So..what's been going on recently?

     Spring weather has finally arrived here in New York, which is such a blessing! The sun, the birds, and all the lovely spring flowers are peeping out from the dirt...it makes me so happy!
     I have lately been studying for my nursing licensure exam which takes up a lot of time in my day-to-day schedule. But, have no fear, it hasn't stopped me from growing closer to my savior over the past few months. I have no fear of the future, and the Lord has supplied me with peace about this exam and how the results will play out.
     I have recently started going through the book of Isaiah and have learned a lot about God's power, coming judgement, and mercy. The first few chapters talk a lot about the day of judgement and it is summed up well in Isaiah 2:11:

"The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day."

So, be prepared for that day. Follow in Jesus' steps, in humility, as you walk on this earth.

May the Lord bless you in these coming weeks...may he shower you with blessings! Amen.

Humility of Total Devotion

      This past Christmas season passed so quickly because of all the joy I experienced with the family, but I'm still quite determined to write a post for the month of December before time runs out.  I know there were some cousins and aunts/uncles wondering about me updating my blog, so here goes nothing!
      I was especially blessed this past Christmas by Mary's humility and grace in which she took the news that she, a virgin, would bear a son, quite unexpectedly and miraculously.  I was especially curious of how she viewed herself compared to God.  First, lets look at a part the conversation that the angel had with her...(Luke 1:34-38)

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

For with God nothing shall be impossible. 

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

      Two miracles were occurring at the same time which must have filled Mary with awe and wonder at the same time.  That last phrase that the angel said to her "For with God nothing shall be impossible" must have quieted all her fears and doubt.  Then in her humility she surrendered to God's will completely.  She referred to herself as his handmaiden.

(this is where the fun begins)

      I was curious as to what she meant when she called herself that, so I looked it up in the Interlinear which shows the original Greek translation.  The Greek word for Handmaid is DOULE. Doule is a femine noun which translates to (1) a female slave or (2) bondmaid.  The male noun, which is from the same root noun, means (1) a slave, and (2) devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests.  I love that last definition; it sums up Mary's intent so fully. She was devoting herself completely to God and (with God's help) disregarding the human nature to be terrified.  She called herself his slave/servant as a way of showing her complete devotion and surrender.  That was her humility in it's full and most precious form.  And because of her unwavering devotion she gave birth to God's own son, Jesus.

God Bless you all in the New Year and may we come before God with Humility of Total Devotion!

     

A musing for a rainy day...

My most recent iPod lock screen background.
I can take a breath and repeat the beautiful words to myself.
To be still..to take it all in in those few seconds.
The JOY and PEACE.
And to know that without a doubt: He Is God.
The only God in my short life.
How amazing to know and believe.
It's pure love and devotion; to "Be still and know that He is God"
And that is what I want my life to be..Love for Him.

From David Wilkerson, to you.

I don't think this needs any explaining. 

David Wilkerson says it as it needs to be heard.

Thankfulness from Hosea?!

This coming week is Thanksgiving and I thought I'd post something a bit early...

This morning I read Hosea 11 (one of my favorite chapters, from my favorite book of the bible). God has raised and taken care of Israel, yet they do not turn back to him. His holiness compels him to stay far from sin, but his compassion compels him to show love and mercy. He calls the Israelite's back to him and again shows them forgiveness. Love and Mercy win! 

God does the same for us. He forgives and forgets, throws our sins into the Sea of Forgetfulness. He doesn't hold grudges, like us. He controls his anger, his anger doesn't control him. We truly do have a wonderful God. It's beyond my understanding sometimes how he can forgive us, time after time. But, that is the power of UNFAILING LOVE being shown by our heavenly father. 

This year I'm thankful for Gods love toward me. 

I'm thankful that he forgives me and then forgets my past sins. 

Any "Amen's"?

Wholly Surrendered.

At the cross You beckon me

You draw me gently to my knees, and I am

Lost for words, so lost in love,

I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered.

Help Me Find It - Sidewalk Prophets

I don't know where to go from here 
It all used to seem so clear 
I'm finding I can't do this on my own 
I don't know where to go from here 
As long as I know that You are near 
I'm done fighting I'm finally letting go 
I will trust in You 
You've never failed before 
I will trust in You 


(Chorus):
If there's a road I should walk 
Help me find it 
If I need to be still Give me peace for the moment 
Whatever Your will 
Whatever Your will 
Can You help me find it 
Can You help me find it 


I'm giving You fear and You give faith 
I giving You doubt
You give me grace 
For every step I've never been alone 
Even when it hurts, You'll have Your way 
Even in the valley I will say 
With every breath 
You've never let me go 
I will wait for You 
You've never failed before 
I will wait for You 


(Chorus again)

I lift my empty hands (come fill me up again) 
Have Your way my King (I give my all to You) 
I lift my eyes again (Was blind but now I see) 
‘Cause You are all I need 


(Chorus again)

This song has been on my heart for a while..and I figured that I would post it. 

Maybe it will bless you, as it has blessed me in the past...and will surely bless me in the future.

Numerous blessings from God's Grace...

This morning I read a quote that sparked my interest for this post. It was said by C.H. Spurgeon:

"Visit many books, but live in the bible."

One of the most recent books I've been visiting is called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It is actually my second time reading this book. I love the style of writing, short and sweet, but to the point. The way Ann writes creates images in my mind, that I'll always have there forever. 

The greatest image she creates is the image of God's Grace. 

Even through all the troubling times and struggles in our life God is always there. He doesn't run out of grace either, its infinite and for the taking. We don't even have to do anything to earn it, except to repent of our sins and give our lives to Christ, wholly surrendered. We don't have anything to show for it.

So, in this book Ann gives us numerous examples of Gods gifts that he gives us, which show us his grace. Things like; daughters and sons, food, sunshine, rain, comfort, music, cows, and even chairs. 

We should be thankful for everything he provides. Therefore, let us not worry about anything. 

Ann Voskamp writes a blog post everyday on her blog, which I knew about even before this book was written; http://www.aholyexperience.com/.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:4-9).

Winter Weekend Retreat

     This past weekend I was at a youth retreat. I had an amazing time with friends; new and old. We slept in dorm-like rooms (girls on one side of the building, boys on the other side), with 4 or 5 other people. Laughter could be heard down the long hall at any point during the day. We did all different activities such as; basketball, volleyball, card games, shuffleboard, and even sumo-wrestling (which was quite fun to watch also). When we weren't having fun, we were in God's presence.
     An evangelist named Glen Badonsky was the special speaker and had us laughing and crying. He had a special sense of humor, but when alter call came we all went up to worship with him. He broke through with the humor and we were built up with our tears. He has a ministry in India called Double Portion Ministries. I truly felt the holy spirit in the chapel this year.

   

     We had worship time, which is always my favorite time. We sang a lot of contemporary songs. Some were "Stand" by Hillsong, "10,000 reasons" by Matt Redman, and "Promises" by Parachute band. Raising our hands in worship always makes me thankful that I have a God I can reach out to and he'll hear me and answer me.

What are YOU thankful for?

  I'm so thankful for everything I have; my family, my friends (far and near, new and old), my house (that still has some branches of a tree on it), wonderful food, God's word, and sooo much more. The thing I am most thankful for is for my Saviour, Jesus Christ. He is so merciful and faithful. I'm thankful for his infinite and unfailing love, and his grace. He is always there for me, to guide and protect me. You can leave a comment and tell me something that you're thankful for...

A Woman of Character...

Ever since I was a little girl, I've dreamed of being a woman of grace, like the "Proverbs 31 woman." It's almost as if it's been instilled into me, because it's become a greater desire. I try my best, and sometimes I get dissapointed because I know that I did something wrong.  
Somethings, like honoring my husband, isn't completed yet, but even though he doesn't exist as my husband yet I still pray daily for him. I pray that he grows deeper with God everyday and that his heart is prepared to help me stand stronger with the Lord. 
I know the Lord is with me and that I will become the woman he wants me to be, even if it's not a perfect Proverbs 31 example; I'll still be a woman of character, molded by Gods characteristics! 

Healing Rain ~ Let us Pray for it!

   This is the worst drought in the USA since the mid-50's. Over 50% of the country is in drought conditions and the rest is considered "unusually dry." I live in New York, so I haven't been hit with drought conditions, but I still pray for rain. This morning on Klove Radio the three hosts stopped the music they had been playing and took a minute or so to have everyone close their eyes (unless you were driving) and they prayed for the people who needed rain, mostly central USA. It felt so good praying for hundreds who I didn't know, but had one thing in common.
    1 Samuel 12:18 says: "Then Samuel called on the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel." Let us all pray that today is the end of the drought. And if not today, then let us keep praying each and every day. God Bless All!

One of Gods creatures - Strength

Have you ever watched a horse run along a sandy beach, it's muscular legs kicking up the loose sand? What about seeing a herd of wild horses gallop through inches of soft snow? Have you ever stood next to a horse to hear it breath and to feel the soft touch of its muzzle on your shoulder?

     I can't say yes to all these questions, sadly. Horses have been my favorite animal since I was a little girl. I remember watching horse movies one after another. There were times when I would gallop around the house like I was riding a wild steed, that I could supposedly train. (what a dream, right?) 
      Then my dream of riding a real horse came true when I entered third grade. We took riding lessons for about a year and a half. They were some of the most memorable and exciting days of my life. I rode a horse named Presley, a handsome chestnut with a black mane. The riding lesson price soon went up so high, that we stopped our lessons. We've ridden horses on vacations too. We went to Chincoteague to see the ponies there, and we also met the grandson of the owner of Misty. 
     I think that the thing that always drew me to horses was the grace and strength they showed. They run so smoothly, and show no fear. God made them to show us that we should be like them. We should never show fear toward Satan and his plans to lure us away from God. All horses know their owners voice, whether man or just God. We should always heed to our masters call no matter how hard it is for us to get to him. 

 “Do you give the horse its strength or clothe its neck with a flowing mane? Do you make it leap like a locust, striking terror with its proud snorting? It paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength, and charges into the fray. It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword. The quiver rattles against its side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement it eats up the ground; it cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds."  ~ Job 39:19-24 

“I Will Walk With Integrity”

Yesterday, in Sunday School, our lesson was on godly character. We touched briefly on multiple passages, but the one that stuck out at me was Psalm 101. So, without further ado…

The first verse of Psalm 101 is something  I can relate to. It says “I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing praise.” Singing is something I am always doing. I am not voice trained, and never took singing lessons, but that doesn’t stop me. I love listening to the Klove radio station or one of our many Christian cd’s that my family has collected over the years. I listen and sing to a lot of contemporary music, but every once in a while I take out a praise cd and sing those songs too. Just because my music is labeled Christian, doesn’t mean that the music is all about singing praise to the Lord. Sometimes the song isn’t praising God, so just be careful about the music you sing and listen to.

Verse two is when David asks God for help: “when will you come to me?.” We should all ask for Gods help, because we can’t possibly do everything without Gods help. Actually, we can’t get through anything without Gods help. In this world, we see people who aren’t true Christians get through situations, you might say, but they aren’t coming out without scars and wounds. Their hearts may be shriveled and broken into thousands of pieces. In order to live a blameless life, we need Gods help.
Verses three to eight show us characteristics that help us to live a blameless life. They aren’t easy to follow especially when we are in the presence of non-christians. Not looking at vile things is pretty hard to do nowadays. Posters and bulletins are all over  buildings, not to mention, in the biggest print people can possibly fit. They advertise beauty products, that probably don’t even work on everyone out there in the world. Sin can be enticing and can even look like fun. I know that I have participated in things that haven’t honored God, like spreading the latest gossip or making fun of people who didn’t fit in with our middle school click. After doing things like that, I would have a huge, guilty conscience, that I never enjoyed. Now my conscience is a good thing and has helped me stay away from those evil things. I’ve been forgiven for those sins and try not to do things like that anymore. In college I’ve met people that are haughty and boastful, and unfortunately I have become aquatinted with them. Those people should not be tolerated and I know that God will help me with them.
Verse six is a blessing to me. “My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me.” I also have Christian friends that build me up and draw me closer to the Lord.  There are so many Christians girls (set-apart for Christ) on Blogger and I am so happy for that. Verse six talks about pastors. Pastors aren’t perfect, but those that try to live a blameless life, should be the one’s preaching to us. I don’t want a pastor who has not experienced the love of Christ for himself/herself.  They would never be able to show us how to love the lord. Verse seven talks about living with people who aren’t deceitful and slanderers. All of my friends, whether christian or non-christians, now that I hate when they speak inappropriate language. I used to participate in all of that gossip, but now I keep what I know to myself and try not to laugh at others who are being gossiped about. Verse eight is something that all of us should commit to. We should all try our best to turn the lost sheep back to the lord and we should be careful of ourselves. We should watch that we don’t get pulled away from the Lord.
It may be hard to live a blameless life, like this Psalm explains, but we have God right beside us and we can always ask his help.

“Don't follow a defeated foe. Follow Christ. It is costly. You will be an exile in this age. But you will be free.”
― John Piper

Modesty - LYWB

I follow a blog called www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com. It had a post on modesty today and I wanted to share it with all of you...

Isn't modesty the guy's problem?

Myself posted by Erin Davis on 05/05/11

When I was a young woman, I often dressed immodestly. I wasn't driven by a desire to draw attention to myself. In my case, my clothes were immodest because I was clueless.

Throughout high school and college I didn't understand that being modest meant more than covering up your belly button. More importantly, I didn't understand why modesty mattered because I didn't have a firm grasp of how my immodest clothing was impacting my Christian brothers.

If you're a little like me—you don't understand why modesty matters, you don't know for sure if your clothing is modest or not, and you don't fully grasp why what you wear matters to the guys your around—consider this a wake-up call. After reading this post and watching the video below, you will have to face the fact that what you wear matters and that immodesty is truly everyone's problem.

Sometimes when I speak or write about modesty, girls feed me this line: "I can't help it if a guy pays attention to me or my body. If my clothes make him stumble, that's his problem, not mine." If only it were that easy. The reality is God has connected us to our Christian brothers through the body of Christ. In His Word He makes it very clear that if you are doing something that trips up the people around you, you are in the wrong and the responsibility for their struggle rests on your shoulders.

In Romans, Paul offers important advice about how we should relate to each other. He was specifically writing to address the topic of food, but the principles certainly apply to modesty. To help you apply the meat of these passages, I have replaced references to food with references to fashion. Pay close attention to Paul's words. Ask yourself what these passages reveal about why modesty matters so much.

"Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you [wear], you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your [clothing] destroy someone for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of [what you wear], but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.

"Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of [fashion]. All [clothing] is clean, but it is wrong for a person to [wear] anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to [dress to impress others] or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall" (Rom. 14:13–21). 

(The movie above is really for girls though)