If God has a fridge- your picture would be on it, but of course mine would too- and no offense but my picture would be bigger! ;)
Just a happy thought to counteract my sourness from yesterday. We all have those moments.... right?!?!?!
Showing posts with label Praise God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Praise God. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
I make children cry
Last night was my first night in my new ministry outlet- JUST Kids. It's our Wednesday night kids program and we bus in close to 100 kids to feed them and then teach them the word of God. I'm on the GREEN team- 1st and 2nd graders and it's really quite fun.
During our lesson one of the little girls was playing with a bead necklace so I quietly whispered to her that she needed to put it on her neck and keep it there or put it in her pocket. Less than 10 seconds later it was again off her neck and being played with, so being the disciplinarion that I am I told her she needed to give me the necklace since she couldn't obey. She stated she would NOT be giving it to me and I told her she had to choice because she had disobeyed. Begrudgingly she handed over the necklace and promptly pulled her knees to her chest, flung her arms over her knees and cried. Yep- first night and I make a little girl cry. I'm going to be SUCH a good mother some day! ;)
After the lesson was over she was still crying so she and I went into the hall and were able to figure out our differences. Apparently it wasn't just me she was upset with- she also felt sick and wanted to stay home but her Mom made her come. She just needed a good cry and decided to unload on me. Like all children- once we finished she was my buddy the rest of the night!
Kids are so funny- they get frustrated with you so easily and then they forget about it just as quickly. I'm really excited about this new venture on Wednesdays. It gives Dave time at home alone to study for school and I still get to be involved with ministry. It's still hard not being in Youth but I know that this is what God has for now. Hopefully next week no one will cry on me!
During our lesson one of the little girls was playing with a bead necklace so I quietly whispered to her that she needed to put it on her neck and keep it there or put it in her pocket. Less than 10 seconds later it was again off her neck and being played with, so being the disciplinarion that I am I told her she needed to give me the necklace since she couldn't obey. She stated she would NOT be giving it to me and I told her she had to choice because she had disobeyed. Begrudgingly she handed over the necklace and promptly pulled her knees to her chest, flung her arms over her knees and cried. Yep- first night and I make a little girl cry. I'm going to be SUCH a good mother some day! ;)
After the lesson was over she was still crying so she and I went into the hall and were able to figure out our differences. Apparently it wasn't just me she was upset with- she also felt sick and wanted to stay home but her Mom made her come. She just needed a good cry and decided to unload on me. Like all children- once we finished she was my buddy the rest of the night!
Kids are so funny- they get frustrated with you so easily and then they forget about it just as quickly. I'm really excited about this new venture on Wednesdays. It gives Dave time at home alone to study for school and I still get to be involved with ministry. It's still hard not being in Youth but I know that this is what God has for now. Hopefully next week no one will cry on me!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Lessons in Worship
Sorry this isn't a follow up with pictures and recipes as I promised- but those are at home and I am at work! Instead I felt that I would share something that God has been showing me OVER and OVER and OVER the past week or two. It's really quite strange how many different avenues God has shared this through without me even seeking it out! That's when you KNOW God is trying to show you something.
I'm considered a worship leader in our church- 3 other ladies and I each take turns leading the music on Sundays and spend the other weeks rotating as back up singers. I've known for several years now that God had a call on my life for this type of ministry but I've always struggled with areas of the ministry: am I being prideful in my talent? am I really listening to the Holy Spirit? am I choosing songs that God is leading me to or that I just want to sing? should I just sing the song and shut up (as I've been told to do by some in the church) or do what I feel GOD called me to do which is to LEAD people to worship through encouragement in between songs and even chastisement in some cases?
All these questions and struggles have just amplified lately because of some stuff at church. It's amazing how church's can get so bent out of shape about the music and how much it can effect our walk with the Lord! Now let me just say that I understand how someone that is new in their relationship with Christ can be swayed by the song service at church, but for a "MATURE" follower to get caught up in that?!?!?! What is wrong with us?????
The purpose for church services isn't to escape the world, but for us to come together with our brothers and sisters in Christ to CONTINUE what we already are doing in our personal lives- WORSHIPING GOD!
If the purpose of a 'worship service' is truly to worship Christ, then who cares what the music sounds like, if the leader is tone-deaf, if it's too loud or too soft, if there are lights, if a guitar is leading the music or if an organ is, if we sing a hymn or a newer song, if the music is fast or slow?! NONE of that matters, what matters is our heart and where it is focused, what we are worshipping- WHO we are worshipping. Songs are great, music is great- it does have the capability to swell our emotions and grip our hearts, but what about the words? Are the words of the song about me and what I want from God or are they about glorifying the One who saved us? Does it help me reflect on Christ's teachings or remember to share His Word with others? Remember that Satan was the minister of music before his fall. He ALSO had beautiful music and probably with some beautiful words- but where was his WORSHIP really directed?
A service should not be about us and what we want or need, it should be about God and how He has made sanctification available to us. It's not wrong for us to ask things of God- He wants us to do that, but my question is what is the primary focus of our worship services? If we are always asking for a deeper relationship but don't take time to glorify God or just to sit and listen in His presence, will that ever really happen?
Now I know this is a crazy long post and I apologize, I won't know if you stop reading at this point! :) I just want to share what's on my heart and hopefully someone will glean something from it.
I want to say this- as a worship leader my purpose is to be a true LEADER of worship. That means that when I get up on a Sunday morning to lead music my words, actions, facial expressions, body language, heart, and mind need be in continuation of what I have been doing the rest of the week. It puts a heavy burden on me to make sure that my life outside the church is really worshipping God and not one of those millions of distractions! I cannot expect the congregation I am leading to truly worship in spirit and in truth if I am not. I cannot berate them and shout at them to 'lift your hands! sing with your whole heart! sing like you mean it!' if their lives are not already in worship to God.
The last thing that has weighed on my heart, because I've HEARD this with my own ears is this: Telling someone that the presence of God is not felt because they did not 'enter into worship' is crap! The presence of God is always around us and whether or not we FEEL it or not has no bearing on how 'good' a service was. Our feelings don't matter for one thing and the other thing is that each person worships in their own way and at their own level of devotion. GOD through the Holy Spirit is the one that needs to deal with them on how intensely they are worshipping Him- not the Pastor, Worship Leader, Associate Pastor, Youth Leader, parent, or friend.
**If you are one of the Pastors, worship leader, assoc pastors, youth leaders, parents or friends trying to coax someone into worship- STOP! You are trying to do what ONLY the Holy Spirit can do and you will fail miserably!**
I pray that maybe this has helped someone the way it has helped me. This is only a SMALL snippet of what God has taught me, there is no way for me to express the full depth of His teaching in this area- I just have to actually live it out. May we all be worship leaders regardless of music, talent, or platform but just by living a life in worship of Christ.
I'm considered a worship leader in our church- 3 other ladies and I each take turns leading the music on Sundays and spend the other weeks rotating as back up singers. I've known for several years now that God had a call on my life for this type of ministry but I've always struggled with areas of the ministry: am I being prideful in my talent? am I really listening to the Holy Spirit? am I choosing songs that God is leading me to or that I just want to sing? should I just sing the song and shut up (as I've been told to do by some in the church) or do what I feel GOD called me to do which is to LEAD people to worship through encouragement in between songs and even chastisement in some cases?
All these questions and struggles have just amplified lately because of some stuff at church. It's amazing how church's can get so bent out of shape about the music and how much it can effect our walk with the Lord! Now let me just say that I understand how someone that is new in their relationship with Christ can be swayed by the song service at church, but for a "MATURE" follower to get caught up in that?!?!?! What is wrong with us?????
The purpose for church services isn't to escape the world, but for us to come together with our brothers and sisters in Christ to CONTINUE what we already are doing in our personal lives- WORSHIPING GOD!
Worship isn't music, a service, a message, or any of the things we have made it into, it is the lifestyle we live.
Whether we are worshipping God, our family, our finances, our job, or any other of the millions of distractions out there we ARE worshipping something every moment of every day. The purpose of corporate singing before the Word of God is preached is not for some mystical or emotional experience but for us to focus our minds and hearts on Christ and to CONTINUE in our worship of Him.If the purpose of a 'worship service' is truly to worship Christ, then who cares what the music sounds like, if the leader is tone-deaf, if it's too loud or too soft, if there are lights, if a guitar is leading the music or if an organ is, if we sing a hymn or a newer song, if the music is fast or slow?! NONE of that matters, what matters is our heart and where it is focused, what we are worshipping- WHO we are worshipping. Songs are great, music is great- it does have the capability to swell our emotions and grip our hearts, but what about the words? Are the words of the song about me and what I want from God or are they about glorifying the One who saved us? Does it help me reflect on Christ's teachings or remember to share His Word with others? Remember that Satan was the minister of music before his fall. He ALSO had beautiful music and probably with some beautiful words- but where was his WORSHIP really directed?
A service should not be about us and what we want or need, it should be about God and how He has made sanctification available to us. It's not wrong for us to ask things of God- He wants us to do that, but my question is what is the primary focus of our worship services? If we are always asking for a deeper relationship but don't take time to glorify God or just to sit and listen in His presence, will that ever really happen?
Now I know this is a crazy long post and I apologize, I won't know if you stop reading at this point! :) I just want to share what's on my heart and hopefully someone will glean something from it.
I want to say this- as a worship leader my purpose is to be a true LEADER of worship. That means that when I get up on a Sunday morning to lead music my words, actions, facial expressions, body language, heart, and mind need be in continuation of what I have been doing the rest of the week. It puts a heavy burden on me to make sure that my life outside the church is really worshipping God and not one of those millions of distractions! I cannot expect the congregation I am leading to truly worship in spirit and in truth if I am not. I cannot berate them and shout at them to 'lift your hands! sing with your whole heart! sing like you mean it!' if their lives are not already in worship to God.
The last thing that has weighed on my heart, because I've HEARD this with my own ears is this: Telling someone that the presence of God is not felt because they did not 'enter into worship' is crap! The presence of God is always around us and whether or not we FEEL it or not has no bearing on how 'good' a service was. Our feelings don't matter for one thing and the other thing is that each person worships in their own way and at their own level of devotion. GOD through the Holy Spirit is the one that needs to deal with them on how intensely they are worshipping Him- not the Pastor, Worship Leader, Associate Pastor, Youth Leader, parent, or friend.
**If you are one of the Pastors, worship leader, assoc pastors, youth leaders, parents or friends trying to coax someone into worship- STOP! You are trying to do what ONLY the Holy Spirit can do and you will fail miserably!**
I pray that maybe this has helped someone the way it has helped me. This is only a SMALL snippet of what God has taught me, there is no way for me to express the full depth of His teaching in this area- I just have to actually live it out. May we all be worship leaders regardless of music, talent, or platform but just by living a life in worship of Christ.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Life is never what we expect!
Had quite an interesting weekend and beginning of this week...
Friday I left work a few minutes early to make sure and get to the ball field early for our game. We ended up winning which means we advance to the finals! (FYI...it's all local so it's not State or anything too huge) That night Tanya and I decided we wanted a girls night so we left her son with his dad and Dave and we headed out to Chili's after the game. It was nice to chat without distractions! Then we went to see The Proposal- definitely a girl movie! The movie was cute, but maybe a little crass- both actors have a nude scene where you don't see their FULL 'personal areas' but they definitely filmed without clothing. It showed a little more than I thought it would for Sandra Bullock. Oh well! Anyway it was SUCH a fun night getting to spend time with a good friend.
Saturday morning I got up and started cleaning the house when I got a text from Tanya that she had pancakes and bacon coming out off the griddle if we wanted to come by. It was the quickest I have EVER seen Dave get out of bed! Breakfast was fun and VERY tasty! Then I spent my day cleaning the house TOP TO BOTTOM- Dave also helped a ton which was so great of him! Plus I made some cake balls since we were going to a party later.
At 5:30 we headed for dinner with a wonderful family that our family has known for a while but that Dave and I have just gotten to actually KNOW. It was honestly supposed to be a quick dinner because my boss had a party starting at 6:00! Well we had such a wonderful time and didn't want to end it that we didn't leave until 11:00 from their house. The time spent with them was much needed for my spirit. I've felt torn, broken, and just beat up lately about some things and God used them to help us feel that we were not alone in our struggles and what we are dealing with. Thank you Lord! You always know what I need at just the right time!
After we left their house we did swing by Rich's party where 'the stragglers' were gathered. We stayed for about an hour and really enjoyed ourselves while we were there. Once we got home we both crashed because it was such a full day!
Sunday morning we taught Sunday School at our church then headed to First Baptist to hear Adam preach! It was such a great message and EXACTLY what I needed to hear. That afternoon Dave had to work so I was left by myself for the day. I am convinced that Dave has done some sort of brain washing on me to make me obsessed with baseball! :) Fever Pitch was on TV so I watch that (and almost cried- weird!) then I watch The Benchwarmers right after too. It was great! Church was that night with an Ice Cream Social afterward- what beats HOME MADE ICE CREAM?!?!?! YUUUUUMMMMMM!!!!
Monday brought a NASTY headache that may have been from all that yummy ice cream. Woops! I was home all day yesterday without lights on and the TV down so low you could barely hear it. Thankfully the dogs were quiet- they must have been given a tranquilizer or something cause they normally play all day long. The headache began to subside so I planned the next two weeks of meals for us and then we watched the Home Run Derby. (I'm telling you.... brain washed!) All in all a fairly good weekend and beginning of the week.
Please keep us in your prayers for a few things though:
Dave needs to find a different job- they aren't giving him enough hours at the store
The truck's starter might be going bad- pray it isn't too much to fix!
I heard noises in the wall of the bathroom today- probably a mouse but I'm not sure- pray again that it's not too much to fix this problem!
Pray for Dave and I- we need some clarity and direction
Thank you and I pray that you all have a wonderful week. Let me know if I can pray for any of you this week also!
Friday I left work a few minutes early to make sure and get to the ball field early for our game. We ended up winning which means we advance to the finals! (FYI...it's all local so it's not State or anything too huge) That night Tanya and I decided we wanted a girls night so we left her son with his dad and Dave and we headed out to Chili's after the game. It was nice to chat without distractions! Then we went to see The Proposal- definitely a girl movie! The movie was cute, but maybe a little crass- both actors have a nude scene where you don't see their FULL 'personal areas' but they definitely filmed without clothing. It showed a little more than I thought it would for Sandra Bullock. Oh well! Anyway it was SUCH a fun night getting to spend time with a good friend.
Saturday morning I got up and started cleaning the house when I got a text from Tanya that she had pancakes and bacon coming out off the griddle if we wanted to come by. It was the quickest I have EVER seen Dave get out of bed! Breakfast was fun and VERY tasty! Then I spent my day cleaning the house TOP TO BOTTOM- Dave also helped a ton which was so great of him! Plus I made some cake balls since we were going to a party later.
At 5:30 we headed for dinner with a wonderful family that our family has known for a while but that Dave and I have just gotten to actually KNOW. It was honestly supposed to be a quick dinner because my boss had a party starting at 6:00! Well we had such a wonderful time and didn't want to end it that we didn't leave until 11:00 from their house. The time spent with them was much needed for my spirit. I've felt torn, broken, and just beat up lately about some things and God used them to help us feel that we were not alone in our struggles and what we are dealing with. Thank you Lord! You always know what I need at just the right time!
After we left their house we did swing by Rich's party where 'the stragglers' were gathered. We stayed for about an hour and really enjoyed ourselves while we were there. Once we got home we both crashed because it was such a full day!
Sunday morning we taught Sunday School at our church then headed to First Baptist to hear Adam preach! It was such a great message and EXACTLY what I needed to hear. That afternoon Dave had to work so I was left by myself for the day. I am convinced that Dave has done some sort of brain washing on me to make me obsessed with baseball! :) Fever Pitch was on TV so I watch that (and almost cried- weird!) then I watch The Benchwarmers right after too. It was great! Church was that night with an Ice Cream Social afterward- what beats HOME MADE ICE CREAM?!?!?! YUUUUUMMMMMM!!!!
Monday brought a NASTY headache that may have been from all that yummy ice cream. Woops! I was home all day yesterday without lights on and the TV down so low you could barely hear it. Thankfully the dogs were quiet- they must have been given a tranquilizer or something cause they normally play all day long. The headache began to subside so I planned the next two weeks of meals for us and then we watched the Home Run Derby. (I'm telling you.... brain washed!) All in all a fairly good weekend and beginning of the week.
Please keep us in your prayers for a few things though:
Dave needs to find a different job- they aren't giving him enough hours at the store
The truck's starter might be going bad- pray it isn't too much to fix!
I heard noises in the wall of the bathroom today- probably a mouse but I'm not sure- pray again that it's not too much to fix this problem!
Pray for Dave and I- we need some clarity and direction
Thank you and I pray that you all have a wonderful week. Let me know if I can pray for any of you this week also!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Gentle Reminders...
God reminded me today that my life is not about me...
My aunt has Fibromyalgia, which I could never understand cause she always seemed so 'normal.' My grandma has a constant burnished taste in her mouth and a bad smell in her nose where she can't taste ANYTHING, but rarely complains about it. My father is dealing with cancer of the blood but didn't get sick throughout chemo and I have taken that for granted- just assuming he's okay all the time. My mother in her lifetime has lost a husband, her only son, two sets of in-laws, a brother to suicide, a brother-in-law to heart attack, and is now dealing with Dad's cancer-yet she isn't depressed and doesn't have the 'woe is me' syndrome.
HOW THE HECK?!?!?!
I complain when I get a headache! NEVER have I been able to understand how people deal with things like that, and I am one of those that tends to forget what people are going through. Then i either take for granted their strength, or condemn them for acting a certain way. SHAME ON ME! I am so selfish it makes me sick. God used a new 'blog friend' of mine to remind me of this and to show me just how my selfishness can effect others. Thank you for a reminder to stop looking at myself and how things effect me. I need to take more time to empathize with others and leave Jenna out of things.
My aunt has Fibromyalgia, which I could never understand cause she always seemed so 'normal.' My grandma has a constant burnished taste in her mouth and a bad smell in her nose where she can't taste ANYTHING, but rarely complains about it. My father is dealing with cancer of the blood but didn't get sick throughout chemo and I have taken that for granted- just assuming he's okay all the time. My mother in her lifetime has lost a husband, her only son, two sets of in-laws, a brother to suicide, a brother-in-law to heart attack, and is now dealing with Dad's cancer-yet she isn't depressed and doesn't have the 'woe is me' syndrome.
HOW THE HECK?!?!?!
I complain when I get a headache! NEVER have I been able to understand how people deal with things like that, and I am one of those that tends to forget what people are going through. Then i either take for granted their strength, or condemn them for acting a certain way. SHAME ON ME! I am so selfish it makes me sick. God used a new 'blog friend' of mine to remind me of this and to show me just how my selfishness can effect others. Thank you for a reminder to stop looking at myself and how things effect me. I need to take more time to empathize with others and leave Jenna out of things.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Thank you Tami Jo!
I love having a friend that will actually hold you accountable when you ask them to! Tami Jo is one of those people and this post is my 'at least once a week' post and it shall be ALL about her! (I know you love it Tams!)
Tami Jo and I met in Masters Commission 7 going on 8 years ago. When we first met, we didn't really 'click' in fact Tami Jo thought I was quite pompous (which I was) and loud (which I still can be at times!) Our 2nd year at RMC gave us time to get to know each other better and we became QUICK friends. I spend TONS of time at her apartment and throughout the year I watched Moulin Rouge about a MILLION times at her place. They always had it on for some reason.... not complaining but strange! :)
After we finished our 2nd year we both moved on and things got crazy for us. There were MANY hours between us, yet we still kept in contact and knew that we had a special bond. We were able to move closer to each other and both made the effort to travel the 3 hours to make our friendship work and I am SOOOOO glad we did. Now we again live several hours apart and since we are both married and Tami Jo has a baby life gets crazy and we don't get to talk as often as we used to.
The great thing though is that through ALL of this, Tami Jo and I both know that the other is going to answer the phone at 3:30 in the morning when the other is having a hard time, or will drop everything when the other calls with a fun story. We pray for each other in not just the hard times, but the good ones too and when we do have those few and far between moments that we get to chat on the phone, it's like we've never spent any time apart.
My friendship with Tami Jo is one of the biggest blessings in my life and I am SO grateful for her. She encourages me, prays for me, loves me unconditionally, and of course KEEPS ME ACCOUNTABLE! I pray that each of you has a Tami Jo in your life, cause I don't know how I would survive without mine. Call your Tami Jo and tell her how much you appreciate her- or if you're like me and can't call cause you are up too late... blog about her! :)
Tami Jo and I met in Masters Commission 7 going on 8 years ago. When we first met, we didn't really 'click' in fact Tami Jo thought I was quite pompous (which I was) and loud (which I still can be at times!) Our 2nd year at RMC gave us time to get to know each other better and we became QUICK friends. I spend TONS of time at her apartment and throughout the year I watched Moulin Rouge about a MILLION times at her place. They always had it on for some reason.... not complaining but strange! :)
After we finished our 2nd year we both moved on and things got crazy for us. There were MANY hours between us, yet we still kept in contact and knew that we had a special bond. We were able to move closer to each other and both made the effort to travel the 3 hours to make our friendship work and I am SOOOOO glad we did. Now we again live several hours apart and since we are both married and Tami Jo has a baby life gets crazy and we don't get to talk as often as we used to.
The great thing though is that through ALL of this, Tami Jo and I both know that the other is going to answer the phone at 3:30 in the morning when the other is having a hard time, or will drop everything when the other calls with a fun story. We pray for each other in not just the hard times, but the good ones too and when we do have those few and far between moments that we get to chat on the phone, it's like we've never spent any time apart.
My friendship with Tami Jo is one of the biggest blessings in my life and I am SO grateful for her. She encourages me, prays for me, loves me unconditionally, and of course KEEPS ME ACCOUNTABLE! I pray that each of you has a Tami Jo in your life, cause I don't know how I would survive without mine. Call your Tami Jo and tell her how much you appreciate her- or if you're like me and can't call cause you are up too late... blog about her! :)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
So I've obviously been a little busy with my puppy and haven't found a lot of time to post. I'm actually taking a few minutes at work to do this, just don't tell my boss... although I'm sure he wouldn't really care since he checks his MySpace a million times a day anyway!!! ;)
We have also been pretty busy because at church this week we are having a Seminar on "I Found Freedom" from Wellspring Ministries. It's quite interesting and a lot of people are seeing some emotional healing from this. The teaches show us that things like bitterness, self-hatred, anger, fear, and other things are not from God and that bad things really DO NOT come from Him either. Ergo when people say things like "God did ______ to teach me/you a lesson" or "Maybe ________ happened because you have sin in your life" those things are LIES! Even well-intentioned people can lie, and unfortunately I may have been one of those in my life.
If we don't realize these things are lies and that the feelings of bitterness, anger, etc are from the ENEMY then we can't truly be healed. It's something that for me seems fairly easy to comprehend, but who knows what God is going to do in my life down the road that I may need to refer back to these teachings.
I'm grateful that our Pator is willing to allow someone else to come in and teach his flock, because this doesn't happen at all churches. So we will go and listen, and learn, and pray because this is powerful information and God IS using it.
Speaking of being used... can I just say that I am thankful that even though I don't have a terrible past with dating and 'going too far' with a guy that I wansn't married to, God is using me to teach and mentor people in the avenue of dating. When I was going through all my past relationships I would get so discouraged because I felt like a flake, or that I wasn't hearing God telling me who/how to date. Well now I am seeing the full picture that even though my mistakes weren't huge, they are still able to help shed light on some young girls lives.
I'm still very close to a few girls from a youth group we belonged to in Wheaton, and let me just tell you that I love and care about those kids like you would NOT believe. One of the girls is like my little sister, and she is the most recent person God is helping me mentor in this area. Just last night I was able to share a story with her about a relationshp I was in, and it paralled her current situation so much it was eerie! But my errors, and my reflection on the situation has now helped her fine tune and accept what God was already putting into her heart. How amazing!
This has turned into a bit of a praise report on my life more than a post about Frugality, but I hope you don't care because I think we all need to be able to rejoice with each other in these type of victories. God is still working today, whether we chose to accept it or not.
We have also been pretty busy because at church this week we are having a Seminar on "I Found Freedom" from Wellspring Ministries. It's quite interesting and a lot of people are seeing some emotional healing from this. The teaches show us that things like bitterness, self-hatred, anger, fear, and other things are not from God and that bad things really DO NOT come from Him either. Ergo when people say things like "God did ______ to teach me/you a lesson" or "Maybe ________ happened because you have sin in your life" those things are LIES! Even well-intentioned people can lie, and unfortunately I may have been one of those in my life.
If we don't realize these things are lies and that the feelings of bitterness, anger, etc are from the ENEMY then we can't truly be healed. It's something that for me seems fairly easy to comprehend, but who knows what God is going to do in my life down the road that I may need to refer back to these teachings.
I'm grateful that our Pator is willing to allow someone else to come in and teach his flock, because this doesn't happen at all churches. So we will go and listen, and learn, and pray because this is powerful information and God IS using it.
Speaking of being used... can I just say that I am thankful that even though I don't have a terrible past with dating and 'going too far' with a guy that I wansn't married to, God is using me to teach and mentor people in the avenue of dating. When I was going through all my past relationships I would get so discouraged because I felt like a flake, or that I wasn't hearing God telling me who/how to date. Well now I am seeing the full picture that even though my mistakes weren't huge, they are still able to help shed light on some young girls lives.
I'm still very close to a few girls from a youth group we belonged to in Wheaton, and let me just tell you that I love and care about those kids like you would NOT believe. One of the girls is like my little sister, and she is the most recent person God is helping me mentor in this area. Just last night I was able to share a story with her about a relationshp I was in, and it paralled her current situation so much it was eerie! But my errors, and my reflection on the situation has now helped her fine tune and accept what God was already putting into her heart. How amazing!
This has turned into a bit of a praise report on my life more than a post about Frugality, but I hope you don't care because I think we all need to be able to rejoice with each other in these type of victories. God is still working today, whether we chose to accept it or not.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
