Merry Christmas,
"Fall on your knees,oh hear the angel voices,oh night divine,oh night when Christ was born!"
These were the first words I heard on my car radio a few days ago. The first Christmas song I heard for this Christmas season began with"fall on your knees". When was the last time you fell on your knees? It is not something we do naturally when we worship. If you were fortunate enough to have a parent or grandparent that you saw on their knees in prayer, then you know how it made you feel. You felt like you had stumbled into a sacred,holy place. 'Falling on your knees" is not just symbolic for showing reverance to God but it actually takes you to a deeper place into God's presence. In Ezekiel we read about the descendants of Zadok, a line of Levite priests who alone were allowed to approach the Lord and minister to HIM! Yes, minister TO Him,not for Him! Can it be possible that God in all His glory and power desires ministry from us, His lowly saints? We are always seeking God for Him to minister to us, but could the real secret to living an abundant life be our ministry to HIM!!!
If you have never fell on your knees in worship and prayer, I challenge you to take time to do this during this Christmas season. Go to that deeper place,that sacred,holy place where God is waiting for you to touch His heart! Give Him JOY! Give Him LOVE! While you are giving to others For Him,don't forget to give to Him personally. Remember.... it is a personal relationship. No personal relationship is one-sided. If you are burn-out and stressed already just thinking about Christmas,then perhaps "falling on your knees" is where you should start. As you give to Him, He will give back to you more than you could ever ask for or imagine. So go ahead,"fall on your knees", He is waiting for you there!!!
My prayer for you is that you will grow closer to JESUS during this wonderful season. Please comment through my e-mail or on facebook and share ways this blog inspired you to do this. In Him,denise
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
A Parent looks at Fifty!(Stolen from Jimmy Buffet)
So here I am, a fifty year old woman with a husband,4 kids,a smelly dog and an abundant life. How did I get to this place and what have I learned?
First, I got here because somebody else invested in my life. Someone believed in me,encouraged me to be better,try harder and have faith in God. That is the balance that keeps me sane and healthy. Doing my best and leaving the rest to Him. It's why I sleep so well at night no matter what is happening around me.
Second, I have learned to listen to that still,small voice that whispers when the rest of the world is screaming instructions at me. You have to be still and quiet yourself in order to hear The Holy Spirit. Sometimes He speaks words of comfort or affirmation. Other times, I hear statements about my behavior that need attention or commands or instruction. I not only listen but I obey or take the time to deal with these areas that His light shines on. This brings order and peace in to my life so I can end each day with no regrets.
And last but not least, I have learned to have HOPE! In the past fifty years I have lived through many heartaches and tragedies from my own personal suffering to the suffering of family members and loved ones. I have seen our world in such sorrow over natural disasters and attacks from heartless enemies. The media has made sure we never miss one minute of the bad news but PTL I also hear the GOOD NEWS! God's amazing outpouring of love comes shining through when others are hurting. Jesus,with skin on shows up in so many people to help lift up those who are down. God is faithful,even when we are not. When things are hard,my favorite saying is,"This too,shall pass!" His word says that sorrow may be in the evening,but JOY will come in the morning!
As a parent....these are the most important things I can teach my children. May they learn them long before they turn 50! I will pray that you and yours will ponder these truths. In Him,denise
First, I got here because somebody else invested in my life. Someone believed in me,encouraged me to be better,try harder and have faith in God. That is the balance that keeps me sane and healthy. Doing my best and leaving the rest to Him. It's why I sleep so well at night no matter what is happening around me.
Second, I have learned to listen to that still,small voice that whispers when the rest of the world is screaming instructions at me. You have to be still and quiet yourself in order to hear The Holy Spirit. Sometimes He speaks words of comfort or affirmation. Other times, I hear statements about my behavior that need attention or commands or instruction. I not only listen but I obey or take the time to deal with these areas that His light shines on. This brings order and peace in to my life so I can end each day with no regrets.
And last but not least, I have learned to have HOPE! In the past fifty years I have lived through many heartaches and tragedies from my own personal suffering to the suffering of family members and loved ones. I have seen our world in such sorrow over natural disasters and attacks from heartless enemies. The media has made sure we never miss one minute of the bad news but PTL I also hear the GOOD NEWS! God's amazing outpouring of love comes shining through when others are hurting. Jesus,with skin on shows up in so many people to help lift up those who are down. God is faithful,even when we are not. When things are hard,my favorite saying is,"This too,shall pass!" His word says that sorrow may be in the evening,but JOY will come in the morning!
As a parent....these are the most important things I can teach my children. May they learn them long before they turn 50! I will pray that you and yours will ponder these truths. In Him,denise
Saturday, July 10, 2010
God,Family and Beyonce' and my first 10K
High Five me friends,family and foreigners! I did it! I ran for 6.2 miles without stopping in 1hour,12 minutes and 27 seconds. This from a 49 year old woman who as a teen had exercise induced wheezing and kept Primatine Mist by her side" just in case" for many years.
How did this come about? My daughter, Ali took a running class last semester at U. of A. and decided that she and I should sign up to run the Peachtree Road race on the 4th of July. At first I balked and then I remembered a prayer I had prayed when I turned 49. " Oh God, next year when I turn 50 I want to be healthier than I was at forty,off these blood pressure pills and truly able to do whatever you need me to do physically as well as spiritually." Running the Peachtree also just happened to be on my "bucket list". Praying I wouldn't kick the bucket in the middle of the race, I agreed to "go for it" with her.
I had recently lost about 10 lbs through Weight Watchers so I had some help in this area for my training but I am not gona lie I had never been a runner and it was hard to begin. The first couple of months I mostly walked and ran down a few hills. Ali came home for the summer and really pushed me to run longer. As the weeks went by I was running 3 miles without stopping and had lost 7 more lbs.
My husband was very excited to see me making such progress in my weight loss but especially in the running. He had always been such an exceptional runner in his teens and in most of our marriage until injuries slowed him down. We began to have a new topic to discuss together that we both were interested in. This new hobby was certainly proving to be good for my marriage.
Race day proved to be one of the mildest days on record for the 4th of July. One of my dear friends who has run the race before joked with me and said,"It's only this nice because you are running it." I do not know exactly what she mean't by that comment but if God was smiling down on me or if it was just good timing on my part, I would count my blessings".
Ali and I stood side by side and felt all the excitement in the air as the flag fell and we began our run. I did not preset my ipod to a special playlist but just let it begin randomly wherever it had left off. The first song was,"Our God is an Awesome God". I began to praise God for getting me to this place beside my oldest daughter doing something I had never done before. I then turned the music down and enjoyed the crowd. Ali and I high-fived each other at each mile marker until we got to the 3rd one and she gave me a look like,"I am out of here,Mom". I nodded and she took off. I was left alone with 50,000 other strangers and I thought this is as far as I have ever run and cardiac hill is coming. I needed some inspiration as I began the slow incline. I tuned back into my ipod and Destiny's Child was singing," I'm a survivor, I'm gona make it,I'm not gona give up." God spoke through Beyonce's powerful voice and I kept running through marker 4,5 and 6.
On the last .2 miles the song Kenny and I had chose to have sung at our wedding 27 years ago began to play on my ipod. God reminded me that my husband was such a huge inspiration to me and that we needed each other to see our dreams come true. So, when I crossed that finish line this is the thought that I had. God,family and Beyonce' got me here. "Let us run the race that is set before us,looking unto Jesus(and whoever he uses). " God cares about us so much and wants to see us succeed and He truly has a sense of humor. Running with Him means you will always finish the race and finish better that you could ever ask or imagine. Ponder that as i pray for all of you to begin something new that God is calling you to do. In him, de
How did this come about? My daughter, Ali took a running class last semester at U. of A. and decided that she and I should sign up to run the Peachtree Road race on the 4th of July. At first I balked and then I remembered a prayer I had prayed when I turned 49. " Oh God, next year when I turn 50 I want to be healthier than I was at forty,off these blood pressure pills and truly able to do whatever you need me to do physically as well as spiritually." Running the Peachtree also just happened to be on my "bucket list". Praying I wouldn't kick the bucket in the middle of the race, I agreed to "go for it" with her.
I had recently lost about 10 lbs through Weight Watchers so I had some help in this area for my training but I am not gona lie I had never been a runner and it was hard to begin. The first couple of months I mostly walked and ran down a few hills. Ali came home for the summer and really pushed me to run longer. As the weeks went by I was running 3 miles without stopping and had lost 7 more lbs.
My husband was very excited to see me making such progress in my weight loss but especially in the running. He had always been such an exceptional runner in his teens and in most of our marriage until injuries slowed him down. We began to have a new topic to discuss together that we both were interested in. This new hobby was certainly proving to be good for my marriage.
Race day proved to be one of the mildest days on record for the 4th of July. One of my dear friends who has run the race before joked with me and said,"It's only this nice because you are running it." I do not know exactly what she mean't by that comment but if God was smiling down on me or if it was just good timing on my part, I would count my blessings".
Ali and I stood side by side and felt all the excitement in the air as the flag fell and we began our run. I did not preset my ipod to a special playlist but just let it begin randomly wherever it had left off. The first song was,"Our God is an Awesome God". I began to praise God for getting me to this place beside my oldest daughter doing something I had never done before. I then turned the music down and enjoyed the crowd. Ali and I high-fived each other at each mile marker until we got to the 3rd one and she gave me a look like,"I am out of here,Mom". I nodded and she took off. I was left alone with 50,000 other strangers and I thought this is as far as I have ever run and cardiac hill is coming. I needed some inspiration as I began the slow incline. I tuned back into my ipod and Destiny's Child was singing," I'm a survivor, I'm gona make it,I'm not gona give up." God spoke through Beyonce's powerful voice and I kept running through marker 4,5 and 6.
On the last .2 miles the song Kenny and I had chose to have sung at our wedding 27 years ago began to play on my ipod. God reminded me that my husband was such a huge inspiration to me and that we needed each other to see our dreams come true. So, when I crossed that finish line this is the thought that I had. God,family and Beyonce' got me here. "Let us run the race that is set before us,looking unto Jesus(and whoever he uses). " God cares about us so much and wants to see us succeed and He truly has a sense of humor. Running with Him means you will always finish the race and finish better that you could ever ask or imagine. Ponder that as i pray for all of you to begin something new that God is calling you to do. In him, de
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Proverbs 31 Woman-Part3- P.I.A.T.D's
Hello Friends,family and foreigners,
I am finally ready to reveal what P.I.A.T.D's are. It is found in Ephesians 2:10. "For we are all God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God
Prepared
In
Advance for us
To
Do.
How exciting to know that God has very specific things for us to do that he has prepared us to do from the time of our birth. The sad thing is that many of us miss these opportunities for being blessed and blessing others because we are neglecting the "givens" and are tied up with the 'ought to's". P.I.A.T.D's give us JOY and Satisfaction that nothing else can. Once you begin to do the good works that God has prepared you to do, life is filled with purpose and the "abundant life" you have always heard about becomes a reality. This is where "heaven on earth" is felt.
All of us on this Christian journey of following Christ suffer in some form or other but to be in the center of His will doing what He has called us to do, gives a sense of relief and comfort when our suffering comes. I have found that God has prepared me and continues to prepare me to encourage and give hope to Christians who are frustrated with the way they have been living their life. I feel so alive after I have counseled someone and they walk away with their spirits lifted and they see Christ in a new and powerful way. This blog was started to do that very thing and I pray that God is speaking to you through it and encouraging you in your walk with Him.
Ponder your P.I A. T.D's and let me know what God reveals to you. In Him, denise
I am finally ready to reveal what P.I.A.T.D's are. It is found in Ephesians 2:10. "For we are all God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God
Prepared
In
Advance for us
To
Do.
How exciting to know that God has very specific things for us to do that he has prepared us to do from the time of our birth. The sad thing is that many of us miss these opportunities for being blessed and blessing others because we are neglecting the "givens" and are tied up with the 'ought to's". P.I.A.T.D's give us JOY and Satisfaction that nothing else can. Once you begin to do the good works that God has prepared you to do, life is filled with purpose and the "abundant life" you have always heard about becomes a reality. This is where "heaven on earth" is felt.
All of us on this Christian journey of following Christ suffer in some form or other but to be in the center of His will doing what He has called us to do, gives a sense of relief and comfort when our suffering comes. I have found that God has prepared me and continues to prepare me to encourage and give hope to Christians who are frustrated with the way they have been living their life. I feel so alive after I have counseled someone and they walk away with their spirits lifted and they see Christ in a new and powerful way. This blog was started to do that very thing and I pray that God is speaking to you through it and encouraging you in your walk with Him.
Ponder your P.I A. T.D's and let me know what God reveals to you. In Him, denise
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Heavenly Ponderings
Happy Memorial Day!
Here I am again and the month is almost gone but I made it. Yesterday was the last day of school and our family survived another year of public school,homeschool and college life. Everyone is safe and under the same roof again which for me is like heaven. Last night we all sat out on the deck and had dinner,which everyone but me, prepared. See, now doesn't that sound heavenly? Believe me, I need to cherish this while it lasts because by the end of the summer I will be looking forward to the first day of school.
The best part of the evening really came after we had ate and began to share what we each thought was the best and the worst of the school year. The worst were very serious such as the death of a sweet friend and special family member. There were very serious upsets in relationships,heartache over bad decisions and failures in different areas of our lives but the love of God and His faithfulness to our family was evident as we began to share the best stories.
No matter how difficult or long they had to wait, my children came out victorious in their academic endeavors. No matter what frustration they encountered with friends, they remained a good friend. They still have alot to learn about "how to win friends and influence people" but they are trying to keep their head above the water for now and not be dragged under by the constant pressure to be and act like everyone else. This is not easy and they suffered for it in countless ways. Our whole family feels as if we have just come through a very rough roller coaster ride that has left us a little shook up and exhausted. But at the end of this school year we were able to look back with gratitude and laughter. Sam, my now 7th grade son, gave us the closing chuckle. What was his response when asked what was the best and worst of his year?
"Asking out a girl and asking out a girl." :)
PS- I know I promised I would finish up my Proverbs 31 message by talking about P.I.A.T.D's, but I couldn't resist sharing about the family so I will finish up next posting which will be much sooner than the last one. In the meantime.... I haven't heard from many of you in a long time and would love to hear about your year and what you will be pondering this summer.
In Him, denise
Here I am again and the month is almost gone but I made it. Yesterday was the last day of school and our family survived another year of public school,homeschool and college life. Everyone is safe and under the same roof again which for me is like heaven. Last night we all sat out on the deck and had dinner,which everyone but me, prepared. See, now doesn't that sound heavenly? Believe me, I need to cherish this while it lasts because by the end of the summer I will be looking forward to the first day of school.
The best part of the evening really came after we had ate and began to share what we each thought was the best and the worst of the school year. The worst were very serious such as the death of a sweet friend and special family member. There were very serious upsets in relationships,heartache over bad decisions and failures in different areas of our lives but the love of God and His faithfulness to our family was evident as we began to share the best stories.
No matter how difficult or long they had to wait, my children came out victorious in their academic endeavors. No matter what frustration they encountered with friends, they remained a good friend. They still have alot to learn about "how to win friends and influence people" but they are trying to keep their head above the water for now and not be dragged under by the constant pressure to be and act like everyone else. This is not easy and they suffered for it in countless ways. Our whole family feels as if we have just come through a very rough roller coaster ride that has left us a little shook up and exhausted. But at the end of this school year we were able to look back with gratitude and laughter. Sam, my now 7th grade son, gave us the closing chuckle. What was his response when asked what was the best and worst of his year?
"Asking out a girl and asking out a girl." :)
PS- I know I promised I would finish up my Proverbs 31 message by talking about P.I.A.T.D's, but I couldn't resist sharing about the family so I will finish up next posting which will be much sooner than the last one. In the meantime.... I haven't heard from many of you in a long time and would love to hear about your year and what you will be pondering this summer.
In Him, denise
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The Proverbs 31 woman(Part2- The Ought To's)
Hello out there,
My family and I had a much needed rest on beautiful St. George Island, Fla. Did not do much computer work while I was there but I did spend time enjoying friends and family and having great food and good conversation. Rest breeds creativity so here goes at my lame atempt with God's added wisdom to explain Lesson#2 in this continued blog posting.
The" ought to's" are things that a godly woman must be aware of so as not to get caught up in a vicious cycle of busyiness that will always lead to frustration. The ought to's are very decieving because they come disguised as "good works" or very good ideas. The world is always telling us what we should or ought to do in order to be beautiful,smart,happy,successful,rich and a good person. There are so many talk shows out there with advice out the wazoo and so many "hollywood do-gooders" that are leading the way in making the world a better place. It can be a bit overwhelming and confusing on if God is telling you to be like what is constantly being preached to you. Granted, there is some truth in what we hear in these situations. The key word is "some". I don't know about you but when it comes to my time and my life I do not have the energy or want to take the risk on doing things that just have "some" truth ..... I need the whole truth and nothing but the TRUTH! This is when we need to turn off the soundtrack of the world and get alone with the TRUTH, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I love Is. 26:3 and it's simplicity. "You will keep him(her) in perfect peace,whose mind is stayed on You. because he(she) abides or trusts in You." Ought To's fill you with guilt and you never feel like you are doing enough but keeping in touch with the TRUTH on a daily basis fills you with peace and you will only do what He tells you to do. There are many worthy causes in the world but God has a very specific cause He wants you to focus on. Only He knows what that is. Ought To's could be robbing you of P.I. A. T.D."s. My next posting will explain just what exactly that is.:) Ponder that and I will pray that God will begin to show you if you are caught up in the "ought to's".
dede
My family and I had a much needed rest on beautiful St. George Island, Fla. Did not do much computer work while I was there but I did spend time enjoying friends and family and having great food and good conversation. Rest breeds creativity so here goes at my lame atempt with God's added wisdom to explain Lesson#2 in this continued blog posting.
The" ought to's" are things that a godly woman must be aware of so as not to get caught up in a vicious cycle of busyiness that will always lead to frustration. The ought to's are very decieving because they come disguised as "good works" or very good ideas. The world is always telling us what we should or ought to do in order to be beautiful,smart,happy,successful,rich and a good person. There are so many talk shows out there with advice out the wazoo and so many "hollywood do-gooders" that are leading the way in making the world a better place. It can be a bit overwhelming and confusing on if God is telling you to be like what is constantly being preached to you. Granted, there is some truth in what we hear in these situations. The key word is "some". I don't know about you but when it comes to my time and my life I do not have the energy or want to take the risk on doing things that just have "some" truth ..... I need the whole truth and nothing but the TRUTH! This is when we need to turn off the soundtrack of the world and get alone with the TRUTH, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I love Is. 26:3 and it's simplicity. "You will keep him(her) in perfect peace,whose mind is stayed on You. because he(she) abides or trusts in You." Ought To's fill you with guilt and you never feel like you are doing enough but keeping in touch with the TRUTH on a daily basis fills you with peace and you will only do what He tells you to do. There are many worthy causes in the world but God has a very specific cause He wants you to focus on. Only He knows what that is. Ought To's could be robbing you of P.I. A. T.D."s. My next posting will explain just what exactly that is.:) Ponder that and I will pray that God will begin to show you if you are caught up in the "ought to's".
dede
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Proverbs 31 Woman-Part 1(Givens)
Hello Friends and family,
Today is March 31 and at the last minute I am determined to get my monthly post in. I do not think a coincidence that on this 31st day of March God has prompted me to discuss the 31st chapter of Proverbs. It is the very last chapter in that great book in the middle of the Old Testament. Proverbs gives us so much wisdom and discipline about doing what is right and just. In the last chapter we read about the "proverbial" (funny huh?) woman. This chapter fills many a godly woman with fear and frustration. Why? Because this woman seems perfect in every way and we know that even the most godly woman we know still falls short. God has given some valuable insight about this woman that I hope will help you overcome your fear and frustration and truly set you free to do and be all that God desires you to be.
If you are a man reading this don't think you are off the hook. Please continue reading so you can see how you fit into the picture.
Lesson#1-To begin to move toward the idea of the Proverbs 31 woman you should know that there are certain "givens " or things you should not neglect. You should keep your relationship with God fresh and growing by daily communication. This will look different with each woman so do not compare yourself with anyone else. If you work and have a crazy schedule with your kid's activities then turn off your cell phone in the car on the way to work and spend some quality time with your Savior.
Your next priority is your husband.... not your kids. This will make some ladies mad I know and believe me I have not always done a very good job of this myself. You must remember that one day those kids will be out of the nest and you will not know the rooster and it will be him that might just fly the coop as well. It is your job to encourage him and build him up and support him as he supports you and the kids. Have regular date nights and go away as much as possible together to reconnect. Talk and plan and dream about your future together and always pray together.
Now we come to those very demanding children. Yes, they are demanding, that is why we end up putting them first sometimes. The squeaky wheel gets the most attention but it shouldn't in this case. Children need to be taught patience and self-control and when we do whatever they ask as quickly as they ask, we are doing them a disservice. They need to see us putting their father ahead of them at certain times so they can learn to value marriage and the relationship between a husband and a wife. I have told my children that when Daddy and I go away and leave them it is really a blessing to them because Daddy and I get closer and that will benefit them to have a mommy and daddy that love each other. Another thing that is a "given" is teaching our children things that only a mom can teach them. Basically, how to be independant. Learning to take care of their basic needs...it begins in the bathroom and continues to cooking,cleaning,washing clothes, putting gas in the car and making deposits in their bank account from checks they earn at their very first job. My oldest is 21 and it gives me such joy when she calls home and needs a new recipe or has a question about how to do something in her little apartment.
At last we come to the "whatever" in Col.3:17." And whatever you do , whether in word or deed,do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,giving thanks to God the Father through Him." We all have different "whatevers". Some of us are stay at home moms so our house is our whatevers and it may be more organized or cleaner that the moms who have to work outside the homes. If you have a job and you do it with excellence and integrity, that is your whatever. If you have been blessed and you have extra time to give and volunteer with a ministry or PTA then that is your whatever. The Proverbs 31 woman is to use her time wisely no matter what her whatever is. Sometimes using your time wisely is resting and being good to yourself. Believe me, this benefits everyone... because "when mama ain't happy,nobody's happy."
This concludes Part 1. I will be posting part 2(Ought To's) next week during a nice rest during Spring Break. Have a beautiful RESSURECTION SUNDAY!!!! Please ponder the amazing miracle of Life after death and know that if you believe in Jesus... you too will RISE AGAIN!!!!! denise
Today is March 31 and at the last minute I am determined to get my monthly post in. I do not think a coincidence that on this 31st day of March God has prompted me to discuss the 31st chapter of Proverbs. It is the very last chapter in that great book in the middle of the Old Testament. Proverbs gives us so much wisdom and discipline about doing what is right and just. In the last chapter we read about the "proverbial" (funny huh?) woman. This chapter fills many a godly woman with fear and frustration. Why? Because this woman seems perfect in every way and we know that even the most godly woman we know still falls short. God has given some valuable insight about this woman that I hope will help you overcome your fear and frustration and truly set you free to do and be all that God desires you to be.
If you are a man reading this don't think you are off the hook. Please continue reading so you can see how you fit into the picture.
Lesson#1-To begin to move toward the idea of the Proverbs 31 woman you should know that there are certain "givens " or things you should not neglect. You should keep your relationship with God fresh and growing by daily communication. This will look different with each woman so do not compare yourself with anyone else. If you work and have a crazy schedule with your kid's activities then turn off your cell phone in the car on the way to work and spend some quality time with your Savior.
Your next priority is your husband.... not your kids. This will make some ladies mad I know and believe me I have not always done a very good job of this myself. You must remember that one day those kids will be out of the nest and you will not know the rooster and it will be him that might just fly the coop as well. It is your job to encourage him and build him up and support him as he supports you and the kids. Have regular date nights and go away as much as possible together to reconnect. Talk and plan and dream about your future together and always pray together.
Now we come to those very demanding children. Yes, they are demanding, that is why we end up putting them first sometimes. The squeaky wheel gets the most attention but it shouldn't in this case. Children need to be taught patience and self-control and when we do whatever they ask as quickly as they ask, we are doing them a disservice. They need to see us putting their father ahead of them at certain times so they can learn to value marriage and the relationship between a husband and a wife. I have told my children that when Daddy and I go away and leave them it is really a blessing to them because Daddy and I get closer and that will benefit them to have a mommy and daddy that love each other. Another thing that is a "given" is teaching our children things that only a mom can teach them. Basically, how to be independant. Learning to take care of their basic needs...it begins in the bathroom and continues to cooking,cleaning,washing clothes, putting gas in the car and making deposits in their bank account from checks they earn at their very first job. My oldest is 21 and it gives me such joy when she calls home and needs a new recipe or has a question about how to do something in her little apartment.
At last we come to the "whatever" in Col.3:17." And whatever you do , whether in word or deed,do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,giving thanks to God the Father through Him." We all have different "whatevers". Some of us are stay at home moms so our house is our whatevers and it may be more organized or cleaner that the moms who have to work outside the homes. If you have a job and you do it with excellence and integrity, that is your whatever. If you have been blessed and you have extra time to give and volunteer with a ministry or PTA then that is your whatever. The Proverbs 31 woman is to use her time wisely no matter what her whatever is. Sometimes using your time wisely is resting and being good to yourself. Believe me, this benefits everyone... because "when mama ain't happy,nobody's happy."
This concludes Part 1. I will be posting part 2(Ought To's) next week during a nice rest during Spring Break. Have a beautiful RESSURECTION SUNDAY!!!! Please ponder the amazing miracle of Life after death and know that if you believe in Jesus... you too will RISE AGAIN!!!!! denise
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
ABIDE Part 2
Dear precious friends and family,
February has been a month of abiding in ways that have stretched us to our limits. My husband's mother lost her battle with ovarian cancer on February 10 and we began to abide heavily upon our Lord and comforter as we said goodbye. After many conversations in the last year, we have the assurance that she is truly abiding with Christ and that thought comforts us most of all. 1John 4:13 reminds us that ,"God has given us His Spirit as proof that we abide in Him and He abides in us."
To us that still must linger in this world to do what God has called us to do we need to be aware of the fact that we always have a choice as we go about our daily routine.
We can choose to submit our thoughts,emotions and will and renew our minds with the truth of God's word. Sometimes we choose not to do this and instead we choose to believe a lie.
All of us, no matter if you grew up in the best of families and circumstances have developed false beliefs. These lies creep in so subtley. Someone in your family may have said,"You're the smart one and your sister is the pretty one." All of your life,even know as an adult you may still believe that you are ugly. Maybe as a boy your father never told you that he was proud of you so you grew up believing that you must work harder to get your father's approval. His approval never came and so you feel like a failure. But feelings can lie to you. Even your own eyes can lie to you. Think of all the young skinny girls who feel fat and look in the mirror and see a fat girl so they begin to starve themselves. My children will tell you with a chuckle, how I would correct them if they spoke one of these kind of false beliefs. When they would say something like,"I am stupid" or "My face looks horrible", I would always say,"That is a lie straight from the devil."
That usually got their attention and also identified who was whispering these lies to them. I would remind them that focusing on God's word would give them the real truth.
Abiding in God's word is the key to escaping these false beliefs. We must read His word and be able to recall it when these thoughts come popping into our minds. Here is an example: When this thought pops in,"I do not measure up. I am not worthy of love."; meditate on God's truth about you instead."Christ has made me accepted in HIm."(Eph.1:6.Ps.139:13-18),"I am chosen,righteous,holy,a saint:a new creation."(2Cor. 5:17;1peter2:9;1Cor.1:2)
As you ponder these wonderful truths I will be praying John 15:7 for you. " As my friends and family abide in You and Your words abide in them,May they ask of You what they desire and may it be done for them." In Jesus(TRUTH) name I pray,Amen
February has been a month of abiding in ways that have stretched us to our limits. My husband's mother lost her battle with ovarian cancer on February 10 and we began to abide heavily upon our Lord and comforter as we said goodbye. After many conversations in the last year, we have the assurance that she is truly abiding with Christ and that thought comforts us most of all. 1John 4:13 reminds us that ,"God has given us His Spirit as proof that we abide in Him and He abides in us."
To us that still must linger in this world to do what God has called us to do we need to be aware of the fact that we always have a choice as we go about our daily routine.
We can choose to submit our thoughts,emotions and will and renew our minds with the truth of God's word. Sometimes we choose not to do this and instead we choose to believe a lie.
All of us, no matter if you grew up in the best of families and circumstances have developed false beliefs. These lies creep in so subtley. Someone in your family may have said,"You're the smart one and your sister is the pretty one." All of your life,even know as an adult you may still believe that you are ugly. Maybe as a boy your father never told you that he was proud of you so you grew up believing that you must work harder to get your father's approval. His approval never came and so you feel like a failure. But feelings can lie to you. Even your own eyes can lie to you. Think of all the young skinny girls who feel fat and look in the mirror and see a fat girl so they begin to starve themselves. My children will tell you with a chuckle, how I would correct them if they spoke one of these kind of false beliefs. When they would say something like,"I am stupid" or "My face looks horrible", I would always say,"That is a lie straight from the devil."
That usually got their attention and also identified who was whispering these lies to them. I would remind them that focusing on God's word would give them the real truth.
Abiding in God's word is the key to escaping these false beliefs. We must read His word and be able to recall it when these thoughts come popping into our minds. Here is an example: When this thought pops in,"I do not measure up. I am not worthy of love."; meditate on God's truth about you instead."Christ has made me accepted in HIm."(Eph.1:6.Ps.139:13-18),"I am chosen,righteous,holy,a saint:a new creation."(2Cor. 5:17;1peter2:9;1Cor.1:2)
As you ponder these wonderful truths I will be praying John 15:7 for you. " As my friends and family abide in You and Your words abide in them,May they ask of You what they desire and may it be done for them." In Jesus(TRUTH) name I pray,Amen
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Dear Bride,Abide
Happy 2010 my friends and family.
I tried several times to type a new postings since my last one in Nov. but life got in the way and the words just didn't come. Even now, this is like pulling teeth and I am struggling to get my thoughts focused and recorded. Dec. was the most difficult month and Christmas the most difficult holiday I have ever experienced . If you live in Cumming, you know about the death of one of Madie's friends a few days before Christmas and if you are one of my close friends you know of Kenny's mom and her battle with ovarian cancer. Our family is shaken and in great sorrow. The Lord was faithful as always and gave me 'the word' for 2010 and it has been just what we have needed as we try to get through these hard places. The word is not a common word and can only be found in the King james version of the bible. ABIDE . It has many layers as you begin to study and read the scriptures where you find this wonderful word. It means to continue,to remain,to survive as the undestroyed part,to continue unchanged. WOW.... do we all need to abide as we struggle through this world and all the trials and temptations we face on a daily basis. God speaks through acrostic poetry asI focus on the words he gives me each year.(i promise one day i will publish a book with all of them) Here is the poem for ABIDE.
To abide we must be:
Aware and available-1 John 2:28-"Abide in Him(continue to have fellowship with Christ) so that when he returns you will have confidence and not be ashamed at His coming." Abiding is like floating. Laying back in the water and trusting it to keep you afloat. You have to be still or you will sink. You can not go to sleep or you will sink. Abiding is that place in between. Trusting in Christ to keep you afloat,resting in His arms,but aware of His every move and available to do as He tells you.
Broken- Suffering is universal but brokenness is a choice. 1 john 2:6 "He who says that he abides in God should live their lives as Christ did. "
Brokenness is a complete surrender to God. It means giving up all your rights just as Jesus did. Brokeness is a doorway that God walks through to show us how He wants to use us to further His kingdom. When you suffer,choose to be broken not bitter and allow God to do amazing things as you abide (trust)in Him.
Inclining-Psalm 91:1 -"Those who abide in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the ALMIGHTY!" We must lean in toward God and incline our ear to hear his voice and recieve His comfort. God is always inclining Himself toward us. He is so eager for us to turn towards Him and Abide in His shadow to get the rest we need to recover from the arrows the enemy shoots our way.
Delivering-1John 4:16- "Those who abide in love,abide in God. John 15:4- "abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine,neither can you unless you abide in Me. "
If you are abiding you will be delivering the fruit of the spirit to all you encounter.(love,peace,gentleness etc) What are we delivering? It depends on what we are abiding in.
Enduring-Abiding also means remaining or waiting- God wants us to wait patiently for His return. James5:7-8- "Therefore be patient until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth waiting patiently for it until it recieves the early and latter rains, you also be patient. Establish your hearts for the coming of the lord is at hand. "Rev3:10 says," Because you have obeyed my command to persevere , I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world." Oswald Chambers makes the comment," it is man's day(much testing) and we must ABIDE in prayerfully centered patience until God sees fit to put an end to man's day." I end with john15:7-" If You ABIDE in ME and My words ABIDE in you,you may ask any request you like and it will be granted. "My friends as the Bride of Christ... we must ABIDE and we will survive as the undestroyed part. (part 2 will continue in next posting)
I tried several times to type a new postings since my last one in Nov. but life got in the way and the words just didn't come. Even now, this is like pulling teeth and I am struggling to get my thoughts focused and recorded. Dec. was the most difficult month and Christmas the most difficult holiday I have ever experienced . If you live in Cumming, you know about the death of one of Madie's friends a few days before Christmas and if you are one of my close friends you know of Kenny's mom and her battle with ovarian cancer. Our family is shaken and in great sorrow. The Lord was faithful as always and gave me 'the word' for 2010 and it has been just what we have needed as we try to get through these hard places. The word is not a common word and can only be found in the King james version of the bible. ABIDE . It has many layers as you begin to study and read the scriptures where you find this wonderful word. It means to continue,to remain,to survive as the undestroyed part,to continue unchanged. WOW.... do we all need to abide as we struggle through this world and all the trials and temptations we face on a daily basis. God speaks through acrostic poetry asI focus on the words he gives me each year.(i promise one day i will publish a book with all of them) Here is the poem for ABIDE.
To abide we must be:
Aware and available-1 John 2:28-"Abide in Him(continue to have fellowship with Christ) so that when he returns you will have confidence and not be ashamed at His coming." Abiding is like floating. Laying back in the water and trusting it to keep you afloat. You have to be still or you will sink. You can not go to sleep or you will sink. Abiding is that place in between. Trusting in Christ to keep you afloat,resting in His arms,but aware of His every move and available to do as He tells you.
Broken- Suffering is universal but brokenness is a choice. 1 john 2:6 "He who says that he abides in God should live their lives as Christ did. "
Brokenness is a complete surrender to God. It means giving up all your rights just as Jesus did. Brokeness is a doorway that God walks through to show us how He wants to use us to further His kingdom. When you suffer,choose to be broken not bitter and allow God to do amazing things as you abide (trust)in Him.
Inclining-Psalm 91:1 -"Those who abide in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the ALMIGHTY!" We must lean in toward God and incline our ear to hear his voice and recieve His comfort. God is always inclining Himself toward us. He is so eager for us to turn towards Him and Abide in His shadow to get the rest we need to recover from the arrows the enemy shoots our way.
Delivering-1John 4:16- "Those who abide in love,abide in God. John 15:4- "abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine,neither can you unless you abide in Me. "
If you are abiding you will be delivering the fruit of the spirit to all you encounter.(love,peace,gentleness etc) What are we delivering? It depends on what we are abiding in.
Enduring-Abiding also means remaining or waiting- God wants us to wait patiently for His return. James5:7-8- "Therefore be patient until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth waiting patiently for it until it recieves the early and latter rains, you also be patient. Establish your hearts for the coming of the lord is at hand. "Rev3:10 says," Because you have obeyed my command to persevere , I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world." Oswald Chambers makes the comment," it is man's day(much testing) and we must ABIDE in prayerfully centered patience until God sees fit to put an end to man's day." I end with john15:7-" If You ABIDE in ME and My words ABIDE in you,you may ask any request you like and it will be granted. "My friends as the Bride of Christ... we must ABIDE and we will survive as the undestroyed part. (part 2 will continue in next posting)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)