May 2018 Goals {Update}

We are half way into the month of May. How are your goals going? I wanted to share a little bit about how it is going for me. Maybe, my sharing will help you set some goals or carry them out with a bit more enthusiasm.

We all need friends who lift us up, help us to walk this journey of life, and continue to trust our Lord God!

Remember Moses, Aaron, and Hur’s inspiring moment? Moses was in need; Aaron and Hur were there for him, and left an eternal impact. That impact has stirred my heart since 2011 when I began my journey of accepting my health decline and using this time as a way to give|receive help.

Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset (Ex. 17:12, NLT).

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We know sharing and community are important for our journey, and that of others as well. So, let’s get to sharing in this Christ centered community.

As I sit here and evaluate these things, I know the ultimate goal has to be found in the delight myself in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord finds good pleasure in being with me, and I need to keep drawing nearer to Him – and seeing what is hindering me.

Do

Guilt free rest? No.
Keep up on housework? More than before.
Exercise without flare up? For most part, yes.
Eat more plant based? Actually yes!
Listen to more sermons? Not really. It’s an area, in which I do need to grow.
Praise music|coloring as worship tools? Yes, but need to color more (mental health).

Read

Have I been reading? I actually have! They are mostly Kindle books, so off the intended list of books. But, I am really loving the opportunity to listen and gain spiritual insight from other strong Christians who are learning to trust the Lord and surrender everything to Christ!

What have I been reading?

• “How Can I Be Blessed?” – R.C. Sproul {Finished}
• “5 Habits of a Woman Who Doesn’t Quit” – Nicki Koziarz {50%}
• “Party of One” – Joy Beth Smith {59%}
• “Made Like Martha” – Katie Reid {13%}

My not so secret to reading has been taking my Kindle with me on my walks. I have begun walking each morning, as a way to greet God and begin my day on a good note. The depression has made life unbearable, and exercise is one of the best ways I know to handle it.

Be

. . . Flexible.

Have I…

been able to get up early to get stuff done? Yes. It has only been in the last week, though. So, I need to make it a continuing habit.

allowed myself to simply listen to Scripture versus compulsively taking notes? I am slowly growing in this area.

seizing family time? I seem to be more available during the week for my family, aside from night time. The true test of this will be on the weekends, when I have the opportunity to spend time with my “nearly 8” year old niece.

Featured image by Estée Janssens from Unsplash.

Seeking Him on the good days and bad,

Noticing the Change {{POTF}}

 

I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry— even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 1:12-14, CSB).

I needed this truth: our Lord Jesus is the One strengthening us!

While I am a person who struggles with sin, I am absolutely saved by His grace alone. God has shown me His mercy. He has purposely loved me, despite the person I used to be. When my sin nature is in charge, I have the ability to crave being unkind. Yet, the Lord, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, is showing me how I can live a brand new way of life! He continues to deliver me from my old self on a daily, even hourly, basis.

My sin shows me my desperate need for our Lord Jesus who rose from the grave! In Scripture we are given the opportunity to see the difference between drawing nearer to Christ and living for ourselves. Galatians 5 is the number one Scripture that comes to mind on this subject. It shows us the absolute different in our lives when we focus on this relationship with God through our Savior.

For myself, I know our Lord Jesus is the One making the difference! He is doing the work that only He can. Routines, diets, and other things cannot ever change the “inside me.” This is something only our Lord Jesus can do.

The grace of our Lord has been abundantly poured out on me, along with faith and love found in Jesus Christ. The change I need in my personal life is something only Jesus can do. I need the Lord to take my life fully. I need to keep my words and attitude in check, because honestly it is easy to slip up. When life happens, it is easy to fall into the hard place of old ways. Take a look at this encouragement.

“take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth (Eph. 4:22-24).”

Friends, let us keep daily putting on Christ.
Let us choose the things of God over this world.
We are given the Holy Spirit to help us in our journey.

How are you making sure you don’t “sober up” from the Holy Spirit?

Just that statement alone, takes a bit to digest – Reading our Bible’s, prayer, and Christian fellowship are all ways to get “drunk on the Spirit”.

Friend, keep drinking in the Lord through coming nearer. We need our Living Water, and drawing nearer is the best way to govern our lives. The Holy Spirit is our tool for every day living, so let us allow Him to strengthen our lives!

Image is by Matt Botsford.

Seeking Him,

{Summer} Psalms – 1

The blessing behind using this blog is – the freedom. My fingers can walk joyfully across my keyboard, and use a different format for this particular journey. Each blog post can short or long. There is joy and freedom, because I can just seek Jesus without borders.

Welcome to Psalms, Chapter 1!!!

What stood out? At the top of my paper, I jotted down very specific Bible references. Tonight, I want to share those with you. Each verse is shared in the NIrV translation. I encourage you to check out these verses in your own Bibles. Highlight them. Write notes in the margins about what God is showing YOU through these verses.

. . . Everything godly people do turns out well (1:3a).

The Lord watches over the lives of godly people. But the lives of sinful people will lead to their death (1:6)

When the Lord judges them, their life will come to an end. Sinners won’t have any place among those who are godly (1:5, see Matthew 25:31-46).

Which Path Will You Take?

Several other things stood out to me too. The descriptive words in the first verse alone are soul stirring. Things like “join in,” “make a habit,” and “follow.” It can be tempting to crave what others are doing, or even just settling for what others are doing. But, we are reminded of these two different worlds.

If we will focus our attention on Jesus Christ, the Bible, and eternity, we will grow by leaps and bounds

. . . and find ourselves intensely joyful as we sit at our Savior’s feet.

This Summer, I want to develop a great joy for our Risen Lord and the Bible. I want to just be able to walk by the Holy Spirit. I want to see the distractions of my life sink into the background completely unnoticed, because I am just sooo full of God and the joy He gives.

In Psalms 16:11, we are reminded that…

You [God] will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore (AMPC).

Featured image by John-Mark Smith.

Week 1: Wrap Up (Thessalonians)

What was special about this week’s message? I invite you to comment below, and share with me (and other readers) about how God spoke to you in this week’s Bible study on 1 Thessalonians

Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:6

“You became followers of us and the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit. Therefore you were examples to all who believe in Macedonia and Achaia… (1:6-7a, MEV)”

This is the message that stands out, to me. One of the reasons I love the Thessalonians is – because their faith was enveloped in strength. They heard the Gospel message, and kept it close even in affliction. This showed the entire world that their faith was not an empty act, but as genuine as our faith could be.

Further in the New Testament, we are reminded that afflictions help us to refine our faith. In times of great trials, we are reminded of our dependence upon God just as David was. David wrote many worship-filled songs, from the depths of the pit that trials can often be described as. Yet even in the midst of great agony, David chose to allow it to be a tool of worship. The same can be true for our own lives. In 1 Peter 1, we are reminded that afflictions are the . . . groundwork, I guess you could say, for a deeper faith in Christ.

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith… may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ… [T]he outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls (see 1 Peter 1:6-9).”

Just before we are told that trials must come and even serve a purpose, we are reminded of a great promise. 1 Peter 1:5 is one of the verses in this chapter of Scripture that I hold tightly to.

“Through faith, God’s power is standing watch, protecting you for a salvation that you will see completely at the end of things (1 Peter 1:5, VOICE).”

In the NIRV, the first part of this verse reads like this: “Through faith you are kept safe by God’s power…” Our faith is important. We have to believe that God is keeping us safe, even through the fiery trials, and that He is bringing us closer to the great salvation He has promised us! I love the picture this verse offers to me. I crave protection, and that is what God is offering to me (to us) as I continue to deliberately put my trust in Him!

Looking back on your life’s trials, I invite you to join me in deliberately seeking how God has made that part of your growing faith journey. I know, the road is hard. For me, I can see how God has stretched my faith and pruned out some of the fleshly things I once clung to. I have grown more intimate in my relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.

While my faith in Jesus isn’t where I hope it will be, it is shown as genuine and experiences growth in trusting Christ through those same trials I despise. This is the work of God, through the Holy Spirit. God is working through the good and bad.

Feature image by niu niu.

Genesis 12-15; Psalms 38-40

Assigned Reading: Psalms 38-40; Genesis 12-15

Because our study is chronological, it took us to the book of Job after Genesis 1-11. Well now that we have read, mourned, and repented with Job and his friends, it is time to return to Genesis. Are you ready? Genesis is a beautiful book with much insight and truths.

Psalms –

Chapter 38 – Our lives can reek from our foolish sins. David’s life was in ruins, because of his sins. When we have unconfessed sin in our lives, it truly does eat away at us. Let us confess our sins before our Maker who knows absolutely everything about us. I want to share the ending of David’s prayer. It’s beautiful, regardless of the translation.

Don’t dump me, God; my God, don’t stand me up. Hurry and help me; I want some wide-open space in my life! (vv. 21-22, The Message)

Chapter 39 – The Psalms remind me of many truths. Here, we are reminded that we need to join David in watching what we say and do. Our lives are short, and we need to remember our hope. Our hope is found in Jesus Christ, our Savior and God’s Son. He is our true wealth and joy. He is our Deliverance from our own rebellion.

Lord, we need Your rescuing – from ourselves. We need Your help. None but You, Lord!

Chapter 40 – God heard David’s cry and helped him. God can deliver us from anything, but we need to bring the things of our lives to His precious feet. God’s plans for us are soo many – too many to list. So, let us come confessing our sin knowing our need for Him and cry out for His eternal help!

Genesis –

The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you (12:1).’

God began his journey with Abram. Abram was called to go to the land God would show him. God showed him the promised land that God was going to give Abraham’s family. Their family would have a long journey to go, before reaching this land of “milk and honey”. This land of abundance would be theirs, but in time.

… if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you (13:15-17).”

… Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness (15:5-6).

Between the call to the talk he had with God about Abraham’s further inheritance, Abraham faced hardship. Many things of hardship, but God’s promises still stood true. Though childless, God’s promise of many descendants was still true. Abraham knew the power of taking God at His Word. We have to trust God, even when our lives are “in the waiting” to see what God is going to do.

God’s promises still stand, even if our circumstances look vastly different than the outcome is supposed to be. Abraham’s reality looked so different from what God said his life would look like in a few years. This reveals the power of our God, and the need to trust Him. Things won’t always look like we envision, but He will provide the things He promises.