You are Good

 

I love finding out fun little things about the Bible. Like what exactly a cupbearer does and how important of a role each person has in the Kingdom and how God prepares the way for them and answers the prayers of those who fear Him and are faithful and love Him and the one He has chosen.

I also like secrets because im terrible at keeping them so i need help to keep them, esp when people try to get them out of me. i give too many hints away. so its rather fun to laugh hysterically with friends during these times because we all get so riled up! :)

God is good! :) Time spent with Him, is well spent time. Jesus is the source of all good in my life. :)

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”
Ephesians 1:3

Nehemiah

 

“They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up our of Egpyt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, not the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.
And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Caananites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would.  And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.
Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.”
Nehemiah 9:17-31

 

There is a theme. God’s mercy. and His faithfulness. As Holy, and Just, and Perfect as God is, and how much He despises sin…He is still merciful and extremely faithful. He is the definition of all these words. We mess up. We get overwhelmed and overcome by this world. We are fearful. We fall. but God is always there. with His mercy.

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing,  because they had understood the words that were declared to them.”
Nehemiah 8:12

its about perspectives

 

Reminiscing, updating, talking about life, catching up with friends.
Praying for your hurting brother.
Laughing with friends while working out.
Being encouraged by someone else’s encouragement.
Community.
Seeing growth.
The Word.
Thoughts of Northern Ireland.
Yelling in a deep voice.
Talking.

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”I sought the LORD and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
Psalm 34:4
”

i’d rather have Jesus

 

“I walked out to the hill just now. It is exalting, delicious, to stand embraced by the shadows of a friendly tree with the wind tugging at your coattail and the heavens hailing your heart, to gaze and glory and give oneself again to God—what more could a man ask? Oh, the fullness, pleasure, and sheer excitement of knowing God on earth! I care not if I never raise my voice again for Him, if only I may love Him, please Him.

Perhaps in mercy He shall give me a host of children that I may lead them through the vast star fields to explore His delicacies whose finger ends set them to burning. But if not, if only I may see Him, touch His garments, and smile into His eyes—ah, then, not stars not children shall matter, only Himself…”
Jim Elliot

I read this, and in my heart, I longed to have this same perspective, this same heart. A heart that is so longing of God, to love Him and to please Him, that nothing else matters, no matter what. Not my selfish desires, not my pain, not my turmoil, not the people around me, not the situations i may be involved in…not even the good in my life should matter, in comparison to just having Jesus.

My perspective and my remembrance has been very off recently. Quite frustrating actually. My devotedness has been off. I’ve just been off. But God never leaves me, nor forsakes me, Praises to Him. He is Faithful. and He knows my heart, and my heart truly is to seek Him with everything inside of me, and to love Him and honor Him with every ounce of my being. I just need to make sure I am daily being in awe of Him and fixing my eyes on Christ and asking the Spirit to lead me, and spending time with God, and that all I want is Him.
 

“All of You is more than enough…”

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah”
Psalm 84:4

it’s all good.

 

Today I had the privilege of working at Ms. Gadgets! I have missed those ladies, and that place. it just lifts my heart! We were doing ginger bread house decorating for little kids today at the store, and we had over 100 kids come thru. and i absolutely loved it. there was esp one little girl who just sticks out to me. she was the sweetest thing and just so joyful. and was asking me questions on how we knew how to put the gingerbread houses together and if God showed them how. She was just precious.

Children just have a way to lift your heart. God definitely has given children a gift.

Also, it really is all okay. We just need to take time to spend with Jesus. Be disciplined. :) and Love the Lord Your God!

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”The LORD your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love and rejoice over you with singing.”
  Zephaniah 3:17

worth it all

 

I love animals. They have personalities. Tonight Ashley, Christa and I had the privilage of being angels for a local live nativity. and there were real live animals, and it was freezing cold. but we were all well entertained by the camel, Carl…whom we named ourselves. We thought he was going to knock us off our haybales a couple times.

I just love how God created animals. of all shapes and sizes and personalities. i had a donkey try to nibble at my outfit.
and I love how He made people, to enjoy the simple things of life. Was pretty cool to watch hundreds upon hundreds people just look at the nativity and reflect. and to see the animals. and my favorite part, was seeing the Amish Men with their children. There is just something about father’s with young children in general, but it just touched my heart!

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”
Psalm 19:14

stretching

 

I love to stretch. It just makes me feel better and somehow just brings rest and peace. even with the slight pain of stretching, it still just feels good. I like it a lot.

God brings me peace. It’s pretty cool to look back and see how He has moved in my life, and how I have grown in being able to speak truth to people and speak with boldness and not care if they will be upset with me or not.

“Pour out your love on us LORD give us your heart, let us unite to serve the broken and lost. We give our lives to you no matter the cost….”

“…my refuge and strength….i will not fear His promise is true, My God will come through, Always.”

 

VERSE OF THE DAY:
”For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yieldsthe peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
Hebrews 12:11