Soul Searching.

Hello friends! I know it has been a long while of silence for me but I hope to soon remedy that. Life here has been pretty much the same. Same job same place etc. I am not complaining just wondering what this next year will bring. In my quiet time this morning I was twice blessed. I am currently reading Amy Carmichael's Daily Devotional reading and My Utmost for His Highest as well.  My heart was quickened by both. In Amy Carmichael's devotional toady the verse was Psalm 51:10
create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me. She was talking about how there are little things we can do for God, things we do gleefully for Him and when there is something that comes along that we don't like our joy is turned into gloom. How we are to do all things He has given us with a joyful heart. Oh how that is a lesson for me in many different areas in my life. It is so important to do all things with a joyful and willing heart and spirit, not just the things we like to do. In My Utmost for His Highest the title was Are You Ready To Be Poured Out As An Offering? The verse was Philippians 2:17 "If I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all."  The gist of the text from the author was how easy it is for us to be a sacrifice when it comes to us being a hero rather than the "doormat" under peoples feet. Are we willing to be poured out and give until every last drop is gone? Are we willing to be less than a drop in the bucket? Are we willing to do God's bidding even if it means we go unnoticed? Seeking to do the ministering to others rather than being ministered to ourselves?" To do menial work while maintaining a f saintly attitude." This is another passage that struck me silly. Am I doing my Master's bidding as I should? Without a selfish attitude, or am I doing it for my own personal gain and to be noticed by others. This has stuck with me through out the day. We as humans get so absorbed in our lives and what WE want.  (we are selfish by nature) Are we truly living for Christ or our own selfish gain? I encourage everyone who reads this to do some soul searching. :) You never know what you'll find that you've left to fester. I hope that everyone has had a good week so far. May the Lord bless and keep you!

Unconditional Love of a Mother

I was pondering this this morning. How the love of a mother to her children portrays Christ's love for his people. With mothers day coming up so soon. What must it have been like for Mary the mother of Jesus to watch her first born be rejected by his own people and killed? The Bible doesn't really say much about this which is a mystery in of itself. I was thinking about my mom and not matter what we have put her through she still loves us and has never stopped loving us. Just as Christ loves us no matter what we do. I always say that I have been twice blessed with two mothers. One who gave birth to me and one who raised me. Most people aren't that fortunate. Now I know that not every mother has unconditional love for her children but deep down she loves them. It amazes me how Christ can continually love me no matter what I have done or what I will do. It brings tears to my eyes. I can hope and pray that one day I get a chance to love my children the way God loves us. My hope is that everyone who reads this will come away blessed and the seed of Christ will be planted.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels but do not have love I have become a noisy gong or a clanging symbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith as to remove mountains but do not have love I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor and if I surrender my body to be burned but do not have love it profits me nothing. Love is patient love is kind and is not jealous love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly it does not seek its own is not provoked does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things endures all things. Love never fails but if there are gifts of prophecy they will be done away, if there are tongues they will cease if there is knowledge it will be done away, For we know in part and prophecy in part,  but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child i used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like  child; when I became a man I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly but then face to face, now I know in part but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith hope and love abide these three but the greatest of these is love.

I Will Praise You In This Storm

I have always like the song by Casting Crowns. It has meant so much to me this past year. Through many struggles temptations snares and and a period of deadness in my walk with God. This time last year I was dealing with a heart breaking break up...as I look back on it I can not say that I completely understand why God allowed this to happen. I still struggle with the not knowing why I was taken through that trial. It was a beginning of a long road that led me to spiritual deadness. It's not as important to know why you are being lead through the storm but as to how you act while being led through the storm. To be able to praise God through a storm is a hard thing for some but easier for others. One of the first things that I have learned is to check your attitude,it is important to have a good attitude toward God in order for you to be able to hear what He has to say. When we focus on the storm its self then we loose sight of our Anchor. The next thing I have learned is to arm yourself with Scripture and hymns and prayers. I am thankful that most of the choruses that we sing at my church are scriptures I have been able to call to mind many verses I have memorized because we sing straight scripture. I am working on memorizing more verses. It is so important to be immersed in scripture, it is an important part of a christian's spiritual health. The third thing I have learned is not to get discouraged over the silence of God through life's storms..its a difficult thing for me to do because that is when I so desperately want to hear from Him. Sometimes God is waiting for our hearts to be ready to listen and to take what He says to heart. God never leads you through storms that you can not handle. He never leads you through storms without equipping you with the things you need to make it through. Finally He never ever makes you go through them alone. He is always there within reach. It is important to spend time in prayer with Him everyday all day long. I would like to encourage myself and my readers to have a healthy prayer life I think that it is so vital to our spiritual health. I hope that all of my readers have a blessed week.


1 Peter 5:7 cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Phillipians 2 Bible study.

This book is one of my favorite books of the Bible. It never fails no matter how many times I read it to open my eyes and give me a big wake up slap across the face. I really like verse one and two in this chapter. Paul is wanting this church in Pillipi to be of one mind and united in love and in spirit intent on one purpose. That purpose is to live completely selflessly for God and to help others. I am such a winy and selfish person every time I read this chapter its a wake up call for me to buck up and not look at me myself and I and look to God and to help others. When you look at the life of Christ it is a perfect example of what selflessness is all about. Verses 6-8 talk about how Christ was so selfless and was willing to serve God no matter WHAT God asked him to do, even if it were DYING for Him. I ask myself am *I* willing to go as far as to DIE for God if that is what He calls me to do? Its a sobering thought. We are to live our lives in such a way that we are willing to do whatever He asks and go where ever He sends us. Not only are we to do what He asks we are to do it without grumbling or disputing. (vrs 14) The entire world is constantly watching us as Christians to see what we will do in a situation and how we will act. This to me is another sobering thought. We are to live our lives in such a way that we stand out from the world and not blend in to it. We can do this and we are not asked to do it alone. God will help us to do this. In verses 19-30 I like how an example is given to us of selfless love. (other than Christ's example) this Epaphroditus apparently had to walk quite a ways to get from Phillipi to Rome. He did this journey selflessly and almost DIED in the process. My goodness! This is another perfect example of how we should lives to serve and not to be served. My application for this week is to devote more time and effort to do things for others and to not grumble about the things that are given to me to do.

New Beginings

Hello freinds. I know that it has been awhile since I last posted but im sure yall are used to it by now. At the begining of this month I took a lovely four day vacation with a very dear freind to see some other dear freinds in Georgia. It was the perfect vacation. I wasnt exhausted when I came back. Other than that thre isnt a lot going on. I am busy well fairly busy starting a new relationship and building that up. He is a sweet guy and ive been spending as much time with him when he is home as he can tolorate. He has a wounderful family as well. We will see what God has in store from us. As far as the other news I am having a roomate move in August. As much as some people like to live alone I do not. I like having someone around to talk to. We shall see what God has in store for me this next month. Have a blessed week.

The Winds of Change..

Ive never been a big fan of change. I never liked going to a new school or starting a new job or starting a new semester at college. I like things to stay the same but I know that things have to change in order for us to press on the new heights. Theses last few months been very difficult to get through. My heart still aches and I still catch myself thinking of what might have been if certain events hadn't happened...but I try not to dwell in or on the past because I know that you cant ever heal completely and move on. Satan loves to dredge up the past over and over again...at least in my life that seems to be the case...and unfortunately I find myself getting sucked in and having a pity party. But I just have to buck up and move on. With Gods help I know that I can do it its now a matter of me wanting to move on. But I know that without change we can never strive to be better. I hope everyone has a lovely week.

March Madness...

As many of my readers know that this past month has been a very trying one. Although its wound up leaving me distressed and some what wounded I can look back on it and see that God is teaching me. Ive learned that I can be clingy and needy (I'm working on just backing up and just giving some space and time where it is needed.) I will admit that no I do not have this down pat but I am truly doing some soul searching and asking God to help. Its hard for me just to let completely go but I'm learning to let go. I have to trust God and I have to learn that even when I have no idea what is going on be it with a person I care deeply about or whether its a situation. I can honestly say that I am learning to just let go and let God take complete control. Yes its hard...I'm female and I like to be there for people that's just part of who I am but I can honestly say that I do have trouble of just letting go and backing off when I am asked to or when I need to. Sometimes the best thing you can do for a person or a situation is to just give it up to God. I will admit that yes I have a hard time trusting. I am asking God for His help in this. So I ask you to pray for me that I am better able to back off, let go and trust. I also ask for a little patience from those who I have crowded. Psalm 56:11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.