IF God is for US, who can be against us...

So, at youth on Wednesday, their fearless leader preached a great message going into much detail about "IF God is for us who can be against us from Romans 8:30-37.

Here's a link to what he posted on Facebook in reference to it.

Romans 8:31 Video

I have been pondering on this since Wednesday night and it has really touched me to think deeply that God is always for us.  It's hard to wrap your mind around it really that God is for each of us, wants the best for us, gave His own son for us, good, bad, ups and downs,  God is always there and is always with US.

Do you always remember this?  Sometimes we just need to be reminded that God is always for us and always will be and that our faith and love should be in Him and then shown out to the world so those that haven't been shown that God is for them they can see it through us......

Live in the world not of the world...

Romans 12. Shows us the example of Christians working together to glorify God by using our individuality talents together to work for the same goal, sharing God's love and shining His light in the world. Romans 12:2 says, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will... One of my favorite sayings is, "Live in the world not of the world." As Christians we should wake everyday with a renewed mind and graciousness that the Lord has given us a new day to go into the world to shine His light. Just because you are a christian doesn't mean you can't do this or that in which the world does. It just means that in this or that you shine God's love and obey His commands that He has given his people. Romans 12:6-8 says, We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.... What I take from this is we should accept each brother and sister in Christ as their own person and love them for the gifts God has given them and thank God for the gift they may have that you/we don't. Romans 12 goes on to talk about love and humbleness and not to repay with evilness to those whom show evil but to leave it to God to repay. It is not our job, once again, to judge people, Christians or not, that is God's job, our job is to love and show God's love and spread word about His mercy and grace that is free to those who believe and ask. Amen..  

Cloudy Mind

To start this off right, I suffer from a cloudy mind very often and one of the reasons I started writing the blog was to help keep me accountable for reading and retaining and reusing my stories and reiterating God's work in me and throughout my life.  Yesterday and today have been really cloudy mind days with a chance of rain(tears) as it is not my hearts desire to be so cloudy.  Today's verse on my bible application is Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do.  Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.  I found this fitting.  Even though my mind is cloudy with a chance of rain, I have a sense of peace and no real worries and I know that my goal is living to be more like Jesus everyday and to shine His light in everything I do and that never leaves my cloudy mind.  But with that goal, I strive to dig deeper and retain His words, His laws and what they speak to me each day and with a cloudy mind it makes this all most impossible, at least that is how it feels.  So with that all being said.  Please pray with me that God will make my mind clear and I will remain focused on His words and His book each and everyday along with my goal of being more like Jesus.

Thankfulness

So with this month being Thanksgiving, we as a family sat down on Halloween as we don't celebrate it and designed our own thankful calendar with something we are thankful for every day ranging from God, teachers, health, friends and strangers to love, peace, happiness and differences.  We called my step daughter on the phone as she was not with us when we designed it and asked her what was something she was thankful for, mind you she is 6 years old, and she responded with God.  Melted my heart!  Those are the fruits that we as parents get back saying," Your doing a great job raising children whom love God!"

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says,  In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. And is one of my favorite verses as I take it as you should give thanks in the good times, the bad times, the trying times, the easy times and the difficult times.  Praising God and giving thanks in everything is something I pray that my children will see and learn to do.  This also goes along with burning bushes and acknowledged that God is in everything and is everywhere.   Here is a picture of our calendar and our final product of our family project.  Happy Thanksgiving Month!

Learning to Pay Attention

When in life have you stopped long enough to pay attention to what God is saying, not what we are feeling?

I know I struggle with this often as I am woman and my mind runs like a bowl of spaghetti   Seeing God in the little things and not just the big things, praying to him and waiting for His answer in His time is sometimes hard.  Today my devotion was out of Exodus 3:1-6. Talking about the burning bush and God speaking to Moses and revealing himself.  Have you ever had a burning bush?  Have you ever heard from God in a unique way?  I always thank God when I am rushing to get somewhere and He slows me down by putting me behind someone going the speed limit (which we should be doing as that is following the laws)  or hitting every stop light.  Those are my burning bushes that God is telling me to slow down, calm down and remind me He is in control.  Moses heard from God when he paid attention, like Moses, we often encounter God when we pay attention to what's going on around us.  When we are deep in prayer about something that is going on we may here from Him or receive conformation in many forms.  Another personal bush was one afternoon after our pastor told us he was leaving and shared with us about the new pastor, I came home and was praying while eating lunch and He spoke to me and said "Yes, this is my doing and he is the fit for the church."  Indeed, our last pastor fulfilled his season with us and did God's work and now we are onto a new season to take us to the next level.  God has his hand in all things for His glory not ours!  

A Picture of Forgiveness

As I sit and do my morning devotion on A Picture of Forgiveness, I'm reminded of all the forgiveness that God as given me in my lifetime and am reminded of all that is to come.  We are human and we mess up or slip up and do wrong, to ourselves, to others and to God.  Not only do we need forgiveness from ourselves and others but we need it from God.  And it is one of those things that if you ask you receive   If you are saved by Gods grace and mercy and have Father, Son and Holy Spirit living in your heart, our duty is to forgive and not judge and to  never hold a grudge as that will just make you bitter and bitterness causes a hard heart.  Reading Gen 50:15-21, we see how after Jacob died, Joseph's brothers were worried about all the wrong they did to Joseph and if he would forgive them or harm them.  He surely shows us what forgiveness really is and how even our closest loved ones wrong us and we are called to forgive them in everything and not to ever hold a grudge from the wrong doing.  I, personally, have made a list of those that I have in my heart that I need to forgive for some kind of wrong doing they have done to me or situation in life that I couldn't control and has caused me to hold a grudge.  My prayer is to let the grudge go and give it all to God.  For God to take the bitterness out of my heart and replace it with love for these people and situations and take them as lessons to better myself for myself and my family.  The past is the past, we can not go back and change it, we can take it as lessons learn, better ourselves from the past experiences and let them grow our faith.  Lastly,  I am thankful for the forgiveness that God has shown me and thankful that Jesus died on the cross for me and my sins and that my family and I know and love the Lord.