Happy Mother's Day 2011!

Thank God for my beautiful mom! Like a lot of teenagers I went through the stage of thinking that I knew more than her. Who was I kidding? Now I am grateful for the many times I can call her and ask her advice about everything. From cooking a roast to changing a flat tire, I've learned and am still learning so much from my mom. She's always been there for my greatest achievements and my failures, reminding me that all things are gonna work out for my good. Not only today but, every day I choose to honor her because I know that it will increase the days of my life. As proverbs 31:28 mentions, 'I rise up and call her blessed!' Happy Mother's Day, mom!

National Day of Prayer 2011

I woke up earlier than usual this morning and started praying. The urge was very strong to pray. Imagine my surprise to learn that today is the National Day of Prayer! As an intercessor, my spirit was ready to join in with millions of others that are praying today. Hopefully this day will turn into many days for people to pray. The need is always there. We are to 'pray without ceasing'! The following is my introductory prayer video. Stay tuned for more to come.

Which God are you talking about?

I feel the need to clarify who I'm talking about when I speak of God. I am a Christian so I believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that He is also the Son of God the Father. The term 'god' floats around so much and often I discover that the God that I believe in is not the same god that others are referring to. When I talk about God, I'm talking about the Number 1, Premier, Supreme, Magnificent, Greatest, Chief, Finest, Most Excellent, Preeminent, Outstanding, Celebrated, Remarkable, Exalted GOD! The Almighty! He calls Himself 'I AM.' You know how people call you on the phone and say, "This is me."  I've had as many as 4 people calling or leaving messages saying, "This is me." He would say, "This is I AM," and you wouldn't have a question of which I AM is calling because there is only one.

I JUST WANT YOU.

I just finished reading Hadassah, One Night With the King by Tommy Tenney. I love the story of Esther and how she came to her position as queen. Not to mention all the beauty treatments and similarities to a beauty pageant. There is a part in the book that really stood out for me. When Esther has been taken to the palace against her will as part of the command for all the young virgins to come, she misses Mordecai, the man that raised her, very much. When she gets a chance to see him, she hugs him and they both cry from the joy of being together again, although it’s for a brief moment. Esther then goes back to her quarters and God's Spirit begins to speak to her. Since so much has happened in her life up to this point, she secretly had a negative attitude towards God. Remember she was an orphan. The book describes her family being brutally murdered, her only friend taken to become a eunuch, her current plight of being taken away from her beloved 'Poppa' aka Mordecai. She didn't understand how God could allow all these things to happen to her. Who hasn't ever been mad at God for some reason or another? A failed marriage, child abuse, death of a loved one, lost job, etc. The list goes on for reasons that people become mad at God.

God's Spirit asked her why she couldn't weep at his presence and rejoice at finding it the way she did Mordecai's presence. Of course, this is Tommy Tenney's artistic license, but it was a beautiful moment when Esther saw God's heart towards her. She felt His heart and His presence. Her attitude towards God changed. Who's heart wouldn't melt after that experience? He had 'created within her a clean heart and renewed a right spirit within her.'

God loves us so much. He wants us to love Him back but His love is not based on whether we love Him or not. He doesn't love you just because you love Him. Or because [you think] you do all the right things. One of my friends has been saying this scripture a lot lately. Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. It was before we became the sweet, lovable people we are today. (Smile)

So before God ask you or me the question that was posed to Esther, let our answer be: I JUST WANT YOU. This is a beautiful song by Vicki Yohe.

IT IS WHAT IT IS???

Have you ever prayed or asked someone to pray for you about something, then about ten minutes later; you say something contrary to your prayer?

I was talking to the Lord tonight about a predicament that I was facing. I had taken a few steps to work it out but was not feeling like it was going to change. I said, “Lord, I don’t know if this term fits this situation or not but, ‘It is what it is.’ Meaning, it’s the way it is and you [I] can’t change it. Its hopeless, just deal with it.

I said this in ignorance because after I thought about what that term means I had to recant that statement.  I said, ‘Wait a minute…that doesn’t apply to my life.’ It’s not what it is. It’s what God says it is.

I forget sometimes that nothing is too hard for God. It’s like I give Him easy stuff and I hold on to more challenging things with worry. You take care of that God but I’m going to worry about this one.  Why is it so easy to forget how mighty our God is? I forgot who I was talking to. Lord, forgive me for forgetting how great You are; that You are looking all over the earth to see who You can show yourself strong to.

The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

Psalm 119:130, NKJV.

God’s words bring light. That means it brings hope to dark, hopeless situations.  It brings insight. It causes you to take a look from another direction, taking a different point of view. My statement was indeed ‘simple’ but it eventually caused me to pay closer attention to the words that I speak. I can’t afford to speak words that imply that things are so hopeless that they can’t be changed.

I’m an optimistic person. Not only is the glass half full, my cup is meant to be running over. 

Moving Beyond My Solar Eclipse.

For this blog to be a blessing to people there is a deal of transparency on my part that is involved. I don’t know just how transparent I want to be but I learned something today. I was talking to a friend about God and how we can let our issues get in the way of seeing Him. It’s like a total solar eclipse.

During the time of a total solar eclipse the moon comes in between the earth and the sun. For a few minutes the sky is either totally black or we see the moon with the outline of the sun around it a few hours. That is what happened to me in my view of God. I let my issues/failures get in between me and God and I couldn’t see Him. All I saw were my issues. But as I began to praise God in spite of MYSELF, my focus on those issues shifted and I could see His goodness again. I could see His sweet, tender mercies that are renewed everyday.

I was disappointed in myself for doing something that I said I would not do again. Like most people, when I mess up I’m my own worse enemy. I will mope around and after a few days talk to God about it. But that wasn’t the case today. I had to get in an atmosphere of praise & worship so that “I” could move out of the way. My eyes were on me and not on HIM. He promised that if I keep my eyes on HIM he would keep me in perfect peace. I feel like preaching in here...LOL. So don’t let your issues or worries get in the way of seeing God. He is not going anywhere. Just like in a total eclipse the sun is not moving. It’s the moon that is moving. So when your worries or issues get in the way and you can’t see the goodness of God, lift up some praise & worship and watch how it moves out of the way and His GOODNESS shines through.  Your focus won’t be on you but on HIM.

Romans 8:38-39, the amplified version says it best:

38For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, 39Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We have not because we ask not? Part 2

Here is a video showing more jewelry that I received. God is good. You can read the previous post here.