"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you WILL have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I HAVE overcome the world." John 16:33
Been awhile, I know...I have been going through some trials lately, as we all do and I'm trying to draw into God to experience true peace. I guess I just always expected as a Christian life would always be easy and hunky-dory(sp?). God didn't promise that though did He? He DID promise that though trials come He is there to lead and guide us, to mold us and bring us out of those trials.
I've started a new Bible study called Trading Panic for Peace: A Study of the 23rd Psalm by Kristen Sauder, the same author of the God Seeker study. It has been great but I've still been struggling to have a regular time set aside with Him. I can't use any excuses because there aren't any. All I can do is, once again, try to get back on the right track of a regular time with Him. I'm hoping to reflect on this new study as I go through it and hopefully minister to someone else along the way...
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Breaking the silence...briefly
The last night of my God Seeker Bible study is tomorrow night. I am still struggling with regaining the passion and excitement I had this past summer. I blame it on being busy back to work and being tired from the pregnancy but I know God doesn't accept excuses. I pray every day that God will deliver me of my laziness. We have fall break coming up this next week so I'm hoping a vacation to the mountains will help get me refocused and reenergized. I know, it shouldn't take that. We'll see...
Sunday, August 30, 2009
A blogging fast...
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Joel 2:12
People fast for different reasons, for a need they are trusting God for or just to draw closer to Him. People also fast many things as a sign of sacrifice...food, drink, TV. I know it also says in the Bible not to shout it from the mountaintops that one is fasting but I thought I should explain why I won't be blogging for a while. I am fasting this blog for a time. In my last blog, Repetitive Slacker, I talked about distractions that can take our time and attention away from spending time with God. At the time I didn't feel like my blogging was a distraction but I have to admit it has come to that. I stay so tired and haven't felt real great lately that anything extra has become a distraction. I hate to say it but I have even come to dread blogging on this site because I feel like I'm constantly beating myself up for the lack of motivation I have right now in my devotion time with God.
So, I am fasting blogging on this site until I can get my spiritual act together. I am ashamed to have to admit this but I'm getting desperate for some changes in my level of joy, peace, and energy! I will try to continue my other blog, Sugar, Spice, N Puppy Dog Tails, because most of my posts are just pictures which don't take too long but if that one starts eating at my time and energy, I may just have to fast it too.
If you think of me, pray for me that I will regain some energy and motivation toward getting back on the God Seeking wagon. Humbling to admit I'm trying to just hang onto that wagon right now, but I'm at that point...
People fast for different reasons, for a need they are trusting God for or just to draw closer to Him. People also fast many things as a sign of sacrifice...food, drink, TV. I know it also says in the Bible not to shout it from the mountaintops that one is fasting but I thought I should explain why I won't be blogging for a while. I am fasting this blog for a time. In my last blog, Repetitive Slacker, I talked about distractions that can take our time and attention away from spending time with God. At the time I didn't feel like my blogging was a distraction but I have to admit it has come to that. I stay so tired and haven't felt real great lately that anything extra has become a distraction. I hate to say it but I have even come to dread blogging on this site because I feel like I'm constantly beating myself up for the lack of motivation I have right now in my devotion time with God.
So, I am fasting blogging on this site until I can get my spiritual act together. I am ashamed to have to admit this but I'm getting desperate for some changes in my level of joy, peace, and energy! I will try to continue my other blog, Sugar, Spice, N Puppy Dog Tails, because most of my posts are just pictures which don't take too long but if that one starts eating at my time and energy, I may just have to fast it too.
If you think of me, pray for me that I will regain some energy and motivation toward getting back on the God Seeking wagon. Humbling to admit I'm trying to just hang onto that wagon right now, but I'm at that point...
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Repetitive slacker...
Once again, I have slumped into the mode of slacking on this God seeking journey. I am so ashamed to have to admit that. I just stay so tired right now that I can't drag myself out of bed in the mornings and then as soon as Riley goes to sleep at night, off to bed I go. In the God Seeker book, it talks about sacrificing things to spend that time with Him...TV time, shopping time, computer time. I honestly don't watch much TV and I rarely shop. Now I do spend some time on the computer with my blogs but really not much at all. The biggest sacrifice for me is my time sleeping! Lazy, I know. Deep down I think that I might not feel so tired if I were cutting out 30 minutes of sleep to spend time with God because his joy and peace would totally reign in my life. Make sense...less sleep, more time with God, more energy.
It's embarrassing to have to admit such a weakness but maybe the embarrassment and bearing my soul to readers will give me a kick in the right direction. Once again, I'm going to try...
Just a quick note about this week's Bible study, we had 11 which was great. This included two new people who I hope will decide to return. I did not feel confident with my preparation going into this week's study...no handout, just planned to walk through the lessons for the week. My personality almost forces me to have an outline or a list for everything to keep me focused so I felt like it could have gone better. We had good conversations about our bodies being the temple thanks to the new covenant so we take God's presence with us everywhere we go. Yet it is still a good idea to set a place aside as your "tent of meeting" so there's a clear location and purpose for spending time with God. That was one of the best things that I ever did as a step in the right direction toward seeking God. But of course, my laziness has kept that tent empty too many times in the past few weeks...
Anyway, the class went okay but my perfectionist personality really felt like I could have been more prepared and done a better job. Just pray that I kick this laziness bug to the curb this week!
It's embarrassing to have to admit such a weakness but maybe the embarrassment and bearing my soul to readers will give me a kick in the right direction. Once again, I'm going to try...
Just a quick note about this week's Bible study, we had 11 which was great. This included two new people who I hope will decide to return. I did not feel confident with my preparation going into this week's study...no handout, just planned to walk through the lessons for the week. My personality almost forces me to have an outline or a list for everything to keep me focused so I felt like it could have gone better. We had good conversations about our bodies being the temple thanks to the new covenant so we take God's presence with us everywhere we go. Yet it is still a good idea to set a place aside as your "tent of meeting" so there's a clear location and purpose for spending time with God. That was one of the best things that I ever did as a step in the right direction toward seeking God. But of course, my laziness has kept that tent empty too many times in the past few weeks...
Anyway, the class went okay but my perfectionist personality really felt like I could have been more prepared and done a better job. Just pray that I kick this laziness bug to the curb this week!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Our body, a temple
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;" I Corinthians 6:19
Many churches pride themselves on the decor of their interiors, especially the sanctuary. I know it's all just cosmetic but when I think about it I wonder if God ever thinks we're trying to impress him by "putting on the dog." The truth of the matter is that God doesn't care how fancy or plain our churches are as long as we invite Him in. The same goes for our bodies. Since the new covenant we tecnhically don't have to go to a temple to be in God's presence because WE are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. And no, God doesn't care how fancy or plain OUR temples are as long as we invite Him in!
This week's study focuses on setting up a tent of meeting for our time with God but it also points out that it really doesn't matter where we go because the temple goes with us if Jesus is in our hearts. How awesome is that?! Yet at the same time I do believe having a temple (church) to worship at as well as a personal tent of meeting in our houses serves a very important role in our walk with God. Our flesh is weak so the presence of a physical temple, be it church or at home, reminds us of our purpose on the God Seeking journey. It keeps us focused in such a loud and distracting world.
Many churches pride themselves on the decor of their interiors, especially the sanctuary. I know it's all just cosmetic but when I think about it I wonder if God ever thinks we're trying to impress him by "putting on the dog." The truth of the matter is that God doesn't care how fancy or plain our churches are as long as we invite Him in. The same goes for our bodies. Since the new covenant we tecnhically don't have to go to a temple to be in God's presence because WE are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. And no, God doesn't care how fancy or plain OUR temples are as long as we invite Him in!
This week's study focuses on setting up a tent of meeting for our time with God but it also points out that it really doesn't matter where we go because the temple goes with us if Jesus is in our hearts. How awesome is that?! Yet at the same time I do believe having a temple (church) to worship at as well as a personal tent of meeting in our houses serves a very important role in our walk with God. Our flesh is weak so the presence of a physical temple, be it church or at home, reminds us of our purpose on the God Seeking journey. It keeps us focused in such a loud and distracting world.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Location, Location, Location
"Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out the the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp." Exodus 33:7
This week's chapter is called "God Seekers have a place to meet with God." Before I started this I had heard people talk about having a prayer closet or a family altar in their house. I just never really got that concept. But when I started down this journey and got serious about blocking out distractions and focusing on truly seeking God I saw the importance of a specific place for meeting with God. I tried different places, the front porch, my bedroom but everywhere I went I was distracted by things or noises going on in the house. So finally I migrated to the far corner of our basement and built my "tent of meeting." (The story of the "tent of meeting" will come this week!) It's nothing spectacular but it is devoted to my time with God. Something about going to this place that has a specific purpose helps me to truly focus on my time with God. Hey if Moses can use a shabby tent to seek God, I think God is pleased with any location devoted to Him.
As I finish this chapter and prepare for this week's Bible study I'll go into more detail behind the why of a specific location for seeking God and how it can truly set you up for some quality time with God.
This week's chapter is called "God Seekers have a place to meet with God." Before I started this I had heard people talk about having a prayer closet or a family altar in their house. I just never really got that concept. But when I started down this journey and got serious about blocking out distractions and focusing on truly seeking God I saw the importance of a specific place for meeting with God. I tried different places, the front porch, my bedroom but everywhere I went I was distracted by things or noises going on in the house. So finally I migrated to the far corner of our basement and built my "tent of meeting." (The story of the "tent of meeting" will come this week!) It's nothing spectacular but it is devoted to my time with God. Something about going to this place that has a specific purpose helps me to truly focus on my time with God. Hey if Moses can use a shabby tent to seek God, I think God is pleased with any location devoted to Him.
As I finish this chapter and prepare for this week's Bible study I'll go into more detail behind the why of a specific location for seeking God and how it can truly set you up for some quality time with God.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
14...
So to explain yesterday's Wordless Wednesday, 14 was the number of people we had at the Bible study last night! That's more than double what we had last week. Now some people jokingly accused me of paying people to come but I think it was more of a God thing! It blessed my socks off to have so many people eager to start on a God seeking journey with me!
We started the night off by taking prayer requests and praying for each other. Then we got into chapter 1, God Seekers Accept the Invitation to Seek God. Let me share some of the highlights of our study and conversations.
We talked about the multiple times in the scripture that God invites us to seek Him...
“And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with ALL of your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33
Then I posed the question, are you satisfied with the level of intimacy in your relationship with the Lord? We had some great conversations with this and talked about how the word intimacy seems to be a word that describes a married couple and that some of us (me included) had trouble thinking about being intimate with someone else, even if it is God. Yet we have to get out of that comfort zone and build that intimate relationship with God so that we can talk to Him, cry out to Him, and hear his voice. We sing a song that I feel likes describes an intimate relationship with God...
The more I seek You, the more I find You.
The more I find You, the more I love You.
I want to sit at Your feet,
Drink from the cup in Your hand,
Lay back against You and breathe, feel Your heartbeat.
This love is so deep, it's more than I can stand.
I melt in Your peace, it's overwhelming!
That's the type of intimate relationship we should have with our Heavenly Father! One just like I have with my earthly father and husband but even closer.
We decided that God never hides from us but sometimes it feels like it when a prayer is not immediately answered or we're going through difficulties. He is always shouting "Here I AM" through works He does in our lives but also through the beauty of His creation, an unexpected word of encouragement from a friend, and a multitude of other ways.
A lot of our conversations revolved around what keeps us from seeking God...the "dailies" of life...work, grocery shopping, taking care of the kids, fixing dinner. Our true priorities shine through in the amount of time we spend doing things. If we dare right down the schedule of our day and compare how much time we spend seeking God to doing the "dailies" most of us would be quite embarrassed. Yet God is still there, waiting for us to "make" time for Him.
We closed by thinking about our personal commitment we wanted to make to the Lord and this God seeking journey. I thought the class went well and really enjoyed how those who shared ministered to my heart as well as others. I'm praying for a similar number next week if not larger!
We started the night off by taking prayer requests and praying for each other. Then we got into chapter 1, God Seekers Accept the Invitation to Seek God. Let me share some of the highlights of our study and conversations.
We talked about the multiple times in the scripture that God invites us to seek Him...
“And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with ALL of your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33
Then I posed the question, are you satisfied with the level of intimacy in your relationship with the Lord? We had some great conversations with this and talked about how the word intimacy seems to be a word that describes a married couple and that some of us (me included) had trouble thinking about being intimate with someone else, even if it is God. Yet we have to get out of that comfort zone and build that intimate relationship with God so that we can talk to Him, cry out to Him, and hear his voice. We sing a song that I feel likes describes an intimate relationship with God...
The more I seek You, the more I find You.
The more I find You, the more I love You.
I want to sit at Your feet,
Drink from the cup in Your hand,
Lay back against You and breathe, feel Your heartbeat.
This love is so deep, it's more than I can stand.
I melt in Your peace, it's overwhelming!
That's the type of intimate relationship we should have with our Heavenly Father! One just like I have with my earthly father and husband but even closer.
We decided that God never hides from us but sometimes it feels like it when a prayer is not immediately answered or we're going through difficulties. He is always shouting "Here I AM" through works He does in our lives but also through the beauty of His creation, an unexpected word of encouragement from a friend, and a multitude of other ways.
A lot of our conversations revolved around what keeps us from seeking God...the "dailies" of life...work, grocery shopping, taking care of the kids, fixing dinner. Our true priorities shine through in the amount of time we spend doing things. If we dare right down the schedule of our day and compare how much time we spend seeking God to doing the "dailies" most of us would be quite embarrassed. Yet God is still there, waiting for us to "make" time for Him.
We closed by thinking about our personal commitment we wanted to make to the Lord and this God seeking journey. I thought the class went well and really enjoyed how those who shared ministered to my heart as well as others. I'm praying for a similar number next week if not larger!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
God's invitation
"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." I Chronicles 16:11
"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 4:29
This week my God Seeker Bible study was entitled "God Seekers Accept the Invitation to Seek God. Our lesson tomorrow night will focus on the invitation that God provides to us, as in the scriptures above, as well as our part as a seeker. I think it's so neat to think that God has invited me, an unimportant nobody in the big scheme of the world, to seek Him AND find Him. It's like being invited to a celebrity's mansion but better! Just as I ready myself to go to a party or someone's house that I've been invited to, I must ready myself and do my part to be a good friend to God.
I'll post more after the Bible study tomorrow night!
"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 4:29
This week my God Seeker Bible study was entitled "God Seekers Accept the Invitation to Seek God. Our lesson tomorrow night will focus on the invitation that God provides to us, as in the scriptures above, as well as our part as a seeker. I think it's so neat to think that God has invited me, an unimportant nobody in the big scheme of the world, to seek Him AND find Him. It's like being invited to a celebrity's mansion but better! Just as I ready myself to go to a party or someone's house that I've been invited to, I must ready myself and do my part to be a good friend to God.
I'll post more after the Bible study tomorrow night!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Answered prayers
I shared early on that there were two very big requests we have been bringing to God. #1-To sell some land we own and #2-To become pregnant with a second child. Even when you read the scriptures over and over that tell you to TRUST GOD it's still hard to do. This is especially hard for someone like me with a somewhat compulsive personality that likes to be in control of everything. But of course God knows how to show us that HE'S in control, not us! So it's been quite a few months that we have been petitioning the Lord for these things. I have to admit I've had my days of frustration and even questioning God and why He wasn't coming through.
A little over a month ago my mom called me to tell me she felt the Lord had woke her up early one morning and she couldn't stop thinking about the fact that I was still going to the tanning bed (yes, vain and silly I know) but yet trying to get pregnant. "Was that smart?" she asked me. I had to admit that God had been dealing with me for some time over the very same issue so that was just confirmation. I stopped going and just prayed my obedience paid off...WELL IT DID! I had a doctor's appointment today and I AM PREGNANT! What a blessing from the Lord!
"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,The fruit of the womb is a reward."
Psalm 127:3
"For You formed my inward parts;You covered me in my mother’s womb."
Psalm 139:13
God is so faithful! So now we are still trusting for the sale of our land! Our realtor showed it this weekend and we are praising God that these are the buyers and they will give us the price we want out of it. Thank you God for caring about the big and the little things in our lives!
A little over a month ago my mom called me to tell me she felt the Lord had woke her up early one morning and she couldn't stop thinking about the fact that I was still going to the tanning bed (yes, vain and silly I know) but yet trying to get pregnant. "Was that smart?" she asked me. I had to admit that God had been dealing with me for some time over the very same issue so that was just confirmation. I stopped going and just prayed my obedience paid off...WELL IT DID! I had a doctor's appointment today and I AM PREGNANT! What a blessing from the Lord!
"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,The fruit of the womb is a reward."
Psalm 127:3
"For You formed my inward parts;You covered me in my mother’s womb."
Psalm 139:13
God is so faithful! So now we are still trusting for the sale of our land! Our realtor showed it this weekend and we are praising God that these are the buyers and they will give us the price we want out of it. Thank you God for caring about the big and the little things in our lives!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Getting back into the swing...
As hard as it's been to fight off the lazy bug I have tried to get back in the swing of "God Seekin." Pretty pitiful that I have to "get back in the swing" of it, isn't it? Do I ever have to get back in the swing of spending time with my husband or my daughter? No way, because that's a top priority to me. So how much more of a priority should it be to spend time with my Heavenly Father? Just the few days I'd gotten out of the routine of spending time with Him, the harder it was for me to just open up and talk to God. And it was even harder to hear His voice when I just tried to sit and listen. Just like when we don't spend time with a friend or family member for a period of time you can't always finish their sentences or recognize them the same goes for God. But it's not God who is not putting forth the effort...it's me.
Now instead of beating myself up over and over for my laziness I am going to move on. I told you I'd update you on the first night of my Bible study that happened last Wednesday night. I'll be honest, I was a bit disappointed in the number of people who came since I'd sent out postcards inviting people and put it in the bulletin but I know it's a busy time of year for people. My husband reminded me afterward that God had exactly who He wanted there and all I needed to do was be obedient. I know he's right so I'm just praying He brings more people in this week.
We didn't get into the book this week, I really wanted to make sure we all understood what seeking God means. So I started out with a seek n find puzzle. In it I placed words like God and the fruits of the Spirit, things we should seek after. Then I listed words like wealth, success, and riches to look for but that weren't actually in the puzzle. After 10 minutes of searching and some getting frustrated because they couldn't find those words I explained my point. Isn't it frustrating when we seek after things we aren't suppose to just to never find those things? I think lightbulbs went off at this point, or at least I hope they did!
I went on to talk about the definition of seek...to resort to, to go in search of, to try to discover, to ask for, to try to acquire or gain. Then we talked about examples of God Seekers in the Bible such as Moses, Jehoshaphat, David, Solomon, Daniel, and Jesus. I shared scriptures that command us to seek God...I Chronicles 16:10-11, 22:19, & 28:9. The biggest part of the lesson focused on the promises from God IF we seek Him. You know as a kid if my parents promised me we were going to do something or get something, I think they probably followed through most if not all the time (unless something unexpected came up). With God if He promises it, IT WILL COME TO PASS! How awesome is that? So here are just a few of the promises He's made to us if we seek Him...
Deuteronomy 4:29-But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.
2 Chronicles 7:14-If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 31:21- And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.
Psalm 9:10-Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 34:10-The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Psalm 119:2-Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.
Proverbs 8:1-7-I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
Jeremiah 29:13-You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.
Lamentations 3:25-The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
Matthew 6:33-But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 7:7-Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Luke 11:10-For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Hebrews 11:6-And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
That's quite a list and that's not all of them! Isn't that exciting?! Not only does seeking God bring me into an intimate relationship with my Father but there are all these fringe benefits to go along!
We finished up the class talking about some of the consequences of not seeking God and then discussed our "homework" from the book for the week. The book is divided into 6 chapters with 5 days in each chapter so we are to focus on chapter 1 this week. This chapter is called "God Seekers Accept the Invitation to Seek God." In the next few days, I'll probably post a sneak peak into some things we'll be discussing Wednesday night. Praying that we'll have a room full willing to accept His invitation to become a God Seeker!
Now instead of beating myself up over and over for my laziness I am going to move on. I told you I'd update you on the first night of my Bible study that happened last Wednesday night. I'll be honest, I was a bit disappointed in the number of people who came since I'd sent out postcards inviting people and put it in the bulletin but I know it's a busy time of year for people. My husband reminded me afterward that God had exactly who He wanted there and all I needed to do was be obedient. I know he's right so I'm just praying He brings more people in this week.
We didn't get into the book this week, I really wanted to make sure we all understood what seeking God means. So I started out with a seek n find puzzle. In it I placed words like God and the fruits of the Spirit, things we should seek after. Then I listed words like wealth, success, and riches to look for but that weren't actually in the puzzle. After 10 minutes of searching and some getting frustrated because they couldn't find those words I explained my point. Isn't it frustrating when we seek after things we aren't suppose to just to never find those things? I think lightbulbs went off at this point, or at least I hope they did!
I went on to talk about the definition of seek...to resort to, to go in search of, to try to discover, to ask for, to try to acquire or gain. Then we talked about examples of God Seekers in the Bible such as Moses, Jehoshaphat, David, Solomon, Daniel, and Jesus. I shared scriptures that command us to seek God...I Chronicles 16:10-11, 22:19, & 28:9. The biggest part of the lesson focused on the promises from God IF we seek Him. You know as a kid if my parents promised me we were going to do something or get something, I think they probably followed through most if not all the time (unless something unexpected came up). With God if He promises it, IT WILL COME TO PASS! How awesome is that? So here are just a few of the promises He's made to us if we seek Him...
Deuteronomy 4:29-But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.
2 Chronicles 7:14-If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 31:21- And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.
Psalm 9:10-Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 34:10-The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Psalm 119:2-Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.
Proverbs 8:1-7-I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
Jeremiah 29:13-You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.
Lamentations 3:25-The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
Matthew 6:33-But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 7:7-Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Luke 11:10-For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Hebrews 11:6-And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
That's quite a list and that's not all of them! Isn't that exciting?! Not only does seeking God bring me into an intimate relationship with my Father but there are all these fringe benefits to go along!
We finished up the class talking about some of the consequences of not seeking God and then discussed our "homework" from the book for the week. The book is divided into 6 chapters with 5 days in each chapter so we are to focus on chapter 1 this week. This chapter is called "God Seekers Accept the Invitation to Seek God." In the next few days, I'll probably post a sneak peak into some things we'll be discussing Wednesday night. Praying that we'll have a room full willing to accept His invitation to become a God Seeker!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Confession time
"We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." Hebrews 6:12
I have to make a confession...I have become LAZY! Since school has started back I feel like I have become lazy in most aspects in my life...keeping the house straight, cooking, but the worst part is in my relationship with God. When I come home from work I'm so tired so I just lounge around with my family. I go to bed early but when that alarm clock rings at 5:30 for me to get up and spend time with God I just keep setting the alarm later and later until I have to get up to get ready. I may try to squeeze a short devotion and prayer time in but it's not the God seeking I was so captivated with this summer.
God told me at the beginning of the summer that it would be a summer of change for my husband and me...our relationship with each other and with God would grow stronger. And it has! But I can not allow my laziness to let our relationships change back to the stagnant way they were. I have got to crucify my flesh and not allow my laziness to ruin the intimate relationship I've built with God. I am committing to getting back into the swing of an everyday, true God seeking experience with my Heavenly Father!
By the way, more to come on how my first Bible study went last night...
I have to make a confession...I have become LAZY! Since school has started back I feel like I have become lazy in most aspects in my life...keeping the house straight, cooking, but the worst part is in my relationship with God. When I come home from work I'm so tired so I just lounge around with my family. I go to bed early but when that alarm clock rings at 5:30 for me to get up and spend time with God I just keep setting the alarm later and later until I have to get up to get ready. I may try to squeeze a short devotion and prayer time in but it's not the God seeking I was so captivated with this summer.
God told me at the beginning of the summer that it would be a summer of change for my husband and me...our relationship with each other and with God would grow stronger. And it has! But I can not allow my laziness to let our relationships change back to the stagnant way they were. I have got to crucify my flesh and not allow my laziness to ruin the intimate relationship I've built with God. I am committing to getting back into the swing of an everyday, true God seeking experience with my Heavenly Father!
By the way, more to come on how my first Bible study went last night...
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
An opportunity I couldn't refuse...even if I wanted to!
A few weeks ago, I was asked to lead a young adult Bible study at our church using the God Seeker book. When I was first asked I thought, "NO WAY! I have always been fine with teaching kids but teaching adults can be a little uncomfortable." God never said we would always be comfortable though, did He?! So I prayed about it and I found myself getting so excited! That excitement is actually what drove me to start this blog. I wanted to be able to share with others the life changing experience I've had through discovering how to truly seek God. I'm hoping that someone out there reads my posts and at least gets a little encouragement out of them. Now on top of that I've been blessed with the opportunity to teach a Bible study and directly impact lives.
Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing highlights from our Bible study and my daily devotions as I go back through the God Seeker book myself. I pray that God will use me as a vessel to challenge people to become more intimate with their Heavenly Father and truly learn what it means to be a GOD SEEKER.
Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing highlights from our Bible study and my daily devotions as I go back through the God Seeker book myself. I pray that God will use me as a vessel to challenge people to become more intimate with their Heavenly Father and truly learn what it means to be a GOD SEEKER.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Hide N Seek
"...seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 4:29
Our daughter loves to play Hide N Seek. She's not very good at the hiding part...she gets too excited and has to jump out of her spot to surprise you! Now seeking is another story. She wants to seek so badly that sometimes she skips right from 1 to 8, 9, 10! She seeks with all her heart and soul until she finds you!
That's how God wants us to seek Him...with all our heart and soul. We should be so excited we can't wait to seek Him AND find Him. The best part is, HE'S NOT HIDING so we don't have to look hard at all!
Our daughter loves to play Hide N Seek. She's not very good at the hiding part...she gets too excited and has to jump out of her spot to surprise you! Now seeking is another story. She wants to seek so badly that sometimes she skips right from 1 to 8, 9, 10! She seeks with all her heart and soul until she finds you! That's how God wants us to seek Him...with all our heart and soul. We should be so excited we can't wait to seek Him AND find Him. The best part is, HE'S NOT HIDING so we don't have to look hard at all!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Hour of Prayer
"Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children." Lamentations 2:19
Ever so often our church does a "24 hours of prayer" where members are encouraged to sign up for one hour on a set day to pray for a specific matter. This month's prayer focus is our schools as they get started back and since my husband and I are both educators, this really hit home with us. We quickly signed up for an hour which took place last night. When I thought about praying for an hour that seemed like such a long time to only pray for one thing. Boy was I wrong! Our pastor gave us somewhat of an outline with 9 different things to pray for along with scriptures to claim. That proved to be very helpful and powerful. I want to share those 9 things as well as some of the scriptures so our numbers of prayer warriors for our schools might increase!
1. Praise the Lord for our children.
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." Psalm 127:3
2. Pray our kids will understand they can be the influencers in their schools as they display salt and light. They will be the ones creating peer pressure of good!
"You are the salt of the earth...you are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:13-14
3. Pray our children will become missionaries willingly and boldly sharing the truth of Jesus Christ with their classmates.
"Pray that I'll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time, telling the mystery to one and all..." Ephesians 6:19
4. Pray for the protection and safety of our kids and schools across the nation.
"God, You're my refuge. I trust in You and I'm safe! He rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you--under them you're perfectly safe; His arms fend off all harm." Psalm 91:2,3
5. Pray for teachers, administrators, counselors, and support staff.
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of the mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water." Psalm 1:1-3
6. Pray for parents and their service as volunteers to teachers and school activities.
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." I Peter 4:10
7. Pray for a spirit of excellence in the classroom, on the playground and in athletic events.
"And if anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes fairly..."
II Timothy 2:5
8. Pray for healthy, godly relationships and friendships.
"A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray." Proverbs 12:26
9. Pray for revival in our schools.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
Matthew 5:6
Working in the education field we see first hand how much prayer is needed for our schools. Peer pressure is an overwhelming challenge for students and trying to overcome horrific home lives for many is just a way of life. God reminded me last night how "proud" the world is of their actions...drinking, drugs, cussing, sex. They want everyone to know how they live. Yet what about us Christians? Do we shine our light brightly and shout our testimony from the rooftops? Our schools need a revival to sweep through them but how when Christians aren't willing to stand up for God and cover those schools with prayer?
The thought of sending our children to schools where sinful nature is prevalent is quite scarey for me as a mommy. I know that only God can make a change in those schools so all I can do is pray and...
"Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from them." Proverbs 22:6
I pray that in my lifetime a wave of revival will sweep through our schools and Christians will be the resounding majority and that sin will have no place in the doors of our classrooms!
Ever so often our church does a "24 hours of prayer" where members are encouraged to sign up for one hour on a set day to pray for a specific matter. This month's prayer focus is our schools as they get started back and since my husband and I are both educators, this really hit home with us. We quickly signed up for an hour which took place last night. When I thought about praying for an hour that seemed like such a long time to only pray for one thing. Boy was I wrong! Our pastor gave us somewhat of an outline with 9 different things to pray for along with scriptures to claim. That proved to be very helpful and powerful. I want to share those 9 things as well as some of the scriptures so our numbers of prayer warriors for our schools might increase!
1. Praise the Lord for our children.
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." Psalm 127:3
2. Pray our kids will understand they can be the influencers in their schools as they display salt and light. They will be the ones creating peer pressure of good!
"You are the salt of the earth...you are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:13-14
3. Pray our children will become missionaries willingly and boldly sharing the truth of Jesus Christ with their classmates.
"Pray that I'll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time, telling the mystery to one and all..." Ephesians 6:19
4. Pray for the protection and safety of our kids and schools across the nation.
"God, You're my refuge. I trust in You and I'm safe! He rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. His huge outstretched arms protect you--under them you're perfectly safe; His arms fend off all harm." Psalm 91:2,3
5. Pray for teachers, administrators, counselors, and support staff.
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of the mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water." Psalm 1:1-3
6. Pray for parents and their service as volunteers to teachers and school activities.
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." I Peter 4:10
7. Pray for a spirit of excellence in the classroom, on the playground and in athletic events.
"And if anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes fairly..."
II Timothy 2:5
8. Pray for healthy, godly relationships and friendships.
"A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray." Proverbs 12:26
9. Pray for revival in our schools.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
Matthew 5:6
Working in the education field we see first hand how much prayer is needed for our schools. Peer pressure is an overwhelming challenge for students and trying to overcome horrific home lives for many is just a way of life. God reminded me last night how "proud" the world is of their actions...drinking, drugs, cussing, sex. They want everyone to know how they live. Yet what about us Christians? Do we shine our light brightly and shout our testimony from the rooftops? Our schools need a revival to sweep through them but how when Christians aren't willing to stand up for God and cover those schools with prayer?
The thought of sending our children to schools where sinful nature is prevalent is quite scarey for me as a mommy. I know that only God can make a change in those schools so all I can do is pray and...
"Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from them." Proverbs 22:6
I pray that in my lifetime a wave of revival will sweep through our schools and Christians will be the resounding majority and that sin will have no place in the doors of our classrooms!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Jewels from His Word
"I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure." Psalm 119:162
So many times I don't know what to pray or even worse I repeat the same old prayers day in and day out. But God has given us a "great treasure" in His Word. The Bible is filled with promises and passages of scripture that can be prayed over our lives. Those who wrote the scriptures had much more eloquent words than I could ever conjure so why not use their words when mine aren't sufficient...
"I will not fret because of evildoers, nor will I be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. I will trust in You Lord and do good; I will dwell in the land, and feed on Your faithfulness. I will delight myself also in You Lord and so I know You will give me the desires of my heart. I commit my ways to You, trust in You so that you may bring them to pass. God, bring forth my righteousness as the light and my justice as the noonday. I will rest in You Lord and wait patiently for You. I WILL not fret because of those that prosper in their own ways becuase this only causes harm." Psalm 37:1-8
This next one really hits home with me as I'm having a difficult time with returning to work...
"Lord you commanded me to obey my earthly masters (boss) in everything I do. Help me try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching me. I commit to obeying willingly because of my reverent fear of You. Help me to work hard and cheerfully at whatever I do as though I were working for You rather than man. I know You will give me an inheritance as my reward and Your are the true Master that I serve." Colossians 3:22-24
Instead of spouting off my constant selfish requests or repeating the same routine prayers, I want to dig into his words and pull out the "jewels" that can be prayed over my life.
So many times I don't know what to pray or even worse I repeat the same old prayers day in and day out. But God has given us a "great treasure" in His Word. The Bible is filled with promises and passages of scripture that can be prayed over our lives. Those who wrote the scriptures had much more eloquent words than I could ever conjure so why not use their words when mine aren't sufficient...
"I will not fret because of evildoers, nor will I be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. I will trust in You Lord and do good; I will dwell in the land, and feed on Your faithfulness. I will delight myself also in You Lord and so I know You will give me the desires of my heart. I commit my ways to You, trust in You so that you may bring them to pass. God, bring forth my righteousness as the light and my justice as the noonday. I will rest in You Lord and wait patiently for You. I WILL not fret because of those that prosper in their own ways becuase this only causes harm." Psalm 37:1-8
This next one really hits home with me as I'm having a difficult time with returning to work...
"Lord you commanded me to obey my earthly masters (boss) in everything I do. Help me try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching me. I commit to obeying willingly because of my reverent fear of You. Help me to work hard and cheerfully at whatever I do as though I were working for You rather than man. I know You will give me an inheritance as my reward and Your are the true Master that I serve." Colossians 3:22-24
Instead of spouting off my constant selfish requests or repeating the same routine prayers, I want to dig into his words and pull out the "jewels" that can be prayed over my life.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
NO FEAR!
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." II Timothy 1:7
I don't know why but I have always struggled with fear. Not fear of things like snakes or bugs or heights...deeper things...fear of things out of my control. Before I became pregnant with my daughter I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get pregnant. Then when I did get pregnant I was afraid something was going to happen to my baby. Once she was born I was afraid she was going to get sick or hurt so I was overprotective for a long time. For the most part, every bit of those things were out of my control. Someone greater than I is in control though so why do I fear? I thought I had conquered fear and was getting much better at simply letting go and trusting God but a couple of situations in my life right now are really stirring up that fear again. Fear is not of God as it says in II Timothy 1:7 so why do I let it overtake me from time to time? The Bible is full of scriptures commanding us not to fear but instead to trust in Him...
"The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1
"Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
I wish I could say that I go through every day with NO FEAR but I don't. I have to consciously lay that fear aside and place my trust in God. When that fear rises up, I commit to reminding myself of the scripture and the promises God has made to me. I commit to having NO FEAR with God by my side!
I don't know why but I have always struggled with fear. Not fear of things like snakes or bugs or heights...deeper things...fear of things out of my control. Before I became pregnant with my daughter I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get pregnant. Then when I did get pregnant I was afraid something was going to happen to my baby. Once she was born I was afraid she was going to get sick or hurt so I was overprotective for a long time. For the most part, every bit of those things were out of my control. Someone greater than I is in control though so why do I fear? I thought I had conquered fear and was getting much better at simply letting go and trusting God but a couple of situations in my life right now are really stirring up that fear again. Fear is not of God as it says in II Timothy 1:7 so why do I let it overtake me from time to time? The Bible is full of scriptures commanding us not to fear but instead to trust in Him...
"The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1
"Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
I wish I could say that I go through every day with NO FEAR but I don't. I have to consciously lay that fear aside and place my trust in God. When that fear rises up, I commit to reminding myself of the scripture and the promises God has made to me. I commit to having NO FEAR with God by my side!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Enjoying God's creation
"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13
We have been enjoying the beauty of God's creation while camping this weekend. I loved getting to sit with a view of the lake and spend time with my almighty creator. It reminds me of how awesome my Heavenly father is and how much He cares for me. I just don't understand how people can look at God's creation and how everything works so perfectly together and not believe there is a God. Only He could design...
1. Towering trees that provide a home for so many creatures and shade to us from the hot sun.
2. A carpet of soft grass that feels so good under bare feet.
3. A vast blue sky dotted with big puffy clouds.
4. Refreshing waters to quench the thirst of the Earth and cool the skin.
I could go on and on but still wouldn't be able to describe all of the wonders of His creation. He is SO awesome!
Seeing God's creation also reminds me of what Hebrews 4:13 says. Nothing in His creation is hidden! I think this scripture is referring to sin and that it is never hidden from God. That means even the smallest sin in our eyes done in hiding is huge and visible to the Lord. When I was a little girl I think my parents did a good job of raising me not to hide things from them and always do what was right. The few times I attempted to hide things from them, my parents always seemed to find out. That was worse than any punishment that they could give me. The knowing that I'd hidden something from them and disappointed them was awful. It's different with God though...He ALWAYS knows...there's no hiding sin from Him. The thought of disappointing my Lord is an awful punishment so sinning against Him just is not an option! Of course I know we all slip up from time to time but when those times come, I want to immediately beg for his forgiveness.
Hebrews 4:13 also reminds me that our needs are never hidden from God either. Just as God remembers the smallest needs of the birds and the grass, He remembers my needs.
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Phillipians 4:19
He will meet ALL our needs...PERIOD! So instead of worrying about a financial situation I should trust in Him. He will provide! Just as He provides food for the birds and water for the grass, He will provide for me!
I thank God for time away with my family and my Maker this weekend. I praise Him for His marvelous creation and being my Provider! I am so blessed to be a child of the King!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Starting on a new journey...
Sadly, I came to the last page of my God Seeker Bible study yesterday. No, that does not mean this is the end of my God seeking journey...just the beginning! I have actually been asked to teach the Bible study at our church young adult class and I'm excited to go through it again and see others grow. So I'll be talking about it more in the upcoming weeks.
I started another Bible study this morning called Adventurous Prayer. I really want to make sure I keep challenging myself in the area of prayer and seeking God. Today's study focused on the scripture...
"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3
It is so amazing to me that Almighty God wants us to call on Him and He will answer us! It's like a movie star or the president asking you to call them and actually answering the phone...but better! If I call on Him, He will show me things that my own understanding can not begin to comprehend. How awesome is that?!
Thank you God for being so mighty and powerful to create the universe but also being so caring and sensitive to listen to little me's prayers!
I started another Bible study this morning called Adventurous Prayer. I really want to make sure I keep challenging myself in the area of prayer and seeking God. Today's study focused on the scripture...
"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3
It is so amazing to me that Almighty God wants us to call on Him and He will answer us! It's like a movie star or the president asking you to call them and actually answering the phone...but better! If I call on Him, He will show me things that my own understanding can not begin to comprehend. How awesome is that?!
Thank you God for being so mighty and powerful to create the universe but also being so caring and sensitive to listen to little me's prayers!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
A Summer of Change
After the women's conference at the beginning of the summer, my husband, daughter, and I went on a trip to Branson, Missouri. When we arrived and saw what a beautiful lodge and setting on the lake we'd be staying at I couldn't wait for that first morning to sit on the balcony. The morning came and I enjoyed a cup of coffee and started my journey through the God Seeker study. The focus of this Bible study is Exodus 33, specifically Exodus 33:7 and the example of Moses' relationship with God and how he sought God. I needed just that example. The first chapter focused on accepting the invitation to seek God. As I explained in my previous post I have never known how to truly seek God and have a specific time and place set aside for Him so I quickly accepted the invitation.
That morning was a glorious time of digging deep into my soul and revealing my own fears and misconceptions of seeking God and crying out to Him. Sitting on that balcony I was overwhelmed by the beauty of His creation and amazed that someone so awesome wanted insignificant me to seek Him and have an intimate relationship with Him. I suddenly realized that just as I use to crawl up in my daddy's lap (sometimes still do!:) and cry or laugh or just talk, God wanted me to do the same thing with Him. His lap's even bigger though! :)
As my side of the conversation came to an end I decided to just HUSH my mouth and listen...my husband would probably say that doesn't happen very often! I just sat in silence which was uncomfortable at first but then I heard God's voice speak three things ever so softly...
1. This is a summer of change. You and your husband will learn to trust each other and Me more.
2. You are a ship but I am the sails guiding the direction where you should go.
3. Trust Me, lay everything at my feet and I will give you rest. I know what is best for you and will take care of you.
To give you a quick background to why those words were so encouraging...we had put our farm up for sell and started trying to get pregnant earlier this year. Nothing seemed to be happening in either department. I tend to be a worrier and want to try to MAKE things happen on my own and that's exactly what I was doing in both these situations. Well that's not of God...
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" Matthew 6:25
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
So when God spoke those three things to me I NEEDED IT! I had kept myself so worked up I was no where close to having peace in my life. Reading it in the Word should have been enough, but hearing God's voice definitely made it real to me.
Now we are at the close of summer and I can surely say it has been a summer of total change for my family. My husband and I have totally learned to trust each other more and definitely God. We've had some trials that would have floored us with the weak faith and trust in God we had before this summer. But because we've drawn closer to Him, He's upholding us and teaching us. We are so expectant now of what mighty things God is going to do in our lives. When the day comes, be it tomorrow or a year down the road, when our farm sells and we get pregnant we will be awe-struck at God's awesome hand in our lives. In the meantime, we will continue to seek God and trust in Him completely for His perfect will in His perfect timing...
That morning was a glorious time of digging deep into my soul and revealing my own fears and misconceptions of seeking God and crying out to Him. Sitting on that balcony I was overwhelmed by the beauty of His creation and amazed that someone so awesome wanted insignificant me to seek Him and have an intimate relationship with Him. I suddenly realized that just as I use to crawl up in my daddy's lap (sometimes still do!:) and cry or laugh or just talk, God wanted me to do the same thing with Him. His lap's even bigger though! :)
As my side of the conversation came to an end I decided to just HUSH my mouth and listen...my husband would probably say that doesn't happen very often! I just sat in silence which was uncomfortable at first but then I heard God's voice speak three things ever so softly...
1. This is a summer of change. You and your husband will learn to trust each other and Me more.
2. You are a ship but I am the sails guiding the direction where you should go.
3. Trust Me, lay everything at my feet and I will give you rest. I know what is best for you and will take care of you.
To give you a quick background to why those words were so encouraging...we had put our farm up for sell and started trying to get pregnant earlier this year. Nothing seemed to be happening in either department. I tend to be a worrier and want to try to MAKE things happen on my own and that's exactly what I was doing in both these situations. Well that's not of God...
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" Matthew 6:25
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
So when God spoke those three things to me I NEEDED IT! I had kept myself so worked up I was no where close to having peace in my life. Reading it in the Word should have been enough, but hearing God's voice definitely made it real to me.
Now we are at the close of summer and I can surely say it has been a summer of total change for my family. My husband and I have totally learned to trust each other more and definitely God. We've had some trials that would have floored us with the weak faith and trust in God we had before this summer. But because we've drawn closer to Him, He's upholding us and teaching us. We are so expectant now of what mighty things God is going to do in our lives. When the day comes, be it tomorrow or a year down the road, when our farm sells and we get pregnant we will be awe-struck at God's awesome hand in our lives. In the meantime, we will continue to seek God and trust in Him completely for His perfect will in His perfect timing...
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Seek-N-Find
"And you will seek Me and FIND me, when you search for Me with ALL your heart."
Jeremiah 29:13
After 23 years as a Christian I just recently discovered what it truly means to seek God. To me seeking God just meant praying. My prayers always consisted of the same ol' recipe...
A dab of repentance
A dash of thanking God for blessings in my life
A heap of requests ( more like demands)
Yes, God answered many of those prayers and has always provided for my family. Yet, I wasn't searching for God with all of my heart...only searching for ways He could do things for me. Through these routine prayers, I never felt like I had "found" God and knew Him. God is my creator, my Heavenly father, and the ultimate friend. I should be able to converse with Him and recogize His voice when He's trying to speak to me just like I can with my earthly father and earthly friends.
As I talked about in my first post, I purchased and started a Bible study called God Seeker and it opened my eyes to what truly seeking God is. It's not just repeating the same old prayer whenever is convenient to my busy schedule. It is creating a specific place and time to meet with God, to get into His word, to praise Him, to humble myself and cry before Him, to boldly come to His throne expecting mighty works on my behalf, to learn to trust and rely totally on Him...but most importantly...to LISTEN to His voice. A family member of mine gave me this plaque that I have placed in my "tent of meeting." (I'll explain the "tent of meeting" soon!) It is a reminder to me to MAKE time for listening to God and not to let the worries and stresses of the world drown out God and His voice.
Before Jeremiah 29:13 truly became real to me, I wasn't seeking God and when I did "have to pray" I almost dreaded it. That was because it was a one-way conversation on my part and neither God nor I was getting anything out of it! Now that seeking God has become real to me and part of my everyday life, I look forward to it and dread when that time comes to an end!
It is now very late and I'm going to head to bed. I do so with anticipation though of my morning "tent time" with God! (Promise...I will explain all the tent talk soon!)
Jeremiah 29:13
After 23 years as a Christian I just recently discovered what it truly means to seek God. To me seeking God just meant praying. My prayers always consisted of the same ol' recipe...
A dab of repentance
A dash of thanking God for blessings in my life
A heap of requests ( more like demands)
Yes, God answered many of those prayers and has always provided for my family. Yet, I wasn't searching for God with all of my heart...only searching for ways He could do things for me. Through these routine prayers, I never felt like I had "found" God and knew Him. God is my creator, my Heavenly father, and the ultimate friend. I should be able to converse with Him and recogize His voice when He's trying to speak to me just like I can with my earthly father and earthly friends.
As I talked about in my first post, I purchased and started a Bible study called God Seeker and it opened my eyes to what truly seeking God is. It's not just repeating the same old prayer whenever is convenient to my busy schedule. It is creating a specific place and time to meet with God, to get into His word, to praise Him, to humble myself and cry before Him, to boldly come to His throne expecting mighty works on my behalf, to learn to trust and rely totally on Him...but most importantly...to LISTEN to His voice. A family member of mine gave me this plaque that I have placed in my "tent of meeting." (I'll explain the "tent of meeting" soon!) It is a reminder to me to MAKE time for listening to God and not to let the worries and stresses of the world drown out God and His voice.
Before Jeremiah 29:13 truly became real to me, I wasn't seeking God and when I did "have to pray" I almost dreaded it. That was because it was a one-way conversation on my part and neither God nor I was getting anything out of it! Now that seeking God has become real to me and part of my everyday life, I look forward to it and dread when that time comes to an end!
It is now very late and I'm going to head to bed. I do so with anticipation though of my morning "tent time" with God! (Promise...I will explain all the tent talk soon!)
Saturday, July 25, 2009
My 1st Blog...
Why blog? A year ago I didn't even know what a "blog" was. After the birth of my first child a few years ago I got into making hairbows and dresses to sell...my attempt to make enough money so I could be a stay at home mommy which I longed to be. Needless to say you can't very easily make a "living" on hairbows, or at least the small volume I was producing. Someone mentioned starting a blog to advertise my creations. I did, even made it real cutsie and everything, but I just hated taking time away from my husband and baby so that blog went quickly by the wayside. Hairbows and dresses just didn't rank high on my priority list.
Then a good friend of mine told me that she had a blog. She gave me the site, http://sippycupsandfingerprints.blogspot.com/, and after reading it one time I was hooked. I began to "stalk" her as she puts it! :) Her posts focused on her children, family events, and most importantly her relationship with God. I can honestly say that her blog has challenged me to become a better wife, mommy, and to draw closer to God.
I longed for an outlet like she had with her blog but wasn't confident enough in my technological capabilites. I started journaling but that didn't last long...too boring seeing my chicken scratch on white paper. Besides, was that really making a difference in anyone's life like her blog had done for me? I was hungry for something more, something that would minister to me but more importantly to others.
Then this past June my bloggin' friend and I got the chance to attend a local women's conference. This day served as a huge turning point in my life! Don't get me wrong...I'm not a new Christian...gave my heart to Jesus when I was seven years old but I had been dry for so long and needed to be refreshed. This conference was it! We listened to a couple of speakers as well as an awesome concert by Natalie Grant. For me, the best part of the day was a session with a lady named Kristen Sauder (http://www.furtherstillministries.org/). It seemed as though she was speaking right to me in plain English focusing on one simple passage where it appears that John is telling Jesus and God what to do. WOW! How many times had I done that in my prayers?! I was so touched and even got goose bumps! You know it's good when that happens! :) I immediately went to her table afterwards and purchased a Bible study she'd written called God Seeker. One of the best purchases I've ever made!
So it's now obvious to see where the name of my blog originated and what many of my posts will focus on. BEING A GOD SEEKER! I have experienced the most wonderful change in my life and feel closer to God than ever before. I can't contain the joy that has washed over me in the past few months so I thought I'd give this bloggin' stuff another try. God is definitely at the top of my priority list (unlike the hairbows and dresses were) and devoting a blog to challenging myself and others to always seek after Him is such a small token of gratitude to my Heavenly Father.
In posts to come I hope to share some of the experiences I've had, lessons I've learned, God's whisperings and shouts I've heard, and pray I can make a difference in someone's life...
Then a good friend of mine told me that she had a blog. She gave me the site, http://sippycupsandfingerprints.blogspot.com/, and after reading it one time I was hooked. I began to "stalk" her as she puts it! :) Her posts focused on her children, family events, and most importantly her relationship with God. I can honestly say that her blog has challenged me to become a better wife, mommy, and to draw closer to God.
I longed for an outlet like she had with her blog but wasn't confident enough in my technological capabilites. I started journaling but that didn't last long...too boring seeing my chicken scratch on white paper. Besides, was that really making a difference in anyone's life like her blog had done for me? I was hungry for something more, something that would minister to me but more importantly to others.
Then this past June my bloggin' friend and I got the chance to attend a local women's conference. This day served as a huge turning point in my life! Don't get me wrong...I'm not a new Christian...gave my heart to Jesus when I was seven years old but I had been dry for so long and needed to be refreshed. This conference was it! We listened to a couple of speakers as well as an awesome concert by Natalie Grant. For me, the best part of the day was a session with a lady named Kristen Sauder (http://www.furtherstillministries.org/). It seemed as though she was speaking right to me in plain English focusing on one simple passage where it appears that John is telling Jesus and God what to do. WOW! How many times had I done that in my prayers?! I was so touched and even got goose bumps! You know it's good when that happens! :) I immediately went to her table afterwards and purchased a Bible study she'd written called God Seeker. One of the best purchases I've ever made!
So it's now obvious to see where the name of my blog originated and what many of my posts will focus on. BEING A GOD SEEKER! I have experienced the most wonderful change in my life and feel closer to God than ever before. I can't contain the joy that has washed over me in the past few months so I thought I'd give this bloggin' stuff another try. God is definitely at the top of my priority list (unlike the hairbows and dresses were) and devoting a blog to challenging myself and others to always seek after Him is such a small token of gratitude to my Heavenly Father.
In posts to come I hope to share some of the experiences I've had, lessons I've learned, God's whisperings and shouts I've heard, and pray I can make a difference in someone's life...
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