Who You Really Are

We all have insecurities. But those are NOT from God. The negative outlook we have on ourselves is not how God wants us to see ourselves. The enemy wants us to live upset, down and defeated because he wants us to constantly live wishing who we could be. God doesn't want that for us!!! He wants us to be what were called to be, what He has spoken over us! Do not let the lies of the enemy stick in your head. I have heard them and struggled them from such a young age, but the more I study and read who God says I am the more its engraved in my heart and I believe it and live it out. The enemy tries to blind us and distract us because when we know who we are, our identity, we have power in Christ. That scares him! I saw a teaching before that someone said they were nervous that they were about to speak in front of others and give a message. They were praying for God to settle their nerves. God revealed to them that God wasn't nervous about what was going to happen that night, the enemy was and the feelings of the enemy were coming on him as he was about to teach others about Jesus. Once he realized this it actually excited him that the enemy was nervous, because that meant God was going to show up BIG! He is always trying to steal joy and hope from us. Check out Ephesians 1. Were going to go through some of the promises of who we are, and in doing that destroy the work of the enemy in your life and mine!!!

Ephesians 1:3-14

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely give us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment to bring all things in heaven on earth together under one head, even Christ. In him we are also chosen, having predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of his glory.

This is good news guys!!! We are sinners and don't deserve this, but God gives us this awesome gift anyway and we ought to take that to heart! Stop living defeated and letting the devil win when Jesus died so we could have VICTORY!!! 

1- We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ!!! Jesus wants to bless you, even though you may have felt unworthy, you are worthy of God's love, because he sent his Son to die for you, he loves you that much!

2-Jesus chose us before the foundation of the world! He had you in mind. He loves you and put you on this earth for a reason. Lets find that purpose and BE it. I bet Jesus has awesome things for you to do for his kingdom, I think praying for those to be revealed so you can live those out is a good start :)

3-Holy and blameless in His sight. Who sees you like that? No one besides him! Not even the person you love most on this earth. They see your sin. God doesn't.

4-Adopted as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ. Wow. This blows me away even though we are imperfect he chooses to see us through Jesus, and adopts us as his own. If we lived like we were His sons and daughters it would be life changing.

5-We are redeemed and forgiven. The definition of redeemed means gain or regain possession of something in exchange for payment. Jesus payed the price for us. So our sin could no longer separate us from the love of God, but let us have a relationship with him in which we are forgive and FREE!!

6- Lavished in His grace. He bestowed generously the free and unmerited favor of God on us. We have the favor of God on us generously!! When we accept God we gain these awesome promises and I don't want you to miss them. I don't want us to live like the enemy has his grip on us, while we believe the lies he puts in our heads and hearts. Lets clear that crap out and just rest in the lavishing grace of God.

7-Predestined. When we have a relationship with Jesus, we are predestined to an eternity with him in heaven. This is an amazing promise!

8-Marked the promise of the Holy Spirit. When we come into this relationship we also receive the Holy Spirit which is an amazing gift. He is our counselor, and many other things. He is God-breathed, and living in us. The more we are in touch with this promise the more the power of God is in our lives.

I know its a lot to take in, especially in just a couple short verses, but soak it in. The enemy tells us the opposite of these things...example: You are cursed, you'll never experience blessing in your life....No one cares you exist, your life has not point or purpose....God sees all your faults and doesn't love you because your unloveable....How could you possible be a son or daughter of God look at you....There is no way God can forgive you, look what you've done....God's favor is only on those who are "strong Christians" not you....your destiny is hell...You can't feel the spirit of God because he chose not to come to you.... these are some lies you might be hearing, but the key word here is LIES. Erase those with the truth of GOD!!! Your BLESSED, CHOSEN, BLAMELESS, HIS CHILD, FORGIVEN, LAVISHED IN GRACE, PREDESTINED, MARKED IN HIM. HALLELUJAH!  

prayer:

Lord, bring to surface those lies the enemy planted in me so I can demolish them with your truth and promises! Bring light in the dark places and let me live in victory. Thank you for your gift that I did nothing to deserve, but you love me so much that you give it to me anyway. I love you!

AMEN!

praying scripture

I love it when God brings me to a verse and I find myself praying it! It is a powerful thing. A lot of times we don't know what to pray. You can look in the bible and actually find scripture that can help you pray.

Psalm 119 you can read the whole chapter as a prayer if you want. I read through it and underlined what spoke to me in a powerful way. Then I went back in my journal and wrote what I had underlined into a prayer

example:
 Direct me in the path of your command for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statues and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things...I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts..Your word O Lord is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations... save me for I am yours...Uphold me and I will be delivered...I am your servant, give me discernment that I may understand your statues.... May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees, may my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous. May your hand be ready t help me, for I have chosen your precepts...Let me live that I may praise you!


You can also take verses that say us and plug in me to make it a personal prayer. This does not mean that you can change scripture. Scripture can have many applications, but only one interpretation. It is adjusting the us to me so that the application of the passage is personal to your prayer to God.

Hebrews 10:22-25
example:
 Let me draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having my heart sprinkled to cleanse me for a guilty conscience and having my body washed with a pure heart. Let me hold unswervingly to the hope I profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let me consider how I may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let me not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let me encourage on another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.


Just thought I would share a couple that I like to pray lately. Share verses that you like to pray!


prayer:
Lord, your word is so powerful. Show me scriptures that I can pray to you! Direct my reading in the bible to what I need to hear in that moment.
Amen.

Grafted in

I came upon this scripture in Romans that stood out to me lately and I've been really trying to see what Paul means in this scripture and how to apply it to my life. When I first read it I had never even heard of the word grafted. In reading this we need to know the definition and meaning behind it so we can understand the scripture. When I googled it, I found out that it's actually a really cool process. When you graft something (most of the time they use this process on fruit bearing trees) they cut off a bud from one tree, then in a different tree they cut a T like shape with flaps and insert the bud from the previous tree into it. They tie string around the bud after the close the flaps. Usually within 30 days you can take the twin off and the bud will start to grow off new roots. I never new that, and though that was pretty awesome!! So lets read the scripture now...

Romans 11:11-24

Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the part of the dough batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue to his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

Okay so that is a lot to read and grasp, but knowing the back round and definitions help us understand. What Paul is saying is that the Jews were cut off for their unbelief and lack of faith. And the Gentiles were grafted in to the family of God because they chose to believe. I want to be grafted into the tree of life. I want my dead branches and sin to break off of me and God to plant me on His tree of life. If God is our foundation He holds us to and is strong supporting us. One thing that is cool about this illustration he uses is that they usually graft fruit trees. As christians we are supposed to produce fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control) We cannot do this in on our own. It takes the power of our creator to work in and through us and to be the source of our life for this to be possible. 

    It is awesome if you have grown up in a christian family, going to church and such. But just because those are your roots doesn't mean you are necessarily saved. We must each individually decide to put our life in Jesus' hands and believe that he died for us to have eternal life. I don't want to be broken off because of my unbelief, but I want to chose to have a relationship with Jesus and dedicate my life to that. 

    I encourage you to read this verse several times, and study it and see what God is showing you. Are you grafted into Him. Are you saved because of your belief! I want everyone who reads this to have security that they will spend eternity with their creator.

prayer:

Jesus, thank you for who you are. I am so grateful for what you do in my life. You are so awesome that when we believe you attach us to you so we can grow and produce the fruits you want us to have in our lives. We praise you forever.

Amen.

Random thoughts from God

So I'm at the park with my girls now. We just had a picnic...it's such a beautiful day out sunny, but not too hot! As we're playing l see God showing me this picture. Stella is a pretty good walker now. She wants to be so independent. Wants to walk around the park all by herself! She refuses to hold my hand at times, insisting she can do it herself. Then when she gets to the tall stairs or slide she looks back and up and me and reaches for my hand. She needs me more when it gets tough. Aren't we all guilty of having this type of relationship with God. We can do it all by ourselves, we know what we're doing right? Then the minute things go wrong, where are you God? I need you!? Our relationship with Him is not meant to be tight in hard times and nonexistent in "easy" times. God loves us, He loves you. He wants to know you and "hold you hand" daily. He smiles when we rely on him no matter the circumstance because we need Him. Whether we're having a joyful or struggling depression, we need God. He is my source of life and the more time I spend with Him, the more I get to know Him. I just can't get enough of Him. 

Psalm 18:2

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Prayer:

Thank you God for revealing yourself to me. Let me put into action trusting and relying on you. I need you no matter the circumstance. Thank you for never leaving or forsaking me.

Amen!!!

prayer

One thing I'm really working on in my spiritual life is prayer. I enjoy studying the bible and reading books, but one thing I have lacked in is prayer. Daily prayer. I think prayer is so important in our walk with God. For some people praying out loud is difficult, but I first challenge you to focus on praying personally to Jesus daily. The more you pray, the more you will feel connected and comfortable. Once you pray out loud for the first time its done! You've done it, whether it was easy or not you made the step of faith and your Father is proud! From now on it isn't a burden, but a part of life. I am really working on setting aside time each day to pray one on one with God. He loves it when we talk to Him. Communication is so important in any relationship and it's no different when it comes to God. One thing that has helped me with prayer is having a topic to pray about and writing it down. I don't always pray like this, but usually once a day I try to sit down and write out a pray for a specific situation in my life or someone else's. This helps me focus because when I sit to pray sometimes my mind wonders and I don't feel like I am staying on task. Everyone has a different prayer style that works for them. I just share mine in case that helps you :) I'm starting to pray for bigger things, I don't to just want to pray for my personal life, I want to pray for others that I don't even know! Here are some prayer topics to help you start thinking outside our normal boxes of prayers.

1. Prayer for interpretation of scripture.
    When we pray for this we can invite the Holy Spirit to direct us as we read, that God will show us the scripture how he intended us to and reveal more to us every time we read it. God is so much more than we will ever grasp, that's no excuse to stop seeking Him, but don't limit Him to what you can learn about Him from reading a scripture once.

2. Prayer to love the people He's placed in our lives
    Sometimes it is hard to love the people around us, we have been hurt or wounded, or just don't like the attitude they may have. Jesus wants us to love above all else. Others should be able to see Jesus inside of us by the way we love. It is good to pray for His love to flow through us as we encounter the people Jesus has placed in our lives.

3. Prayer for us hear from Him and act accordingly
    I don't know about you but I want to hear from God, whether that be from my pastor, my bible, my husband, or a random stranger. Not only do I want to hear from Him, but I want to follow Him. We are not following Jesus if we are hearing truth and not applying it to our lives. We all may lack at times that is why we need to pray for a passion that when we hear the truth we act on it.

4. Prayer for fear to be replaced with the truth.
    When we get saved we need to renew our minds! Our minds are full of satan's lies and Him trying to deceive us. All of these lies place fear in our lives. In order to crush fear we need to soak in Jesus' love and truth.

5. Prayer to be a light
    Praying to be a light is awesome. We carry the power and presence of God everywhere we go! I want to ask God to help me shine so bright that I am continually pointing people to Him.

6. Prayer for whoever God has placed on our hearts that day.
    I love when I pray for others and can see God working in and through them! God is so good :)

These are just some ideas, as you read them the Lord may show you what he wants you to pray for.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 
Pray without ceasing

Gifts and talents

Jesus gives each one of us spiritual gifts and talents. The more you press into Him the more you discover and learn about them as He reveals himself. Our spiritual gifts and talents are given to us to be used to glorify God. It may be frightening if you find out you have the gift of tongues or prophecy, but the last thing God wants us to do is hear from Him and keep it to ourselves. When we obey Christ it comes with a boldness and an attitude that shows we care more about what He thinks of us than the world. I have had someone come up to me who received a word of knowledge about me from Jesus. It was the coolest thing hearing what Jesus thought about me and they revealed that to this person! I couldn't stop thinking about it and thanking God because it was so special. I'm sure it took a LOT of courage and boldness for this person to come up to me because she didn't even know me. She was risking if I would think she was crazy or not, but ya know what she didn't care if I thought that, she cared what Jesus thought, and He wanted her to come speak to me. And was I glad she did, at the time I needed desperately to hear from Him. Jesus likes to talk in parables and one of His parables is about us taking what He gives us and giving and sharing and USING all for his glory!!! It upsets him when we have a gift and were hiding it, because of fear. If this is you I don't want you to feel guilty, I want to challenge you to really listen for Him this week and USE what he is giving you, whatever that may be.

Matthew 25:14

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with two talents gained two more. But the man who received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his money. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five, 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in change of many things. Come and share your master's happiness! "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you have entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talents in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

This verse is symbolizing Jesus leaving for a long time and what are we gonna do when he is gone? Are we gonna take what he gives us and use it for his glory to be multiplied or bury it in ourselves not to be used? Really everything thing we have is God's our money, talents, gifts, we are not owners, but caretakers. He wants us to take what He has given us and obey Him willingly. I don't know about you, but I want to step out in faith and do what He asks of me. It makes Him happy and who doesn't want to see that! :) I want to live different today than yesterday as the fruit of the Spirit and my gifts grow more in me and Christ is magnified. 

prayer:

Lord, thank you for everything that you have given to me and let me be care-giver of. Show me what you want me to do with what you've given me. Let my gifts never go wasted, and let me be the vessel for you Jesus. I want to be your good and faithful servant. In your name we pray.

Amen.

What does it mean to believe and what does it look like?

What does it mean to actually believe in Jesus? Do you believe that Jesus existed? Do you believe He died and rose again? Did you repeat a prayer after someone? Do you believe he died on the cross a horrible painful death for your sins, so you can have an eternity with Jesus in heaven and live out the everyday showing others Jesus? It does say in the bible in Romans that whoever confesses with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For some of you you read this and say yes I can full confidence that I am saved. Others may say, I repeated a prayer on time but NOT ONE THING has changed in my life after that. I encourage you to think about that. The bible says For it is with your heart that you believe. So do you believe in your heart?

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

So when your saved people should be able to tell! Your life should look different! As a Christian were told NOT to look like the world. In the bible they refer to satan as ruler of the world. Why would someone who is saved by Jesus want to look like the product of something that satan rules over! NOT ME! I understand this is hard, it really is, but once you get that fire and deep passion you want to be different, you know God smiles upon different, and you want others to be that way too. Let's step out if faith. People go to church, say they believe, listen to the message, but change absolutely nothing else in their lives. The bible says

James 1:22-25
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what is says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what is says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forget what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.

We are all guilty at some point for hearing and not doing, but lets change this. Let's open our hearts and minds for Jesus to transform us! Let's make sure when we confess JESUS IS LORD and believe it in our hearts that we repent and let God penetrate every area of our lives to reflect Him. I want to know when I get to the pearly gates Jesus KNOWS ME! That he doesn't know of me, but knows me by the personal relationship I seek to have with him DAILY! One thing the bible talks about when you receive Jesus you receive the Spirit (Holy Spirit) (Acts 2:38) So now that your saved and have this relationship with Jesus, he sends his spirit to be with you, the bible refers to the Holy Spirit as the Counselor, our Advocate ( someone who supports). When we receive the Holy Spirit things should really start to change in our lives. When we live in the power of the Spirit things should look more supernatural than natural in our lives. We are not living to what God called us to be if you can explain everything that happens in our lives, apart from the work of the Spirit. In this book I'm reading called Forgotten God, Francis Chan uses a really cool description of the Spirit I want to share. He says image a caterpillar that all its life has crawled on the ground and eaten leaves, then one day takes a nap, a long nap, and wakes up and says WOW I've got these beautiful wings and I can fly. That is how much our life should change when we encounter Jesus and Holy Spirit. We shouldn't be crawling anymore because we have this awesome potentinal now that completely changes who we are. Our old selves have died, we are a new creation in Christ. I want others to be able to tell that from spending time with me. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Acts 4:13
When the men saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

We should want others to see that we spend time with Jesus and his spirit is on us. Stop and think of the first person who comes to mind when you like Spirit-filled. Aren't they just fun to be around? Don't they carry this light and joy with them? We can have it too, its not their light anyway its Jesus'!!!!

2 Corinthians 2:4
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

prayer: Jesus, you are so good! Holy Spirit come and enter every area of our lives. Let whatever we say and do be led by You. Let others see Your glory by how we live our lives. Let it be a reflection of who you are and the power of Your Spirit.
Amen.

Actions speak louder than Words

One of the most frustrating things as a christian is wanting to change people and bring them to Jesus. We just wish we could tell people life would be so much better for you if you have Jesus! You could give all your burdens to Him and guess what He would take them! It can be hard showing someone Jesus. Something he tells us to do is show with our actions over our words. You can talk and say all you want, but people aren't going to have an interest in Jesus if they don't see the physical signs of it affecting your life in a positive way. Do you show how Jesus is transforming you in your daily life? Do you shine his light? I was helping at a vacation bible school and they were teaching the kids to shine Jesus' light. That you are the light of the world. We are the light of the world. The earth is full of darkness, but we as Christians can shine light to all around us. My parents have this light about them. I watch them take Jesus (and his light) with them everywhere: work, store, vacation. When I'm around them instantly my mood changes to joy. I can't be around them without experiencing it because they let Jesus fill every area of their lives. I've seen them bring many people to Christ and I don't think its what their saying but how they live their lives. When we live reflecting Jesus others see that and wonder what the missing piece in their life is! Without Jesus your life is like a puzzle thats missing a huge piece right in the middle and without it, it will never be complete.

1 Peter 3:1-4
Wives,  in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words but by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

This verse is talking about marriage, but I think we can apply it to other relationships. It should be who you are that shows people how Jesus makes us such a better person. This verse isn't saying that hairstyles and jewelry is wrong, but that is not what should make us beautiful. What makes us beautiful is that the Holy Spirit is in us and transforms us into the image of God. Others can be mean and put down others, its not gonna be their appearance that makes them beautiful, but if they transform into a kind hearted spirit.

Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Not just to talk about Jesus, but to show them His love too! It's one thing to say you love someone, but another thing to SHOW them God's love.  I always look up to the people who show Christ's love wherever they go and that unconditional love helps bring others into a relationship with Jesus. Don't just say it, show it! Words have power, but actions show Jesus power. Let's focus on doing rather then just talking.

prayer:
Jesus you are the ultimate picture of actions for the kingdom. Let us know that actions are more powerful than words and to remember this when we encounter unbelievers. Let us show your love and light in every area of our lives.
Amen.

whats trending?

Whats trending? On social media usually pathetic sad things that are never talked about the next week. We get so consumed about whats BIG at the moment. Why? What's the big deal? Does a lot of that stuff even matter? People look up to celebrities as idols...for what, there good looks or money? Societies focus is on the wrong thing. There "glory" lasts but only a moment of this worlds life span, but God his word is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Ever bought a warranty? I've bought several thinking if it breaks the warranty will cover it. Well to my luck, every time in my case whatever happens to what I bought, I take it back and get told....ma'am read the fine print, it's not covered for this. I just quit wasting my money on them. lol God isn't like that. If you choose Him his word is good and true. There is no fine print saying if you have this part broken you cannot be fixed or saved. He is faithful forever! Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever!!!

1 Peter 1:24-25
For, "All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever." and this is the word that was preached to you.

This scripture shows us that people are like grass. We may be big and green one day, but it eventually withers and dies. God's word is forever! When we accept Jesus and live for him our bodies will wither and fade but our spirit will never die because of what Jesus did for us. God's word is everlasting...He is everlasting!!! Think...you can have a lot of money one day, the next not much at all or zero. One day you could have the number one song on i tunes... how long does that last? Not forever. You can be trending one day, one year, out the next. God is always there, he doesn't change. Our circumstances our always changing around us, but we can depend on and hold on to the fact that God will not!

Lets make Jesus trending in our lives and not only that but world wide!!

#JESUS

prayer:
God your number one all the time, no matter if others see it or not! Unlike anything else you are always true to your word! Help us to realize everything in our lives is temporary except for your love! Let us not forget what you did for us so our spirit would not wither and die. Give us boldness to make your name trending everywhere we go!

Updated Reading List

What books are you reading this summer?  Here is some books I'm working on and yes I'm reading multiple books at one time lol. I don't know why, but it works :) 

1-Spirit Wars by Kris Vallotton

2-Fearless by Max Lucado

3-Crash the Chatterbox by Steven Furtick

Spirit Wars is about the battle that's going on that we don't physically see with our eyes all the time. It talks about how to deal with the enemy's attacks on our lives. Fearless I'm not to far into yet but it's about eliminating as much fear from your like and experiencing that freedom. Crash the Chatterbox is about the voices in our head, sorting them out and living accordingly to God's truth not necisarrily the lies we hear in our head.

Have you read these? What are your thoughts? If you haven't what are you reading?

Tip: check your local library for books or request them at the library so you don't always have to buy them :)

Keep in Step with the Spirit

We can choose how we live. If we let our flesh control us, we are letting our sinful nature become our actions, but it doesn't have to be like that. We can be lead by the Spirit. When we accept Jesus we receive the Holy Spirit, thats part of the deal. But to live by the Spirit is more than just receiving Christ it is work/action. If you struggle with lust, drunkenness, idolatry, anger, control the flesh is ruling you. I'm pretty sure it's safe to say none of us want the flesh to be ruling us. So how do we let the Holy Spirit be our guide? We have to let go of our fleshes desire to control. Allow the Holy Spirit to come over us.

Have you ever met someone who's been radically transformed by Jesus?....I hope your answer is YES! What happens is the Spirit comes more and more over them taking dominance of their lives and their bodies  desires are now submitting to God's authority. When the Spirit is abundant in your life it produces fruit in the form of love, joy, peace, patience kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Look at your life do you see more fruits of the spirit or flesh?

Galatians 5:16-26

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

If there was a gauge where would you be? E being flesh F being Spirit. We want to get as full of the Spirit and Jesus as we can!!!!! If your feeling broke and empty I'm guessing the flesh is winning.

When we live out the lies told to us we are living according to the flesh. So how do we let the flesh diminish in our lives so Jesus shines bright?

1- Accept Jesus 

     we need to accept that Jesus is the Messiah, when we receive Jesus we receive his spirit

2- Get filled with Holy Spirit

    once we receive the spirit thats great, but we can the spirit to come over us and lead us.  ways we         can do this is by prayer, worship, ect.

3- Submit to God's plan and purpose in our life

     when we let God reign it will allow us to be full of his fruit

I mean just think about what you experience when your worshiping. Love, joy, overwhelmed by God,....this is the Holy Spirit rising up in you.

                            Flesh                                                          Spirit

                          -lust                                                            -love

                          -addiction                                                   -joy

                          -idolatry                                                     -peace

                          -rage                                                           -patience

Here are just a few examples. We may not feel we are completely one side or another. I would say its mostly that way. It's a war between our sinful nature and the righteousness God declares us once were saved. It's semi-good news that there is a war, because that means our body is fighting against our sinful nature and fighting for Jesus to be head of our lives. But the main point isn't war it's victory in the Spirit. Amen?! When you walk by the spirit you don't let those temptations lead to sin or deception.

When we try to heal ourselves of brokenness without relying on Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are constantly trying to fill our own emptiness rather than sharing our fullness. 

Jesus doesn't promise there won't be a war, but He promises the spirit will win.

Goal -------> conquer flesh and live by the Spirit

Spirit conquers that emptiness and lies that drive the flesh. (what drives the flesh--->lies, it's built on lies from the enemy, and we all hear them, even Jesus did, but it's what do we do with them that matters)

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We need to daily put our trust in God and cast our cares on him. By doing this it frees us from our flesh. We need to stop trying to fill our emptiness with worldly desires or things and start putting faith in God and walk by the Spirit!

 

prayer: 

Lord you know my struggles, let your Spirit come over me and lead my everyday life. Let the sinful nature be dead and in the past. Let me be the righteousness of Jesus to others and pouring your spirit out because i'm so full of you...instead of trying to fill the emptiness. Your the only person who can heal me, no amount of money or earthly desires can help my sinful nature dissipate. Let me trust in you draw me closer and fill me up.

Amen

your important to Him

Do you ever wonder if your in the right place? Sometimes we feel that were not doing enough or not good enough. Even times we feel like because others are in more of a leader position that we don't amount to much in God's eyes. I've been reading about Korah and learning that God has a purpose and position for all of us and they are all different. Korah was a Levite and he worked daily at the tabernacle, but he wanted to rule. Many people thought that was quite the job, but he wanted more power. He got a group of people together and they confronted Moses and Aaron (who were at the time the leaders). They were complaining saying that Moses and Aaron weren't better than anyone and all the Israelites were chosen by God. Both of these statements were true, but they were twisting and manipulating God's words to go away from God's intentions. Moses didn't think he was better than them, but he knew God called him into the role leader. Have you ever been in the position leader and had someone manipulate you in making you question the authority that God gave YOU? I feel like majority would say yes.  Sad thing is the demons know the bible better than a lot of Christians. The enemy can use people to twist the words of God and make you believe it or attempt to. But we need to be steadfast like Moses. Holding on to the truth and promises of God. When God gives you leadership or authority people can get jealous.

There is a fine line between goals and greed.

To have a goal to achieve is awesome, but being jealous and manipulative to get into a higher position is wrong....Well maybe your not a leader. That is good too. Not everyone is called to lead, but everyone has a purpose for the kingdom of God. Sometimes were busy looking around us that we fail to see the position God placed us in. No matter what position were in we need to know the ultimate authority is God and we are ultimately answering to HIM!

Numbers 16:8-10
Moses also said to Korah, "Now listen, you Levites! Isn't it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord's tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. It is against the Lord that you and all you followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?

Whether your a leader or submitting to one, we need to obey the authority God gives, but in the end God is the ultimate authority we answer too. And whatever position your in, God has a plan for you. You are important to HIM :)

Gods favor

Lately I've been praying for Gods favor. I want him to have his hand on everything I do and everything I am a part of. Gods favor isn't necessarily designed to make our lives perfect though. Gods favor is designed for us to fulfill his purpose in our lives. When we look at Gods favor in the bible an example is when Mary finds out she's pregnant with Jesus. The angel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Do you think at first she thinks she has Gods favor, I bet she's probably terrified. She just found out she was pregnant and she is a virgin. Then an angel comes and tells her she's favored. She had no clue in the moment what amazing plans God had for her. Our purpose for Gods kingdom is going to be hard. We're going to be prosecuted and judged. When we live out his will for us it doesn't mean that we won't experience that, because the bible definitely tells us we will, but it means God gave me this purpose and he is going to be with me to do this thing! I wish Gods favor meant roses and lilies everywhere I went, but more than that it means him bringing us through his will in our life. So God what is your will for my life? What purpose do you have for me? I know that you will help me accomplish your kingdom here on earth. Those are the questions and statements we should be asking if we haven't. Everyone's looks different. For me I see things differently when I'm living out his purpose. I feel his favor. To describe it I feel like I'm in the right place spiritually, a sense of peace.
     I do think God can give us favor wherever we go if we are living for him, but that doesn't mean everything for us will be perfect. Take a look at Joseph.

Genesis 39:3,4,5
When his master (Joseph's master) saw that the Lord was with him(Joseph) and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and because his attendant......(verse 5) the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph.

Joseph was well-built and handsome, and his masters wife had her eyes on him. She repeatedly tried to get Joseph to sleep with her, but he always said no. One day she caught him by his cloak...

Genesis 39:11-23
One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me?" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. "Look," she said to them, "this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us? He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house." She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home, Then she told him this story: 'That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house." When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, "This is how your slave treated me," he burned with anger. Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the Lord was with Joseph and give him success in whatever he did.

Reading this shows us that Joseph had trials and even went to prison. No matter where he went though, the Lord had his hand in everything he did and everywhere he went. Jesus DOES NOT promise us life to be easy, but when we have his favor and are drawing close to him and his purpose in our life things can go a lot smoother. Think if Joseph had slept with the woman...I don't think the Lord would have given him favor with the warden. I think Joseph had favor because of the man he was. Even though Joseph was in prison for over two years, when he got out he ruled Egypt. Talk about God's favor.

I want to have God's favor and live out his purpose for me. His purpose for you will look different. When we follow him and commit to him it opens up the door for his blessings to come into our life. It can make the rough places smooth. Think and pray about your purpose and go after it. You only have one life, so live it to the fullest for the King of Kings. Let others see that you have God's favor on you like Joseph.

prayer:
Father, thank you for your favor on my life. Let me continue to find and fulfill the purposes you have for me. Bless all that I do for you, so others may see and come to glorify you. We pray in your Sons precious name.
Amen.

Coming near to God

On a daily basis, I want to be close to God. I want to wake up and spend time feeling His presence and drawing near to him. Yesterday was quite the day for me, kinda hectic. Van broke just shut down in the road while I was driving brake quit working, gas, steering wheel, it was all locked up. (Praise God no one got hurt and we were fine) So I was stuck in the middle of the road, not able to get ahold of my husband with two little ones. Then it started pouring! I believe that, just one of those things could have recked my day. When we draw close to God, those things that could reck our day just don't. Instead of feeling the disappointment and frustration as my top emotion, I feel God's presence. His presence over shadows all the other emotions that are not from him.

James 4:7-10
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

God gives us 5 ways in this verse to come close to him:

1-Submit to God
    This means to yield to Gods plans and authority over your own. Submitting God shows him your commitment and faithfulness to him.

2-Resist the devil
   When you resist the devil, you are standing firm and not letting temptation or earthly desires get the best of you. When you heard a voice in your head that is messing with you, you shut it down and speak the truth of God.

3-Wash your hands and purify your hearts
    This represents cleansing yourself of sin, repenting and turning away from evil. We purify ourselves by letting God cleanse us of our past and give us a new future that puts him at the head of our life.

4-Grieve and cry
    No this doesn't mean God wants us to be sad to get closer to him. I feel close to him when I experience HIS JOY! But to get to that place we need to be delivered. He wants us to let our emotions go, and show grate remorse for our sinful ways. When we release all this emotion and sorrow for our past, it opens up the door for Holy Spirit to fill you up. I see it as getting the nasty out to let the amazing in. Release to Receive.

5-Humble yourselves before the Lord
   When we are humble we see that our worth comes from God. Our importance comes from God. Show God you are humble and submissive to him, this allows him to lift you up.


Let God know you are serious about him and serving him, and that you want to feel his presence everyday!!!

prayer:
God, I know that on a daily basis I experience situations that could wreck my day. But I want to feel close to you. I want to feel your presence over all the other emotions I have. Help me to go through these steps to draw close to you. Let my will go, and let yours be done.
Amen.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. For me being a mom is the hardest job ever but most rewarding. Some may think I started early, even at the time I thought I did, but boy did God have a plan for me and I'm so grateful for that. I realize Mother's Day can be joyful for lots but also hard for lots many people that struggle and yearn for this but haven't had it happen. I just want to encourage you to pray and seek God because he does have a plan for you!! Just because you may not have a physical child does not mean you cannot lead someone else and be an example to them! I'm praying for you today if that is your situation. For those of you that are mothers know that motherhood is one of the most rewarding jobs but far from easy. It takes a daily commitment to show patience and grace. One thing I like about Mother's Day is everyone posting pics and saying how grateful they are for their moms and how they wouldn't be who they are without them. For me that is so true, my mom has shown me how to be a woman, a Godly woman. I still call her all the time for advice and prayer. As a mom I want to lead my kids to Jesus. I don't have it all together and I can't always know the right answer, but that's not my job. My job isn't to be the perfect mom, but to show my kids the perfect Father, Jesus Christ. 

Proverbs 31:28

Her children arise and call her blessed;her husband also, and he praises her.

the call

How well do you know the bible? Do you have scripture memorized? Or are you newer in your faith working on learning some verses? Either way God is pleased when we read his word, but he doesn't just want us to read....Sounds crazy but more than he wants us to read his word, he wants us to put it into action!!

James 1:22-25
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says, anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does. 

When we don't know what God wants us to do he may speak to you through other people, or he may speak to you through his word. When we read the bible he doesn't want us to read it to know what it says but to do the example that he gives us in his word.

James 1:26-27
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Read some scripture today and see what God is telling to not only know but to do! Not everyone will have the same calling in life, but God does want us to look after those in distress and to keep ourselves from the pollution of the world.


prayer:
What can I do to show you to the world today? How can I be an example? Lord show me the way for me. Help me to hold my tongue and use it as an encourager and not a harmful weapon.
Amen.

YOKE

Some days do you feel like you have a lot of energy ready to take the day. Worry-free and full of joy!! That is awesome!! Other days do you feel so burdened, in a dark place and just worn out! We don't want that. When you step back and reflect on different days, you can find out what determines the load we carry for that day. Do we carry a load of sin, bitterness, or a hardened heart. Or do we carry a light load one that shows joy and peace. Some people let their yesterday define today, but you don't have to do that. If you have been exhausted with life and its circumstances, lets change that today!!! Lets kick the enemy to the curb and team up with Jesus, so when we run into hard situations Jesus is there to take the load for us. In the bible Jesus says, "my yoke is easy and my burden is light." I've heard this verse a ton of times but didn't know what a yoke was. Egg yoke? haha NO! A yoke is a wooden crossbar linking two load pulling animals together.

That is what a yoke looks like, were not talking about an egg yolk here folks lol. And these animals usually are pulling a wagon or load of some sort. In the bible it mentions yoke several times and I want to show the context of 2 of these verses.

Matthew 11:29

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Jesus is saying here that if you are worn out and struggling come to Him. He will give us the rest we need to be sustained. He wants us to take his yoke upon us so picture yourself linked with Jesus in the picture above. How cool is that, when we are yoked with Jesus he carries our burdens. We don't have to get worn out so easy and fast with our life circumstances if we are connected with Jesus. Another time is talks about a yoke is in Galatians.

Galatians 5:1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery.

When we are burdened by the yoke of slavery the person attached to us is not Jesus but the enemy. He hangs right on and drags us down making every day drudging and a big burden. When you command the enemy to leave and invite Jesus it can transform your life. I know situations that I could let overwhelm me and wear me down, but when I have Jesus right there he wants to take my burdens from me so I can have a stress free, light load. It takes faith, but letting go of your load with be a weight lifted off you! Just think about that this week, talk to God let him know what burdens you and that you want to be teamed up with Him so he can lead you on the way!

prayer:

Thank you that you take my burden and make it light! Help me cling to you so I can be yoked with you and go where you want me to. I trust you with my life, let the faith I have bring others to you so they can be yoked with you too!

Amen!

Jocelyn's 3rd Birthday!!!

Today is Jocelyn's 3rd birthday I can't believe it! She is such a funny little firecracker! She loves to sing and play pretend! She is the best big sister and entertainer! 3 years ago was the craziest day! My brother made an awesome video of the day she was born/ birth video!

Happy Birthday Jocelyn we love you!!!!!!

don't run on E G.

A lot of times we pray or come to God when we think we need him really bad. We will start praying when someone close to us is sick or when we really need financial help, but what about the other times? Are you going to God daily and thanking him for your blessings? It is an intentional task that we need to make a part of our everyday lives. Think of it like this, your on a road trip and your gas is getting low, you don't just drive until you run out and then sit in your car hoping someone will bring you gas. You have to make an intentional stop at the gas station and get filled up. That is how it is with Jesus. We can't just go along and then when a problem happens sit there and wish for something good to happen, no you have got to make the move to go to Jesus. Fill yourself up with his fruits love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self control. On our journey we may hit a construction period or an area in our life that needs worked on or God's way of saying detour and having us go a different path. If your always full of gas on a road trip your good to go. In the same way in life on our journey if we are full of Jesus we can feel good to go. We don't need to worry about the construction zones ahead because we know what is inside us will get us through!! I've had times in my life where God has completely changed my path from what I thought it would be, but since I had Jesus it made me knew I wouldn't run empty because He had a purpose and a plan to prosper me. When I found out I was pregnant for the first time I was really young, I was in shock. I had a completely different plan for myself, but God had the RIGHT plan for me. During that time I grew more than I ever had in my life. Looking back it grew me closer to him and I had to rely on him soo much. It was the biggest blessing, it brought me my family I have today and I couldn't be more grateful to God for changing my plan and giving me his own. When you hit a construction area in your life rely on God he is your tank :) with him you can get through it, doesn't mean it will never be bumpy! Trusting God with our life is hard because we don't know why we go through things, only he does. One thing I keep in mind that helps me is saying ya know what God is having me go through this to grow me for a reason, I trust that he has a purpose and plan that will benefit me or someone else in the future if I trust him in this time. Let God fill you up so you can pour out on others his love and grace. Thats what he wants us to do not just believe that he did it, but to do it too!

Numbers 14:21
but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.

prayer:
We come to you today Lord, some of us may be feeling empty....fill us up. Holy Spirit pour out on us. Let us shine a light to others on rough paths so they can learn that with you my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Amen.

words=power

Our words hold so much power. A speaker Putty said something like you can speak 2 different things when you talk...towards the kingdom of light or toward the kingdom of darkness. Every word you speak has power so choose them wisely. I challenge you today to focus on speaking words of life and uplifting words. Let the negative words in your heard be shut down and don't let them get to your tongue. 

Matthew 12:36-37

"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

We are held accountable for everything we say. My goal is to have more words of life than death. Words of death cause pain and hurt for many people. If you struggle with negativity focus first on quitting swearing.

Matthew 5:37

"Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

Swearing and making promises we cannot keep is not of God. Instead just focus on saying what you mean and following through with that. If your going to do something say it and mean it! This is how Jesus wants us to live. In James it always says don't swear by heaven or by earth or anything else. Our focus is to be a man or woman of our word! Our words reflect our heart. You can't solve your heart problem by fixing how you talk, but you must ask Holy Spirit to fill you with a new focus of lightness not darkness. As your perspective and attitude changes, so will your speech. 

Proverbs 18:21

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:6

A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.

prayer:

Proverbs 19:14

Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight.

Also if I have darkness inside of me causing me to speak words not pleasing to you that you would bring light to my life and fill me with your joy so that the joy in my heart will reflect in the words that come out of my mouth!

slave no more

Today I was reading a verse really just hit me, its 

Romans 8:15

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

When we accept Jesus we get freedom in Christ. Jesus did not die on the cross for us to be slaves, but for us to be set free. This verse uses fear, but it can be anything. You can be slave to addiction, fear, anger. When you are a slave to something it has power over you. If you are addicted to cigarettes for example then they have control over you. You cannot go without them, you need them. Jesus says we don't receive spirits that make us slave again to fear or whatever it is when we accept him. You may be dealing with something in your life where you feel a spirit not of God is present. I had a scary situation where my youngest daughter had an allergic reaction to eggs. It was severe enough to scare the crap out of me. For days I was in a panic type mode in fear that she would have another reaction. I know the fear I was experiencing after was not of God. I knew this wasn't how I wanted to feel, but didn't know what to do about it. When we carry these things we feel weighed down. I physically felt tired because it was exhausting. I knew I should trust in God, but what was I gonna do if it happened again. When your a mother you have so much love for your children that when something bad happens to them it breaks your heart. The enemy got to me that day, and many days after. I was full of fear and anxiety that was stealing my joy. After talking to my mom one day I don't know exactly what she said but she said you don't have to have this feeling Kayla. I know you know that this isn't God and he can take that away from you. I was tired of being worried, physically and emotionally. I prayed and said God I lay this fear at your feet. You are the only person who can give me peace. In the bible it says perfect love casts out fear. And I want you to fill me with Your perfect love. I was a slave to fear, but you have freedom for me, and I accept that freedom. After I did that, I was full of joy. That doesn't mean I never had a worry again, but it meant that I had Him to take my worries. Whenever I have an anxious thought in your head just say God I give this to you, I trust you and I trust your plans for me. I want to see others being set free from the enemy. I fully believe you don't have to have these awful things control our lives!!! Thats what Jesus is for, thats what he died for! We need to take that seriously.

prayer:

Jesus we come to you and lay at your feet our issues. When we try to carry these burdens ourselves it is exhausting and a joy stealer. We know that you can take them and replace them with your spirit which is full of Joy and freedom. We praise you.

Amen.

two become one

As a family, and as husband and wife, under one roof you must be united. When you blend two people together it takes time to adjust. Through that process we need to stick together remembering your for each other not against one another. I saw a quote one time that said "No relationship is all sunshine, but two people can share an umbrella and survive the storm together." You need to show unconditional love and forgiveness. I think forgiveness can be a hard one even for your spouse. We often hold grudges. I've seen people do it for years. God doesn't do that to us and certainly doesn't want us to do that to our spouse.

Matthew 12:25
Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.

God knows you need to be on the same team to get through anything especially obstacles. When hard situations arise do you stick with your spouse or retract? Oneness is marriage even plays a part into your child's life. My 3 year old already understands a lot and wants that for my husband and I, if we are having an off moment she notices. Yes life isn't all sunshine and we don't need to pretend that it is, but maybe look for the light in all circumstances and give your spouse grace.

Ephesians 5:31-33
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Wives need to be shown love and husbands respect. As wives what can you do today to show your husband you respect him? And husbands what can you do to show your life you love her? A good book to read is the 5 Love Languages. It shows how you can better love your spouse by meeting the needs they have. And if you aren't married its still a pretty cool book to check out so you can understand how to meet others needs outside of marriages like friendships, co-workers, ect.

My marriage isn't perfect, but I've noticed the closer we come to God, the closer we come together. When God is at the center of your lives and marriage it allows him to bring you to closer unity. If your marriage or relationship is going through a rough patch, pray together if possible or on your own. Tell God you need to be brought together. And share an umbrella with your partner ;) Don't go through things alone, God gave you that person for a reason!!

prayer:
God thanks for your grace and love that we receive daily. Let us remember to show that to our spouse DAILY! Soften our hearts so we are quick to forgive and slow to anger. Unite us!
Amen.

regrets

Everyone has things they wish they could do differently.. We all wish we could have learned our lessons without having to go through the pain and experiences we did. I went through a phase in life where I was making poor decisions. I was listening to what my friends were telling me instead of the voice of God. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I did it anyway because it seemed fun, but in the end it left me feeling full of regret and empty. Although I didn't always participate in these bad decisions I was around it a lot. Just being around people who are making bad choices can put a damper on you, and it definitely did that to me. Those bad decisions we make can affect us the rest of our lives. We didn't understand why our parents told us the things they did but it was because they had a bigger perspective and didn't want us to regret our decisions. The amazing thing about God is his forgiveness. When we have a relationship with him it is present. Our past is completely forgiven.

Philippians 3:12-15

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have take hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 

Jesus calls us to forget what is behind, part of doing that is forgiveness. Jesus calls us to forgive ourselves and others, this is so hard because some things people do to us seem impossible to forgive, but with God all things are possible. Letting go and letting God! Focus on your present situation with God moving forward toward the goal God has for us! No matter our past, we need to release that to God. Giving his access to this area of our lives allows him to work and transform us so that the past is the past and the future is a new person of faith and obedience.

2 Corinthians 7:10

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 

When people are only sorry they got caught that is worldly sorrow, but when people are sorry and want to change themselves to be more like God that is Godly sorrow. When we see that we messed up and need to change it brings us to Christ. And in Christ it leaves no regrets, but a fresh spirit of hope in the future and joy in the moment.

prayer:

God, let us bring our regrets to you. We know that you forgive us and renew our spirit. I pray that anything that is holding us down from the future you would deal with in Jesus name. Let us be renewed and have hope in our future not letting our past or sins have any hold on us. 

Amen.

authority and faith

Have you ever had a teacher you didn't like or someone in charge of you that you just couldn't stand? One year I had one of those teachers. Even though I didn't care for her behavior or the way she went about things I had to treat her with respect because she was my authority in the classroom..

Titus 3:1
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,

Romans 13:2
Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

This verse shows that God put authority on this earth for a reason. Our mother and father when we are children are our authority. There is no perfect person in charge except God himself, therefore even us as parents we sin. We aren't aways gonna do it right, just like our teachers, pastors, presidents. Although these people have control over us to some degree the only one who has power over our spirit is God. He is the ultimate authority! The president for example can create laws that we have to abide by, but only God can change our hearts. When Jesus came to earth he brought an authority that no one had access to before him.

Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to me in heaven and on earth.

Luke 1:9
Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

Luke 10:17
And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through your name.

This shows how God gave authority to Jesus, who gave it to his 12 disciples, which was then given to 70 disciples. This shows us that the authority Jesus had when he walked the Earth we can have inside of us. Though we may have other people in charge of us, we hold a much higher authority inside us then the outward authority they hold. Jesus wants us to be a reflection of the way he was when he was on earth. To do this we have to look at the authority and power he carried with himself everywhere he went. This doesn't just happen over night but through a growing relationship and strong faith in God. You cannot have authority in Christ without faith in believing. In Mark 9:17-29 its shows how those two go hand in hand. The stronger the faith the higher the authority to do his work. We gain this faith by knowledge in Christ and by believing with no doubts. Always let God be your lead wherever you go, so when you do encounter sinful authority, He can be your guide.

prayer:
God you are the ultimate authority in our lives, we are so grateful that you are the perfect one to do this job. We are also so thankful that you sent Jesus to this earth to show us the Godly example of it. Let us carry around your presence that ripples around us everywhere we go.
Amen.

Eve

I was reading about Eve in the garden and it was saying how she was letting what she couldn't have get the best of her. I thought wow that is so true. God had given them everything in the whole garden, except he told her not to eat fruit from one tree. I bet there were lots of trees with lots of good fruit, and only one was off limits. The serpent reminded her of what she didn't have. Satan does that to us a lot too. Whether its our friends nicer cars, house, situations, ect. Store display shelves can be the worst lol. Always reminding us of what we don't have. Those things aren't bad and it's not bad to get them, but God doesn't want that to be our focus, especially if its something he doesn't want for us. I believe God wants the best for us, but he also knows the best for us, which means we don't get whatever we want. God wants our attention on him. Eve lost sight of God and couldn't let go of the one thing He said not to have in the entire garden. Do you sometimes sit and think about the one thing you don't have? Instead we should be looking at what God has already blessed us with!! God gave Adam and Eve so much, in fact everything but one tree!!! We need to shift our focus on what God has given us and what he wants us to do with that. He gives you a home for shelter, or the gift of compassion to help others, whatever it is. Eve let that tree become an idol she put it over Gods own words. Sometimes we constantly strive for what we don't have making it an idol. Working hard for things is not wrong, but working for THINGS over GOD is.

If you read Genesis 3, it is the story of the fall of man.

Satan can also make things seem attractive so that we will want them more than we want the right things. He may make money seem more attractive than time with your family. Eve allowed her contentment to be undermined by Satan, she lost focus of all God had given her. Eve's sin has come down and we are still living in that sin today. We act this way. Greed gets the best of all of us. But praying for a spirit of contentment and wisdom will help us grow into being more like Christ. Writing a list of your blessings puts satan further from getting into your mind in that area. It can be to easy to focus on what we don't have, but God uses Eve's story to show us for a reason that when we do that it is sin and leads to more sin: greed, idols, ect.

Genesis 3:1-7 
Now the serpent was more craft than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, " You must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die." "You will surely not die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God< knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing tot he eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

prayer:
Jesus you know what is best for us, we don't always listen or understand that. Give us wisdom to trust your plan for us. Let us not be distracted by earthly idols that take our focus off of you. You are the best gift we could ever receive and let us not forget the price you paid, that we too often take for granted.
Amen.