Change

I have not been blogging for awhile, obviously, because God was working in me and in my family. The past couple months have been full of change and continuously challenging us to get plugged into God and allow Him and only Him to light the path more than ever before. God showed me there would be a time again that I could continue sharing my ‘madness’ but for that moment, it was one-on-one time.

Let’s start back in May 2010, Eli was ordained in the Church of the Nazarene. Very exciting - it was the most powerful service I have even been in – where God Himself was there - no doubt in my mind. During the Ordination, all of the Ordained Elders in the church laid hands over Eli and myself and prayed for us… I wish there were words to express the feeling of some of the Holiest men of God surrounding us and lifting up their voices on our behalf. It was an amazing powerful choir of prayers…. I walked away from that feeling as though I had been baptized and cleansed deep down to my very inner parts. And asking myself, can I get that every day!!!!!!

A few weeks before the Ordination the Lead Pastor in our Church resigned, which is always interesting to see where God will take the church from that point on.

We began to seek God and what that meant for our family and he told us to ‘stay the course.’ So that is exactly what we continually focused on. The call and where God had us - pressing on into the ministries that were already in place. It could have been very easy to live in the unknown and veer off track - but God was clear, press on and ‘stay the course.’

June 23, 2010 we had our first interview as a family, for the Lead Pastorate position at New Hope. I remember standing there with Eli before we walked into Paradise Bakery and we entered into prayer, only asking God that His plans be engaged no matter what that meant, staying, leaving…. It was in His hands and with that came the most overwhelming peace.

That night, after the interview, the secretary of the Board called Eli and extended the call to him as Lead Pastor. Very exciting but yet full of so many emotions…..

They announced us as the candidate for Pastoral Family on June 27, 2010, voted July 11, 2010 and Eli was installed as Lead Pastor July 25th 2010 of New Hope Church.

That morning before the vote, we were asked by numerous people if we were nervous. It was a unique situation as we were already a part of the church and being there though all this. Regardless, I can honestly say we weren’t. The outcome of all of the transition in our life has always been and will always be Gods will - PERIOD. And with that comes more peace than words can express.

When I started this blog I wasn’t sure specifically where I was going with it... now I do! As our family begins this new chapter in our lives, I ask that you would commit to praying for us, our church family and the future - that will always rest in the path that God has laid.

God has a Plan

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (New Living Translation)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

God's Hands

The last few days have been extremely trying on us, it’s never easy when your baby is sick. We got home early A.M. and I laid in bed wide awake knowing that I needed to make sure Miley got her meds in 2 hours… I found myself surrounded in God’s presence, thankful that he always gets us through. As I lay there watching Miley sleep peacefully and watching her little lungs work so hard to take one simple breath, her little ribs would surface with each inhale. God allowed me to see his hands, Gods hands. He showed me his strong hands that were her lungs helping her breathe. He took away the worry that I had for her and of all the hard work her little body had to do, that most people take for granted.

It is the hardest thing as a mom, watching your little one struggle to breathe and there is nothing that I can physically do to make it any easier. I am beyond thankful that God gives us discernment in situations. It was in one of these moments that God took me to James 1:2-3 “When trouble comes your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”

It’s in these moments when we feel so weak that satan tries to beat us up the most. He began to flood my thoughts with sorrow and comments that people have made, if only I never had kids they would not have to suffer. God began to speak louder reminding me that He sent His son for great purpose knowing that he would suffer in the end. Wow, put life in perspective a little. The point is, God may choose to heal Miley completely, he may choose to heal you completely, but what I know is He turns everything to point to him. Romans 12:2 “2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Miley’s life has great purpose, as does mine, as does yours- we have to find it and all we have to do is seek God.

We can rise above everything the world says is crappy and be thankful for that gifts that God gives us, bringing me to my favorite verses: 2 Corinthians 12:9 (The Message) “7-10Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”

It’s really April?

That’s amazing to me- where in the world did the month of March go to???? I traveled a lot for me, busy,busy, busy with Elijah's school, gymnastics, swim class, church, friends, birthday’s etc… Visitor’s from out of town and many other activities that accompanied this past month to go by so fast.

I must say, that in the midst of the craziness of March- I realized one thing to be exact. Spending daily time in God’s word in an absolute must- I don’t know how I would survive without the comfort and wisdom that from it. There were many days that the ‘need to be done’ seemed to easily get in the way but in reality – spending time with God must be the first 'need' in our daily list of ‘to do’s.’

I woke up this morning not knowing what I was going to read next, hello, the light bulb went on…. We are in the midst of Holy Week. So I began in Matthew in Judas betrayed Jesus and Jesus was sent to Pilate for his conviction and I realized something for the first time. Jesus was amazingly calm- OF COURSE HE WAS! Why wouldn’t he be – if anyone had God's peace and hope it was Him. That’s what I desire is God’s will, which comes with a peace and hope that is unexplainable in words. I am positive it was not an easy road for Jesus, we know this in chapter 26: 39 When Jesus asked God to ‘take this cup.” He knew what was coming- but yet he still did it, for me.

And you.

My bible references verse 39 by saying, “Jesus did not die serenely as many martyrs have. He was no mere martyr; he was the Lamb of God bearing the penalty of the sins of the entire human race. The wrath of God was turned loose on him. Only this can adequately explain what took place in Gethsemane.”

Tomorrow I continue on the Journey to the cross….

I am thankful that somebody loved me enough to die for me.

Day 31 - Chapter 31

Day 31 - Chapter 31

Proverbs 31: 30“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised”.

Have you ever met someone who is amazingly beautiful on the outside until you get to know them, not only does the inner self seem ugly, but their out appearance seems to be less appealing as well. I know that when God radiant’s in your life you are amazingly beautiful inside and out. Society says that we must act, look and dress a certain way to maintain respect from others. We have allowed the world to shape our minds into believing this. Instead we need to get back to what God says, we are beautiful because he made us and we begin to shine with his love that pours out from us into others- that’s what makes us beautiful!

Psalms 139:13-16
oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God - your breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration- what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book you watched me grow
from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared,
before I'd even live one day

When we walk in Gods light- we shine with it. Like John Wesley says, “Catch on fire with passion and people will come from miles to watch you burn.”
I began to study Proverbs 31, 6 months before I got married. I wanted to become the wife, mom and child that God has created me to be. This is always and will be forever a work in progress, thankfully! I love and appreciate that God continues to teach me, be patient with me and love me always.
I remember the first time I read this chapter- ah! That’s a lot to live up to??? Any modern day woman can see that. But what I discovered is; that it is more than possible as long as follow the path that God has set out for us – than it’s an amazingly peaceful journey - to be exactly who God created me to be.

This chapter- in modern day society, most likely, offends many women. That’s because we have taken God out of the picture. We have allowed to few, feminist, to speak for all woman and claim that we want equality for men and women – they fear the word submit. I look at the word submit as another way of saying, respect. Some of my friends joke about me, that I belong in the 50’s because I am so old fashion…. I don’t look at it as being old fashion but as being who God created Britney to be as a wife and a mom and most importantly His child.

Wives and Husbands Ephesians 5:22- 33

22Wives, submit to your husband’s as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[c] 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

See how amazingly, loving this is… I know that if you marry a godly man that your hearts will be the same as God, which only means that the submitting to your husband, is submitting to God… And you read the passage above, your husband will than love you as God loves you and nothing less.

Day 30 - Chapter 30

Day 30 – Chapter 30

Flawless; a great way to describe God’s word; without imperfections- 100% perfect. The NIV bible states verses 5-6, 5 "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” Compared to the message bible, “5-6 The believer replied, "Every promise of God proves true; he protects everyone who runs to him for help. So don't second-guess him; he might take you to task and show up your lies."
After I read both these versions I feel like I have been handed the most comforting piece of advice- God’s words are flawless and perfect… in every situation.
The second part, verse 6, I believe to be very important. We can so easily look at the Bible and read it how we want to, interpret it how we went, we can make the bible say anything we want to but it’s important that we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us through God’s word even if its something we might not want to hear.

The couple verses- I loved! Play with fire- the chances of you possibly getting burned??? Verse 32-33, ” 32-33 If you're dumb enough to call attention to yourself by offending people and making rude gestures, Don't be surprised if someone bloodies your nose. Churned milk turns into butter; riled emotions turn into fist fights.”
Pretty much speaks for itself.

Day 29 - Chapter 29

Day 29 – Chapter 29

There is only verse that stands out to me in this chapter that I want to blog about.
Verse 18, caught my attention in the NIV version- but I than read in the message, which is what I’m going to type, “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals they are most blessed.”

There are many, many, many people in the world right now who have no idea what God is doing… even Christians. Mostly, because they are not looking- or don’t know to look. It is our job to show them and help them understand by knowing Gods word… the second part to this verse. When we/they seek God and his will is when the true blessing are given. If do not Know God or know his plans than we surly can’t recognize the blessings.

We need to be the ones giving a hopeless world searching for answers, searching for hope for their future – and we can’t do this if we do not know God and His word.

Compassion of a 5 year old

We recently watched “Blindside.” Our daughter was in bed and Elijah (Our 5 year old boy) sat on the couch next to Eli and watched very intently, about 30 minutes into the movie I happened to glance at Elijah, thinking he was asleep, only to realize he was full of tears. His little eyes were red with puffyness and we proceeded to ask him whats wrong. Elijah told us he was upset, he didn’t understand why ‘Michael’ didn’t have a home or a family. My heart broke as I realized the amount of sincere concern for Elijah had for ‘Michael.’ My first thought of course was, ‘maybe he shouldn’t be watching this.’ But God was quick to remind me to use this situation to teach Elijah. So we began to tell Elijah that there are people like ‘Michael’ who do not have homes, and are hungry and cold. His little heart broke. Than Eli told Elijah that this new family was goin to help him and give him food and a place to live, which seemd to bring Elijah to some amount of peace.

We continued to watch the movie now with Elijah’s little compassionate heart in mind. When it came to the part where none of the kids were friendly to ‘Michael’ and he sat by himself, Elijah begin to tear up again- he couldn’t even talk his heart borke so bad for ‘Michael.’ And he began to asked us why ‘Michael’ didn’t have any friends? We took this oppurtunity this time to tell Elijah that is why it is very important we don’t judge or mistreat people, we don’t know their stories, where they come from, or even that fact they are hurting.

Again, Elijah was completely heart broken when ‘Michaels’ new mom found his biological mom and we discussed with Elijah how people make bad choices and than are not able to care for their families, that it is important to be reminded of the blessing that God gave us with a home, food and cloths- the Needs, not the Wants. Elijah had the hardest time understanding how a Mom didn't want her son- he is fortunate enough to having loving parents and reality to a 5 year old- not every kid has that.

I experienced Christ love and compassion Friday night through my 5 year old son. God calls us, his children to:
Matthew 25:40-45 (The Message)

37-40"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

41-43"Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.'

44"Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'

45"He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.'

My 5 year put a new prespective on this lesson for me. I saw the heart break and the compassion that I know Jesus has for the ‘least of these for me’ Lord break my heart and continue to pour out your passion in my life so I may see you in all

Day 26, 27 - Chapter 26, 27

Day 26, 27 – Chapter 26, 27

Wow, I have no excuse other than I just didn’t blog….. but I can sincerely say that God wil showing me some amazing things and shaping my heart everyday- I can’t get enough.

Day 26 - Chapter 26

Right away in the verse 5, “Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.” I think we spend a lot of time, reassuring people who are off track verses being straight up with them and telling them, ‘your wrong.’That is not easy but if we don’t help them see the light who will?

This chapter continue to go on discussing the the topic in great detail, basically not to play into people who are not speaking the Gods truth- their choices and lifestyle only lead to destruction. Verse 20, “Without wood a fire goes out, witout gosspi a quarrel dies down.”

In an early chapter I talked about our words. Our words hurt deeply and once we put them out there we can’t take them back. We can seek forgiveness but the words have already been impressed upon the persons heart. Verse 22, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels, they go down to a man’s innermost parts.”

Day 27 – Chapter 27

A verse that I have always pondered is 6, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy mulitple kisses.” Isn’t it amazing how we are so easily quick to forgive people we trust and move on like nothing ever happened. But wow, if someone crossses us that we already have built up some ‘tension’ with, it seems to be impossible to let go of their harmful words or actions. I have great news though- it is easy my friend when God’s love is in you!

We absolutely need to surround ourselves with people who will ‘sharpen us’ in a positive way in Christ. Vs 17, “You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.” We seem to think we can be bigger than allowing the people around us affect our relationship with Christ but the bottom line is that is does affect us. That doesn’t mean we cannot be friends with the world, we our called to love them and reach out to them. Jesus was the ulitimate example of reaching out to those in need- but it is vital to remember who is close circle of friends were, the disciples, they knew God and walked with Him.

Day 25 - Chapter 25

Day 25 – Chapter 25
Wow, I can’t believe I only have 6 more days left….. not sure where the time went but I need to start praying about what God had for me next!
After reading the first 15 verses in chapter 25 my first thought was, “Well here’s a manual on how to be a friend.” We need that sometimes- a reminder!
8 Don't jump to conclusions—there may be
a perfectly good explanation for what you just saw.

9-10 In the heat of an argument,
don't betray confidences;
Word is sure to get around,
and no one will trust you.

11-12 The right word at the right time
is like a custom-made piece of jewelry,
And a wise friend's timely reprimand
is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.

13 Reliable friends who do what they say
are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing!

14 Like billowing clouds that bring no rain
is the person who talks big but never produces.

15 Patient persistence pierces through indifference;
gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses

If we could get this right- can you imagine how many friends we would have!

We continue on reading the chapter and it continues on talking about, basically, ‘to much of a good thing is bad!’

Day 24 - Chapter 24

Day 24 – Chapter 24

Getting personal- that’s how a couple of the verses felt in chapter 24. I love getting personal and intimate with God has he continues to shape me into the woman he has created me to be.

Verse 10, “If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength.” The past couple of years having been trying for us as a family there have been many adjustments/changes in our lives. At first every little thing felt like it would break me. And God begin to do a new thing in my heart- he kept saying, “Seek me first” and then next little thing would happen and felt like it broke me again and God would say, “Seek me first.” I finally got to the place in my life where I said, “Ok God- you first!” So when the next little things came…. I went right to God’s word- and prayed for guidance and direction. WOW!!!! What a burden lifted off my shoulders. There was a major event in our life this past year that could have caused me to go into a major chaotic state, but instead I finally handed 100% of it to God and the weight of the worry and stress was relieved. I realized that I can’t do anything about this situation anyways- but God CAN! So many of us say we know God can do- anything is possible (Phil 4:13) but we fail to show it in our actions and in our choices. “1 Peter 5:7 cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

And ending this section with on of my favorite verses, 2 Corinthians 12:9 (The Message)

7-10Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

I want and continually am being made strong in Christ, the ‘little/big’ things in life are much easier to deal- I still have my moments of weakness but I am grateful enough to know where my hope lies… which brings me to verse 15-16 in Chapter 24, Don’t interfere with good people’s lives; don’t try to get the best of them. No matter how many times you trip them up, God-loyal people don’t stay down long; soon they’re up on their feet, while the wicked end up flat on their face.”

15 and Pregnant

I recently very saddened by a conversation that I had with a very sweet lady. In the midst of conversation it was brought up that I attended church. I asked this lady friend of mine if she was involved and she said, “NO.” and then went all on to tell me why…. I hope this gives an awakening to some…

She said that when she was 15 years old she was involved in church and then became pregnant. Someone that was/could have been in a role model type role proceeded to tell her that she will go to hell now. And at 15 years old she walked away from the church hurt.

This is heart breaking to me, not only for this lady, she had the misfortune of hearing very ungodly advice at a young age. I also feel sad for the lady that shared this info with her; she must not know that same God I know. My God, and I hope your God, is a loving, full of compassion and quick to forgive God!

We tend to forget that God is FULL of Grace!!! We may struggle grace but not God…
And the same God that showered mercy on us, and wiped our sins will do the same for everyone - NO EXCEPTIONS! At a time when this young girl needed her church to be what they proclaimed to be, loving- forgiving- helpful- a friend, the church basically slapped her in her faced and gave her NO hope in an extremely tough time.

I hope that people in our church WAKE UP and start to begin to realize the Jesus walked this earth to love us and save us - NOT to point fingers at people and tell them what they did wrong, here’s a pet peeve of mine… I love John 3:16 but let’s quit stopping there and remember verse 17- “God didn’t of to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.”

What makes us think it’s ok to point fingers and be the judge of who will go to hell or heaven. It is not a job I would ever want! Jesus didn’t even do it- he loved people, he didn’t push them out of the church and tell them they weren’t good enough.

I hope there’s awakening in our church and we begin to realize that we need to show the same love and grace that God gives us!
Matthew 11:28 (New Living Translation) 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
If we are to become Christ-like than we should offer the same.

Day 22, 23 - Chapter 22,23

Day 22, 23 - Chapter 22, 23

Chapter 22

I must say being 22 chapters into Proverbs, I’m pretty sure we have touched on almost every topic. I continue everyday to be amazed at how much wisdom and insight there is in the book of Proverbs for us today!
“Humility and the fear of the Lord being wealth and honor and life,” verse 4. This is the honor that I want to be known for, the wealth that I want to build up in my knowledge base.

Being a parent is one of the most difficult things, we always joke and say, “Wish there was a parenting manual!” The truth is there IS!!!!!!! Hello… The BIBLE… I seem to forget that it is all laid out there, for us parents, on how we should raise our children. If we KNOW God than we know how to love our children, if we KNOW God than we know how to discipline our children and the list goes on… IF WE KNOW GOD. Verse 6, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” I believe that if we are faithful to God he will be faithful, if we teach our children- God will be faithful and bring them home after walking away.

Day 23 – Chapter 23

In the beginning of this chapter I feel like it really talking about jealousy, not to envy those with money etc…. in the end it will leave you empty.

When we get to verse 10-11 and this verse discusses that we should not cheat the orphans because “For they have a powerful Advocate who will go to bat for them.” Wow, that’s some powerful words- I know that my God battles every day for me I want nothing less than to seek his face and what path he has for me and my family.

Than we go onto to read again, about disciplining your children and how it is vital, vs 13-14.
“Do not let your heart envy sinners” – sometimes it’s easy to think others have it so much easier- more fun etc…. The grass is always greener on the other side --- until you get there!

Day 19, 20, 21 - Chapter 19, 20, 21

Extrav 2010 was fabulous and I feel like I can speak for the kids and adults that went from our church!!! It was truly an amazing time to have fun while being surrounded in a loving, Jesus-filled atmosphere. Our teens and sponsors walked away that much closer to God and I am pretty positive they are looking forward to what’s next because this weekend - they experienced God in a new way.

Day 19, 20, 21 – Chapter 19, 20, 21

Chapter 19

In Chapter 19 the first verse that made me think a little deeper is vs. 10, “It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury – how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!” I love this verse, the first time I read it I was immediately reminded of how many times we try to tell God how it is going to be. We inform God what OUR plans our and give God a list…. Instead of waiting on the plans that God has for us. Jeremiah 29:11b “I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” I love this, I love knowing the God already has my life planned out, I need to seek after him to find it.

The next verse, 11, “Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget.” I pray that God continue to work in my heart that this verse will ring true in my life.

This next verse tends to be hard for parents and there are times that I can be guilty as well…. Vs, 18 “Discipline your children while you still have the chance; indulging them destroys them.” As a society we have completely spoiled our children- and it’s not doing anything for them!

“Listen to advice and accept instructions and in the end you will be wise.” (Vs 20) I remember this verse from when I was little, I’m pretty sure from caravans. I want to continue to surround myself with people who will give me sound godly advice and not allow my proud to not accept it.

Chapter 20

Wow, so not far into this chapter and my heart is broken. Vs 6 “Lots of people claim to be loyal and loving, but where on earth can you find one?” This is sad… especially when you try to explain to people the amazingly loving, loyal God we have and they have been hurt so many times that it is hard for them to see it.

Vs 22, “Do not say, ‘I’ll pay you back for this wrong!’ Wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.” Does this ring a bell- sadly probably everyone can. We must come to a place that we truly want our enemies to have to the truth about Gods love and it’s in these situations we must show it.
“Love and truth form a good leader; sound leadership is founded on loving integrity.” Vs, 28

Chapter 21

In the message bible the title catches my attention right away, “God examines our motives.” This is something I want to seek daily in every decision- what is my reason for acting on a situation or decision I am about to make… so here we go!
Vs, 6 “Make it to the op by lying and cheating; get paid with smoke and a promotion to death!” I think this verse speaks for itself…

This next verse is very sad to me only because I know people who have this problem, Vs 10 “wicked souls love to make trouble; they feel nothing for friends and neighbors.” I really have nothing to say, this verse break my heart because it’s so true, my prayer is for people who have this problem that God love will break it and they will love others how Christ loves them.
Verse 13, “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.”

These next 2 verses are the verses I want to remember in all things… Vs 21 “He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.” And verse 23, “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.”
And ending the chapter with 2 verses, 30-31, “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.”

Day 18 - Chapter 18

Day 18 – Chapter 18

WOW!!!!! If you want to know about “Words Killing” Read chapter 18! I feel so strongly about this it may seem as though I’m cheating today- but I’m just going to copy for all to read. Our words are hurtful but I want my words to be uplifting and Christ- like.

Proverbs 18 (The Message
Words Kill, Words Give Life
1 Loners who care only for themselves spit on the common good.

2 Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse;
all they do is run off at the mouth.

3 When wickedness arrives, shame's not far behind;
contempt for life is contemptible.

4 Many words rush along like rivers in flood,
but deep wisdom flows up from artesian springs.

5 It's not right to go easy on the guilty,
or come down hard on the innocent.

6 The words of a fool start fights;
do him a favor and gag him.

7 Fools are undone by their big mouths;
their souls are crushed by their words.

8 Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy;
do you really want junk like that in your belly?

9 Slack habits and sloppy work
are as bad as vandalism.

10 God's name is a place of protection—
good people can run there and be safe.

11 The rich think their wealth protects them;
they imagine themselves safe behind it.

12 Pride first, then the crash,
but humility is precursor to honor.

13 Answering before listening
is both stupid and rude.

14 A healthy spirit conquers adversity,
but what can you do when the spirit is crushed?

15 Wise men and women are always learning,
always listening for fresh insights.

16 A gift gets attention;
it buys the attention of eminent people.

17 The first speech in a court case is always convincing—
until the cross-examination starts!

18 You may have to draw straws
when faced with a tough decision.

19 Do a favor and win a friend forever;
nothing can untie that bond.

20 Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach;
good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.

21 Words kill, words give life;
they're either poison or fruit—you choose.

22 Find a good spouse, you find a good life—
and even more: the favor of God!

23 The poor speak in soft supplications;
the rich bark out answers.

24 Friends come and friends go,
but a true friend sticks by you like family.

Day 17 - Chapter 17

Day 17 – Chapter 17

This weekend at ladies retreat the Speaker spoke about new people coming into your church. Most of them are there looking for something- longer story short, they don’t care if you pastor has a tie on or not! We have become too critical of each other, in Christ, and our pastors and the choices they make. What we need to be doing is praying for them- I firmly believe this. I believe that if we sincerely prayed for our pastor and leaders in our church, even if we are not so keen on the decisions they make, that God will be the faithful God that he is and he will change our hearts. We have to be willing to break down all our own boundaries and be open to what God has: this is reminded to me in verse 15, “Whitewashing bad people and throwing mud on good people are equally abhorrent to God.” We somehow think that it is OK to discuss the ‘bad’ about the un-churched, it’s not OK. And in the midst of that is equally as important that we don’t talk about or ‘throw mud’ on the good people who are trying their hardest to follow Christ.

Going back to chapter 15: Are words can and should encourage others, not bring them harm.

Verse 17, “Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.” Not only is this the kind of friend I want but it is the kind of friend I want to be. I am lucky enough to have friends in my life that even when ‘I’m not easy to love’ they still love me- just how Jesus would/does. It is our obligation to love those ever when it’s not so easy…..

My next verse of choice is verse 27 (NIV), “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even- tempered.” This is what I hope people will say about me.

Day 16 - Chapter 16

Day 16 – Chapter 16

Every day I read a chapter; there are so many things that are said over and over. For obvious reasons- we are thick headed and need to hear it numerous times. But one thing that stood out right away in this chapter was verse 3. “Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place.” I love this, so many times we try to accomplish things on our terms and forget who should be running the show. I think about the times I have relied on the everyone around me, maybe my ‘goal’ was accomplished but it was done in a manner that came with hurt… than I think about goals that I have reached and allowed God to fully direct and guide me and I realize there may have been some hurt but it was easier to shake off.

I have personally found this to be true and I am actually very excited to have found this verse, 7 (NIV) “when a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace.” Or (Message) “When God approves of your life, even your enemies will end up shaking your hand.”

Vs 10, “A good leader motivates, doesn’t mislead, doesn’t exploit.” Sometimes this can be rather draining, it’s easy to want to just enjoy my time selfishly, but motivating others and getting them involved is something we all need to do, to get out of the comfort zone of our friends!

Vs 16 “Get wisdom- its worth more than money; choose insight over income every time.”

MY FAVORITE VERSE OF THE CHAPTER: I have lived through this, this past year- and want to continue living it out! Vs 20 “It pays to take life seriously; things work out when you trust in God.” TRUST TRUST TRUST- put it all on God’s plate and it’s unbelievable what He will do with it!

And it all boils down to: vs. 33, “Make your motions and cast your votes, but God has the final say.”

So why not choose his way???

Day 13,14,15 - Chapter 13,14,15

I would love to blog about my weekend at ladies retreat, God places so many new thoughts in my head I am still working my mind through them! I will be happy to report soon- I first want to get my chapters blogged.

Day 13 – Chapter 13

Here are a few verses that stood out during my reading on the 13th.
Vs 3 “Careful words make a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything.” This and so many other verses remind me of the quote, “stick and stone may break my bones but words may never hurt.” The things is, that words hurt the worst and once we throw our words out there, we cannot take them back, the bone doesn’t heal. We not only have to learn to move past hurtful words but be extremely cautious of the words we use.

James 1:26 (New International Version)
26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
This sums up day 13 – there is much more to this chapter but this topic is what I was impressed with the most to share.

Day 14 – Chapter 14

The major theme that stood out to me after reading chapter 14 was being truthful in our lives, our witness and our actions!
Vs. 5 “A truthful witness does not deceive, but false witness pours out lies.”
Vs. 25 “A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful.”
Of course there was so much more to this chapter but this topic rang true in my heart. Even after this weekend, something I walked away with, that stuck more than ever. PEOPLE ARE ALAWYS WATCHING- they are watching to see if our actions match our words. I don’t believe all watch to be judgment but because they are interested in that “THING” we posses that they want. And they want to know if it’s real or not

Day 15 – Chapter 15

The first verse that really stuck out to me is vs. 4 “the tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Our words are so important and we hold this power over ourselves and other by the words that come out of our mouth. We have the ability just by opening our mouth to make someone’s day better or crush it. The message stats this verses like this: “Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim.”

Vs 17 “Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred”
Would you rather be around LOVE or HATE?

Vs 22 “Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed.” A reminder of not letting pride get in the way, I know I have done this in the past and seen people do this- “I know” because we are to unwilling to admit when we don’t know! If we can push pride aside and say please, teach me, wow especially if we can say that to God- he will do amazing things. We have to be open to allowing Him to teach us, through the pain even.

Finishing today with: Fear-of God is a school in skilled living- first you learn humility, then you experience glory” YES LORD I WANT SOME OF THAT!!

Day 12 - Chapter 12

Day 12 – Chapter 12
‘If you Love Learning’ is how the message bible titles this chapter…. What a way to get my attention! I want to learn and soak up all that I can; I want to daily bathe in God’s word and love.

The first verse that really stood out to me in the chapter in vs 4, “A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.” I feel very strongly that society has stripped the relationship that God established between husband and wife. We have allowed society to de-maculate men for all the wrong reasons. Instead of submitting (I know this word freaks people out but in all honesty it is NOT intended to be a negative word like slavery etc…) allowing men to be the head of the house and the spiritual head; woman have said we want to be as strong. I think it’s sad that a few women have shaped than minds of my generation into that idea that we almost need to be stronger, better income than our husbands. This verse reminds me of the wife that God has called me to be and I want nothing more to adore my husband, encourage him, support him and love him. We have let society dictate to us how to be wives instead of God- I know this is my calling in life – to bring Godly wife back into relationships and encourage, teach other women. It’s all in proverbs 31!

I feel as though there is nothing else today that I want to touch on, the chapter has amazing insight into different things- liars, sinners, cheaters, evil schemers- but my paragraph on vs 4 is the major player into today’s topic.

Day 11 - Chapter 11

Day 11 – Chapter 11
After reading chapter 11 I really thought, “Wow that was harsh!” If you did not get the clue, what happen when we are not following God, I am not sure what will make that connection happen. Here are a few verses that really stuck out to me:

Vs 1 God hates cheating in the marketplace he loves it when business is aboveboard.

Vs 2 The stuck-up fall flat on their faces, but down-to-earth people stand firm.

Vs 7 When the wicked die, that’s it- the story’s over end of hope.
*Wow, talk about being blunt. Sounds harsh but the truth is truth.

Vs 14 Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.

Vs 17 When you kind to others, you help yourself; when your cruel to others, you hurt yourself.

Vs 25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.
*We have been so blessed lately by so many people. I believe that God uses people to help others- the question is always are we willing to say yes Lord! This is my prayer for all the people who have blessed us over the years.

Vs 30 A good life is a fruit-bearing tree; a violent life destroys souls.
*I want to be bear fruit!! I want people to look at my life and say that I am know by the person I am in God and the relationships I have built around me.

John 15
The Vine and the Branches
1-3 "I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.
4"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.
5-8"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.
9-10"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love.
11-15"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.
16"You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.
17"But remember the root command: Love one another.

Chapter 11 ends with a big BANG! Vs 31 “If good people barely make it. What’s in store for the bad!” Wow- let’s chew on that for a bit…. I need to start be thankful for barely making it! Right?

Day 10 - Chapter 10

Day 10 – Chapter 10

Vs 11 “The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well, but the mouth of the wicked id a dark cave of abuse.” When I read this verse I thought of people in general who are so negative and tend to only want to discuss the bad in everything and they are not fun to be around and I have no desire to be in conversation with people like this. It’s easy to see is about others but I think it’s extremely important to look at the self first, which is probably the most difficult thing to do but is a must! Matthew 7:5 (message) "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, and criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. 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 whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

Vs 12, “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all wrongs.” It’s amazing when we posses God’s love how easy it is to love those you probably wouldn’t and when love is present, as Toby Mac says, “The house is packed.”
Vs 14, “Know-it-alls talk too much a sheer waste.” We know these types of people also, I struggle with talking too much, especially when I’m nervous…. We talked about this in the “Virtuous Woman” study about ‘down time’ and that it’s not always safe because senseless chatter tends to turn into gossip!

Ending the chapter with the, “The speech of a good person clears the air; the words of the wicked pollute it.” Have you ever walked into a room and felt like you could cut the air- I am going to assume that this is what this passage is talking about
Reflecting on Chapter 11 it seems to really have nailed down, the disciplined life to as little as the tongue…. Psalm 39
1 I said, "I will watch my ways
and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
as long as the wicked are in my presence."

Daily reminders to me how important are words are and how they can affect someone. Have you ever caught yourself talking too much????

Day 9 - Chapter 9

Day 9 – Chapter 9

Another reminder of where wisdom begins, with God. Vs. 10 ( NIV) “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Vs. 10-12 (message) Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God,
insight into life from knowing a Holy God.
It's through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens,
and the years of your life ripen.
Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life;
mock life and life will mock you.

I love, “insight into life from knowing a Holy God.” BEAUTIFUL!!!
Next “it’s through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens,” I have truly been experiencing this over the past couple years and I want to go deeper and deeper, I just can’t seem to get enough and that’s exciting!

Day 8 - Chapter 8

Day 8 – Chapter 8

Few things going through my mind all day as I contemplate chapter 8 in my head… it’s amazing how sometimes I can sit down and write a novel and other days I need time to embrace what I’m reading, even re-reading a few times.

Vs 5-6 (Message) “Listen, you idiots – learn good sense! You blockheads- shape up! Don’t miss a word of this – I’m telling you how to live well, I’m telling you to live at your best.”
Vs 33 (Message) “Mark a life of discipline and live wisely”

These two verses stick out to me because my thoughts have recently been wrapped around the idea that so many Christians think it’s ok to live however they so choose. That God will always forgive them, granted YES he will…. God will always forgive us but it makes me wonder if we continue to “do whatever we want” knowing that we can always repent afterwards – is that right? Not in my bible, we must sincerely repent and walk away from the ungodly lifestyle. The more we know God, the easier this is. I never want to be accused of having the ‘he’ll (God) forgive me tomorrow attitude.” I want the “I have chosen to walk awake from the darkest and into the light FOREVER and in ALL aspects of my life attitude.” I am grateful for a loving, forgiving God but I don’t ever want to assume I can live however I want because God will always forgive me. I want to know his words and live accordingly always. In vs. 5-6 Hello!! God is shouting the answer out to us, vs. 33, if we truly lived a disciplined life than our desire to walk down the wrong path won’t be there, it’s our choice.

1 Th 5:23-24 (NIV) May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it!

1 Th 2:13 (NIV) 13And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

The chapter ends with such a clear cut answer vs. 35-36 (NIV), “For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord, but whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”

I FOUND JESUS!!!! Have you???

Day 7 - Chapter 7

Wow, right away we are reminded, vs 1-3
“1 My son, keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and you will live;
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.

God definitely knew that we don’t listen well for him to remind us the importance of hiding Gods word in our heart. A switched just flipped in my head so stress the importance of this, if we know God than life IS easier, I can personally attest to this. Going on to Vs 4 reminding us that Gods wisdom will keep us from adultery. It’s amazing the power behind wisdom!

The rest of the chapter I picture in my head a movie we have all seen a hundred times! That a woman’s husband is gone and she’s beautiful, and that poor man is so easily ‘sweet talked Proverbs 5:3-4). This poor soul who must not have a firm grip on Gods commands; let’s face it, the more we know our heavenly father the easier it is to recognize satan’s traps.

Day 6 - Chapter 6

Day 6 – Chapter 6

The first verse that catches my attention in chapter 6 is vs. 6, “you lazy fool, look at an aunt, Watch is closely; let it teach you a thing or two.” The very beginning of this verse is so much more impacting than I would have realized a few years ago, “Lazy fool” I read this and I think of being a lazy, (Uncommitted, putting other things before God, “Martha Spirit.”) Than the next word fool meaning someone who is completely without moral standings. Psalm 14:1”The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” Psalm 92:6 “The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand,” There are a hundred verses and that clearly help us understand the meaning of fool. How would I explain what God is saying in verse 6: “Do not allow stuff to get in the way of finding God, make is a priority to dig into God daily, or you will end up not understanding His ways.”

Next few verses that I want to remember are verses 16-19
Seven Things God Hates
16-19 Here are six things God hates,
and one more that he loathes with a passion:
eyes that are arrogant,
a tongue that lies,
hands that murder the innocent,
a heart that hatches evil plots,
feet that race down a wicked track,
a mouth that lies under oath,
a troublemaker in the family.

*Speaks for themselves…

Again in chapter 6 ‘adultery’ is brought up. Vs. 20 “My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck.” Wow, we have definitely heard this before going back to chapter 1:8-9 and 2:1-2, I am glad this has caught my attention- King Solomon continues to repeat this and we are only 6 chapters in, hence, the importance of knowing Gods word.

Again I read the adultery section and I think it is discussing the physical and spiritual. Spiritual adultery against God as well as physical against God and your commitment to your spouse. Reminds me of lent, that we committed to giving something up something in honor of God and we can easily become persuaded into given into our temptation.

Day 5 - Chapter 5

Day 5 – Chapter 5

First I have to say I had a hard time getting this chapter down on paper, I explain and discussed it with my dad, I talked about with some ladies at lunch but I going t osay I firmly believe what is typed is suppossed to be.... no less.... no more....

When I first read chapter 5 I was thinking hmm… this is a chapter for men. Than realize this chapter is King Solomon discussing the topic of adultery with his son. Then the light bulb went off on my head that this is can be applied to any parent that has kids, even anyone with kids in the life, roll models etc…

After reading this we can easily assume the topic is clear cut about adultery but I believe if we look further into the message in the proverbs is also about commitment. When we make a commitment to another person (vowels) or God, or anyone we need to fully ‘jump in” spiritually and physically. When we lack at all in our spiritual walk how easy it is for ‘adultery’ to enter into our lives. Hence, the first sin, adultery against God. Reconfirming the importance in staying connected to God on a daily basis.

As anyone in any kind of leadership, authority over a child- mentoring a young adult, we must remember the importance of how easily satan can temp us and get us off track if our focus is not on God – we need to teach this to our children, God first.

Day 4 - Chapter 4

”I give you sound learning, so not forsake my teaching” ( Vs. 2 NIV) or “I’m giving you good counsel; don’t let it go in one ear and out the other.” (Vs. 2 Message) People all over can tell us they have perfect advice, or teach exactly the way it should be done etc….. The truth is we all need to go deeper into Gods word and find it for ourselves. I absolutely believe that God prompts the Holy Spirit to speak through people all the time; I also believe that it is most important that we take the initiative to find the answers as well and not always rely on others.

Vs. 6 “Never walk away from wisdom – she guards you life.” (M) This might be hard to grasp, Find God- find wisdom- and we will know what paths we should walk down. By obtaining wisdom from God we are protected by simply knowing right from wrong which in the end leads us to eternal life or not.

“Evil people are restless unless they’re making trouble; they can’t get good night’s sleep unless they’ve made life miserable for somebody.” (Vs 16-17 M) Can we say, ‘misery loves company.’

The message bible titles these next few verses as, “Learn it by Heart.” Vs 20-27 to me this is the way to live – can’t get any clearer than this….

20-22 Dear friend, listen well to my words;
tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
body and soul, they're bursting with health.

23-27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that's where life starts.
Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust.

Verse 23 in the NIV says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” This verse take me to Matthew 12:33-35 (New International Version) 33"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

I want nothing more than good- overflowing from my heart -out of my mouth and into others lives!!!

Day 3 - Chapter 3

I love God’s sense of Humor!! Yesterday I wanted more - today there was so much to be taken in I thought, this chapter could be a 2 day process!!!!!!!! LOVE IT!!!!!!

The first topic of choice would be vs. 3, love and loyalty. “Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty, Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.” (Vs 3 Message) Showing our love for God can be done in many ways, learning and understanding his word is a great way to start. Becoming Mrs. Loyal seems to be the tricky part. When I read about Lady Loyal the thoughts that spin through my mind are, ‘commitment, honor, change, our actions.” Looking at Christianity overall we have become an un-loyal group of followers, not everyone but a sad percentage. We say we love God but then choose to only follow half the time, we MUST be sold out in EVERY aspect of life, which will require the sacrifice of ‘worldly things’ because in the end do the things of the world really fulfill our hearts - NOPE. Vs.35 (message) “Wise living gets rewarded with honor; stupid living gets the booby prize.”

My second topic of choice that was clear in the chapter tends to be a touchy one but with extremely high value in our lives and our walk with the Lord- tithe. Vs. 9 (NIV) “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with your first fruits of all your crops.” Vs 9 (message) “Honor God with everything you own, give him the first and the best.” I am not sure why this topic is such a touchy, sensitive topic, but it really bothers me that is has become one. Tithing IS a part of worship and God directs us to give our ‘first - the best’ to Him before anyone or anything else. I have recently grown into my tithing experience, I have always tithed because it’s biblical but I have found the true excitement behind tithe - I look forward to tithing because I have experienced the many blessing that come from being faithful. Malachi 3:10 “10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

My third topic of choice is vs. 5-12, I won’t type it all out but this to me is what it is saying. We need to trust God with 100% of our life, in EVERY situation, and NOT ‘figure everything out on our own’ (vs. 5). This is extremely hard to do but I can honestly say that when we completely let go of our own grip, the journey is much easier to cope with. I love how the message says, Vs. 7b “Run to God!” with a big exclamation point. We tend to run to everyone else first… but we must first Run to God, give it to Him and KNOW that he always has the best outcome for us. This section ends with us being reminded that God teaches us in tough times, those times that we tend to feel like he isn’t there - He is! And we need to open our eyes and see what he is trying to show us. He instructs us for our own good.

The next few verses that made a big impact in my heart were verses 21-2 (message)
21-26 Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life;
don't for a minute lose sight of them.
They'll keep your soul alive and well,
they'll keep you fit and attractive.
You'll travel safely,
you'll neither tire nor trip.
You'll take afternoon naps without a worry,
you'll enjoy a good night's sleep.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises,
or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner,
Because God will be right there with you;
he'll keep you safe and sound.

I hope that after these 31 days you will experience a new freedom and joy - a direct result from spending quality time with God everyday! Ending, “Because God will be right there with you; he’ll keep you safe and sound.” He walks with us through everything, he never leaves us - we just don’t look for Him. It is our responsibility and blessed opportunity to seek Him in everything, because when we do…we will find Him!

Day 2 - Chapter 2

I have to first state when I finished with chapter 2 I was kind of sad - I wanted more - I wanted to keep going, but God said, 'No' I have something for you...READ IT AGAIN.
So here we go, Chapter 2.
The first verse to jump out at me was verse 1... Didn’t even get far into it the 2nd time around.
vs. 1 "Store up my commands." Very important to catch this, we go from Chapter 1, beginning with God, to now…storing up His commands. How do we do this??? We get to know Him! We get to know HIS WORD! I hear every excuse in the book why we can't do a daily devotion... but the reality is God desires us to dig into His word. And He also promises that if we do we will know Him better and in the times that we need him, His word is there in our minds, our hearts, and in our lifestyle. Think about it, if you never tell your kids to 'don't run with a sucker in your mouth.' Will they ever know that it could be dangerous??? They won't- so how are we supposed to live according to God's desire…if we don't take the time to get to know Him.
(I am speaking at myself in all this.)
Leading me into the next profound verses that sank deep down to my soul, vs. 9-12a. Here the scriptures demonstrate that if we continue to stay on Gods path, which we can only do by discovering His wisdom and digging into His word - then we will be prosperous and glorify His name in our life. Again, it’s a choice of sacrifice, dedication, commitment and devotion.
I leave you with this verse: more like a thought

Proverbs 2:9-12a
So now you can pick out what's true and fair,
find all the good trails!
Lady Wisdom will be your close friend,
and Brother Knowledge your pleasant companion.
Good Sense will scout ahead for danger,
Insight will keep an eye out for you.
They'll keep you from making wrong turns,
or following the bad directions

Day 1 - Chapter 1

*For the record I will be going back and forth between the message version and the NIV.
A few things jumped out to me right away… The idea that proverbs is a manual for living is very exciting for me, I want nothing less than to live out my love for God, this is done by living the life he has called us to. In order for us to grasp that lifestyle we need to dig into His words.
(Message Vs. 3,4,5)
A manual for living,
for learning what's right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes
and give our young people a grasp on reality.
There's something here also for seasoned men and women,
still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—

The book of Proverbs, understanding wisdom and living in ‘Fear of the Lord’ is for everyone!! Old, young, people that have walked with Christ for a long time, new Christians- absolutely everyone, there is always something new to be learned!

A major player in chapter 1 is where does wisdom start- vs. 7 (message) “Start with God- the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.”

I am positive there is no if, ands, or butts in this verse- it begins with God! This is a new found wisdom in my life. In every circumstance I look for God, look to find him in the midst of the ugly and even the beautiful- he is there, find Him.

Next in the chapter we learn that there will constantly be ‘people’ around us who want nothing more to suck us away from our foundation in Christ and walk the slippery rope- these people choose to ignore the wisdom that God offers. And that nothing will ever fulfill their desires- Vs. 19 (message) “When you grab all you can get, that’s what happens; the more you get, the less you are.” I don’t want this- I don’t want a life of everything the world has to offer and more, I want a life of what God has to offer.

Another profound word that sticks out after reading this chapter is the word 'simple,' vs. 22a (NIV). This verse stats, “How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?” In my bible it says that the Hebrew meaning for simple is referring to someone ‘without moral discretion and inclined to evil.’ A quick reminder that walking a moral filled, Christ centered life is not simple or an easy road… but in the end we make the bed we lie in, vs. 31 (message).

Verses 20-33 discusses how ‘Lady Wisdom’ (message) is calling for all to listen and follow, but some never will, some won’t until they hit the deepest of valleys in their life, and some will reach out to wisdom and follow. Wisdom is a gift to everyone- it’s our choice to accept it or not.

Life's Little Blessings....

I was in conversation with a friend recently and we were talking about weight, of course what girls don’t, weight and shopping for clothes was the conversation of choice. Anyways, what I realized is no matter how many people tell you, you look fabulous, until you believe it for yourself it’s not reality. Let’s face it girls- you know this to be true. We have to be comfortable in our own skin. This is the same with the blessings in our lives and our walk with God. Until we see and experience it as reality for ourselves, it won’t be real- no one else can do this for us.

We are all blessed; the key is recognizing the blessings all around us. We have been taught to believe when one thing bad goes wrong to see it as a hurt, pain, a step back, God must not care but in reality if we allow God to finish what he started, without getting in the way, the blessings that will come out of it- wow! I can type and list many of blessings in my life and it would be an incredibly long list. But this would prove nothing to anyone else accept for me. We MUST experience within ourselves to fully grasp it. And until we are completely willing to give God 100% of our situations that seem ‘horrible’ we cannot fully understand the peace and grace that God offers us.

I'll Stand & Enough

Not sure how to get the video on here... heres the link- Love this song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll Stand By Kendall Payne
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGWZEvgTiyI

Enough by Barlow Girls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfdUGF8C4s4

Apparently you can't just click on them either- copy and paste! Enjoy, hope you are moved by the spirit.

31 days, 31 Chapters.... To Walk in Fear of the Lord

I am beginning to prepare for my exciting journey in March, 31 Days of March and 31 chapters of Proverbs. When God first place this new adventure on my heart I began by reading the “Introduction to Proverbs” I have definitely learned that the time, setting, author and theme have a tremendous impact on me when I am reading a new book in God’s word.

Proverbs:
Author: Primarily King Solomon and other wise men
Audience: The people of Israel
Date: Primarily during Solomon’s reign (970-930 B.C.)
Theme: Proverbs describes the importance of living wisely and in the fear of the Lord as opposed to following the seductive path of folly.

After reading this, specifically the theme- woot woot!!!! - That sounds fantastic!! I have done studies on ‘Fear of the Lord”, “Wisdom vs. Knowledge” ** But I am overly excited about buckling down and seeing what the wise book of Proverbs has to offer me…. So for the 31 days of March that we are blessed with, I am committed to reading a chapter a day and blogging what God is showing me! YES- can March come quicker please!!!!

If you would like to take this challenge with me- that would be fabulous. I do have a blog site set up, there will be a daily proposed question from that day’s reading-email me if you want to dig in with a group of young ladies and enjoy daily interaction with fellow sisters in Christ. (Or men you never know who God will place this study on their heart)

God always takes the extra mile with us- are you willing to return the favor???

My Weary Heart...

My heart has grown very weary over a couple situations going on in my life right now. Everyday I finding myself being reminded to, “trust God.” Jeremiahs 29: God's Decree! 10-11This is God's Word on the subject: "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. 12"When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. 13-14"When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." God's Decree.

Here’s what Satan wants, he wants us to think that we made wrong choices… He wants us to question our call and what we are doing and he WILL do it any way he can. I am going to boldly choose to approach Gods throne, knowing he is there waiting for me.

*Hebrews 4:16 (New International Version) 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

* Joshua 1:9 (New International Version) 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

So here I am sitting here typing, screaming inside my head! And rebuking Satan in Jesus Name from all aspects of my life- because one thing I do know Is God is the one sitting on the throne – he is the one that is victorious in the end!

I feel like David in the book of Psalms:
*Psalm 43:1 Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.
*Psalm 35:24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me.
*Psalm 26:1 [ Of David. ] Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
*Psalm 54:1 Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might.

I read these passages and I am completely humbled and broken- I cry out to my God who wants to the best for my family - I am willing to ask, “Show me where I have been unfaithful? I will fix it- I’ll make every part of me right with you!”

My load is heavy- the burden is weighing me down- I know you can restore me!

*Matthew 11:30 (The Message) 28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep Company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

I want; I desire to feel the rhythm of your grace in these specific areas of my life!! May everything that is connected with me and my family flourish in your name and be claimed with God’s power and mercy!

It's Been Awhile...

I haven’t blog in a while; I have had lack of inspiration, letting my own feeling get in the way. I refuse to publish a blog that comes from me and my emotions.
If you know my family well, you know that we are in the midst of a lot of unknowns, which is very difficult. It’s hard to plan anything or commit when have no idea what our schedule will look like.
In the midst of our craziness, the one thing that keeps us afloat is knowing that we serve a God who is always there. Even when it feels like he’s left us, he is ALWAYS there. All I have to do is find him or listen and he is there as clear as the sunshine (In Arizona). This is the hope that I carry in my pocket that keeps me pushing on, over the mountains- and holy cow do these mountains feel huge.
Philippians 3:12-14 (New International Version)
Pressing on Toward the Goal
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
If there are ‘mountains’ in your life- bathe in these verses. Life is difficult even as a believer but what I do know is God has laid the path and conquered the mountains for us already, all we have to do is recognize it.
Psalm 116 (the Message)
1-6 I love God because he listened to me, listened as I begged for mercy.
He listened so intently
as I laid out my case before him.
Death stared me in the face,
hell was hard on my heels.
Up against it, I didn't know which way to turn;
then I called out to God for help:
"Please, God!" I cried out.
"Save my life!"
God is gracious—it is he who makes things right,
our most compassionate God.
God takes the side of the helpless;
when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me.

In the midst of climbing your mountain I challenge you to stop today and find God- he’s there waiting.

Miley's Grande Entrance

Wow, 2 years ago….we waiting anxiously for our baby girl to arrive. I was induced so there was not surprise on the labor end of things- but definitely ready to embark on a new adventure adding Miley Marie to the picture.

We arrived at the hospital at 6 am ready to go, my parents arrived shortly after and Eli’s parents stayed at our house with Elijah, until the it got closer to our new little ones arrival. My OB told us that he was not going to rush things and allow things to move slowly that way there was no chancing having to have a c-section, which was only allowed if absolute an absolute emergency was require because of my lung capacity. I was completely OK with that- many of my friends had c-sections and I was not a fan of their recovery….

My emotions were of course all over as I waiting anxiously but I do remember being more nervous than I was with Elijah because his delivery was so easy, I was afraid this time I might not get so lucky.

The day moved on and at lunch time my doctor said I would definitely have her today, but he was going to wait till after dinner to break my water. So that came and went, I got my epidural right before he broke my water, I knew after my water was broken- that the pain would begin.

Let the fun begin… my nurse checked me around 9:15 pm and I was only at a 6- so I figured we may have a long night. 5 minutes later I told Eli, “She’s coming!”So he asked the nurse to check me again, and she said “No I just checked her she was only at a 6.” I told Eli, no you tell her that Miley is ready to make her appearance!” (When my nurse checked and I was at 6, my OB informed her not to leave my room. He did not want to miss the delivery, and there was a huge blizzard outside. She only left my room for a quick minute to grab something and that’s when I knew Miley was coming)

So Eli ran to find the nurse, he knew I meant business, and everyone got excited! I began to keep my legs crossed because well, obvious reasons. My nurse came in and kinda joking ‘ok ok, let’s take a look but I’d be surprise I just checked you….’ Then she checked and looked at me- “DO NOT PUSH!!! Stay right there, cross your legs-“And she took off running- of course if you know that routine at that point they completely rearrange your room. My father-in-law who was outside, in the hall, he said my OB came running down the hall. I told that nurse she was coming….Anways, a couple pushes and Miley arrived to meet many of our friends, doctors, nurses and of course Family. My most cherished memory is the first time her big brother held her.

I am reminded on every birthday that I celebrate, no matter whose it is, what an amazing miracle child birth is. A miracle that only God himself could create. My baby is 2 now and I am blessed and amazed, looking back over her last 2 years to see where God has taken us as a family and individuals, growing closer to Him and seeking everything he has for us.

I could write a novel with all the details of my pregnancy and birth with both my children, going in detail of the amazing miracles God performs even in now. Instead, I would love to leave you with this thought:

Psalms 139:13-16
oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God - your breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration- what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book you watched me grow
from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared,
before I'd even live one day.

Value

What do you value most, family, friends, time, jewelry, prayer, time with God?

After having my first child for the first couple years he was my life- my absolute priority, it was stressful at times, I couldn’t let go of him being my #1- I even struggled with leaving him just to go to the movies. I felt as though I would be ‘short’ of a good mom if I left my son. It became so overwhelming, every second of everyday. If you are a mother you can understand this, if not yet, I am sure you will understand this one day, I don’t know any of my mom friends who have not struggled with needing a break at one time or another. When I finally sought God for help and strength—my eyes were completely opened to the fact that God has to come before my kids, before my husband and yes, even before my time.

Having a baby is a huge adjustment not only for me as a person but also affecting my relationship with my husband and definitely altering the amount of time I had. Let me explain a little. I was completely crazy about leaving my son – I wouldn’t do it, I think he was 6 months before I ever left him… just to go to the movies- not even dinner just movies because both would be to long away from him. Now, what I can look back on, is that I needed to trust God more.

I needed to learn to trust him that he would take care of Elijah. This has been a great growing journey for me, even as I had my second child the tendency was to return but I know and have learned to put my absolute faith in God to take care and watch over my children. This was extremely difficult when Elijah started preschool, I found my strength in God alone! Elijah only went 3 days a week for 2 hours… but the first day on the way to preschool God whispered ever so sweetly , pray for him before he goes into the classroom. Not before you get out of the car or leave the house but right before he goes in.

We were fortunate enough to find a wonderful Christian preschool which began to walk along side us as parents—teaching Gods love into a daily lifestyle. I walked away from dropping him off that day in tears but with an amazing amount of peace. God than began to say, “seek first MY kingdom, ask and you shall receive.” (Matt 6:33 Matt 7:8) It’s amazing! God’s words come about at the exact right time. So needless to say everyday there after I knew I walked away leaving Elijah with Gods words and knowing I had a God who was faithful to a mom who trusted in God to watch over and protect. I have continued this tradition, that God envisioned on my family, thru kindergarten, babysitting in anything… my heart rejoices when Elijah ask me, “Mom you are going to pray with us right?” He may be 5 but I believe that God has ensured Him with the peace of knowing He is there watching over them as well.

As my journey of trust began to be instilled, not only in me and with my kids – but my relationships, and our finances and ever little aspect we don’t think of everyday, it began to pour out into my children and out of everything we say, think or do - trust God.

This is always something I knew but until I went through my rude awakening and began to LIVE IT—Is when I truly found the peace that comes from God alone. I still worry at times; it’s a part of who I am as a mother, but I am no longer burdened with the weight of ‘worry.’ I love the lesson of worrying in Matthew 6 but one verse that sticks out in my mind from the message version is Matthew 6:27 Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch?

I DEFINITELY HAVE NOT GROWN from worrying, probably have gotten shorter from the weight of the burden on me!

I hope I have inspired a thought in you to allow God to help you Live it out LOUD.
When God say trust me, do you? OR run to everything else first???

Moving On....

The past is the past, we can learn from it to make our future better or we can dwell on it and not leave the well. Satan wants us to look back, see what we had and to continue to sulk in that which is no longer...

I guess I’m blogging about this stuff because my parents headed home earlier – which always leaves me missing my family, my friends… I can look back and miss, but it is vital that I look at our lives now and see what we do have. What God has blessed us with now- I don’t want to get caught up at the well and afraid to leave it. I want to be free from the burden of loss and to continue on to what God has called us to.

This week in my ladies bible study we discussed the woman at the well. John 4 The story goes a little like this....Jesus walks up to a Samaritan women (Jews and Samaritans didn’t not associate) and ask for a drink…. She talks to him! She said “How can you ask me for a drink?” Jesus begins to tell her, that drinking her water, she will always be thirsty and the water he has to offer -she will never thirst again.

This is the part most people seems to stop- vs. 14 “but whoever drinks the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Of course, that is hugely important; anything written in the scripture is powerful and meaningful!!

For me this story is so much more than drinking from the well, it’s about receiving the everlasting life and than GOING. An not being stuck at the well -afraid that our sins will haunt us. We cannot allow our past to burden us so much that we fear to go and share what God has done.

Bringing me to the end of the story, Vs: 16-03 Jesus’ tells her he knows her sin, she believes him! And Surrenders to it, and is free to go and share with others, wow!! Did you realize that he forgives us and we do not have to let sin and burden hold us back from our mission- Matt 28 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

One of my most favorite studies, “Virtuous Woman” By Vicki Courtney she writes, “Satan would like nothing more than to render woman ineffective as believer is Jesus Christ. We must recognize him for who he really is. Christian Woman who are burdened with shame and guilt are of no worry to him. He knows that if he can keep them at the well, doubting God’s love and forgiveness; they will have little impact in furthering the kingdom of God. Think about it. If you are not completely free from you past, how can you race from the well with excitement to share with others this wonderful gift?”

Jesus offers us freedom so that we can live free from all that hinders us to move on and worship him…
Psalm 103 3-5 He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence.
6-18 God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet.

I encourage you to know that God wipes our slate clean. We can be free of the crime that Satan tries to throw in our face, we have to power to look Satan in the face and say, “I have been washed cleaned thru the atonement of Jesus’ blood!!!!!” Even if it's not a specific sin but letting go and moving on... remember...

POWER!!!
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from ALL sin.

I encourage you sa well as a daily reminder to me, to not look to the past because God has moved us on…. But look forward to what we do have in Christ.

Romans 8:15-17 (The Message)
15-17This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?"

What’s next?

My Intentions... or are they???

IT’S FUNNY my blog started out with different intentions but here we are and it seems to be a place to lay out what God is showing me- in many different ways. I do blog every day, some I am led to post and some not… I listen to the Holy Spirit he is real! Ever so real and boy does he let you know when you need to do something or not…..
Eli and I were talking last about ‘intentions’ we all know where I stand about allowing people to pray for me- if their intentions are completely selfish, not willing to say ‘ok God whatever you choose’ - I won’t allow them to pray for me. We were discussing the same thing about when ‘preaching’ “If you are preaching to prove a point, than you better not preach it.” That’s how I feel about my blog- some stuff is just to empty my brain and very personal and some stuff is to share, for others to learn….. But I know this I have no hidden secrets and one day God will use all my blogs, journals, whatever you would like to call them – He will use them for greater things! In HIS perfect timing, not mine.
Psalm 33:11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.

I want nothing less than God’s plans for my life, and my words and my actions- I desire nothing but to exemplify that in all that I do.

My prayer is the same for you.

Ruts

In a Rut??
Inspired by a line from my dear friend Cherry, (like the fruit or the girl)...

We are at an ‘event’ and there was a detailed event that took place…. And my friend and I kind of were wondering why would they do that? Answer: “Because that’s the way they’ve always done it”
So my friend Cherry says, “Oh I hate that phrase, ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

So of course, my brain starts turning- thinking and applying. Do we get into church ruts? Do continue to work in the same methods in Christ even if these methods are not working, even if they are not reaching people, are not making a difference in God’s kingdom… Are we willing to change??? Are we willing to step outside of our comfort zone – even though it will be scary???

Think about it, if you’re not ’bearing fruit’ which the bible says we will, and then don’t you think something has to change….John 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

What changes??? Maybe it’s allowing God to lead instead of us leading into a particular direction because we are comfortable with it. If you have been sitting for an hour all comfortable and God says jump will you? Or will you continue to sit and wait for people to come to you??? Matthew does say chapters 28:19 therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Last time I checked, GO is an action, and if our actions are not bringing people to the Lord – than I think that we need a change; even if we don’t like it or it seems hard. The last I checked God promises us that he will walk the entire way with us. Duet 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." We have nothing to be afraid of- not even change.

I look back at the disciples they were fishermen, tax collector, sinner- but God simply said follow me! Matthew 4:19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."And they left everything, their comfort zone, what they were used to and went… without knowing. They left their potential comfort zone to follow Jesus into areas unknown.

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

What if God asked you to drop what you know, or comfortable with and just go- would you?

God's Silence....

Inspired by My Husband, Eli…

Today Eli said to me, "you should write a post on God's silence."
I then proceeded to tell him if God presses it upon my heart and gives me more than 2words I will!

And what do you know; my mind began spinning this thought around and around. I began to think about my person challenge, the book of Psalms. I have read many Psalms over my life but I'm not sure I have ever read thru the book start to finish so my journey began about a week ago. I have nothing set in stone other than reading it daily, but sometimes 1 chapter, sometimes 10- whatever I am lead to reading.

Before I begin a new book, I like to read about the author, the context behind the book, and when, where, who, etc.... Which gave me a new perspective on the book of Psalms.

As I started to get a little ways into the book I realized one thing-obvious thing.
David was a god-fearing man not afraid to ask God where he was in hard times, and in the end God was always on his throne...Psalm 11:4.
So I apply this to our life and why my husband could possibly have said to write about God's silence.

Thru different circumstances in our lives, Eli has been part time at New Hope Church doing youth and young adult. And traveling to NM every other week for 3 days to, "pay the bills" and God has blessed in in so many during this time thru people that it would be hard to say anything but how amazing God is.
Hunting season is drawing to a close... which means we have been seeking God in prayer about, 'what’s next???' Eli is called into ministry, but I would be failing if I said it was only Eli because we are called as a family to do Gods mission...
As we finally said ok Lord, we are ready to begin to see what doors will open, wow God opened a few possibilities right away. And then- God's Silence.....

.....
.....
.....
.....
.....

Hello, God are you out there???
(Wow I kinda feel like David in the midst of war)
.....
.....

We have received the question, "are you overwhelmed with stress right now walking in so much unknown?" Maybe in a physical sense, yes... but I cannot say how much peace radiates in my family knowing that when everything else fails us - God doesn't.

As we begin this journey into what God has, that might be staying right where we are, or Eli's going in a secular job for awhile.... or moving across country (which is very unlikely considering it's to humid) I know this God has our path laid out for us, we just have to listen, he will speak and he will tell direct us.

1 Samuel 3:9
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future

Jeremiah 29:11 Message
know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

Cloudy Day

This morning I woke up dug right into God- my dad was so sick all night, ugh! He was flying out this morning to Hawaii. They have tried to make this trip 2 other times... first time, the airlines filed bankrupt the day they were to fly out and all flights were cancelled; second time, my dad blew his knee out the day before and he had to have surgery. Now they are finally hitting the flight, and he's sick as a dog! They boarded- and then delayed!! An old man got sick on the flight and they had to call the paramedics, of course my heart raced because when my mom first text me I read it so fast that I thought it was my dad. My dad was offended that I called him old  heehee….Either way I was still very much impressed to pray for the old man.

Finally they are in flight... YAY!!
We are walking to the Mom-Mobile to head for school and wow, cold and cloudy! On the way to school Miley started having asthma problems, so I dropped the boys off; cover them in prayer and Miley- to get home to the old ball n chain (Neb). Unfortunately, it is my ball N chain and now my kids... Oh but God will use this in amazing ways... as he promises.

Grace is Enough
2 Corinthians 12:9 (The Message)

7-10Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

Miley is doing well now.

As I sit here and type, all I can think about is all the times people have said, "If only you would stop living in sin you would be healed, or you must not have enough faith!" Neither of these is correct... my God uses everything for 'His good and pleasing purpose." And if we can stop seeking God with the wrong intentions (Complete healing or the selfish desires) than maybe our eyes will be opened to the gift that God has given us and will use it in mighty ways. Can you imagine if God went around healing everyone, than people would only seek him out looking for only that, instead out of obedience and love and commitment?

Would you still love God even if he chose not to heal you?? Would you embrace it and use all things to glorify God's holy name- even in the midst of what seems so unfair...

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will

Matthew 17:20
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Philippians 4:6 (The Message)
6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

My God can move mountains through our faith, my life is not mine or yours and if he sees the path that’s best for me and doesn't always match up with 'my' wants- that’s OK! I will still follow. Will you?