Resolutions

Today at church our sermon was on Resolutions. I want to start keeping track of the notes I make during the sermons, so here goes!

Ken went over 5 things we need to resolve to do this year.

1. Resolve to forget about past failures
Confess your sins before God and then forget them as He does! Jesus took our sins with Him when He died on the cross for us
Scripture reference: Phillipians 3:13-14

13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

2. Give up your grudges
Ken gave an example of writing down grudges and regrets from the past year and burning them
Scripture reference: Colossians 3:13

13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

3. Restore relationships
Say,"I'm sorry!"
Restitution = asking for forgiveness

4. Commit to turn from transgressions
As the John Wesley hymn Love Divine All Loves Excelling, ask God to take away our bent to sinning
Scripture reference: Romans 6:1-3

1-3So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn't you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!

5. Resolve to trust in the Lord
We've not traveled this road before! The only certainty in our lives is that God is with us!
Scripture reference: Proverbs 3:5

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

Thank you for reading! Please don't forget to comment! :-)

Romans 5:1

I've just listened to 2 podcasts from Bible Study Podcasts on the above verse. I really like the guy who does these podcasts. I stumbled upon them on iTunes. Last night I listened to a podcast on Romans 5:19, and decided to back up and listen to the whole series on Romans 5.

Here are some thoughts I had while listening that I want to remember:

We can't be righteous on our own.We can only find peace by putting our trust in God.

Our words are external evidence of God in our lives....are they always?? We need to be aware of what we say, because people may be turned on/off to Christianity because of our words and actions.

Our works are not what saves us, but they are evidence of our justification.

If we reject God's peace offering(i.e.:,Jesus), we are saying we want to continue the war within us.

He Is My Messiah

Is He? Is He truly YOUR Messiah? I hadn't thought much about this exact phrasing until recently. In fact, I took offense once when someone was arguing about what MY God had done for someone else. I guess I took it, at the time, to mean more like the person was referring to Him only being God to me, not to them. But I look at it a little differently now, from a different perspective. He IS my God, whether or not others accept Him. He is Messiah to me....He came to deliver ME from sin, and loves ME unconditionally. Even if He were not going to save anyone but me, He still would have come to Earth and died on the cross for MY sake. That is some overwhelming and powerful love! And to think that He is capable of loving each one of His children in this manner....just wow! Even those who might irritate me, who I might not see tons of worth in, to Him, they are each as precious as me and on equal footing with me. Humbling, isn't it? And to think He celebrates just as much when someone who has lived a sinful life comes to Him as He did when I professed my faith in Him.....that is some mighty love!

If you are a parent, think of how much you love your children. You don't love each one more than the other, but it is different kind of love you have for each. And though you may wonder when you have a second child how in the world you can love him/her as much as you do your first, your heart has a fantastic capacity to increase your love. You can love many people in many different ways. That is how God is....we were created in His image! Isn't that just awesome and wonderous?? Amazing!!

Though I have had some news brought about lately that brings some uncertainty in my schooling, I am so blessed. I have a healthy and happy family who love each other, we have steady jobs, we have income each month, we have jobs we love, we have a home and more than we need to provide for our needs. He is ever so gracious to us, and continues to shower us with His blessings even when we fail to show him our gratefulness. I know that He has a plan to prosper me and not to harm me. I know that He has my interests and desires at heart, but they may not be completed on my timetable, but on His. Though this is difficult, I can withstand it knowing that He is with me. On Friday when I was so distraught, I kept asking him to just hold me and wrap His loving arms around me. He did. He brought me rest, and with it, some of His peace. How blessed I am with this knowledge, and once again the sadness came to me for those who don't know Him and don't know His comfort. It makes going on in the face of uncertainty and adversity much, much easier!!

My prayer for each of you today, whoever and wherever you are, is that YOU know HIM as YOUR Messiah. He is greater and can do more than we can even imagine!!

A question posted in an online study....

Meditate on the title "Most High." What does it mean to you? How do you or will you incorporate it in your worship?

To me, the title Most High means that God is above all--above all governments, all the planets, all the stars, all that we as humans know and can even begin to perceive. It amazes me to think that at the same time that God is the Most High, he is also totally attainable by us! He is High but He has made himself humble for us. He has done this even though He would NEVER have to, but because He desires a relationship with us! Isn't that just awe-inspiring??

I need to certainly put Him above my own selfish needs and desires since He IS the Most High. Since He has humbled himself, how much more I need to show Him my love, allegiance, and appreciation by worshiping Him in ALL I do and say and even think! My life should be a constant act of worship and praise!

Please lift me up in prayers!

I haven't shared on here about the irritating and debilitating rash I have been dealing for months. If you want/need to know more, please leave it in comments or email me. The important part is that I covet your prayers! Yesterday, I found out that nothing had showed up as an allergen in skin tests. I could have cried in front of the doctor, I was so torn up. I came home and cried and cried and cried. My eyes were still swollen when I got up this morning, and I had stopped crying hours before I went to sleep.

I had my pity party last night, complete with panic attack on the way to Chris' Mamaw's house, where I made him bring me back home. I just could not face trying to converse and act like everything was okay when it WASN'T. I would have upset Mamaw, too, and I hated to do that. So I stayed here, watched Miss Congeniality and worked through some work-related emails, and fell asleep early. I know that Chris was worried about me. In 10 years of marriage, he had never seen me in such a state.

To answer some questions, this is not a hivey rash, it is more of a flat, dotty rash. I have been fighting this since mid-July. I have been told it was shingles (and took a round of Valtrex, I might add), taken one shot of steroids, taken two rounds of oral steroids, had a skin biopsy, been told I was allergic to Prilosec and then also all other class of acid blockers as well. ALL to come back to the fact I broke out AGAIN. It has been very trying, especially as I deal with my husband, almost 5 year old and 7 year old, church issues, starting back to full time first grade teaching, starting into a graduate program, and dealing with issues at work. So do ya see why I was pretty down last night??

But after some alone time and some intense prayer (read: begging the Lord), I feel much better today. I have put my big girl panties on and am dealing with it. Not that I'm not still discouraged, but I'm claiming healing in Jesus' name. I am asking everyone that I know to pray, and if I flare up again, I'm going to ask my dad to pray a prayer of healing over me. This is quite bold for a United Methodist born and bred girl to say all this, cause it just isn't usually our way, but I know that the Lord has Power over all, and I know He doesn't want me to suffer. If I have to start coming off my medications, then suffer it will be. I really fear for my mental health if it comes to that.

Will you please join me in this? Will you please pray that the Lord will take this rash from me, and that it will never flare again? I would so appreciate it, and will sing His praises when it happens!

You may read these same words on my other blog and if you frequent the same sites I do, may see it there too. Please forgive me for not restating this at every site. I thank you for your prayers again, and know that Jesus will be the conqueror in this!!

A line from a song that I want to remember....

"Jesus, I'm empty without you
And you're everything I need
Come with your grace
Come fill a space in me."

I AM study: Lesson Eleven

1. When is the last time you encountered a Fist Shaker? This may be a stranger to you or as close as a loved one in your own home. Does anything in our description help you to understand their animosity towards God? Are you able to have more compassion towards them?

Yes, I work with one. Any time anyone tries to discuss the Lord with him, he just turns off his usually very kind heart. I do have compassion toward him and pray for him to come to know the Lord, and for the Lord to melt the ice that has formed around his heart.

2. Does anything about Rahab's redemption strike a nerve? This may be a question you would like to ponder privately. Sexual sin and/or victimization can be an area where Satan has an enormous stronghold because it can hold so many painful and shameful memories. If Rahab teaches us anything, please know God can redeem any life and any situation, no matter how heinous it seems, and plant you unashamedly 'in the midst of Israel'. Rahab deserved death according to Mosaic Law, however she was shown nothing but lovingkindness by the God and nation of Israel.

I've long said that Rahab is the woman in the Bible that I can most relate to. I do not share specific similarities, but I do share the feeling that though I have made some not so great decisions in my life, the Lord forgives me and I can still be used for the good of His kingdom!

3. Is there an area of your life in which you feel you have come full circle? Where you've come to a place where everything and nothing are the same? (I'm thinking Lord of the Rings when Frodo goes back to the Shire after his long adventure. You have no clue what I just said if you are not an LOTR nerd so just ignore this if it doesn't make sense! :)

Ummm, not really..but I might as I ponder it! If I do, I'll be back to edit!

4. When you were born again, did you gain a new appreciation for your surroundings as Rahab did when she received the Promise along with the Promised Land? Has some old place, object, or relationship been redeemed by now serving a 'high and holy purpose'?
Yes, in a way. I can see the good in relationships, and why people were in my life when they were!

5. Believers can still be Fist Shakers. Do you have circumstances in your life in which you find yourself shaking your fist at God? Something He has asked you to endure, asked you to do, seemingly taken away from you? Can you see how shaking your fist is keeping you from your Promise? (I'm not talking eternal security here - Only abundant living.)

I've been guilty over the past few months of shaking my fist. This rash has really become trying to me. It is very hard to be a patient and calm teacher when all I feel like doing is laying down on an icepack or scratching the skin off my body. I pray that we are coming closer to a resolution to this, and have been asking friends for prayer that this is the case!