I updated "my playlist" today
I'd love to put all my newly downloaded songs on here....but I'm sure there's some sort of copyrights laws about that...
Here is an oldie but a goodie:
BE NEAR
You are all
Big and small
Beautiful
And wonderful
To trust in grace through faith But I'm asking to taste
For dark is light to You
Depths are height to You
Far is near
But Lord I need to hear from You
Be near O God
Be near O God of us
Your nearness
Is to us our good
Your fullness is mine
Revelation divine
But O to taste
To know much more than a page
To feel Your embrace
For dark is light to You
Depths are height to You
Far is near
But Lord I need to hear from You
Be near O God
Be near O God of us
Your nearness
Is to us our good
By Shane and Shane
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Stagnant Waters
Not much has changed from my last post....I still feel stagnant. Surrounded by mosquito infested water. I guess there's not much comparision between a mosquito and a lion but what came to mind immediately was:
The advesary is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. (I peter 5:8)
Thats kinda like a game of Mother may I, right? The advesary has to have your permission to devour. Seems like these days I've given out alot of permission. **SIGH**
How does one get that back?
Back to I Peter....
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
Looks like a path one can follow....
Humble Yourself.
Cast Your Care.
Be Sober Greek Word: Nepho
to be sober, to be calm and collected in spirit
to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect
Be Vigilant. Dictionary: keenly watchful
Resist.
Be Steadfast. Dictionary: strong, firm, immovable, solid, hard, rigid
I like what the greek has to say about this word being used in a bad sense:
"cruel, stiff, stubborn, hard" thats descriptive of steadfast in a bad way.
And then the best two words (in this case three) in the bible.
But God.
Thank God for the "but Gods" in the bible, in my life....otherwise I'd be pretty hopeless.
The advesary is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. (I peter 5:8)
Thats kinda like a game of Mother may I, right? The advesary has to have your permission to devour. Seems like these days I've given out alot of permission. **SIGH**
How does one get that back?
Back to I Peter....
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
Looks like a path one can follow....
Humble Yourself.
Cast Your Care.
Be Sober Greek Word: Nepho
to be sober, to be calm and collected in spirit
to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect
Be Vigilant. Dictionary: keenly watchful
Resist.
Be Steadfast. Dictionary: strong, firm, immovable, solid, hard, rigid
I like what the greek has to say about this word being used in a bad sense:
"cruel, stiff, stubborn, hard" thats descriptive of steadfast in a bad way.
And then the best two words (in this case three) in the bible.
But God.
Thank God for the "but Gods" in the bible, in my life....otherwise I'd be pretty hopeless.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Climate Change
The climate changes here quite frequently, the old adage about Texas weather is if you don't like it just wait 15 minutes...it'll change.
This summer has been "off". Normally our summers are scorchers. 100+ degrees. Who of us can forget the summer of 1980? Who still has the T-Shirt? But this summer has been lacking in heat. Its rained and rained and rained. What was once a land in drought, has become flooded.
Our lakes are full, our streams streaming, our rivers flowing, yet I feel stagnant. I feel like I can't get enough water, although over all that I survey, we're at flood level.
I started off "the summer" with the intention of getting all the uncomplete bible studies completed. Starting with the ones I had purchased most recently and work my way back. The good news is, I got that one done. I loved it. I was on the mountain with God. The bad news is, not a one since has been touched. They are still collecting dust.
I did a summer study at church with kept the fires going with a little kindling, but that's about it. Its as if the passion of the blazing sun of summer was gone and so was my Passion for the Blazing Son. No, I've misspoken. My passion isn't gone, its under the water somewhere. Or the rain waters washed it down stream. Maybe what I need is a search team....rescuers! (hey isn't that a Disney movie??)
Anyway, what i need is a place to dry it off, to get in from the weather, to enjoy a cup of tea and begin the process of being reacquainted with Gods Word....with God. The pages of my prayer journal have been empty for too long. So I sit here...at the computer.....wondering what to say, yet being filled with so many things.
Thirsty in a flooded land. The opposite of one of my favorite Psalms.
Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuaryand beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
Maybe not so opposite. My soul feels like a desert land. Dry and in need of water.
I like it that its titled: A Psalm of David, while he was in the desert of Judah.
Judah meaning Praised, Celebrated. That's fitting. Wow, God never stops surprising me with His Word.
In the Desert of Praise. That's the key really. Praising. Praise Him and raise up out of the pit. Praise Him and be filled. Be satisfied.
There is a song we used to sing at church about this Psalm.
You are my God I seek You
my soul thrists for you
you are my God I seek you
my flesh faints for you
*in a dry and weary land
you are my wateryou are my water*
you are my God i need you
you have been my help
you are my God i need you
let joyful lips sing
*in a dry and weary land you are my water
you are my water*
your steadfast love is better than life
your steadfast love is better than life
Does any of this make sense, I don't know, its just where I'm at today.
This summer has been "off". Normally our summers are scorchers. 100+ degrees. Who of us can forget the summer of 1980? Who still has the T-Shirt? But this summer has been lacking in heat. Its rained and rained and rained. What was once a land in drought, has become flooded.
Our lakes are full, our streams streaming, our rivers flowing, yet I feel stagnant. I feel like I can't get enough water, although over all that I survey, we're at flood level.
I started off "the summer" with the intention of getting all the uncomplete bible studies completed. Starting with the ones I had purchased most recently and work my way back. The good news is, I got that one done. I loved it. I was on the mountain with God. The bad news is, not a one since has been touched. They are still collecting dust.
I did a summer study at church with kept the fires going with a little kindling, but that's about it. Its as if the passion of the blazing sun of summer was gone and so was my Passion for the Blazing Son. No, I've misspoken. My passion isn't gone, its under the water somewhere. Or the rain waters washed it down stream. Maybe what I need is a search team....rescuers! (hey isn't that a Disney movie??)
Anyway, what i need is a place to dry it off, to get in from the weather, to enjoy a cup of tea and begin the process of being reacquainted with Gods Word....with God. The pages of my prayer journal have been empty for too long. So I sit here...at the computer.....wondering what to say, yet being filled with so many things.
Thirsty in a flooded land. The opposite of one of my favorite Psalms.
Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuaryand beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
Maybe not so opposite. My soul feels like a desert land. Dry and in need of water.
I like it that its titled: A Psalm of David, while he was in the desert of Judah.
Judah meaning Praised, Celebrated. That's fitting. Wow, God never stops surprising me with His Word.
In the Desert of Praise. That's the key really. Praising. Praise Him and raise up out of the pit. Praise Him and be filled. Be satisfied.
There is a song we used to sing at church about this Psalm.
You are my God I seek You
my soul thrists for you
you are my God I seek you
my flesh faints for you
*in a dry and weary land
you are my wateryou are my water*
you are my God i need you
you have been my help
you are my God i need you
let joyful lips sing
*in a dry and weary land you are my water
you are my water*
your steadfast love is better than life
your steadfast love is better than life
Does any of this make sense, I don't know, its just where I'm at today.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Stress Management
I got this in my email today and its worth passing on!
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 8 to 12 ounces.
The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, As the burden becomes increasingly heavy, We won't be able to carry on.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow." Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue .
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good for you may die in the middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
*Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 8 to 12 ounces.
The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, As the burden becomes increasingly heavy, We won't be able to carry on.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow." Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue .
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good for you may die in the middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
*Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
I am my Mothers Daughter, but I am my Fathers Child
I recently spoke at a ladies event, these are my notes:
I am my mothers DD, although I act more like my grandmother, I am my mothers DD. I look like her, I sound a lot like her, I used to think a lot like her too, until I came to the realization that I am my Fathers Child. Yes I am a product the past, but the past is not my product. It is not who I am. It doesn’t have to produce in my life what it has produced in the lives of my ancestors. Deut. 30 God says I have called heaven and earth against you as witnesses and I have set before you LIFE and DEATH, CHOOSE LIFE! So that YOU and YOUR descendants my live!!
I grew up in a household of fear. Fear everything, Trust No one and if God existed, He was out to get me! Its been a long journey, but one I’d like to share with you today. Out of the fear and into faith.
It has been said that there are no more than four generations on the earth at one time.
Try it for yourself. Example.
My example. Kids, Me, Mom. Kids, Husband, His Mother, Her Mother. Who has five??
With that in mind lets get to our text.
Exodus 20. The 10 commandments. People put a lot of emphasis on the 10, when there are in fact 613. Thank God for justification huh! But these we consider to be “the important ones”. I’m discussing Commandment #2 tonight.
INIQUITY = That’s a better word than sin. Sins are forgiven, iniquity is more like lingering consequences for sin. Some call is generations curses, some call is sick cycles, some call it dysfunction, God calls is iniquity.
Lets talk about MY generations….
Gr. Gma Married alcoholic, remarried an alcoholic (prohibition), illness and depression. Sent children to church, no legacy of Christ
G’ma Married an alcoholic, remarried an alcoholic, was an alcoholic, depression and illness, did not send her children to church and left no legacy of Christ
Mom married an alcoholic, remarried an alcoholic, is an alcoholic, depression and illness, she got saved in 1980 and made her children attend church faithfully. Read them the bible every day at breakfast. My parents left me a legacy of faith…bring up a child….will not depart.
Me married, remarried (neither are alcoholics) I am not an alcoholic, I do not live a live of illness or depression. I attend church, my children attend church. My college age son attends church by himself, without any coercion on my part!
What happened? What changed? I chose life! I changed my focus. Because I wanted to live…I wanted my children to live. Not in a bubble, not in fear, not afraid of God. I had to decide to DO something different. I wanted something different so I had to do something different. I had to change my view of God and see him for who he really is And I have to change my view of me and stop seeing myself thru the eyes of others.
How did that happen. Well I had to make Gods voice louder than any of the others in my head. Read the bible, study the bible, meditate on the word, apply it to my life.
One of the stories I read made an impact on my life, its the story of Ruth.
Moab was considered a "cursed" of Lot, and his two daughters They hid out in the mountains after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed they were the only people left alive; the daughters got their father drunk on two successive nights and each had sex with him, they became pregnant by him. One of the children born out of this incest was named Moab. His descendants were the Moabites. Ruth,was a Moabite. The mentality of all the Moabite people was distorted by idolatry. A society that had very little value for life and family.
SOUNDS LIKE A NATION WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE. I saw this done recently and I’ll do this experiment for you today….speaking of the US. Take out some money and look at it as I read Psalm 115.
Idol Worship. Ruth was familiar with Idols All of these things (idol worship, child sacrifices, death of her family, her husband, her father in law) had an impact on her. Shaped her, thoughts, her words her actions. There was something great about Ruth - she rose above her past. She had an ability to look at her past and present and say "I want no more of this. I want something better. I want something more."
I recognized I had the same ability. I was a child of the Most High God and I had the same ability as Ruth. I wanted no more fear, no more depression, no more illness, no more victim mentality. I kept reading….
After the death of the men in this family, Naomi (her mother in law) heard that the famine was over (was no more) in Bethlehem, and she decided to return home. She began her journey with both her Daughters in law by her side, but along the way, she stopped and told them to turn around and go back to Moab - to return to their people and their gods. One daughter in law agreed. But Ruth loved Naomi and "clung to her" DAW-BAK To Cleave (Ruth 1:14) Naomi told them "I am going to a place that is unfamiliar to you, go back to your traditions and customs."Ruth said "INTREAT ME not to leave you...." Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die,And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”
Ruth recognized that she had already experienced her past, and she didn't like it. She made a choice. Her tomorrow didn't have to look like her yesterday. Many people today base on their ending on their beginning. They do it to themselves and they do it to others. Based on my beginnings, I should be fearing for my life to be talking to you today! The MOST important thing is life is where you finish!
God does not use your past to determine your future....SO WHY SHOULD YOU?? I had to stop doing that. I had to stop consulting with my past. I had to stop using it as the barometer for life. I had to make a decision to LEAVE and CLEAVE.
Leave and Cleave Its a biblical principle that applies to every part of your life. You must leave your past and cleave to what God has for you today. Cleave means …. To Cleave means to adhere closely, to stick, to remain faithful to follow ones principles despite persecution. Leave yesterday and cleave to today.Leave your failures and cleave to Gods Promises.Leave your old sin and cleave to the forgiveness God gives you.
God had a plan and a purpose for Ruth....Ruth married her Kinsman Redeemer Boaz and Ruth gave birth to Obed, Obed was the father of Jesse, Jesse is the father of David, David is the direct bloodline of Jesus! Which means Ruth is the direct bloodline of Jesus. Ruth - who was marred, scarred, stained, tainted, distorted and warped by her environment - lived out her life in greatness!!8 God will do in your life too what he did with Ruth!
You must allow God to do His work, His changing in you. You must be willing to disconnect from your past and move toward the presence of greatness in your future.The truth is You are not final product of a fatal beginning. The wagging of tongues DO NOT change Gods Mind or Change His Purpose for you. God doesn’t form His opinion of you based on anything other than HIS thoughts. Jer 29:11 I know the thoughts that I think towards you. You ARE who God says YOU ARE!
And God says you are loved with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3), you are purchased with a preciousness (I cor 6:20). You are justified (rom 3:24, Romans 5:1,9, Rom 8:30, rom 10:10, I cor 6:11, Titus 3:7) you are righteous. Not self righteous, you have right standing (rom 1:17, rom 3:21-22, rom 4, rom 10, rom 14:17, eph 4:24, eph 5:9, eph 6:14, II tim 3:16, Do you know what that means? A condition acceptable to God. God says you can succeed. God says you have a future that is a blessing and fulfilling and eternally rewarding. God loves you completely. God knows you completely, everything you have done, haven't done, will do, will say, think....and he loves you completely, wholey, created you and chooses to be in relationship with you.
To walk that out we have to make choice….remember Deut. 30 . 1) Go back to how you always do things. Go back to your customs and traditions and past. OR.... 2) Go to a place you have never been to create something you've never had....we can choose life.
God says, he’s doing a new thing…forget the former things…do not dwell on the past. Isaiah 43
Jesus said: DWELL IN ME! John 15
To dwell means to live or to continue in a given condition or state
Paul said ONE THING I do…ONE THING…forgetting what is behind and STRAINING toward what is ahead I PRESS ON toward the goal…..
Something else Paul say just above that in Chapter 3 vs. 10-14
10[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [[a]which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]
11That if possible I may attain to the [[b]spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].
12Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.
13I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.
It is up to us to Press on….toward a supreme and heavenly goal. Not the goals of others, but Gods purpose and plan for our life.
Yes its true, I am my Mothers Daughter, But I am my Fathers Child. I don't know anything about traveling pants, but I know we are part of a sisterhood of the Most High God. Who calls us by our name, not by our shame. We are to wear our crowns with confidence and leave a legacy of Christ for the next 999 Generations!!
I am my mothers DD, although I act more like my grandmother, I am my mothers DD. I look like her, I sound a lot like her, I used to think a lot like her too, until I came to the realization that I am my Fathers Child. Yes I am a product the past, but the past is not my product. It is not who I am. It doesn’t have to produce in my life what it has produced in the lives of my ancestors. Deut. 30 God says I have called heaven and earth against you as witnesses and I have set before you LIFE and DEATH, CHOOSE LIFE! So that YOU and YOUR descendants my live!!
I grew up in a household of fear. Fear everything, Trust No one and if God existed, He was out to get me! Its been a long journey, but one I’d like to share with you today. Out of the fear and into faith.
It has been said that there are no more than four generations on the earth at one time.
Try it for yourself. Example.
My example. Kids, Me, Mom. Kids, Husband, His Mother, Her Mother. Who has five??
With that in mind lets get to our text.
Exodus 20. The 10 commandments. People put a lot of emphasis on the 10, when there are in fact 613. Thank God for justification huh! But these we consider to be “the important ones”. I’m discussing Commandment #2 tonight.
INIQUITY = That’s a better word than sin. Sins are forgiven, iniquity is more like lingering consequences for sin. Some call is generations curses, some call is sick cycles, some call it dysfunction, God calls is iniquity.
Lets talk about MY generations….
Gr. Gma Married alcoholic, remarried an alcoholic (prohibition), illness and depression. Sent children to church, no legacy of Christ
G’ma Married an alcoholic, remarried an alcoholic, was an alcoholic, depression and illness, did not send her children to church and left no legacy of Christ
Mom married an alcoholic, remarried an alcoholic, is an alcoholic, depression and illness, she got saved in 1980 and made her children attend church faithfully. Read them the bible every day at breakfast. My parents left me a legacy of faith…bring up a child….will not depart.
Me married, remarried (neither are alcoholics) I am not an alcoholic, I do not live a live of illness or depression. I attend church, my children attend church. My college age son attends church by himself, without any coercion on my part!
What happened? What changed? I chose life! I changed my focus. Because I wanted to live…I wanted my children to live. Not in a bubble, not in fear, not afraid of God. I had to decide to DO something different. I wanted something different so I had to do something different. I had to change my view of God and see him for who he really is And I have to change my view of me and stop seeing myself thru the eyes of others.
How did that happen. Well I had to make Gods voice louder than any of the others in my head. Read the bible, study the bible, meditate on the word, apply it to my life.
One of the stories I read made an impact on my life, its the story of Ruth.
Moab was considered a "cursed" of Lot, and his two daughters They hid out in the mountains after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed they were the only people left alive; the daughters got their father drunk on two successive nights and each had sex with him, they became pregnant by him. One of the children born out of this incest was named Moab. His descendants were the Moabites. Ruth,was a Moabite. The mentality of all the Moabite people was distorted by idolatry. A society that had very little value for life and family.
SOUNDS LIKE A NATION WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE. I saw this done recently and I’ll do this experiment for you today….speaking of the US. Take out some money and look at it as I read Psalm 115.
Idol Worship. Ruth was familiar with Idols All of these things (idol worship, child sacrifices, death of her family, her husband, her father in law) had an impact on her. Shaped her, thoughts, her words her actions. There was something great about Ruth - she rose above her past. She had an ability to look at her past and present and say "I want no more of this. I want something better. I want something more."
I recognized I had the same ability. I was a child of the Most High God and I had the same ability as Ruth. I wanted no more fear, no more depression, no more illness, no more victim mentality. I kept reading….
After the death of the men in this family, Naomi (her mother in law) heard that the famine was over (was no more) in Bethlehem, and she decided to return home. She began her journey with both her Daughters in law by her side, but along the way, she stopped and told them to turn around and go back to Moab - to return to their people and their gods. One daughter in law agreed. But Ruth loved Naomi and "clung to her" DAW-BAK To Cleave (Ruth 1:14) Naomi told them "I am going to a place that is unfamiliar to you, go back to your traditions and customs."Ruth said "INTREAT ME not to leave you...." Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die,And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”
Ruth recognized that she had already experienced her past, and she didn't like it. She made a choice. Her tomorrow didn't have to look like her yesterday. Many people today base on their ending on their beginning. They do it to themselves and they do it to others. Based on my beginnings, I should be fearing for my life to be talking to you today! The MOST important thing is life is where you finish!
God does not use your past to determine your future....SO WHY SHOULD YOU?? I had to stop doing that. I had to stop consulting with my past. I had to stop using it as the barometer for life. I had to make a decision to LEAVE and CLEAVE.
Leave and Cleave Its a biblical principle that applies to every part of your life. You must leave your past and cleave to what God has for you today. Cleave means …. To Cleave means to adhere closely, to stick, to remain faithful to follow ones principles despite persecution. Leave yesterday and cleave to today.Leave your failures and cleave to Gods Promises.Leave your old sin and cleave to the forgiveness God gives you.
God had a plan and a purpose for Ruth....Ruth married her Kinsman Redeemer Boaz and Ruth gave birth to Obed, Obed was the father of Jesse, Jesse is the father of David, David is the direct bloodline of Jesus! Which means Ruth is the direct bloodline of Jesus. Ruth - who was marred, scarred, stained, tainted, distorted and warped by her environment - lived out her life in greatness!!8 God will do in your life too what he did with Ruth!
You must allow God to do His work, His changing in you. You must be willing to disconnect from your past and move toward the presence of greatness in your future.The truth is You are not final product of a fatal beginning. The wagging of tongues DO NOT change Gods Mind or Change His Purpose for you. God doesn’t form His opinion of you based on anything other than HIS thoughts. Jer 29:11 I know the thoughts that I think towards you. You ARE who God says YOU ARE!
And God says you are loved with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3), you are purchased with a preciousness (I cor 6:20). You are justified (rom 3:24, Romans 5:1,9, Rom 8:30, rom 10:10, I cor 6:11, Titus 3:7) you are righteous. Not self righteous, you have right standing (rom 1:17, rom 3:21-22, rom 4, rom 10, rom 14:17, eph 4:24, eph 5:9, eph 6:14, II tim 3:16, Do you know what that means? A condition acceptable to God. God says you can succeed. God says you have a future that is a blessing and fulfilling and eternally rewarding. God loves you completely. God knows you completely, everything you have done, haven't done, will do, will say, think....and he loves you completely, wholey, created you and chooses to be in relationship with you.
To walk that out we have to make choice….remember Deut. 30 . 1) Go back to how you always do things. Go back to your customs and traditions and past. OR.... 2) Go to a place you have never been to create something you've never had....we can choose life.
God says, he’s doing a new thing…forget the former things…do not dwell on the past. Isaiah 43
Jesus said: DWELL IN ME! John 15
To dwell means to live or to continue in a given condition or state
Paul said ONE THING I do…ONE THING…forgetting what is behind and STRAINING toward what is ahead I PRESS ON toward the goal…..
Something else Paul say just above that in Chapter 3 vs. 10-14
10[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [[a]which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]
11That if possible I may attain to the [[b]spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].
12Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.
13I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.
It is up to us to Press on….toward a supreme and heavenly goal. Not the goals of others, but Gods purpose and plan for our life.
Yes its true, I am my Mothers Daughter, But I am my Fathers Child. I don't know anything about traveling pants, but I know we are part of a sisterhood of the Most High God. Who calls us by our name, not by our shame. We are to wear our crowns with confidence and leave a legacy of Christ for the next 999 Generations!!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Scripture Study Ps 51:6
Surely you desire truth in the inward parts, you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
I'm working on a bible study that really really makes you dig into WOG. Of course you probably don't have to do it as much as I do, but you know me....constantly searching for the meaning of WOG and making it personal.
SURELY: Firmly, without missing, undoubtedly, certainly, without fail.
DESIRE: Long for, a longing, a craving as for something that brings satisfaction
TRUTH: Agreement with a standard or original. (this was was a few down on the list of definitions, but I thought it stood out as what God meant, agreement with the original, the maker!)
INWARD PARTS: Hidden Recesses, farthest inward, most intimate and secret.
TEACH: To impart knowledge
WISDOM: Knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgement as to action.
INMOST PLACE: Synonym of INWARD PARTS.
So lets review:
Without FAIL, God longs, craves for our most intimate secrets, in order to impart the knowledge of what is true and right coulple with the judgement to act on that knowledge into the hidden recesses of our hearts and minds and spirit.
I'm working on a bible study that really really makes you dig into WOG. Of course you probably don't have to do it as much as I do, but you know me....constantly searching for the meaning of WOG and making it personal.
SURELY: Firmly, without missing, undoubtedly, certainly, without fail.
DESIRE: Long for, a longing, a craving as for something that brings satisfaction
TRUTH: Agreement with a standard or original. (this was was a few down on the list of definitions, but I thought it stood out as what God meant, agreement with the original, the maker!)
INWARD PARTS: Hidden Recesses, farthest inward, most intimate and secret.
TEACH: To impart knowledge
WISDOM: Knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgement as to action.
INMOST PLACE: Synonym of INWARD PARTS.
So lets review:
Without FAIL, God longs, craves for our most intimate secrets, in order to impart the knowledge of what is true and right coulple with the judgement to act on that knowledge into the hidden recesses of our hearts and minds and spirit.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
How I got out - Part Two
Recently I have been in a pit. I went back to the pit I decorated so nicely and got so comfortable in. I threw a pity party, I invited all my old friends.
Poor pitiful (me)
Neglected (me)
Abandoned (me)
Bad mom (me)
Bad wife (me)
Undeserving (me)
Ugly (me)
Abused (me)
God doesn't love (me)
Depressed (me)
And the devil for entertainment. He told me what a stupid person I am and if it weren't for me so many of these things wouldn't be true. I've done so many bad things that God doesn't love me and never will. I won't make it into heaven, I'm not good enough. While I sat in the corner of my pit crying, he heaped piles of condemnation on my head.
Good Times
Good Times
There have been times in my life where this has gone on for days and days. The wailing the crying, you know the ugly cry. You know what I mean...you know.
The kind of day where you eat left over easter candy and feel guilty because it reminds you of how you deserve hell. And the devil does another dance for you; so to get your mind off that you eat a bag of chips and wash it down with a 2 liter soda? You know what I mean.
Then your kids come home from school and your cranky from all the carbs and you have a headache so you snap at them and then the devil comes in and does another dance for you.
Good Times.
Good Times.
Somewhere between the candy and the chips though this time, I snapped out of it. I wiped my tears decided NO MORE!
God doesn't look at my past to determine my future and why should I! What was I doing looking at the past anyway? And HOW did I get in this pit?? Ugh!! Its decorated poorly anyway and there's not enough light in here! Its dark and damp and cold. And hmmmm......In God there is no darkness.. AT ALL!
Wait a minute!! This is not where I belong!! How did this shovel get in my hand??
JESUS!! I need you!! And he appears....gives me His hand and I'm out.
I put on some praise music and raised up the Name of my Lord.
I am reminded again....
I am not what I went thru
I am not what happened to me
I am not what they say about me
My experience is not who I am
I am not defined by my circumstances.
I am chosen by You, my Father. (Eph. 1:4)
I am holy and without blame. (Eph. 1:4)
I am Your child according to the good pleasure of Your will. (Eph. 1:5)
I am accepted in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:6)
I am redeemed through the blood of Jesus. (Eph. 1:7)
I am saved by Your grace. (Eph. 2:5)
I am Your workmanship. (Eph. 2:10)
I am a new creation. (Eph. 2:15)
I am strengthened with might by Your Spirit. (Eph. 3:16)
I am rooted and grounded in love. (Eph. 3:17)
I am light in You. (Eph. 5:8)
I walk circumspectly. (Eph. 5:15)
I am filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 5:18)
I am more than a conqueror. (Rom. 8:37)
I am an overcomer. (Rev. 12:11)
I am Your righteousness in Christ Jesus. (1 Cor. 1:30)
I am healed. (1 Pet. 2:24)
I am free. (John 8:36)
I am salt. (Matt. 5:13)
I am consecrated. (1 Cor. 6:11 amp)
I am sanctified. (1 Cor. 6:11)
I am victorious. (1 John 5:4)
Everything You say about me is true, Lord.
Take the shackles off my feet
So I can dance I just wanna praise Ya
Just wanna praise
You You broke the chains
Now I can lift my hands
And I'm gonna praise You
Poor pitiful (me)
Neglected (me)
Abandoned (me)
Bad mom (me)
Bad wife (me)
Undeserving (me)
Ugly (me)
Abused (me)
God doesn't love (me)
Depressed (me)
And the devil for entertainment. He told me what a stupid person I am and if it weren't for me so many of these things wouldn't be true. I've done so many bad things that God doesn't love me and never will. I won't make it into heaven, I'm not good enough. While I sat in the corner of my pit crying, he heaped piles of condemnation on my head.
Good Times
Good Times
There have been times in my life where this has gone on for days and days. The wailing the crying, you know the ugly cry. You know what I mean...you know.
The kind of day where you eat left over easter candy and feel guilty because it reminds you of how you deserve hell. And the devil does another dance for you; so to get your mind off that you eat a bag of chips and wash it down with a 2 liter soda? You know what I mean.
Then your kids come home from school and your cranky from all the carbs and you have a headache so you snap at them and then the devil comes in and does another dance for you.
Good Times.
Good Times.
Somewhere between the candy and the chips though this time, I snapped out of it. I wiped my tears decided NO MORE!
God doesn't look at my past to determine my future and why should I! What was I doing looking at the past anyway? And HOW did I get in this pit?? Ugh!! Its decorated poorly anyway and there's not enough light in here! Its dark and damp and cold. And hmmmm......In God there is no darkness.. AT ALL!
Wait a minute!! This is not where I belong!! How did this shovel get in my hand??
JESUS!! I need you!! And he appears....gives me His hand and I'm out.
I put on some praise music and raised up the Name of my Lord.
I am reminded again....
I am not what I went thru
I am not what happened to me
I am not what they say about me
My experience is not who I am
I am not defined by my circumstances.
I am chosen by You, my Father. (Eph. 1:4)
I am holy and without blame. (Eph. 1:4)
I am Your child according to the good pleasure of Your will. (Eph. 1:5)
I am accepted in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:6)
I am redeemed through the blood of Jesus. (Eph. 1:7)
I am saved by Your grace. (Eph. 2:5)
I am Your workmanship. (Eph. 2:10)
I am a new creation. (Eph. 2:15)
I am strengthened with might by Your Spirit. (Eph. 3:16)
I am rooted and grounded in love. (Eph. 3:17)
I am light in You. (Eph. 5:8)
I walk circumspectly. (Eph. 5:15)
I am filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 5:18)
I am more than a conqueror. (Rom. 8:37)
I am an overcomer. (Rev. 12:11)
I am Your righteousness in Christ Jesus. (1 Cor. 1:30)
I am healed. (1 Pet. 2:24)
I am free. (John 8:36)
I am salt. (Matt. 5:13)
I am consecrated. (1 Cor. 6:11 amp)
I am sanctified. (1 Cor. 6:11)
I am victorious. (1 John 5:4)
Everything You say about me is true, Lord.
Take the shackles off my feet
So I can dance I just wanna praise Ya
Just wanna praise
You You broke the chains
Now I can lift my hands
And I'm gonna praise You
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Some truths about relationships:
1) If a person wants you, nothing can keep them away; if they don't want you, nothing can make them stay.
2) STOP making excuses for people and their behavior.
3) STOP trying to change yourselves for a relationship that's not meant to be.
4) Don't settle
5) Don't stay because you think things will get better, you'll only be mad at yourself a year from now when things are not "better".
6) The only person you can control in a relationship is you.
7) Maintain boundaries in how people treat you, if something bothers you, speak up!
8) You cannot change people's behavior, change comes from within.
9) Never let another person define who you are.
10) People will only treat you the way you ALLOW them to treat you.
11) Compromise is a two way street, you shouldn't be doing all the bending.
2) STOP making excuses for people and their behavior.
3) STOP trying to change yourselves for a relationship that's not meant to be.
4) Don't settle
5) Don't stay because you think things will get better, you'll only be mad at yourself a year from now when things are not "better".
6) The only person you can control in a relationship is you.
7) Maintain boundaries in how people treat you, if something bothers you, speak up!
8) You cannot change people's behavior, change comes from within.
9) Never let another person define who you are.
10) People will only treat you the way you ALLOW them to treat you.
11) Compromise is a two way street, you shouldn't be doing all the bending.
Friday, April 06, 2007
A journey, not a destination
This Christian life is a journey...we sojourn together....the Psalmist says, a pilgrimage.
NOUN: 1. A journey to a sacred place or shrine. 2. A long journey or search, especially one of exalted purpose or moral significance.
INTRANSITIVE VERB: Inflected forms: pil·grim·aged, pil·grim·ag·ing, pil·grim·ag·es To go on a pilgrimage.
The Hebrew Translation of Pilgrimage is: sojourning place, dwelling-place, sojourning lifetime
Psalm 84
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD ; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young- a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
7 They go from *strength to strength*, till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob.
9 Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
12 O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.
This also stuck out today....they go from strength to strength The hebrew for that word and who knew there where over 20 definitions for the word Strength. T
his particular word is used in this way: Definition strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army, ability, force So how does that look?
They go from *might to might*,
till each appears before God in Zion.
They go from *efficiency to efficiency*,
till each appears before God in Zion.
They go from *wealth to wealth*,
till each appears before God in Zion.
They go from *army to army*,
till each appears before God in Zion.
They go from *ability to ability*,
till each appears before God in Zion.
They go from *force to force*,
till each appears before God in Zion.
II Corinthians 3:18 says we go from Glory to Glory.
NOUN: 1. A journey to a sacred place or shrine. 2. A long journey or search, especially one of exalted purpose or moral significance.
INTRANSITIVE VERB: Inflected forms: pil·grim·aged, pil·grim·ag·ing, pil·grim·ag·es To go on a pilgrimage.
The Hebrew Translation of Pilgrimage is: sojourning place, dwelling-place, sojourning lifetime
Psalm 84
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD ; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young- a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
7 They go from *strength to strength*, till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob.
9 Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
12 O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.
This also stuck out today....they go from strength to strength The hebrew for that word and who knew there where over 20 definitions for the word Strength. T
his particular word is used in this way: Definition strength, might, efficiency, wealth, army, ability, force So how does that look?
They go from *might to might*,
till each appears before God in Zion.
They go from *efficiency to efficiency*,
till each appears before God in Zion.
They go from *wealth to wealth*,
till each appears before God in Zion.
They go from *army to army*,
till each appears before God in Zion.
They go from *ability to ability*,
till each appears before God in Zion.
They go from *force to force*,
till each appears before God in Zion.
II Corinthians 3:18 says we go from Glory to Glory.
Forced to Restore (repost)
I studied Psalm 69 and in the first few verses David says. "I am forced to restore what I did not steal"
That jumped off the page at me, because of my background. Product of the times, statistics? I don't know the answer. I'd say alot has been stolen from me. And now, I am forced to restore it, myself. I felt that way for a long time. I had to be restored, I had to do it.
Memorial Day Weekend 1995. I made a commitment to God and started praying. I had some prayer books which really helped cuz they were full of scripture. So I could look them up and do a little reading.From that time on I didn't always live right. I thought *I* needed to clean up my act. *I* needed to get myself right, before God would accept me.
It has taken years to figure out that God is For Me. God Loves Me - as if there were no one else. He's not couting the hairs on my head...He Knows the number and it changes daily. He knows me that intimately. It is His desire to bless me, He's not out to get me. I finally "get it."
In the past 5 years I have read my bible alot and prayed. In the past 2 years I have really prayed for change. Change me. What I really meant, now I see....Restore me.
In the past year or so I have listened and learned from various teachers. One things I learned was how to study the bible. I definately learned to read beyond the Psalms. There was a time in my life where all I could do was say "help me God, please, if You're really there, help me." Now I say....Restore me, God I know you're really there, restore me.
The psalmist says...I am forced to restore what I did not steal. All kinds of things have happened to me in my life, physical and sexual abuse, abusive relationships, divorce, abandonment, rejection....SO WHAT! *shrug* THANK GOD! Thank Him that I can shrug. It is the past, its over, I am indifferent. Now, I have a story to tell of restoration, reconciliation. My life can be a testimony to other who have been me, who are me. The me of yesterday.
I started doing some research on "restore" God says He Restores. He will restore.Over and Over:
I will restore the ruins....Isaiah 44:26
I will restore so that you may serve.... Jer. 15:19
I will restore you to the promised land... Jer. 16:15
I will restore you to health and heal your wounds.....Jer. 30:17
I will restore your fortune, your home, I will rebuild you....Jer.30:18
Six places in Jeremiah God says I will restore your fortune
"I will restore Davids fallen tent, I wil repair its broken place, restore its ruins and built it as it used to be, so that the remnant of men and all the nations that bear my name may seek The Lord " Declares the Lord, who will do these things. Amos 9:11-12I will restore twice as much and make you strong....Zechariah 9: 11-136
"I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. Zechariah 10: 6
Gods Word tells me....He is in the restoration business.
That jumped off the page at me, because of my background. Product of the times, statistics? I don't know the answer. I'd say alot has been stolen from me. And now, I am forced to restore it, myself. I felt that way for a long time. I had to be restored, I had to do it.
Memorial Day Weekend 1995. I made a commitment to God and started praying. I had some prayer books which really helped cuz they were full of scripture. So I could look them up and do a little reading.From that time on I didn't always live right. I thought *I* needed to clean up my act. *I* needed to get myself right, before God would accept me.
It has taken years to figure out that God is For Me. God Loves Me - as if there were no one else. He's not couting the hairs on my head...He Knows the number and it changes daily. He knows me that intimately. It is His desire to bless me, He's not out to get me. I finally "get it."
In the past 5 years I have read my bible alot and prayed. In the past 2 years I have really prayed for change. Change me. What I really meant, now I see....Restore me.
In the past year or so I have listened and learned from various teachers. One things I learned was how to study the bible. I definately learned to read beyond the Psalms. There was a time in my life where all I could do was say "help me God, please, if You're really there, help me." Now I say....Restore me, God I know you're really there, restore me.
The psalmist says...I am forced to restore what I did not steal. All kinds of things have happened to me in my life, physical and sexual abuse, abusive relationships, divorce, abandonment, rejection....SO WHAT! *shrug* THANK GOD! Thank Him that I can shrug. It is the past, its over, I am indifferent. Now, I have a story to tell of restoration, reconciliation. My life can be a testimony to other who have been me, who are me. The me of yesterday.
I started doing some research on "restore" God says He Restores. He will restore.Over and Over:
I will restore the ruins....Isaiah 44:26
I will restore so that you may serve.... Jer. 15:19
I will restore you to the promised land... Jer. 16:15
I will restore you to health and heal your wounds.....Jer. 30:17
I will restore your fortune, your home, I will rebuild you....Jer.30:18
Six places in Jeremiah God says I will restore your fortune
"I will restore Davids fallen tent, I wil repair its broken place, restore its ruins and built it as it used to be, so that the remnant of men and all the nations that bear my name may seek The Lord " Declares the Lord, who will do these things. Amos 9:11-12I will restore twice as much and make you strong....Zechariah 9: 11-136
"I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. Zechariah 10: 6
Gods Word tells me....He is in the restoration business.
Borne (repost)
I think this says it all....
Borne of dust, I get so dirty, But You pick me up, brush me off. Send me on my way. Borne of flesh, I get so caught up in my story, It's so human to concern myself with. Everything that I seem to be going through. But Lord, where would I be. Without this flesh to remind me.
Chorus 1: I was borne to breathe, Borne to be broken, Borne to realize that it's not I, But the You in me. Borne to live, AND Borne to love You. I was borne to die. Knowing that my life is not mine.
Hook: So Lord, thank you for the thorn, I've had to bear. From the day that I was borne
Borne of love, Love so perfect. You are Heaven's thought, gift of God. Come to save the world. Born of flesh and born of Spirit, My sweet Savior it's so like You. To concern Yourself with, Everything that I seem to be going through. Oh Lord, where would I be, Without Your love to remind me.
Chorus 1
Hook: So Lord, thank you for the thorn, I've had to bear. From the day that I was borne.
Bridge for 2nd Chorus: You were borne to breathe, Borne to be broken.....
Chorus 2: You were borne to breathe, Borne to be broken, Borne so that I would realize, You are all I need. Borne to live, Borne to love (save) me. You were borne to die so that I, Could be completely free.
(Repeat)
Hook: So Lord, thank you for the thorns, for the thorns, you chose to bear, So that I could be... I could be borne. I could be borne.
Scriptural References:(John 3:16, Psalm 46:1, 2 Cor. 4:7-9 & 12:9, 1 Peter 5:7, Romans 8:26)
Borne of dust, I get so dirty, But You pick me up, brush me off. Send me on my way. Borne of flesh, I get so caught up in my story, It's so human to concern myself with. Everything that I seem to be going through. But Lord, where would I be. Without this flesh to remind me.
Chorus 1: I was borne to breathe, Borne to be broken, Borne to realize that it's not I, But the You in me. Borne to live, AND Borne to love You. I was borne to die. Knowing that my life is not mine.
Hook: So Lord, thank you for the thorn, I've had to bear. From the day that I was borne
Borne of love, Love so perfect. You are Heaven's thought, gift of God. Come to save the world. Born of flesh and born of Spirit, My sweet Savior it's so like You. To concern Yourself with, Everything that I seem to be going through. Oh Lord, where would I be, Without Your love to remind me.
Chorus 1
Hook: So Lord, thank you for the thorn, I've had to bear. From the day that I was borne.
Bridge for 2nd Chorus: You were borne to breathe, Borne to be broken.....
Chorus 2: You were borne to breathe, Borne to be broken, Borne so that I would realize, You are all I need. Borne to live, Borne to love (save) me. You were borne to die so that I, Could be completely free.
(Repeat)
Hook: So Lord, thank you for the thorns, for the thorns, you chose to bear, So that I could be... I could be borne. I could be borne.
Scriptural References:(John 3:16, Psalm 46:1, 2 Cor. 4:7-9 & 12:9, 1 Peter 5:7, Romans 8:26)
Only Be Strong and Courageous!
God gave the Isrealites 30 days to mourn the loss of Moses and to move on to position themselves to cross the Jordon!!
The LORD Commands Joshua 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: 2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
GET READY!! God is calling you out of the desert and INTO His Rest!! WILL YOU TAKE HIS HAND???As I was with Moses SO I will be with you!! I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you!! You don't have to have things or people, but YOU have to have GOD!!!
6 " Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous . Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 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." What are you supposed to do???Be strong and courageous!! Do not be terrified!!! Do not be discouraged!! The Lord will be with you wherever you go!!!
10 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11 "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.' "
Go Get ready!! Get ready to Cross the Jordan and enter into Gods Rest!!
12 But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13 "Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: 'The LORD your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.' 14 Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men , fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers
15 until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise."
Get ready too for the fight!! Bask in the word of God.....meditate on it day and night!! Until the fight is over....you may occuply the land!! IOW...enter into Gods Rest and Stay in the shadow of the almighty!!
16 Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!"
Be Strong and Courageous THE LORD YOUR GOD THE GOD WHO CREATED THE UNIVERSE WITH THE SOUND OF HIS VOICE IS WITH YOU FIGHTING FOR YOU!
He has called down the hosts of heaven to fight on your behalf!! Not even a SPARROW goes unnoticed!
Strong: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore
(Qal)
to be strong,
grow strong
to prevail,
prevail upon
to be firm,
be caught fast,
be secure
to press,
be urgent
to grow stout,
grow rigid,
grow hard (bad sense)
to be severe,
be grievous to strengthen
(Piel)
to make strong to restore to strength
give strength to strengthen
sustain
encourage to make strong
make bold
encourage to make firm to make rigid
make hard
(Hiphil)
to make strong
strengthen to make firm to display strength to make severe to support to repair to prevail
prevail upon to have or take or keep hold of
retain
hold up
sustain
support to hold
contain
(Hithpael)
to strengthen oneself to put forth strength
use one's strength to withstand to hold strongly with
Courageous: basically means, feel the fear, the aprehension and do it anyway!
to be strong, alert, courageous, brave, stout, bold, solid, hard
(Qal)
to be strong, brave, bold
(Piel)
to strengthen, secure (for oneself), harden (heart), make firm, make obstinate, assure (Hithpael)
to be determined, to make oneself alert, strengthen oneself, confirm oneself, persist in, prove superior to
(Hiphil) to exhibit strength, be strong, feel strong
do not be afraid: Afraid implies inner apprehensiveness a disquietedness.
to tremble, dread, fear, oppress, prevail, break, be terrified, cause to tremble
(Qal) to cause to tremble, terrify to tremble, feel dread
(Niphal) to be awesome, be terrible
(Hiphil) to regard or treat with awe, regard or treat as awful to inspire with awe, terrify
do not be Dismayed: to be shattered, be dismayed, be broken, be abolished, be afraid
(Qal) to be shattered, be broken to be dismayed
(Niphal) to be broken, be dismayed
(Piel) to be shattered, be dismayed, be scared
(Hiphil) to cause to be dismayed to dismay, terrify to shatter
The LORD Commands Joshua 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: 2 "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
GET READY!! God is calling you out of the desert and INTO His Rest!! WILL YOU TAKE HIS HAND???As I was with Moses SO I will be with you!! I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you!! You don't have to have things or people, but YOU have to have GOD!!!
6 " Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous . Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.
8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 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." What are you supposed to do???Be strong and courageous!! Do not be terrified!!! Do not be discouraged!! The Lord will be with you wherever you go!!!
10 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11 "Go through the camp and tell the people, 'Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.' "
Go Get ready!! Get ready to Cross the Jordan and enter into Gods Rest!!
12 But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13 "Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: 'The LORD your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.' 14 Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men , fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers
15 until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise."
Get ready too for the fight!! Bask in the word of God.....meditate on it day and night!! Until the fight is over....you may occuply the land!! IOW...enter into Gods Rest and Stay in the shadow of the almighty!!
16 Then they answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!"
Be Strong and Courageous THE LORD YOUR GOD THE GOD WHO CREATED THE UNIVERSE WITH THE SOUND OF HIS VOICE IS WITH YOU FIGHTING FOR YOU!
He has called down the hosts of heaven to fight on your behalf!! Not even a SPARROW goes unnoticed!
Strong: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore
(Qal)
to be strong,
grow strong
to prevail,
prevail upon
to be firm,
be caught fast,
be secure
to press,
be urgent
to grow stout,
grow rigid,
grow hard (bad sense)
to be severe,
be grievous to strengthen
(Piel)
to make strong to restore to strength
give strength to strengthen
sustain
encourage to make strong
make bold
encourage to make firm to make rigid
make hard
(Hiphil)
to make strong
strengthen to make firm to display strength to make severe to support to repair to prevail
prevail upon to have or take or keep hold of
retain
hold up
sustain
support to hold
contain
(Hithpael)
to strengthen oneself to put forth strength
use one's strength to withstand to hold strongly with
Courageous: basically means, feel the fear, the aprehension and do it anyway!
to be strong, alert, courageous, brave, stout, bold, solid, hard
(Qal)
to be strong, brave, bold
(Piel)
to strengthen, secure (for oneself), harden (heart), make firm, make obstinate, assure (Hithpael)
to be determined, to make oneself alert, strengthen oneself, confirm oneself, persist in, prove superior to
(Hiphil) to exhibit strength, be strong, feel strong
do not be afraid: Afraid implies inner apprehensiveness a disquietedness.
to tremble, dread, fear, oppress, prevail, break, be terrified, cause to tremble
(Qal) to cause to tremble, terrify to tremble, feel dread
(Niphal) to be awesome, be terrible
(Hiphil) to regard or treat with awe, regard or treat as awful to inspire with awe, terrify
do not be Dismayed: to be shattered, be dismayed, be broken, be abolished, be afraid
(Qal) to be shattered, be broken to be dismayed
(Niphal) to be broken, be dismayed
(Piel) to be shattered, be dismayed, be scared
(Hiphil) to cause to be dismayed to dismay, terrify to shatter
Thursday, April 05, 2007
I'm not dead, so I should act ALIVE!
If the enemy can get you to stay in the past, you won't fulfill the DESTINY God has for you!!
Don't fall for it!! The Word of God is powerful!! The confession of broken strongholds was supposed to work The First Time! AMEN?!
What you have to do it line up your thinking with the Word of God. I still have to do it...3-4-5-50 times a day! Keep a journal of your thoughts. See where it doesn't line up with WOG. Then get in the WOG and find scripture that you can quote.
Now I don't mean....blab and grab...ok. What I mean is RENEWING your mind. Changing the tapes.
1) What is your goal? Do you still want to be where you are in 6 months? 1 year? 2 years? 10 years?
Give yourself a time limit. God gave the Isrealites 30 days to mourn the death of Moses. I'm not saying you have 30 days or that you will never struggle again, but give yourself a time limit.
What is your goal? Healing, Deliverance, Restoration? WRITE IT DOWN! God says...My people perish because of a lack of vision. What is your dream? What is your vision of healing and wholeness? WRITE IT DOWN!
2) Believe God. I don't mean about Him, In Him. BELIEVE HIM!
3) Renew your mind. I learned alot about scripute thru some books called "prayers that avail much" by Word Ministries. Germaine Copeland. The prayers are backed up with scripture and I could look up the scripture.
When fear would come I would say.I rebuke this lying demon of fear, in the name of Jesus, I cast you back into the pit of hell, I say to this lie, you will not complete your assignment agaist me! It is written: God has NOT given me a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
I love this quote by Beth Moore: Can you think of anything in your life that would take more power than God exercised when He raised Christ from the DEAD??? ME NEITHER!
My thoughts on that is:
I'M NOT DEAD!! So I should act alive!! AMEN?!
I want so much for women to be DELIVERED from oppression, abuse, strongholds and God is no respector of persons, he delivered me...He'll deliver you too!!!
God delivered the Isrealites from Egypt, but they had to pack up their past and move into their future! They had to walk across the desert into the promised land. They had to face doubts, fears, and giants! But they did it!! When the pillar moved, they moved...when the pillar settled, they settled!! The pillar of God is NOT in your past!! The pillar is in today!! If you want to have something different in your life, you'll have to DO something different.
If you want to go where you have never gone, you'll have to do something you've never done.
If you've never trusted God. TRUST HIM TODAY! If you've never read the bible to feed your spirit man..READ IT TODAY! Don't skim over it...ask God for revelation!
Don't fall for it!! The Word of God is powerful!! The confession of broken strongholds was supposed to work The First Time! AMEN?!
What you have to do it line up your thinking with the Word of God. I still have to do it...3-4-5-50 times a day! Keep a journal of your thoughts. See where it doesn't line up with WOG. Then get in the WOG and find scripture that you can quote.
Now I don't mean....blab and grab...ok. What I mean is RENEWING your mind. Changing the tapes.
1) What is your goal? Do you still want to be where you are in 6 months? 1 year? 2 years? 10 years?
Give yourself a time limit. God gave the Isrealites 30 days to mourn the death of Moses. I'm not saying you have 30 days or that you will never struggle again, but give yourself a time limit.
What is your goal? Healing, Deliverance, Restoration? WRITE IT DOWN! God says...My people perish because of a lack of vision. What is your dream? What is your vision of healing and wholeness? WRITE IT DOWN!
2) Believe God. I don't mean about Him, In Him. BELIEVE HIM!
3) Renew your mind. I learned alot about scripute thru some books called "prayers that avail much" by Word Ministries. Germaine Copeland. The prayers are backed up with scripture and I could look up the scripture.
When fear would come I would say.I rebuke this lying demon of fear, in the name of Jesus, I cast you back into the pit of hell, I say to this lie, you will not complete your assignment agaist me! It is written: God has NOT given me a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
I love this quote by Beth Moore: Can you think of anything in your life that would take more power than God exercised when He raised Christ from the DEAD??? ME NEITHER!
My thoughts on that is:
I'M NOT DEAD!! So I should act alive!! AMEN?!
I want so much for women to be DELIVERED from oppression, abuse, strongholds and God is no respector of persons, he delivered me...He'll deliver you too!!!
God delivered the Isrealites from Egypt, but they had to pack up their past and move into their future! They had to walk across the desert into the promised land. They had to face doubts, fears, and giants! But they did it!! When the pillar moved, they moved...when the pillar settled, they settled!! The pillar of God is NOT in your past!! The pillar is in today!! If you want to have something different in your life, you'll have to DO something different.
If you want to go where you have never gone, you'll have to do something you've never done.
If you've never trusted God. TRUST HIM TODAY! If you've never read the bible to feed your spirit man..READ IT TODAY! Don't skim over it...ask God for revelation!
How I got out!
of bondage.
1) Recognized my issues. I had to say out loud, to God.
I am bitter.
I am angry.
I do blame you.
I am unforgiving.
I am unkind.
I am spiteful.
I seriously listed them out.
2) I Repented (confessed it all). One by one. I got honest with God about how I felt, about Him, toward Him, about me. I let Him have it. But I trusted Him that He could handle it. He's been mad...we see it in the bible over and over. He's been rejected. His heart has been broken.
3) I renounced/released it.
I am not bitter.
I am not what I went thruI am not what happened to me
I am not what they say about me
My experience is not who I amI am not defined by my circumstances.
I am willing to let go.
I release.
I let go.
I release all tension.
I release all fear.
I release all anger.
I release all guilt.
I release all sadness.
I let go of old limitations.
I release and let go of the limitations of my parents. I can love them and go beyond them. I am not their negative opinions nor their limiting beliefs.
I am not bound by any fears.
I am at peace with life. I easily and comfortably release that which I no longer need in life.
I lovingly forgive myself.
4) I Replaced it. I took the Word and began to replace the old tapes.
I have the mind of Christ and hold the thoughts feelings and purposes of His heart.
I have the Holy Spirit living in me and I call things that are not as though they were.
The Fruit of the Spirit is growing in me!
I am loving.
I am patient.
I am kind.
I am gentle.
I am not harsh, hard, sharp or pressing, but useful, good, comfortable, gracious and pleasant. (Matt. 11:30)
I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. (Eph. 1:3)
I am chosen by You, my Father. (Eph. 1:4)
I am holy and without blame. (Eph. 1:4)
I am Your child according to the good pleasure of Your will. (Eph. 1:5)
I am accepted in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:6)
I am redeemed through the blood of Jesus. (Eph. 1:7)
I am a person of wisdom and prudence. (Eph. 1:8)
I am an heir. (Eph. 1:11)
I have a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ. (Eph. 1:17)
I am saved by Your grace. (Eph. 2:5)
I am seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:6)
I am Your workmanship. (Eph. 2:10)
I am near to You by the blood of Christ. (Eph. 2:13)
I am a new creation. (Eph. 2:15)
I am of Your household. (Eph. 2:19)
I am a citizen of heaven. (Eph. 2:19)
I am a partaker of Your promises in Christ. (2 Pet. 1:4)
I am strengthened with might by Your Spirit. (Eph. 3:16)
I allow Christ to dwell in my heart by faith. (Eph. 3:17)
I am rooted and grounded in love. (Eph. 3:17)
I speak the truth in love. (Eph. 4:15)
I am renewed in the spirit of my mind. (Eph. 4:23)
I am Your follower. (Eph. 5:1)
I walk in love. (Eph. 5:2)
I am light in You. (Eph. 5:8)
I walk circumspectly. (Eph. 5:15)
I am filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 5:18)
I am more than a conqueror. (Rom. 8:37)
I am an overcomer. (Rev. 12:11)
I am Your righteousness in Christ Jesus. (1 Cor. 1:30)
I am healed. (1 Pet. 2:24)
I am free. (John 8:36)
I am salt. (Matt. 5:13)
I am sanctified. (1 Cor. 6:11)
I am victorious. (1 John 5:4)
1) Recognized my issues. I had to say out loud, to God.
I am bitter.
I am angry.
I do blame you.
I am unforgiving.
I am unkind.
I am spiteful.
I seriously listed them out.
2) I Repented (confessed it all). One by one. I got honest with God about how I felt, about Him, toward Him, about me. I let Him have it. But I trusted Him that He could handle it. He's been mad...we see it in the bible over and over. He's been rejected. His heart has been broken.
3) I renounced/released it.
I am not bitter.
I am not what I went thruI am not what happened to me
I am not what they say about me
My experience is not who I amI am not defined by my circumstances.
I am willing to let go.
I release.
I let go.
I release all tension.
I release all fear.
I release all anger.
I release all guilt.
I release all sadness.
I let go of old limitations.
I release and let go of the limitations of my parents. I can love them and go beyond them. I am not their negative opinions nor their limiting beliefs.
I am not bound by any fears.
I am at peace with life. I easily and comfortably release that which I no longer need in life.
I lovingly forgive myself.
4) I Replaced it. I took the Word and began to replace the old tapes.
I have the mind of Christ and hold the thoughts feelings and purposes of His heart.
I have the Holy Spirit living in me and I call things that are not as though they were.
The Fruit of the Spirit is growing in me!
I am loving.
I am patient.
I am kind.
I am gentle.
I am not harsh, hard, sharp or pressing, but useful, good, comfortable, gracious and pleasant. (Matt. 11:30)
I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. (Eph. 1:3)
I am chosen by You, my Father. (Eph. 1:4)
I am holy and without blame. (Eph. 1:4)
I am Your child according to the good pleasure of Your will. (Eph. 1:5)
I am accepted in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:6)
I am redeemed through the blood of Jesus. (Eph. 1:7)
I am a person of wisdom and prudence. (Eph. 1:8)
I am an heir. (Eph. 1:11)
I have a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ. (Eph. 1:17)
I am saved by Your grace. (Eph. 2:5)
I am seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:6)
I am Your workmanship. (Eph. 2:10)
I am near to You by the blood of Christ. (Eph. 2:13)
I am a new creation. (Eph. 2:15)
I am of Your household. (Eph. 2:19)
I am a citizen of heaven. (Eph. 2:19)
I am a partaker of Your promises in Christ. (2 Pet. 1:4)
I am strengthened with might by Your Spirit. (Eph. 3:16)
I allow Christ to dwell in my heart by faith. (Eph. 3:17)
I am rooted and grounded in love. (Eph. 3:17)
I speak the truth in love. (Eph. 4:15)
I am renewed in the spirit of my mind. (Eph. 4:23)
I am Your follower. (Eph. 5:1)
I walk in love. (Eph. 5:2)
I am light in You. (Eph. 5:8)
I walk circumspectly. (Eph. 5:15)
I am filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 5:18)
I am more than a conqueror. (Rom. 8:37)
I am an overcomer. (Rev. 12:11)
I am Your righteousness in Christ Jesus. (1 Cor. 1:30)
I am healed. (1 Pet. 2:24)
I am free. (John 8:36)
I am salt. (Matt. 5:13)
I am sanctified. (1 Cor. 6:11)
I am victorious. (1 John 5:4)
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
QUILTS
This is a quilt top I made mostly by hand (piecing) for my cousin. Its a gradation of pinks from very light to magenta from Top Left Corner to Bottom Right Corner.
I'll probably hand quilt this one too, but its on the bottom of the pile for quilting at this time.
This quilt I pieced by machine, but hand quilted. I made this for my youngest son. I purchased the fabric in march 2005. I finished if by Dec 2006.
Monday, April 02, 2007
TESTIMONY
Testimony: My parents married in their mid-teens and had me 4 years later. Divorced 4 years later. My mom remarried twice and was with the person whom I call my step-father the longest.
They would be the kind of people who in a poll would say they are Christian, but weren't. They got caught up somehow in http://www.tm.org/ I remember the day we went to the TM place vividly. We were taught how to chant and meditate. It was all very strange. We didn't go back but that was our "new religion".
There was also a neighborhood friend who was a buddist, or at least her parents were, they chanted, we chanted...I was intrigued.Its been another four years, so...my parents divorced.
I was sent to live with my grandma and then my bio-dad (who is an addict). About 9 months later I moved back with my mom, who had reconciled with my stepfather. Then something happened....my mom was friends with a lady down the street who was Christian, I'd say she is Jesus with skin on.
We started going to church. I wouldn't say anyone "found Jesus" we just went to church. They "found legalism". Then they went to seminary and were ministers and missionaries.But the abusive behaviour hadn't changed. Now my parents used the bible as a means to threaten us, and abuse us in the “name of God.”
Basically by the time I am 19-20 (four years later) what difference does it make if I do bad on my own, God won't forgive me....if I do bad against my will, God won't forgive me. I may as well life whatever kind of life I want.....and I did.
Sex, drugs, rock and roll, abortions.
1995 (four years later) I have a live-in relationship, he's cheating, I'm searching for answers. I flipping thru channels and find of all people Benny Hinn preaching. I stopped and listened. Gave my life to Jesus. Its been a battle.....does God forgive? Does he really love me? Can I really do enough good? How can I be good and gain Gods forgiveness?
Four years later, I marry an awesome guy, we have a child. Its been a struggle to come to know the truth. God loves me no matter what, and God love covers a multitude of sin. Even my sin. Even the sin of my parents. (who I have forgiven)I have tried to read my bible enough, be good enough, do all the right things, I have tried to focus on ONE commandment per day of the week. Its sorta crazy all I have done to try to BE saved, win Gods approval.
Its taken 10 years for me to say....I can't do it. I am saved by grace thru faith alone.
In the words of Watermark:You come as You areAnd I come as I amAnd grace covers shameYou come in Your pow'rAnd I bow downAnd grace covers shameYou come like a flood and I'm lost in this "Hallelujah!"You come as You are and I come as I amAnd grace covers all of me... All of me...
They would be the kind of people who in a poll would say they are Christian, but weren't. They got caught up somehow in http://www.tm.org/ I remember the day we went to the TM place vividly. We were taught how to chant and meditate. It was all very strange. We didn't go back but that was our "new religion".
There was also a neighborhood friend who was a buddist, or at least her parents were, they chanted, we chanted...I was intrigued.Its been another four years, so...my parents divorced.
I was sent to live with my grandma and then my bio-dad (who is an addict). About 9 months later I moved back with my mom, who had reconciled with my stepfather. Then something happened....my mom was friends with a lady down the street who was Christian, I'd say she is Jesus with skin on.
We started going to church. I wouldn't say anyone "found Jesus" we just went to church. They "found legalism". Then they went to seminary and were ministers and missionaries.But the abusive behaviour hadn't changed. Now my parents used the bible as a means to threaten us, and abuse us in the “name of God.”
Basically by the time I am 19-20 (four years later) what difference does it make if I do bad on my own, God won't forgive me....if I do bad against my will, God won't forgive me. I may as well life whatever kind of life I want.....and I did.
Sex, drugs, rock and roll, abortions.
1995 (four years later) I have a live-in relationship, he's cheating, I'm searching for answers. I flipping thru channels and find of all people Benny Hinn preaching. I stopped and listened. Gave my life to Jesus. Its been a battle.....does God forgive? Does he really love me? Can I really do enough good? How can I be good and gain Gods forgiveness?
Four years later, I marry an awesome guy, we have a child. Its been a struggle to come to know the truth. God loves me no matter what, and God love covers a multitude of sin. Even my sin. Even the sin of my parents. (who I have forgiven)I have tried to read my bible enough, be good enough, do all the right things, I have tried to focus on ONE commandment per day of the week. Its sorta crazy all I have done to try to BE saved, win Gods approval.
Its taken 10 years for me to say....I can't do it. I am saved by grace thru faith alone.
In the words of Watermark:You come as You areAnd I come as I amAnd grace covers shameYou come in Your pow'rAnd I bow downAnd grace covers shameYou come like a flood and I'm lost in this "Hallelujah!"You come as You are and I come as I amAnd grace covers all of me... All of me...
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