In my alone time today, I have found myself singing "I give myself away so you can use me!". Today I am feeling empowered by God's word "I will never leave you nor forsake you".
In the passage from today, I found comfort that if we abide in him, he will sustain us! He will cultivate us, fertilize us, and rain on us with his presence so that our fruit will be nourishing to those around us! I'm so thankful for this grat reminder!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
A Living Sacrifice
Romans 12:1-2
"I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God to present yourself a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service, and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of God"
What power we hold when we are in the will of God! In Romans chapter 12, scripture begins by encouraging us to present ourselves to God as a sacrifice. When we sacrifice we give without question. We give ALL.
He secondly tells us to not go with the norm. My mother told me all throughout high school to live in the world, but to not live like the world. That can be a hard one for ladies and gents of all ages. We all want to fit in, but it is being strong in our moral christian character that makes us stand out. The scripture tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. When I read that statement, I see God cleaning the chalkboard and saying, "okay, lets start over again". He is always our cheerleader and so he sets us up a new game plan, pats us on the back and tells us to go win the game. When we allow God to transform us, others will notice. It is when we are lukewarm or cold that others see us as the norm.
God,
Today, I pray that you would transform me by the renewing of my mind. Lets clean the chalkboard and get a new game plan so that in all that I do I will be doing your will. God I want others to see you in me. I want the work I do for you to be a testament for the love I have for you. God let this renewal in me spread to those around me. Let them feel the revival spirit in my heart. Lord let your spirit overflow in my heart, in my home, and in my church. Thank you for this renewal. Thank you for loving me and for always guiding me! In your name I pray, AMEN!
"I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God to present yourself a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service, and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of God"
What power we hold when we are in the will of God! In Romans chapter 12, scripture begins by encouraging us to present ourselves to God as a sacrifice. When we sacrifice we give without question. We give ALL.
He secondly tells us to not go with the norm. My mother told me all throughout high school to live in the world, but to not live like the world. That can be a hard one for ladies and gents of all ages. We all want to fit in, but it is being strong in our moral christian character that makes us stand out. The scripture tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. When I read that statement, I see God cleaning the chalkboard and saying, "okay, lets start over again". He is always our cheerleader and so he sets us up a new game plan, pats us on the back and tells us to go win the game. When we allow God to transform us, others will notice. It is when we are lukewarm or cold that others see us as the norm.
God,
Today, I pray that you would transform me by the renewing of my mind. Lets clean the chalkboard and get a new game plan so that in all that I do I will be doing your will. God I want others to see you in me. I want the work I do for you to be a testament for the love I have for you. God let this renewal in me spread to those around me. Let them feel the revival spirit in my heart. Lord let your spirit overflow in my heart, in my home, and in my church. Thank you for this renewal. Thank you for loving me and for always guiding me! In your name I pray, AMEN!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Rejoice and Again I say Rejoice
Phillipians 4: 4-7
"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God that goes beyond all understanding will guard your hearts and minds"
Definitions:
Rejoice: to be happy!
Gentleness: kind in our disposition!
Be happy in the Lord...I say it again...Be happy in the Lord! So many times we find ourselves grumbling about little things. Someone pulled out in front of us...the line is to long at the grocery store...I missed my favorite television show again...! Many of our grumblings mean nothing when compared to the lives others lead! In Philippians, the scripture encourages us to be happy in the Lord. He tells us to let our kindness show.
The next statement is one we all deal with...When hard times come and we become anxious we often let that show on our faces. We let our anxieties rule our lives. The scripture tell us to not be anxious... to present your needs to God and he will give you the peace that passes all understanding.
We have to put our faith in God for all things. We are nothing without him. If we stand under his umbrella and follow him as he has asked, I believe by faith prayers will be answered.
God,
Thank you for the words in Philippians to rejoice. Thank you for your words to not be anxious but to rely on you. I pray today that for myself and for others that we will rely on you and rejoice in you for all things. I thank you because I know you do all things well and that in all things, you love me and you want to do all things for my good! I pray you will embrace us this week and help us to to find our joy and rejoice in you always! In your name I pray,
Amen!
"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God that goes beyond all understanding will guard your hearts and minds"
Definitions:
Rejoice: to be happy!
Gentleness: kind in our disposition!
Be happy in the Lord...I say it again...Be happy in the Lord! So many times we find ourselves grumbling about little things. Someone pulled out in front of us...the line is to long at the grocery store...I missed my favorite television show again...! Many of our grumblings mean nothing when compared to the lives others lead! In Philippians, the scripture encourages us to be happy in the Lord. He tells us to let our kindness show.
The next statement is one we all deal with...When hard times come and we become anxious we often let that show on our faces. We let our anxieties rule our lives. The scripture tell us to not be anxious... to present your needs to God and he will give you the peace that passes all understanding.
We have to put our faith in God for all things. We are nothing without him. If we stand under his umbrella and follow him as he has asked, I believe by faith prayers will be answered.
God,
Thank you for the words in Philippians to rejoice. Thank you for your words to not be anxious but to rely on you. I pray today that for myself and for others that we will rely on you and rejoice in you for all things. I thank you because I know you do all things well and that in all things, you love me and you want to do all things for my good! I pray you will embrace us this week and help us to to find our joy and rejoice in you always! In your name I pray,
Amen!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself." Philippians 2:3
Definitions:
Selfish: the act of caring only for oneself
Humility: the quality of being modest and respectful
Many times you find yourself wanting to correct others behavior because they think differently or act differently than you do. I know I often struggle to realize there are others out there than only "ME". God calls us to be respectful of others we do not agree with. A disagreement or a misunderstanding can often cause us to be selfish or hateful in our feelings towards others. When we feel this way, it is important for us to go before that person and be humble. In some cases we even need to ask their forgiveness...which is called "Humble Pie". I know God has a great plan and in that play if we humble ourselves before him and our neighbors, he will do great things in us!
God ,
Thank you for sending me this word today. It seem this is an area we all struggle with at some time or another. I pray that you help me to humble myself before others and change the selfishness in my heart so that I can love others the way you love me. By showing your love, a relationship may be formed or someone may come to know you. I thank you for the love you showed me at the cross and for the love that is so abundant still today! In your name I pray... Amen
Definitions:
Selfish: the act of caring only for oneself
Humility: the quality of being modest and respectful
Many times you find yourself wanting to correct others behavior because they think differently or act differently than you do. I know I often struggle to realize there are others out there than only "ME". God calls us to be respectful of others we do not agree with. A disagreement or a misunderstanding can often cause us to be selfish or hateful in our feelings towards others. When we feel this way, it is important for us to go before that person and be humble. In some cases we even need to ask their forgiveness...which is called "Humble Pie". I know God has a great plan and in that play if we humble ourselves before him and our neighbors, he will do great things in us!
God ,
Thank you for sending me this word today. It seem this is an area we all struggle with at some time or another. I pray that you help me to humble myself before others and change the selfishness in my heart so that I can love others the way you love me. By showing your love, a relationship may be formed or someone may come to know you. I thank you for the love you showed me at the cross and for the love that is so abundant still today! In your name I pray... Amen
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
January 11, 2012
Today's study was "Thou shalt not lie"... Lila and I talked about the importance of always telling the truth. Lila and I talked about 2 people, Adam and Eve, who were in a land of paradise and they attempted to hide from God because of what they had done. Just as they could not hide from God, he also knows when someone is telling a lie. Simply put...it is always better to tell the truth.
January 9, 2012
Oh God you are my God, and I will ever praise you
Oh God you are my God, and I will ever praise you
I will seek you in the morning, I will learn to walk in your ways
And step by step you'll lead me, and I will follow you all of my days.
This is an important praise chorus to me. It first establishes the most important commandment...God you are my God and I will have no other God's before you.
Secondly, it reminds us to praise him, seek him, and learn to walk in his ways.
So that lastly, step by step he'll lead us!
Lila seemed to like this praise chorus this morning! It is so important to me as a parent for Lila to know the importance of learning about our savior. This was a good chorus to learn about a lot of things, but mainly that we were put here to praise and adore !
Oh God you are my God, and I will ever praise you
I will seek you in the morning, I will learn to walk in your ways
And step by step you'll lead me, and I will follow you all of my days.
This is an important praise chorus to me. It first establishes the most important commandment...God you are my God and I will have no other God's before you.
Secondly, it reminds us to praise him, seek him, and learn to walk in his ways.
So that lastly, step by step he'll lead us!
Lila seemed to like this praise chorus this morning! It is so important to me as a parent for Lila to know the importance of learning about our savior. This was a good chorus to learn about a lot of things, but mainly that we were put here to praise and adore !
January 8, 2012
Gotta love the commandments. Honor your father and mother...Knowing Lila is young it is important for her to learn early on by the love and guidance we give her that mom and dad want nothing but good for her. By instilling the wisdom that has been given to us through the bible and prayer. This will help her understand the importance of trusting and respecting her mom and dad.
January 7, 2012
Lila's study today was called..."In the beginning". It is so wild to me that God created everything in 7 days. He is so amazing! HE had and has the most creative imagination! What is even more amazing is that with each breath he is working on us to mold us into the miracle he wants us to be.
He's still working on me, to make me what I ought to be. It took him just a week to make the moon and the stars. The sun and the earth and Jupiter and mars. How loving and patient he must be...He's still working on me.
He's still working on me, to make me what I ought to be. It took him just a week to make the moon and the stars. The sun and the earth and Jupiter and mars. How loving and patient he must be...He's still working on me.
January 6, 2012
"Oh be careful little ears, eyes, mouth, and feet what you hear, see, say, and go!" Great song all lumped together in one verse. The one verse that we leave out is "Oh be careful little brain what you learn"...New things are everywhere and if you don't know the truth you can be very misguided. Today we used a scripture from Proverbs. Proverbs is filled with the wisdom we need to live life with purpose and courage. Thank you God for the wisdom you give us daily.
January 5, 2012
If your happy and you know it say Amen...Amen! Today Lila and I had our study from Psalms 100. "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness, come before his presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God, His mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations." We talked about being joyful in our walk with God! So today...if your happy and you know it say Amen...Amen
January 4, 2012
This mornings study with Lila was over being a good little lamb. I sang her every verse I could remember from the nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb. Together we decided the main thing they all had in common was...every where that Mary when the lamb was sure to go. 1 Peter 2:5 says "Once you were lost sheep, but now you have turned to your good Shepard, the guardian of your souls". As good sheep we are to keep close to the good Shepard for protection. We will make mistakes, but the good Shepard will always come and find us.
January 2, 2012
I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go into the house of the Lord"! Psalms 122:1
Today Lila and I talked about the importance of going to church and also the importance of spending time with believers. We grow not only from spending time at home alone with God, but also by worshipping with other Christians. In my prayers I pray that I am a good role model for Lila and that I continue to encourage her spiritual growth....You can never start to early!
Today Lila and I talked about the importance of going to church and also the importance of spending time with believers. We grow not only from spending time at home alone with God, but also by worshipping with other Christians. In my prayers I pray that I am a good role model for Lila and that I continue to encourage her spiritual growth....You can never start to early!
January 1, 2012
We have all played hide and go seek, of course Lila will when she gets older. We talked about the scripture "knock and the door will be opened, seek and you shall find" We are so lucky to have a God that wants to be in our lives. As part of my resolutions for the New Year, I want to knock more often and seek him more earnestly. Happy New Year everyone.
December 31, 2011
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future"
What a great verse to discuss with my sweet Lila on this New Year's Eve. At only 3 months old, God has a plan for her life. And lucky for Jason and me, God is allowing us to watch his plan for her as it unfolds. Thank you God for your plans and for using us!
"For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future"
What a great verse to discuss with my sweet Lila on this New Year's Eve. At only 3 months old, God has a plan for her life. And lucky for Jason and me, God is allowing us to watch his plan for her as it unfolds. Thank you God for your plans and for using us!
December 30, 2011
Lila woke up and gave us her sweetest smile. I can tell by her eyes that she doesn't feel her best but she is such a strong little girl. This morning, Lila and I talked about "If God be for us who can be against us". I told Lila that if she would put her faith in God and stay close to him, he would protect her. In our prayer we thanked God for his protection. I love how she ALWAYS responds...God is so good!
December 28, 2011
Today we went to the doctor for Lila. It seems as though the daycare has given her RSV...(i.e. yucky crud). She keeps smiling which is very encouraging. Today's bible study was about healing. When asked to pray for healing I heard a loud squeal which was music to my ears! Out of the mouths of babes...thankful God hears even the smallest prayers.
December 26, 2011
This morning baby bible study was over Phillipians 4:13. I informed Lila that she could do all things through Christ who strengthens her! I told her this was so because of the sacrifice that Jesus had made. Again I received confirmation by way of cooing! So our plans are for her to grow up and do great things so that dad and mom can retire. Maybe if we are really good we can choose our own retirement community...okay...maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself.
Our first Christmas as 3
Jason and I have always been good at traveling to see our families! It was a different story this year when we had to pack up every little thing to travel up the road to Searcy and Trumann. Suitcases, baby bags, strollers, blankets, diapers, and don't forget the presents. We had a wonderful time.
It was during this wonderful time that I decided it would be a good idea to begin a daily bible study with Lila. Lila loves to listen and to talk and so we started our first study on December 25, 2011. Here is a copy of the study that was posted to Facebook.
...I love it when Lila wakes up in the morning! This morning she and I discussed the reason for the season. I told her about another little baby who came to save the day! WE talked about John 3:16 and she cooed back letting me know she understood completely what I was telling her. All in all, I believe we had a very good talk!
It's been a long time!
Well since my last post, Jason and I have had a sweet baby girl! Lila was born on September 19, 2011. She is the best thing that has ever happened to us and we cherish each moment with her! Lila stayed in the hospital for 7 days after she was born due to Jaundice. I never knew so much about something I thought was trivial. Come to find out, cases of Jaundice that are not treated can results in severe deficits in development; therefore, I was all for Lila getting all of the treatments she could. After Lila was finally discharged, we spent 1 day a week at the dr office checking her weight and making sure she was getting big. Lila eventually began to gain weight and has been doing great ever since. So in the spirit of catching up. Here is what she looked like when she was brand new!
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