Monday, October 25, 2010

Try a Little Togetherness!

Week #4 --  I am in for pillow fights, tenderness, and back rubs.  My husband enjoys being "fed" back rubs(: !  I am thankful our children still love giving and receiving hugs and kisses. ( ages 12, 9) I tell them to me their hugs and kisses are a "priceless treasure".  We love to watch movies and play board games.  We will be sure to load up this week.

Challenge Update:   I haven't consistently lit my candles of peace but, I have prayed for peace in our home and hearts daily.  I've played soft, calming music.  I de-clutter mentally, daily  and I am still working on physically de-cluttering.   I see the results of "intentionally" being gentle,and self-controlled evokes peace in my family.


Until next time....

 

Thursday, October 21, 2010

How Does Your Faith Connect to Your Happiness?

His truth has set me free!(:!  Oh, how my heart bursts and overflows when I type these words.  Knowing how much God has done in his love for me, makes me sooo HAPPY!  Believing in God's promises (word), are weapons I need to continued happiness.

I was moved by your post Faith.  Thank you!

Until next time....

I Am Going to Pass My Test!

In my quiet time, I am continuing to study a series by Pastor Joyce Meyer, called "Guard Your Heart".   
I've learned that no matter what, I have to trust God.  God's test are given to produce trust, faith, stability and patience.  Some of the test Pastor Joyce spoke of were:  


*The Wilderness Test (Israelites) -- When you feel completely dry and encounter one trial after another.  


**Passing Criteria? --  Rejoice -- Habakkuk 3:18-19
18Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!(A)
19The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! For the Chief Musician; with my stringed instruments

*The Trust Test -- When our circumstances don't make sense, we're hurt, clueless and life seems unfair


**Passing Criteria? -- Trust God -- Know that God is in control and he won't place more on us than we can bear.


*The Judas Kiss Test (Jesus and his disciple Judas)  (one of the hardest and most important) -- When someone you trust betrays and rejects you.


**Passing Criteria? --  "Don't let it stop you.  Keep your eyes on God and you will accomplish your purpose"


We can be assured that at some point, like Jesus, we will be let down and rejected by a loved one.  


When "going through" tests I often wonder when I'll see the light.  But as always, I trust in his promise that he will never leave me or forsake me. Hebrews 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  With his grace and mercy, I know each time, I will pass my test!! 


Until next time....

Monday, October 18, 2010

What Clutter?





When I look at my clutter of  homeschooling materials, the stacks of mail on the right side of my kitchen table and the stacks of books in our bedroom; I tell myself, "out of mind, out of sight".  I definitely need this challenge(: .

I like the 20 minute suggestion.  It doesn't allow me much think time and I won't become tempted not to throw anything away.

On the other hand, my spiritual clutter is diminishing and I am so thankful. Time to UN- clutter!!!!

Until next time....

  

Monday, October 11, 2010

Classical it is!













When I was in high school in 19--:-), I found classical music very calming.  It allowed me to think.  Our children are used to it and seem to like it.

The second part of the challenge, gentleness, lines up with my GMG (Good Morning Girls) goal.  I'm growing.  The candles are lit and I'm "being intentional".  Well, I'm off to create my classical station on Pandora.com.

 Peace and Gentleness

Until next time....

Friday, October 8, 2010

The Parable of the Sower

Please excuse my tardiness Girls....            

As I've stated in my previous posts, I am on my journey to bearing the fruit of gentleness and self-control.  God gently spoke to my spirit and said, "you must work on your heart".  I recently received a CD/DVD/Teaching Note Set from Joyce Meyer Ministries titled; "Guard Your Heart".  I have been a follower of her ministry for a few years.  She is such an inspiration to me.  As I began reading, the first scripture (promise) was:  

Proverbs 4:23: (AMP)
23Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life 

I must keep a clean heart. In her teaching Pastor Joyce states, "if we maintain correct heart attitudes, our hearts will be clean and life will flow from us".  As I continued to read, I began to summarize Luke 8:4-15 -  "The Parable of the Sower".  Jesus is telling the disciples the story of a planter sowing his seeds.  He told of how some of the seeds fell along the roadside, some fell on the rocks, some fell in the thorns and some fell in soil.  In my understanding, Jesus is speaking of his words as seeds and our heart is the soil.  When I attended World Changers Church International, I'd heard the term "good ground" often.  I thought it only meant giving to a church with an anointed pastor.  Today, in reading this teaching, my perspective has been greatly broadened.  I now understand that a person's "faith filled heart" (soil) is "good ground".  That's where God's seeds are sown, grown, and harvested.  All I have to do is believe in and apply God's word.  On my journey, I must vigilantly guard my heart with his word (seeds) to allow complete fruition.  

I included the scriptures here from Bible.com  Enjoy!  Until next time....  

Passage Luke 8:4-18: (AMP) Parable of the Sower
4And when a very great throng was gathering together and people from town after town kept coming to Jesus, He said in a parable:    5A sower went out to sow seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the traveled path and was trodden underfoot, and the birds of the air ate it up.
    6And some [seed] fell on the rock, and as soon as it sprouted, it withered away because it had no moisture.
    7And other [seed] fell in the midst of the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it [off].
    8And some seed fell into good soil, and grew up and yielded a crop a hundred times [as great]. As He said these things, He called out, He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him [a]consider and understand by hearing!
    9And when His disciples asked Him the meaning of this parable,
    10He said to them, To you it has been given to [come progressively to] know (to recognize and understand more strongly and clearly) the mysteries and secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that, [though] looking, they may not see; and hearing, they may not comprehend.(A)
    11Now the meaning of the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God.
    12Those along the traveled road are the people who have heard; then the devil comes and carries away the message out of their hearts, that they may not believe ([b]acknowledge Me as their Savior and devote themselves to Me) and be saved [here and hereafter].
    13And those upon the rock [are the people] who, when they hear [the Word], receive and welcome it with joy; but these have no root. They believe for a while, and in time of trial and temptation fall away (withdraw and stand aloof).
    14And as for what fell among the thorns, these are [the people] who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked and suffocated with the anxieties and cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not ripen (come to maturity and perfection).
    15But as for that [seed] in the good soil, these are [the people] who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in a just ([c]noble, virtuous) and worthy heart, and steadily bring forth fruit with patience.
    16No one after he has lighted a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts it under a [dining table] couch; but he puts it on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.
    17For there is nothing hidden that shall not be disclosed, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come out into the open.
    18Be careful therefore how you listen. For to him who has [spiritual knowledge] will more be given; and from him who does not have [spiritual knowledge], even what he thinks and[d]guesses and [e]supposes that he has will be taken away.



  

  

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Yes, Faith Changes You!


My favorite promise from the bible is Phil.4:13- "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Times in my life have forced me to lean on and completely abandon myself to my faith.  I look back on some of my life experiences/trials and say, "I thank you Lord".  If I had not gone through these things, I wouldn't have changed/grown.  Without his unconditional love and truth, I know I couldn't sustain.  My journey is still unfinished but as long as "I walk by faith and not by sight, I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (:

Until next time....

Monday, October 4, 2010

Day #1-- Candles of Peace








At 6:17 am, I lit two candles.  (I decided to use what I had.)  As I lit each candle I prayed a prayer of peace for my husband, our children and myself.  I began to immediately think about "being intentional".  For me, it is a visual reminder to focus on God and all of his promises.


Mornings are hectic because our children are back in public school.    My disposition with our children was  gentle and self-controlled.  They  were peaceful.  My husband was calm and loving. I had peace and discovered  a sense of motivation.  This morning got off to a peaceful start.... I'm thankful!            




(sorry about the picture quality.  However, I think it does have a unique unintentional visual effect:-)     Until next time....