Judgment or Discernment

Judgment or Discernment

Luke 6:36 Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Proverbs 15:14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

Judgment: to form an opinion, notion or conclusion.

Discernment: to recognize as different from the will of God.

Judgment says, “I see your faults and you have chosen badly. I can do it better. You will fail and I will be right.”

Discernment says, “I see the choice you have made and it is against God’s will for you. I will pray you receive insight from the Holy Spirit and correct yourself so God will be glorified.”

Expected Blessings!

SCRIPTURE

Revelation 16:9b but they refused to repent and glorify him.

Revelation 16:11 and cursed God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

OBSERVATION - What do I think I just read?

Being miserable, in agony and refusing to repent and glorify God is what we do. It can be our natural response. These people cursed the God of heaven because of their circumstances all the while ignoring their own actions that lead up to this point. They still were in pain and had sores and still refused to repent of what they had done wrong. Repenting in Acts 3:19 means to turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

Could these people have been so blinded by their sores, pain and agony that they could have forgotten the true meaning of repentance?

APPLICATION - How can put what I just read and my observance of that into practice in my life?

What misery or agony am I in? What do I need to turn to God and confess as sin so that He can wipe out my sin. What refreshing from Him am I delaying with my stubborn attitude of doing it on my own?

I need to specifically sit down and repent and praise God no matter what the circumstances.

PRAYER

Lord God, I confess ___________________________, I am truly sorry and do ask for your forgiveness. I am not just sorry due to the circumstances my sin has created. I am sorry because my sin separates me from your full blessings - it separates me from you. It makes me unclean, it makes me weak. Give me the strength to look at my sins face to face and shout out "Jesus Christ is my Savior and He owns this now! He has cleaned me and I have turned to God and this sin is wiped out!"

Lord, show me how not to blame you for my sins. Show me how to keep wise so that I don't curse you. I desire to repent and to praise you this New Year! Help me fill the blessings book with specific things that are from you! Open my eyes to see them!

In Jesus precious name - AMEN

Discernment Comes From God Alone

John 6:35-70

Have you ever said, “I wish God would just drop down a big lit neon sign saying, “Do this… Pick this… Don’t do that…?” It seems so simple to us, if God would speak directly to us through a visible, audible and tangible worldly way we would respond with instant favor. However, God did do that with Jesus and those eye witnesses still did not believe. After reading verse 50-59 I can see where they lost their understanding and why they started to grumble and argue. The words Jesus used made no sense to them because they had not received insight and discernment from God to fully understand what Jesus was saying. They were trying so hard to figure out the spiritual meaning from a worldly view they became frustrated. That frustration and the lack of understanding lead to grumbling, complaining, arguing, and an offensive attitude.

God’s Word promises that anyone who asks for wisdom shall receive it {James 1:5}. They forgot to humble themselves to gain wisdom through understanding. We try so hard to figure out the why’s of life, the checklist or instant fix to resolve our complications. We forget to do the one thing God promises: to humble ourselves and asked God for wisdom {Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 1:2; Proverbs 2:2}. If we are to gain wisdom through understanding we must be actively seeking God through His Word. It is that big lit neon sign sent to us along with the Holy Spirit living inside us to give us counsel.

If I could scream one thing to the people I meet, it would be to read God’s Word daily and to ask God to give them insight wisdom and understanding of what they read. God’s Word is sharper than a double edged sword {Hebrews 4:12}, why on earth wouldn’t you pick up that weapon to be victorious. Probably because it seems too easy, yet we don't want to do the effort.

Most people would say time is my big issue. What if you resolved to carve out time and then God took away the complications that were preventing you from having extra time. What if He started using your time for Him and you lived in peace and rest while still doing all the things that time requires of you. Stop arguing, complaining, grumbling and being offended and start seeking God’s Word for answers. What a concept.

Challenge:
1. What are you grumbling about?
2. What are you complaining about?
3. What are you frustrated with?
4. What are you offended by? Why are you offended?
5. Do you desire that lit neon sign? Did you know you already have it?
6. How long has it been since you have specifically asked God for wisdom
with the things that cause you to grumble, to complain, the things that
cause you frustration and the things that offend you?
7. How long has it been since you voiced those things to others? My guess is you instantly talk to others about these things and yet hardly ever sit and take them directly to God or seek His Word for guidance.
8. Do you think you are too busy to read God’s Word?

Acceptance a Key Need

John 5:44
How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet you make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God.

Recently through an exercise at church we were asked to discover three key needs that both we and our spouse have in our relationship. I became acutely aware that I have an extreme need for acceptance from my husband. My desire runs deep to have him receive me with open arms and to do it on purpose with a loving and caring response for who I am. In general, that sounds like a resonable desire. But it has become an expectation, and when that expectation is not met, that expectation becomes a bitter resentment toward my husband, which leads me to not fulfill his key needs.

Having the desire for my husband to accept me is a good thing, but I had placed that desire as a demanded expectation. Which turns my heart from the desires of God's definition of marital acceptance to my personal selfish defintion. With the exercise we had to discuss each one of our key needs. Through our discussion we discovered that we weren't focusing on how to positively correct, we were focusing on specific negative instances from the past. I was focusing on times when I did not get what I wanted and this was causing me to become angry, to raise my voice, to speak with a condacending tone and I felt attacked.

We stopped ourselves and decided to focus on what each one of our personal definitions were to our key needs and what positive, specific actions and words each one of us could do to support the other in that need. My definition to the approach and timing of acceptance and my hubsand's definition to the approach and timing of acceptance were totally different. I received differently than what he had been giving. He was giving, but he was getting absolutely no credit for his efforts. This had to be exasperating for him. I didn't see it because I had set acceptance up in a specific way and that was the only way I was going to receive it. We all do that, we define things for ourselves and we have dreams and desires that we place upon our spouses that truly only God can meet. Yet, we continually battle for what we think is right and what we want.

Our final conclusion was that we needed to discover each other's definitions for the key needs first and then ask God, "What can I do in action and word to express this need to my spouse?". We were no longer going to focus on what each one of was was not bringing to the relationship, but we were going to focus on how we were going to really try to be the representation of God's love to each other through our marriage covenant.

What a concept. Being unselfish and putting my husband first by asking God to show me how to love him. Once that revelation hit me, my own selfish desires became less important and I knew God would give me more than I have ever dreamed, desired or expected in our marriage.

Challenge:

1. Do you receive willing praise from others as more important than praise from God?
2. Do you go to the only true God for answers or do you look to others for approval and never match the issue at hand with God's Word?
3. Do you make a vigorous effort to obtain God's truth through His Word?
4. Do you have a habit of reading His Word and Praying?
5. How can you expect to collectively put God's definition into effect if you are not searching them out by going to him directly?
6. Do you wait to read a devotional or encouraging word from another human or do you go get one straight from the one and only true God?
7. Are you willing to love your spouse the way God intended?
8. Are you willing to be the expression of God's love to your spouse here on earth?
9. Do you have a personal realtionship with Jesus Christ?

This exercise came from a book entitiled The Great Commandment Principle by David Ferguson. For more explanation and an endorsement of the exercise in this book you may watch Greg and Tamara Dumas online presenting a message on marriage to the congregation of The Crossing Church based on the key needs mentioned in this book. Please go to www.crossingonline.org and watch the archived service for July 31, 2010 weekend.

My Comfort

Hebrews 11:25-26


I don't think I have ever chosen to be mistreated on the level that Moses chose. Moses was given the option of being mistreated or enjoying worldly pleasures. If he chose the mistreatment he was choosing the purposes of Christ, the rewards of the future, disgrace, fellowship with other believers, honor and value. If he chose to enjoy worldly pleasures he was choosing fast relief, sin, treasures of the world, human enjoyment and brief comfort.

To not look at what was in front of him and to choose instant relief from his misery means he was weighing his options. Moses' choice of enduring mistreatment and not going with the worldly pleasures were extremely convicting for me. Moses fully weighed his future and then made his decision, he was being proactive instead of reactive. Moses made his choices based on God's desires and not his own.

Not too long ago, God prompted me with this question: What if every choice I make is a direct, face to face, answer to Him? For weeks I ignored the truth of that statement. After today's reading I realized that just because I have chosen to ignore the knowledge of that truth does not mean that I am exempt from the consequences of breaking that truth.

God has made it very clear to me that I must choose the pure and blameless choice in all decisions, if I wish to rest in the future rewards He has for me. Based on Moses' choice and the things he endured, I am bracing myself for heart break, loosing the respect of those who don't believe, loosing favor in the eyes of those I esteem, being excluded and others desiring shame for me because of what I have chosen.

That may sound depressing and unattractive, but Moses saw this as honor. He had already taken into account the future of his decision. Moses' actions encouraged me to place a higher value on the hope I have in the certainty of God's deliverance and rewards for me.

Another point that opened my eyes in this scripture was that Moses' choice was not at all focused on his physical comfort. It became a non-factor in his decision making. My physical comfort is a huge factor in my decisions. There was a time that I ran from an environment of provided food, shelter and transportation, along with a fake relationship and an unfaithful, abusive oppressor. I ran toward a future that I hoped would be better and I didn't take into account my physical comfort.

I could have stayed and allowed others to feed, shelter and transport me, but the overwhelming oppression of that controlling and dark life became the atmosphere that consumed me. That atmosphere canceled out the benefits of the instant pleasures of provisions. Just as Moses knew his environment would grow more abusive, darker and even more controlled, so did I. I, like Moses, desired a life with freedom and light.

My life now, has become so blessed that I have almost forgotten to deny myself momentary pleasures that result in a similar darkness and control. I have lost sight of denying myself things that could bring a greater outcome, an outcome of freedom and light.

In our humaness we think it is cruel to not be comfortable or pleasured, but the pleasure we seek is eternal and not of this world. I am talking baout a spiritual growth and intense relationship that brings you closer to the Creator, not denying yourself things to just be doing a spiritual ritual.

These may be some questions you may want to take to God in prayer:

1. What momentary pleasures am I choosing?
2. Are thoee pleasures bringing me control and darkness or freedom and light?
3. Am I overly comfortable in your life, to the point of excess?
4. Do you deny yourself any luxuries?

A Clean Picture

Hebrews 9

Today as I read my Bible God gave me insight to His glorious love, the grace Christ Jesus displays for me, and the comfort that comes from the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. After journaling my observation and discovering how I can apply this chapter to my own life, I began to confess the sins I had done recently.

I made a list of things that I felt guilty about and I closed my eyes and began to envision myself walking up to Jesus. I could see my clothes were dirty with a few cuts and bruises on my face and my legs. Jesus’ back was toward me and I called out, “Master, I have come to confess my acts before you, my sins.” I was face down, ashamed and embarrassed. I began to speak the sins I had committed and while I was still speaking them, Christ Jesus turned and began to wipe off my face. I continued confessing as He touched my cuts and bruises and they were gone. When I finished confessing, He raised His hands I was in a white, flowing smock.

At that moment, He lifted His hands and turned toward this Glorious Light. As I was standing behind Jesus, a clear filter of power was outlining His body in a large transparent circle. Darkness was along the outer edges being pushed away. Christ was standing between me and the Light. The Light was God himself – in His splendor and majesty. I saw no face, but His presence was sufficient enough to know He was there.

It was if God was looking at me through this large transparent circle that surrounded Jesus. When God’s attention was on me the darkness along the outer edges was destroyed. I was surrounded by clarity, purity and holiness, with Jesus beside me and God’s presence was in front of us.

I was forgiven of all my sins. Christ Jesus had cleaned me, made me presentable before God. God never saw me in my dirty, cut and bruised body. He only saw me as holy and pure in His sight through the clarity that only Christ Jesus brings. The sins were not hidden, they were exposed and once they were exposed they were destroyed by God’s love, and Jesus’ grace. I did nothing to deserve this and I had no power to do this on my own.

Then, the Holy Spirit put his hand on my shoulder. He began to talk and I listened as He walked me back to my life. There was a great part of me that didn’t want to leave that purity and holiness, but I knew the Holy Spirit was going with me and that God had work for me to do.

I often avoid confessing sin in order to somehow make myself right before I go confess. My struggle only makes me look clean on the outside. This never works and my conscience is never free from guilt when I do this. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse my conscience from the sins that guilt me. Only through Jesus’ blood is my conscience cleaned, I am freed from the separation I have created, along with being free from the power that sin has over me.

My question to you today is what is your picture of Jesus interceding on your behalf? Ask God to give you your own vision. He will.

2 kings 8:1-6 - Passage Lookup - New International Version - BibleGateway.com

2 kings 8:1-6 - Passage Lookup - New International Version - BibleGateway.com: "1 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, 'Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.' 2 The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.
3 At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king to beg for her house and land. 4 The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, 'Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.' 5 Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to beg the king for her house and land.
Gehazi said, 'This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.' 6 The king asked the woman about it, and she told him.
Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, 'Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.'"

God is Always Working in your Favor

Today I read 2 Kings 8:1-6

This is what I OBSERVED:

The Shunammite woman was a widow whose son was RESTORED to life. I am trying to imagine being in this woman's position with just that scenaro. Receiving the blessing of your child being alive after you knew he was dead.

Now, Elisha obviously had compassion for the woman and her son. He gave her insight on the hardships that were to come in the land that she was living in. He gave her a charge to leave, and to leave for seven years.

Still trying to put myself in her shoes... I am wondering what God will ask me to do that I just won't understand. My question is, "How is this thing going to work in my favor?". I wonder if she misguidedly thought this was her trade for her son's life. She had no idea what future was in store for her or her son and based on what she knew I am sure prosperity wasn't even a thought.

She obviously trusted Elisha and was indebted to him for her son's life. I am sure it wasn't a joyful task to leave her home and her land, not to mention any income she may have received from it. What emotional stress she had to be pondering in her own mind! Now, she was to trust this man of God, and to walk away from her life for seven years.

The scripture doesn't say anything about her turmoil, it just says she obeyed. I'm just placing myself in her life circumstances and creating my own turmoil here. Relating to her as a woman and how emotionally and mentally drained I get throughout my own life. My struggles with life in general and my lack of obedience is what brought about this type of thinking.

After the seven years were up, the Shunammite woman went back to land and humbled herself to go beg the king for her home and land back. Humility brings forth many blessing for sure!

God just happened to have Gehazi, Elisha's personal servant, in the presence of the king, obviously during a time when the king was amazed by Elisha's miracles and wonders. So, here we have Gehazi and the king discussing the this woman's son being restored to life and she is there at the same time to beg for her property back.

Gehazi was obviously a wise man too, so he felt no need to be in charge or have control and tell the king this woman's story - he stepped aside and had her tell it. He must have know the ownership she could express. The passion and intensity she could give to the story was much more than Gehazi owned from his prespective.

Now, the king instantly assigned her legal representation and gave a direct order to give back ALL that belonged to her and to include all the income from her land that was taken in while she was away.

Wow! This woman received the restoration of her son's life, her home and income that she obviously did not expect and relief during a famine. Now, I am reeling in my mind the hardships God saved her from during the famine.

I am pondering how God worked in her favor, all the aspects my human mind could never comprehend. She obeyed and humbled herself to God's instruction and she was blessed beyond belief. More blessing than she would have ever prayed for or expected.

How I can APPLY this to my life:

• Remember God is always working in my favor.
• Things don't only happen for my benefit - many others are involved in the process.
• God works all things for good for those who love Him.
• I shouldn't create my own turmoil.
• Obedience brings relief druing hardships.
• There are no coincedences, God is in control of every situation and conversation.
• My question should be, "How can I serve you Lord?"
• Sometimes the things He asks me to do might not seem like a blessing at the time, but they will turn out in my favor if I obey.
• God blesses me far more than I could ever imagine to ask for.
• I am to obey God.
• I am to humble myself.
• I am to give an account of what God has done for me.
• Allow those who have a personal testimony to share it and get out of the way - listen.
• Watch out and bless widows and single mothers.
• Speak wisdom and insight into other's lives.
• Aid in rewarding those who have been wronged.
  

1. What is God asking me to obey Him in?
2. What is God asking me to humble myself to?
3. What instructions has God sent my way that I have or have not taken heed too?

I don't think I could ever grasp the enormous blessings I would get if I sought Him, listened to Him and obeyed Him more.

If you really want to go deeper go back and match the things I am to do with the characters from this story. My guess is, you will add some of your own!

Believing the Lies

At times I tend to isolate myself and begin to believe the lies that the enemy so badly wants to use. The enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy. God has been very specific to me this past week.

What is God saying to you?

Here are the things that He has been telling me:

• Iam God and I am able


• God is waiting for me to come to Him


• His glory is so bright there is no need for the sun or the moon


• He can do anything through me


• I should not worry about pleasing man, but only please Him


• I have given you specifics on what to do, don't be afraid to do it


• It is not you doing my work, it is me doing it through you


• You do not have to be perfect


• You are capable of great things with me


• I will make you strong


• Enjoy my calling, don't be afraid of your weaknesses - that's where I {God} am made great


• You are capable of leading others


• You speak truth over others


• Your insight is from Me {God}


• You have gifts and talents that you are not using for me {God}


• I have bigger plans than you than you know or can imagine


• You have a gift to minister to women


• TRUST ME


• LOVE ME WITH ALL YOU HAVE


• LET me enough

Wow! I had been feeling very much like a failure lately, I have been allowing the lies from the enemy attack me. I felt unvalued, unwanted, unliked and overwhelmed with minor chores, let alone any calling I felt on me from the Mighty One. However, in the name of Jesus Christ I reclaimed that which the enemy is trying to take away. He wants to steal my self confidence in Christ, he wants to steal my faith in Him, he wants to kill my ability to move forward, and he wants to destroy the value I place on myself through Christ.

God has blessed me this week with supreme kinds words from others. I had the opportunity yesterday to participate in an exhortation during a class I was taking at my church. I so enjoy speaking God's truth over another person and just sensing and envisioning the evil one melting away and having to flee in the face of God's truth.

Many years ago I had asked God to reveal to me the reason Christ died for each person that I came in contact with. My desire was to love others as Christ loves them. God was gracious enough to fill me with that gift and lately I haven't been speaking those truths over those I meet. After yesterdays experience I know I need to live in that way - a way in which I share God's glory and the uniqueness of others with them.

My challenge to you is to speak words of affirmation over those you know and meet. Speak God's positive truth - build up - use your power tongue, you never know when the enemy is attacking someone in that way. Speak love and encouragement overing someone might reveal God's truth in their life.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength!

In Christ,

Sandra Carter

What ever happened to mourning?

Mourning is, in the simplest terms, intense sorrow over the loss of something or someone. Mourning is expressed over and over again in the Bible. It is usually related to the death of a person, but it can be related to the death of a hope or a dream.

How we handle the mourning process seems to be very important to our mental and spiritual welfare. Many times in the Bible mourning was expressed by wailing loudly and bitterly, weeping, tearing clothes, putting on ashes and sackcloth, and fasting this is from Esther 4. Then in Isaiah 15 there is weeping, wailing, heads shaved, beards cut off, wearing sackcloth and laying face down weeping. During these times the oppressed were being destroyed, killed and annihilated. They were ruined, and destroyed.

Much like we are today. Our life is going really well, we have our hopes and dreams and then all of a sudden devastation hits. Our hope for the future has been stolen, destroyed, killed and annihilated. That is why the evil one has come (John 10:10). If we don’t mourn through the One who gives life, then we are putting up a barrier. We are saying to God, “I trusted you, it was at my fingertips and you ripped it from my life. If being with you hurts this much, then I will do things on my own.” We don’t mourn, we hold onto our devastation and we try to move forward all the while taking steps backward.

Our society says if it doesn’t feel good then don’t do it. Mourning most certainly doesn’t feel good at the time. Our society says if it makes you have a warm fuzzy feeling then your inner spirit is releasing you to do that. That is a lie. It steals our need for a savior. We believe we can do it all on our own. It destroys our inner peace, and it annihilates us from moving forward with the Mighty One. We start to believe we are in control and in charge, we believe we are the savior. We might not voice that, but we sure do live that way.

Mourning helps us express our angry and fear in a righteous manner, a manner in which leads us deeper into God’s presence, not navigating us away from God’s presence. What if, we start mourning in a righteous way? What if we wail, weep, fast, cry out to God in our anger and fear and then He gives us the peace that passes all understanding and heals our wounds and makes us better for it? What if?

Mourn, mourn like you are a believer in the one who SAVES! Mourn like you need a Savior! Mourn to bring yourself closer into the presence of the Lord. In His name!

Who is Jesus as I live my redeemed life?

Today in my Bible reading I read a verse that I have read many times, but for some reason today's revelation was more intimate for me.

Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.

The Lord God Almighty has give us a child, a son directly from Him, this son will rule over us with authority from the ultimate authority {GOD}, the Son {Jesus} will influence us, guide us, he will hold us in check. Jesus serves as the law for us, we are to regularly accompany him and utilize him. This is all through him governing over us. This is what is on his shoulders, his purpose.

From our mouths we will call him Wonderful Counselor, which means we will say he is great, excellent and marvelous to provide us truth and sound advice regarding decisions or help we need in our life.

We will call him Mighty God, he has superior power and strength on earth and in the spiritual realm, he has this power everywhere. Imagine what our individual life would look like if we lived every moment as this were true. He is of great size, he is enormous. He is exceptional, huge, He is of importance.

God has established him as an Everlasting Father, there is no end to him. He is incessant; he is constantly recurring. He never gets wearisome or tired of interceding for you. He is always there on your behalf. He is lasting, he endures, he is permanent. He does not last for a moment, nor is he brief, nor is he short lived or temporary. He is ETERNAL.

We will call out come close Prince of Peace. He is the sovereign one who dwells in and supplies us with peace. He is noble, he has authority, he is a ruler. He is admirably fine and he has genial characteristics. He is favorable in life, favorable with our growth and our comfort. He is a genius. The peace he offers is He is our treaty between God and our sins. Through him we have harmony with God. In him and through him we can live a life of nonbelligerency, not living as if we are at war. In him we can be untroubled, tranquil and content.

Who knew that from the words; Son, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace that Jesus was all that and more?

Hiding our Sin

Proverbs 28:13 (NIV)
He who conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Wow! What an amazing verse for me this morning ~

CONCEALS
We all sin, we work really hard at hiding our sins from other people and at times we lie to ourselves by mentally convincing ourselves that this sin is no concern to God.

CONFESSES
Instead of spending all that time, energy, worry and anxiety toward hiding the sin, we have another option - what if, we spent some time with God and admitting the sin. Speaking the truth about the sin and searching for how this specific offense is diminishing the will of God in our lives. From my own experience, our hearts would begin to soften and our mind would begin to transform into rest ~ a place where not needing to know the future exist, only resting His presence becomes the priority.

RENOUNCES
Stepping up and going deeper, don't be afraid - no weapon formed against you can stand. Take a bold stand, right now - this moment - totally refusing to allow this sin to be a part of your life. Refuse to take part in it, refuse to allow it to attach it's self to your feelings and emotions, refuse to lean into the thoughts of it. What God has said is TRUE.

Let us, you and me, give God the position He deserves in our life. To be the Ruler of all of our feelings and emotions, our lies, our total sins.

While you were reading this did God bring something to your mind that you are concealing? Something you are working so hard for others to not find out? It may be as small as a white lie or as big as big can be. God can handle it.

FINDS MERCY
Stop right now, wherever you are and Seek God ~ Listen for Him ~ Obey Him.

It is evident from scripture that God would show up with His unmatched compassion, His incomparable kindness and show us His undeserved favor.

May 2009

Good morning my dear friends,

May is so busy! I am so overwhelmed with my schedule. Yet yesterday, Mother's Day, I was so relaxed and had a true day of rest. I enjoyed the day so much.

I have been doing quite a few things since my last BLOG. I have started attending a local Christian Writer's group here in town. I am enjoying it so much! I was also able to attend a Christian Writer's Conference in Orlando and for the past 5 weeks I have been teaching Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed at our church on Thursday mornings, not to mention my two little girls both had birthday over the past two weeks ~ and for most of us the school year is ending and one party or event after another. Oh Yeah! Jim and I are also teaching a parenting class at our church one night a week. Needless to say my schedule has been packed, but in two short weeks it will be totally empty for the summer. Well, not totally, but definitely not so scheduled. I am not complaining, just coming up for a breath of fresh air this morning and enjoying a cup of coffee while I type this. My mind always wonders who is reading this and what are they thinking ~

Courtney had some major testing for her pituitary gland three weeks ago and no results from the doctor yet, I haven't stressed over it - they told me two weeks. This week I am going to start calling and firmly request answers.

There are a few things God has been sharing with me over the past few weeks and I thought I would pass those along to see if any of you could put them to good use for yourselves.

• Seek Him, Listen to and for Him, and obey Him! In all things ~ I am working on creating a Bible study based on our spiritual, mental, emotional and physical conditions and how all those areas make us who we are and who all those areas are connected to God. I think we tend to put things in different compartments - this is a mental issue, this is a emotional issue, etc. What if all these issues are Spiritual, just in a sub-category of mental, emotional and physical. The way I just described it doesn't sound fun in this paragraph, but it is! See - I need to learn how to write better...
  
• Through the adventures of the website and teaching on Thursday mornings ~ God has had me share some personal things that I found myself asking Him if I could not share with others. My reasons for wanting to keep my life stories a secret were all wrapped around my selfish pride. It was about me and then He gently reminded that He is the one who gets the glory, not me - so I shared (obeyed). He was glorified in my weakness.
  
• God has made it clear that in my service in ministry, I am to always direct women back to His Word. I desperately don't want to make followers of Sandra. I want to encourage women to yearn for the most intimate relationship with Him that they can get. One of my desires is that each woman I come in contact with; be able to feel and know the grace of Jesus Christ, see the love God has for them and enjoy experiencing the fellowship with the Holy Spirit. I want to develop followers of Christ. My responsibility is to always direct women back to God's Word and what He is saying to them, not what I am saying to them.
• I am also suppose to be a student of learning the craft of writing. Like a sponge soaking up as much as I can, because at some point in the future I will need that talent. I am to be humble and patient.
  
• For Mother's Day I was suppose to write my mother a personal letter ~ I haven't finished it yet -- our relationship is strained and the Mother's Day cards from Hallmark just don't fit our relationship. But God has a plan for her life and I am suppose to write her a letter that is TRUTH and LOVE. Still working on that - I must finish it by Wednesday -- my personal new goal - I think God wanted me to have it done for Mother's Day. I haven't obeyed yet...
  
• Pray for my temptations ~ over and over again anytime someone in the Bible was tempted the next word is almost always - PRAY. On my weight-loss journey with my wonderful husband, my prayer is that once we are off the prescribed diet that I don't fall back into the trap of eating for comfort - I keep myself busy with activities like reading my Bible, Crafts and lots of fun stuff. I so don't want to go back to feeling alone and unwanted and eat to feel comforted. I have lost 35.4 pounds since Feb. 2009! My husband has lost a total of 86 pounds since August with a two month holiday break at Thanksgiving and Christmas. He is almost to his goal weight (within 10 pounds) and I have about 12 more to go. We have learned that this diet is a lifestyle and that we are not to return to our old way of eating.
  

Through this Bible study, Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed God has made a few things clear - I have had Tragedy and He has saved me - my instant response was not one of choosing to work through the tragedy with Him - Initially, I wanted to be mad at God and work through it on my own, because God hurt me. I have turned, repented, mourned, cried, whaled, fasted and sought Him on my past tragedy and He has come to my rescue. My Redeemer! A lot of this is going to be in my online summer study, so I won't give the whole study away right now!!

I could go on and on today, but I want to update the website, finish my Bible study for the week and do some study time in the Word. I would love a weekend away to write - but finances don't permit me going away and staying somewhere and I am not going to go camping by myself. I am not a camping kinda girl either. So, I should probably better manage my personal time ~ and enjoy the stage of life I am in. God will take care of everything!

I hope my journey this month has encouraged you -
Love,
Sandra

Welcome to Spring

Every spring I am reminded of new beginnings. All the old, brown and dull of winter begins to beam with vibrant colors. The trees and grass are greener, flowers are budding and Easter is just around the corner.

I love seeing all the bright colors, especially the spring clothes.This weekend I am going through my little girls clothes and heading to the resale store tomorrow. Buying new clothes just isn't in our budget this year, but God always supplies exactly what we need. My weight loss is going great ~ it's not easy. I have lost a total of 25 pounds and my wonderful husband has lost a total of 78 pounds. It has been easier loosing weight together, as a couple.

I am working on my Bible Study class for Thursday. I am facilitating for this session - Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed by Priscilla Shrier, Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. One of the things I wanted to share with the class was the items that were placed in the ark of the covenant. The question posed by the leader's guide was - What would you put in your personal ark? What things would you put in a safe place that represents your personal relationship with God? I have been praying about it and mulling it over for three days now. God has given me several ideas - which I will share next week after the class.

It is raining here in Valrico, Florida today. A much needed rain as we are in a drought. In Tampa city limits, there is a no watering restriction. I saw a new company on the news last week, this guy had started a lawn painting business. For those homes in restricted communities who get fined if their lawns turn brown - this guy might be a need. He comes to your house and paints your brown, dormant grass a beautiful, healthy green. Now that's inventive in this economy. I wonder if he owned a lawn cutting service before this?

I can't stop thinking of painting dormant grass. That struck me in such an odd way - that example has represented my life at times. Taking what was brown, ugly, hard, brittle, and dry and painting over it just hid what was underneath, instead of nurturing it. Not to say the painted grass is not a good remedy for those folks in Tampa who can't water - just saying it is temporary.

When I think of the characteristics of the painted grass, several things come to mind:

• Beautiful to look at
• Fake in reality
• Flawed because it wasn't lush
• Inactive because it was just there, not growing
  
• Hard and Brittle because it had no water
• Temporary because eventually it would rain, grow and get pruned or no rain would result in the grass dying

Beautiful earthly things rarely have the words "Don't look underneath! If you do it's gonna cost you time and energy!" posted on them. They look beautiful to the eye, because you can't see what's underneath. I feel like I have looked pretty in personality and presentation, all the while, underneath wondering if anyone really liked me, was I smart enough, pretty enough, witty enough, or good enough. Wondering if anyone could see the pain, and the distress underneath.

Fake is not a word I like, nor is it a word that I desire to be defined by. Authentic is my favorite word in the dictionary. That is one of the reasons I love the Lord and His Word so much. He is real. He is authentic. He is truth. One of the things that God has gifted me with is sharing authentically what is going on in my life in order to encourage other women. I know when it comes from Him it is not fake.

I am flawed in many ways. I could fill this whole blog with the details of my flaws, but after a while it would bore you and you might start to think I'm and idiot. I am so thankful that through Jesus Christ, God sees me as clean and flawless.

There have been times in my life where I have been dormant. Inactive in my relationship with my Savior. I was stagnant, not growing - not being still and knowing that God was God. I wasn't taking action in my relationship. How do you get to know someone new? You spend time with them, time doing the things they like. You talk to them, you consider what they desire. To an extent you want to please your new friend.

Too many times I haven't met God through prayer, I haven't read His Word or sought to please Him. I was just being. That is no life, just being. Have you ever seen someone just be? They have no hope, no energy, no future. God has a plan for each person's life, He has plans to prosper you, to protect you from harm, plans to give you a hope and a future. I am at my best when I am seeking my God daily. Basking in the grace of Jesus Christ, being loved by God and in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Now that is active!

I notice when I become hard and brittle that I tend to be self focused. I tend to take and take and never let up. I don't rejuvenate myself through being filled. God tells us He is the living water. We need that water to survive.

I also recognize that this painted grass state is temporary. What belongs to God is God's. Now, that is not to say that I won't fail at times - and sin. But it is to say that I recognize I need a Savior, I confess, I return to my Jesus and say I'm sorry, ask for forgiveness and repent.

It's like the sprinklers are on for days after that. I grow and the dead, fake painted tips of my blades of grass are cut off. I learn and am growing toward my God. My roots are a little deeper and my blades of grass become like carpet to the feet of those whom I care for. They are more beautiful than ever. They are real and lush. I am actively growing, and not afraid of what's underneath, because my source of growth is not flawed. It is God.

Creating a Legacy

The Carter Family Ten Commandments

1. We will follow God.
2. We will love, encourage, support, and care for each other.
3. We will obey, respect, and honor our parents.
4. We will protect the Carter name.
5. We will not lie.
6. We will be open, and communicate with each other.
7. We will show love and compassion to each another.
8. We will be a reflection of Christ.
9. We will be hard workers and do our best at all times.
10. We will be a family that prays.

We did a family devotion one night and my husband came up with this idea that we need the Carter Family Commandments. We asked our children to tell us what were some things that they thought God wanted us to do as Christians. Our middle daughter asked, "What does being a Christian mean?" We explained that it meant believing that Jesus was God's Son and that he died, but now He is alive and living in heaven with God. {Five year terms} She said, "Oh!", then she goes through our whole families names and says we are all Christians.

They told us things like being nice to each other. Not talking mean to each other. No hitting each other. No lying. No taking things that don't belong to you. The list just keep going on and on ~ you could imagine with a 17 year old, 5 year old and a 4 year old the conversations were running wild.

I wrote all of them down and then we talked about why God didn't want us to do those things. And that's how we came up with the Carter Ten Commandments. We placed every thing they thought God wanted us to do and everything they thought God didn't want us to do in a category. That's how our whole family participated.