Change in the midst of God

And this righteousness will bring peace.

Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever. (Isaiah 32:17 NLT) 

We always want to change whether it be our lives, our appearance, our scenery but what we tend to forget even with the small stuff is to make sure God is present. There is a difference between a move with God in it or a move based on ourselves. The best way to explain is give am example of how a move can be with and a move can be without. Recently my family had moved actually still finishing up the lose ends. We prayed as husband and wife at the beginning of the year to find a better place to live within our budget. The place my husband found is located where it is easily seen but we did not see it before. When my husband arranged to see the place we found the man to be very nice. We also prayed if it was meant to be so let God open a door. From finding this place to moving in has been the grace of God. We had help moving, someone cut our grass, a friend offered her house to do laundry. The enemy hates when our lives as children of God begin to blossom. Small things are not to be worried but prayed about. Where God guides God provides. This is the example of following God. Another thing is to make sure we do not forget our duties as servants in the midst of our own stuff. My family has had multiple previous moves that were not directed by God and resulted in losing personal items, moving without help, finding the place we live to be unhealthy. I know what we did different and I believe the principle can be applied not just to changes in our address but in our jobs, attitudes, lifestyles etc. if we make sure God is in the midst of our lives and we step with his best interest in mind, heart and spirit our lives will no longer be the focus of us and our direction but of God and the glory of being in his will.

Easter Sunday

As my family and I head to Harvest World Outreach Church I can not help reflect on how I spent my childhood on this day. In our house Jesus was not alive the Easter Bunny was. There was no getting ready for Church but waking up to see what was left by this magical bunny. My husband and I raise our children knowing Jesus died and on this day he rose from the grave and our sins are forgiven. The importance of this message is as important
as the breath God enables me to take. I do not dishonor my parents for how I was raised. The Bible states you are held responsible once you know better. I am not sure my parents knew better and it is not my place for judgement. I choose knowing the Savior and what he has done for me to instill that into my children. I do not knock the Easter baskets people get for their children but I know at the young age my boys are if they think an Easter Basket is the meaning of Easter morning the lesson of Christ rising from the grave could easily be back sided. So my choice for my children is to make sure they understand that this day is the reason we shall live.

Living in the Moment

 For today I shall live to the best of my abilities. If it is not within my ability then it is the Lords. The word says pray about everything and worry about nothing. With that said today I shall focus on living today for today and leave the unknowns of tomorrow to God. He knows the beginning and the END!

Hopeful

Everyday that I am graced with the opportunity to live another day I have hope. There were times when my life seemed hopeless and dark. So many times I did not understand how people could remain hopeful and happy. Then I got into a deeper relationship with God and realized he is the giver of all including everlasting hope. Recently I have seen people that are hurting and spew negativity out of their pores. I use to be that person but my understanding for why they may be like that did not reveal it's self until today. Having Hope is not automatically there it is something that comes with understanding and renewing our minds. 

Psalm 31:24

Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.

All we have to do is hope in the Lord and be of good courage the rest is the Lord's. When all things seem to be falling apart and everything little thing gets under our skin we have to realize something is missing. Where is the faith we know so much about? 

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

If we have gotten to a place where we are hopeless we have to evaluate what has gotten between us and our Faith. The times when I was negative and miserable my faith was not solid it was probably did not even exist but it is with the strength of my Faith that I am hopeful. There can not be one with out the other.The thing I get most that I once did not get was that there are people that are not there yet and it is not our place to judge but our place to lead by example. Show our faith and our hope and that God loves us all right were we are at. Less worry about everything and everybody else but more about us and where we are in our walk of maturity. If we know dealing with negative people is not going to be beneficial to them or us because we are not there in our own walk then we have to be mature enough to say "I love you" and walk away. 

Denying Ourselves

January is coming to an end and it has been a personally trying time with my spiritual growth. My faith is there and my works are there but it was having to tell myself "less of me and more of him". It is so easy to say "I am tired I need to sleep" "I have so much to do no time to go to Church". BUT when it comes to that time when we need a break through and we need a miracle we want to know "Where is God?". No matter how difficult at times denying myself has been this past month I am renewed and my growth is going to new heights. Our God is miraculous and wonderful in so many more ways then we have yet to grasp. Things will not always make sense nor will they seem like God is in it. BUT if we choose to claim him in our lives by what we say and what we do he will claim us. 

2 Timothy 2:12

If we endure hardship,
we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
he will deny us.

For myself and for my family, friends, Church I want what the word says is ours. We need to claim God in our lives. There will be days when there is no sunshine where there is no light but we must remember the light lives in us. Even when it is the cloudiest of days and darkest of nights we have light.

Ephesians 5:7

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 

Grateful

There is no way in my own might could I have the life I have today. With my own will I was destructive and headed down a path of no return but it is by the grace of God I am who I am and I have what I have and there should be no day that I wake that I am not grateful for it. We forget when things get good or things are bad and we get so use to the current situation we forget how we got there or where God is going to take us. 

Psalm 73:24

You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.

God has a plan for everyone. He has also graced us with free will which a lot of the time can get us in trouble. We must seek the things of God first and let the Holy Spirit guide us so we can be in God's will at all times. It is from that we know no matter what it looks like he will bring us though.

  2 Corinthians 5:7

 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 

2012 mindset?

 Every year people come up with how the New Year is going to bring change and create new opportunities or they are going to do things differently. Then they get to New Years Eve of the same year and realize once again they did not get to the things they had planned. How is it we can go through the whole year and not find the time to do the things that God has led us to do?

 Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, Ecclesiastes 8:5

When it comes down to it we have to look how we are using our time. Are we being useful with the 24 hours we are given each day? Even though 2011 had a lot of changes and progress as it came to an end I realized how much time I wasted away on things that were not even important or that got me closer to God. I want to be able to look at 2012 and say wow I really learned how to use the time God gave me and be productive. I do not think we should work ourselves to the bone but what I think is if we get so busy in our lives we can miss it. Miss life miss moments miss God. Keeping our time in check is a great way to start and finish 2012. Lets be Kingdom minded, use what we have and believe in what we have yet to see. So use the time you do have free and know God will reward you. Of course we have time to read the Word of God and prayer it should be the other stuff we do not have time for. 

Luke 12:31-32 NLT

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

There it is the key to 2012 mindset to actually following through on the things that we believe 2012 to hold. "Seek the Kingdom of God above ALL else". So even if we do run out of time it should not be the things of God that we have to put off until tomorrow because there is no day that is promised but today.