Fasting...

So I am fasting today to prepare for a medical procedure i have to have done tomorrow and it stinks!  I am getting hungry and weak and my mind begins to wonder....  I can see how one would be able to get something spiritual out of fasting now... not that this is a spiritual fast, but I can see how one might get something out of it in prayer constantly.  Learning to depend on the Father for strength and not relying on bread alone.  I always wondered how you could learn something while fasting, i thought "that's silly, shouldn't you nourish your body while trying to grow spiritually"  but its quite the contrary and i see that now.  This is only a 36hour fast and I did one last summer for a medical procedure too, so i am confident i can make it through the next couple days, but now I am intrigued.  What might come of a spiritual fast for me?  Would God tell me to fast? I know it has to come from God and you have to be very purposeful and intentional when fasting, and i know about some of the different types of fasting, but i have no idea what God could do with me if I was fasting for Him!    Our strength needs to come from our Heavenly Father only and we tend to rely on ourselves and our world for our nourishment.  Thank you Father for revealing something about yourself to me today and for growing me daily!

Beautiful Women

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.  For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.  For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.  As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.
Audrey Hepburn



 

Isaac reads

"this is the best book i ever did read mommy" says Isaac holding daddys book "i can read it"
me "really, what does it say?" and Isaac says "it says Isaac, it says Isaac."

More Love, More Power - Michael W. Smith (w/closed caption)

more love more power more of you in my life
and i will worship you with all of my heart
and i will worship you with all of my mind
and i will worship you with all of my strength
you are my Lord

Unforgiveness

Its a condition of the heart.

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.~ 1 Peter 4:8, NLT

 
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.~ Ephesians 4:32

God commands us to love our neighbors and even our enemies. Love is greater than faith. Love is greater than hope. Love bears all things (1 Cor. 13:7). Unforgiveness is proof of a lack of genuine love in your heart; and the problem with the sin of unforgiveness is that it is an on-going condition of a person's heart.

One sad thing about harboring the sin of unforgiveness in your heart is---you're the loser. Concerning now, the apostle Paul wrote that we should forgive "lest Satan should get an advantage of us" (2 Cor. 2:11). And concerning eternity, it will involve, at least, the loss of rewards.

Peter said, "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive Him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven" (Mt. 18:21-22).

And Paul said, "Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" (Eph. 4:32). "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye" (Col. 3:13).

Unforgiveness is a common sin today, even among true Christians. And it is a sin that is, in a sense, like the unpardonable sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit because of what Jesus said: "If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Mt. 6:14-15).

Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling.  You may never feel like forgiving, so choose to forgive and God will give you the grace and mercy you need to change the condition of your heart.  It may take practice and work but its worth it in the end, after all we want God to forgive us so we must first choose to forgive!

Countenance

 As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.~ Proverbs 27:17, NLT 

Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend [to show rage or worthy purpose]. ~ Amplified version Proverbs 27:17

Countenance= the way we look, the look on our face, expressions.  Do you sharpen the countenance of your friends? Does your own Countenance carry Gods presence?

Our countenance is simply the way we look. It refers to our face and our expressions. This is a new word to me, I studied about it in my morning devotion one day and its been on my mind and heart ever since. I suppose that is the way we are supposed to grow; to read about, study and think about something God wants to work on in us until it changes us in a certain way for the better, to make us more like the Father.  So God wants us to carry his presence on our faces all the time!  Do you have any idea how difficult this it? I have been focusing on my countenance for a couple weeks  now and I have become very aware that I do not carry Gods Countenance!  I suppose becoming aware is the first step, right?  Looking back at Proverbs 27:17, I conclude that I must first sharpen my own countenance before I can sharpen the countenance of my friends.  OK God, lets sharpen my Countenance to carry Your presence!

Our God is Greater - Chris Tomlin

OUR GOD IS GREATER
OUR GOD IS STRONGER
GOD YOU ARE HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER
OUR GOD IS HEALER
AWESOME IN POWER
OUR GOD
OUR GOD
AND IF OUR GOD IS WITH US
THEN WHAT COULD STAND AGAINST
AND IF OUR GOD IS FOR US
THEN WHAT COULD EVER STOP US

IN ALL THINGS WE KNOW THAT WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose ...what then shall we say in response to this? If God is for us who can be against us? ... in all these things we are conquerors through Him who loved us... nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord! Romans 8:28-39 ♥

No mountain, no valley
No gain or loss we know
Could keep us from Your love

No sickness, no secret
No chain is strong enough

To keep us from Your love
To keep us from Your love

How high, how wide
No matter where I am
Healing is in Your hands

How deep, how how strong
Now by your grace I stand
Healing is in Your hands

Our present, our future
Our past is in Your hands
We're covered by Your blood
We're covered by Your blood

How high, how wide
No matter where I am
Healing is in your hands

How deep, how strong
Now by Your grace I stand
Healing is in Your hands

In all things, we know that
We are more than conquerors
You keep us by Your love

In all things, we know that
We are more than conquerors
You keep us by Your love
You keep us by Your love

Resurrection Time

This has been a reflective celebratory worshipful Resurrection Time for me. A time of growth and change. A time to listen and be used. The best time ever! I have never celebrated and reflected on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ this deeply before. I have celebrated Easter and even been to foot washings and communion on Maundy Thursday and truly worshiped, but never before was there this much growth, this extreme emotion, this true heart felt thankfulness and worship for me. I worshiped with all of my heart my soul and my spirit... I wept. I prayed with all of my heart my soul and my spirit... I wept. I have begun to truly loose myself, my will, my wants, and although it will be a long and difficult process, I am super excited!

Made By God For God

Do you ever wonder why you are here? Do you ever wonder what exactly is your purpose on earth? Sure you do, we all do, I do all the time. I have been fed, spiritually fed, a good deal this past month, and have come to the conclusion that all that I have ever thought about my purpose is wrong. I did have some small understanding that I was here to further Gods Kingdom and to live my life for the Lord, but I never really got it. I knew this because I was told this and for a few years I believed it. I still believe it but there is a much deeper understanding and slightly different definition that I never knew or began to understand until now.
We are made by God for God. Its that simple. Our purpose is to connect with the Creator. To form a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Yes, we are supposed to further his Kingdom, and yes we are supposed to live our lives for the Lord, but once we understand that we first need to connect with Him, to form a relationship with Him, the rest will fall into place.
I used to think that my God would want me to be happy. I used to think, why would God create me and not want me to enjoy life, to have fun while I am here? It didnt make any sense to me. Most of the young Christians in and out of my circle of friends have told me at some point that God would want them to have fun, to be happy, especially when they wanted to do something that wasnt quite the right thing to do. God does want us to be happy. What we dont get is that Gods idea of fun and happiness has nothing to do with the worlds idea of fun and happiness. We all have different ideas of what fun is to us and what it looks like for us to be happy, but I guarantee that very few of us have a picture in our heads that would line up with Gods picture.
Once we truly connect with our creator, only then will we truly be happy. Once we focus our lives on God, only then we will understand what happiness really is. Happiness and contentment can be measured in our attitude and reaction to what is going on around us. God did not make us to moan and groan when things dont go our way. Unless our thoughts are lined up with Gods thoughts then we dont even know if our way is His way. All we have to do is connect with the Creator through prayer, worship, study, praise and the Holy Spirit. Once we form a good connection, once we understand that we were made by God for God, only then we can begin to understand what happiness really is.