Top 10 Post of 2013

Looking back over the year, these are the top post of the year:

1. Those answered prayers
2. So this is Christmas
3. Chains are Gone – New Year
4. Play it again Sam
5. Slow down
6. Praise, Blame and Trials
7. Pray often
8. Less is more
9. Thank You
10. Marriage Advice? Really?

Word of the Year

The past few days I have been thinking about my word for 2014. Last year I focused on Less, and Letting Go. With each step God has been there telling me where to use less, and what I need to let go of. Even up until a few days ago I heard, Let Go and let God. Letting God has been one of the hardest challenges this year, but the most rewarding. The hardest part? Letting Go and Letting God! So many things I hold onto - past hurts, past let downs, past mistakes...the list can go on and on, but one by one I have been giving them to God. I have learned (over and over) that the past makes us who we are, and if we continue to hold onto it, we cannot grow. Good or bad, we have to accept the past, learn from it, give it to God, and let it go. 

So with that I need to find a word/phrase for 2014

The word/phrases I have been thinking about:
Cleansing - cleaning out the mind, body and soul.
Detoxing - taking out the negative & the bad
Renew - Refilling my mind, body and soul with good words, good thoughts, and good nourishment.

I would love to hear about your word/s, phrase for 2013. Also what you have decided on what your word/s, phrase will be for 2014.  

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So this is Christmas

A year has almost come and gone again...Christmas is literally right around the corner. People hustling to get those last minute gifts, get the food for the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day feast, and get presents wrapped...

I have never been a fan of Christmas, its too commercialized, too much of trying to outdo the Joneses, and over spending. Yet for the first time is well over 20 years, Christmas is different this year, much different in my mind and my heart. God's been working on me....

This year my attitude has changed. This year I have been learning to let go, and learned to have less. This year my kids have seen, and lived with less. My kids have also joined right in making homemade laundry detergent, and shop for cloths at the second hand store...

This Christmas I decided that their would be less gifts, realizing my kids really do not "need" anything! So I let them my kids know, their will not be lots of gifts this year. Their response, all I really want is...Each one has a gift or two they really want that is not expense. 

I will get to spend Christmas Eve with my 5 kids (yes, I gained a son 12/14/13 when my daughter got married) Nothing more to ask for this year!

God's been working on each of us (well most definitely me)

Joy, Peace and Hope...

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And That is That!

Once again its been awhile since I have blogged…I get side-tracked, busy, and this goes to the bottom of my list and on most days lost in my brain of never-never land…

I have been trying to take classes towards my Masters in Accounting. I actually have a few of them under my belt through Liberty University. However due to my GPA being a 2.8, at Liberty U I was placed on Academic Suspension. I was actually enrolled in a class when I was dropped the first day. I fumed a bit (Over a month) and pushed it to the side, and finally (months later) decided to give Liberty a call. You see during that time while I fumed I had decided to just go back to Strayer U and get a degree in Forensic Accounting. When I talked to Liberty I realized that even though I only had 1 C-, the 2 B-‘s (which are below a 3.0) was enough to bring my GPA down to a 2.8….Nothing like pride to bring you crashing down.

Well for the past 1 ½ months I have been trying to get my transcripts from Liberty U to prove to Staryer U that yes I did graduate with my Accounting Degree and yes I can take graduate classes. The problem here, I am on suspension, and until things get cleared up academically and financially, there will be no official transcripts. Well about a month ago I really thought things got cleared up and they (Strayer) would accept the letter from Liberty, so I continued with the one class I was enrolled in.

For the past month I have prayed off and on about classes and college. I really want to get my Masters in Accounting, but there was always that little nagging in the back of my head…not knowing. Sometimes I just wonder, too much? My family, a business, wanting to blog, having a Girl Scout Brownie Troop and Class.. On Saturday afternoon I realized I was no longer able to access my class. Wasn’t sure what was going on, so I was like OK God, you can have it, my classes, my schooling. So I emailed 2 people at Strayer and just waited. So this am I prayed, well I actually talked to God, and honestly asked “I need a definite answer to school...what I am doing? Taking classes? Not taking classes?” On my way home I thought it odd that I had not received an email. They were always good about responding promptly, so I gave them a call. Well it would seem that yes I had been dropped from my class. My “Letter from Liberty” had not been accepted. I couldn’t prove that I could take graduate classes…And that is that! For the moment my class taking is done. (Though I do have a few grand I now owe…)

Now I have talked, prayed, and asked God things before, and God truly answers prayers in His way and His time. However, I have never had the answer that quick and without a doubt. Well let me be honest, I am a bit hard-headed and will go on my own path. I know God tried to halt me taking classes a few months ago with Liberty, but I didn’t listen. After today, the no doubt answer, all I can think is - and that is that! So a bit hesitant I asked God, “Ok, so what do you have planned?”

Yeah I am at that moment of taking another leap into the unknown! 

Get into the community and help

This writing a blog every single day, has been bit of a struggle. Between working, working on school work, and girl scouts it seems like I have no time to write and post a blog….I begin, but get easily distracted by life. Then there is that nagging little voice…failure…Lots has been going on so I seem to be unfocused again and I think that’s the plan of the evil one. It dawned on me last week, as I am getting closer to God, the evil one is attacking…I am unfocused and at times selfish. I am not using my time wisely…Every time I try to sit and blog, the distractions come…Just as he wants, pulling me away from God.

For months and months I have had this small little voice in the back of my head…Help those in need in the community...Get into the community and help… It’s almost a constant, and I keep pushing it away. I mean what can I really do? We are struggling ourselves.  Some weeks ago the minster mentioned helping those in the community. In a part of his sermon he shared about a family years and years ago that was struggling. The dad would sell his products and most times instead of taking money, he took what they could pay, food, clothing, etc. Eventually as time passed they could no longer afford the rent/mortgage and the family was to be kicked out. The town came together and actually purchased the house, and rented it back to the family for next to nothing. So as I have gone on my walks I have seen many empty house with for sale signs or for rent signs. Why is it that in our community we have homeless people, families living in hotels, but we have empty vacant house? Why it that kids have multiple electronics like iPads, iPods, telephones, computers, laptops…but we have families in our community in need? Yet that voice rises again, what can I really do since we are struggling ourselves? Yet I know some way I could help…Help those in need in the community…Get into the community and help…

A week or so ago I read a blog from a lady that blogs about her husband’s battle with ALS and how her family is adjusting to the inevitable end. On the particular day she blogged about making meals for those in need. A family, or person makes a simple meal and takes it to the family. A very simple jester that goes a long way. Once again I am reminded…Help those in need in the community…Get into the community and help……Yet again that voice, what can I do, I really don’t like to cook, and my grocery budget is stretched as it is….

Then we have the whole Government shut down which really got me thinking more….In our community, whether it is a street, a block, a court, a row of townhouses, we should be working together to make sure no one in our community is in need nor in fear of losing their home due to lack of money or going without water, or heat or AC. There needs to be a home or a garage, or a shed, where the community can store daily necessity’s to help those in need. A safe for donated money. We need families who can take turns making a meal for the family that is living in a tent in the woods, or the family that is living in a hotel….We need the community to purchase a house that can be rented out to a family without a home…Yup that voice pops in again…what can I do? We are selves are struggling? Yet the voice is clear… Help those in need in the community…Get into the community and help…

Yet what we have is selfish people too busy thinking about their needs or judging the reason someone is in need. Seriously, we are a nation of excess, and we have people in our county that are homeless, that do not have what they need daily (like shelter, food, water, heat). Regardless of what led them to their current position, is not our concern, it’s not our business, it is NOT our place to judge and walk away from them. Yet we all do…

This country is so focused on making money that an abandoned building or a house will sit abandoned for over a year because that cannot rent it for a set price…Hmmm $500 a month until a real buyer comes along is a hell of a lot more than $0.00 a month…. Where does this start? How does this start? Prayer of course. I can say that I have pushed this aside because this is simply way out of my comfort zone. I do not have the means to fund this nor am I the one that could get up in front of a crowd asking for help and donations NOR do I have a clue to how to start this.

My idea…is almost like a community adopting families, helping them until they can do it on their own. Steering them away from government assistance….Providing them with help beyond food and clothing…This is helping a girl find the perfect homecoming dress. This is helping the boy play on a team. This is providing a family with a membership at the indoor pool.  This is helping a family build onto their home. This is helping a single parent with the mortgage/rent. This is providing meals for those who need a hot meal. This is making sure electric or water is not cut off and a family has heat and ac…

Regardless of how much money we have or don’t have, we all waste $20…$50...$200 or more a month. 

The Living Stone

1 Peter 2:4-5 “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a hold priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

• 1 Corinthians 3:9 (ESV) “For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.” 
•  Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV) “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit”
• 1 Corinthians 3:11(ESV) “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Jesus is our foundation, our living stone and this is where we place our lives. This foundation stone which is laid by God will not decay or waste way. It is a solid foundation that will last forever.

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Redeemer

Isaiah 59:20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the Lord.”

•  Romans 3:23-24 (ESV) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
• Galatians 3:13-14 (ESV) “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” – so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” 
• Colossians 1:13-14 (ESV) “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Jesus is our Redeemer. He is the only one that can redeem us from our sins. He is the one that gets us through, delivers us, when we are going through hard times. So whatever comes your way, problems, pain, disappointments, setbacks, etc. know that Jesus, our redeemer lives, and will see you through!

“When life seems difficult and the race we are running seems all uphill, stop and think, Our Lord redeemed us at a priceless cost. If He saw in us enough worth for which to pay His life, is it not worthwhile to rise us and try again, walking with Him and worshiping Him who has redeemed us from sin?” (Jack Countryman)  

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High Priest

Hebrews 8:1 “Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens.”

• Hebrews 4:14-16(ESV) Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." 
• Hebrews 7: 26-27 (ESV) “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.”
•  Hebrews 2:17-18 (ESV) “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

In the Old Testament the High Priest would burn incense daily and would change the showbread weekly. “The table of showbread was a small table made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. It measured 3 feet by 1.5 feet and was 2 feet, 3 inches high. It stood on the right side of the Holy Place across from the lampstand and held 12 loaves of bread, representing the 12 tribes of Israel. The priests baked the bread with fine flour and it remained on the table before the Lord for a week; every Sabbath day the priests would remove it and eat it in the Holy Place, then put fresh bread on the table. Only priests could eat the bread, and it could only be eaten in the Holy Place, because it was holy.” (The Tabernacle Place) Then once a year the High Priest would enter God’s Sanctuary on the Day of Atonement, which is probably the most important Jewish Holiday. A day to atone for sins.

Jesus came and it was through His sacrifice and the shedding of his blood that makes Him the perfect atonement for all of our sins. It is Jesus’ blood that washes all sins away. There is no sin too ugly, too great that Jesus cannot cleanse and make you holy and clean.

Each of us sin. Though some sins are unseen or well hidden, we all need to remember that Jesus died for each and every one of us. We will all face hard times and temptations. There will be times when are faith waivers, our doubts take over and our strength fails. We need to remember that Jesus is our hope. He is always our mediator with God.

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Deliverer

Romans 11:26-27 “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

• Psalm 140:1(ESV) “Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men”
•  2 Samuel 22:2 (ESV) “He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.”
• Psalm 25:20 (ESV) “Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame for I take refuge in you.”
• Psalm 144:2 (ESV) “He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.”

The reason Jesus came to earth was to show us the light, show the way, and to deliver us from our sins. He will deliver us through every problem, and every trial we may face. Though we may feel at times that we are alone or may not understand why, He is there.  He is our strong hold, our shield, and the one we can take refuge in. He delivers us from death, giving us a life everlasting.

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Light of the World

John 8:12 “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

•  John 1:3-5 (ESV) “All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
• Matthew 6:22 (ESV) “The eye is the lamp of the body. Si, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. .” 
• John 9:5 (ESV) “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Jesus, the light of the world, came to earth to defeat the darkness. It is through Him that we can defeat the darkness and live in the light. Jesus told us we would never walk in darkness again as long as we followed him. Just as we are following Jesus, we then reflect the Light of Jesus. It is through our words, our actions that they see Jesus.

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Author of our Faith

Hebrew 12:2 “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

·         Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

·         Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV) “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."

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·         Philippians 1:6 (ESV) “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Our faith begins with Christ. Christ is the creator and sustainer of our faith. He is the one who has been there and we should focus on Him in our daily walk. Jesus already knows what we will need to endure and with each step He has gone before us, leading us through. Jesus suffered and died on the cross and even at the end he focused on the reward and not the pain. So just like Jesus our attention needs to be on the reward, heaven, and not the long difficult road.

Jesus watches over us, watches over our faith, He cares for it and He will give us the strength to sustain it.

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Jesus

Matthew 1:24-25 “When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

   ·         John 14:6 (ESV) “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one come to the Father except through me.”

·         Romans 6:23 (ESV) “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”       

·         John 11:25 (ESV) “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet he shall live.”

Jesus served people when here on earth. Jesus ate with sinners. He touched the dead and made him breath. He came to seek those who were lost. We all know the list goes on. I find comfort knowing he came for me the sinner, to heal me, to give me a new eternal life.

Take comfort knowing He is here for each one of us.

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Son of Man

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus was created, and born. He was created to die, to die for our sins. He is by far the greatest win over evil that anyone could ever hope to accomplish.

·         Mark 2:10-1 (ESV) “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – he said to the paralytic – “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”

·         Luke 19:10 (ESV) “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

·         Mark 8:31 (ESV) “And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

He, Son of Man, came to earth seeking the lost to save. He, Son of Man, has authority over the earth to forgive our sins. Take a moment to simply let that sink in, He came to seek us, to save us, and to forgive our sins.

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First Born over All Creation

Colossians 1:15-16 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.”

Jesus is the manifestation of God. Even though God has been invisible, He became visible to men in Jesus. This allowed Him as Jesus to be intimately allied to us. He is also the first-born. The first-born over all creation. The firstborn from the dead.

·         ·         Hebrews 1:3 (ESV) “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purifications for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

·         ·         John 1:10 (ESV) “He was in the world, and the world has made through him, yet the world did not know him.”     

·         ·         Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

We were created for Him, to glorify Him! He came to earth as a human, the Firstborn over all creation, walked with us, and died for our sins!

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Gift of God

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

About a week ago I had read a post “The five steps to salvation.” It listed 5 needed steps for salvation. Of course my mind went into overdrive. I looked on the internet on salvation, turned to my bible and simply prayed to God about it. To my understanding, one needed to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior into our hearts and lives. Second we need to repent. Perhaps with life I have become a bit jaded, but anyone can say that Jesus is their Lord and Savior…Any one can become baptized reclaiming a new beginning…Anyone can “repent”… The bible tells us to give secretly, to pray secretly, to serve and focus on others. We are also told that God knows the secrets of our hearts. I believe when we truly give ourselves to Jesus, and begin loving, living and serving like Jesus, then it will be clear where our hearts are, and who receives all the Glory.

We cannot save ourselves because there is no self-salvation. So here we are – we fail, but God excels. Salvation is a God-originated, God-Driven, God-Empowered and God-given. This, salvation, is a gift from God, not a gift from man to God.

·         Ephesians 2:8 (ESV) “For by grace you have been salved through faith. And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

·         Romans 6:23 (ESV) “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

·         John 3:16 (ESV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Though we may have differing views and opinions on the “requirements” of salvation, it is clear that Salvation comes directly from God in heaven. Though we may jump through hoops, or take the needed “steps” to salvation, we needed to realize the important aspect of this – There. Is. No. Self. Salvation. It. Is. God. Given.

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Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. “

He is the Prince of Peace in our lives. When storms are raging all around us, He is the inner peace. He gives us safety and He is our well-being. Henry & Richard Blackaby summed it up best “The most difficult circumstance, the most ruthless enemy, the deepest pain – none of these is beyond Christ’s reach. He can calm your heart and mind. No one brings peace like Jesus.”

Life brings storms, drags us through the mud and at times suffer the deepest pain. It is through Jesus that we can find that calm, weather the storm, and have peace in our hearts and minds. Life’s not easy, but when we take that moment to rest fully in His presence, that is when His peace will quiet our aching, searching, fighting soul.

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Advocate

1 John 2:1 “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.”

An advocate is someone who pleads the case, the cause of another. We have an advocate. He pleads our case and our cause. He covers our sins. He is the only one to fill the gap between us and God.

·         Hebrews 7:25 (ESV) “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”
·         1 Timothy 2:5 (ESV) “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
·         Hebrews 9:24 (ESV) “For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, not to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.”

Satan is such the deceiver. He will keep accurate records of our sins and then will take us to court, and to show all of our sins to God. Jesus is our lawyer, our Divine Defense Attorney, our advocate who will defend us to the Father. He will stand up for us!

We all sin, and we all fall short the glory of God. Knowing I am far from perfect is a humbling feeling making me feel and at times I feel so undeserving of God’s mercy. Yet we have an advocate standing up for us, pleading our case, and covering our sins.  

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Shepherd

Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

When I hear shepherd I automatically think of Psalm 23. “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even 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 overflows. ...”

He is our shepherd, our protector, our guide…When it seems as if we are drowning, He is there to lead us. When we feel overwhelmed, stressed, or simply low on faith, He restores our soul. As we make our way through hard times, through spiritual battles, we have no need to fear, for He is there with us. He is a shepherd that knows each of us by name.”

• 1 Peter 2:25 (ESV) “For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
• John 10:9 (ESV) “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”

John 10:15 (ESV) “just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

He, the shepherd is the overseer of our souls. He is the door to our salvation, allowing us to go through. He, our shepherd knows us, and will lay down his life for us. Listen for the shepherd, allow Him to guide you through the hard times, through the rough passages, and seek his comfort, his still waters.

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Holy

Luke 1:49 “For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”

“When the Bible calls God holy it means primarily that God is transcendentally separate. He is so far above and beyond us that He seems almost totally foreign to us. To be holy is to be ‘other,’ to be different in a special way. The same basic meaning is used when the word holy is applied to earthly things.” (Bible.org)

• 2 Timothy 3:168 ESV “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.”
• Hebrews 4:12 ESV “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
• Matthew 4:4 ESV “But he answered, “It is written, “’Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
• 1 Samuel 2:2 ESV “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.”

God is holy. He himself is completely absent of any type of sin and He is essentially absolutely perfect. He is above all others and no one can compare to Him. So that does that mean? God’s love is holy love, His anger is holy anger, and His mercy is holy mercy. What more could we ask for?

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Hope

Romans15:13 “May the god of hope fill you will all joy and peace in believe, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

“The Bible Dictionary” by George W. Knight & Rayburn W. Ray, defines hope as “A sure and steady faith in God’s promises. The believer has hope in God’s promise of salvation.”

• 1 Thessalonians 5:8 ESV “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 ESV “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
• John 6:47 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.”

Hope is not a feeling. The bible conveys hope as a reality. Through reading the bible we know that there is no doubt in hope because we know that God always keeps his promises.

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Faithful Witness

Revelation 1:5-6 “And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Jesus, the faithful witness, gives us reliable testimony throughout the bible. His words are true and can be relied upon. He gives counsel to us as His followers.

• 1 Timothy 6:13 ESV “I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession.”
• Proverbs 14:5 ESV “A faithful witness will not lie”

We are saved because we believe that Jesus is the son of God, and it is through Jesus that we can get to God the father. What a sense of relieve to know that we are saved, we are forgiven, we are loved and we are never alone. As you read what Jesus tells us throughout the bible remember that he IS the Faithful Witness, and his words are true!  

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Christ the Lord

God sent his son Jesus to earth as a sin offering to mankind. He came to fulfill the prophecy in the Old Testament as the Messiah. Though he came as the Messiah just as predicted, He also came as the Lord of earth and heaven. He is Lord, ruler over everything. He is the center of our beliefs, our cornerstone.

• Ephesians 2:29: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.”
• Romans 10:9: “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Jesus told us “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.

“He who bore all pain and loss comfortless upon the cross lives in glory now on high, pleads for us, and hears our cry…He who slumbered in the grave is exalted now to save; through the universe it rings that the Lamb is King of kings…Now he bids us tell abroad now the lost may be restored, how the penitent forgiven, how we too may enter heaven.” Christ the Lord is risen Again, Words: Michael Weist

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Immanuel

Immanuel means “God with us”. God came to earth to be with us. Let that sink in for a moment. “God revealed in the life, death, and the resurrection of Jesus a reconciling love that rescues us from separation and loneliness. We are not alone; God has come down from Heaven to tell us He loves us!” Billy Graham Hope for Each Day

Through the ups and downs, the hurts, the disappointments, the times of loneliness, God is literally with us. He loves us!

• Joshua 1:9 ESV “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
• Romans 8:38-39 ESV “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
• Psalm 139:7-10 ESV “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”

I know there are times when it seems as if God is not there, that we are walking solo through the trials and tribulation. Yet God is there, right beside us, leading us and even carrying us when are strength is all but gone. Close your eyes, and soak in his presence. Be quiet and just listen.

Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

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Day 1

I have seen a few bloggers that I following talking about the 31 day writing challenge over at www.thenester.com . It started September 30, 2013 and one is supposed to blog every day for 31 day. Oct 1st – Oct 31st. So I figured I would give it a try with 30 days of the Attributes of God. Since we have been going through a rough patch financially, and there have been some spiritual battles, some doubts, and times of being simply low on faith, learning more about God can only be a win situation. What a great way to be a bit more focused and learn more about God, and drawing closer to Him.

The attributes of God can be described as a collection of descriptions from the Bible who tells us who God is. So as we read the 30 attributes, we need to remember these are attributes are more of a perspective on His whole being, his essence, and not simply parts of Him. The attributes I am using are by no means a “complete” list. I am using the list from the Book “Names of God Exploring God’s Character”. I will also be using the ESV version of the Bible.

My goal is to simply dig in the Bible to learn more about God and to share. Hopefully get input and thoughts from other people. I am by no means a scholar in this area, hence the reason I am taking this challenge, to draw closer to God.

Would you run to him today?

Luke 19:1-10 “He entered Jericho and was passing through. ² And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³ And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. ⁴ So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. ⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. ⁷ And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” ⁸ And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” ⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.””

Here is a question that I keep asking myself…Would I run to Jesus like Zacchaeus did?  Would I go out of my way to see Jesus? Would I allow Jesus to stay in my house? Of course we should answer – Yes…yes we would run to Jesus, yes we would go out of our way to see Jesus and yes he could absolutely stay here at my house…Here we are in modern day so I ask, Am I going out of my way to see Jesus, to learn about Jesus? Am I letting Jesus into my home, allowing him to reign over us? I know Jesus is here in our house – though it may not be said boldly or loudly, but he is here. He is waiting patiently as we hand him over bits and pieces, trusting one tiny step at a time…

On the flip side, are we like the crowd grumbling saying “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner?” Are we holding back, staying away from those who sin? Isn’t the sinners who need Jesus, who need to learn about Jesus? Jesus said “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

I would run to Jesus today, but I would be scared. Jesus knows me, he know my thoughts, my actions….my sins!

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Good stewards

Once again, life got busy, and blogging was pushed to the side. Yet I have so much rolling around in my brain…here I am feeling overwhelmed once again. Probably explains the feeling of anxiety I have been feeling for the past few days…

In this week’s bible study the theme is using your gifts and your talents to glorify God along with taking care of what you have been given and using what you have wisely. I can honestly say I am not using my gifts, my talents or even what I have wisely...

There are things that I would like, and I am quite thankful for what we have, yet I am not being a good steward with what we have…Why would God give us more? In Luke we are told about 3 servants, each were given a mina or money. 2 of the servants made the money/mina grow while the 3^rd servant tucked it away afraid to do anything with it. The Lord gave the 2 servants more, more to take care of, while He gave that 3^rd servant nothing. He actually took things away from him.

I can’t help wonder if I am that 3^rd servant, not sharing what I have, or taking care of what I have. Afraid to share, afraid to take a chance. It would seem I still have trust issue with God…

Despite how much we have or do not have, there is always something we can share, there is a gift, a talent that we can use to both glorify God and to show people God.

Once again it seems for years my talent has been tucked far away, afraid to let it out again…

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Are you weary?

The other morning I woke up to "Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest!" It is a verse I know and try to think of when I am low on faith and belief. Yet, I wasn't sure why I was thinking this. We continue to struggle and I feel as if the devil is breathing down our back, planting negativity, and putting a wedge, placing doubts all over.

I grow weary with the same old battles. It's as if my adult life has been nothing but a battle with both money and food.

Money – Feeling deserved. Wow feeling of being justified – justified to spend what I want. Justified to keep what I want. That literally screams me, me, me! Nothing will change until I humble myself, and remove the god of money that seems to be wedged between me and God….between me and the man. I keep wanting things to change – wanting to be able to help the man way more – wanting my business to bloom – wanting to help my other daughter with her wedding – wanting to help my daughter at school. God will continue to work on me and refine me.

Food – I love to eat and I love food. This too seems to be a battle that I have faced for a few years. Looking back my real addiction to food came once I quit smoking. I won't lie, sometimes I teeter that line of wanting to really smoke again. Too focused on the next meal – too focused on the foods I should eat – the foods I shouldn't eat, which all in the end just makes my focus on eating….The god of food. So here I am wanting to weigh 30+ pounds less – wanting to eat completely healthy, natural foods. Yet I look at money…never enough to buy what I want…once again…me, me, me.

Yes I am weary, but yes I am truly thankful that God is a merciful, loving, patient God, that will continue to mold me and refine me. My mindset needs to change…my money and my food gods have got to go….Now I suddenly understand why I felt the need to read the books of the Major Prophets in the bible…

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Take up the cross

I love it when I hear a sermon and the message kind of clicks in my brain. I had one of those, “Oh I get it” moments as I listened to a sermon today. Which God is no doubt say “Its about time!” J The sermon, Choose Hope. Simple enough. Choose God and Choose Jesus. When our lives are going well, and things are going the way we think they should, it’s really easy to have faith and choose hope. When life gets a bit rough, and God is refining us, and He is bringing our sins to light so that we can change, it seems our hope begins to fade. We wonder…

As I have blogged before, I am bad with money, and I can easily justify the spending, or keeping all of my money. But a light went off in my brain today – Am I choosing hope? Choosing God? Or am I Choosing Money? Frankly, this is not an easy pill for me to swallow. Right now my worry over money, over bills is causing my faith to waiver.

God’s still working me. This refining process is difficult. God is turning up the heat and removing my impurities. Honestly, I wish all debts were gone, and bills up to date, and we had a clean slate. Yet I truly know that God’s not done with me yet, and I would probably continue to justify spending money….keeping money…not helping out…

So today I hear “You must die to live” – you must surrender to God! A part of me must die – the part of me that is getting in between God and me.

What is standing between you and God today?

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Small Blessing

Yesterday a small prayer was answered, a small blessing. Right now I do not have insurance on me or the girls. A mixture of me wasting money, and an ex that has been sick, unable to work, thus unable to provide insurance on them. Yesterday I took my daughter in for her check-up to see the neurologist at Children's Hospital. On the way we talked about what kind of doctor she wanted (either young or older). The last one, since gone, was young, really smart, but a bit awkward and didn't seem to have a bedside manner. Her new neurologist was just what she wanted, an older doctor with a really great bedside manner. Since the first time she was diagnosed with Partial Complex Seizures, she felt comfortable seeing and talking to the doctor. We didn't even pray for this, yet we asked and we received!

Those who follow my blog, know we are struggling with money. So a doctor visit and a prescription with a nice price was something I thought about. So each time I would begin praying the "Lord I Need…" prayer, I stopped myself and totally rephrased my prayer "Lord you know our needs, doctor visit, medicine, house payment, and I trust in you knowing you will provide." Each time fears, doubts or worries roll in, I simply pray "Lord you know our needs, doctor visit, medicine, house payment, and I trust in you knowing you will provide."


So after the visit with the doctor, I waited for our date for a follow up visit as well as the cost for the visit. This is a Neurologist who works for Children's Hospital. Honestly I am expecting the visit to be a bit costly, so I paid $40 and waited for the final cost…$111. What? That has to be after me paying $40… Nope that was the total price for today's visit...WOW! Next we moved on to get her prescription. Her generic medication is still hefty, about $2 per pill, which can be a lot of money. The pharmacy had a discount card, so after it was said and done, her pills ended up being $1.15 per pill. Initially her 15 day supply was $149 and I ended up paying $69. Still a chunk of change, but $80 less!!! Yup I was the one walking up the isle looking up silently saying "Thank you God!"

There is always 2 ways to look at things. Yesterday I choose to see what God has provided.

 
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Slow and Steady

In the past year of running a business, or rather doing freelance bookkeeping/accounting, I have learned some important things…foremost, God is the driver here! I have also learned patience, which at times my patience is quite low…Honestly at times is seems as if my business isn't growing at the rate I want it to. I was hoping to have a few more clients, and have 1 person helping out. This time last year I had 4 clients and was working with a CPA. This year, I am up to 8 clients…

Yes I have gotten to that point, over a month ago, wondering if I was really on the right path. I need an office…I need an assistant…I need a new laptop and a desktop computer…I need a network for my computers…I need more clients…I need, I need, I need…What I need is to be thankful that I have a work area, that I have clients, and that my laptop works. (Though there are times it can be special)

I know, with the classes that I have taken, it takes longer than a year to begin to be able to accurately evaluate your business. I also know with God, it takes time, patience, and trust. As I grumble and try to take that woe is me, woe is my business, I can't do this, or it just isn't working…I remember that I put God in the driver seat. Though my patience at times is thin, I know God's got this! God also knows be much better than myself, and I have to remember that He is doing things for my good…I also need to remember that He is teaching me, molding me, and creating the person I need to be for Him…

 
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