Jesus Christ is the only One Who is perfectly whole and healthy and balanced and normal. And the more you fix your eyes on Him, the more whole and healthy and balanced and normal you will be. 

        -Anne Ortlund, "Fix your Eyes on Jesus"

Beautiful Scars

 "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much." -Luke 7:47 

A forgiven heart is the fountain of beauty.

A number of years ago I was hiking along the Salmon River and came across a grove of pine trees that had been partially stripped of their bark. I knew from a friend who is a forester that the Native Americans who hunted this area long ago had peeled the outer bark and harvested the underlying layer for chewing gum. Some of the scars were disfiguring, but others, filled with crystallized sap and burnished by wind and weather, had been transformed into patterns of rare beauty.

So it is with our transgressions. We may be scarred by the sins of the past. But those sins, repented of and brought to Jesus for His forgiveness, can leave behind marks of beauty.

Some people, having tasted the bitterness of sin, now loathe it. They hate evil and love righteousness. Theirs is the beauty of holiness.

Others, knowing how far they fall short (Romans 3:23), have tender hearts toward others. They rise up with understanding, compassion, and kindness when others fail. Theirs is the beauty of humility.

Finally, when acts of sin are freely and thoroughly forgiven it leads to intimacy with the One who has shown mercy. Such sinners love much for much has been forgiven (Luke 7:47). Theirs is the beauty of love. -Dave Roper

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me--

All His wonderful passion and purity!

O Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine,

Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me. --Orsborn

(taken from the March-April-May 2012 Issue of "Our Daily Bread")

Give us your eyes Lord.

May God give us the eyes to see the missing, the hearts to care, and the grace to be bearers of His reconciling love.

God will reveal His plans to you.

1 Corinthians 2:9

"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him--
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit."

Be firm in your faith. Withstand the devil.

"Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.
 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you."

(1 Peter 5:9-10 The Amplified Bible)

Don't give up on the dreams God has planted within you.

In the far east, there is a tree called the Chinese Bamboo. When you plant it you must water and fertilize it for five years before it grows. But in the fifth year, there is a five week span of time where it will grow ninety feet. The question is, did the bamboo grow ninety feet in five weeks of did it grow ninety feet in five years? It grew ninety feet in five years! Many times we quit watering and fertilizing our dreams during the first four years and miss the blessing of the will of God for our life at the end. When you are tempted to give up, continue to water and fertilize your dreams, plans, and those visions from God that He has placed within you.

1 Corinthians 15:58,

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vein."

How having a strong faith in God could be the difference between seeing God's blessings in your life or not.

The passage that Pastor Gene Tanner (Pastor of VNC in Valparaiso, IN) preached on a while back has been taught to me in several different ways over the past few months. Coincidence? I think not. In fact, shortly after I heard someone else speak about that very same passage, relating it to parenting. It became a transforming story for me during that season of life that God kept bringing it to my attention. It is one I can easily relate to, and identify with, on many levels.

Pastor Tanner preached from Numbers 13:1-14:45. This is the story where God told Moses to send 12 spies to the land that God had promised them-- Canaan. After spying for forty days, the spies were to bring back food from the land and suggest the best plan of attack for taking over the land. When they came back to share their report only two spoke out of their faith-- Joshua and Caleb. The other ten spoke out of their fear and their inadequacies because what they saw reminded them of how terribly small they were. If you are not familiar with this story, you might be interested in reading one of my older posts that goes into more depth on the details of how this historical tragedy all went down, before reading this post.

God has used this story multiple times throughout this year to speak to my heart about how I view myself and my circumstances. God used one of Susie Larson's blog posts on this passage, back in November, to show me that there are times in my life when I have to trust God even when my feelings suggest otherwise, and even when those around me suggest otherwise. This would have definitely been one of those times for the Israelite people. My focus at that time was on how we influence each other (for better or worse) by the attitudes we allow ourselves to possess. My application was that we must practice discernment when choosing who we listen to, and we have to be careful knowing that we will influence those around us when we speak out of our disbelief.

Something different stuck out to me the last time I heard this familiar story.
I found myself wondering if the story would have been different if those other ten spies had faith as strong as that of Joshua and Caleb. I felt like God was telling me that we must intentionally create a spiritual discipline of trusting HIM more than our feelings over and over again in the small things, until it becomes second nature to operate out of that faith with the big things. I want you to think on this for a minute because what I am talking about could be the difference between grabbing hold of the blessings that God is trying to place in your life, and stomping away from them in bitterness, while hanging your head in disappointment!!! That is a VERY BIG DEAL! The stakes can be quite high here. We should be careful not to downplay the radical difference having a strong faith makes!!!

When we do not think, speak, and operate out of our faith in the small things, we are creating a bad habit of focusing inward that will leave us feeling significantly inferior. That is going to be the very mindset that will keep us from boldly grabbing hold of the blessings God has for us.

When we step forward in fear, we feel weak and vulnerable. We start with the mindset that we are hopeless and if we're hopeless then what is the point? I am convinced that no feeling is worse than the feeling of being hopeless. I know, because I have been there. Hopelessness is a "cowering in the corner" kind of feeling that keeps us from experiencing the satisfaction of God's blessings in our lives.

Luke 6:45 says, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."

You may have heard this children's song sung in your church when you were little:

Oh, be careful little mouth what you say.
Oh, be careful little mouth what you say.
For the father up above, He is listening with love.
Oh, be careful little mouth what you say.

And with Luke 6:45 in mind I say, "Oh, be careful little mind what you think."
Where does your mind seem to go on a regular basis? Or rather, where do you allow your mind to go???
Your mouth is going to give proof of where your mind has been... eventually.
Has God ever placed a blessing before you and you wanted it, but you didn't go after it because you allowed yourself to feel worthless, not good enough, smart enough, big enough, pretty enough, or important enough?? It can be hard to get out of the pit of despair. We find ourselves there when we pull out the shovel and dig up one inferior thought after another. The further we dig the harder it is to pull out of.

Alisha's "You will be blessed by your faith" Progression:

Wherever your mind goes, your heart will soon follow.
************
Whatever you pour your heart into, you will soon give voice to.
*********
The things you allow yourself to say will directly impact the amount of faith you have.
******
Faith in God will give you courage when there are obstacles in your life that could keep you from grabbing hold of God's blessings.
***
When you act out of that courage, God will move and you will be blessed.
-------------------------------
THEREFORE,
We should "...live by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7) ...

...and that starts with allowing our minds to dwell on God's strength 

and His endless resources more than we dwell on ourselves and our limited resources, trusting that He is working on our behalf and has our best interests in mind as we pray to him, depend on Him, and lean on His strength.

May God bless you in abundance as you develop your spiritual discipline of thinking, speaking, and acting out of your FAITH in HIM!!!

On a side note:
Isn't it so interesting how we can pull so much from one story in the Bible? We are blessed with RICH wisdom when we dig into the Bible and digest all it has to say to us. While I am sure that there have been thousands of sermons done on this passage all throughout the generations, here are just three that have personally impacted me that I would recommend:

• To hear Pastor Gene Tanner's sermon from this Sunday you may click here.


• To hear Adam Stadtmiller (author of the new book Give Your Kids the Keys) talk about what we can learn as parents from this passage, you may click here.


• To read Susie Larson's wonderfully written blog post on this passage, entitled "Silence Your Unbelief," you may click here.

What to do when you are ensnared in sin.

Have you ever let a sin into your life that you never meant to allow in? Did the sin creep in until it ensnared you? I had the pleasure of hearing my Pastor speak this morning on the difference between being a "slave to Satan" and a "servant to Christ". (I plan to put up a link to the podcast on www.becomforted.com in a couple of days, after it is on the church website.)   There were a few things my Pastor said that got me thinking about habitual sins that, when birthed, can enslave a person. There is very little comfort for a person who feels ensnared by sin-- or in the words of my pastor "a slave to Satan". 

After getting my kids to bed tonight I flipped open to the Psalms and just happened to land on the 25th Psalm. I got to verse 15, "My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare" and it struck me how God was pulling the two messages together. Verse 15 was really popping out at me.
It seemed to be the answer to the "slave to Satan" issue.  Check it out. Here's David's answer:

Where do you go when you have gotten ensnared in sin? 

You keep your eyes fixed on the Lord, not on the sin, for "only GOD will release your feet from the snare".

David goes on to say this in the 25th Psalm:

"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles!" 

Ten things you can do when you are "ensnared" in sin, as taught by David in the 25th Psalm:

1.  Keep your eyes on the Lord.

2. Admit the sin. Ask the Lord to be gracious, and to take away your sins.

3. Acknowledge the feelings you have that are connected to the sin and the enemies who you have hurt or who have hurt you. Flush those feelings out in prayer.  God can take it.

4. Ask God to guard your life.

5. Ask God to rescue you from where you are. 

6. Ask God that you would not be put to shame.

7. Take refuge in God.

8. Look to live out your integrity and uprightness from here on out, that it might protect you in the future.

9. Put your hope in God. 

10. Pray that God redeem what needs redeeming. 

I will wrap up this post with Psalm 25:1-3. 

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame, 
nor let my enemies triumph over me. 

No one whose hope is in you

will ever be put to shame, 

but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. 

 As you feel led, give God praise. Psalm 33:1 says, "Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him." As you see God's hand at work, give him the glory for that. This is another great lesson we learn from David over and over again in the Psalms. Praise God in the big victories and in the little victories. "It is fitting for the upright to praise him." You are loved.

The power of a word

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” – Mother Teresa

A careless word may kindle strife;

A cruel word may wreck a life.

A bitter word may hate instill;

A brutal word may smite and kill.

A gracious word may smooth the way;

A joyous word may light the day.

A timely word may lessen stress;

A loving word may heal and bless. 

~Author unknown

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. 

Where there is hatred, let me sow love. 

Where there is injury, pardon. 

Where there is doubt, faith. 

Where there is despair, hope. 

Where there is darkness, light. 

Where there is sadness, joy. 

O Divine Master, 

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; 

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love. 

For it is in giving that we receive. 

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, 

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. 

Amen. 

Making the most of every opportunity.

In a world that screams to do more and be more, we are encouraged to believe that we are only as valuable as what we can produce. This mentality pushes people into hard drive, leaving little time to hear the voice of God and there is very little patience for those times in life when God provides a still, peaceful moment. Where does this pressure come from? Does the Bible tell us to work at an unrelenting pace? 


No, the answer is it doesn't actually. 

Ecclesiastes 8:6 says, "For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him."

There is a time for going hard and fast, and a time for resting and waiting on the Lord. Jesus was a carpenter for a good 30 years before he started his "full steam ahead ministry" and even then he took time to get away and go to "the mountainside to pray" (Luke 6:12). David spent lots of time with the sheep before he took down Goliath and he spent lots of time in the caves before he was ever a great King. Paul was sitting in jail when we wrote some of the great chapters of the Bible. Many of the "greats" in the Bible had times of "waiting on the Lord" before they had their "God is glorified" moment. The Bible tells us to "be still and know that God is God", (Psalm 46:10) and if he is God we cannot be. If we are not God then we do not have to take on the responsibilities of the world as if we are. We can trust God with the big picture. The point is that God be glorified through the things we say and do. Each of us is given our own responsibilities to take care of according to the gifts we have been given, (Galatians 6:5) but none of us must think that EVERY problem that crosses our path is our problem to fix. It is not about us proving that we are the Alpha and Omega...we're not. God is. If anyone needs permission to slow down this is it. God is God, and is in control, and will reveal to us what we are to do, and when we are to do it as we draw closer to Him. As we are faithful in serving Him he will be glorified. Check out what Ephesians 5:15-16 says.

Ephesians 5:15-16, "Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." 

We are to be looking for opportunities. Every day is an opportunity. Some are bigger than others. It may just be that over time God will lay a big idea on your heart and call you to join with others to carry out a big, exciting project that will make a huge difference for the kingdom. It may also just be, though, that God would call you to gather up the nerve to "make the most of the opportunity" when talking to your neighbor about going to church this weekend. The things you do don't have to be earth shattering to have a big, lasting in impact. 

Finally, when we seek God's kingdom, and His righteousness first and foremost then everything else falls into place. Everything else is secondary. The Bible is riddled with verses that hint at this idea, and some that boldly state it. Colossians 3:2 is one of those verses. Simply put, it says this:

Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Three things I would encourage:

1. Pray for opportunities to glorify God with your life, that it would benefit the Kingdom.

2. Keep your eyes open for those opportunities.

3. When God shows you the opportunity you've been praying for thank Him for it and take action accordingly.

Awesome song time.

A reason to love and follow Jesus.

God's big book of love: The bible. 

The whole thing is written with our best interest in mind, and yet some parts hit us with a different kind of sting (or conviction) depending on what season of life we are walking through and what past we have endured. 

What part of the Bible would you 
rather leave out if you had a choice?? 

Some people might like to leave out the ten commandments: coveting. 

For others of us, if we were really honest, we might wish to omit "Love your neighbor as yourself".

Not you though, right? ;o) Okay, good. No. Me neither. :o)

I'm not here to call everyone out. We all have our own battles to fight. The last thing I want to do is run someone into the ground who is already running themselves into the ground. I'll just save you from beating yourself up right now and let you in on a secret--one that was told years ago: "we all have sinned (and continue to for that matter--some of us are just more or less aware of our own personal shortcomings than others) and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Now there is a difference between an outright sin (one where you know you are actively, consciously going against the will of God, but choose to do it anyway) and a time when you are admitting to the fact that you fall short of the glory of God, but you are striving to live a life of holiness to the best of your abilities, leaning on the grace of God and praying for His strength and wisdom to guide you from day to day. I am not posting this to make a judgment call one way or another on your particular situation. This is not a message of judgment. It is a message of freedom. None of us is perfect, and yet all of us is on a journey of being transformed more and more in the likeness of Jesus. God never gives up on us, and I am trusting if you have read this far that you are someone who is actively seeking God's transforming work in your life, or is at least interested in the idea. READ ON.

The message below (in red) is taken from the book, "The Life God Blesses: Weathering the Storms of Life that Threaten the Soul", written by Gordon MacDonald. I love the way it breaks down "the gospel". Check it out:

"He knew what was in a man," John says of Jesus. And that must have been maddening to men who had spent their lives decorating their outer lives with the ornaments of religiosity, power, and wealth. I mean, how do you respond to a person who cares nothing about how much you know concerning the Law and the Prophets, how well connected you are to the temple infrastructure, how many prayers you pray in a day's time, and how may pilgrimages you've made? What defense do you put up when someone looks into the center of your soul and causes you to face up to the evil and sleaze that reside within?

If there is a deeper reason for crucifying Jesus than just that He was a threat to the religious structure and that He enjoyed the affections of the common class, it is that He forced men to look into their souls and face the inadequacies there.

Conversely, it is why others loved and followed Him. Because they came to realize that He was less interested in their reputations as prostitutes and tax collectors and more drawn to the sorrow that lay in their souls and their desire to be liberated from the deadening evil that proscribed their lives up until that point. They wanted clean souls, and Jesus was in a position to help them through forgiveness and redemption.
THAT was the gospel."

YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fighting gloom.

You have a divine purpose.

BIBLICAL PROOF THAT WHO YOU ARE MATTERS TO GOD AND TO THOSE AROUND YOU. . .

"Each person is given something to do that shows who God is."

-1 Corinthians 12:7 (MSG)

"...each according to his own ability..."
-Matthew 25:15 (NIV)

"...kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you..."
-2 Timothy 1:6 (NASB)

 "God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another..... All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen."  -1 Peter 4:10-11 (NLT)

A QUOTE FROM MAX LUCADO I LIKED. . .
"God sanctifies each day. He conducts holy business at all hours and in all places. He uncommons the common by turning kitchen sinks into shrines, cafes into convents, and nine-to-five workdays into spiritual adventures." -Max Lucado

Max Lucado suggests doing this:

 Use your uniqueness (what you do)

to make a big deal out of God (why you do it)
every day of your life (where you do it).

  

He says that at the convergence of all three you will find the cure for the common life.

May your days be packed with fresh opportunities to make the common feel uncommon, as God's power is infused into you and His glory is shined through you. YOU are LOVED!!

I'll show you what love sees when love sees you.

Where are you at in your spiritual journey today?

WHATEVER SEASON YOU ARE IN ON YOUR JOURNEY,
GOD WILL BLESS THAT THING WHEN YOU BRING IT TO HIM.

My mind can only handle so much information at one time. If I hear a sermon on humility then I am stuck thinking about how important it is to be humble for an entire week and I am very aware of all the ways that week that I am falling short.

It seems to me that we have a tendency to think through the lens of the one verse we happened to read that day or the last inspirational message that meant something to us most recently. We rely on our short term memory more than we realize sometimes. If we read about how a person should be strong in the Lord and someone is tired, we might judge them for being weak, for instance. "Shame on them for not being strong!" we might say. If we hear a sermon about how a person should be humble and then later that day we run into someone who is talking about a recent promotion, and is feeling an extra boost of confidence, we might feel inclined to judge them for being so arrogant and prideful. "Well NOW! They ought to be knocked down a few pegs!" we might think.

We have to be careful to give one another grace, assuming that life has us at different points in our spiritual journeys, and embracing what we have to learn from each other resisting the urge to draw immediate conclusions of one another.

The Bible tells us to mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice. This requires us to set aside our personal agendas for a time and consider what another person is thinking, feeling, and experiencing. This usually requires time. When we do this we embrace compassion, empathy, and love for those around us. A person cannot stand in judgment on another person and mourn with them at the same time. Even at our best, though, our love is imperfect because we are imperfect.

God is the only one who can love you perfectly. He sees you with compassion effortlessly. He embraces the WHOLE of you...not just the part of you. God can, and does, love you unconditionally when no one else can. There are many reasons for this that we can never fully understand. God can love you unconditionally (when others, in their humanness, cannot) because He is God so He is not limited by the things we are limited by. He gets the intricate parts of you that no one else can. He looks at you selflessly --no strings attached. He designed you in His image, and He is very aware of the sinful nature that developed in your life over time, masking His glory in your life. Nothing is hidden from him. You cannot surprise him. He has seen you grow into who you are today. He has seen when you hurt, and when you rejoiced. He has seen when you were promoted and when you were demoted. He has seen when you laughed til you cried, and when you cried til you puked. He mourned with you when you hunched over life's breaking points and and then He rejoiced over you when you climbed out of those things in victory as you reached your breakthrough moments. He is always wooing you back to Him, calling you back to a place to forgiveness, holiness, and healing because HE LOVES YOU. Oh, Sweet, sweet victory in Christ Jesus.

HE LOVES YOU ON YOUR WORST DAYS
AND ON YOUR BEST DAYS 
AND HE ALWAYS HAS YOUR BEST INTERESTS IN MIND.

Read what He has to say to you from Matthew 5...

"Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them."

The Beatitudes

(As you read through these beatitudes and see if any of them hit close to home for you. Each one is backed up by a promise from God. Soak in the promise God has for you today.)
He said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

~Matthew 5:1-12

Blessed are you... no matter what you are going through, when you cling to the Lord through that thing.
Why? Because God loves you, sees you, and cares about you.
You are not alone, no matter what you are going through. There is a GOD who LOVES you and who redeems the worst of circumstances in your life, heals the brokenness in your heart, and lovingly restores the things that have been shattered or broken...
This is such GREAT NEWS for all of us! Isn't it?

The God of hope.
The God of grace.
The God of redemption.
The God of second chances.
The God who comforts, protects, and bestows blessings.
No one has to beat themselves up in their brokenness. Why? Because it was NEVER God's will for you to stay stuck in your brokenness. BLESSED are you when you come to Him with your need, because it is THERE that GOD can give you what you need and make things right again either on this side of Heaven or on the other side...and you can be at peace on this side of Heaven knowing that He is in control. It is also where He can be, and will be, glorified. God is close to the humble, to the hurting, and to those who are willing to acknowledge their need for His love and His redemptive touch in their lives.
The voice of God says this to us...

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:22-30

There is no "baggage" in that message. There is no reason for any baggage with that message. It is a message of grace and mercy and love. That is my God!!! He is your God too. 

Are you hurting today? 
Do you need healing? 
Healing of any kind. . .spiritual, emotional, or physical? 
Our church is doing an anointing service this weekend and you are invited to come and be a part of the service. 

May 20, 2012.

Valparaiso Nazarene Church.

2702 E. Glendale Blvd.

Valparaiso, IN 46383

Click on the link below to be directed to the church website. 

If you want someone to pray over you, or someone you know, you can come this weekend and there will be a pastor at the service who is happy to anoint you, and to pray for your specific need this weekend. We would LOVE to have you!!!!!!!

Okay, awesome song time.

Negative personalities made positive.in the hands of God.

All negative personality traits have a positive spin when they are placed in the redeeming hands of God.  God sees the best in people from the time they are born. He is fully aware of the strengths people possess that have not been tapped into yet. Wouldn't it be great if we could see in others what God sees in them? We want to offer edification to others, seeing the best in them and allowing them to grow into who God is calling them to be. Allow yourself to take a moment to read over some of these negative personality traits I found, and the ways they can made positive under the leading of the Lord. . .

 

A person who is thought to be stubborn would also someone who would remind us to be persistent and persevere.

Hebrews 10:36
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

A person who is critical would teach us to practice discernment.

Proverbs 3:21
My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight;

A person who is thought to be bossy has potential to be a great leader.

Proverbs 11:14For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure.

A person who comes across as arrogant will not be as likely to shrink down when they are called to speak boldly for the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:12
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

A person who is controlling is usually decisive and has the ability to take the lead when a need presents itself.

Exodus 32: 34
Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you...

A person who is timid and fearful will usually exhibit caution, weighing situations and seeking wisdom before taking action.

Hebrews 5:14
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

A person who is blunt can deliver a steady directness, and a stay-the-course truthfulness.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Any negative trait you see in yourself, or in others, can be turned into a positive trait that can be used for glorifying God. We should practice discernment, continually seeking God's will in our lives. We should be laying down our strengths at His feet, giving Him permission to be at work in our lives, understanding that any good in us was put there by God to bring Him glory. Trust that God is at work in your life. Trust that God is also at work in the lives of those around you. He is in the business of fine-tuning and finishing the work he has started. God is patient with us as we develop our understanding of Him, and the more we understand about our creator the more we can understand about ourselves in relationship to our creator. Have an awesome day! God sees you right where you are at, He loves you, and wants GREAT things for you!

Book Review and Giveaway: Mom Connection by Tracey Bianchi

The Book giveaway has ended. Thank you to those who participated. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO DARLENE LUCIANO, WHO WON OUR BOOK GIVEAWAY!

The book review is below, followed by a link of how you can purchase your own copy.

Tracey Bianchi has a way of mixing her own personal momma stories with wisdom and facts, while keeping a lighthearted humor that every mom can appreciate. "Mom Connection: Creating Vibrant Relationships in the Midst of Motherhood" is a book about living into life's rhythms so moms can connect and create vibrant relationships with each other and the other important people in their lives.


The chapter I enjoyed most was the one entitled "Game Night: What is Your Family Famous For." We are often taught to think that we should determine the good, the bad, and appropriate for our children, and we dismiss the important fact that everything we do is shaping how our children will affect the culture around them by them being in it. We are taught to think with short-term thinking rather than thinking with the big picture in mind. Bianchi suggests that we start by finding words to define our family's culture. Some words might include. . .
- Humorous
- Artistic
- Loving
- Entertaining
- Helpful
- Generous
- Gracious
- Frugal
Now add to that list the missing elements you deeply desire. Define how you want to be known. What long-term goals will make it happen?

Bianchi also suggests making up "RULES FOR LIFE" specific to your family. These are phrases that your family will live by that will shape your family culture. Here are some sample rules. . .
- Be fully present to others.
- Love God. Love others.
- Pray often.
- Love extravagantly.

Bianchi adds her own personal unwritten rules to this list:
"Caffeine makes me happy." and "No one poops in the bathtub."
She says, "Rules provide the course markers necessary to chase wholeheartedly after what matters and let what hinders you slip away."
FOCUS. What mom doesn't want focus? Bianchi brings focus to the main relationships in a mom's life: your spouse, your extended family, your BFF's, and your community and gives practical ideas to foster and build those relationships. It's an easy, fun read.

Enter to win one (1) free copy of "Mom Connection", complements of MOPS International, by leaving your name and email as a comment at the bottom of this post before Friday, May 17.Thank you MOPS International, for this great giveaway!

Winner will be notified by email. GOOD LUCK!!! 

(You may also purchase your own copy of the book from amazon by clicking here.)

All efforts of worth and excellence are difficult.

My husband and I were just talking the other day about how easy it can become to slip into a routine of living "worldly" lives rather than a life of "holiness".  The "straight and narrow" life is the harder life, if we are really honest because there is a check and balance system going on. Keeping in check with the Holy Spirit can feel like work at times, but the pay off is ALWAYS worth it. Living according to the standards God sets for us in the Bible is ALWAYS in our best interests. It is ALWAYS out of love for us that God sets those standards for us, and never out of an evil heart. We can trust Him with our lives. Oswald Chambers reminds us in his book that ALL efforts of worth and excellence are difficult, but that should stir us on to overcome them.

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 "Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." ~Helen Keller

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 We are reminded in Romans 8:36-37 that we are more than conquerers through Christ:

As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 

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Read on for more of Oswald Chambers take on this particular difficulty, and the drive to overcome it. . .

Taken from "My Utmost For His Highest", by Oswald Chambers.

Enter by the narrow gate . . . . Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life . . . —Matthew 7:13-14

If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult.  The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but its difficulty does not make us faint and cave in—it stirs us up to overcome.  Do we appreciate the miraculous salvation of Jesus Christ enough to be our utmost for His highest—our best for His glory?
God saves people by His sovereign grace through the atonement of Jesus, and “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). But we have to “work out” that salvation in our everyday, practical living (Philippians 2:12). If we will only start on the basis of His redemption to do what He commands, then we will find that we can do it. If we fail, it is because we have not yet put into practice what God has placed within us. But a crisis will reveal whether or not we have been putting it into practice. If we will obey the Spirit of God and practice in our physical life what God has placed within us by His Spirit, then when a crisis does come we will find that our own nature, as well as the grace of God, will stand by us.
Thank God that He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also something that requires bravery, courage, and holiness. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10 , and God will not shield us from the requirements of sonship. God’s grace produces men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, not pampered, spoiled weaklings. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the worthy and excellent life of a disciple of Jesus in the realities of life. And it is always necessary for us to make an effort to live a life of worth and excellence.

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May the choices you make today promote you in the future, and not expose you. 

Jeremiah 17:7-8
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.” 

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.

We need your presence more than anything Lord.
You're all that we want.
You're all that we need. 
Amen.

Awesome Song Time.

A walk I'll remember

It was beautiful outside. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and you could smell the crisp morning air.

"LET'S GO FOR A WALK!?!" my two year old suggested insistently for the third time in a row. I agreed with him . . . again. . . for the third time.

We got on our shoes and jackets, loaded into the double stroller, and we were on our way. We made it over to a large parking lot that had several seagulls doing their little "seagull thing" swooping up and down and all around, shouting "Caw! Caw!" until you couldn't help but feel like you were at a beach when really you were just outside Long John Silvers. It occurred to me that the reason the seagulls were all huddled in this particular area of the parking lot was not for scraps from the restaurants nearby, but because a man was sitting in his van with the window open and was throwing morsels of food out the window. I described what was happening to my kids and they were VERY pleased. They asked if we could get closer to the van.

An odd feeling came over me. I knew what the answer was. The answer was "No."
Not because of stranger danger or anything like that.
The answer was "no" because. . .  Are you ready for this? . . .

" The birds might poop on our heads," I told my kids.

They seemed okay with what answer. They didn't want bird poop on their heads anymore than I did. For my children, though, this was the first time they had EVER heard of such a thing, so it was an exciting concept for them. They talked about it the rest of the walk, while I pondered why I said what I said to them. "REALLY Alisha? Because the birds might poop on your head?" I thought to myself. Where did that come from?

My mom. That's where. :o) When I was about six years old my mom crossed the street from our apartment to a store and a bird pooped on her head. She decided it was so terrible that she would wear a hat the rest of that Spring season so it wouldn't happen again.

As I finished our walk I considered what seemed to be a disproportionate response to a solitary event in my mom's life--wearing a winter hat every time she walked to the store after that one incident.

I evaluated my own life.

How many times have I let one incident that hurt me, bothered me, or "scarred me" keep me from doing what I wanted to do with freedom? How many times have I lived in fear because of my past? Fear: that crazy taskmaster that I warned myself about. (Oh groan) There it was again. "Fear is a hard taskmaster". It's true! So, here's what hit me on my walk that day:

I can be just like my mom. In the same way that my mom looked silly wearing that winter hat in the the middle of Spring, sometimes I can look silly doing things that I normally wouldn't while I let fear drive me, because of something in my past. If I really think it through, though, the chances of that thing ever happening again are VERY slim, and even if they did happen again God would meet me there and take care of me. I would come out victorious, so I really still have nothing to fear.

The Bible reminds us over and over again to not fear anything other than God, and when we do that we will be taken care of.

Isaiah 41:10
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:13
 "For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

When I live in reaction to my fears I don't feel like myself, and I start to "look funny" and "act funny" but when I can get back to the promises of God and remind myself that God is sovereign and will take care of me and those I love. . . that is when I am able to live in freedom again. 


An old message with a new spin. . . Let your freedom ring. Will you join me in making the choice today. Be victorious in the Lord, by choosing to live in faith. Be smart; don't get pooped on. But, be free; live in faith rather than fear, knowing you're in good hands. 

 Psalm 25:12-14, 
"Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
    He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
  They will spend their days in prosperity,
    and their descendants will inherit the land.  
 The Lord confides in those who fear him;
    he makes his covenant known to them."


YOU ARE LOVED!!!
 

Three reasons to pray.

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for
and assurance about what we do not see."
(Hebrews 11:1)

Here are just a couple reasons to set aside some time to pray today:
(and everyday, for that matter)

1. Nothing is too difficult for God.

• “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." (Jeremiah 32:17)
• “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27)

2. Nothing is impossible with God.

• "For no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:37)
• Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)
• “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36)

3. God can make things happen that we can't.

• "The things impossible with men are possible with God." (Luke 18:27)

Putting our hope in God alone.

"There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!"
Romans 5:3-5 (MSG)

The New Internation Version says it this way: "Hope does not put us to shame".



When you put your hope in the Lord you will not be put to shame.

Isn't that wonderful?
But, what does this mean for us?

WHAT IT DOESN'T MEAN
First, let's start with what it does not mean. This does not mean that you should stop everything. Stop pouring your time and energy into other things you love like your family and friends, and stop making goals for yourself because all you need to do is sit back and hope in the Lord to do everything for you. That is NOT what this verse is talking about.

WHAT IT DOES MEAN
Obviously, taking care of your body and loving your spouse, if you have one, is important.

• You should love your spouse like crazy, but you should put your hope in the Lord.
• You should take care of your body like you're glad God gave it to you, but you should put your hope in the Lord. 
• You should work your job as if you are doing it for the Lord, but you should keep your hope in the Lord and not in your boss. 

You get what I am saying. When you put your hope in things, or in people, other than the Lord you will be disappointed, and you will feel shortchanged. When your hope is in the Lord, and you are waiting on Him to provide, you will "not be put to shame". . . over and over and over again. When you live this way, you are living in an awareness that every good thing comes from God so you are able to keep things in the right perspective.  When things don't go the way you wanted you can rest in the Lord and in His sovereignty, knowing that He will take care of you even still. He is faithful, like He says He is, so you can be assured that He will pull through for you just like He always has in the past.

You are loved.

Somehow all that matters now is...

 "No matter what is going on around us, God is in control. He has not fallen off his throne and never will. Every moment of our lives is planned by God. He makes no mistakes." 

~Sheila Walsh

 “Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?”

For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever! Amen. 

(Romans 11:35-36)

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." 

(Romans 15:13)

We will conquer in His name.

Awesome song time.

I promise you victory and I promise you my presence.

Every Sunday is a good Sunday at my church.  I wanted to highlight a sermon that I especially appreciated a couple of months ago. Gene Tanner is my pastor and he did a sermon on the story in the Bible on the walls of Jericho. In his sermon he said this:

"His (God's) blessings are available to you and Satan's found a way to keep you from them. Well, no wonder you are discouraged. Who wouldn't be? No wonder you feel like a spiritual failure. Who wouldn't? And we find out what happened. . .They complained; disbelief--disbelief always leads to disobedience if you give it enough time. . ."

-Pastor Gene Tanner

Later in the sermon, Pastor Tanner said this:

". . . And God said, 'I promise you victory, and I promise you my presence."

-Pastor Gene Tanner

Are you feeling discouraged in your spiritual journey lately? Could you use some "victory" in your life??

Click on the link here to hear this life changing message. You'll have the opportunity to find out what Pastor Tanner's answer is to this question of what to do when faced with discouragement and the feeling of spiritual failure.

When I call on Jesus...

. . . all things are possible.


Weary brother,
broken daughter,
widow mother,

You're not alone.

If you can't find the strength to carry on,
When you call on Jesus all things are possible!

Awesome song time.

Darnedest Things.

I hope you are having a wonderful day today. No matter what kind of day you are having today there is something to praise God for; something to be grateful for. What do you have to be grateful for today? There is something comforting about stopping everything to notice the blessings around you. Having said that, here's a glimpse into the not-so-serious life of the Hughes family, starting with my hunk of a husband. . .


"I don't know if these tress are just like waiting for a
miracle. . . "
(referring to the long line up of trees that were planted three years ago at a place close to our house. Most of them still look like twigs)
-Scott Hughes

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"Mom, are there any games where Jesus lives?"
-Preston

"I dunno."
-Me

"Well, I know there is ice cream there, because Nate told me there is.
-Preston

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"I put the ladybugs in there."
(referring to the blueberries that he crammed in the vent in our bathroom)
-Kipton

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"I will love you forever."
(said to Scott as she was getting tucked into bed the other night. . . melt my heart!)
-Keely

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Thanks for coming to our home. You are welcome back anytime. Enjoy the rest of your day!!!

Awesome Song Time.

(Mark 12:29-31, 33)

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Awesome song time . . . and really adorable video time too.

At the end of it all I want to be by His side.

Luke 15:18-24

I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Lord, your love is beautiful.
At the end of it all, I want to be by your side.

To give light to those who sit in darkness.

"Because of God’s tender mercy,

the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,

to give light to those who sit in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

and to guide us to the path of peace.”

~Luke 1:78 & 79

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Jennie Wellsand talks about her new album "Morning Light" in the video below.
Check it out:

Morning Light is available on iTunes for $4.95 here.

You can like Jennie Wellsand on Facebook here.

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Added bonus: Kathy Schwanke (pictured below) is an absolutely beautiful woman of faith who just recently did a blog post on a very similar topic. You can go to her blog, "Blessed Builder", by clicking here.

Let all who take refuge in you be glad.

But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

~Psalm 5:11-12

Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays
down his life for the sheep."
~John 10:11

"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
~Hebrews 13:20-21

Our indescribable God.

Louie Giglio is an author and a speaker who inspires people to look beyond just what is front of them to see the universe that God has created as it relates to them. Many of Giglio's topics speak to how BIG God is and how small we are, and yet how God loves us and sees us and takes care of us just the same. Truly it is an "indescribable God" (which is the name of one of his books) who can pay attention to the tiny intricate details of every little part of every human body, while also keeping the entire universe spinning in orbit just as it should be. I am choosing one video of many on youtube, but I would suggest getting on there and looking up one or two of his other videos when you have a chance because I think they are amazing perspective builders and they will make you love God even more as you learn more about Him. Enjoy. . .

What matters most.

The thing that matters most is what we do with what we've been given, not how much we do compared to someone else.
- Francis Chan

You get to decide who you will be tomorrow.

Who Will You Be Tomorrow?
A message from Brenda Warner

Like many people, I've spent a lot of my life searching for my identity. When I was younger, I thought I was the pretty one. In high school I was a popular cheerleader but also a Jesus freak. I've been a gung-ho marine, a faithful wife and mother, a hardworking nurse, and, sadly, a grieving daughter. But of all my roles, I received the most attention for being an NFL player's wife—a sometimes outspoken one. . .



I want the people I encounter to know they don’t have to be who people say they are . . . or who they were yesterday. We all have the ability to change and grow past our expectations and the limitations others try to impose on us.

In the end, only we get to decide who we will be tomorrow.