Just Believe

God has a plan, and we just need to surrender to it.  God is still God, and His plan is still in motion, with or without our surrender.  I think at times we forget this.  We are the created, and He is the Creator.  Everything moves along His timeline.  So many things happen that we just don’t understand.  Maybe we are not supposed too.

God asks us to rest in Him, to accept the gifts He has already given to us.  

*Peace

*Joy

*Love

*Security

*Mercy

*Redemption

*forgiveness

*Adoption into His family

*Blessed

If we (I) truly believed God, these things would flow out and saturate those around us…24/7

This year, I want to believe God more than ever before….

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Exploring my gifts…

Today I spent the day with people I do not know, and two I have met briefly.  We explored our Gifts from God.  It was all very exciting, and informative. At the same time very humbling, and terrifying.  God does expect a return on those gifts for HIS glory. So many of mine, have laid untouched for a year. So its quite an understatement to say , “God has lit a fire under my butt”..but HE has.  For that I am grateful.  Also very repentant.

Would we allow any other gift to lay in a corner and not open it? not use it? not show some kind of excitement?

While thinking of how much of a disappointment I am to HIM, I realized that something else was going on in this room…

I was learning and seeing with my own eyes how each person has gifts that are not all the same, and we compliment each other very well. There was no pride or arrogance.  Unity filled the room.  Then HE nudged me… “you love them, don’t you? you are loving the body of Christ”  oh! i have prayed for that so long, and thought i would never sense that in a structured environment.

I love HIM so! Thankful for the gifts HE has given to me, and praying that I will grow into each one of them and use them for HIS glory.  HE always knows what I need, and always knows exactly how to encourage me!

Father God, you know the plans you have for me.  At times it terrifies me at all you have entrusted to me. Realizing that it because  I fear failing you. But You do not fail me.  Please help me to take my place in Your body, using the gifts you have given me, and overcoming the fears that I have. I love you LORD, and I am lifting up my gifts to you for your glory.  As you have said it will be…so will it be. Your Princess who is shaking her head, taking deep breaths as I dive in deeper…

unexpected presents..

My daughter and her husband came to visit last night, and brought us a present.

and this is what was inside….

a baby! God is so good to us, i am so happy for them, and happy for me too! Babies are a gift from God, what a treasure!

Still…my baby is having a baby…boggles my little brain…

Blogged Bible Study-Galatians 4-Grasp the Grace

Galatians 4:1-7 (NIV)

What I am saying is that is as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from the slave, although he owns the whole estate.  He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. But when the time had fully come, GOD sent his Son, born of a woman, under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons, God sent the Spirit of HIS son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father”. So you are no longer a slave, but a son, God has made you an heir.

This is the beauty of Grace.  Once asking a Pastor what exactly is Grace, we sing about it, we throw it around like a 5 dollar word in Christian circles, and at that time I had no concept of what it actually was.  I was answered with “God’s riches at Christs expense”. Sums it up..still left me empty to the meaning, or application for me.  These verses opened it up for me.  Grace we are swimming in it!! Not only is HIS Grace sufficient for me, and you, there is nothing that will remove you from it as a believer in Christ.  As a son we are inheritors to the Kingdom, we are IN, and all because of the gift of Christ to die for us.

The mind of Christ. Always asked this one too..How can one have the mind of Christ? No one could actually answer that for me, or even admit that we do. But it says..the Spirit of Christ has moved into residency in our hearts! (Swimming in it! grasp this)  His Spirit intercedes for us, HE cries out “Abba , Father”  (Daddy , Father) Where we fall is here.  NO matter what you struggle with, NO matter what I struggle with..right here.  At times we are thinking as the slave, under the Law, forgetting the marvelous gift of Grace that was given to us. Please don’t tell me that you do not ever do this. If we truly grasped this, nothing could stop us in ministry, in our families, in our devotional time, in spreading the fragrance of Knowing HIM, our boldness for the kingdom with just scream from us!! It is not a light thing that HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR US! It means whatever is brought your way, God has already seen HIS Glory fulfilled in it, and you will also see HIS Glory if you don’t turn from HIM.  SWIMMING IN IT! THIS IS SOMETHING TO w00t!!! Holla!!! all about!!!

(in the middle column you will find a list of names and days that they will posting as we study together through Galatians. Under the header of “Carls Blogging Bible Study, check them out, and leave some comment luv)

Trading the World 4 His Presence

The battle is lost or won in the secret places of the will before God, never first in the external world.  The Spirit of God apprehends me and I am obliged to get alone with God and fight the battle out before Him. Until this is done, I lose every time. The battle may take one minute or a year, that will depend on me, not on God, and i must resolutely go through the hell of a renunciation before God. Nothing has any power over the man who has fought out the battle before God and won there. If I say, I will wait til I get into the circumstances and the put God to the test, I shall find that I cannot.  I must get the thing settled between myself and God in the secret places of my soul where no stranger inter-meddles, and then I can go forth with the certainty that the battle is won…Get alone with God, fight it out before Him, settle the matter there once and for all…Every now and again, not often, God brings us to a point of climax. That is the Great Divide in the life; from that point on we either go towards more and more dilatory and useless type of Christian life, or we become more and more ablaze for the glory of God–My Utmost for His Highest.  ~Oswald Chambers

My past has been settled once and for all before the throne of God.  This has happened a while back, and I needed this quote to remind me. In my humanness, I tend to get led away by well meaning people, and start to wander of from my first true love.  I made Him a promise long ago, when HE set me free from the bondage that seemed like normal living to me.  HE put my feet on a solid foundation, and a song in my heart, praise on my lips, and HE taught me to dance with HIM.  And in return, I promised Him to stay close to HIS word, and to come to Him first, to not let any thing come from my mouth that was not pleasing to Him.  Sounds like I set myself up for a fall.  But it is do-able when I am following closely to Him.

My desire and my prayer is…that I will glorify God in all that I say and do. When HE calls “who will I send”, my answer will be “Lord, send me”.  I want to use my gifts that HE has given to me, for His glory and not mine.  Each and every gift that HE has set aside for me, I want to use for Him. I want all that HE has to give me!

My GOD, and My King, Lover of my soul, my secret Keeper…no one has ever loved me like you do, and no one ever will…there is none beside You.  I stand in Awe .  So many times I try to fit into a category of people..not fitting into the conservative or the Liberal, but always finding my perfect fit, and total peace in the quiet place with You.  You have freed me from my past, and we have fought the thing through on several levels, and I am more than a conqueror in your eyes.  Pleasing you is far better than man, fitting in is not important.  What is important is to stay focused and Kingdom minded.  Thank you for reminding me, that I find my worth in You. I am priceless in  your eyes, and you died for me.   No compromise on the road to You, no looking left or right, only where you lead.   The joy that is found in You is overflowing and my desires are quenched in You.  I choose to stay right here, in Your shadow, controlling my tongue, guarding my eyes as they have passage to my heart, keeping my heart open to You.  Thank You for your great patience, and thanks for the short leash that rips my heart out when I have started to take the smallest of steps from your side.  I don’t want that to ever change.  You are enough for me! Trading the world for your presence. Your princess who wants her Utmost for Your Highest!

Look What God Has Done

I truly have been blessed beyond measure, and so have you. But we do have to look for it. Acknowledge that all good things come from God.

I started blogging while in a pit, and asking for accountability and desire to know HIM more and love HIM more…HE answers those kind of prayers..not as we might think, but as HE sees beneficial to us.

Posting some pics here of the blessings HE has given me the last couple of weeks! People who have fanned the fire of my soul, friendships that will last an eternity, and a safe place to bare my soul. Thank you God for your provisions!

Katrina/Deb Hannaford/Derek

me & Hubs/Deb/ Dale and Gracie Hill

(for the record- Tam(inprogress) is standing on the table for this pic-LOVE HER)

Mr & Mrs B4dguy/Michelle Mills/Deb

so in love with this family~B4dguys family!

B4dguy/Ric Booth grilling...awesome!

Can’t remember B4d’s son and daughter in law’s name (in the background), but I will always remember how he took a background check on us! LOL My God is big enough to cover small details like that!  Patty (Ric’s wife) is beautiful but camera shy, and makes the best chocolate cake I ever ate!

we had church together! these are our worship leaders, AMAZING!

Just wanted to share what GOD has been doing, in uniting more of the body of Christ, answering my prayers to know HIM more and love HIM more, and showing me how very beautiful it is know people who have hearts for HIM, and live life to the fullest, as we know it is also a gift!

Coming soon…pics of TAM (inprogress) and her vacation with all of us, as she was still on the west coast, she is talented like that!