Amazing Love

God's love is so amazing to me... I don't even know if we can fully grasp it in our humanness?! I was reading in Hosea 11 & 14 today as well as in Ps. 81 ... and it so touched my heart.

If you have time please read all of these chapters if not please at least read the ones I paste below, notice my emphasis on certain verses:

Hosea 11

1“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
2But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me. They sacrificed to the Baalsand they burned incense to images.
3It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them.
4I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.
5“Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent? 6Swords will flash in their cities, will destroy the bars of their gates and put an end to their plans. 7My people are determined to turn from me. Even if they call to the Most High, he will by no means exalt them. 8“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.
9I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man—the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.
10They will follow the LORD; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west. 11They will come trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from Assyria. I will settle them in their homes,”declares the LORD.

Hosea 14

1Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall!
2Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips....We will never again say ‘Our gods’to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.”
4“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.

9Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

Psalm 81

9You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god.
10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. 11“But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. 12So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.
13“If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways,
14how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!
15Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever.
16But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

The LORD has loved us, He has called us and He forgives us... He has led us with cords of kindness, ties of love... He has fed us. And yet we are a rebellious people, prone to wander from Him, prone to turn from Him... Yet He is full of compassion and when we turn to Him, His arms are flung wide open welcoming us home! He heals our waywardness and loves us freely - for He is GOD and not man - the Holy One among us!!!! How amazing is His love!

Let His love wash over you today... call out to your 'Abba' Father!

The Reason for the Season

I have been thinking about the reason we celebrate this season... What it is really all about! The big picture... Why God came wrapped in flesh, as a baby ...

Matthew 1:18-25

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Luke 2:1-20

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Luke 2:19

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
Just as there were many who were appalled at him—his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness—
so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray,each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Praise and glory be to our Savior! Who has come and shed light into the darkness, light into our hearts, who has set us free and given us the knowledge of the glory of God! (2 Cor. 4:6) Thank you cannot even begin to say enough ...

Merry Christmas to you and yours! May you treasure and ponder these things in your heart!

Compelled by Truth

Ahhh... I just want to share with you what has been on my mind and heart ... It grieves me to no end when people are led astray or mislead in some way about Jesus, God, the Word... I am consumed with a righteous anger. I am grieved for those who are misled and for the one misleading them, who has been led astray. (Isa. 9:16)

Scripture tells us that teachers will be judged more strictly... It warns those that teach/shepherd to be very careful, true to the Word and message of the Gospel, for you will be held accountable.

Paul said "...for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Cor. 9:16). For me, I am compelled to truth... that people know, understand and believe what is true... Woe to me if I do not speak Truth! That is how I feel... sometimes this burns so strong in me, it is almost consuming... and hard for me to keep my mouth shut. I have to be careful though that when I speak I am speaking in truth & love... that I am speaking in accordance with the will of the Father and not out of my fleshly self ...

It is interesting that Scripture declares “Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, (Jer. 23:29)... It is absolutely... however Scripture also says that "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." (James 3:6) The Word of the LORD is a holy, righteous fire... one that separates light from darkness, truth from deception.... James is talking about a different kind of "fire"... how we stumble in many ways and need to learn self control - esp. over our tongues... because our words can either build up or tear down, they can be light and truth or full of evil poison.... May the fire that I am consumed with be a righteous one and may the Holy Spirit enable me to control my tongue and speak only truth in love... rebuking but encouraging... not judging but restoring...

I pray that if I am ever led astray in what I believe that a brother or sister will come along side and speak truth to me & gently restore me. We are called to do that... and we should be prepared to do that with a right heart, not a prideful heart... careful too least we stumble. It says in 2 Tim. 4:2 - "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction."

I say all this just to share with you who I am, what I have on my mind, and for you to pray and keep me accountable.

Thank you for sharing this journey with me!

Beloved Children of God

I want to share something so sweet that has touched my heart ... If you are in Christ you are God's Beloved!!! You are a child of The Living God!!!

“I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’” “AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, ‘YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,’THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.” - Romans 9:25-26

Oh please let that sink in to your heart!

Now take a look at these verses (emphasis mine) from Eph. 1:3-14:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will–to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment–to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession–to the praise of his glory.

Oh sweet one you are God's Beloved, He loves you! He chose you, you are God's special possession - His treasure! He has redeemed you, you are forgiven, adopted, and richly blessed in Christ Jesus!!! You have a inheritance, an eternal home, you are cleansed from all sin and have been made holy, set apart... you are part of a royal priesthood to the praise of the Father!

Oh sweet ones rest in Him who loves you... Seek Him and draw near to the One who knows your name and who desires an intimate relationship with you. It is not by our works and busyness that cause Him to look upon us with favor (remember Martha and Mary)... it is by grace, it is by faith...

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written,“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE,AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." Romans 9:30-33. Please also see 1 Peter 2:4-8!

Sweet ones He has done it all! His grace embraces us and we are set free from works... the works we produce are not to attain but out of love and thankfulness. May His love and kindness touch your heart in a special way today and always.

Speaking Truth & Love

Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? ~ Gal. 4:16

This has been heavy upon my heart today... Whoa to us who knows what we should do but we do not do it! (See James 1:22-25) There are areas that people call gray areas... that might be true, however there are areas people would like to say are gray areas that are not according to the Word. I pray that the Holy Spirit would convict us of any of these areas, gray or otherwise that grieve Him! When we are confronted with sin may we repent.

Following the path of righteousness may not be easy; it will go against worldly and mainstream ideas, even against what our own flesh desires... but still it is what we should and are called to do. We are called to live differently than the world. We are called to glorify God... we should desire to be pleasing, honoring and obedient to Him. In living for God and following the path of righteousness we will be blessed... maybe in the here and now, definitely when we come into His Kingdom. Not that we should do the right things for blessings... We should live righteously because God came wrapped in flesh, He lived among His Creation, He suffered, He died and He rose again that we might have eternal life with Him... that our sins would be forgiven and we would be put in a right relationship with Him... that we would love, obey and glorify Him, our Creator.

After all He has done for us is this asking too much?! Is it too much for us to obey Him? Is it too much for us to strive to please Him and not grieve Him? I think not.

I say this that the Holy Spirit might be at work among us... that we may encourage, build up, strengthen, and bring glory to the Father. Please take a moment to read some of the following verses:

Prov. 10:17; Matt. 18:15; Luke 17:3; Eph. 5:11; 1 Tim. 5:1-2, 20-21; Eph. 4:15; Phil. 3:1; 1 Th. 5:14; 2 Tim 4:2; Tit. 1:13; Heb. 3:13

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. ~ Ps. 139:23-24

Learning from our Past

As I sat down to write in my journal today this is what was all the sudden on my heart... not what I would have thought but well here it goes...

I heard this morning a reminder that today is the 67th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. And as I sat down to write hours later it came to the fore front of my mind. It brought to mind the loss our country suffered on 9-11. How real, how shocking these times were for Americans... the unthinkable had happened.

We will never forget these moments... but with time, the emotions pass. They are not as strong, dormant maybe, ready to surface if provoked... but not like they were following these events. Our memories fade some what... we remember but have forgotten some of the smaller details that seemed so fresh, real and unforgettable to us at the time. These moments are tragedies for our country, especially for those who lived through it and lost loved ones. For them it is more personal, more real, more tangible.

We are to learn from history, so as to not repeat it - you know the mistakes and such.... & as I sit here I ponder these things... which brings to mind other thoughts of a spiritual nature. In our spiritual life- our walk, our journey... how at the moment of salvation or even moments where we are on a spiritual mountain top, things are so alive, real, vibrant... We are on fire, spiritual speaking.

Now maybe there are those who can attest to having never lost that... that fire has for years burned bright and strong. However for many of us the fire is still there burning steady but it has become more tame as we have come down from our mountain top moments and gone to the valley, as we should. I do not believe that our whole spiritual journey was meant to be a mountain top experience... why even the disciples who witnessed the transfiguration had to come down and go through the valley... and you know what - it was worth it! What Jesus taught, claimed, did and commanded them to do became something that transformed them... from the disciples who just didn't seem to get it, the ones who wanted to be the greatest, the ones who wanted to call down fire upon the Samaritans, on and on... to the men who lived out what Christ had spoken, who proclaimed His message unashamed; who loved; who were merciful; who were servants & humble; who would suffer & die for their faith.

Getting back to my point - God will take us through times of great joy & times of trails - we should learn from both of these experiences. Yet, don't we at times on our walk... well those moments can fade and seem less real to us. In our times of joy do our trails seem to fade and in our times of trail do we "forget" what all we have seen and experienced - what God has done for us... the miraculous; the faithfulness; the grace; etc. Thankfully we have the Holy Spirit who will remind us, who will teach us and guide us. Because we need to remember & we need to learn.

I have been on the mountain top & I have traveled through the valley, & no matter what the Lord is always with me. He is my Strength & my joy... He is my Rock - upon which I stand and hold fast. Circumstances come & go; this world will one day fade away but the Word of the Lord lives on forever. What is eternal will not fade, it will be transformed. We will be transformed. What a precious gift we have in Christ Jesus.

Holy Spirit never let us forget... let the things that are eternal be very real & present upon our hearts & minds... That our actions would bring you glory. Amen!

Conversations with God (Prayer) - Part 1

I woke up this morning with this upon my mind... Conversations with God - Prayer. I have so many different thoughts here and could go all over the board with this... & I know there are many, many books written on this subject. But I feel compelled, led if you will to search God's Word here on this subject matter... to dig deeper and draw closer to my "Abba" Father.

So today I started doing just that... & WOW! Of course I know how important prayer is.... which means of course there should be lots for me to read up on concerning this subject... & there is! However for me to full grasp what I think the Lord wants me to here, this may take some time...
Which means I am sure that this will be a subject I am sure to be writing more about in the future... stay tuned! =)

Something to meditate upon:

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Col. 4:2

I got this award from my dear, sweet friend, Jenny...

As part of the award I am suppose to answer a few questions...
So here it goes... =)

Answer the following questions with single word responses. (or, if you're like me, answer them with as many words as you want!)

1. Where is your cell phone? beside me

2. Where is your significant other? at work

3. Your hair color? varying shades of light to dark blond

4. Your mother? probably at home

5. Your father? probably at home

6. Your favorite thing? my bible & chocolate with caramel

7. Your dream last night? that I might actually get sleep (ha ha) - Don't know

8. Your dream/goal? to write a book.

9. The room you’re in? living room

10. Your hobby? Bible study, blogging, facebook, reading, and a few other random things...

11. Your fear? Missing out on the opportunities God has for me on earth... & that loved ones may not know Jesus.

12. Where do you want to be in six years? Where God wants me... Hopefully in a deeper walk with Jesus - maturing in Christ.

13. Where were you last night? At our church's women's Christmas event

14. What you’re not? perfect.

15. One of your wish list items? black, winter boots (Warm & Comfy)

16. Where you grew up? Alabama

17. The last thing you did? prep for dinner

18. What are you wearing? a long sleeve shirt & sweatpants.

19. Your T.V.? off

20. Your pet? dog

21. Your computer? on my lap

22. Your mood? peaceful

23. Missing someone? YES!

24. Your car? Escape

25. Something you’re not wearing? lipstick

26. Favorite store? Amazon!

27. Your Summer? Fun!

28. Love someone? YES!!!

29. Your favorite color? blue & green

30. When is the last time you laughed? last night

31. Last time you cried? humm I am sure it wasn't that long ago... I did tear up last night but no crying.

And now I am passing this on to my friend - Amy & Eryn - who I am so excited has joined the blogging world!!!