It’s Personal

“Indeed, every good and perfect thing that has ever come into our lives has come as a gift to us from God Himself. It did not bubble up like crude oil from this earth. It flowed down like rain from the riverbanks of Heaven. It was intentional. It was personal. Yet we see ourselves at the mercy of random events, abilities, and coincidences.”-Beth Moore

It is way too easy to lose focus.  Wars around the world, the news with so many things to tear your security away from you. Health issues.  Yet, we have this…

Our Almighty God, King of kings, Supreme and Sovereign yet Loving and Compassionate. Creator of the universe, including us. Every thing strategically placed in His plan, blessings and cursings. He doesn’t need us, He wants us.  He sings over us and keeps watch while we sleep, everything to bring us closer to Him. His glory will shine, with or without us, but what an honor to shine His glory.  He has done everything to give us a way to be with Him.

The last six months have been difficult with my health.  Changing medicine, trying to understand what is going on with my body, trying not to be angry and bitter.  This week, while surrending to “this must be what you have for me”, He showed me something miraculous!  My doctors did not share with me the danger of being removed from one medication to another.  My Pharmacist put something in my bag, that was just the dangers of leaving that medication, honestly I felt most of those side effects that should have been treated. In my ignorance of all of this, I just rode it out. Some nights I just prayed to sustain me.  I am past the six months of danger, still weak, still having issues with the heat and humidity. This will take a year, but I have not used anything other than my allergy-asthma medication.

I felt the hug from Him, the reassurance that He has been giving me everything I need to live, the love of a Father (who truly can fix anything).

This is personal, He can do anything, He acts on our behalf without asking for the things we need, He already knows and is already doing it.

He is still in control, nothing that is going on in the world or our communities is shocking Him. Focus on Him, and the greatest gift of all, His never ending love. Loving us so much as to make that bridge (Jesus) so we would not be apart from Him.  Beautiful.

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addiction-an uphill battle…

wondering if you know…

battling with self injury or any type of addiction is…

an uphill battle

in the dark

w/rough terrain

stumbling, falling

getting back up

requires incredible determination

a little encouragement daily

God is capable and willing to deliver us…HE is also…at times…interested in seeing us fight the thing out, and believe that it will be worth it when we reach the top…if you know somesome struggling with this, and you know they are a new believer…

Showing them their failures and scripture to back that up is not helping…encourage them to keep trying, admit that the climb is tough, remind them that God has not given up on them, and HE is not sick of them and their falling…HE loves them, and is teaching them more of who HE is and who they are to HIM…

Look what HE taught Joshua and the Isrealites in Joshua 9-10….amazing they found their selves in a place, due to someone elses sin…and stumbling and mumbling they did…and the Glory of God they saw!

take your place

IT’S TIME! time to stand up and be counted..what do you believe? who do you live for? where have you been? what have you learned? now take that information and tell it to who ever will listen, disregard the ones who won’t.

How very sad it would be if Jesus died to save us, and the result was merely fire insurance from hell. nothing more nothing less.  How sad it would be if the only thing that came from the pit we used to call home, was an occasional nod of the head, a quick smile, and “thats nice dear, just sit over there and we will all be so happy that Jesus left you in”.

Lately , i ‘ve been thinking of the woman in the Bible, and how God used them to further HIS plan.  He could have picked people who were all together…or was it  a matter of fact that none were all together? HE used them..prostitutes, idol worshippers, seductive, and schemers…beautiful, and pitiful, woman who had families that threw them away..the old testament is full of these kind…the new testament again…same kind of women..some plagued with illness, some curled up (from what it doesn’say..i can think of some things that curl me up), adulterers.

GOD felt it important to put them in there with their stories, for people to learn and see HIS grace, mercy, goodness, and although they made bad choices..HE used it for HIS glory.  We really need to stand up..we  really need to take a moment and just feel the thing…

the gentle touch of our savior, gently lifting our heads, softly speaking life into our very souls, and remembering…we are not who we were…we are HIS treasure, HE found great joy in saving us..HE delights in who we are becoming, HE see the finished person in us…How great is our GOD?  stand up and be counted..NO fear..NO shame..we don’t have to sit in the back…quietly..We have a seat right up front! “He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies”  sweet

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!

Quotes full of Truth…

Today I am going to share some quotes with you that have enlightened my heart, put a smile on my face, and in some instances made me laugh out loud! These are quotes from Joyce Meyer, an amazing woman of God, down to earth, getting us back to the basics.. I seriously heart her! I plan on highlighting one person a week, but Joyce’s quotes have by far planted them self in me deep! Thank you Jesus for Joyce Meyer.

You can be pitiful or powerful, but you cannot be both.

When you have a problem, go to the Throne and not the phone!

Sitting in church does not make one a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes one a car.

Believe in Him – your feelings will catch up later!

Determine to use your mouth to bring encouragement not discouragement 🙂

Let Him be the Leader and you be the follower.

We do not need self-confidence, we need God-confidence!

Learn from the past and prepare for the future, but live in the present.

Grace is not the freedom to sin; it is the power to live a holy life.

Everybody’s always looking for a word, here’s a word: Walk in love, that will keep you busy for the rest of your life.