A New Me

When I got saved I became a new creature in the sight of God. My name was written down in the Book of Life. So exciting to be apart of something new. God gave me joy, peace, love....everything I need to make it through this earthly journey, He has equipped me for. However, there is one area in my life where I haven't fully applied myself and that's my health; mainly my weight. I'm a woman who does not mind a little meat on my bones. I have no desire to be skinny, but healthy. God tells us that our bodies represent His temple where His Holy Spirit dwell. God deserves to dwell in a place that is clean. He deserves to dwell in a place that's beautiful, not full of trash. God made me so why would I not take care of His creation. Even though this current body will die one day (hopefully not for a very long time), it's still my duty to preserve and take care of His temple.

I have started a workout routine and hopefully soon people will start to notice. I want to feel beautiful on a daily basis. God tells me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am made in His image.

I'm so insecure, but it's time for that to go.
I hope that when summer comes I won't be ashamed of what I look like.
I hope that when I get married that I won't feel like I have to hide myself from my husband.
I want to feel good about my body.
I believe that in order to really complete God's will for our lives we need to be in good physical health.

So far I have lost 12 pounds. Hopefully more will soon shed. I want to lose quite a bit of weight, but I plan on doing it all the right way. No pills!!! Just watch what I eat. Drink lots of water. Cut out most of the sweets. I am a chocoholic, but I will refrain from having so much. Cutting out caffiene, like my sweet tea from McDonalds. They have the best all around. Anyway, now you know another goal of mine.
I'm starting a small exercise routine, but it will give good rewards. I will NOT beat myself up if I screw up. God will help me. He wants me to be healthy along with my family and friends. Most importantly I want to do this. No one is making me; this is my choice.

Does the world seem bigger than God?

As human beings we become overwhelmed with what the world puts on our shoulders. We carry this weight that is not necessary. There is a saying that says, "The weight of the world is on your shoulders." Well, it does not have to be. In fact it shouldn't be. As Christians, we're told to take up our cross and follow Jesus. We're also told to cast all of our cares on Jesus and leave them at the foot of the cross so that we may deal with them no longer. With all the pressures of this world and the people that it entails, sometimes the world feels bigger than God. Why? Because we can't fully surrender our lives and our will to Him. It becomes difficult to give everything over to someone whom we can't physically see with our two eyes. When will we all learn that God's ways are set. We all know the saying and most of us say it about the elderlym "They're just set in their ways." That's how God is. He is set in His ways. His ways are not my ways, but I know that they are the best ways. They may be seem harder to get through, but its nothing like if we did it all our way. I believe its Elvis Presley who had a song entitled, "I Did It My Way". Do we look back and say that or can we honestly say that we did it God's way?

Psalm 90: 10-17 (NLT)
^"Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. O LORD, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful!"

I look and read over this passage of scripture and I'm reminded of how much God loves me. His love is unfailing. No matter how many times we feel like we have disappointed God. No matter how many times we fail in our walk with Him; God loves me. God loves you.

In our lives we will feel pain. We will grieve. We will not be fully satisfied, but GOD... God is a God who fully satisfies His children. He fills us up with everything we need. I want God's wisdom in my life. I want Him to keep reminding me of His unfailing love. I have done wrong, but God forgives and forgets. I want to be successful in the will of God. I want God to look at me and say, "Well done my child. My good and faithful servant."

Bible Emergency Numbers

When in sorrow, call John 14
When men fail you, call Psalm 27
When you have sinned, call Psalm 51
When you worry, call Matthew 6:19-34
When you are in danger, call Psalm 91
When God seems far away, call Psalm 139
When your faith needs stirring, call Hebrews 11
When you are lonely and fearful, call Psalm 23
When you grow bitter and critical, call 1 COR 13
When you feel down and out, call Romans 8: 31-39
When you want peace and rest, call Matthew 11: 25-30
When the world seems bigger than God, call Psalm 90
When you want Christian assurance, call Romans 8:1-30
When you leave home for labor or travel, call Psalm 121
When your prayers grow narrow and selfish, call Psalm 67
When you want courage for a task, call Joshua 1
When you think of investments/returns, call Mark 10
How to get along with fellowmen, call Romans 12
For great invention/opportunity, call Isaiah 55
For Paul's secret to happiness, call COL 3:12-17
For idea of Christianity, call 1 COR 5:15-19
If you are depressed, call Psalm 27
If you want to be fruitful, call John 15
If your pocketful is empty, call Psalm 37
If your losing confidence in people, call 1 COR 13
If people seem unkind, call John 15
If discouraged about your work, call Psalm 126
If you find the world growing small, and you great, call Psalm 19

Only A Season

God works in seasons to fulfill a lifetime. 

My season is singleness. I've come to the conclusion that it's okay. Do I still become antsy about the topic? Yes. Almost every day. All I need to do is stay in the Word, close to my Daddy in heaven. Everything will be fine. This too shall pass. There is nothing wrong with being in my mid-20s and being single. If that's what God has planned for now, then so be it. I can not change what God has planned. Plus, I don't think I would want to. His way is the better way. I'll admit though, it seems to be the hardest, but I know that if I would have done it my way, it would all be messed up. So in saying all that, thank you Jesus for this season. You are always there for me. I know that You are preparing me for something GREAT.

Heavy Heart

My heart is so heavy and my mind baffled. Tonight at our ladies' meeting a message came forth about the Proverbs 31 Woman. Great message. One of my favorite passages too. At the same time though, I felt left out. The message was seemed to be directed toward the wife and mother's in the room. I was the only one in the room who has never married and/or who has no kids.

Is it really too much to ask? I get so discouraged and heart broken because I feel like I've been forgotten about.

Whenever I have been attracted to a guy, it never goes well. For starters, most of them act like they don't know me. Then there are others who say, "I just like her as a friend." Then go on to never talk to me. I've had some people try to set me up with a guy, but it never works out. Most of them end up being too good to be true.

What  happened to "Ask and it shall be given...."? I know this to be true, but I just wonder when my turn will come.

People tell me,"When you know, you just know." I want that assurance. Just like I know that I am saved; that I am a daughter of the Most High King. 

Daniel Fast - Week One

It's Sunday morning when my family and I start the fast. Everything was going fantastic. Kids church was awesome. Then after arriving in the sanctuary to only find out the presence of the Holy Spirit was so strong; people all over in the altars praying and seeking. It was absolutely wonderful. Pastor Greg, not getting to preach. God took over and he was showing out. I thought to myself, "This is only the beginning." Keep in mind that my church actually started this fast a week earlier. I was on vacation with my family and therefore we were not prepared to start that week. Anyway...needless to say church was GREAT!!

Transitioning- went home, ate a nice lunch, and took a nap.

BOOM!!! POW!!! I got hit with this awful headache. It was horrible. At first I thought that it might be related to the fast. Within a couple of days before beginning this fast I thought to start weening myself off of certain foods such as sweets and caffeine. So automatically when I awaken with this headache I assume that it is because of no caffeine. Thinking this I decide not take any medicine, it will wear off in a few hours.

I was so wrong. It got worse. The pain did not once back off. In fact, I found myself aching, having chills...this was not good. By the end of the night I have rice pack on my head to try and relieve the tension. It was so bad, lights could not be on around me. I finally go to bed, or at least try, and I still will not take anything. Again I woke up somewhere between  1 and 2 in the morning very ill. Head is pounding, freezing chills, horrible aches, and now to make matters I have a 102 fever. At this point, I knew this was not fast related. That told me flu. Then I thought God does like stupidity. I got up and took some Tylenol. Finally, within a few minutes, pressure began to relieve.

By late Monday afternoon, my temperature reading was 103. This reading fluctuated throughout Tuesday as well. Tuesday, my throat is swollen and I cannot speak. All you would have to do is barely put your fingertips on my throat and you could feel the swelling. Again, HORRIBLE!!

Unfortunately, when you're sick fluids are very important and so are certain vitamins, such as C.  I drank lots of water and orange juice. Then I discovered we have V8. Awesome, because for almost 2 1/2 days I could not swallow to eat or take any pill form medicine. Everything had to be in liquid form. I did eat a couple of Popsicle's...

Good news! God got me through it. I stuck to the fast as best I could.

I tell you this because God knows our heart. He knows our intentions, but He does not like ignorance and stupidity. Take care of yourself. I know I got sick and I'm still recovering, but that did not stop me from praying and spending with God. So in closing, I praise Him for everything that He IS doing. Thank you Jesus!

Vessel

In my morning session with my Abba Father earlier, while studying some passages, I came across this scripture:

Romans 9:21, “Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?”

I thought to myself that could preach!!!! Anyway, I started to meditate on this verse and the conclusion that came to my heart and mind was that I want God to make me a vessel of honor. I don't want to be someone He will one day despise and say “Depart from me, I never knew you!”

I am, as the rest of the human race, are formed from the dust of the ground and molded out of clay. Each of us are made differently. My desire is to be the best that I can be for God, my Father. You might say, “How can I be that vessel of honor?” By fully surrendering to Him. He wants all of you and not just pieces of you. We need to understand that God has ALL power over our lives. I know that most, if not all of us have heard the saying, “I brought you into this world, I can take you out!” Well, God can do that. Just like the snap of His fingers, he can smash up your clay lump and say, “I'm done!”

Sometimes I wonder what God is thinking while sitting at His potter wheel. Yes, I imagine a potter's wheel. Does it even go through His mind that he's done tried and tried to make this person a certain way, but that person is just not holding up? No matter how much more clay he puts on to add stability and no matter how much water he uses to smooth it all out... the vessel is just not wanting to cooperate. Have you ever seen a potter work with clay? Or I even remember back in elementary and middle school, we as students in art class making clay pots/bowls. I remember that if there wasn't just the right amount of clay, my bowl wouldn't hold up, especially when it got into the furnace. Then to smooth out all the kinks and try to remove all the fingerprints, I would add some water. I would do so by taking my finger or using a small paint brush. Everything had to be just the right amount. If too much clay was used, then the piece of work would be to lumpy.

When I picture God at His wheel, I see sometimes he's having to add clay and smooth out with water. Other times I see Him having to remove clay because there just too much. There would be no balance. I'd be a lumpy vessel. I would be of dishonor. My God is a God of honor. He will make His children vessels of honor, but only if we will surrender wholly and completely to Him.