My GOD and me...

It continues to amaze me how God works in my life. I am embarrassed that it took me 31 years to be at the place I am now. God led me to an amazing church family. At first, I was just occupied a seat on Sunday. I love the vision of our pastors and their wives. It's amazing to be their age and already know God's purpose and mission. It took me a while. Now I know God's vision for me. I know that I have a purpose and that God is going to use me. The problem is ME. I am a planner. I am a doer. I like to be in control. However, I am learning to let God lead. I want to do God's work now. I am learning that I have to just let God do HIS work and quit trying to do it on my own. My prayer is that God will continue to change me from the inside out. I desire to be more like him. Fill my heart, O God, with a more perfect love for mankind and a deeper knowledge of your will and way. I love you, my God, my Father, my Savior, my KING. Amen.

Leftovers NO more

Today's message really convicted me. I want to glorify and honor my GOD but how can I do that if all I give to him are leftovers? I'm trying to "surrender all" to HIM everyday. Now I know that even my best is not good enough. I struggle with money management. Anyone that knows me, really knows me, knows that I am NOT a good money manager. I have gotten better, but it's not enough. I am trying to do all these things that I'm supposed to do, but no matter how hard I try if I don't give it ALL to him it's just scraps.

God, my God, I cry out! Take it all...I surrender! I give to you my money and my addiction to food. Take my sins, Father, and cleanse me. Make me wholly thine.

Prayer

Today I learned a huge lesson. I know that prayer works. I know that. I have been a Christian for what seems like my whole life. However, I think that the longer we've been Christians we tend to forget that praying works!

We've been studying the Lord's prayer. I have never looked at each individual verse piece by piece the way we've been doing it. I am learning so much!

Today I saw with my own eyes that God listens to and will answer my prayers. Sometimes it seems like I've been praying for some things forever, but I know that God will answer in HIS time, not mine. Today I truly believe that GOD allowed my prayer to be answered because he wants to remind me that I need to be praying ALL day. I need to be so in tune with him that my mind lingers on HIM and HIS word all day. Oh, GOD, make me and mold me, use me. I am YOURS.

Self-control

Proverbs 25:28

I like what it says in scripture. A man or woman without self-control is like a city with broken walls. We must make selective choices everyday. That includes what we eat, what we listen to, what we watch. I am horrible at making good choices, epecially when it comes to what I eat. However, I am going to make the choice to make better choices starting today. There's no day better than the present, right?

Who am I?

Today I realized that I want to be known as a worshipper of Christ. When people think of me, I want them to say "Oh, yeah! I know her, she is a follower of Jesus." How do we get to that point? Everyday living, moment by moment wrapped in the arms of Jesus Christ. I want to be so in love with him that my world revolves around him. I desire to be like HIM from the inside out. I want to surround my children and my husband, my friends, my family and the students in my classroom with the light of Jesus that radiates from the depth of my heart. I want to do all things through Christ. That is not only who I am, but who I am longing to be....to be set apart.

Quote of the Day

Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell;
I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell.
C.T. Stud

This alone should be our goal as Christians!

An angel on one side, devil on the other...

We got into a discussion Wednesday night about living in peace. It is SO hard sometimes to be peaceful. I don't think of myself as a fighter. But, recently I have discovered a fighter down in my soul. I guess when I had kids and a wonderful husband that I felt the need to "protect," the fighter in me came out. Hahahaha! Visions of baseball bats and the posse I would create kept rolling through my mind.....Anyway! Our discussion about living in peace really stepped on my toes because as Christians we are called to live in peace with everyone. "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of GOD" Matt 5:9 Ouch!

There is a constant battle going on inside of me...the human one that wants to judge, be angry, and seek revenge. Then there's the part of me that desires to follow God's will and let his light shine through me. A picture of a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other comes to my mind. Which one will I listen to today? A constant battle! ugh!! I may stumble and I will fall in this battle, but I know the one that will pick me up.

And, for today I will remember that even the God of impossible knows that it is not possible to get along with everyone...thanks Donna Partow for sharing that with me. However, today, this day and everyday I will CHOOSE to live in peace with others as long as is up to me!