Twisted vs. Straight

“If you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread.” Matthew 4:3

How often do you converse with Jesus the same way Satan did in the verse above?  If You are the Son of God, then why did You allow this to happen? If You are the Son of God then please just grant me this, or help me with that, or do this or that. 

There is one problem with that-actually a HUGE problem with that. One, if you are questioning whether or not Jesus is the Son of God that shows you to be of little faith. Two, if you try to bargain or ask for self-pleasing reasons then you are asking with the motives of self and not Spirit led motives.

Throughout my prayer life, I have asked the Lord for things that are so self-pleasing, but have tried to turn it around, re-word it to be what would be pleasing to Him.  Big mistake, BIG, BIG mistake! Why, because He so quickly and yes lovingly reminds me of my true motives. It hurts, stinks, and for me, it is so upsetting that I would try to fool the Creator. What was I thinking?

Just as Satan did to Jesus, he does the same thing to you and me.  He turns our physical wants and needs around to be our main focus.  He knew Jesus was and is the Son of God and he knew He was starving. Jesus also knew Satan’s true motives. Satan wanted Jesus to use His power to satisfy a physical need.  Satan wanted Jesus to give in! 

Satan wants us to give in; he wants us to look at ourselves instead of Jesus. Jesus wants the opposite! He wants us to look to Him and Him alone, He wants to see true, faithful followers who love, obey and serve Him NO matter the situation.  Jesus knows our weakness’ He had them too when He walked the earth, but He kept His eyes focused on God and believed with out a doubt that God would provide and take care of Him and His needs.  Jesus knew that it was God and God alone that He needed.

We don’t have to bargain with God, we do not and should not question Him and His care for us.  We do not have to re-word our prayers for self-pleasing reasons. Instead we should fully trust in the very God that created us, cares for us, and knows our every need. We need to fight the twisted words of Satan with the straight and true words of God. 

Jesus set the example for us during His time of temptation and we need to follow in that same path-look to God, trust fully on God, and resist the Devil and he will flee from us. 

Prayer: Jesus thank You for setting the example for us, and for showing us how to resist temptation. Jesus forgive us for coming to You with self-pleasing motives. Amen!

What is your Watt?

“You are the light of the world-like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.” (Matthew 5:14-15)

Jesus is the source of light-He is the one who flips the switch within us.  When you became connected to the source, He immediately flipped you on with power, and joy, for all to see. 

However close your connection is, is how bright your watt will be.  Are there things in your life that are separating you from being 100% connected?  Are you allowing sin to come in between you and the source, pushing you away, causing your light to dim? Are you seeking to come closer, but feel as though you have messed up way beyond help?  Are you content with how connected you are that you are not seeking to touch the very source?

Wherever you are, Jesus will come and meet you and show you how to be 100% connected to Him.  You have to be willing and open.  Let’s take out the dimmest watt and plug in the most powerful watt-Jesus Christ.  For then our light will glow in the night for all to see.

Prayer: Jesus forgive us for allowing our lights to be dim. We want to be directly touching You, the very source, which will glow in the night for all to see. In Jesus name Amen.

What is your weight?

"And, so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is." Romans 12:1-2

When people look at your body, what weight do they see you carry?  Understand that I am not talking about your physical weight; I am talking about your Spiritual weight.  There are two kinds of weight that our bodies represent.

Body Type 1                                             Body Type 2

Wears "Self"                                             Wears Christ

Eats from the world                                   Eats from His Word

Indulges in sin                                           Indulges in His Righteousness

Greedy                                                     God-focused-gets fit, and full from the Word

Hinders others                                          Helpful to others

Thinks like the world                                Thinks like Christ

Wanting                                                   Willing to

Everything                                                Exemplify Christ                               

I "I" desires                                              Invest time in His Word

Gaining                                                    Gives Christ all the praise

Honor for self                                          Honors his name

Takes Center stage                                   Takes backstage for Christ to have center stage

In Romans 12:1-2 Paul is telling us don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world-don't carry the weight of body Type 1. Instead let’s get on a spiritual scale and let God in us transform our weight, by making us new in Him, and changing the way we think.  For then when others look at our bodies they will see the weight of Jesus.  It is contagious; once you see someone exercise it makes you want to do it to.  Let Jesus in you be contagious. 

Jesus forgive us for weighing on the scale of self, help us to grab our spiritual scales and allow You to transform us through Your Word.  Jesus, thank You for giving us the best diet book to guide us to spiritual fitness and success!  Thank You for being our Sovereign fitness instructor. Amen

Where do you seek protection?

“So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:6-8

Daily each of us are surrounded by the protection of the Lord.  And so often we take that very protection for granted. It is the sin of the world that comes in and invades us from feeling protected. We begin to focus on the things we need or want to do or “have to have” to feel protected, instead of turning to the very one who is protection. 

It is not just in the safety of our lives, but the protection of the little things we overlook. Yes the Lord provides material things for protection, but it is the three things he layers us with that are the strongest types of protection we could ever receive. These layers of protection can not be earned-they are given by the Lord!

Imagine with me your body and Jesus standing over you.  As we give our hearts to Him, He lifts up His hands and pours the first and most protective item over us that can never be removed-His blood. As He begins to pour it, it is like a warm blanket that covers every inch of our body inside and out. He leaves no inch uncovered. It is that blood that protects us from death, and hell. It is the blood that has lifetime coverage.  Nothing Satan or the world does can remove the blood of protection.

After He spreads His blood, He comes in and puts the second layer of protection over us-Mercy! It is by His blood that we have received mercy for the forgiveness of our sins. This layer of protection falls over and covers us daily (Lamentations 3:22). As it covers us, it too covers every inch, and provides a protection filled with compassion.

He then comes in and pours the final layer of protection over us. It is this very layer that His Father gave us through His Son, Jesus. Just as Paul says in our verse above that it is the kindness God poured out on us which is our third layer-Grace. Grace is the unearned favor on all sinful humanity. It is the layer of protection that brought the blood, and mercy that gave us freedom. 

Each layer is unearned, was bought at a valuable price, and given by God and God alone. With out Jesus there is no protection-with out protection there is death and hell waiting to swallow us up.

Have you been layered in the protection of the blood, mercy and grace?

Prayer: God we praise You for the wonderful kindness of protection You have poured out over us.  May we not take any layer for granted! Amen

Should be or He is?

"So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus." Romans 6:11

The sweetness of Jesus is more satisfying and lasting than anything we could search for.  When we make Him our He is. Unfortunately we all too often leave Him as the thought, “He should be” yet we never make the thought become the reality into our He is. I wonder if it is because the things we choose to do are not the things He would choose us to do?

Jesus should be the piece of clothing we have to have, or the gamble we want to put a bet on.

He should be the meal we can't wait to devour, or the drug we are addicted to.

He should be the talk of the town, or the gossip we can't wait to spread. 

He should be the affair we desire!

He should be the guest of honor at every party.

His word should be the movie we are dying to see and are addicted to. 

He should be the sweet aroma that we spray on everyday. 

He should be the best friend we choose

He should be the lap we lay on when we are sick

He should be the prize we run for.

He should be the one we treasure

He should be the one we fight for

He should be the one we cling to

He should be the one we thirst for

He should be our heart's desire

He should be the one we work for

He should be the one we seek to please

He should be the one we impress

He should be the one we hurt for

He should be the one we die to

He should be the one we go to war for

He should become our He is and not should be.

Jesus there is nothing sweeter than You, there is nothing greater, or more satisfying.  Lord open our hearts and pour Your word and Spirit within us.  May we come and taste the sweetness of Your presence as we make You our HE IS. Amen

Creator and Healer of bodies and bones, hearts and souls

Jesus we are just in need of Your peace and presence tonight. We praise You and thank You for Your mercy, protection and promise of healing. Jesus tonight we are so thankful for providing doctors and medicine to help ease the pain of our hurting baby and his arm. Provide the doctors with the wisdom and discernment of what is the best thing to be done. Thank You, though it seems so huge right now, it is so minor when compared to cancer, death, and it is way better than hell. 

We are truly blessed to be Your children and covered with Your love. Thank You for being the Creator, and healer of our body. You have truly made the body so complex. It is amazing to see how much You love us and how much thought You put into creating every part of us. Thank You Jesus. 

Give Avery the rest his body needs and keep him from hurting. Thank You for being with us every step of the way and for making Avery so strong. Jesus You amaze me, the strength You give us and the ability to cope with the pain. It can come from no where else but You. It is so evident.

Jesus we love You! We love You! We love You! Thank You for Your presence and thank You for giving G a calm spirit, while I panic. Amen

A vacation, a death, and a seed planted

“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone o and tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:14-15

The planted Seed-

We made our way to our seats, got ourselves settled and began to visit. The seat by the window was empty, waiting to be filled. G and I love to play games so we began to observe the people who entered the plane and guessed who would fill the seat. We began to giggle as we each made our suggestions. When our seat buddy approached us and said, “I am in the window seat.”

To our surprise it was a young man from the UK who works in the oil business. He has been living in Ghana for some time now and was sent on a business trip to do some training in the U.S. We didn’t make much conversation at first. G and I got lost in a discussion we were having, ate our lunch, while he tried to dose off for some much needed rest. He had been flying since Monday.

It was a 2 hour and 40 minute flight, G decided to rest and I decided to do some reading. So I pulled out my notebook and Bible and got lost in the Word of God, when out of nowhere, Mr. R asked why I had written day 805. Something so simple turned out to be something so extraordinary.

I told him the meaning behind day 805 and from there it began-my FAVORITE conversation-Jesus, and the opportunity I pray for, to be Christ’s utensil.

The great thing about this entire conversation was Mr. R’s interest and curiosity in Jesus.

He began asking questions and the Lord answered through the mouths of G and me. When I asked him what religion he was, it was the answer he gave that pierced our hearts and lead us to sharing Jesus.

Mr. R.-“I believe in the Ten Commandments, I believe there is a God, but I don’t believe in the entire Bible. I guess I would say I am atheist.”

Me-“So do you believe in heaven and hell?”

Mr. R- “No.”

Me- “So what do you think happens to you when you die?”

Mr. R. - “I believe it means game over. I try to live a good life and do good things, just in case there is something like heaven or hell. Then I will be okay. I have a good life and am very happy.”

Me- “Can I tell you there is a heaven and hell? If you don’t mind can I read something to you?”

Mr. R- “Ya, okay.”

Me- flipping to Revelation 20:10-16-Yup I sure did brethren; God took us all to the description of hell.  Side by side all three of us began to read-okay I read, he followed along, and G listened and prayed. I had just got started when for some reason felt prompted to ask if he knew who the Devil was.

When he replied, “The Devil, no.”

G-“Satan?”

Mr. R.- “Yes, yes, Satan. What about him?”

Me- “Satan is the deceiver; he is the one who tries to convince people that Christ does not exist. He wants to confuse people so they question if Christ and the Bible is real. He does not want you to be in heaven and he does not care if you are in hell.”

We turn back to the Word and I begin to read some more. As I finished up reading verse 10 Mr. R stopped me and said, “You are scaring me a little.”

I replied, “I am not trying to scare you, I just want you to see that heaven and hell do exist. It is not just game over. It is one or the other. It is my prayer for you to join my husband and I in heaven. It is a place that offers more than this life here on earth ever will. It will be full of joy and beauty, free of pain, sadness, and sickness. But you must have a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the one who died for you and me so we could spend eternity with Him in heaven forever. He loves you that much. He even made it easy for you to accept Him and once you do, He will enter your heart and fill you with the Holy Spirit who will teach you and guide you until He takes us home.”

Mr. R.-“It is not that easy for me. It will take a while for me to decide if I want to change my mind and go in that direction. I question a lot of things. I like my life right now. I don’t just decide I am going to start doing something. Like I recently began surfing, but not because I decided I wanted to be a surfer. It was just what people did and it became routine. So I don’t know that I could just decide to believe in Jesus. Maybe if I got a wife and she was religious then maybe it would be something I did, or if I had a reason to do so.”

Me- “Can I show you something? I flip to Romans 10:5-13 and begin to read. We stop for discussion and then proceed.

Me-“Do you know what is so great about Jesus and His Word. Once you begin to learn about Him and read His word, which is true and God breathed. He will begin to do a work in you. He loves you that much. Out of 7 billion people Jesus desired to have a personal relationship with you.”

G-“Jesus gives us free will to choose Him or not. That is one of the things that is so different about Jesus. As you probably know being around other religions, they have all these requirements and things they have to do. They worship idols that can’t do anything that Christ can do. Jesus is not that way. He desires a relationship with us that is based on faith in Him. Once we do that we will begin to obey Him, because we love Him and want to please Him. Not because we are forced to.”

Me-smiling at the wisdom pouring forth from the mouth of this amazing man I married.

Mr. R- “What about all those people who have never heard about Jesus or grow up in a home where a different religion is taught? I believe if they do well and what they are supposed to they will go to this heaven if it really exists.”

Me- “Why, if you thought there might be something more than just game over, wouldn’t you want to believe in Jesus and live your life knowing heaven awaits you, rather than just questioning it and waiting until it is too late and ending up in hell? God gives everyone the opportunity to hear and learn about Him and what He did through Jesus. There are missionaries around the world sharing the Word of God and the Good News. He gives all of us the same opportunity to learn about Jesus. He does not want anyone to perish.”

Mr. R-“Now you are making me think. I see what you are saying. I can see your passion for this. I can see you love this Jesus.”

Me-“I love Him so much. He died for me, a sinner and promised me life everlasting with Him. He gives me mercy and grace every day and for that I am so thankful. I find joy in being loved by Jesus even though I am so unworthy. I desire that same love for you. I desire you to be in heaven with me one day. I want you to know and experience the joy and promises I have been given through Christ. You and I are made in the image of God. (I read Genesis 1:26-27 to him). Satan wants you to question and think it is not that easy for you to accept and become new in Christ, just as he did to Adam and Eve when they believed his lie, thus bringing sin into the world. We are all sinners, but we are all saved and set free by the blood of Christ-but we have to accept Him and believe in Him.”

G-read to him John 3:16-So we flipped over to John 3:16 and read about God’s love for us, we discussed how wonderful that was and listened as Mr. R talked about his interest to learn more.

G-“I encourage you to read God’s word for yourself, and be very careful because there will be many people who try to twist the truth around. There is only one truth and it is the Bible, you have to read it for yourself so you can be prepared.”

Mr. R- “Isn’t there many different churches that believe as you do? But do things differently?”

G-“Yes, there are and that is why it is important for you to read God’s word for yourself. There have been many people who have tried to prove God’s word to be wrong, but no one has ever been able to. Man, it will still be hard at times and Satan will try to convince you or entice you with things of the world. But if you stay close to Jesus and let the Holy Spirit lead you. You will be able to overcome those temptations. It is a daily thing for me. And if you do mess up, which we all do, Jesus will forgive you, but you have to confess your sins and repent. For example, once you confess the sin, like lying or cheating, you need to turn from it and not do it anymore.”

Me-“1 John 1:9 says, ‘If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  

Mr. R- “I am very interested in learning more about this. Thank you, you have made me really think.”

Me-“Mr. R I will be praying for you and I hope that as the seed that is now planted will begin to be watered as you read more about Him. I will be praying for you daily.”

Mr. R. - “I was just about to say you don’t need to waste any of your time thinking about me, but thank you. I can see that is important to you.”

G-“Give him our email. If you have any questions and when you accept Jesus you have to email us and let us know.”

Me-“Here are a few Scriptures for you to read along with the ones we read together.”

Mr. R. - “Thank you I will look over them for sure. This is really important to you isn’t it?”

Me- of course now crying-“Yes, it is so important because I want you to be in heaven with us. I want you to know and feel the love of Christ like we do. I want you to know that Jesus is real, loving and desperately wants a relationship with you. I don’t want to see something happen to you when we part and Jesus not be Savior and Lord of your life. I know so many think they have time to do what they want and then give Jesus a try, what if something happened on your next flight  do you really want it to just be game over, or wouldn’t you have peace knowing heaven and Jesus await you?”

Mr. R-“I have never thought about that. I have never had anyone close to me die.”

Me-“Today is the day of Salvation; it is available to you right now. We will be praying for you.”

The conversation ended, we all became silent, and the pilot announced we were making our decent, when I felt the tug of Jesus to pray with Mr. R.

Mr. R, would you mind if I prayed with you before we land? I asked. “Sure.” He replied. So I took my hand and placed it on his and began to pray. My heart full of emotion and even desperation for his to be softened, changed and filled with Christ, I cried out to the Lord and thanked Him for the opportunity to meet Mr. R and share with Him Jesus’ love. I closed and looked up at him, we all smiled and he thanked us again.

 “By God’s special favor and mighty power, I have been given the wonderful privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.” Ephesians 3:7

Mr. R we have yet to stop praying for you and will continue. I hope you know how loved you are in Jesus Christ.

Jesus thank You for Mr. R I pray Your seed for which You planted will begin to be watered by Your word and by other brothers and sisters who come in contact with Mr. R. Jesus we know Your word is never null and void and we praise You for that. Thank You that it accomplishes all You want to and that it will be sent out and used everywhere You want it to be. It is our prayer that Mr. R will come to have a personal relationship with You and that through that so will his family and all those who live in his country and at his place of work in Ghana. Use him Jesus in a mighty way for Your glory and for the lives of those who are lost. Reveal Yourself to Him each and every day and give him a burning desire to know more about You. Oh, Jesus place Your hand upon Mr. R, please Jesus I know he has the choice to choose You or to reject You, I pray he chooses You. Show Yourself to Him, lead him to the cross. I ask this in Your mighty and powerful name Jesus. Amen

A vacation, A death, and a seed planted (continued)

“Our bodies now disappoint us, but when they are raised, they will be full of glory. They are weak now, but when they are raised, they will be full of power. They are natural human bodies now, but when they are raised, they will be spiritual bodies.” 1 Corinthians 15:43-44

The Loss

This inevitable thing called death. It is sad and often unexpected, as was this. The knock on the door came early in the morning. So early the sun had yet made its morning appearance. I could hear the whispers from the hall, but were unable to make them out.

As G made his way back to the bed, he delivered the news. Sadness, shock, and concern filled the room. Along with the many questions desperate for answers, in hopes they would provide us with a peace of mind.

He was only 54 years old-married to His true love, and the father of three healthy, happy, young men, two of them twins entering the college world, and one finishing up college about to make his way into the world.

The times I was around this family, I could always sense the closeness between them. The love they had for one another and how truly proud he was of his boys. You didn’t need to have a conversation with him to hear that, you could see it all over them. I love that type of expression in families. A love that oozes out of you! I desire a Jesus filled love in my own family, which expresses itself through our actions towards one another.

Jesus I pray Your greatest comfort and love surrounds Jeannie, Samuel, Stephen, and Stewart.  I pray Your arms will wrap so tightly around them as they lay their heads down tonight. Give them a divine strength to do all that is required of them. Jesus comfort them, hold them, and walk with them during this time of suffering. I pray they will look to You for every need they have. Most of all, I pray You receive all the glory and that Your name is praised. Amen

A vacation, A death, A seed planted

“The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; everything in the world is yours-you created it all.” Psalm 89:11

Three things took place in the course of 5 days. An amazing vacation in Virginia and D.C., the death of G's uncle, and a seed planted in the heart of an Atheist on the airplane.

All three on completely different ends of the spectrum, yet all three controlled by Jesus Himself. 

The Vacation

The sights, the beauty and the laughter of family, are all blessings given and provided by Jesus Himself. As we toured the cities and admired the beauty and history of the buildings, I couldn’t help but to marvel at the thought of Heaven and the beauty it holds. But there was one more thought that played over and over in my head, one day all these buildings, all this history will be gone, and the glory of the Lord will remain.

The beauty we see now does not compare to the beauty of our eternal home-Heaven. One of the greatest joys I found on this trip was the joy of heaven. I can just envision walking the streets of gold, surrounded by unimaginable beauty, and those who lived out HIStory-Abraham, Moses, Isaac, Noah, Paul, etc.

The thought of that left me in awe of how wonderful our God is. Through the sin of man, He still left beauty for us to see. Though our nation is turning its back on Him, He still fills the hearts of those who love Him with joy. He still displays His power, Himself, and His love to us through the beauty, the sights, the laughter, and the history.

He is the beauty, the sight, and He is the history. He remains forever! It is HIStory! The world built by man, created by God. I found unbelievable beauty and intrigue in that. It was by far the most Jesus filled vacation.

Thank You Jesus that our eyes see You, Your beauty, Your workmanship. Thank You for giving us the opportunity to travel and see the history and beauty You crafted, most of all thank You that Your glory and Your name remains forever. We are so excited to see the beauty of Heaven and hear the stories. Thank You for being so present in our vacation. Amen

Blood Fusion

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]? I the Lord search the mind, I try the heart, even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10 AMP

Sometimes we need to be reminded of how desperately in need we are of a heart transplant. One that is filled with His-Christ's blood. The only blood that should be pumping through our heart. The blood that washes, covers and coats us with the Word, love, and the Spirit.

Oh, brethren the heart without Christ is a very sad, sick, and broken heart that beats out of sync with the Lord's. It will cause more illness and even bring destruction upon a person. It will fill up with so much corruption until it eventually brings death.

Let the blood of Christ become the blood in Your heart. Let the Word be it's nutrients, and exercise it daily by applying the Word and love of God.

Jesus reveal to me the disease within my heart so I can begin the treatment required for healing, health, and a renewed strength to begin. Amen

Part 4

Guest Writer- Ashleigh Duncan

So today is another tough one...verses 11 and 12. Remember when you were a kid and maybe you told a lie about cleaning your room when you actually just shoved everything in your closet or under your bed, or maybe you got caught cheating on a spelling test by your teacher and they called your parents? I think we've all had similar experiences. Anyway, remember when you got in trouble with your parents and maybe they gave you a timeout or a spanking or whatever punishment they felt was deserved for the "crime" you committed? I know when that happened to me, I would get mad. I didn't understand why my parents told me that had to punish me because they love me. What? How in the heck does that make any sense? Well, looking back, I understand. They punished me for the little things so I wouldn't get worse. So that instead of just not cleaning my room, I wouldn't escalate to things like stealing from other people, breaking into homes, or doing things to hurt mine or someone else's health. They "nipped it in the bud" as Barney Fife would say. They kept me from being in trouble with the law. They loved me so much that they wanted to make sure I lived a good life instead of a self-destructive one. God does the same thing to His followers. He wants us to have a good life. He wants us to enjoy our families and our friends rather than constantly look over our shoulder for law enforcement or worse, ending up in Hell with Satan and his angels. He doesn't want to see us suffer so he "nips it in the bud". I hope you all have a fantastic day!! Love you!!
 
In Christ,

Bridget Ashleigh

 
Today, I am thankful for where I am today, I may not have my dream job (yet) but I'm in a good place, working with good people, and making a little bit of money to get me one step closer to that dream job :)

Part 3

Guest writer-Ashleigh Duncan

Look at verses 9 and 10. How often do we do what these verses tell us? I've come to realize that I do this way less than I originally thought I did. And I know that as ladies who enjoy shoes, purses, clothes, and such, it's very easy to dedicate our paychecks to things before we actually have that paycheck in our hands. What we're actually supposed to do is take the first of it for God and then dedicate the rest of it as we see fit (under God's direction, of course). I know that I don't do that. I don't wait until I've given my 10% to God before I do a little shopping or go out to the movies. I think what this verse is saying is that if I would be patient and wait until I've got the money in my hand (or bank account, or whatever) after having given to God first, I'll have plenty leftover to enjoy the movies or my new shoes without worrying about debt or money. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with credit cards or loans or any of that because I know our economy puts a lot into having good credit scores and those things are necessary to achieve such. BUT I am saying that we need to be careful not to get sucked into things that we have to fight to get out of, God wants us to live worry-free lives and just enjoy serving Him. I hope you all have a great day and I love each and every one of you!!!
 
In Christ,

Bridget Ashleigh
 
Today I am thankful for God's little reminders. I was walking to work and stressing over little things like I always do and I happened to look down at the ground as something caught my eye. It was a button, the type that is supposed to be pinned to a shirt or a backpack, and it simply said "Trust God". Lol, let me just say that I don't believe in coincidence.

Part 2

Guest writer-Ashleigh Duncan

Today, we'll be focusing on verses 5 through 8. I struggle with these constantly! I'm told not to trust in my own understanding and I know it's because God lives by His own rules because He created everything but me, being a science major, I'm also told that things work certain ways and that it very rarely changes if at all. Talk about a contradiction! I don't have any problems seeing God in all of the science I study and work with, it's easy to see His involvement and His handiwork everywhere, I have no doubts whatsoever that He exists, this isn't the issue. What I have trouble with most is simply trusting that He knows how to bend the rules of nature and logic without sending the universe into a downward spiral. Do you understand what I'm saying here? We've all heard of prayer healing people, right? We've heard the miraculous stories of people being told they have cancer and when they go to have it removed or begin treatment, it's suddenly gone and the doctors are left scratching their heads in confusion. We've heard about people who shouldn't have woken up after a very tragic accident and then a year or so later, they're walking and talking completely under their own power. Even I, myself, am a miracle, I wasn't supposed to live more than just a day or two after being taken 3 months early from the womb and yet here I am with a perfectly healthy body and mind. Power of prayer is amazing but God does all these things beyond the logic and science that I've been taught these many years in school and yet the world hasn't tumbled out of orbit, the sun still shines and warms the earth, rain still falls from the sky to keep the plants green and lovely. How in the world does this work?! Well, God created it, He does as He pleases. Don't lean on your own understanding; it won't get you anywhere. That's hard to wrap my mind around but God tells me if I see Him as the one in control and Him as the one who will take care of everything, my body, through to my very bones, will be full of health and nourishment. I do believe that in itself is beyond human logic. God has a most wonderful sense of humor, doesn't He? I hope you all have a blessed day!! Love you!!

In Christ,

Bridget Ashleigh

Today, I am thankful for God's peace, today started out as a bit of a tough day for me but is getting better as I go along :)

Part 1

Guest writer-Ashleigh Duncan

Okay, so let me try this again...I'm thinking God was telling me to read the entire chapter 3 of Proverbs because it's been stuck in my head for over a week now. I sat down and read it last night and there's SO much packed into that one chapter!!! So, here's what I'm doing, I'm breaking it down as God did for me and I'm sharing it with y'all. I don't know when God will ask me to return to Psalms but now just isn't the time for it. Anyway, let's not keep the Lord waiting!!! Today I'm just looking at the first 4 verses. Here, God tells us the secret to a long life. Did you catch that? We hold, in our hands, the secret to a long life. Not only a long life but a happy, peaceful life. Now remember, it won't necessarily be a perfectly healthy, a full of riches and money, or a pain-free life but it will be peaceful...happy and peaceful. Life here is never easy, we can't expect everything to go perfectly because we live in a sinful world full of imperfect humans, including ourselves. Even Jesus had a life on earth that included pain and troubles. But to achieve that peace and happiness in our souls, God tells us all we have to do is remember His teachings and keep His commands. That's it! (After you give your life over to Jesus, of course, that's the most important first step to soul-consuming peace.) I love the first "teaching" that is listed here after we're told this wonderful secret. Never let love and faithfullness leave you, in fact, wear them around your neck and display them as you would a favorite necklace and let it soak into your very inner being! Just think, if the entire world followed no other command but that one alone, how much of a better place would this be to live?! If we do this we win favor with both God and man. How amazing is that?! You please both!! This isn't serving both God and man, this is simply loving everyone around you and never forgetting that both God and man exist. Both deserve our love and both deserve our faithfullness and loyalty. Who are we to deny either of them this simple gift? Love your brother (or sister, we all understand that God means everyone). Love your God. Don't put anyone down but try to lift them up. We all need a smile every now and again. We all need encouragement. I hope you all have a wonderful day!! Love you!!

 

In Christ,

Bridget Ashleigh

 

Today, I am thankful for God being a very persistant God, I'm not the easiest person to convince sometimes and He never gives up on me :)

The Dancer not the dance

He is my partner. He chose me for Himself! We are in the middle of this amazing dance and I realize I've focused more on the steps to the dance than to the one I am dancing with. 

 How do I make the transition from learning the steps to knowing the One leading the dance?

Will I ruin the dance, when taking my thoughts off the steps or will the real dance finally flow?

 Oh, yes it will flow just follow the One leading the dance. Keep your eyes glued to His and place your feet on top of His.

Jesus, I am taking my thoughts off the steps and asking You to lead the dance. I trust in Your every move. Help me to focus more on You, the leader of this amazing dance. Amen

 

The dance

In this attempt to live a life pleasing to the Lord, I have come to realize, it is as pleasing as I allow my relationship with Him to be. 

That word-relationship, dances around in my head, making its appearance so enticing, yet I am unable to pattern my own body to dance as it does. 

It exudes such beauty as it moves with grace around the dance floor of my heart. I beg my body to begin to move as it does, in hopes it will become one with the dancer Himself.

I feel the hand that reaches out and grabs mine, as though it is saying, “Come and dance with me, but let me lead.” As my body turns itself around I pray it will fit perfectly within the frame of His.

As He begins to move I begin to follow. My eyes turn to His and I…am frozen. Yet He is still leading me across the dance floor.

I don’t want to look away I don’t even want to blink. His eyes, how do I begin to explain the power and love in those eyes?

I can’t explain it. His hold is firm and His eyes are on mine, and I feel it begin-this relationship I watched from afar dancing around on the dance floor of my heart.

Jesus…

Second to None

This is Garrett- I hijacked my wife's blog. 

"You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him." Luke 4:8

How hard is this!  Satan can twist, turn, fog and distort the truth which in time will lead us away from Christ.  One of the most common tactics and schemes he uses is the attack of “busyness”, busyness within our work place, homes or everyday duties.  The struggles of life can become a burden if we try to live life ourselves.

Alarm sounds.  Hit snooze.  Alarm sounds.  Stumble out of bed and go through the regular morning preparations.  Then off to another day at a boring place of work.  A week goes by, then a month and then a year.  Before you know it you are a victim of "busyness".  I can speak from experience.  

We become servants to our schedules and distant from the Lord when we invest more in us.  How can we put Christ first in our busy day and not serve anything else?

  1) "Keep on praying” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Be completely honest with God and let Him know your struggles.  Put reminders in places you will notice them throughout your day.  Office, car, phone, computer screen, etc...   

  2)  “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing."  John 15:5

We have to remain in Him, stay in the Word.  He will not leave us.  It is us that drift from Him.  

  3)  “...bad company corrupts good character.”  1 Corinthians 15:33

Surround yourself with friends that encourage you in Christ.  Don't settle in your relationships with friends to fit in or gain political status.  Stay focused on Christ not the world or what it has to offer.

Thank You Lord for Your forgiveness!  Forgive me for not putting You first and for serving my needs and schedule before You.  Forgive me for getting caught up in things that are meaningless. We praise You for Your mercy and grace.  Amen.

The Body

Joy is found in the body that makes up the church. As all the parts gather together and join in as one, an eternal joy fills the air. Brothers and sisters rescued and redeemed laying their hearts at Jesus’ feet.

Jesus thank You for using us to be the Church! Bless each part that makes up the body. May we begin to function as a whole and not as individual parts. You did not design it that way. Amen

Which is it for you?

“He was absolutely convinced that God as able to do anything he promised.” Romans 4:21

Seeing and believing, do they go hand and hand? Do we have to see in order to believe? Or are we able to just believe without seeing? If Abraham was absolutely convinced, was it based off of what he saw, or off what he believed and knew about God?

What about those of us standing on this side of the cross, what do we base our faith off of? Are we absolutely convinced that God is able to do anything He promises, promised? Do we have to see to be absolutely convinced?

According to Hebrews 11:1-3 faith is not based on seeing, it is actually the very opposite. Faith is, believing God is who he says he is, and that He will do what He says He will do.  

“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. God gave his approval to people in days of old because of their faith. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”

Abraham did not need to see God’s promises come true ahead of time, neither do we. Abraham had faith because of the relationship he had with God.

Trust, brethren, that is what it comes down to. 

Jesus help us make sense of all that You are teaching us through Your Word. Show us ways we can strengthen our faith and trust in You. Help us step into that confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. Jesus we await that promise with great expectation, but in the meantime may we walk closely with You until the final promise of Your return is fulfilled. Amen

This type of Faith

“He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised.” Romans 4:21

This type of faith can only come from an intimate and personal relationship with Christ. A relationship like this is built on time, commitment, trust, devotion, love, and faithfulness.

The more we spend time with the Lord in His Word, and get to know Him, the stronger our faith will become.

Yet the only way to even begin a relationship such as this is by confessing with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead.

“For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are  saved.” Romans 10:9-10

Jesus let us not forget how important a thriving relationship is with You. Thank You that is easy and available at all times.  Amen

Chew until my jaw hurts!

“He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised.” Romans 4:21

Still sitting here, right in the middle of Romans 4:21! Rather than trying to process this in my mind alone, I have actually begun to chew on this huge, tender, but tough piece of meat Jesus cooked up for me.

I say tough because I know Jesus is making sure that I taste every flavor that comes out of every bite until it is so fine it cannot be chewed anymore. Plus I know the flavor of His word will never go away.  

I am a meat (The Word) kind of girl, so this is phenomenal for me. I actually prefer the meat of God’s Word over any of the sides that might be offered. Though good at times, the meat alone is satisfying and contains more nutrients for me.

I want this piece of meat-Romans 4:21 to be chewed so long my jaw hurts, yet be so fulfilling as it settles within me, that I walk away from this meal ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED my God is able to do anything He promises.

Then, like Abraham my relationship, faith and trust in God will be full of new flavors and nutrients just as it was for Abraham and I will begin to daily walk in the light of God completely satisfied.

Jesus verse after verse You have shown me Your faithfulness and commitment. You have done everything You said You would, and You have fulfilled every promise. You are who You say You are, and You do what You say You will do. Your yes means yes and Your no means no. Forgive me for my lack of faith and trust and for not chewing on Your meat long enough. Amen

Absolutely Convinced?...

“He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised.” Romans 4:21

My mind took in every word my eyes met to form each sentence God wrote. Sentence after sentence was filled with power, guidance, instruction, and wisdom.  Each sentence was taken in, processed, prayerful absorbed, and pondered on.

When all of the sudden, Jesus took my vision, my mind, and my flow of reading to a completely different level. A big ole halt, right on Romans 4:21.

“He (Abraham) was absolutely convinced that God WAS ABLE to DO ANYTHING  He promised.”

This particular verse sums up the type of faith, trust, and relationship Abraham had with God.

It hit me so hard I hit my face (literally) on the ground weeping and crying out to the Lord.

I have always considered my faith, trust, and relationship with the Lord to be pretty strong, until I read this passage and Jesus gave me a glimpse of reality.

I am convinced brethren, but ABSOLUTELY convinced?

I am convinced God is able, but ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED, He is able?

I am convinced God can do ANYTHING He promises, but ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED, He does?

Those absolute’s, have, well…been less than absolute. That is what brought me to my face.

How can my relationship with Christ be rock-solid, thriving, and grow, if I am not putting all of my ABSOLUTE trust, faith, and commitment into Him?

How can I be of great use to Christ if I am not ABSOULUTEY convinced that He will do what He says?

I just need to sit here a while longer…

Jesus sent the rain!

"Mommy, mommy its raining!" Avery shouted

"It is Avery, isn't that so awesome?"  I replied

"Mommy, remember I have been praying for God to send water for the flowers?" Avery responded

"I do Avery." 

"Mommy, Jesus sent rain, isn't that so cool?"

"Yes baby that is so cool!"

Jesus thank You for showing Avery Your faithfulness, but most of all thank You for filling him with the wisdom to know that it came from You. Jesus thank You for the joy that fills his heart as he sees how wonderful You are. Thank You for sending the rain, not only physically but spiritually. May it begin to nourish and restore our dry and thirsty souls. Amen

The Beauty that Surrounds me

"The heavens tell of the glory of God.

The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship.

Day after day they continue to speak;

night after night they make him known.

They speak without a sound or a word;

their voice is silent in the skies;

yet their message has gone out to all the earth,

and their words to all the world.

The sun lives in the heavens

where God placed it.

It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom

after his wedding.

It rejoices like a great athlete

eager to run the race.

The sun rises at one end of the heavens

and follows its course to the other end.

Nothing can hide from its heat.

-Psalm 19:1-6

Jesus thank You for the beauty that surrounds us every day. I have found great joy in the work of Your hands. Thank You for the marvelous display You allow me to see every day as I look outside. Amen

Daddy’s design

“For an elder must be a man whose life cannot be spoken against. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exhibit self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home and must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, peace loving, and not one who loves money. He must manage his own family well, with children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?” 1 Timothy 3:2-5

Daddy,

 I will never forget the first time I read this passage, I was in college and I called to tell you how you truly fulfilled all of these requirements and how excited and proud I was to see so much of Jesus in you.

I can remember you laughing all while expressing one of your greatest qualities-humbleness

You are so rare daddy and I hope you know how truly amazing you are! The qualities expressed in this passage are the very qualities Jesus used to design you, and what an amazing design you are.

You have never let the circumstances of life hinder your walk with the Lord. Your steadfast faithfulness and your unwavering commitment to do what is pleasing in the eyes of the Lord has become the very thing I admire most.

Along with your commitment to your family, your get up and drive 11 hours to be here in the middle of the night because you’re needed, your love that is expressed through every hug, every kiss, and every heart to heart conversation that last into the morning hours.

My words will never be able to express how blessed I am to have an earthly father as great as you.

You have patterned your life after your heavenly Father and because of that we get to see a picture of Jesus every day.

Thank You daddy for being the walking reflection of Christ and for always making sure I knew who my true Father was and is-Jesus. I am eternally grateful and forever saved.

Happy Father’s Day

I love you!

Taken for granted

 “Always be full of joy in the Lord, I say it again-rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

In the midst of trial, sadness and despair, there is joy to be found, even when it seems as though it could never appear. It does, and it is always right on time.

This unexplainable joy rises from the deepest part of our hearts and surfaces as strength.

So how is strength a joy? Because it allows us the ability to function! And to be able to function is a God-given joy. One that is all too often taken for granted.

Jesus thank You for giving us the strength we need every day to function. May we use our ability to function for Your glory and with all the joy it fills us with. Amen

Something New

"I am coming to you... that My joy may be made full and complete and perfect in them (that they may experience My delight fulfilled in them, that My enjoyment may be perfected in their own souls, that they may have My gladness within them, filling their hearts.”  John 17:13

Joy is found in that moment with Christ when He opens your eyes and reveals something new to you, something about Him that strengthens your relationship and deepens your love.

Jesus Your something news NEVER get old! The joy that comes from them is by far the greatest. Thank You.

Felt in His presence

"I am coming to you... that My joy may be made full and complete and perfect in them (that they may experience My delight fulfilled in them, that My enjoyment may be perfected in their own souls, that they may have My gladness within them, filling their hearts.”  John 17:13

Joy is found in the presence of Christ. The more you are around Him the more joyful you become.

Jesus there is nothing better than being in Your joyful presence. You always make our time remarkable and I praise You for that. Amen

Tucked Away

When joy seems to be far away stop and look within-within the Word.

There you will find it tucked away in every promise of God.

Jesus the joy You give could not be wrapped up in a greater gift than Your word. Thank You! 

Not in... but in

Joy is not found in self, it is found in grace.