and He defends us - now do we love Him like we should? Is He still our first love? Do we take pleasure in Him daily? Do we long to spend time with Him and talk with Him? Have we remembered our first love? Revelation 2:4.
When we get the trust and love down our joy will be bubbling out of us and you can't stop it. I am telling you just in the last couple weeks I have felt so much better about life. Just by taking care of my walk with my Saviour. I am starting to feel like me again. Praise the Lord!!
Amen I feel something there =)
I love the book of Psalm - always encouraging to my spirit.
Wow, how can you not be joyful when God - the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Almighty Supreme is defending you?
Trust is the hard part although it shouldn't be. After all He controls everything and we trusted Him with our salvation. My pastor preached about trusting the Lord this last Sunday - we say we trust Him but then we make Him prove it to us every time something new comes up. Then if He doesn't take care of it the way we think He should we get upset and lose our faith. The definition of trust is assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. Which part do you doubt? His character? His ability? His strength? His truth? When I ask myself that I realize how wrong I have been to not trust Him. Out of everyone and everything even myself I should trust Him more. He has never once failed me, lied to me, deserted me, or hurt me. He is the Creator and Ruler - He can do anything! I love the song by the Nichols family - with all the many miracles why don't you think it's possible, with all the many things we've seen why do you think it's just a dream, with all the things He's done for us, don't you think it's time we trust? Remember what is possible with all the many miracles.
Ok so now we know we can trust Him and He defends us - now do we love Him like we should? Is He still our first love? Do we take pleasure in Him daily? Do we long to spend time with Him and talk with Him? Have we remembered our first love? Revelation 2:4.
When we get the trust and love down our joy will be bubbling out of us and you can't stop it. I am telling you just in the last couple weeks I have felt so much better about life. Just by taking care of my walk with my Saviour. I am starting to feel like me again. Praise the Lord!!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Nehemiah 12:43
Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
If my rejoicing was put on the joy-ometer where would I fall? Would my joy be heard afar off. Sometimes my rejoicing is not even heard within my own home. God did a great work and the people rejoiced with GREAT JOY.
You know I hate to admit this but there have been times in my life where God has brought an answer to prayer or done a great work and I have been cold inside. Almost like it didn't make a difference if He had done it or not. I had to fake a response that was correct so as not to discourage others or so no one would know my true feelings. That scares me. I don't want to be apathetic to the blessings of Christ. Sometimes it was sickness, or being tired. Sometimes my walk with Him wasn't what it should be. Sometimes it was discontentment. Sometimes it was jealousy. Yes, these things are in me (the old man) just like they are in most other Christian women.
The one I have been thinking about lately is the sickness and tired. I believe that most women do not take proper care of themselves. We run around all day for our husbands and children and never stop to take time for ourselves. Now I firmly believe that we are to take care of our families and make sure they have the love and care they need. But I also am beginning to realize that my health and my heart need some TLC as well. I need to make sure I get the rest and exercise my body needs. I also need to make sure my heart gets the time with the Lord it needs. For my sanity I need to do something I enjoy as a stress reliever.
Now you probably ask the same question I do - "Ya that all sounds great but where in the world am I gonna find time to do that?" Especially if you work outside the home or homeschool or have a lot of kids. Or even if you have little ones. Well, you are probably not going to like my answer anymore than I did but maybe you have to get up earlier in the day before the children. Now I am not talking hours, maybe all you need is 15-30 minutes. Maybe during nap time you need to forget the cleaning (it will always be there anyway) and have some me time. A friend told me she has her kids do 15-30 minutes of quiet alone time each day depending on their ages. You may not get your personal time every day but you should get in your personal devotion time every day. If we don't we are going to battle with a butter knife.
I know I am using the word "you" have to do this or that. Believe me I am talking to myself here. This is something I need to work on. I have just realized that so many Christian women are sick, overweight, exhausted, or depressed. I think its because we don't take care of ourselves. How can we ever hope to reach our family and then be used to lead others to Christ if we are running on empty?
If my rejoicing was put on the joy-ometer where would I fall? Would my joy be heard afar off. Sometimes my rejoicing is not even heard within my own home. God did a great work and the people rejoiced with GREAT JOY.
You know I hate to admit this but there have been times in my life where God has brought an answer to prayer or done a great work and I have been cold inside. Almost like it didn't make a difference if He had done it or not. I had to fake a response that was correct so as not to discourage others or so no one would know my true feelings. That scares me. I don't want to be apathetic to the blessings of Christ. Sometimes it was sickness, or being tired. Sometimes my walk with Him wasn't what it should be. Sometimes it was discontentment. Sometimes it was jealousy. Yes, these things are in me (the old man) just like they are in most other Christian women.
The one I have been thinking about lately is the sickness and tired. I believe that most women do not take proper care of themselves. We run around all day for our husbands and children and never stop to take time for ourselves. Now I firmly believe that we are to take care of our families and make sure they have the love and care they need. But I also am beginning to realize that my health and my heart need some TLC as well. I need to make sure I get the rest and exercise my body needs. I also need to make sure my heart gets the time with the Lord it needs. For my sanity I need to do something I enjoy as a stress reliever.
Now you probably ask the same question I do - "Ya that all sounds great but where in the world am I gonna find time to do that?" Especially if you work outside the home or homeschool or have a lot of kids. Or even if you have little ones. Well, you are probably not going to like my answer anymore than I did but maybe you have to get up earlier in the day before the children. Now I am not talking hours, maybe all you need is 15-30 minutes. Maybe during nap time you need to forget the cleaning (it will always be there anyway) and have some me time. A friend told me she has her kids do 15-30 minutes of quiet alone time each day depending on their ages. You may not get your personal time every day but you should get in your personal devotion time every day. If we don't we are going to battle with a butter knife.
I know I am using the word "you" have to do this or that. Believe me I am talking to myself here. This is something I need to work on. I have just realized that so many Christian women are sick, overweight, exhausted, or depressed. I think its because we don't take care of ourselves. How can we ever hope to reach our family and then be used to lead others to Christ if we are running on empty?
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.
I was thinking about this verse today and so often I pray and ask the Lord to help me with the words that I say. Especially when I am upset about something. But today it hit me that I really never go farther with this verse to the meditation of my heart. Many times we think things in our hearts long before they reach our lips. Many times we sit and stew on problems without giving them over to the Lord. I realized that stewing about it, planning out what I am going to say the next time I see them (come on I am not the only one that tells someone what I think of them to the mirror or in the shower), or how I am going to act so much better than they are is not what God wants me to do. He wants me to give it over to Him and pray for those people. The Bible says that out of the heart the mouth speaketh. I can't hope to have joyful praise come from my lips when my heart is full of anger, pride, and deceit.
You may ask what does this have to do with joy. I am coming to realize that these quiet sins that no one really ever sees are a large part of my attitude. I have to keep digging them out and tossing them just like the weeds in my garden. If I allow them to grow they will take over and I will go right back to being the miserable person I was a week ago. Yes there has been a change in a weeks time. Just a little at a time. I am nowhere near what I should be but praise God I am not what I used to be.
I was thinking about this verse today and so often I pray and ask the Lord to help me with the words that I say. Especially when I am upset about something. But today it hit me that I really never go farther with this verse to the meditation of my heart. Many times we think things in our hearts long before they reach our lips. Many times we sit and stew on problems without giving them over to the Lord. I realized that stewing about it, planning out what I am going to say the next time I see them (come on I am not the only one that tells someone what I think of them to the mirror or in the shower), or how I am going to act so much better than they are is not what God wants me to do. He wants me to give it over to Him and pray for those people. The Bible says that out of the heart the mouth speaketh. I can't hope to have joyful praise come from my lips when my heart is full of anger, pride, and deceit.
You may ask what does this have to do with joy. I am coming to realize that these quiet sins that no one really ever sees are a large part of my attitude. I have to keep digging them out and tossing them just like the weeds in my garden. If I allow them to grow they will take over and I will go right back to being the miserable person I was a week ago. Yes there has been a change in a weeks time. Just a little at a time. I am nowhere near what I should be but praise God I am not what I used to be.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Nehemiah 8:10
The end of the this verse says for the joy of the Lord is your strength. I didn't quite understand this verse even after I read the chapter. How is the joy of the Lord my strength and how do you find that joy when you don't feel it? I did a little research into this and read the chapter again. The people heard God's word and they were convicted. They felt sorry for their sins and they were weeping. But this was the day set aside for praising God not for weeping. Nehemiah and Ezra told the people to stop weeping and to start praising. They were pleased that the people heard and understood the word of God but now was not the time to mourn. Now was the time to rejoice. Here we are not speaking of carnal joy brought on by fulfilling our own lusts we are talking about Holy Joy. It's joy in the goodness of God, His mercy, His grace. It's joy in us arising from our love in God and our interest to serve Him with our hearts and lives. It's joy in the blessings He bestows for doing right. When you look at Christ instead of yourself and you see His greatness and His love it will give you the strength you need to do what is right. At the time the people didn't feel like praising God they felt like mourning for their sins. But when they looked at the AWESOME GOD we serve and all His wonderful works they found the strength they needed to praise HIm as they should.
Monday, November 8, 2010
The King
1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
I love that verse. I love that I am His child. He is the King eternally. He is immortal & never dies. Only one Wise God. He is to be honoured and given glory for ever.
This brings me joy & happiness.
I love that verse. I love that I am His child. He is the King eternally. He is immortal & never dies. Only one Wise God. He is to be honoured and given glory for ever.
This brings me joy & happiness.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
1 Chronicles 16
Wow, I have learned a lot about myself just in the past 5 days, some I didn't like so much. But that is what needed to happen. I needed to take care of some of the crud that has been weighing me down and get it right. Praise the Lord for loving me and keeping me.
Joy Verse for today:
1 Chronicles 16 is called the Psalm of Thanksgiving. Being thankful brings joy and happiness. Praise brings gladness.
There are a lot of great verses here but vs 27 says Glory and honour are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place.
The closer you are to the Lord the more gladness you have in your heart.
Joy Verse for today:
1 Chronicles 16 is called the Psalm of Thanksgiving. Being thankful brings joy and happiness. Praise brings gladness.
There are a lot of great verses here but vs 27 says Glory and honour are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place.
The closer you are to the Lord the more gladness you have in your heart.
Friday, November 5, 2010
It's the Heart of the Matter
I had no idea just how far I had gone in my "Woe is me". Yesterday, I came to the breaking point and wanted to quit everything and everyone. I was even saying things like I hate this, I hate that. For awhile now I have been saying to myself "I hate living here and everything about living here!" Last night, I said it to myself again and the Lord asked me "What is it that is so wrong with this place that you hate it here?" Now, He may have been asking this all along but I wasn't sitting quiet enough to listen. I tried to come up with some really good reasons for my feelings but all seemed so petty. Really I have been selfish and sinning. I have a lot to be thankful for. I just became overwhelmed with the cares and woes of this ole world. I was letting them choke me out. It is just one more area of lack of self control on my part. It has a lot to do with my temper problem. And its sin!! I am a born again Christian with access to the throne of God, and His power and might. It's a sin for me to self centered, stubborn, and discontented. Just because things don't go the way I had planned and I have to face some trials doesn't mean I have the right to act this way. Doesn't God control everything? Nothing can touch me that doesn't pass through His hands.
Psalm 106:1 Praise ye the Lord, O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalm 106:1 Praise ye the Lord, O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The Happy Squashers
I have realized there are some things or people in my life that I would call happy squashers. I believe each person has a happy squasher or two. I guess its just how you decide to deal with them. Are you going to let that one thing or person ruin your whole day and your good testimony? I really have to work on this because I have a temper. It doesn't take much to get me irritated and then mad. I tend to say things I don't mean when I am mad. Then I cry, feel bad, and have to apologize. But most times hurtful words can't be taken back.
Proverbs 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
The Lord definitely has to do a work to control this within me. In fact I was on the verge of losing it today. But I left the situation, did something I enjoy, then went back to the situation to try again. What good does it do for me to try to force something to happen that will not work at the time? What good does it do for me to get my way for my convenience if I lose my temper in the process? What good does it do if I say what I am thinking?
Prov 29:11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
I went back to the situation and it worked out better the second time. Maybe because my attitude changed. It is my fault when I allow others to upset me and I lose control of my spirit. Because this is something I struggle with I have to go to the Lord daily, sometimes hourly, for help. Easy? NO! Worth it? YES!
Proverbs 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
The Lord definitely has to do a work to control this within me. In fact I was on the verge of losing it today. But I left the situation, did something I enjoy, then went back to the situation to try again. What good does it do for me to try to force something to happen that will not work at the time? What good does it do for me to get my way for my convenience if I lose my temper in the process? What good does it do if I say what I am thinking?
Prov 29:11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
I went back to the situation and it worked out better the second time. Maybe because my attitude changed. It is my fault when I allow others to upset me and I lose control of my spirit. Because this is something I struggle with I have to go to the Lord daily, sometimes hourly, for help. Easy? NO! Worth it? YES!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Hannah Rejoiced
First Step - a daily walk with God. Bible Reading and Prayer. I am going to look up verses daily about joy, happiness, rejoicing, gladness, etc.
The first verse God gave me today is 1 Sam 2:1
And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
First she prayed, then she praised the Lord. Then she rejoiced in her salvation. My sins are forgiven, I am going to Heaven!! How can you not find joy in that? Amen
The first verse God gave me today is 1 Sam 2:1
And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
First she prayed, then she praised the Lord. Then she rejoiced in her salvation. My sins are forgiven, I am going to Heaven!! How can you not find joy in that? Amen
Finding Happiness In Life Again
I have come to a point in my life where happiness and joy are not so easy anymore. I have always thought of myself as a happy person who usually saw the brighter side of things and the good in most people. But lately I have found myself discontented, negative, and looking for the bad in everything and everyone. I wish I could point it to one certain trial or say that it was due to post partum depression but I can't. I have to face the reality of what is really the cause of it. It is mainly because I have had a roller coaster walk with God these past few years. I have allowed many things to come between me and my Saviour. I haven't spent time with Him like I should have. And because of this I haven't been able to properly deal with trials as they come. Sometimes with husbands and children we really have to fight for that time alone with the Lord, well I stopped fighting. I gave up. But not anymore- TODAY IS A NEW DAY!!
This blog will be about my journey back to happiness and joy. My journey back to my FIRST LOVE! I am hoping this will help me to be accountable but I am hoping this will help others as well. No one likes to admit they are apathetic, depressed, or cold. But I have a feeling there are many a Christian who feel this way. It's very hard to fight this battle against the world in our own flesh and strength. It is not a wonder why so many of us are defeated and go back to the world. We can't make it on our own. We need a daily walk with our Lord and Saviour.
This blog will be about my journey back to happiness and joy. My journey back to my FIRST LOVE! I am hoping this will help me to be accountable but I am hoping this will help others as well. No one likes to admit they are apathetic, depressed, or cold. But I have a feeling there are many a Christian who feel this way. It's very hard to fight this battle against the world in our own flesh and strength. It is not a wonder why so many of us are defeated and go back to the world. We can't make it on our own. We need a daily walk with our Lord and Saviour.
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