I'm Just Sayin'

There Is an Angel in our Midst!

Meet Lyla...my granddaughter!  Could she be any more angelic??  So precious!!

The King's Speech

Dad and I went out on datenight last Thursday...dinner and a movie!  We saw The King's Speech and it was really good.  As we walked out I took out my notebook and jotted down a note to myself (sorry for the blurry pic...you get the idea :)

It's SO simple and yet SO complex!  Why don't we live like we believe God?  Why do we believe that He raised a dead man, made the blind see, walked on water and rose from the grave and yet we don't believe who He says we are??  Satan!  He wants to rob us of our true identity.  If he can convince us that we are not all that God says we are then he renders us ineffective!  Claim who He says you are...daily!  If our KING gave a speech here is what He would tell us to repeat:
 

I am faithful (Ephesians 1:1)

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)

I belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:20)

I am a member of Christ's Body (1 Corinthians 12:27)

I am assured all things work together for good (Romans 8:28)

I have been established, anointed and sealed by God (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

I am confident that God will perfect the work He has begun in me (Philippians 1:6)

I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)

I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7)

I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)

I am blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3)

I am chosen before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4, 11)

I am holy and blameless (Ephesians 1:4)

I am adopted as his child (Ephesians 1:5)

I am given God's glorious grace lavishly and without restriction (Ephesians 1:5,8)

I am in Him (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:30)

I have redemption (Ephesians 1:8)

I am forgiven (Ephesians 1:8; Colossians 1:14)

I have purpose (Ephesians 1:9 & 3:11)

I have hope (Ephesians 1:12)

I am included (Ephesians 1:13)

I am sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)

I am a saint (Ephesians 1:18)

I am salt and light of the earth (Matfthew 5:13-14)

I have been chosen and God desires me to bear fruit (John 15:1,5)

I am a personal witness of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8)

I am God's coworker (2 Corinthians 6:1)

I am a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)

I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5)

I am raised up with Christ (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:12)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6)

I have been shown the incomparable riches of God's grace (Ephesians 2:7)

God has expressed His kindness to me (Ephesians 2:7)

I am God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)

I have been brought near to God through Christ's blood (Ephesians 2:13)

I have peace (Ephesians 2:14)

I have access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18)

I am a member of God's household (Ephesians 2:19)

I am secure (Ephesians 2:20)

I am a holy temple (Ephesians 2:21; 1 Corinthians 6:19)

I am a dwelling for the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22)

I share in the promise of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:6)

God's power works through me (Ephesians 3:7)

I can approach God with freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12)

I know there is a purpose for my sufferings (Ephesians 3:13)

I can grasp how wide, long, high and deep Christ's love is (Ephesians 3:18)

I am completed by God (Ephesians 3:19)

I can bring glory to God (Ephesians 3:21)

I have been called (Ephesians 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:9)

I can be humble, gentle, patient and lovingly tolerant of others (Ephesians 4:2)

I can mature spiritually (Ephesians 4:15)

I can be certain of God's truths and the lifestyle which He has called me to (Ephesians 4:17)

I can have a new attitude and a new lifestyle (Ephesians 4:21-32)

I can be kind and compassionate to others (Ephesians 4:32)

I can forgive others (Ephesians 4:32)

I am a light to others, and can exhibit goodness, righteousness and truth (Ephesians 5:8-9)

I can understand what God's will is (Ephesians 5:17)

I can give thanks for everything (Ephesians 5:20)

I don't have to always have my own agenda (Ephesians 5:21)

I can honor God through marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33)

I can parent my children with composure (Ephesians 6:4)

I can be strong (Ephesians 6:10)

I have God's power (Ephesians 6:10)

I can stand firm in the day of evil (Ephesians 6:13)

I am dead to sin (Romans 1:12)

I am not alone (Hebrews 13:5)

I am growing (Colossians 2:7)

I am His disciple (John 13:15)

I am prayed for by Jesus Christ (John 17:20-23)

I am united with other believers (John 17:20-23)

I am not in want (Philippians 4:19)

I possess the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16)

I am promised eternal life (John 6:47)

I am promised a full life (John 10:10)

I am victorious (I John 5:4)

My heart and mind is protected with God's peace (Philippians 4:7)

I am chosen and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12)

I am blameless (I Corinthians 1:8)

I am set free (Romans 8:2; John 8:32)

I am crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20)

I am a light in the world (Matthew 5:14)

I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)

I am the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)

I am safe (I John 5:18)

I am part of God's kingdom (Revelation 1:6)

I am healed from sin (I Peter 2:24)

I am no longer condemned (Romans 8:1, 2)

I am not helpless (Philippians 4:13)

I am overcoming (I John 4:4)

I am persevering (Philippians 3:14)

I am protected (John 10:28)

I am born again (I Peter 1:23)

I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am delivered (Colossians 1:13)

I am redeemed from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13)

I am qualified to share in His inheritance (Colossians 1:12)

I am victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Real Love

I told you I ran...and cried...and praised...and pleaded!  What I didn't tell you is that God...

EL-GIBHOR: “Mighty God”

EL-OLAM: "Everlasting God"

EL, ELOAH: God "mighty, strong, prominent"

ELOHIM: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong”

 EL SHADDAI: “God Almighty,”

ADONAI: “Lord”

YHWH / YAHWEH / JEHOVAH: “LORD”

YAHWEH-JIREH: "The Lord Will Provide"

YAHWEH-RAPHA: "The Lord Who Heals"

YAHWEH-NISSI: "The Lord Our Banner"

YAHWEH-M'KADDESH: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy"

YAHWEH-SHALOM: "The Lord Our Peace"

YAHWEH-ELOHIM: "LORD God"

YAHWEH-TSIDKENU: "The Lord Our Righteousness”

YAHWEH-ROHI: "The Lord Our Shepherd"

 YAHWEH-SHAMMAH: "The Lord Is There”

YAHWEH-SABAOTH: "The Lord of Hosts"

EL ELYON: “Most High"

EL ROI: "God of Seeing"

loves ME!  He loves me so much that He delights ME!  With tear filled eyes, I glanced down for a second, and behold!  He gave me this...


because He's also a Lover of my soul...
and my heart sang!

 

The Cry of a Mother...and a Little Rain

As I ran today, tears fell as I listened to the words of this song on my IPod.  I spoke outloud for each of you...that God would pour healing rain upon you.  I am certain that I looked like a crazy lady praising and crying out as I ran but I didn't care!  I was so overcome with the neverending grace and mercy of God that I just couldn't help myself :)  Let me be crazy!  I hope that the words speak to you as they did me and that you feel the healing rain shower you on this glorious day, my beloveds!  Oh, how I adore you!

This Much I Know Is True...Where You Stop, God Picks Up

I LOVE God!  I just do!  Plan and simple...it's love.  He is SO gracious to me...stands by me, picks me up when I fall, gives me hope when I have none, fills me up when I'm empty!  Just when I think I have nothing more He shows up...MY SAVIOUR!
Be still!  Seek Him!  Know Him!  He's seeking you!

This I Know for Sure: They Will Know We Are Chritians By Our Love

Many of you probably haven't ever heard the old hymn "They'll Know We Are Christians" song...it's old.  But then again, so am I :).  It's an old song, kinda like a sit-around-the-campfire-and-sing kind of song but the words...how they speak truth!

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

This first verse is about UNITY!  I can tell you that backbiting, gossip, slander...they're all divisive.  There is NO room for it within the body of Christ!  It is Satan's greatest desire for us to listen to his lies and lead us to talk bad about our friends, our husbands or our churches so that we are rendered INEFFECTIVE!  We need to reign in our tongues! Take captive those thoughts!  How do we show love?  By staying unified!



We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

This second verse is about SERVING!  I can tell you that one of the single most poignant truths I've ever learned is that I am blessed to be a blessing!  I grew up thinking the more Bible verses I knew, the more mature I'd be.  Boy, have I learned differently.  For me, real maturity came in taking my eyes OFF MYSELF and the things I know and onto others and this things that GOD knows! Knowing scripture is very important don't get me wrong, but serving is how we walk the walk!  How do we show our love?  By serving!



We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

And, last but not least, the understanding that I might be the planter and not the water girl or the one who sees the plant grow!  By this I mean that I have learned that we all have a role in spreading the Gospel!  We need to be willing to let others pour water, if you will, over a seed we may have planted...to trust that God strategically places others in the lives of those we want to see come to Christ to come along side and help!  I had to grasp that I might not see the harvest of a seed I planted...the beauty is that WE WALK HAND IN HAND FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST!  How do we show our love?  We are unified in our individual roles for the greater cause of spreading the Gospel!

Will they know you are a Christian by your love?

Have a blessed Friday!

He Will Never Let Go

As I do every morning (well almost), I read my devotional .  It was so beautiful, I wanted to share it with you...

YOU ARE MINE FOR ALL TIME- and beyond time, into eternity.  No power can deny you your inheritance in heaven.  I want you to realize how utterly secure you are!  Even if you falter as you journey through life, I will never let go of your hand.
Knowing that your future is absolutely assured can free you to live abundantly today.  I have prepared this day for you with the most tender concern and attention to detail.  Instead of approaching the day as a blank page that you need to fill up, try living it in a responsive mode: being on the lookout for all that I am doing. This sounds easy, but it requires a deep level of trust, based on the knowledge that My way is perfect.

                                          The LORD makes firm the steps
                                           of the one who delights in him;
                                     though he may stumble, he will not fall,
                                    for the LORD upholds him with his hand. Ps 37:23-24


                                               As for God, his way is perfect:
                                               The LORD’s word is flawless;
                                         he shields all who take refuge in him. Ps 18:30


Have a beautiful Thursday!

We are Free!

I've been studying forgiveness this week.  It's a hard topic really...forgiving.  We are called to forgive others and to forgive ourselves.  If we hang onto things we are chained and bound to them and they eventually drag us down. But, what do we do with the emotions...
When you and I are saddened by life's trials, it's acceptab;le to be sad, upset, and even angry, but it's not acceptable to allow these emotions to overtake and control us.  This is precisly what the devil wants. He want's us to stay stuck, dwell or better yet, bury ourselves in them...it makes us ineffective for the Lord. We don't have to be consumed with bitterness, fear, sadness, or depression.  No matter how devastating our circumstances are, we have the spiritual right as a child of God to be FREE from the emotional scars that accompany life's pain.  We may never be free from the memory of what caused our pain, but we can be free from the emotional trauma that resulted from it. The Bible declares us as overcomers by the blood of the Lamb (Revelations 12:11).  Because of our encounter with the Lord, we do not have to be overcome or overwhemled by the circumstances of life.  We can choose a different emotional path.  We have the choice to be either enslaved to the emotions that accompany life's pain or to be free.  I choose freedom!
When life gets painful, don't hang your head in despair.  Look up! Keep your eyes open for the next move of God and watch as the shakels that bound you drop free!  Romans 8:37 says..."we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
"If you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul" Deut 4:29.  Let's not waste our time and energy looking everywhere else.  Just look up before you take your next step!