Time With My Lord

So here I am, up again at 4:30 prompted to spend time with my Lord. When God whispers his loving voice in my ear, I count it an honor to get up and spend this time with him!

Do you long to spend time with God? Does your soul thirst for the only thing that can truly satisfy?

Oh, sweet friend, my alone time with God is not a choice, it is a necessity! The more time I spend with him, the more I desire! There are so many things and obstacles that can hinder our time with God but can we really afford to miss those precious opportunities? Being in the presence of God is such a gift! When I am there, I cannot imagine being anywhere else! There is that deep longing to be in his presence and heed his Word! That is where true living is! He is the One that satisfies the soul! He is the One that brings comfort! He is the One that loves like no other! He is the One that offers protection!

David, alone in the Desert of Judah, records this prayer to God recounting his loneliness but also his confirming the One who can truly satisfy.

Psalm 63

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; 
my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, 
in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, 
my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; 
with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God’s name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.”

David recognized what truly satisfied his soul! Where are you searching today for satisfaction? No matter what you may be going through, cry out to God and cling to him for comfort. Time with him is priceless and there is peace and comfort in the presence of God! Whether it is at 4:30 in the morning or at 12:00 in the afternoon, He is worthy of all that we have! I thank him for spending time with me and showing me more in his Word! He is amazing God!

My prayer of praise for today is:

Psalm 63:3-4 “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”

Blessings~

Allison

~ Walking in Obedience ~

My post today will be a short one. Yes, I know I can get very lengthy when I speak about my Lord but today, will be short!

I am up early this morning because the Lord whispered sweet promptings in my ear to get up and spend time with him. I am so glad he did! What beautiful time in his Word! Time with him is such a special gift and one that I do not take lightly! My Savior wants to spend one-on-one time with me! How awesome is that? This is time to be quiet and listen, time to give him praise, time to heed his direction, and time to worship Almighty God! Hallelujah!

As he guides and directs our lives are we completely sold out for him? Are we giving in to the “practical” because we fear that people will talk about us or not understand? Or do we really focus on the obedience that God calls us to and only seek approval from our Master? Well, this is not always easy and takes great boldness and courage! When God calls and directs your life in ways that you don’t even understand yet, be bold and say “yes” to him no matter what others may say, no matter how it “looks”. God’s approval is the only thing that matters! When we say, “yes” to God, he works out the details and he is in control! Our lives belong to him to do his will and complete his work!

There are so many people in scripture that chose to obey God even when others questioned their behavior, but they stood firm in God’s calling. Their lives were of great significance because of their obedience to their Lord. Think about Abraham when he was told to sacrifice his own son, but God provided a lamb (Genesis 22), think about Noah when he was told to build an ark and God spared he and his family in the flood (Genesis 6-8). The list could go on and on, but when God speaks, we are to obey no matter the circumstance and have faith that God will complete his work in you!

Genesis 6:22 “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”

Genesis 22: 3 “Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey…”

Both accounts, they did not question, they did not complain, they OBEDYED even when it did not all make sense, they had faith in their God! Amen!

I want my life to reflect that same obedience to my God! I will obey and look to God for approval, not from man!

Galatians 1:10 “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Okay, so my post was not as short as I had promised, I apologize. Lol! I told you when I start talking about my Lord I can go on and on! He is my LIFE!

My prayer is that we all walk in obedience to God and not be concerned with what others think or say. It’s not about us (or them); it’s all about HIM!

Have a beautiful, obedience filled day!

Allison

Faith & Trust ~ Keeping it Real!

I know it has been a while since my last post but let me say that it has not been from a lack of “teachable moments” that is for sure. The best I can describe this last month is an unprecedented amount of “teachable moments” that, Lord willing, at some point I will share those with you. The one thing I will say about this last month is that I have seen Jesus in a way that I have never experienced before! Over the last couple of years, God has been growing me and shaping me more and more into the woman he desires me to be and at times that has been painful. (Just keeping it real here!) Though painful sometimes, very necessary for me to see the abundant life he has for me and surrendered to his will, is the BEST and most fulfilling place to be. This last month though, has been the real test of faith and trust in him that in my 38 years of life, I have not experienced before. Now before you start wondering what in the world is going on, let me assure you that God is and always has been in control and this journey is one that began months before but really turned a corner this last month and let me say, God is so good my dear friends!

Though my times with God have always been special, these last several weeks, they have taken on new meaning. They have been times of tears, some of sadness and some of joy; times of praise, because he is so worthy; times of healing, because he is the Great Physician, times of quietness, to be still in the presence of my Lord; times of openness, to be laid out completely surrendered to him; and most importantly, times of saying “YES”, because when he says it, I am to obey. When you come to a time in your life when things are out of your control, God makes his presence so known that he is in control and we can choose to trust in that or we can continue in the turmoil that is present in this life.

God’s Word has been my source! His Word is our direction! I don’t expect my children to go to school for a test without first studying their textbook for the answers, and the same is true with our Heavenly Father. He has given us his inspired, infallible Word for the answers to life’s test. If we study and have faith in him, he will carry us through every test!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Coming off of this last month, I am more amazed at my Savior than ever before! Faith and trust are no laughing matter and when faced with the realization that yours is being tested, is gets serious. I have a heart overwhelmed with blessings today! Every day God shows me more of his beautiful face and in ways that I never imagined! I am eternally grateful for the people God has used in my life this last month to help me through a very difficult time physically, emotionally, & spiritually. Though my precious husband had to be everywhere around the globe during this difficult time, he was lifting me up in prayer and supplying Godly encouragement, my dear mother and the “too many to list” ways that she stayed by my side, my amazing kids for pitching in and helping out, my sweet sisters (through blood and at the “Hill”) for surrounding me with Scriptures and prayers, and godly friends for keeping it real in the Word and being quick to pray over me whenever needed. But most importantly to my Awesome Heavenly Father for never leaving me during these trying times and reminding me that He is faithful to fulfill his promises! He is my Strength, my Hope, my Comforter, my Deliverer, and my Healer!

Isaiah 40:28-31 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? 
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. 
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

I don’t know what you are going through. Your story may sound similar to mine and your faith and trust may be going through a time of testing as well. You may be physically, emotionally, and spiritually tired and ready for things to lighten up. Dear friend, I know where you are. I have walked and continue to walk in those same steps, but there is Hope and his name is Jesus! He will see you through! Know that his timing is perfect! When the darkness comes, HE is the Light that you cling to! His Word is true and his promises are forever! I am determined to keep it real to you because he already knows your heart and mine. I am a girl that is worth nothing apart from my God and HE is my LIFE! He has carried me through and I am here to testify that God is good! Cling to his Word, get on your face and bare your soul to your Maker. Keep it real, allow God guide you & be your strength, and your life WILL be transformed!

Philippians 1:6 “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.”

Blessings for a life changing day~

Allison

~ Time to "Dress Up" ~

I used to love playing dress up when I was a child. Oh, the imaginations we had! We could find just about anything to make ourselves into super heroes. We would use a pillowcase & a clothespin to make a super hero’s cape and aluminum foil to make the very cool and powerful bracelets like “Wonder Woman”. It was so much fun! Now I get to see my kids play dress up. Let me just say for the record, that Ben no longer plays dress up, only Callie and Caleb! But there was a time when Ben was little, that he had some very cool super hero costumes! Lol! Just the other day, Caleb came downstairs with a blanket tied around him for a cape, his blue laundry basket over his head for his helmet, and of course, let’s not forget the neon light up sword that he got in Disney World. He was a super hero armed and ready to fight the “bad guys”.

It really got me thinking about how I go through my day. When we wake up in the morning we usually have our “to-do” list in full steam ahead and are planning for a busy and productive day. We know that in order to be ready for the day, we have to get our shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush our teeth, and head out for the day. Not a lot of thought about those things, they are the normal activities that are ingrained in us. But are we armed and ready for what lies ahead? In a super hero movie, you have the brave super hero trying to fight off the evil villain that causes so much harm and they do so using the special powers they were given. In all movies I have seen, good defeats evil every time! Same is true with our Christian lives. Satan is a very real presence and can cause much chaos and turmoil. He is real and he is active, but the great news is we have everything we need to fight him off. We have the power of God and he has given us clear direction in fighting the battle.

Ephesians 6:10-18 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

I just love my Jesus! During difficult times, and trust me I have had some in the last several months, his word provides my list of armor to help me through. How can I go about my day without putting on the full armor of God? If I want to fight the battle that Satan dishes out I have to be prepared. Notice how it says in verse 13 “when the day of evil comes”, not “if”. So my dear friends those days will come and we have to be prepared. Reading this passage and feasting on it lately has made my perspective so different. I have heard this passage many times in my life, but how urgent it has become. Just look around and see what is going on in the world and it is time to be strong in the Lord and HIS mighty power!

So before my feet hit the floor in the morning, I am arming myself with the full armor of God; belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, footgear to spread the good news, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and using the sword of the Spirit all day long. Prayer and God’s word are what we need more of! I am so grateful for my God and how he equips us to fight this battle. We don’t have to go it alone. I challenge you all to read and feast on this passage as well and see the urgency to be always in the full armor of God. Awesome things will be witnessed as we see God’s people fully armed and ready to stand against the devil’s schemes!

Blessings~

Allison

Friends & Family Have Your Back!

This was written by my 10 year old daughter, Callie! I love the way she is having her own "teachable moments" with her Savior. She inspires me!

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Friends and family will always have your back when you’re in tough times. A few years ago I broke my arm carrying my little brother Caleb, I tripped on the concrete and Caleb’s head fell on my arm. His head hit the concrete but he didn’t get a concussion. I had to put ice on my arm while tears were running down my face. It felt so bad.

The next day I went to Medac with my mom and brothers. I got a sling for my arm and it was terrible because school was starting soon. I was going in the 1^st grade and my teacher was Mrs. Ramsey. She was so nice! My best friend Mia was also in my class. Mia gave be a stuffed bear that had a sling on its right arm like it and mine had BROWNIES taped to it!!! My first day of school with a broken arm was pretty good because I was with my best friends in the whole wide world GOD and Mia! God took care of me, Mia made me feel better the whole entire day! A few weeks later I had to have surgery to correct my arm. I was so nervous I couldn’t stop shaking.

Before I went into surgery, Pastor Jimmie and my family prayed with me that God would keep me safe. My mom wrote Psalm 23 on a piece of paper and I took that with me into surgery. My surgery lasted 2 full hours and everyone in my family was in the waiting room. But when I got out of surgery I was so, so tired because I took that sleeping medicine that I had to take. They had to wheel me out to the car in a wheelchair. That was my very first time in a wheelchair! I had 10 or 15 stitches and a pin in my arm.

When I got home my dad carried me upstairs and I went straight to sleep with my mom! A week later I got my stitches out and it hurt so bad. The pin didn’t hurt at all but the stitches hurt. I had to go to a place where they had to help me stretch my arm so I could get it to go straight. It worked after about a month. Then my arm got better but I felt happy because lots of people prayed for me!!!

After that whole experience I learned that friends and family always have your back and that God is always with me!

Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

By:

Callie E. Jordan

~ Happy Labor Day ~

Happy Labor Day everyone! We all look forward to this day because it means a day off work and school! Of course is also means the last official days of summer so it has kind of a bittersweet meaning. All I really knew about Labor Day was that it was a day off so I looked into it further. This day was founded in the late 1800s to celebrate the American worker and their hard efforts and achievements. Back in the 1800s workers had to work 12-hour days 7 days a week just to earn the basic necessities. Well, here we are in 2011 and it sounds a little familiar doesn’t it? I think most American families are suffering “labor pains” and we should take this day and celebrate it to the fullest. Give God the praise for the abilities he has given us to work hard to support our families. Well, it took Congress 12 years after Labor Day was founded to actually make it a federal holiday and more than a century later, we still celebrate!

Though I have never really given much thought about this day other than being a “day off”, I am grateful to my God for the blessings he has given our family. I thank him for the ability to work, I thank him for my hard working husband and the job he has provided for him, I thank him for the blessing of my job at the preschool, I thank him that with every paycheck we have food on the table and a roof over our heads, I thank him for being our Jehovah-Jireh. He is our PROVIDER!

There are days that we all wish we didn’t have to work. There are days we find ourselves grumbling and complaining that we have to get up early and go in and work all day. I am guilty of that myself. But today, I praise him for these jobs. Matt works so hard and his job takes him out of town many times but I praise God for the opportunities he has given him. I appreciate my hard-working husband so much. He sacrifices a lot to provide for our family but he does it in love and praise to God for his provision for us. I know that as I type this there are many that are looking for jobs. Many that desire that opportunity to work hard for their families and my prayer is that God bless them. That today would be a day to give them hope that God is their help. When we put our hope in worldly things, we get disappointed, but when we put our hope in God, he makes all things new.

Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Psalm 33:20-22 “We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.”

So today, celebrate your hard work and give thanks to God for his blessings and the beautiful hope we have in him! When you wake up tomorrow to go back to work, give him praise for the opportunities he has given us to provide for our families and be content in him and him alone.

Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Have a beautiful day!

Allison

Turbulent Times

I think there is only one word that can describe the last few weeks….TURBULENT! lol! Let me recap. In the last few weeks, the kids started school, I started back full swing into work, we had a couple of tornados blow through town, experienced an earthquake, and went through a hurricane. Whew! I am tired just from typing it all out! Just the start of school is crazy enough trying to get everyone back on a normal routine but throw some turbulent weather in the form of tornados, earthquakes, and hurricanes into the mix and it tends to shake things up a bit (literally! Haha!). Well, needless to say we are all doing good and ready for things to get back to normal, whatever that may be.

Looking back on these last few weeks, I just have to give praise to God for seeing us through! There are times we question what is God’s plan through it all, but I know that I know that he has the whole world in his hands! We are definitely in uncertain times but our God is faithful and his promises are right there in his Word for us to dwell on. Last weekend during the hurricane we had some time as a family to share from God’s Word together. Callie prepared a little service for us and even wrote out sermon notes with 5 blanks (she takes good notes during church from Pastor Phil), she had Caleb read Psalm 23 and we all shared some things that the Lord was doing in our own lives. What a special time that was. Here we were experiencing this hurricane and had just come off of a very turbulent weather week and to hear my 7-year-old son stand before us and read the 23^rd Psalm blessed my heart. Most of us can quote that Psalm because we learned it as children but to stop and dwell on those very words, just comforted my soul. I want you to take some time to stop and read this Psalm now:

Psalm 23 (KJV)

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

What comfort there is in God’s Word! I am so thankful that my children are living their lives knowing that God’s Word is their “go-to” book! I am thankful that they remind me to continually find my comfort there as well. As we had a time of worship together that day, we talked about how God is with us all the time and that there is nothing to fear because God is in control. The verse that I chose to focus on for the week was,

Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. 
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Wow! Thank you Lord Jesus for your promises! We stood, as a family, hand in hand, and prayed together that God would protect us and keep our hearts in line with his. We celebrated our God and his beautiful promises! He is our Shepherd!

As you go about your week, may you dwell on the promises in his Word! Gather your family and pray together, praising God for being the Great Shepherd who brings comfort. He will give us the strength to make it through the turbulent times and he will uphold us by his righteous right hand!

Blessings~

Allison