I mentioned in my previous post the battle I have fought since the beginning of last week. I was unsure about some things. I had received some information and didn't know quite how to process it. Because of this, Satan was able to come in and confuse me. Yes, I tried reading the Word and praying for clarity. The funny thing was that I was feeling condemnation over something I hadn't done, but wasn't really sure I was supposed to do in the first place.
Well, because of the special services on Monday and Tuesday last week we didn't have Life Group. So this Wednesday was our first Life Group since all that. Praise God for Life Group! In choosing to share my struggles God gave me much insight through the responses I got. What a HUGE blessing to have others who have gone farther in their walk with Christ that are willing to share their experiences and wisdom.
I know I talk alot about the importance of being an active part of the Body and particularly a small group, but this past week has been a perfect example of why it is so important. Without that help from them I could have sat in confusion or condemnation far to long. And Satan would have had a field day with me. But, thanks be to God, for pressing us to be a part of a church that takes doing this thing together very seriously. Otherwise, who knows where we would end up.
Yes, once again, I am encouraging you to step out and become a part of a church and a small group that takes following The Way seriously. (but has fun while doing it) We CAN NOT do this alone. That is why God gave us Himself and also told us to be the body. Working together for others and for each other to glorify the One Most Worthy.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Not too chatty
It's been almost a whole week since I last posted. Hmmm. I guess I'm just not that chatty right now. Honestly, I only share a small portion of my life here on the blog and I just haven't had that much to share lately.
Some family stuff: both Bobo and Bear are very good at riding their bikes without training wheels now. We spend most afternoons outside and they rarely get off them. Princess loves to sing and I feel confident that God has gifted her musically. Popeye's hair seems to get redder by the minute. He was my blond baby, but not anymore.
Some random stuff: I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow and then on Friday will color it. And, yes, I'm keeping the blue. We're planning a trip to Sea World San Antonio in May! Wahoo! I just finished reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time ever. My favorite movie of all time is Pride and Prejudice (starring Keira Knightly sp?) and I finally got around to reading the book. It was great and I believe the movie did it justice.
Some God stuff: Last week Satan attacked me hard. I felt beaten down and frustrated. Then on Monday I woke up in a bad mood. Everyone else suffered because I didn't do anything about it. So on Tuesday when I woke up in the same mood I decided enough was enough. I put in my Hillsong DVD and praised God. Then I cleaned my living room. Then I put on a Beth Moore DVD I have and watched the lesson on wisdom. Good stuff. After lunch I put on a CD of the sermon our Pastor gave on Eastor that I hadn't heard yet, because I worked in the nursery that morning. I was determined to saturate myself with the Word and force the bad mood to leave. It worked and God spoke something to me that I desperately needed to hear.
God has been doing a mighty work in my life over the past year. He has freed me from some strongholds and filled me with His power like never before. My life looks different and my attitude usually does too. Well, I was really down after this last week mainly because Satan was trying to convince me that all the work in me God had done this past year was for naught. That I had somehow in the matter of a day backtracked to where I was last year. God spoke very clearly into my spirit that Satan was bluffing. The changes that God has made in me are not so very insignificant that they can be gone in a day. Of course, if I choose to walk in the flesh day after day over a period of time the changes will not hold any power simply because I chose not to live in that power. But I have not, nor will I ever make that choice. I chose to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit every day, every hour, every minute for as long as God allows me to live.
I don't feel like I'm doing a good job of getting my point across. I want this to bring hope to someone today who has let Satan try to convince them that they are no different or that they can't ever change. The TRUTH is that when you have the Holy Spirit living in you, you ARE a new creation. NOT: you will be. The old has gone, the new has come. Yes, some change takes time and effort, some change happens supernaturally, but God has made you different and just because you happen to react in the old way one time doesn't mean you have blown it. Paul talks about running the race and finishing well and this picture just came to me: When I mess up I have fallen down in the race. I get up and continue on from there. I don't go back to the starting line and start all over. God has brought me this far in my race and yes, last week I fell down, but I got up and I am continuing on. Not starting over. The changes that God has made in me are still changed. I'm still a new creation and so are you. So, If you haven't already, get up. Get up and continue on and don't listen to the lies of the enemy. God has done a work in you that even you yourself can't mess up that easily.
There is one word for what Satan was trying to pull with me last week: CONDEMNATION. And there is one scripture that I need to say in his face to shut him up. Memorize it and USE IT.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Verse 2 is great too: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
Some family stuff: both Bobo and Bear are very good at riding their bikes without training wheels now. We spend most afternoons outside and they rarely get off them. Princess loves to sing and I feel confident that God has gifted her musically. Popeye's hair seems to get redder by the minute. He was my blond baby, but not anymore.
Some random stuff: I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow and then on Friday will color it. And, yes, I'm keeping the blue. We're planning a trip to Sea World San Antonio in May! Wahoo! I just finished reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time ever. My favorite movie of all time is Pride and Prejudice (starring Keira Knightly sp?) and I finally got around to reading the book. It was great and I believe the movie did it justice.
Some God stuff: Last week Satan attacked me hard. I felt beaten down and frustrated. Then on Monday I woke up in a bad mood. Everyone else suffered because I didn't do anything about it. So on Tuesday when I woke up in the same mood I decided enough was enough. I put in my Hillsong DVD and praised God. Then I cleaned my living room. Then I put on a Beth Moore DVD I have and watched the lesson on wisdom. Good stuff. After lunch I put on a CD of the sermon our Pastor gave on Eastor that I hadn't heard yet, because I worked in the nursery that morning. I was determined to saturate myself with the Word and force the bad mood to leave. It worked and God spoke something to me that I desperately needed to hear.
God has been doing a mighty work in my life over the past year. He has freed me from some strongholds and filled me with His power like never before. My life looks different and my attitude usually does too. Well, I was really down after this last week mainly because Satan was trying to convince me that all the work in me God had done this past year was for naught. That I had somehow in the matter of a day backtracked to where I was last year. God spoke very clearly into my spirit that Satan was bluffing. The changes that God has made in me are not so very insignificant that they can be gone in a day. Of course, if I choose to walk in the flesh day after day over a period of time the changes will not hold any power simply because I chose not to live in that power. But I have not, nor will I ever make that choice. I chose to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit every day, every hour, every minute for as long as God allows me to live.
I don't feel like I'm doing a good job of getting my point across. I want this to bring hope to someone today who has let Satan try to convince them that they are no different or that they can't ever change. The TRUTH is that when you have the Holy Spirit living in you, you ARE a new creation. NOT: you will be. The old has gone, the new has come. Yes, some change takes time and effort, some change happens supernaturally, but God has made you different and just because you happen to react in the old way one time doesn't mean you have blown it. Paul talks about running the race and finishing well and this picture just came to me: When I mess up I have fallen down in the race. I get up and continue on from there. I don't go back to the starting line and start all over. God has brought me this far in my race and yes, last week I fell down, but I got up and I am continuing on. Not starting over. The changes that God has made in me are still changed. I'm still a new creation and so are you. So, If you haven't already, get up. Get up and continue on and don't listen to the lies of the enemy. God has done a work in you that even you yourself can't mess up that easily.
There is one word for what Satan was trying to pull with me last week: CONDEMNATION. And there is one scripture that I need to say in his face to shut him up. Memorize it and USE IT.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Verse 2 is great too: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Warrior Within
My husband posted on Beyond Sundays so make sure and check it out!
Things are getting serious. God is ready to move in a mighty way and He is looking for followers who are willing to give it all.
The beginning of this week was very intense for me. On Sunday morning we had a guest speaker in our church who has the gift of healing. But, last year God told him to give his gift away. So since then he has been imparting the gift of healing to others and then letting them actually do the healing. Honestly, this was my first experience with anything like this. And it was nothing like what I had seen on tv. There was no loud yelling, running all over the stage, waving a hanky, sweat dripping all over, and people either fainting or being pushed over. It was very calm, normal, and at times a little boring. Praise God! Not once did Paul Costa (guest speaker) heal someone. His purpose was to give his gift away and that is what he did. We saw some wonderful things (God healed many people) and the thing I liked the most was that at the end of Tuesday night (last night of his visit) Paul imparted the gift of healing to everyone there that wanted it. The character of Jesus that I understand wouldn't want it any other way. It isn't God's design for only a select few to do wonderful things for Him. God gives everyone who believes the Holy Spirit and expects them all to do the miraclulous. So why don't we?
I am completely convinced that there is a spirit of unbelief in the church in America. We have fallen prey to this spirit mostly because we don't know God well enough to believe Him. How sad. God has given us everything we need to know and believe Him. HIS WORD. Yet so very few of us use it. I don't trust people I don't know so what makes me think I will trust God without knowing Him? WE HAVE TO KNOW OUR GOD!!!!!!! Paul the apostle says in 2 Timothy 1:12 "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, BECAUSE I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day. Do you know our God? NOT: Do you know about our God?
Also, I believe we have fallen prey to the spirit of unbelief because we have gotten fat and lazy. Frankly, we never exercise our faith. James 2:17 says "In the same way, faith by itself , if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." What action must accompany faith so that it is alive? The same kind of action that Jesus took. Trusting God with our lives even when it isn't comfortable or easy. Putting ourselves out there to share the gospel. Healing the sick and clothing the poor. But, honestly, how many of us really exercise our faith? How many of us only exercise our faith when we have nothing else and then find that it is so very weak due to the lack of exercise.
WAKE UP CHURCH!!! (and I mean this for myself more than anyone else) Let's not miss it!
On Tuesday Satan launched an assault on my faith. Monday night at the church Paul imparted to me and Bobo the gift of healing. Satan wasted no time in attacking. And I can't say I was that prepared. After telling RC how I felt and crying alot, I read Jude and 2 Timothy 1. Jude verse 3 begs us to fight for our faith. The message paraphrase says to fight with everything we have in us for our faith. If it is the thing that we cannot please God without then it is the thing Satan most wants to take from us. And unfortunately, in most churches he has succeeded. In most christians he has succeeded.
NO MORE!!! We are more than conquerors in Christ (Romans 8:37) and we need to start acting like it! Let's take up our swords (the Word of God) and let's fight!!! Even if it's to the death, because our God has conquered the grave and death has lost it's sting! I am begging you (and myself) let's fight with everything we have for our faith! Let's let God rise up the warrior within us and let's do this! For the One who gave it all for us!
Things are getting serious. God is ready to move in a mighty way and He is looking for followers who are willing to give it all.
The beginning of this week was very intense for me. On Sunday morning we had a guest speaker in our church who has the gift of healing. But, last year God told him to give his gift away. So since then he has been imparting the gift of healing to others and then letting them actually do the healing. Honestly, this was my first experience with anything like this. And it was nothing like what I had seen on tv. There was no loud yelling, running all over the stage, waving a hanky, sweat dripping all over, and people either fainting or being pushed over. It was very calm, normal, and at times a little boring. Praise God! Not once did Paul Costa (guest speaker) heal someone. His purpose was to give his gift away and that is what he did. We saw some wonderful things (God healed many people) and the thing I liked the most was that at the end of Tuesday night (last night of his visit) Paul imparted the gift of healing to everyone there that wanted it. The character of Jesus that I understand wouldn't want it any other way. It isn't God's design for only a select few to do wonderful things for Him. God gives everyone who believes the Holy Spirit and expects them all to do the miraclulous. So why don't we?
I am completely convinced that there is a spirit of unbelief in the church in America. We have fallen prey to this spirit mostly because we don't know God well enough to believe Him. How sad. God has given us everything we need to know and believe Him. HIS WORD. Yet so very few of us use it. I don't trust people I don't know so what makes me think I will trust God without knowing Him? WE HAVE TO KNOW OUR GOD!!!!!!! Paul the apostle says in 2 Timothy 1:12 "That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, BECAUSE I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day. Do you know our God? NOT: Do you know about our God?
Also, I believe we have fallen prey to the spirit of unbelief because we have gotten fat and lazy. Frankly, we never exercise our faith. James 2:17 says "In the same way, faith by itself , if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." What action must accompany faith so that it is alive? The same kind of action that Jesus took. Trusting God with our lives even when it isn't comfortable or easy. Putting ourselves out there to share the gospel. Healing the sick and clothing the poor. But, honestly, how many of us really exercise our faith? How many of us only exercise our faith when we have nothing else and then find that it is so very weak due to the lack of exercise.
WAKE UP CHURCH!!! (and I mean this for myself more than anyone else) Let's not miss it!
On Tuesday Satan launched an assault on my faith. Monday night at the church Paul imparted to me and Bobo the gift of healing. Satan wasted no time in attacking. And I can't say I was that prepared. After telling RC how I felt and crying alot, I read Jude and 2 Timothy 1. Jude verse 3 begs us to fight for our faith. The message paraphrase says to fight with everything we have in us for our faith. If it is the thing that we cannot please God without then it is the thing Satan most wants to take from us. And unfortunately, in most churches he has succeeded. In most christians he has succeeded.
NO MORE!!! We are more than conquerors in Christ (Romans 8:37) and we need to start acting like it! Let's take up our swords (the Word of God) and let's fight!!! Even if it's to the death, because our God has conquered the grave and death has lost it's sting! I am begging you (and myself) let's fight with everything we have for our faith! Let's let God rise up the warrior within us and let's do this! For the One who gave it all for us!
Sunday, April 6, 2008
What I have received, I give to you...
A man whom God has given the gift of healing is visiting our church today through Tuesday. Besides getting to witness God's mighty power bringing healing to many people I am getting to witness the gift of healing being imparted to others. I am asking God if it's also for me and I believe it is. Two conditions must be met to receive spiritual gifts:
1. we must desire the gifts - 1 Cor. 12:31
2. we must ask for the gifts - Luke 11:11-13
I desperately desire! I desperately desire to see God's Glory!!!! I desperately desire FAITH! For without faith it is impossible to please God. I desperately desire to please God!
Oh, Father, you are so much beyond our imagination. Forgive me for thinking so small. I want others to believe! I want to see you magnified, glorified, praised and adored! I want everything You want for me, for us, for this world.
HERE AM I!! SEND ME!
1. we must desire the gifts - 1 Cor. 12:31
2. we must ask for the gifts - Luke 11:11-13
I desperately desire! I desperately desire to see God's Glory!!!! I desperately desire FAITH! For without faith it is impossible to please God. I desperately desire to please God!
Oh, Father, you are so much beyond our imagination. Forgive me for thinking so small. I want others to believe! I want to see you magnified, glorified, praised and adored! I want everything You want for me, for us, for this world.
HERE AM I!! SEND ME!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Nate, Tricia, and Gwyneth
As I am typing this Tricia is in the OR getting her new lungs. Today is Nate's 27th birthday. What a present! Nate and Tricia have always been aware that for Tricia to have life someone has to have lost theirs. Please check out their site and pray for them and the donors family. http://www.cfhusband.blogspot.com/
Updates and stuff
It's after nine pm and I'm rather tired, but really want to post this stuff so anywho...
The potty training isn't going so great. I was pretty sure at the time I last posted about it that I was speaking too soon and sure enough. The novelty of big girl panties and going on the big potty has worn off and now she is only going on the potty when she wants to. Which I'm completely over trying to determine when she wants to, so right now we are back to diapers, but still going on the potty. Yes, it probably is confusing her b/c it's confusing me, but frankly, my plan was to wait and do this during the summer when I don't have to be busy with lessons. If she doesn't get potty trained before then fine by me. =)
The pics are of some workbook schooling this morning. Princess was drawing 'puppies' and Popeye opted for school work on the couch.
The last one is of my blue hair. I ran outside and snapped a pic myself, then ran back inside and put on some lip gloss, then ran back outside and snapped the one you see. I tried the whole serious look thing and I can't pull it off. I'm just not cool like that.=)
The potty training isn't going so great. I was pretty sure at the time I last posted about it that I was speaking too soon and sure enough. The novelty of big girl panties and going on the big potty has worn off and now she is only going on the potty when she wants to. Which I'm completely over trying to determine when she wants to, so right now we are back to diapers, but still going on the potty. Yes, it probably is confusing her b/c it's confusing me, but frankly, my plan was to wait and do this during the summer when I don't have to be busy with lessons. If she doesn't get potty trained before then fine by me. =)
The pics are of some workbook schooling this morning. Princess was drawing 'puppies' and Popeye opted for school work on the couch.
The last one is of my blue hair. I ran outside and snapped a pic myself, then ran back inside and put on some lip gloss, then ran back outside and snapped the one you see. I tried the whole serious look thing and I can't pull it off. I'm just not cool like that.=)
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