Friend to Friend Friday

altar of incense

March 20th, 2012 | Posted by Tiffany Jonker
Jasmine, Gardenia, Evening Primrose, Easter Lily, Lavender, Begonia, and Double Delight Rose—What do all of these beautiful flowers have in common? Color? Size? Purpose?
The answer is fragrance.
Each one of these flowers produces a fragrance that is pleasing to our senses, a fragrance that will bring joy to an off day or an unpleasant condition.
We all love to smell things that have a sweet fragrance.
In Psalm 141:2, David cried out to the Lord, saying, “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”
David understood that the prayers he was offering up to the Lord were a sweet fragrance…that of incense. He wanted them to be as consistent and regular as the lighting of incense that took place in the Temple.
In Exodus 30:7, the Lord says “Aaron shall burn on it [the Altar of Incense, which was the last stop before the high priest could enter into the Holy of Holies] sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.”
The priests were to stand two times a day before the inner veil of the temple and burn incense so that the smoke would carry into the Holy of Holies and be swept into the very nostrils of God. The aroma represented the prayers of the people—all that had ever been and would be prayed from the hearts of the saints.
In Revelation 8:3–4, we read that in the heavenly temple, an angel “having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.”
If you are a follower of Jesus, you are among the saints. Your prayers are the incense. And the fragrance they bring is a blessing to the Lord.
When we pray, when we intercede, when we plead with the Lord on behalf of our friends and family, with perpetuity and with consistency, this will bless the Lord. It will be a sweet-smelling aroma to Him. God is a god who loves to hear from His children—and who loves to answer our prayers.
Let’s take time to intercede on behalf of those we love, family and friends, even now.


Have a blessed day,

Amanda

Titus 2 Tuesday

Respecting Our Husbands

Our husband's greatest Love need is to be respected for who he is and what he does!

Ephesians 5:33 says:

Nevertheless let each individual among you also love his Own wife even as himself; and let the wife see to it that she respects her husband.

Webster's Dictionary definition: RESPECT

To show honor or esteem for; to hold a high regard; to show consideration for; to consider or treat with deference (yielding in opinion, judgement or wishes, courteous) or dutiful regard avoid intruding or interfering with...That's a thought!

Ephesians 5:33b (AMPLIFIED)

Let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband, that she notices him, prefers him, venerate and esteems him, and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves him, and admires him exceedingly. 

Venerates = worship

This command involves action on our part.  After you read this, take a moment to list 5 things that will show respect to your husband and pray that the Holy Spirit will help you accomplish these things.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Have a Blessed Day :)

Amanda  



Friend to Friend Friday

Below is an amazing devotional I get everyday, go over and say Hi to them.  Enjoy!

 

March 8, 2012
Turning Aside to See
Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth
“Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you,”(Matthew 9:22 NIV).

Friend to Friend
All day long God is working in and around us. It is so easy to simply go about the task of living without seeing God’s handprints on our circumstances and footprints on our paths. When we see life as a “to do list” to check off, or random acts of fortune to celebrate or misfortune to endure, we miss seeing God and hearing His voice as the scarlet thread that connects the moments and the days of our lives.
Frederick Buechner noted, “All the absurd little meetings, decisions, inner skirmishes that go to make up our days. It all adds up to very little, and yet it all adds up to very much. Our days are full of nonsense, and yet not, because it is precisely into the nonsense of our days that God speaks to us words of great significance…”
When Jesus came to earth in human form, He had a definite plan and purpose. The Bible tells us, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work,”
(I John 3:8). Another translation says it this way: “The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen and dissolve) the works of the devil [has done]” (Amplified).
Even though Jesus’ plan and purpose was clearly stated, He welcomed interruptions when His Father placed someone in His path. Jesus turned aside to care for the woman caught in adultery and spoke to the Pharisees about forgiveness. He turned aside to heal a blind man and spoke about the reason the man had been blind from birth. He turned aside to bless children even though the disciples tried to shoo them away.
He turned aside to question who had touched the hem of his garment and spoke words of encouragement and healing to a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. He turned aside to speak to a curious Zacheaus perched in a tree. He turned aside to woo a frightened insecure fourteen-year-old girl and welcome her with open arms – me.
Jesus paid attention to the circumstances of those around him as he went from one place of ministry to the next. He noticed a woman mourning in a funeral procession for her only son, a woman drawing water by a well, a lame man lying by a pool and a blind man crying out by the side of the road. To those looking on, they may have seen each of these situations as an interruption in Jesus’ busy schedule, but Jesus saw them as divine appointments.
Today, as you go through the tasks of daily living, pay attention to those around you. You never know when someone in your path may be your special assignment from God.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, I have so much to do today, but nothing is as important as what You have for me to do. Help me to pay attention to the lives around me and recognize any special assignments that You may have for me today.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Today, pay close attention to any unusual circumstances that happen your way.
At the end of the day, write down any special assignments that you had from God. Then I’d love to hear about it. Log onto www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes and share your God-moment!
More from the Girlfriends
God is working all around us and in our lives. If you would like to learn more about how to sense God’s presence and leading in your life, see my book, Becoming a Woman Who Listens to God. He’s got a lot to tell you!

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com

Titus 2 Tuesday

Self Image

Based on 1 Corinthians 13

Because God loves me, He is slow to lose patience with me.

Because God loves me, He takes the circumstances of my life and uses them in a constructive way for my growth.

Because God loves me, He does not treat me as an object to be possessed and manipulated.

Because God loves me, He has no need to impress me with how great and powerful He is, because He is God, nor does He belittle me as His child in order to show me how important He is.

Because God loves me, He is for me.  He wants to see me grow and develop in His love.

Because God loves me,  He does not send down His wrath on every little mistake I make, though there are many.

Because Gos loves me, He does not keep score of all my sins and then beat me over the head with them whenever He gets the chance.

Because God loves me, He is deeply grieved when I do not walk in the ways that please Him, because He sees this as evidence that I don't trust Him and love Him as I should.

Because God loves me, He rejoices when I experience His power and His strength and stand up under the pressures of life for His name's sake.

Because God loves me, He keeps on working patiently with me even when I feel like giving up and I can't see why He doesn't give up on me, too.

Because God loves me, He keeps on trusting me when at times I don't even trust myself.

Because God loves me, He never says there is not hope for me.  Rather, He patiently works with me, loves me and disciplines me in such a way that is hard for me to understand the depth of His concern for me.

Because God loves me, He never forsakes me even though many of my friends might.

Because God loves me, He stands with me when I have reached the rock bottom of despair, when I see the real me and compare that with His righteousness, holiness, beauty and love.  It is at a moment like this that I can really believe that God loves me.

YES, THE GREATEST OF ALL GIFTS IS GOD'S PERFECT LOVE!   

Friend to Friend Friday

Where to Find Joy

	The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. Psalm 25:14

 

            As I have walked with the Lord for the past several years, I have realized we have different views of the will of God. 1.Some imagine the will of God as something that God effectively hides from us, sort of like a divine Easter Bunny who has a golden egg put away somewhere, and as you get closer, just maybe he will give you little hints.

2. For others, their concept of the will of God is that it is something horrible or undesirable, like death or sort of like a diet.  This is how some people see God. They think it is boring at best and miserable at worst.

Both of these views are incorrect as I have learned from His word, however. There is joy in being in the will of God. As I read in the book of Romans the apostle Paul wrote to Roman believers, "Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other" (Romans 15:32).

Then I found in Isaiah, Isaiah 55 to be exact, "You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!" (verse 12).

There is joy and peace in the will of God. And when you are outside the will of God, there is misery and turmoil, I have lived that misery and turmoil. I  was the most miserable woman and I knew what was right and did not do it. 

 When you know what is right and are running away from it, your life will be especially hard.

So continue to surround yourself with strong followers, meditate on His word to make sure your decisions are biblical and most of all be in constant prayer with Him.

            As a follower, you are His child, bought with Christ's blood.. And He wants to reveal His will to you.


Every Thing I am

Amanda

Titus 2 Tuesday

Being The Women God Wants Us To Be

This past weekend I was invited to a Titus 2 Women's Workshop.  Wow, I learned so much...  I have read Titus 2:3-5 several times & I tell you, when a wonderful women of God (Joanne Frank) unpacks the word of Titus 2, through God's word, it is amazing! 

So what I'm going to do is, for the next several Tuesdays, I'm going to share some of the "meat & potatoes"  with you that was shared with me.

The study of Titus 2 is a ministry reaching out to all women in order to abide by the admonition of Titus 2:3-5: "that the older women teach, train, and encourage the younger women to be sound minded, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be pure and kind, keepers of the home and submissive to their own husbands so that the Word of God is not blasphemed."

The heart of Titus 2 is the desire and passion in "strengthening and saving marriages one wife at a time."

The first step we must  choose to forgive, "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you." 

CHOOSE to forgive-as an act of your will, in obedience to God's word.  Be very specific about the offense you are willing to forgive-part of the healing process is in letting go of specific offenses.

ASK the Father's forgiveness for that person-following Jesus' example on the cross-"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

CHOOSE to forgive Father God for allowing these hurtful wounds to come into your life-not because God did anything wrong, but because YOU need to let go of any resentment you may hold towards the Father.

ASK the Lord to forgive YOU for your unforgiveness, any bitterness, anger, resentment, unrighteous thinking, words, or actions that were you wrong response to the offense.

ASK the Lord to remove any leftovers-wrong thinking or feelings-He will wash you white as snow.

ASK Him to replace the empty place with His love, mercy, and grace.  Ask Him to heal the wounds in your soul.

PRAY with compassion for the one who hurt you.  Ask the Lord to bless him/her in every way possible in every aspect of their lives.   

Till next Tuesday, through Christ. "The walk as a follower of Jesus Christ is not hard: it is impossible in our own strength!

God is sufficient and makes us sufficient for all things. 2 Cor. 4:7 

Friend to Friend Friday

This past week I have been drawn to some amazing devotions/articles by some amazing Godly women.  I found the below very inspiring & convicting.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

does wearing buttons bring pride?

July 22nd, 2010 | Posted by Cathe Laurie

Does wearing buttons bring pride? Are certain colors “worldly”? Is dressing dowdy a sign of spirituality? Should a woman wear pants? If we issued a uniform standard established by a certain generation, maybe then we could be assured that we are virtuous dressers. Just think—in some parts of the world it’s the men who wear tunics and women wear the trousers!

In a very old book called The Christian’s Daily Walk (written in the 1600’s) I read some great wisdom on dressing yourself as “one that becometh godliness.”

These are some brief things to ponder when you are getting dressed.

1. What is suitable to your special calling?
2. What is consistent with health and beauty?
3. Don’t be overly long in deciding what to wear.
4. Don’t dress to attract undue attention.
5. Be frugal, modest.
6. Follow the example of those of your rank and means.
7. Ask yourself how you want to appear before the eyes of the Savior.

Styles and customs change over time but some things don’t change! Principles of humility and modesty are timeless.

Friend to Friend Friday

I found this great Christ centered web page for moms, "Manna for Moms" by Megan Breedlove.  Go over and visit her.  She is truly a blessing.  Here is an example of a devotional she wrote about "housework"

Of course the above saying is from me.  I thought is was funny  :)

HOUSEWORK-A BLESSING?

Originally published on December 27, 2010.

By Megan Breedlove

Housecleaning doesn’t top my list of favorite activities. For one thing, I find it sometimes frustrating that the same work has to be done over and over. For another, I just don’t get that excited about cleaning bathrooms.

One particular day when I there was a lot of housework to be done, I found myself resenting all the tasks. I don’t remember whether or not I was grumbling out loud, but I was certainly grumbling in my spirit.

It was then that God spoke to my resentful spirit. You can choose how to look at this, He said. You can see this housework as cause for resentment, or as a blessing.

A blessing? I thought. How?

As I continued to meditate on the idea, God began to open my eyes to exactly what He meant. Once I really grasped what He was trying to say to me, my whole perspective on housework changed. I still don’t look forward to doing dishes or mopping floors, but I now know how to choose to be thankful for the privilege of doing these tasks instead of resentful at the burden they place upon me.

I offer you the poem I wrote at that time to put into words what God had taught me. I hope it will not only encourage you, but also help you renew your mind (Romans 12:2) in this area of your life.

THANK YOU

Dear Lord, Your Word says ‘don’t complain’; I know that this is true.

But when it comes to housework or chores I don’t want to do,

It’s easy to resent the things to which I must give time.

“Taking up my cross” isn’t always what I have in mind.

But Lord, you have been teaching me to see the way You see,

To realize that my household tasks are blessings You gave me.

And so, I choose to give You thanks for all I have to do,

Knowing that the privilege of doing it’s from You.

Thank You for the laundry dropped in piles upon the floor,

And for the dirty pairs of shoes left right inside the door.

Thank You for the shirts and socks and coats flung everywhere,

For OxiClean and Shout and Tide—it means we’ve clothes to wear.

Dirty cups and dishes clutter countertops and sink.

I sure hope no one’s hungry; I hope no one needs a drink.

If it could all just wash itself, it would be such a treat.

But thanks for dirty dishes, too—it means we’ve food to eat.

Thank You for the sink and floor and toilet I must scrub,

And for my nice, hot shower; and I won’t leave out the tub.

Thank You for the mirror and wet towels I know are coming.

I’m grateful for this bathroom; it means we’ve indoor plumbing.

The messiness of games and toys and books covers our floors.

And did I mention dolls and blocks and drawings taped on doors?

Sometimes, I think I’ve seen my fill of Hot Wheels, Legos, bibs.

But thank You for this chaos—it means I have four kids.

My front yard isn’t landscaped. It isn’t even mown.

It’s filled with plastic toys and shovels—things that aren’t my own.

It sure won’t win “Yard of the Month”, but I don’t need that anyway.

I thank You for my lived-in yard—my kids have space to play.

There’s so much work I must get done. I do it all, and then

An hour later, it’s a mess, and must be done again.

But Lord, I thank You for the time that I can’t call my own,

The time spent serving others. It means I have a home.

Forgive me, Lord, for asking You for blessings great and small,

Then complaining when I have to clean or take care of them all.

Oh, Lord, the very fact that I always have much to do

Is not a cause for bitterness, but for giving thanks to You.

I see that every chore I have to do reflects Your grace

In blessing me with earthly things until I see Your face.

May I do my work with gratitude for the opportunity,

Seeing in it a chance for joy, and not mere drudgery.

My heart responds in thankfulness for all that You have given.

I’ll serve You by taking care of it ’til You call me to heaven.

Help me serve in such a way that the whole world sees Your dear Son

In my heart and hands and words and work, that to Him, they be won.

Friend to Friend Friday

Here I Am

It is so amazing, the Holy Spirit, He allows different words in scripture to mean different things in different circumstances in a believers life, if you listen.  Yesterday, I was listening to one of my favorite radio pastors, Pastor Bob Coy (Calvary Chapel Ft Lauderdale, Florida).

He was talking about the conversion of Saul in Acts 9:1-31, what an amazing transformation!  What an amazing God we have.  What is grand is that I have read this passage over & over before,  but  never  heard. What really struck me is how the Lord spoke to me through this message today.

God spoke to Ananias in a vision, "Ananias!"  "Yes Lord, here I am." Acts 9:10.  

Wow!  During the podcast Pastor Bob Coy focused on "Here I am Lord!"   I did not know that in scripture, "Here I am." is used approx a half dozen or more times by Abraham (Gen 22:1), Esau (Gen 27:1), Jacob (Gen 31:11),  Moses (Exodus 3:4), Samuel ( 1Sam 3:4), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8), Mary (Luke 1:38) & Ananias (Acts 9:10).

When I looked up these verses,  I realized the Lord was calling to his chosen.  And they were all available!  "Here I am Lord."

I looked at my walk with the Lord and asked myself, "Am I available when the Lord says, "Amanda, Amanda, are you walking with me? are you following me? are you listening to my voice?"

Yes, Lord I'm listening, You chose me, a sinner, not deserving of Your love!  Saved by Grace.  I love you Lord with all my heart, mind & soul...,

Here I Am Lord!

  

I'm Back

Oh my!  I have missed blogging so much!  I changed work places, and my new location did not have WiFi.  I was so bummed because I do all my blogging at work.  But now as of last week WiFi was put in.

And I have to tell you for those who are thinking, "Why isn't she working?"  My job is very easy and unfortunately once I get done with work I have to find things to do. LOL! 

I'm a so blessed & thankful for all the gifts our Father gives to me 

See what kind of love the the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

1JOHN 3:1

Blessing To You

Amanda

Friend To Friend Friday

This month is a victorious month for our family, my husband Rob two years ago was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  Which we later found out to be cancer.

I am so thankful to our merciful Lord for sparing his life.  I sometimes get questions like, "why did your husband survive his cancer, and my friend did not?"

I don't have the answers "Why"  I just know Rob is chosen and believes with all his heart, mind & soul that the Lord is his Redeemer.  And the Lord uses Rob for His greater purpose to Glorify His name in what the Lord wants Rob to do.  

I just want to say, I love my husband so much.  He is my hero, lover, best friend & my forever life partner.

Remembering

This is my Rob in the ICU after his surgery.  That is Rob's brother making a funny face in the background.

Lost a little of his hair with the radiation treatment

X marks the spot where the radiation target was intended for his tumor.

I love you sweet heart, our journey hand & hand continues.

Blessings To You

Amanda



Word for the Day Wednesday

In God's Image

Sometimes we can forget that every person on this earth is simply a human being. Despite the cast systems of foreign countries and the social practices of some in our own country, no person is better than another. We all have struggles, difficulties, fears, hopes, and dreams. And we all need Christ.

No one is too great or too small to accept God's gift of salvation. In witnessing, we can run across people who are perhaps a little different than we are. Maybe they aren't dressed how we would dress, are involved in things we wouldn't take part in, or don't possess certain things we do. Simply because someone is different shouldn't keep us from telling them of salvation.

God made so many different types of people. The diversity is testament to His power and wonder. But one thing He did make the same is our need for Him. We are all born with a need for redemption, a hope of peace. God's provided that hope in His Son.
Fear should never keep you from witnessing to another person. The world is full of fears and rejection, but realize that every person wants what you want-a secure future and peace within. Whether they admit it or not, our world is searching for truth. You may see a front of anger, rejection, fear, or dismissal when presenting others with God's gift; but be faithful to spreading the Gospel to even the "unlovable" people of the world.

Blessings To You

Amanda





Friend to Friend Friday

Have you ever had a life altering experience? Did you go to the Lord for direction and meaning while fasting and praying? Too often we direct our energies in painful situations toward something that we think will give us pleasure or entertainment (television, food, alcohol, etc.). What or who do you seek when you are under pressure? Is it the Lord? Have you developed a dependency on the Lord or something else? How do you change?

Blessings To You

Amanda

Word for the Day Wednesday

Justified!

One side of justification is positive and includes what God has done for us and given to us.  A technical definition of the word justification is "to put to one's account."  When God justifies a person, He does so by placing to his or her credit the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  This balances the moral and spiritual budget for us, if you will.  God removed all of your sin.  He forgave all of it.  And then He put the righteousness of Christ into your account for the future, the part of justification that a lot of people don't know about.  Do you?  Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior?  Are you justified?  

Friend to Friend Friday

Blessed are the pure in heart for thay shall see God

Matthew 5:8

The heart is important in Scripture because it is the center of our personality and the center of our will and emotions. God wants us to have pure hearts. It is attainable; otherwise Jesus never would have promised it. What exactly is this purity, as in being "pure of heart"? It is a word that means "without hypocrisy," or "single." 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil [or "double-visioned"], thy whole body shall be full of darkness" (Matthew 6:22–23 KJV). To be "single" or pure means to have a single-minded devotion to Jesus. As the Psalmist wrote, "Unite my heart to fear your name" (Psalm 86:11).

To be pure in heart is to seek to live a holy life, and that is the secret to happiness. If you want to be happy, seek to be holy. As Martyn Lloyd Jones said, "Seek for happiness and you will never find it. Seek righteousness and you will discover you are happy. It will be there without your knowing it, without your seeking it." 

Blessings To You

Amanda 

God's Comfort

"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence."

John 14:23-31
God promises to walk beside you through even the darkest days of life.

Life is full of ups and downs. One day things can be going well then the next your world seems to be caving in on you. God tells us in His Word that life will have struggles and hardships, but He gives us a promise shown in John 14.

In some of His last words to the disciples before ascending to Heaven, Jesus addressed their fear of being alone to do His work. Think about it. Before they had been seen at Jesus' side, assisting Him in His teachings and ministry. Now Jesus told them He would be gone and they would be responsible for His work to continue.

After dealing with the death then resurrection of Christ, one can only imagine the fear and emotion these men felt at the news of Jesus' leaving. How could they do this on their own? Yet even before His crucifixion, Jesus promised them, "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

In the midst of their fear, Jesus gave them peace. In the midst of your fear today, God offers peace. No matter what you're facing or what fear you feel, God has extended His arm and said, "My peace I given unto you. Don't be afraid."

What fear or uncertainty are you facing today? What has you afraid about the future? God promises to be right beside you the whole way. He promises to hold your hand and guide your steps. With God next to you, you have no reason to be afraid for He is in control of everything. Trust Him with your future.

Blessings To You

Amanda

Friend to Friend Friday

One of the greatest gifts we can give the people in our lives is the gift of a guarded tongue. The Psalmist writes, “Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD: keep watch over the door of my lips.” Someone once said, “Lord, please bridle my tongue, so that on Judgment Day, I will not be guilty of assault with a deadly weapon.”


The power of the spoken word is great in that words are like seeds. What we plant will grow. If we plant negative words, destructive and critical words, we will reap relationships that are negative, destructive and critical. On the other hand, if we consistently plant words of encouragement, our relationships will flourish.  Look for the good in your family and friends – and then speak it. Be a cheerleader for the people God sends your way. Everyone needs a cheerleader!

Blessings To You

Amanda

"He" is my ROCK

I have to tell you, I have been really dealing with spiritual warfare for the past several months.  Who am I kidding, the past several years.  Really, since I became a "follower of Christ"  and I have been OK with it,  I love our Savior with every ounce of myself and that is what we are called to do. (Mark 13:10)
. 
I pray & walk out of our home every morning with my full "Armour of God" on & fight off those flaming arrows that are shot my way.  No problem, right?  Well, me and my family have been fighting one particular battle for sometime now.  Pushing forward everyday, warding off the minions who wake me up with fearful thoughts of our situation.  Praying, Praying and trusting our Savior for guidance.

Well, and I have to tell you, I am exhausted, I just don't want to deal with this any more.  And I have to admit,  I have been praying, "Lord!  make this go away."  I so want to avoid this situation.

Avoidance really is my broken way of "dealing" with things I prefer to ignore. To my "mountaintops  taking an honest look at my situation can be challenging, put me in uncomfortable situations, and cause me to look at the situation through the eyes of Jesus.

 But ultimately, as a loving Father does for His children.  He made me realize today, I don't have to be afraid, I know the Creator, isn't that amazing! I have a relationship with "Him!" He made  realize fear is the root cause of my avoidance -- fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of pain, or fear of the uncertain. Sometimes, it is fear of the action the Lord will call me to take and what discomfort or inconvenience that action might cause for me.

I know how real my fear is,  and I know it is not consistent with Scripture. 1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear . . . ."

I know yesterday, today & tomorrow I don't have to fear as a child of God for He is "Love" and fear is the adversary pulling me down.  Praise Him for my burdens, and Lord thank you for your written Word and for being my ROCK.  And know I will LOVE through Jesus in the trial or trial's I may (will) face.

"All men will hate you because of Me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
Matthew 10:22 

Blessings To You
Amanda



Friend to Friend Friday

Fruitful

“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 1:2, NIV).

On a family visit to the mountians, our condo had a balcony that overlooked the forrest.  Rob & I sat on the balcony one morning and watched as a tree cutting service approached a pine tree and began to trim the huge branches.  We noticed that the tree looked fresh and vibrant. Healthy. The pruning made such a difference!

Jesus spoke to His disciples and said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, thatyou bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:1-8, NIV

The tree cutting men didn’t pull the branch's off to hurt the tree. He pruned it to increase its beauty, health and vibrancy. God does the same for us. He prunes His children to increase our beauty, health and vibrancy for our good and for His glory - to make us more useful to Him and more fruitful.

Blessings To You

Amanda

Nuturing Our Children Through God

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
Ephesians 6:1-4

God desires for us to raise our children for Him. It can be difficult to instill godly morals in our children in the world in which we live. But God has given us certain steps we can take in helping to nurture our children.

We must first express our love to our children both verbally and personally. If our children do not know that we love them, how will they know that God loves them? Many times a child's perception of God is based on their relationship with their earthly father. We must be active in showing them our love. We have also seen that we must nurture our children by spending time with them in God's Word each day. We must teach them of God at an early age so their hearts will be grounded in Him.  We will see that godly discipline is a vital part in raising our children for God.

Our verses today point out two ways we are to raise our children. Ephesians 6:4 says, "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

We are to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

The word nurture in that verse has to do with teaching and training our children. It is the process of education in which our children learn. It deals with both head knowledge and heart knowledge. It deals with teaching them arithmetic, science, history, and also of teaching them the Bible and God's principles for life.

The other part of Ephesians 6:4 says we are to bring them up in the admonition of the Lord. The word admonition has to do with encouragement and warning. It is a combination of exhortation and rebuke. We are to encourage them to do right and exercise godly discipline when they do wrong.
There is an idea in our society today that many forms of discipline are harmful and abusive to children. Yet

God commanded us in Proverbs 22:15, "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." God desires that we would raise godly children through proper discipline.
Evangelist D.L. Moody was once asked, "How may converts did you have last night?" "Two and one-half." "You mean two adults and one child?" "No. I mean two children and one adult. The children still have their entire lives to live."

Children are special to God and raising them is a great privilege and responsibility! We must seek God's help in nurturing our children and we must follow His instructions. He desires that we would instill godly morals in them by correcting them through godly discipline when they are wrong.

Are you following God's guide to raising your children for the Lord? Are you properly admonishing them when it is necessary? Make sure you are applying both discipline and encouragement when necessary. Your children should know that you fear God and that sin will not go unpunished, but they should also know that you are doing it out of love.

Take time now and ask God to help you correctly apply both exhortation and rebuke in your children's lives. Seek God's help each day as you strive to raise your children for Him.

Blessings to You

Amanda