I'm amazed at how my Savior can take any and every circumstance around me to show me more about him. My prayer has always been that this journey of life I'm on would continually bring honor and glory to him, so by using every opportunity; my mistakes, my successes, and my day-to-day adventures, he teaches me how to use it for his glory. This life he blessed me with is ALL about him! So, these are my thoughts, my heart cries, and my lessons from his glorious Word. These are the teachable moments from my Savior!

Psalm 25:4-5 "Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."

Thursday, June 27, 2013

~ Standing on the Word of God ~


"I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you."
2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NLT)

It's time for the children of God to make a stand on His Word! My heart is grieved over the continual hardness of heart in our nation but to see Christians cower back and ignore the evilness in front of us is even more disturbing.

Decide today whom you will serve!

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me."
Matthew 12:30 (NLT)


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

~ Read With a Passion ~


I sat in my quiet little spot at the bookstore/coffee house last week just so excited that I had about two hours of uninterrupted time in the Word. It was one of those days when I had several things to keep me in town but there was a nice long break in between appointments where I had a couple of hours of “free” time. Yes, “free” time! What is that you ask?

Well, I had to look up the definition as well because “free” time doesn’t come by my way very often. Haha! Anyway, two hours to do what I wanted to do!

Even though the store was quite busy, I nestled myself at a quiet table, opened my Bible, and bowed my head to thank my sweet Lord for that precious time.  As I lifted my head and glanced around the room, my heart was drawn to the people sitting all around me. After all, it was a bookstore so everyone had chosen their reading material as they sat and sipped their iced beverages. Most people were catching up on the gossip magazines. You know the magazines that are laced with who is cheating on who? who has the best celebrity beach body?, what fashion do you need to wear to be “hip”?...you know the reading material that really feeds your mind. Lol!

But a short moment later, my focus was drawn to a little lady in the corner with a stack of books on her table. She had a book in her hand and she was reading so intently that she was even making strong facial expressions and hand gestures with her free hand. She would laugh, she would speak aloud when she agreed with what she had just read, and she, at one time, even began to cry.  Wow! What in the world was she reading? It must have been powerful to get that kind of reaction out of her in a public place. Well, I couldn’t tell because it was in Spanish so that remains a mystery to me but she was so engrossed in that book and passionate about its message.

That spoke volumes to me!  Reading evokes so many emotions in us. Have you ever read a book that you just couldn’t put down, a book that you kept talking about for days? I have! The written word can be such a powerful thing. But today, my heart was stirred about that amazing Book I had in my very hands!

I quickly bowed my head again and asked God to prepare my heart as I opened His Word. No other book can ever be as powerful or life altering as God’s Holy Word.  After all, no other book was written under the direct inspiration of God’s mighty hand and I was about to dig my heart and soul in!  I prayed that God would give me the passion and excitement as I read the beautiful promises He wrote for me. I prayed that my heart would be stirred in such a way that I would leave that bookstore with a renewed passion to tell others about Him.

Oh, the precious Word of God! Life altering, divinely inspired, full of grace and truth! 

Read the Word today!  Pick up those beautiful pages of scripture and read what God has for YOU!

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:16-17
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.” Psalm 119:18

Saturday, June 22, 2013

~ It's a New Day ~


"Because of the Lord ’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him."
Lamentations 3:22-24 (HCSB)

Hallelujah! I serve a God of new beginnings and He is my portion!

What is holding you back from living the abundant life God has for you? Throw off the sin, guilt, and shame and let God be your portion! Put your hope in Him alone for His mercies are new every day! He is faithful! He is just! He is LOVE! 


Friday, June 21, 2013

~ The Journey ~

A sign of true growth in Christ is NOT worrying about what others think about the decisions you make because they have not walked your journey. 
True growth in Christ IS realizing that God understands your heart and delights in your obedience to Him because He walked the journey with you! 



"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."
Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)



Thursday, June 20, 2013

~ All For Him ~

Today I'm thankful that my life doesn't revolve around the vast amount of troubled news stories or what other people say or do. My life is surrendered to the One and only Savior of the universe and it is through HIM I place my trust. It is through HIM I have strength. It is through HIM I have peace and it is through HIM I will live this life He has blessed me with! 

Where He sends...I will go, what He says...I will do, and where He leads...I will follow!

This life = ALL for HIM!

"But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone."
Psalms 33:11, 20-22 (NLT)

Monday, June 17, 2013

~ He Loves Me ~


The Creator of the universe....the God of creation, sent his ONE and ONLY Son down to this crazy, messed up earth to die a very painful and agonizing death on cruel cross for an ordinary girl from North Carolina who is a sinner and makes a total mess of things sometimes.

Why???

Because He loves her that much!

Wow! What an incredibly humbling reality this morning! He took my sin and filth and died for ME! I don't deserve his grace but it's never ending. I don't deserve his love but He loves me anyway. I don't deserve heaven for all eternity with Him but He's preparing my place even now!

And you know what??

He did that for YOU too!!!

Today, I have a heart overflowing in gratitude for the huge sacrifice for me and I look forward to the day when my Jesus returns to take me HOME! In my Father's arms to rest for all eternity......

But until then....I serve and love him with all my heart and will proclaim his message for all the world to hear! Hallelujah!

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16 (NIV)




Friday, June 14, 2013

~ Tact ~



Studying through the book of Daniel and seeing how he portrayed such wisdom and tact in terrible circumstances. "Tact" is defined by Merriam Webster as "delicate and considerate perception of what is appropriate."



I love what Beth Moore says about tact...


"We could all use an extra dose...but no one more than Christians. Not because we're worse than everyone else but because so much is at stake!"

 

Wow! So true! We can't let our emotions get the best of us and risk the reputation of Christ!