Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Think of Others Before Self

Devotion Time

Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer = SOAP

S: Proverbs 22:16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

O: Whenever I think of myself first - it shows I am selfish. When I put myself first before others - especially the poor, I dishonor the Lord. If seek to give more to the rich than the poor, then I, myself, am bankrupt. I am truly in poverty if I ignore the poor and give more to the rich.

A: I pray that I will seek J-O-Y (Jesus, Others, You) and in that order especially when it comes to giving. I want to be rich in His Grace and Mercy and give to others. May I pray and think of others first - really in all matters.

P: Father, thank You for Your Word. It convicts, corrects and changes us. Give me ears to hear and eyes to see who is in need and may I respond with Your love and grace. Your love is rich and overflowing and may I rejoice in it, know it and share it with others. In Jesus Name I pray, amen!

Saturday, January 12, 2013

A New Creation!



Praise You, Father! Praise You, Creator! Praise You for New Life! Praise You for Transformation! Praise You for us being able to carry and sustain life!  Praise Jesus Christ, Praise Holy Spirit, Praise You, Holy One!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. II Corinthians 5:17

Thank You, Father for the gift of Jesus Christ! Praise You forevermore! Thank You for giving me life. Thank You for giving me Steve, Kelly, Jon, Keith and Clay! Thank You for my parents! Thank you for my grandparents and the saints who have gone before me! Thank You for my family members that have given me encouragement and support! Thank You for teachers that have helped along the way! Thank you for my church family! Thank You for my pets! Thank You for my computer to record my journal with you! Thank You for making me a new creation! Thank You for the ability to change! Thank You that I can renew my mind in You! Thank You for my health! Thank You for guiding and correcting me! 

I confess I have not loved You with my whole heart. I confess that I get irritated and impatient and angry and take it out on my family. I confess that when I get mad, I get stubborn, harsh and critical. I get annoyed by people who don’t think and react impulsively and yet I am guilty of that! Romans 7:15-23! Oy vey! I confess that I am a spender and do not budget myself wisely. I confess that I am not a good housekeeper. I confess that I eat too much junky food sometimes. I confess that I am selfish.  Please forgive me of these things and for those I've forgotten!

Father, I pray that I would honor You in all that I think, say, and do. I pray that I would not be swayed by the evil one to do things that would take my focus off of You. I ask for supernatural healing of my body, mind, spirit and soul!. May I be healed to Your glory and honor and may I live all my days for You, however long that is! May I grow in my prayer life and seek You first in all things!  May I respond in love and affection and acceptance and not in hatred, withholding caring touches or by rejecting others.  God forbid it!  Help me to manage myself, emotionally, physically and financially and protect me, my family, friends and others from the evil one.  The old me could never change or be transformed with You, Lord! I know I am in Jesus Christ, help me not to slack off, become lazy or unfocused in my worship and devotion to You.  Replace my stinking thinking with whatever is right, pure, lovely, excellent, praiseworthy – to fix my mind on those things (Phil 4:8)!  May I never take life for granted and may I extend the joy of life in others including my husband, children, family, friends, neighbors and strangers! 

In Jesus Name I pray all these things, may it be loosed here on earth as it is in heaven!

I Love You, God,
Christine

1. In Christ, you are a new creation! What does that mean to you?
2. What do you want to do that is new in this new year 2013?  Share 3 of them with us!
3. What creating will you do this year?

Saturday, May 12, 2012

The Call to Obey


Praise You, Holy Father!  Praise You, Creator!  Praise You for Your Wonders are unending!  You are eternal!  You are forever!  Praise You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, giving Himself up as a ransom for us!  Thank You for the supreme sacrifice made us to become children of God! 

Just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience.  Romans 11:30

The Call of Abram  12:1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 

Thank You for coming for all of us, that we all would repent and be saved and baptized in the Name of  Jesus Christ!  The Easter story lives on!  Death does not have the last word.  Death where is your sting ~ there is none because He lives and we, the children of God get to live forever, too!

Lord, help me to be gracious as You are gracious.  Help me to obey You.  Help me to glorify You.  Help me to not think of me first!  Help me to serve You and others.  Help me to see others as You see them.  Help me to love the unloving.  Help me to show mercy to others.  Forgive me for my sins – to complain is out of selfishness.  Help me to love like You love! 

Lord, I pray for family members, friends and strangers to know You as Lord and Savior.  I pray for them to seek You first in all things.  I pray for a strong relationship with You as that can transform anyone!  I pray for their healing. 

Lord, I pray for my obedience to You, help me to seek You in all things.  Help me to consult You in every decision.  Help me to listen for Your promptings and guidance. Help me to glorify You with a victorious life in Christ! Help me to be healed in body, mind, spirit and soul because You are Jehovah Rapha the God Who Heals.  Help me to live a long and fruitful life to Your excellence.  Help me to strive for Perfection in Christ Jesus.  Help me to love others as You love them.  Give me a desire to be physically strong, mentally awake, spiritually sound and morally straight. Bless my calling in teaching, writing and promoting ministry to Your glory!

I ask all these things in Jesus Christ Name, amen! 
Love, 
Christine


Thursday, March 1, 2012

LISTEN to what He is saying...

Mary & Martha Print by David Lindley http://www.davidlindsley.com/products.asp?PID=4002&STOR=1

From my personal journal based on the SacredSpace.ie prayer method. 

Praise You, Lord, for this beautiful day!  Praise You for the coolness, praise You for the sunshine, praise You forevermore!

Dear Lord, 
help me to be open to You for this time as I put aside the cares of this world.  Fill my mind with Your peace, Your Love.

Lord, You created me to live in freedom, May Your Holy Spirit guide me to follow You freely. Instill in my heart a desire to know and love You more each day.

At this moment Lord I turn my thoughts to You. I will leave aside my chores and preoccupations.  I will take rest and refreshment in your presence Lord.

Luke 10:38-42
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."
   *I think of myself in this scene and hear Jesus’ words addressed to myself. He calls me away from over-busyness and reminds me of what is central.
    *When there are many things to be done and time seems short, I pray that I might remember what Jesus says; that I might think like Mary even when I have to act like Martha.
    *I begin to talk to Jesus about the piece of scripture I have just read. What part of it strikes a chord in me? Perhaps the words of a friend - or some story I have heard recently - will slowly rise to the surface in my consciousness. If so, does the story throw light on what the scripture passage may be trying to say to me?
--LISTENED to what He was saying…this is the phrase that sticks out in my mind, Lord.  Am I listening to You? Surely not, when I want my own way, not when I am pushing my opinion on others…am I so busy that I cannot hear the still small voice of You, Lord.  Yes…I humbly confess, I cannot hear You at all sometimes over myself.  I am wishy-washy when it comes to consistency…oh, how dreadful to fail or is it?  I have seen failure as such a weakness.  Something I have no desire of.~I don’t want to be weak but yet, Your Word says in my weakness then I am strong (because of You).  Why, oh, why do I try to do so many things by myself!?  That is not what You want for me.  I am to speak the truth in love and know what is right and to fix my mind on lovely things.  Whatever is admirable!  I totally identify with Martha.  Martha is my mode – but I want to be a Mary model – more than a Martha!  God, help me to LISTEN to what You are saying…

I thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for the insights I have been given...

Thank You, Lord, for Your Word.  It convicts and comforts.  It disciplines and it encourages.  It is life over death!  Help me to be like Mary and LISTEN to YOUR WORD and what YOU SAY, Lord!

I love you, Lord, Jesus and Holy Spirit!
Love forever,
Christine

Thursday, January 5, 2012

One Word - LOVE

God is LOVE!
"For God so LOVEd the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."  John 3:16

Faith Barista Blogger Bonnie Gray inspired and challenged me last year in her January blog to come up with "your one word" for the year?.  For 2011 it was "confidence" for me which I sorely needed after a few health scares.  Confidence was coincidentally (I think not) Bonnie's word, too!

So here we are in 2012! Bonnie offers her annual challenge again.
http://www.faithbarista.com/2012/01/one-word-for-2012-a-faith-dare/ 
See what her word is for this year!

Mine is "LOVE" if you could not guess from the John 3:16 scripture.  I crafted a breath prayer (a future post for sure) many years ago, that is "Father, let me know and show and your LOVE."  I say this quietly to myself throughout the day.  That is what I hope to do in 2012, to show LOVE in every situation and person I face this year.  I am to LOVE God (Deut. 6:5)! I love Jesus for He is my Lord and Savior (Rom. 5:8)! I am to love as God LOVEs (Eph. 5:2)!  I am to LOVE in the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, in the hope and in the despair. May I LOVE from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Tim. 1:5).

I hope to show LOVE to my husband and children (1 John 3:18) - they get the best and the worst of me at times.  May I look at them with LOVE in ALL situations (1 Pet. 4:8).  I hope to show LOVE to my extended family and friends - sometimes I have opposing views with these LOVEd ones but that does not mean that I can't LOVE them even if we don't agree (Rom. 13:10).  It has taken me a long time to realize this!  Sometimes, I get it right and sometimes, I don't and that is okay!  God still loves me in spite of my failings.

Probably one of the easiest groups to show LOVE to is our pets (Matt. 6:26)!  Aren't they precious?  Even if I am gone for 10 minutes or 10 hours I get a joy-filled greeting from them like no other!  Help me, Lord, to LOVE them even when they eat 2 dark chocolate candy bars and our family stays up basically the whole night to make sure they are okay!

I am President of our women's group at my church this year.  A daunting task for sure--one that I do not feel qualified for but God equips the called, amen?!  I hope to show LOVE to the women in our church family in ways that are meaningful to each of them (Rom. 12:10, Heb. 13:10)!  Lord, help me talk less and listen more...

I hope to show LOVE to those running for office as this is a huge political year - some say the most important ever (1 John 4:7).  May I not trivialize any part of it.  I hope to know the issues and how the votes were cast but more than that, I hope to love the people whom have agreed to serve God and others (1 Cor. 12:31).  May I show God's LOVE for them, too.

Lastly, I hope to show LOVE to the least and the lost (John 13:34).  It's been said 'No Jesus = No peace, Know Jesus = Know Peace'!  Help me to not be so self-centered or stuck-up that I miss those opportunities that God has placed before me to be His hands and feet (Phil. 1:9)!  Help me, Lord, to LOVE more and hate less.

So what's your one word this year?  Tell me yours.  Mine is LOVE (Eph. 3:17)!  God LOVEs you and so do I (1 Thes. 3:12)!  Here's to a LOVEly 2012!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

12/3/10 - I have HOPE in the Lord

December 3, 2010

This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! Psalm 118:24

I want to rejoice in the day the Lord has made, yet I feel weak and apprehensive.  So much has happened in the last few weeks.  On October 26, 2010, I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy...I had been having stomach and bowel issues.  I had been eating junk and not really taking care of my body.  Lots of gas, lots of burping, pencil like stools, constipation and diarrhea...Maybe it was my thyroid medication causing these issues...or maybe not...I know this may be "TMI" but we must talk about these things even they are embarrassing!

So I tell my Physician Assistant at my thyroid check in September that I am having some "issues".  She said, "Let's get you to a gastroenterologist just to make sure everything's OK."  I meet the doctor and we schedule the endoscopy and colonoscopy especially since my family has cancer on both sides.  I do the bowel prep which is annoying and disgusting. Ask anyone who has had one!  You basically have starve yourself and then take pills that give you diarrhea.  Next comes the lovely bowel prep--a mostly tasteless drink but you have to drink a gallon of it over a period of several hours...I thought I would explode and now my bum is sore!  Get some zinc oxide to utilize between BM's! Your bum will thank you!

I had a nice check in at the hospital, wonderful nurses and a kind anesthesiologist.  My doctor comes in but I am already loopy from the medication.  The procedures are done and I awake 30 minutes later.  He tells me he removed two polyps from my colon and they will be tested.  He said my endoscopy revealed that the bottom of my stomach (Gastric Antrum) is inflamed and irritated and so he biopsied it and the results will come back on that soon but not too worry.

Fast forward to November 11, 2010, Veteran's Day and my nephew, Keegan's Birthday!  My husband, Steve, is out of the country so my boys wait in the waiting room while I meet with the doctor.  He tells me that it is a good thing that I had the polyps removed - they were tubular adenomas (one sessile or flat, one like a stalk).  They are smaller but left unremoved they could have developed into colon cancer.  Wow, thank you Jesus they are gone!  My endoscopy revealed that I have intestinal metaplasia in my stomach...what in the world is that?  It is an abnormal cell structure - the bottom of my stomach has become more closely resembled to my intestines?  That is weird!  Why would that happen?  No one knows the exact reason this occurs he tells me.  He also says it can become a precursor to stomach cancer...now my eyes bug out and I am starting to get scared. He says to change my diet, take more fiber, no broccoli or beans - they cause gas which can irritate one's stomach, eliminate fried, greasy foods, smoked meats, BBQ (smoked is a known carcinogen) and no lunch meats with nitrites.  He says a few other things but I cannot recall them...he says we will do a two year follow up on both...I say OK and leave.

Wow...I cannot believe it.  It's not the "C" word but it can become "it"...I call my husband, Steve, - he is in Dubai.  He is shocked too.  He wants me to get checked in one year instead of two.  I agree.  I go home.  The polyps are straight forward - checks and removal should help protect me from colon cancer.  I research intestinal metaplasia - not exciting or very good news; lots of unknowns about it.  I am praying.

I feel fear but I keep saying, "OK God, I trust in You!  I have a HOPE and a future in You!" (Jer. 29:11)  I will keep saying this and proclaiming this!  I have a HOPE and a FUTURE in the Lord!  The medical community is a healing agent for God.  There are also times when our healing comes supernaturally from God.  I have a HOPE and a FUTURE of being healed of whatever comes my way!  So I will rejoice and be glad in this day!

Are you rejoicing in this day He has made?  What makes you glad? What gives you hope?