Just some random thoughts

Being confident of this,

that he who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion

until the day of Christ Jesus.

Phillipians 1:6

I am a mighty woman of God in the making~ Transformation is going on in my life every day. The Potter has been busy forming me into the person God wants me to be. All that I have been through, it all is bringing me closer to the person God wants me to be, to do his work in this world.

Challenges

Thought for the Day:

“The challenges of our lives can push us away from God

or

they can draw us towards Him.

They become a test of our faith

and truly reveal the amount of our trust in Him.”

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

—Psalm 37:3-6

I sat here thinking~ it isn't so much the trials and tribulations in life that affect my trust~ for me it seems when things are falling apart I have to really on and trust God that all will turn out. For me the challenge in trusting God comes when things are going good.

I am inclined to not pray as often, try and be in control more often, not seek God and His plan and attempt to do my own thing.

In the middle of "trials", or what people traditionally think of as trials, I have no problem trusting God and relinquishing control. It is during those times that I KNOW just how small I am and how dependent on God I am.

My trials, my challenge, comes during periods of peace and prosperity.

I wonder, as I sit here this morning, if perhaps one of the reasons I have had to deal with so many situations where the only choice I had was to put it in God's hands is because of how I try to take the good stuff into my own hands... interesting thought to ponder on.

Today I am going to try and turn it ALL good and bad and inbetween over to the care of God, trusting Him to make all things right...

Working on Resentments and Judgements and Stuff

Today I found myself working on resentments and judgements and really having to face some stuff that I thought I had faced once already but obviously given the thoughts I had today I haven't dealt with all the way.

This last week at Community Church, the children of our community participated in Vacation Bible School. A totally awesome program for sure. Then as I sat there, I felt resentment boiling up in me. I was angry and bitter. One of the people chosen to be a leader was a person who concealed and protected a child preditor. While the law did not go after her, because she eventually did the right thing~ still there was the fact that she did NOTHING for weeks (perhaps months depending on what story you believe) and hid what she had seen to protect the man who damaged so many lives.

As I sat watching her stand in front of the congregation with the children, I felt the anger rising in me like vomit. It was frustrating to sit there. I felt like there was something wrong with the leadership of the church that allowed this person to stand at the front of the church like that, to watch our children... she protected someone who harmed children in the past... what is to stop her from doing it again in the future?

She was a supposed Christian, attending church, asking the church to pray for restoration of her relationship with the person she was protecting, all the while allowing the person to have unsupervised contact with children, her own grandchild, while she knew who and what he was. What is to say she won't do it in the future?

Is it wrong to harbor the resentment in my heart? That the church permits this person to be in leadership?

It is~ I know it is. I need to let it go and let God deal with the heart of this woman and the heart of the church and it's leadership. I have gone to God in prayer, praying for the power to do what God requires in this situation and STOP trying to understand any of it because it is beyond my understanding.

My awesome husband pointed out to me that once a person has saught forgiveness, forgiveness is given by God. The sin is as far from God as the east is to the west. And so, trying to judge the person on human terms violates what God has told us to do. I know I have to let this go... I know it.

Man this is just eating away at me... I have to get to a place of peace with this...

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many

Hebrews 12:15

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I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:36-37

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Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:1-2

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if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14

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For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:14-15

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Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Colossians 3:12-13

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Friends, BBQ's, and Life in general

First, yesterday was a most amazing day ~ One of the local churchs put on a Praise and Worship in the Park. It was just awesome~ the day was full of friends and family all together singing, eating and celebrating the Lord together. I was so blessed. 6 hours with some totally awesome folks and great worship a good food as well.

Then this morning we were off to church at Community Church~ this was a special program. The children (my precious Elizabeth was part of it) from VBS sang for us and really were just wonderful. Pastor Rick spoke about the children and the Bible things that the children learned about this last week at VBS. Really cool.

After service was a BBQ with the congregation gathered together. This too was a good time. Caught up with a couple of friends I hadn't seen in a while, summer being such a busy time. It was really a blessing to visit with one of the girls that use to live with me. She is growing so much in the Lord and her family is being restored. I feel blessed to be part of her life.

Now I am home, resting and relaxing~ getting things ready to head to Oregon to pick my daughter up from her visit with her Daddy. She has had an amazing visit and enjoyed herself a whole lot. She got to be there when her Daddy got married and be part of the celebrations.

Some Bible Verses

Deut 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, which keeps covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keeps His commandments to a thousand generations.

Deut 33:27 The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before you; and shall say, “Destroy them.”

Ps 5:12 For You, Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour will you compass him as with a shield.

Ps 16:8,9 I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices: my body also shall dwell secure.

Ps 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life;of whom shall I be afraid.

Ps 30:7 Lord, by your favour you have made my mountain to stand strong:

Ps 44:3 For they did not get the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your countenance, because you had a favour towards them.

Ps 56:9 When I cry to You, then shall my enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.

Ps 68:28 Your God has commanded your strength: strengthen,O God, that which You have wrought for us.

Ps 71:16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of Your righteousness, even of Yours only.

Ps 89:17 For You are the glory of their strength: and in Your favour our horn shall be exalted.

Ps 102:13 You shall arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yes, the set time, is come.

Ps 103:4,5 The Lord redeems your life from destruction. He crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies. The Lord satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Ps 118:17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.

Pro 4:20,21,22 My son, attend to My words; incline your ear to My sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Pro 16:7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Ezk 36:9 For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown.

Is 45:13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and 1 will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price or reward, says the Lord of Hosts.

Is 50:4 The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakens morning by morning, He wakens my ear to hear as the learned.

Is 51:16 And I have put My words in your mouth, and I have covered you in the shadow of My hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say to Zion, “You are My people.”

Is 58:10 And if you draw out your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall your light rise in obscurity, and your darkness be as the noon day.

Jn 10:10b I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Rom 8:32 He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

1Cor 1:5 That in everything you are enriched by Him, in all utterance and in all knowledge.

1Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

1Cor 1:30 But of God are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

2Cor 3:5,6 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also has made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2Cor 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

2Cor 12:9 My grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.

1Jn 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Good Monday Morning! It is another wonderful day here in my little corner of the world! The sun is shining, birds are singing, and life is good~ God has so blessed me...

Deuteronomy 28 (New King James Version)

Blessings on Obedience

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:“Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
“Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.“Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.“Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
“The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
“The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
“The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you. And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

For years I have known that something was wrong with my Christian walk~ I lacked humility to know that all good things came from God, I thought I had control over my life, I felt justified in doing wrong things... I went ahead and did my own thing. I believed in Christ and the sacrafice made for me, I believed in God and all that has been written in His word. I just failed miserably at following anything that was written... I would tell people not to count me as a Christian because I knew I was not in alignment with what God wanted me to be in my life.

Today I still struggle with these things. But... I am better than I was. I am learning to submit myself to the Lord and to humble myself to do what God requires. I am learning to be obedient to God and follow the path He wants me on. Learning to live in love as He has instructed. While I am no where near the person that I know God is creating me to be, I know today, finally I am on the path to being pleasing to God and to recieve all the blessings that God wants to give.

Already I have been blessed beyond any thing I deserved~

Now I am off to do the next thing God is requiring of me... I'll be back later with more thoughts...

Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.—Proverbs 3:9-10
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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.—Romans 15:13
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The blessing of the Lord makes rich,
and he adds no sorrow with it.—Proverbs 10:22
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And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. —Matthew 6:28-33
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Give God Your Brokenness

Give God Your Brokenness




You long to heal the inner man
Where we are bruised and scarred
The memories of the hurts we have
Still linger from the past

We need to give the past to you
So you can begin to mend
The brokenness within our souls
To bring wholeness once again

Lord you see the deepest part
Where others cannot see
And only you can feel the pain
That’s there inside of me

Lord you saw what I went through
You held each tear I cried
You wanted then to show yourself
To pour your love inside

I couldn’t see you reaching out
I didn’t know you were there
I felt so very much alone
I didn’t know you cared

But now as I look back I see
You cared about my life
When I was in my darkest times
You were there by my side

So help me now to reach to you
To know you so much more
To really know the depth of your love
To know you as my Lord

© By M.S.Lowndes

Wonderful website where I found this poem: http://www.heavensinspirations.com/

from mother teresa

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

Ephesians 3
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Isaiah 43:1-3

Isaiah 43:1-3

1 But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

3 For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.