The Giver and The Gifts
25 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
I wanted to share a minute about a few things I have been feeling God doing in and around me. I have had such a desire to study the Gifts of the Spirit lately. Especially after my daughter Rhonda came over for a visit and we started talking about the gifts she has. I seen it spark something in her, and made me want to dig into them and see what they were all about. I have been raised around Pentecostal settings all of my life and sometimes because people’s character does not line up with their “gift” the gift gets a bad rap. The Lord showed me that this is not true and actually a deception that the devil wants to portray to the Church so we will not eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit. We have to keep things in perspective about the gifts. One, that we are to eagerly desire the Giver of the gifts more than the actual gift. Two, that the key note is not “gift” it is “Spirit.” The Spirit gives the gift, so the Lord gets the glory and the credit for anything that we accomplish for the Kingdom.
Without the gifts in operation though, the Church is anemic and weak. We have to have the Spirit and we have to have the gifts moving or we will not be able to come together as a whole Body and touch the world. Could you imagine only having pieces or parts of our own physical body in operation? How hard would it be to get the things we needed to get done in this shape, yet we are willing for the Body of Christ to look broken. So in saying all of that I want to say, find out where you fit. Usually your “gift” is something that just comes real natural to you or something that you are passionate about. Seek the Lord out and see what He would say to you about this matter. The World is waiting for the “full manifestation of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19). Why are walking around pitiful, poor, blind and naked (Revelations 3:17), when we have the most beautiful, wonderful Savior that died to know a lost and dying world.
You may think that this is not important, but the Holy Spirit tells me that it is more important than what we realize. I don’t have what it takes to look good to the lost. I don’t have the right words or expressions to communicate to them that Jesus is what they need, but the more I get filled up on Jesus and the more availability I give to the Spirit of myself, He will begin to move on the lost when I get around them. That is another thing too, if we don’t spend time around the lost, they will never hear and they will never see Christ. So I just want to encourage us all to seek the Giver and eagerly desire the Gifts…see what He wants to do with us and allow Him to do it.
Part 2!!!
10 Aug 2011 2 Comments
I am still on this thing about the Gracious Hand of the Lord being on Them, so you could call this part 2. I have a wonderful family. My husband and I have been together since I was 26 and he was 34…I am now 46 and he is 54, so that makes 20 years this year. When we got together neither one of us were saved. We had 5 kids between us (3 for me and 2 for him), and a few years down the road we had our 6th child. What was so amazing about our family was that from the minute we first got together…we clicked. Our kids loved each other, and they loved him and they loved me…they each began calling us mom and dad right away, this is virtually impossible if you stop and think about it. We only had one source of income too. My husband worked at the Paper Mill which was a job he got only a year before we got together. Ronnie says God gave him that job so he could support us. Thank God because Ronnie was always able and available to work lots of overtime…he had to work a lot. I on the other hand became the stay at home parent because we figured out right away with Ronnie’s crazy hours and so many kids that me working outside of the home was not an option, considering how expensive day care is and how much I had to miss work because someone was sick or this or that…it was never ending. So, we chose to(or let’s say God chose to) allow me to stay at home. It was a lot of work to raise all of those kids on both of our parts. However the joy that our kids have brought us has been the highlight of our lives. They were like Live Entertainment…good thing because we never had a lot of money to do anything else but feed them and laugh a lot, and so much love was cultivated through it all.
Since then, we have inherited Bubba. Bubba is my first cousin that came to live with us over 4 years ago. He has been through a lot in his young life, so we were kind of pushed by the Lord to take care of him. It has had its ups and downs, but the one thing we have tried to instill in Bubba is Godliness and the love of family. He has been a lot of work too, but the love and joy that comes from him has also been a blessing. Not sure if he really gets all of it now, but one day.
We now have 5 grand kids and are expecting 2 in the Winter months. Becoming grandparents hasn’t been the most transitional time for us because we have always been parents and still have 2 living at home full time, with the exception of Sam who is now in College and comes home only on Weekends (sometimes), holidays, and the Summer. I do find myself though really growing in my relationships with my Grand kids. They all are so unique and have such different little personalities. They really are little stones that you can put in your crown and wear as such little trophies of grace, if that makes any sense. They are wonderful to say the least!
When I think about all of this…it is almost too much for me to take in. God’s goodness and compassionate mercy that would look down on 2 people like Ronnie and myself, and see these kids and put this home together and see the future and be in such control and charge of all of it…almost takes my breath away that He would love us that much and be so concerned and involved in all of the details big and small. So yes it can be said that really His gracious hand has been upon us and will continue to be upon us all the days of our lives. I love that I can type that with such confidence but I can because He has proven Himself over and over to me. I want my family to know it was not by chance that God did all of this. He has a plan and purpose for each one of them. Now we have added almost 5 spouses to our nest, and I can honestly say that Ronnie and I could not of picked out better people to share our children and our lives with. I am so excited to see what the future holds…I have so much expectation in so many areas of my life right now. God is amazing!!!
The Gracious Hand of the Lord Was Upon Them!
08 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
I am in Ezra in my daily Bible reading. Since doing a 365 day Bible reading program, I have been able to read the Bible through working on my 7th time. I am not saying this to let you know how greatly disciplined I am, but saying this to say that a daily Bible reading Bible is an easy way to read through the Bible. What is wonderful though, is that the Bible never ceases to amaze me because it is always so fresh and so new every time I read it. In saying that , I mean that there are times I read the Bible and a passage I have read a hundred times will jump out at me and be like it is the first time I have ever read that.
Today that is how it was in Ezra. I kept reading this passage about three times in Chapters 7 & 8…”and the gracious hand of the Lord his God was upon him.” After reading this a few times, I had the sense that God was trying to say something to me here (duh!). I felt like this was for me, but I felt more like it was for our Pastoral staff at Faith and then in another place it said, “and the gracious hand of the Lord their God was upon them.” I really do believe that God’s hand is leading us and guiding us now more than ever, and after our guest speaker spoke yesterday, it just made me realize even more that we are on some kind of strange journey that is going to require a lot out of us to make sure we keep lined up with God.
Anyway, in saying all of that, I just want to also say, “May the gracious hand of the Lord be upon us all, so we can do everything in this season that God is calling us to. We are in a very serious, strategic time.” If you have a chance go to Faithishere.org and watch the message by our guest speaker, it was amazing.
What Time Is It?
03 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
Today I was in my workbook study and it was talking about “The Fullness of Time.” I thought about that for a minute and the Lord impressed on me how important it is to know God’s timing. The fullness of time is when something comes together, clicks, happens, that you have been praying for, and believing for and have waited for. These times are wonderful because that is the time when miracles happen. It is important that we be in a place with God…where we are in the right place, doing the right things, in order for these things to happen.
There is a group of people in the Old Testament called the Sons of Issachar. They were noted because they more than any other group of people, knew what time it was and what season they were in spiritually. This is important to God. Jesus even rebuked the Pharisees because he said you can look around at the weather and tell what is going on, and look around at the crops knowing it is harvest time, but Spiritually they were as blind as bats and had no idea of what God was doing.
So the question is how do we become aware of what time it is? We have to live very close to the Lord in order to do this. We have to have His heart, His ear, His eye. We have to be open to Him and where He is moving, what He is saying. We need to as never before be in the right place at the right time because God is wanting to do so much through us as the Body of Christ. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss it!!!!
starting all over…preparing my heart!!!
02 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
Starting all over…lately I have had the desire to begin to Blog again. The things I normally blog about are things that are going on with me personally, whether that is with my family, things I have read, and things I feel like God is speaking to me. Anyway, this is a perfect time to start over, it is the day after my birthday. A new year to celebrate life and a new year to mark the milestones.
There are so many reasons to celebrate. A wonderful husband, great kids, 5 sweet grandchildren with 2 on the way, precious parents, a beautiful sister and her family, a marvelous extended family, an awesome Church family, and a risen Savior that rescues me daily from the snares of the evil one. I have a lot to be thankful for!
The Lord spoke a word to my heart today during my devo time about Seed Sowing…The devotion went on to say that it is God’s job to drop the seed into the soil, but it is our job to prepare the soil for the seed. We prepare the soil of our hearts by spending time in God’s Word. Prayer is what is used as the fertilizer to allow the seed of God’s Word to grow in our hearts. God loves to pour rich blessings down on us, but if we have not taken the time to prepare the soil of our hearts, then we cannot receive all that He has to give us. Together we share in the harvest…God and Us. What are we waiting for? It is soil preparation time!!!!
This One Is Free!
13 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment
I have been reading this little short devotional everyday about how to stay happy. I think I paid three dollars for this little book, and I must say that was about the best three dollars I have ever spent. It talks about simple things, to do to be happy that cost nothing. I love this because if you guys are like me, we take way to many things for granted. This book talks about cultivating relationships with family and friends, it talks about laughing and how good it is for you in every way. It talks about finding a church home, and it talks about honoring your mother and father. One post that I really liked was about Breathing. I know it is hard to believe that breathing can make you happy because it is something that we do so natural in the first place. This is talking about Deep Breathing. Seventy five percent of the energy in our bodies is provided by the oxygen taken in by breathing-if it is done right. Deep breathing is pulling air into the abdominal area, filling and emptying the lungs with each breath in and each breath out. This is said to be one of the greatest health benefits known to man. Here are some of the benefits of Deep Breathing.
1. Reduces stress
2. Relaxes muscles
3. Strengthens the immune system
4. Prevents premature aging by invigorating cells
5. Assists digestion
6. Boosts energy levels
7. Stabilizes emotions and general well being
This post goes on to say that is hard to believe that something so available, so natural, and so easy to do can make such a difference in your health and overall well being. I say, that doesn’t surprise me any considering what kind of God we serve and how He has made our bodies. So go on, breathe deeply it is free and can be done anywhere.
40 Days of Community!
08 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment
So as most of you know, we have begun this 40 Days of Community campaign at Faith Assembly. We had our first message Sunday from Pastor and had our first group last night. I was in small group with some pretty amazing teenage girls. I was astounded by the questions and answers that most of these girls came up with. They were actually quite deep in their thinking especially about God’s word. I love God’s word, and this just naturally pumped my heart and spirit up, to see these girls diving in and getting to the nitty gritty of how everything we do has to come from love first -or it is all bogus if it does not. (1 Corinthians 13).
I think one amazing thing that I got from 1 Corinthians 13 is that this kind of love that the Lord is talking about is a supernatural thing that God is wanting us to tap into. It is ranked higher than any act we can preform and it is also ranked higher than prophecy, tongues, and knowledge, which we all know are gifts of the Holy Spirit. I just had the overwhelming sense that God is going to do something so deep regarding us personally, our families, our church, our nation and our world. I am very excited about this study and I feel privileged to belong to the body of Christ, and I feel honored to be a part of Faith Assembly of God.
My Dad and Mom-The Best Parents in the World! (or at least in my opinion)
07 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment
Okay, so here we go again! Two blogs this week, I am on a roll!!!! Now I come from two amazingly healthy parents (to God be the glory). I would say my mom and dad are what some would call naturalist when it comes to their health. They are both very active, have high energy levels and take lots of supplements. They actually have me doing the same thing. I take about 17 vitamins a day, this makes my husband and kids cringe. Anyway, back to my parents, they don’t really go to doctors, and they pretty much resist the idea of sickness. I am sure that most of us could say the same thing, but they really resist the idea. My mom takes communion everyday and pleads the blood over any and everything that tries to latch on to her body. She says the life is in the blood and she quotes God’s word over herself everyday. My dad is not walking with the Lord (he is a back slid -den Pastor). However, he got enough of God’s word in him to say that he don’t allow anything to get on him. He says, “when I am sick, I say no I am not and I resist it with everything I have in me.” Anyway, to say all this I just wanted you guys to know what kind of stock I come from “healthy, strong and crazy-lol!”
My dad’s side of the family is probably the strangest you have ever seen. They are the most resilient people on the face of the earth (or at least this is how it seems). They had so much adversity growing up, until I think they are either numb or delusional. They grew up very poor. There were 7 kids and 2 sets of twins. My dad was the oldest,and his father died when my dad was six, it was a very hard life. So now, when things come their way, they shrug it off. They have pretty much passed a lot of those attitudes to their children. Although we didn’t have it so hard, we learned quickly in life if you can’t change it-just laugh at it and it won’t seem as bad. So far, I think this has worked for all of us. Some people do not understand this kind of thinking, but it is the only kind that works for us. I believe it produces a lot of peace and joy because it makes us know that we are totally out of control of any situation-so it makes it easy to surrender.
Not really sure why I posted this today. I was thinking though there are many things that we all have to be thankful for. My parents are divorced, but I still have incredible relationships with both of them. God definitely gave me the best there was to give when he gave me my parents. They are strong, funny, encouraging, crazy. lovable and helpful- and I wouldn’t want to go through life without them. Thanks God for two incredible gifts!
Christianity 101!
05 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment
Fall is officially here. We have put out the mums and the pumpkins and we are anxiously anticipating what the new season is going to bring. I love this time of year because it comes with such relief. Not just physically from the summer heat, but spiritually as the Fall Feasts get here. God really begins kicking it up a notch in the Fall season. So if you have noticed that not only naturally but spiritually you have been feeling an expectation, this is the reason why. I think it is perfectly fitting that we are having 40 Days of Community right now. When we see these divine opportunities we have to take them because if we don’t we will miss our time of visitation. God’s presence is very much on us now-so we have to seize the moment! Don’t put off tomorrow what you can do today. Today is the day of salvation which not only means being saved, but being healed, delivered and totally whole. God is wanting to do some incredible things right now, but we have got to get over ourselves and move into what he has for us. So love with all of your being not only God, but also all of those around you-love them as much as you love yourself! That is what God’s word commands. It sounds hard, but really it is not. Just start by treating others with respect-like how you want to be treated. They don’t call this the Golden Rule for nothing. They asked Jesus what do I have to do to please God and Jesus took those hard to follow laws called the 10 Commandments and he put them into two very doable categories: He said love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul and all of your mind, and love your neighbor as you love yourself. This is Christianity in a nutshell! Now what is so hard about that?
Flow?
16 Jul 2009 Leave a Comment
I haven’t blogged in so long, not even sure if I remember how. I have been so lazy lately. It is summertime, so everything in life kinda gets a little layed back at our house, we even finished ball early this year. I don’t ever remember having a summer without being out at the ballfield until atleast mid to late July. This year though things have been different. I could say that about a lot of stuff lately-nothing seems to be the same. I know it is the way things are, but some changes are hard ones. I just feel like that is where we have kind of all been. Nothing we can do about change though-we either go with the flow or we drown. I choose to flow! I have always thought the worst way to die would either be in a fire or to drown. Not really sure why I have thought this because a person would probably lose consciousness before dying anyway, but I would just rather not go that way. So flow it is! Who wants to flow with me?
