WORD OF GOD SPEAK

I know that I haven't posted in a few days. August 29th marked a new year for me....and I am so thankful! My birthday gift to myself is to truly allow God to make ALL things new in my life this year! So, I have been taking some extra time reading my instruction manual (BIBLE). Right now, I'm finding myself at a loss for words, and the funny thing is, It's ok.

CALL TO WORSHIP

A few years ago, I was a Mary Kay consultant. Part of being successful was gathering referrals and making "cold" calls. These calls were for the purpose of introducing Mary Kay, setting up skin care classes and offering the opportunity to take advantage of the benefits of being part of the Mary Kay family. Responses ranged from great enthusiasm to dial tone, but in every case, the Mary Kay name was introduced and a seed was planted. So, I'm thinking....... A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the most awesomely beneficial and life-changing thing that I could offer another person. Why not be as diligent in my Father's business as I was Mary Kay? Why not pray that the Holy Spirit "refer" people, daily, who need to know about the opportunity of salvation? Then, make it a priority to reach the people on my "list." Whether met with rejoicing or rejection, the name of Jesus will be introduced and the name planted. After all, doesn't everyone deserve a "call to worship"?

TUNNEL VISION

I know that God has not given us a spirit of fear. But, just being real, he has not yet delivered me from my fear of driving over bridges. I love to see bodies of water. I think they are some of the most beautiful, tranquility inducing creations that God has made. That is, if I am standing on solid ground looking at them. Seeing the vastness of the water and being suspended above it with only a man-made structure for support leads me to just a bit of anxiety. But tunnel bridges like this one are a different story. It seems that I would be more anxious knowing that the water is not only under me but surrounds me. I guess that being enclosed, knowing but not actually seeing what lies on the outside, gives me peace. This picture coincides with what God is doing in my life. There are many areas that God is moving me forward in right now, like returning to school, volunteering for Hospice and the Guardian Ad Litem Programs, getting fully connected and involved in a new church home, mapping out a plan for a nonprofit organization, to name a few. He has shown me the destination to which I am headed and mapped out a course for me. My only instruction is to go...to move forward. So, I leave the solid ground that I now stand on and step out in faith across unchartered waters in my life. When I feel overwhelmed, God will act as my tunnel and cocoon me so that I don't get so caught up in the things and circumstances -good or bad- along my journey, to the point where I am distracted or caught in a traffic jam of fear that will delay me in reaching my particular point B. I move forward with God's light as my guide...not knowing exactly where I am on the road but knowing that I AM headed in the right direction and WILL eventually reach the promised land on the other side. Keep traveling through the abundant life that God wants to give you....and be sure to take the tunnels when needed!

ARE YOU STARVING IN THE ORCHARD?

So...I'm determined once again (this time for once and for all) to take better care of my temple so that it will be in the condition that God needs it to be to carry and/or accomplish anything that he sets forth in my life. One thing I am doing is consciously increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables. Fruits are not a problem. I think the majority of people love fruit. It is sweet, refreshing and filling. All of the things we look for in the artificial stuff..without all of the calories and unwanted extras. Some say, "the perfect food." The Lord has been ministering to me about translating that natural revelation about fruit to the spiritual. He began to show me all the times that I would repeatedly pray for peace, joy, patience,love, faithfulness, kindness, goodness...you know the Fruit of the Spirit. He asked, "Why do you starve standing in an orchard of perpetual supply?" HMMMM.... As I meditated on the question, I had a light bulb moment! Those atributes are not called fruit just because they are sweet, or because they grow from the flowering vine of the Holy Spirit. They are called fruit because they hold within themselves constant renewal. When we eat fruit in the natural, we usually discard the seeds. The parts of the fruit that hold the embryos, that will produce the shoots, that will produce....MORE FRUIT!!! FOR FREE...NO PRICE....just a little water and cultivation! If the Spirit of God dwells in us then we already produce all that we need to be fed with a sustaining supply of the Fruit of the Spirit. The Lord has given you peace...the more you actively plant the seeds of peace from your fruit into situations or people that seem to have no peace, the more peace will abound and your spirit man will be filled constantly and consistently with the sweet fruit of peace. The same goes for the rest of the fruit! So, stop starving in the orchard. Eat the fruit, cultivate the seeds, reap the harvest and enjoy!

NO MORE SHRINKING VIOLET!

I was going through some photography
that my friend, Derek, had taken for me.
(By the way, God has given him awesome talent. If you need some pictures, let me know, I'll point you in his direction.) Continuing on now......I came across this picture he had taken of some violets. I always liked violets. Partially because the most prevalent variety is purple....my favorite color. I did a web search and found out that violets thrive and flourish in almost any condition and for this reason it is sometimes pulled like a weed by some gardeners! Then I thought about the term "shrinking violet." It is used to describe someone who is shy or seeks to stay in the background. I realized that over the past years I had allowed myself to become a shrinking violet. GASP! I was misled to believe that in order to be humble, that was the posture that I was to take. In actuality, instead of becoming a shrinking violet, I should have blossomed and flourished as God wanted me to under the care of his hands in any and every situation, place or circumstance where he told me to be bold, beautiful and emit the intoxicating fragrance of the Holy Spirit....to stand out among the rest of the garden for HIS glory ! As I allowed God to minister to me, I realized that true humbleness is being open to the instructions of God. It is willingness to being led by the Holy Spirit without question or reservation. It is being the fullness of the person that God created you to be without thinking more highly of yourself than you should. It is being grateful for every blessing, circumstance and situation, no matter how great or small, knowing that ALL things are working for your good. I had a friend tell me that she saw a renewed boldness in me that she could appreciate. I praise Jesus for restoration of that. I thank Jesus that even as I have allowed myself to be treated as a weed, he continued to plant seeds that are now flourishing into great confidence. The confidence to continue the race and carry out the plans that God has for my life. BE BOLD! BE BEAUTIFUL! BE FRAGRANT! No More "shrinking" violets.

32Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. 33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. 38 But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. 39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. ~ Hebrews 10:32-39

I WANNA BE YOURS

I literally woke up this morning singing. It was the weirdest thing because when I heard myself I was in the middle of a sentence that is in the middle of a song that I haven't listened to in a long time. I assume that the song was abundant in my heart this morning (....for out of the abundance [overflow] of the heart the mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 AMP.) Anyway, I thought I would share my hearts song with you. I think it will be my prayer today :)

I WANNA BE YOURS by Fred Hammond

Before the world was made you knew me.
Before I knew my name, you called.
Reaching out for me with loving arms, telling me that I am yours.
Sometimes, turning away from you.
But you love still remains faithful and true.
What can I give in return for all you've done for me?

Before I was born you knew me
Called me to your arms of love
Born into sin deserving death, but life is what you gave to me.
Sometimes turning my back from you
But your love still remains faithful and true
What can I give in return for all you've done for me?

Oh Lord you made me and you know me
From the beginning you held my heart, you held me close
So I wont resist you
But as you intended, I wanna be yours

Oh Lord you made me and you know me
From the beginning, you held my heart you held me close
So I wont resist you
But as you intended, I wanna be yours...



AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DARE TO BE DISSATISFIED

The other night a friend told me that he went to bed hungry. I thought that my friend had not eaten anything but later was told that he had eaten a few frozen waffles. He had enough in his stomach to sustain him but he was not full. Don't get me wrong, my friend was not being ungrateful but his hunger was not satisfied. I started thinking about all of the things that I was dissatisfied with. The areas in my life where there was a hunger for more. It is easy to get lost in the comfort of our current situation and find ourselves coasting through life on autopilot instead of living the life that God has charted for us. I believe God allows us to be dissatisfied so that we do not become complacent. Moments of dissatisfaction cause us to open our eyes to the true reality of what our life looks like and to examine any ways that we desire the picture to be improved. That's it!... We are to be content with our current station of life but have just enough hunger pains not to become complacent. When we hunger in the natural, our first instinct is to seek out something to satisfy that hunger. Though we hunger in the natural, we should be seeking the fulfillment in the Spirit. Then ALL things will begin to fall into place. On her blog, Jaqueline Lambert says, "Dissatisfaction is the birthplace of the next thing God wants to do in your life." You know, I am inclined to think she is right! Keep hungering....... Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. (Luke 6:21 NIV)

SIT DOWN, DON'T YOU HEAR GOD TALKING TO YOU?

I was talking to a friend this morning and as she commented on the story that I told in my last blog, the Holy Spirit brought back to my remembrance another story from my childhood. When I was young, my mom would always watch this cop show called "The Rookies". My sister and I were in the habit of watching it with her. One stormy night when we returned home, my sister went straight for the TV to turn it on to watch "The Rookies". As she did it began to thunder loudly. Me being the bossy, mother-hen of a big sister that I WAS stood up and boldly proclaimed, "sit down girl! You ain't watching no wookies, don't you hear God talkin' to you." After I finished laughing at the story, I began to thank God because if we are still and quiet during the storms of our life that he will indeed talk us through it...as a matter of fact, he often uses the storms to get our attention...to put the focus back on him, instead of all the things in life that tend to distract us. Today if you hear his voice harden not your heart. He will give you rest in the midst of the most "violent" storm.