Thankful Thursday

 

Today I am Thankful For

*Time~ My oldest will be leaving for college in less than one year. I am thankful for this last year of time together. All of my children together.

*My Husband~ I have learned through his being gone so much just how much he means to me.

*Friends~ The Lord has blessed me with wonderful friends.

*God Blessings~ I can see in every area of my life the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me. I am thankful for My Lord and His love!

'I Am" Study by the Preacher's Wife lesson 2

Lesson Two - Beautiful To God

Discussion Questions:

What is your initial response when anyone suggests you are beautiful?

Well, it makes me uncomfortable. I don't really know why. I suppose because deep inside I don't always feel beautiful. Sometimes it is hard to accept a compliment in general but then I find that other times it isn't so hard.

Do you find you engage in a lot of negative 'self-talk'? How much of your thought life does this form of thinking consume?

I have dealt with this over time in my life so right now I do not engage in a lot of negative self talk. I know my talk influences my children too so I try to be especially careful. I do have my moments and have to admit that my weight is one area that *I* myself am not very pleased with. I am trying to see myself as God sees me and be confident in who I am in Christ and not who I look like in the flesh. I am seeing victory praise God!

What is the most radical transformation you've witnessed in an individual after they were born again? It's okay to tell about your own!

Transformation? I would have to say my husband. When he decided to live for Christ it was with all he is and all he has. I went to church for years without him because he said he didn't want to be a hypocrite and had things in his life he was not ready to give up. When the Lord touched him he gave up everything. It truly was amazing watching the Lord transform him. He shines for the Lord!

The imagery of being a City Girl has absolutely changed the way I perceive my worth before God. Does it yours? Will you receive this truth and let it boost your righteous confidence?

I loved this imagery! When I was young I use to watch Green Acres and played the role of the rich city girl. I will receive this truth from my Lord Jesus Christ and I ask Him to manifest this inside of me and use it as a witnessing tool in my life.

I am really enjoying this bible study. Join me?!

Happy Wordless Wednesday!!!

 

Click here Wordless Wednesdays and here 5 Minutes For Mom to view more WWs!

'I Am' Study by The Preachers Wife lesson 1

Lesson One - I Am - Your Beauty
This Study is moving and powerful. If you would like to join in just click the button and find your way to lesson one. I'm actually coming in a month late but plan to catch up. Lisa truly is great in our Christ Jesus! What a mentor!

These are questions asked at the end of part one of this Bible Study I am participating in:

1. Are there any circumstances or relationships in your life where you can see God has intentionally placed you? What do you perceive may be at stake if you do or do not speak out for Him?

There are many circumstances and relationships that I look around and see that my walk with God matters in more ways than you would see at first glance. I know it is a God thing when a sweet lady at church that I barely knows walks up to me and begins to share that she suffers from depression and how she is in the midst of a battle. It is no coincidence that I battled depression and the Lord delivered me. I was able to share with her this victory. Even though I experience setbacks that is only more training. Showing me that God delivered me but I must walk in that deliverance. I must stand steadfast in my faith, in HIS WORD, and on His promises.

Children...there are so many of every age from 5-20. The Lord has blessed me with my home and even though I long to have more children from my womb the Lord fills my home overflowing with them. Some having tramatic childhoods and it amazes me how I can understand because I too have been there.

Strangers....the other day this little old man, sweating profusely and looking blind in one came by and rang the door bell. I was home alone with my two younger daughters. I was frightened at first. I answered my door, all the while asking God what He willed for us to do. The man said he had walked to his sisters house and she wasn't home, he thought he was having a heat stroke and he needed a ride home. My flesh said no, I heard the fear raging the what ifs, but I heard the calm voice of God saying help him. This scripture came to mind: Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. So I gave him a ride and when I arrived at his home his grandson ran out to help him. I praised my Lord.

My sister, my brother, my father, so many are watching me. At times I can almost feel as though they are just waiting for me to fall. And I do, but my Father always, always, always picks me up. I pray that is what they see.

What is at stake? Their souls? Their deliverance? Their freedom?


2. Can you honestly describe yourself as a woman with a 'yes' in her spirit? If not, what keeps you from this?

I can honestly say I try. But often times when I desire so strongly to say yes it is my own emotions that keep me from being a Yes spirit all of the time. Especially lately....I seem so tired, headaches, not being able to sleep at night then my body wanting to catch up when I have responsibilities to do. I have big plans in my mind. I dream big dreams. But it seems as though I lack the follow through. The things I accomplish seem to be the things that force themselves upon me. Like that old man, he was at my door and I had to do something, but if he had been an appointment at the nursing home I don't think I would have been so willing. It would have been easier to call and cancel. I don't know the name, fear? Laziness? I know I have battled it for a long time and it is one thing about myself that I really do not like at all and yet seem so helpless to change.


3. Do you recognize any circumstances in your life which could be described as an 'unrecurring event'? Have you ever said 'no' to one and watched God use someone else instead?

Oh yes, many times. It is a very disheartening feeling to know that God specifically called me to do something and when I said no someone else picked it up and ran with it. Seeing the success that the Lord was wanting to use me in. Sometimes its small things and I just didn't get it, I didn't recognize the importance of the situation or that it was the will of God. Sometimes its hard to know if its me or the Holy Spirit, other times you just know. Then sometimes its big things, and I know, but for whatever reason I decline the Lord. I would say Fear is a huge factor in this.


4. Are you in an emotionally and spiritually healthy place? If yes, how are you using this freedom to minister to others? If no, what do you feel is holding you in your Egypt?

Well this is one of those questions that has two answers. I am definitely in a better place than I was when I began but I'm not in as good of a place emotionally or spiritually as I once was. My biggest problem is the words I speak over myself, my life, my situations. Forgetting to see things through spiritual eyes and looking at things in the physical and allowing myself to be overwhelmed and stepping out of my faith. Habits. I've dealt with these all my life and had wonderful freedom and powerful deliverance for over a year and slowly habits crept back in. Little by little and then I wake up and wonder what happened. Its hard to get back once you've drifted. The annointing the power. I am on the upswing of stomping those habits out. Calling things that are not as though they were. Standing on God's promises even when they have yet to come to pass. Why oh why did I step back into Egypt?

I have to add to this. I know why satan is on me. I know why I am suffering so. I know that the Lord is trying to use me to help my sister but I have not been able to. By going back and rereading this part of the study it suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. God's timing is perfect. Read this.

I'm copying this from the I Am Bible Study linked above:
There are women in our midst who are dying - emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes physically. What are we going to do about it? How are we going to protect our sisters from the enemy? When are we going to stand firm and proclaim to Satan - Enough! You can not have her! My heart burns with indignation towards the enemy for the constant turmoil he places in our lives - the heartache, temptation, and oppression. Satan also understands the time concept and places obstacles to prevent us from possessing our lands of Promise - the place we can dwell unbound and able to bless. So his plan? Keep us spiritually and emotionally unhealthy. If we are weak, our hurting sisters our weaker. It is that simple. It is time to stand, to be the healthy ones, to be the women who will take our place between Satan and our broken sister until she is able to stand on her on.

My mother called this morning and my sister is in a deep deep bondage. Satan is after her life. Period. She is in a weak state and is believing the lies the enemy is feeding her. This is urgent. Please stand with me, stand in this gap with me as I pray for her.

My dear Abba Daddy, I come to You and I ask that You - God remove the veil from her eyes, the buffers from her ears. I bind the enemy in the mighty name of Jesus and I loose truth. I pray a hedge of protection around her and I ask You Father to commission angels to fight this spiritual battle going on around her now. Speak to her Lord so that she knows it is You. I ask too Lord that you send forth a laborer to speak to her, to show her Your love, comfort her heart. Thank-You Father in Jesus mighty name I pray. Amen.

Fall Into Reading 2007

Well I love to read. I just love it! However I often find that life keeps me so busy that I end up backburnering (if that is a word) my reading time. So....I'm joining the challenge and making a list of books that I want to read. I may add some newbies in later but right now this is where I am. (I will post updates for October, November and December soon.)

September

1. Finish Anne of Green Gables By Lucy Maud Montgomery (finished!)

2. Continue in John The Beloved Disciple By Beth Moore (put away for now)

updating here: I read several chapters of Anne of Green Gables last night and I ended up in tears. I'm amazed at how I am drawn to Anne and how my heart feels her pain. I am planning to read this aloud to my girls soon. I think I may need to read the Little House series to them first but we shall see....sigh...

updating again 10-1-07: I finished Anne of Green Gables. I cannot believe how moved I was in reading this story. I am going to start the second book in the series next. My husband also bought me a new little hardback by Francine Rivers. I have already started it and it is simply amazing. I just love how Rivers has this way of bringing characters to life, especially bible characters. There are suppose to be four preceeding titles to the book that I have and I am in search of those in hardback also so that I will have the collection. I LOVE books!

October

3. Ann of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery (finished)

4. Silas ~ The Scribe ( the last book in The Sons of Encouragement Series, One of five men who quietly changed eternity) by Francine Rivers (finished)

November

5. Spirit Soul and Body by Lester Sumrall

6. The Hidden Power of Speaking in Tongues by Mahesh Chavda (finished)

7. The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting by Mahesh Chavda (finished)

December

8. Alien Entities by Lester Sumrall (finished)

9. Aaron ~ The Priest (the first book in The Sons of Encouragement Series, one of five men who quietly changed eternity) by Francine Rivers (finished)

10. Caleb~The Warrior (the second book in The Sons of Encouragement Series, one of five men who quietly changed eternity) by Francine Rivers (finished)

11. Jonathan~The Prince (the third book in The Sons of Encouragement Series, one of the five men who quietly changed eternity) by Francine Rivers (finished)

12. Amos~The Prophet (the fourth book in The Sons of Encouragement Series, one of the five men who quietly changed eternity) by Francine Rivers (finished)

(I know my list isn't compiled the way others are so that they can be checked off as I go. My apologies, I just wasn't prepared and enjoy adding to my list as I go.)

Thanks to Katrina at Callapidder Days for sponsoring this fun meme! If you want to go directly to the meme then just click the Fall Into Reading button above!

My Husband and I

 

This man that you see here with me is my soul mate. He is.....my other half, the half that completes me.....let me say that again....he completes me. Jerry McGuire could not have chosen more perfect words! :) I never dreamed that I would have someone that I would love so much and that they would return that love. Honestly, I never ever thought that I would find someone who could, who would love me as much as I loved them. Someone that I could trust in ANY situation, someone that would stand by me through the thick and the thin. I thought that a love like this only existed in fairy tales and romance novels.

I look back in the beginning of our relationship at some of the struggles we went through. Some of them coming from lack of maturity and an unwillingness to change. Both ramming our heads together determined that each of us would win that battle. I have to laugh because at that time we were not serving our Lord. My how our Father changes things! All things! In the last few years the relationship between my husband and myself has changed so dramatically. I know the change came because of the changes that the Lord has done in both of us.

When I read in His scriptures:

Genesis 2:20-24 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Matthew 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

Mark 10:7-9 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

A helpmeet, bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, what POWERFUL words. So much more powerful to me now that I have experienced it. They two shall become one flesh. I use to read that and wonder how Lord? How will we ever be to a place that we will be one flesh? Its Jesus Christ and His love that bonds us together and creates one flesh between my husband Tony and myself. Without His love people are missing out because human love is so different than Christ love.

I also remember questioning God's love because all I knew was the love I had experienced. It is so hard to have an understanding of something that you do not understand and that you have never experienced. I could not understand God's love for me because I was not truly experiencing His love for me. In this journey of life I believe that is why the Lord lifts His hands back from us and allows to go through so many different things that make us cry out WHY Lord? Because we must experience them in order for us to KNOW so that our precious Father can use us to help His other sheep.

As I began to mature and grow in the Lord and experience deeper and deeper levels of His love, God's love, the love that I had for my husband grew into levels of depth that I could have never imagined. As my husband grew he experienced the same journey until one day I had a revelation of what our love really was. It wasn't of ourselves but of our Father. So much understanding flooded through me. Our wedding vows took on a whole new meaning. The power of those words that we vowed that day and later when we renewed them had grown. Oh, I meant them when I spoke them, I meant them every bit as much as I could at that point in my life, but my how much more they mean to me today. And to know that as great as this love is that I share with my husband, that I share with my Abba Daddy, it still does not compare to His love for me!

If you do not know this love that I speak of. Seek our Father out, He is persuing you, Be Still and Know that He is Lord (Psalms 46:10), King of Kings, the creator of all things. He created you for a very special purpose, don't miss it. Feel free to e-mail me if you would like to talk.

I pray God's greatest blessings on those who are reading this and I pray that your love grow stronger and stronger! It is my wish that everyone experience the greatness of our Lord! Jesus Christ, The One and Only!