We Are Ships...

Psalm 107:23-32

Read the above scripture in different translations, I enjoy the message bible, but everyone is shown Gods meaning in different ways.

When I first found this quote It held the meaning of being fearless! Going out and doing big things with your life because your meant for greatness. 

I still find that true.

 However, the reasoning is a little different now.

Upon reading Psalms 107: 23-32 I picture a prideful man sailing through life on his own accord, becoming rich and gaining materials. As he is on his life path he encounters Jesus, and is in awe.

He realizes he is in over his head, chasing after the wrong things. And he is scared. 

The best part? God forgives, redirects him and makes him humble. 

This time when he sails, he will be sailing with Jesus, doing great works.

That's what I want for my life...

My Prayer:

Dear Precious God. I am in awe of you and your works. Please help me grow my relationship with you so that I know when you speak to me. Let ANY thing that I am doing, if it's not your will for my life, be cast out. Let me follow your chosen path, give me strength to do so and peace to know its the correct way. We love, honor and adore you. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Serious Obedience

The Message Bible
Matthew 7: 21-27

^21-23 “Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. 

What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills.

 I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ 

And do you know what I am going to say? 

"You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’

^24-25 “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. 

They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.

^26-27 “But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”





wow.....

I don't know about you....

but this one hurt....

bad.

Talk about Conviction.

We were told at our church this weekend, and again at life group, to read this passage as it implies to marriage, basing it on a firm foundation.

However, I received much more than marriage advice from this passage.

Bottom Line. Giving my entire life to God is scary.

What if I am not strong enough to be obedient all the time?

Who and what am I giving up if I am? Will I be happy?

God says in Matthew, that there is not a secret password that will get you into heaven. Being the A student with all the answers and bribing the teacher to benefit yourself, doesn't work.

God sees through all of that. He is looking for doers. People strong enough to give up their materialistic goals and dreams and focus on his work.

He says that there will be many, at end time, waiting to cash their ticket into heaven, and that we will be surprised when he says "you've missed the boat".

I don't want to miss the boat.

It's time to quit playing and get to work. 

If you haven't found a church, find one to get involved in.
You may be the youth director, nursery staff, or member they have been waiting for.

If you haven't joined a life group/bible study, find one to get involved in. You may be what brings 5-10 people into salvation.

If you haven't found someone to minister to, find one. You might just save their life.

The life of one is just as important as the life of many. Not boastful, but anonymous, so that God gets the glory and we get our rewards in heaven.

It's time to step up and get busy. So when we present our ticket...God says, well done my good and faithful servant, lets go home.

Along Came A Spider

7/4/14

As I sat outside this morning, studying the book of Daniel, I watched this beautiful spider weave it's web.

It had a gorgeous zig-zagged pattern in the middle of the web, very bold, like nothing I had seen before.

As I feel God likes to speak to me through metaphors a lot of the time, I felt him whispering to me while I watched this spider.

It has taken her hours to make one line, she constantly pauses and rests, continuously weathering the wind and leaves that get caught in her web.

It reminds me of us.

Each of us given the freedom, by God, to uniquely design our homes and life to make it beautiful and purposeful, able to withstand storms.

I've learned, in the hour from watching her. That is okay to take breaks, refocus and get back to work.

Finish your unique task that only you can do, and make it beautiful.

I need Jesus

   

If you can just get caught up, if you can get your bills paid up, some money in the bank...then you will seek God fully.

 

Excuses.

I know, I tell them to myself daily. In fact, my favorite prayer is " God, if you will just get us out of debt I will serve you and give however you see fit"...

You know what I picture God saying back to me? " What are you doing with the litte I gave you? And you want me to give you more? Abundantly?" 

...

I know, because the Bible tells me so, that my God is a good God. He forgives us and loves us and wants more for us than we could ever want for ourselves. However, he is a jealous and just God.

Our attention is constantly on other things. Wanting more money, bigger houses, the newest _____etc.

Our good intentions to please God get side tracked by our Intentions to please ourselves.

God knows that. He knows we struggle, that we have desires and wants....

And he says, seek me first. 

Stop searching for happiness in those things and seek me. 

Put aside your fears with money, your greediness with new material things, and look for Him.

 

According to Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you shall find..."

SEARCH for God and you will find him. 

Be still and know him. 

And then ask of him...

And you know what he says?

"My dear sweet beautiful child, it's yours."

.....

And you know the secret to this passage... When you seek his righteousness...Your ways start looking a whole lot more like His ways.....kind of beautiful, huh?

Credit for pic

Colossians 3: 12-14

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

On a random, nothing special day, I ran across this picture...

and my outlook on life changed.

We I have consistently been in a funk lately.

On my bills to income ratio...bills are #winning, Drama is around every corner and I just feel lost.

People come into my place of business and I word vomit all my problems all over them ( #bringtoweluponentering).

I've been so involved in myself and my hopeless situations, that I forget to be selfless and show love. I am getting on my OWN nerves.

Then, on another random stressful day, as I am "desperately seeking susan " God in my bible and through prayers and coming up feeling empty...

I come across this passage...

Colossians 3:12-14....put on love... 

Regardless of what else you put on...put on love.

How hard is that?

A simple daily choice. Everyday. To add an extra layer as your getting ready.

I know, life happens. Good intentions start every morning and we have a clean slate and are ready to start our daily resolutions...

Then mistake are made, bad moods hender our love walk...and we are right back to stress and attitudes.

You do not become a Christian and just miraculously, the rest of your life,  have this love that just pours out of you constantly.

We should though, we should be so excited about what God is doing in our life and is going to do, that we just walk around in rainbows and sunshine (very snow white).

But that takes time. Time spent with the Father. Time learning your own way through the bible and his teachings. Listening to people who strengthen your walk.

Jesus says in John 17:3 

(backstory: Jesus had just told his Disciples that he was about to leave, to be with the Father. He then goes on to pray to God over himself, his disciples and all believers.)

" And this is the real and eternal life: They they know you, the one and only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent."

Did you catch that?

This. is. the. real. and. eternal. life.

Right now. In the midst of our every day life.

If we were to really dig and learn and get to know, not someone we know ABOUT...but someone we know personally... God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.

If we read and really, truly believed what was written. Could you imagine the kind of overwhelming joy we would have daily?

We would be EXCITED! Jumping up and down excited!

I truly believe that.

I also believe that is what this blog's purpose is for.

To take a ordinary wife, mom and believer ( #pickme )...and turn her into a proverbs 31 wife, God led mother and (dare I say) radical believer.

I want to find this overwhelming all incompassing love that the bible speaks of, people sing about and worshipers give up their lives for.

Join me.