Thursday, April 28, 2016

Five Minute Friday- Pass : Passing Away Mindset

Yay for another Five Minute Friday, The word is "pass".

Here I go

"Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy[c] to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36

 
DO I LIVE LIFE KNOWING ALL THINGS WILL PASS AWAY?

The world is being devoured by sin. As a Christian, I am living a comfortable life. God is showing me that I need to be more on my knees in prayer and drawing close to Him in His word. As the verse says I need to be watchful. I need to have the mindset that this world is going to pass away. What am I doing to further the kingdom? What am I doing to be set apart? What am I doing to make a difference in this world? '

I need to live a life motivated that this world is passing away. I need to live a life that is glorifying to God. I cannot afford being comfortable with time slipping away. 

Done.

I am really struggling with this. I will confess to you that I am pretty wrapped up in what is going on politically. I want it to be used to glorify God. But how? Does it really matter in the scheme of things? This world will be gone and souls will be lost when this world passes away. Why does that not brother me more than worrying about Donald Trump becoming President? I am so torn.
      

Friday, April 22, 2016

Five Minute Friday- Unite- United by the Gospel

Yay for Five Minute Friday! First of all before I start I have to say that even though I am not able to go to the fmfparty on twitter as much as I would like, this group of bloggers are very supportive people. And I wanted to thank you for that.


Todays word is "Unite".

A friend and I have been studying Philippians. Right off the bat, Paul and the relationship that he has with this group of  believers made me jealous. They honestly had a strong relationship based off of the gospel. The gospel was what brought them together and helped them together further the gospel.

But if you read on apparently the Philippi church was having problems within their church in becoming one themselves. Paul challenges them in chapter 1 and also the beginning of the chapter 2 to unite as it says in the message so that they would be able to live lives worthy of the gospel. They needed to come together and have the same focus. From there they would be able to love each other and then love others in order to preach the gospel.

What about you? Do you have a strong support system where you are united and support each other? I don't know about you but I really like the relationship that Paul had with this church. And it was also because of the gospel and their love for each other that they were united.

And Stop.

Lately God has put this thought on my heart of what His love through the gospel can accomplish in us together as believers but also how it can affect our lives personally. Earlier on this week, I wrote about how God's love through the gospel can help us overcome the things that haunt. Check it out here.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Love Embraced: Our Constant and Unchanging God


I am so thankful that I have been given this opportunity to be apart of my first book launch team with Anna Smit, a dear and loving sister in Christ with an amazing testimony of God's great love. Her book is called Love Embraced which will be released on Mother's Day (May 8th) on Amazon.com. I have been given the lovely pleasure to share what I have learned from her Scripture-packed book about her journey of discovering God's love for her. To read the remainder of this post, please see Joy of the Spirit Within , where I am guest posting today.


Thursday, April 14, 2016

Five Minute Friday- Easy- Oh My Chickens

Here comes another Five Minute Friday. The word is "easy".

So recently my husband and I got chickens. I thought it was going to be easy to take care of them. Boy was I wrong!

 
The first night we had them one of the chicks seemed like a loner and lethargic, and it didn't seem right. I soon found out there is a sickness called Pasty Butt. Google it to find out what it is : ) I am glad I caught it because she was at the worst stages of it.

Then we started to get one that was real big compare to the other ones. We thought she was an rooster because of her aggression.

Anyone who has had chickens before know that they don't stay in their cute and fuzzy stage long. They got huge really fast and stink the whole area of the house. We have ours in the warmest part of the house near the pellet stove which is in the middle of the house.

The past two days my husband and I have been building the coop for them. We did not realize that there was such a specific wire you needed to get to build it. We finished it. It is a very nice coop but isn't winterize for the cold nights we still have. But the days are warmer. So today we took them out to the coop and they seem to like it but at the end of the day we had to bring them back in to the box. I separate the 5 of them into two boxes but that didn't seem to help because after putting my little one to bed, I come downstairs and one of them has been pecked. It looks sad. I did the best I could to give it first aid and separated it from the others. She is not happy with me because she kept trying to fly out.

But after all of this even though I have found out that it isn't easy to keep chickens, I am thankful for the lessons I have learned which will make things easier as I go.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Teaching an One Year Old the Bible- Israel in the Wilderness

Here is to project number three where I chose to focus on how God was powerful in taking care of His people in the wilderness. I started with the parting of the Red Sea all the way up to feeding them manna and having water come from the rock. I focused on the elements that God used to take care of His people.

First there was Moses.


Then there was the pillar of cloud that guided them by the day but also did not allow the Egyptians to see the Israelites as they crossed the Red Sea.


Then there was the pillar of fire that guided them at night and kept them warm.


Then there was the actual parting of the Red Sea.


Then there was the manna that came from heaven every morning.

Lastly there was when Moses struck the rock and water came out.



I used the Jesus Storybook Bible again.  The same Awana Cubbie Bible Verse Music app had a Psalm 33:9 which says

For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast
I was not sure what song to use since she loves songs but I searched on YouTube and found this


I do have to share something with you on this. We don't do this everyday. And my human lean on my own strength mindset kinda freaked out, thinking, "Oh I am a bad mom for not doing something everyday because she needs to know about Jesus". I knew at that moment that was wrong thinking. I cant do anything through this in her life. It is all Christ. I need to be directing her to her Savior instead of being her savior. So instead of doing it in my own strength, I need to be allowing God to work in her while still being faithful. It is such a fine line but so important.

I have also been challenging myself to become more intentional in the small moments with my little one. Recently on the way to the car or to the house from the car, she likes picking up rocks. I honestly want to just get to the car or the house. But instead I want to make the choice through God's strength to take the time to spend with her looking at the rocks. I can tell her that God made them on the 3rd day. I can show her different kind of rocks. I think what really matters is what is my heart and God only knows that and I want to do what He wants.

Please if you have ANY suggestions or ideas on what you do with your little ones on teaching the Bible or being intentional in the moment, please share.  

Also if you want to check out my other project I did with my little one check it out here.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Five Minute Friday- Whole- Looking at the Whole Picture

Here is to another Five Minute Friday. The word is "whole".


As a Christian, it is hard to look at the whole picture. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the small details of life that seem so overwhelming. Life is just hard. Everyday I swear that a particular love one will never get it. Or that when I get upset with my little one how much am I going to "mess her up".

But then I take a step back and refocus. I don't know the whole picture but God does. He sees the things that I do in order to direct my little one to Him and how He will use that for His glory. He knows what will happen in 5 or 10 years from now. He knows when and how my love ones will accept Him as their Lord and Savior. I always hold onto verse 16 in Psalm 139,

"Your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them."

 Every single one of my days, the days of my love ones and yours are in His hands. He sees the whole picture and I need to trust in that.

Monday, April 4, 2016

Dear Christian, You are not an Enemy of God

Sometimes I think that God is not happy with me when I don't get it. I know that He has my best in mind and His way is perfect for my life but then when I fall, I don't feel like I deserve Him being ok with me. I still make it right with Him and He is so faithful and gives me the peace and grace to move on. But it happens again and I feel once again like God is disappointed with me. I really struggle with this but God knew exactly what I needed to get me going on the right path.



Last week I started to read 2 Samuel 22, one of my all time favorites. I like it for verse 31,

"As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him."
 
But I am going to focus on verses 8-25 where David is describing God coming down and rescuing him from Saul using the imagery of Exodus 19. In verse 8 of 2 Samuel 22, David uses the images of the earth shaking and trembling to describe God's anger. The following verse smoke comes from His nostrils and a devouring fire from His mouth. In verse 12, darkness and thick clouds are around God. When God speaks, He sounds like thunder as in verse 14. God is also like a warrior shooting down arrows in verse 15. This is also found in Psalm 7:13  
"He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts."


David continues on in verse 16 describing how God separates the channels of waters by "the blast of the breath of His nostrils." This imagery of course is from Exodus 15 verse 8 when Moses praises God for parting the Red Sea.

But as I compared the two scriptures, the images David used to described God rescuing him from evil people. God was not happy that the man that He called a man after His own heart was being hunted down to be killed. God is a just God. But the verses used in Exodus were images used to describe a holy God connecting with His people. He was only approaching Israel in His holiness. Going back to Psalm 7 verse 11

"God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day."
 
 
God is only displeased with those who have rejected Him, those who are not believers. Their constant rebellion and rejection of Him in their lives bring His wrath and anger. YOU and I are not enemies of God but loved and treasured by Him.
As I read on in 2 Samuel 22, David confirms this in verses 17-20.
 
 
He sent from above, He took me,
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me;
For they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me

 
 David goes on in verses 21-25 and showed me why he was rescued by God. David trusted God and obeyed His commands. Knowing the story of Saul and David brings insight on these verses. Saul did not glorify God. Saul did what was right in his own eyes. David, on the other hand, not perfect, but draw near to God obeying God in everything He did. He had the chances many times to kill Saul but he didn't because Saul was God's anointed at that time. The outcomes of both men show the correlation  between someone who obeys God vs those who do what is right in their own eyes. Psalm 24 verse 3-5 shows that.
 
 
"Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
 He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation."

 
It is our hearts and focus. What was David's focus in verses 22-25?
 
 
David kept God's ways.
David held onto the statues and judgments of God
David refrained from sin.
 
 
It is the same for us Christians. God is not displeased when we fall. Our sins have been forgiven. We are His. We just need to remember who we are in our brokenness and what Christ did on the cross to fulfill that. It is a constant reminder to humble ourselves before Him everyday asking for His help. All the mean while we need to continue to just draw near to Him in His word and through prayer. We need our focus to not be on ourselves but Christ and His words for who we are. 
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