STEP UP!!!

I just want to take a moment and share with you from my life...

Okay, so, I'm getting ready to go on a mission trip, which is such an amazing opportunity!!! And I'm very excited!!! =D

I don't know if you've ever been in the place where you're moving forward with what God has told you to do, but fear and doubt keep trying to stop you or slow you down. Well, in the past when that would happen I would back down instead of continuing to press forward.

However, lately I've been learning, that I can't back down. God has been telling me very clearly not to back down on this or let fear and doubt defeat me. Actually, God used baseball to illustrate it for me- it gives me a picture to visualize what's really going on. God told me: "Step up to the plate; it's your turn to hit a home run! Don't let fear strike you out! Don't let doubt strike you out!"

I don't know where you're at right now or what God is telling you to do, but maybe He's saying the same thing to you...DON'T BACK DOWN! STEP UP!

So I've been learning. Have you ever been in a situation where you clearly understand what God has told you to do, you just don't know how to actually do it? Well, this week, I found myself facing fear's attack. In myself I didn't know what to do. Now, instead of completely caving in, I ran to God. He had the strategy. So, I ran to Him and asked Him to teach me how to fight. I needed to learn how to take fear down and not let it have the victory over me!

When I ran to God and asked Him how to fight, He reminded me of something that was taught in the women's Bible study I've been going to. It's this...change the mental picture, change what I'm meditating on.

Okay, so what does that mean? Well, we don't think in words, we think in pictures and then come up with words to describe the pictures. So, there are pictures in our minds, ways that we see ourselves in specific situations...these could be pictures of things that have actually happened in the past or just ungodly imaginations. What we have to do, what I had to do, was create a new picture for the situation.

For example, what I was facing is I've been quite frightened of needles (I can't say I like needles now, but I'm not so scared.) - and I have to go get a shot and some blood work done this week before the mission trip. My mental picture was of last time I had blood taken and I was very close to passing out...not a pleasant picture! So, as I prayed and looked to God for the answer, I began to see the way I want to be when I go to the doctor. It is a picture full of confidence and boldness- no fear. Now with this new picture of myself in that situation I am able to see myself how God sees me and not give into fear. =)

Maybe there's something in your life right now that you need to run to God and ask Him how to handle. You know what?! He is more than willing to help you...and He has the answer! Just listen to Him (that could just mean reading His Word, the Bible) and then obey what He tells you. Enjoy the new found freedom in Jesus! =D

From God's heart...

I felt like God told me this for you this morning:

Oh, My children! I long for you to come close to Me and become one with My heart. There is so much more for you. I have so much in store! There are things beyond your most wonderful imaginings. I desire great things for you. I desire for you to know Me as I know you- intimately. I know every little detail of you. Won't you come and spend time with Me? Come and get to know Me! I long for you, My children. Come apart. Come to Me! I love you. I long to reveal Myself to you. Oh, how I ache for you! Can you feel My love for you? My great unending, unsearchable love for you? Even if you cannot feel it and don't know it, come close. Closer than you've yet dared. I have so much for you! Come into the secret place. Come get alone with Me. My heart is toward you. I love you! Come and spend time with Me. Come and receive of Me. I give only good gifts. Come, My children, come. I am waiting for you.

The Word...

I went to a women's Bible study yesterday and we were given homework...it's actually a class called Principles of Faith. So, anyway, I started doing the homework this morning, and I want to share what I found so far with you.

This assignment is reading and meditating on verses from Psalm 119, but replacing things like "the law, testimonies, God's ways..." with "the Word". Here's what I studied today...I've adapted the words mentioned aboove, so these aren't direct quotes.

Ps 119:1* Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the Word [the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the Word (the whole of God's revealed will).

My response: If I order my conduct and conversation after the Word, I'll be blessed- happy, fortunate, and to be envied.

Psalm 119:2* Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep the Word, and who seek, inquire for and of the Word and crave the Word with the whole heart.

My response: If I keep the Word and seek, inquire, and crave the Word with my whole heart, I'll be blessed- happy, fortunate, and to be envied.

Psalm 119:3* Yes, they do no unrighteousness [no willful wandering from the Word], they walk in the Word.

My response: I don't willfully wander from the Word, but I walk in the Word.

Psalm 119:4* You have commanded us to keep Your Word, that we should observe it diligently.

My response: I keep the Word and observe it diligently.

Psalm 119:5* Oh, that my ways were directed and established to observe Your Word [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it]!

My response: I observe the Word- I hear, receive, love, and obey the Word.

Psalm 119:6* Then shall I not be put to shame [by failing to inherit Your promises] when I have respect to all Your Word.

My response: I respect the Word and I don't fail to receive and inherit the promises; I am not put to shame.

I don't know about you, but the length of Psalm 119 has kept me from really diving into it before. There is so much good stuff in there though! Check it out for yourself. =)


[Side note: I'm not using pictures right now because I'm using a different computer .]

Chosen...

I have been getting SOOOO MUCH out of what I've been reading in the Bible lately that I'd have to post nearly everyday to keep you caught up with it all. For now I'll just share two verses with you and my thoughts about them from when I was reading and thinking about what it meant...kinda breaking it down. You can apply these verses to you as well. Enjoy!

"Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love." ~Ephesians 1:4

God chose me for Himself. He picked me as His own in Christ. Because of His great love, even before the foundations of the world were laid, He chose me! =) I am loved. I am accepted in the Beloved. I have been chosen. And God is good. I've not been chosen in some evil plan. God chose me out of His great LOVE! His desire is that I should be holy, consecrated, set apart for Him, blameless in His sight, above reproach, and before Him in love. I have been set apart for Him, since He chose me before the foundation of the world. I am blameless and above reproach in His sight because I am in Christ. I am before Him in love. He desires to be loved in return. Yet, He loved me EXTRAVAGANTLY first. He isn't asking for something He hasn't first given.

"For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]-" ~Ephesians 1:5

My Father planned in love way beforehand to adopt me and reveal me as His child through Jesus Christ. This lined up with His will. It pleased Him and was His kind intent to make me His own child.

God's Word is amazing! Dive in deeper for yourself! =)

Undisturbedness and Favor...

"May grace (God's unmerited favor) and spiritual peace [which means peace with God and harmony , unity, and undisturbedness] be yours from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ." ~Ephesians 1:2

Peace. Undisturbedness. That is such a wonderful place to be! This undisturbed peace is from my Father and my Beloved. Undisturbedness is like a settled quiet feeling in my stomach. It's not scratchy and uneasy.

Peace. Everything is alright. All is well. There's a real rest where there's paece. It's not like a forced sleep, it's gentle and refreshing.

Grace. God's unmerited favor. I didn't do anything to earn His favor, but He has favor on me. He showers blessings on me. He saved me! He rescued me! I should have been forever separated from Him- what a completely, utterly, horribly despicable thought! =/

Yet, He made the way for me to be with Him forever! =D Now that is a completely, utterly, wonderfully beautiful thought!!!! Forever with the One Who loved me enough to die for me- though He didn't stay dead. (And, by the way, that power that raised Jesus from the dead is in me!) I'm no longer separated from Him. I can talk to Him, listen to Him, walk with Him, live by His side... =)

It's the best life. And He just showed this favor to me; I didn't earn it. I just received it. I didn't reject it! Of course not!

He shows me His favor because of His extravagant, over-the-top love for me. Even when I was far away from Him, even before I was born, He loved me. He chose me. I've just chosen to respond to that love. =) His love is so amazing!

Wow! All that from one verse- the Bible is so good! It's God's letter to me. =)

You know what, you can experience the things I've been talking about too! This undisturbed peace and favor from God isn't just for me- it's for you too. You just have to receive it! Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you. If you have any questions, ask away. Have a great night!

Take some time and REST…

Do you ever find yourself soooo worn out by life? Do you ever feel way too busy for how much time you have available? Like there’s no way you could ever get your “to do” list done?

I know I have.

But look at what Jesus says:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:28-30)

I love that! It’s not God that is wearing us out. He wants to refresh us! He wants to help us!

Here’s another paragraph from the Message Bible:

“Why would you ever complain…saying,
‘God has lost track of me. He doesn't care what happens to me’?
Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.” (Isaiah 40: 27-31)

This is something God told me back in January that I went back and read again. I think it applies to you as well:

“…I desire for all My children to come aside and spend time with Me. I want to reveal Myself to My children. They just need to slow down, stop for a while, and come aside to Me. It’s often like a two year old, wanting to be independent and do so much- moving everywhere. Then when the young child is worn out, then they’ll go to mom for comfort and rest. Many of My children are like that. They try to do everything themselves, in their own strength. They get worn out. If they would come aside to Me, quiet themselves, then I could bring strength and peace to them. Those who wait on Me will renew their strength.”