As a man or woman of God there are certain changes that need to take place in you. There is a Christian rapper by the name of Da T.R.U.T.H who talks about how he dies everyday. Now to the “normal” person that sounds kind of weird. To a man or woman of God we know that our flesh must die daily in order for us to become closer to God. In order to be pleasing to God we must live by the spirit. Galatians 2:19, 20 says, “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Now…
Let’s talk about our funeral...
On second thought, let me talk about my funeral.
I found that when the flesh dies it hurts like heck. Through reading the word of God and different books, I discovered that we die only to live forever. That’s deep, right?
The pain that you feel when you’re going through your trials and overcoming your old ways is the dying part. The reward after the storm is the living.
Me, personally, right from the start I did not know that there were things that I would have to give up immediately in order to get this thing right with Christ. I got saved on June 6, 2006 and I thought that was where the buck stopped. I listened to the same music, watched the same movies, dealt with same people, used the same language because I figured “okay I’m saved” *patting myself on the back*
Needless to say, in just a few months time, I wasn’t even thinking about church anymore. But I thank God for his Holy Spirit that is in me because even though I wasn’t thinking about church, the Spirit wasn’t going to let me forget about it. My life got to the point where I just wasn’t satisfied with anything and I just didn’t know why, so I went back, and I haven’t left since.
When I went back the second time, I realized that things needed to be different this time around. So…I threw away compromising movies, all R&B and rap CDs that did not glorify God (which was all of them), let go of those guy “friends”, distanced myself from as much negativity as I could, grabbed onto anything that had to do with the Lord and refused to let go. I remember some family and friends thought that it was just a phase I was going through. They couldn’t believe that the week before I was cursing and laying someone out, and now this week I’m all “holyfied” as one person in particular put it. Their reactions made me so glad that God is gracious and merciful. He took me just as I was. I left Him, but He never left me. He welcomed me back with open arms, and never once mentioned the things I was doing the week before. GOD IS SO GOOD!!
Another thing I want to touch on about dying to things of the flesh is making sure that we’re not sending out the wrong signals. I have a perfect example of this:
Yesterday I went to pick my kids up from the sitter’s house. As I was walking in, her son was walking out and he said, “Dag girl, you look like you on your way to the club…” I laughed it off because the way that he said it was funny, but his comment stuck with me for the rest of the day (conviction from the Holy Spirit). I hadn’t realized that the outfit that I was wearing (a gold tank top, jean capris, a big brown and gold belt, and a pair of 4 inch gold stilettos) gave off that impression, but then again I have to admit that when I looked in the mirror I didn’t feel completely at ease. I just wanted to look cute for a change. Even though I haven’t gone to a club in years, and not even entertaining the thought, but what I was wearing gave off that impression. It made me realize that we must be mindful of even small things like our clothing. What I had on wasn’t revealing, but the way it was put together made me look like I was about to bust through the club doors.
By the time I got to bible study that evening, I had traded in my gold stilettos for a pair of gold flip-flops, removed my belt, and added a brown jacket overtop my gold tank-top. I did not want to give off the impression that I was living a certain way when in fact I wasn’t. Like I stated in a previous blog, when you are a Christian people will put you under a magnifying glass to examine you for any flaw you may have, even other Christians. So why bring on unnecessary scrutiny if I didn’t have to?
If we are to draw attention to ourselves, let it be because someone is recognizing the Spirit of God in us. We should always strive to become less and let the Lord become greater (John 3:30) so that He is the one receiving the glory.
Don’t think that I’m not going to touch on the fellas’ wardrobe. Fellas, you also have to be mindful of the clothing you wear. Yes I know you love the Lord, but you’re walking around with a bang bang shoot ‘em up Scarface shirt on. Huh? *scratching my head* You see where I’m going with this? It’s nice to be able to look nice, but just make sure what you wear isn’t going against the very thing you stand for.
For anyone who’s fighting with their flesh and you feel like you’re losing, keep pressing on in all the things of the Lord. I know it may seem hard. You see people going out to clubs, getting their “drink on”, listening to whatever they want, talking however they want, reacting however they want, but please know that if we stick it out that our reward in Heaven will be much greater than anything that they could ever experience here on this earth. 1 Samuel 26:23 states that, “The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness”. So keep up the good work, and know that you are not in this walk alone. I encourage everyone to fellowship with the body of Christ so when your hard times come, you have someone to pray for you and encourage you. Continue to have faith in the Lord. “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”. (Hebrews 11:6)
Let me close out in prayer:
“Heavenly Father, I come before you Lord just saying thank you Father. You have been so gracious and merciful, Lord. You took us as we were, Lord. You asked no questions. You picked us up and dusted us off when we fell. Thank you Lord for ordering our footsteps. Father, I thank you for allowing me to create these blog entries, and I also pray that it will not only serve as a form of therapy for me, but a blessing for someone else. Father I pray that in every entry that I decrease and you increase, Lord. I pray for everyone who may be struggling with the flesh, including myself. I pray that you help us stand firm and go through the trials and not turn away from them. I understand that pruning must take place, Father, so I thank you in advance for the outcome. Thank you for everything that you have done, everything that you are doing, and everything that is to come. In Jesus name I pray. Amen”
Feel free to comment or leave topics to discuss or prayer requests. I appreciate any feedback.
You can also hit me up on MySpace: www.myspace.com/soflyyohmygod
Be Blessed!!!
Until next time…
Let me close out in prayer:
“Heavenly Father, I come before you Lord just saying thank you, Father. Feel free to comment or leave topics to discuss. I appreciate any feedback.
You can also hit me up on MySpace: www.myspace.com/soflyyohmygod
Be Blessed!!!
Until next time…
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Best Friends: The Bibles Definition Vs. Human Perspective/ Jesus is the Ultimate Best Friend
Do you have a best friend? Have you ever made that promise that you’d always be there for your best friend? Unconditional, right? But let’s take a closer look at what we’re actually saying.
John 15:13-15 says that “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
Are you willing to go those lengths for your “best” friend? I felt the need to discuss this topic because I’m feeling that the Bible’s definition versus our human definition of best friend is a little different. I also wanted to bring light to the subject because it’s always good practice to be mindful of what you say out of your mouth and paying attention to your actions. As a Christian you are constantly under a microscope being examined to find your flaws.
I’m actually going through a situation now with a friend of mine that I’ve know for over a decade. I felt that writing this blog would help with my healing process. I’ll briefly explain the situation:
My “best friend” and I have known each other for a long time. There is nothing that we wouldn’t do for each other. Recently, he became very distant and started treating me very unfairly. He wouldn’t answer my calls, he’d act funny toward me, and he even kind of ditched me one night on an outing with some mutual friends of ours. Well, through a sister at the church that I fellowship at (Go JLM!!!), I learned that he was acting funny because he has a new female friend. I’m guessing one that he has a romantic interest in. When I asked this sister why he felt the need to hide something so small like that from me, she informed me that he didn’t want me to be devastated and backslide. I was actually hurt by that comment. It didn’t matter to me that he had a new female friend; I’m happy for him. I’ve been there through most of his girlfriends. I was hurt because I felt like he was more caught up on himself. He extended himself to me and retracted himself without a moments notice. The part that really took the cake was that he didn’t even bother coming to me and telling me. To this day he still hasn’t approached me. He told everyone else around me. I have to admit that this cut deep.
I’ve been dealing with this situation for about three weeks now. I still love my friend very much and I forgive him, but I have to admit there is still a little residue of hurt there. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails…” So, I had to sit back and do a self-examination of myself and my emotions. I realize that my emotions are valid, but I can’t sit in them too long. Ecclesiastes 3 says “there is a time for everything…” So, just like “there is a time to weep, there is also a time to laugh.” No time for self-pity ladies and gentleman. I have to face the facts that my “best friend” is what he is: HUMAN. As I sit here writing, I realize that if he cannot come to me, then I should take the initiative. He is not just my “best friend”, but also my brother in Christ. Christ commands us to love. How can I love you if I’m not speaking to you?
Breaking all of this down and reading it back to myself, I realize that the human perspective of friendship and the Bibles is in fact different. Human relationships tend to have stipulations. For example: I love you, BUT if you do this we can’t be friends anymore. There is even a parable about it in Luke 11:5-10. It states:
“Then he said, "Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up and I don't have a thing on hand. The friend answers from his bed “Don't bother me. The door's locked; my children are all down for the night; I can't get up to give you anything.” But let me tell you, even if he won't get up because he's a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he'll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
"Here's what I'm saying:
Ask and you'll get;
Seek and you'll find;
Knock and the door will open.”
- The Message
The “friend” only answered the door because of the persistence of the other friend. But Jesus is saying, ask and it’s yours, seek and you’ll find it, and knock and I’ll open the door NO MATTER WHAT TIME, NO MATTER THE SITUATION. Christ’s love has NO stipulations. He loves us unconditionally. He IS the ultimate true friend because he DID lay his life down for ours, and I thank God for that.
Brothers and Sisters, what I’m trying to say is this: sometimes we say things and we have good intentions, but we have to watch exactly what we are saying. If you would lay your life down for your best friend, then fine, praise God; that’s Christ’s love right there, but be mindful of the even the small things you say to your friends. If you tell your friend that you’re there for them no matter what, then be there for them no matter what. NO STIPULATIONS. We are all human. We should love as Christ loves. But also be mindful about seasonal people('nother blog for another time...lol). The very person that you are upset with may have only been intended to be in your life temporarily, so always pray on it. It’s all about being there for one another and encouraging each other in all the things of Christ.
Let me close out in prayer:
“Heavenly Father, I come before you Lord just saying thank you, Father. Thank you, Father for ALL of the “best friends” out there, Lord. God, I pray that if anyone is having an issue with their “best friend”, Lord, that you help them heal from it and that they continue to embrace their friend in love. Father I pray that this blog touches someone who’s reading, Father. Father God, if a situation ever arises between friends, please bring into remembrance James 1:19. Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Lord I pray that we let go of any grudges that we are carrying and any bitterness that we may be harboring in our hearts, Lord. Please remove anything from us that is not You. And let us all strive to encourage one another in Your ways, Oh Gracious God. Thank you for everything you’ve done in our lives, everything thing that you are doing, and everything that is to come. In your Holy name I pray. Amen”
Feel free to comment or leave topics to discuss. I appreciate any feedback.
You can also hit me up on MySpace: www.myspace.com/soflyyohmygod
Be Blessed!!!
Until next time…
John 15:13-15 says that “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
Are you willing to go those lengths for your “best” friend? I felt the need to discuss this topic because I’m feeling that the Bible’s definition versus our human definition of best friend is a little different. I also wanted to bring light to the subject because it’s always good practice to be mindful of what you say out of your mouth and paying attention to your actions. As a Christian you are constantly under a microscope being examined to find your flaws.
I’m actually going through a situation now with a friend of mine that I’ve know for over a decade. I felt that writing this blog would help with my healing process. I’ll briefly explain the situation:
My “best friend” and I have known each other for a long time. There is nothing that we wouldn’t do for each other. Recently, he became very distant and started treating me very unfairly. He wouldn’t answer my calls, he’d act funny toward me, and he even kind of ditched me one night on an outing with some mutual friends of ours. Well, through a sister at the church that I fellowship at (Go JLM!!!), I learned that he was acting funny because he has a new female friend. I’m guessing one that he has a romantic interest in. When I asked this sister why he felt the need to hide something so small like that from me, she informed me that he didn’t want me to be devastated and backslide. I was actually hurt by that comment. It didn’t matter to me that he had a new female friend; I’m happy for him. I’ve been there through most of his girlfriends. I was hurt because I felt like he was more caught up on himself. He extended himself to me and retracted himself without a moments notice. The part that really took the cake was that he didn’t even bother coming to me and telling me. To this day he still hasn’t approached me. He told everyone else around me. I have to admit that this cut deep.
I’ve been dealing with this situation for about three weeks now. I still love my friend very much and I forgive him, but I have to admit there is still a little residue of hurt there. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails…” So, I had to sit back and do a self-examination of myself and my emotions. I realize that my emotions are valid, but I can’t sit in them too long. Ecclesiastes 3 says “there is a time for everything…” So, just like “there is a time to weep, there is also a time to laugh.” No time for self-pity ladies and gentleman. I have to face the facts that my “best friend” is what he is: HUMAN. As I sit here writing, I realize that if he cannot come to me, then I should take the initiative. He is not just my “best friend”, but also my brother in Christ. Christ commands us to love. How can I love you if I’m not speaking to you?
Breaking all of this down and reading it back to myself, I realize that the human perspective of friendship and the Bibles is in fact different. Human relationships tend to have stipulations. For example: I love you, BUT if you do this we can’t be friends anymore. There is even a parable about it in Luke 11:5-10. It states:
“Then he said, "Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up and I don't have a thing on hand. The friend answers from his bed “Don't bother me. The door's locked; my children are all down for the night; I can't get up to give you anything.” But let me tell you, even if he won't get up because he's a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he'll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
"Here's what I'm saying:
Ask and you'll get;
Seek and you'll find;
Knock and the door will open.”
- The Message
The “friend” only answered the door because of the persistence of the other friend. But Jesus is saying, ask and it’s yours, seek and you’ll find it, and knock and I’ll open the door NO MATTER WHAT TIME, NO MATTER THE SITUATION. Christ’s love has NO stipulations. He loves us unconditionally. He IS the ultimate true friend because he DID lay his life down for ours, and I thank God for that.
Brothers and Sisters, what I’m trying to say is this: sometimes we say things and we have good intentions, but we have to watch exactly what we are saying. If you would lay your life down for your best friend, then fine, praise God; that’s Christ’s love right there, but be mindful of the even the small things you say to your friends. If you tell your friend that you’re there for them no matter what, then be there for them no matter what. NO STIPULATIONS. We are all human. We should love as Christ loves. But also be mindful about seasonal people('nother blog for another time...lol). The very person that you are upset with may have only been intended to be in your life temporarily, so always pray on it. It’s all about being there for one another and encouraging each other in all the things of Christ.
Let me close out in prayer:
“Heavenly Father, I come before you Lord just saying thank you, Father. Thank you, Father for ALL of the “best friends” out there, Lord. God, I pray that if anyone is having an issue with their “best friend”, Lord, that you help them heal from it and that they continue to embrace their friend in love. Father I pray that this blog touches someone who’s reading, Father. Father God, if a situation ever arises between friends, please bring into remembrance James 1:19. Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Lord I pray that we let go of any grudges that we are carrying and any bitterness that we may be harboring in our hearts, Lord. Please remove anything from us that is not You. And let us all strive to encourage one another in Your ways, Oh Gracious God. Thank you for everything you’ve done in our lives, everything thing that you are doing, and everything that is to come. In your Holy name I pray. Amen”
Feel free to comment or leave topics to discuss. I appreciate any feedback.
You can also hit me up on MySpace: www.myspace.com/soflyyohmygod
Be Blessed!!!
Until next time…
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Wanting a Mate, and Waiting on the Lord
As a SINGLE Christian woman I find my hardest struggle is waiting on the Lord to bring me my mate. Proverbs 18:22 states, “HE who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD.” Not SHE who finds a good husband. This leaves me to believe that God will send that man to find me.
I find that having a relationship with God is a lot deeper than most may think. Some think you can just say, “Oh I love the Lord” and leave it at that. Nuh-uh *shaking head*. Sorry to say, but it doesn’t work like that. Let me explain how your past can actually affect your relationship with God.
Growing up, I didn’t have a very good relationship with my father. I still don’t have a good relationship with him. He was never there to show me how I should be treated by a man, or what kind of men to avoid. I grew up basically going through relationships trial-and-error style. I’ve had more damaging relationships that I can count. The end result of those damaging relationships is damaged trust.
I found myself with men that I couldn’t trust, but I stayed with them for fear of being alone. It wasn’t until this last relationship that I got out of that I realized that my relationship with the Lord isn’t as strong as it could/should be because my trust had been damaged over the years, starting with my natural father. I realized that it was time to let go and let God. Only He could fix the hurt that I was feeling. So I decided to turn to Him and Him only. I’ve decided to proclaim that day Bulk Day. The day the Lord started getting rid of my junk, and the Lord has a lot of junk to get rid of inside of me.
I also realized that sometimes God has to fix some things in us before he would even allow that person he designed for us to even come into our lives. Why would He let that person in your life if you’re not capable of sustaining a relationship. Trust me, God has this all worked out. He had it worked out long before we even existed. Nothing is new to him. He knows our struggles.
Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” To be honest, that’s pretty much what building a relationship with the Lord, finding a mate, or any other problem you may have starts with. Trusting and believing that God can do anything is what you build your foundation on. Faith. Unadulterated faith.
Juanita Bynum said it best “you want to be married, but you’re not divorced from all those other people you’ve been with…” This is called a soul tie. Soul ties are created when we give ourselves to people other than who God had assigned to us. That’s a whole ‘nother story for a whole ‘nother blog. I’m not too sure about soul ties, so I’ll have to read up on the topic a little more and pray on it before I share anything on it.
Let me get back to the subject at hand, wanting a mate.
This weekend, I had a revelation; a definite eye-opener. As I stated in my previous posted blog, I went on a date with the Lord to Starbucks. I had such a wonderful time, but not just then, my WHOLE weekend was blessed and relaxed. Well Saturday night I got an overwhelming urge to pray. So I went in my room, dropped to my knees and just started to thank God. As I continued to pray, I got so worked up and overwhelmed that I began to cry. They weren’t tears of sorrow. They were tears of JOY. I had never felt this way before. I got so happy that my prayers just turned into “thank you God, thank you, thank you…” My revelation was this: I realized that although I wanted a mate, it was not a necessity in my life. I had to fall in love with GOD first, and on that night I believe that’s exactly what I did, and after just one date. LOL…God is the man, isn’t he?
To my single Christian brothers and sisters, please do NOT give up on God. I know we feel like we NEED a man or woman in our lives. We feel like we need someone to just need us. God can fill in that gap better than any man or woman can. Fall in Love with Jesus. Psalm 37:4 says “delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Let go of all your inhibitions and just roll with him. He will never let you down. He’ll never break your heart. He’ll never lie to you. He’ll always comfort you. He’ll make sure your bills are paid. He’ll make sure your family is fed. He’ll keep your car running. He can be your EVERYTHING; just let Him.
Now I’m not going to perpetrate like I still don’t have the thought of, “man I wish I had a boyfriend” every now and then because then I’d be lying. The thought steps in, but I just push it right out of the door. The key is not to let those thoughts consume you. Trust in God, and everything else will fall into place.
Let me close out in prayer:
“Heavenly Father, I come before you Lord just saying thank you, Father. Thank you for all you have done in my life, doing in my life, and everything that will take place in the future. I know that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). I trust in you Lord to provide all of my needs, Father. I trust in you Lord to send me my mate when you feel that I am fully capable of handling such a great blessing. Father God, I pray for anyone who is struggling with being single, Father. I pray that you show them that you are “the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6). I pray that they will eventually find complete comfort in you. Father, I pray that this blog will bless those who read it. Continue to bless me, Father. Continue to protect me and my family, Lord, and all the readers; cover our households, Father. Thank you once again for everything that you do in my life, seen and unseen; working for the greater good. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.”
Feel free to comment or leave topics to discuss. I appreciate any feedback.
You can also hit me up on MySpace: www.myspace.com/soflyyohmygod
Be Blessed!!!
Until next time…
I find that having a relationship with God is a lot deeper than most may think. Some think you can just say, “Oh I love the Lord” and leave it at that. Nuh-uh *shaking head*. Sorry to say, but it doesn’t work like that. Let me explain how your past can actually affect your relationship with God.
Growing up, I didn’t have a very good relationship with my father. I still don’t have a good relationship with him. He was never there to show me how I should be treated by a man, or what kind of men to avoid. I grew up basically going through relationships trial-and-error style. I’ve had more damaging relationships that I can count. The end result of those damaging relationships is damaged trust.
I found myself with men that I couldn’t trust, but I stayed with them for fear of being alone. It wasn’t until this last relationship that I got out of that I realized that my relationship with the Lord isn’t as strong as it could/should be because my trust had been damaged over the years, starting with my natural father. I realized that it was time to let go and let God. Only He could fix the hurt that I was feeling. So I decided to turn to Him and Him only. I’ve decided to proclaim that day Bulk Day. The day the Lord started getting rid of my junk, and the Lord has a lot of junk to get rid of inside of me.
I also realized that sometimes God has to fix some things in us before he would even allow that person he designed for us to even come into our lives. Why would He let that person in your life if you’re not capable of sustaining a relationship. Trust me, God has this all worked out. He had it worked out long before we even existed. Nothing is new to him. He knows our struggles.
Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” To be honest, that’s pretty much what building a relationship with the Lord, finding a mate, or any other problem you may have starts with. Trusting and believing that God can do anything is what you build your foundation on. Faith. Unadulterated faith.
Juanita Bynum said it best “you want to be married, but you’re not divorced from all those other people you’ve been with…” This is called a soul tie. Soul ties are created when we give ourselves to people other than who God had assigned to us. That’s a whole ‘nother story for a whole ‘nother blog. I’m not too sure about soul ties, so I’ll have to read up on the topic a little more and pray on it before I share anything on it.
Let me get back to the subject at hand, wanting a mate.
This weekend, I had a revelation; a definite eye-opener. As I stated in my previous posted blog, I went on a date with the Lord to Starbucks. I had such a wonderful time, but not just then, my WHOLE weekend was blessed and relaxed. Well Saturday night I got an overwhelming urge to pray. So I went in my room, dropped to my knees and just started to thank God. As I continued to pray, I got so worked up and overwhelmed that I began to cry. They weren’t tears of sorrow. They were tears of JOY. I had never felt this way before. I got so happy that my prayers just turned into “thank you God, thank you, thank you…” My revelation was this: I realized that although I wanted a mate, it was not a necessity in my life. I had to fall in love with GOD first, and on that night I believe that’s exactly what I did, and after just one date. LOL…God is the man, isn’t he?
To my single Christian brothers and sisters, please do NOT give up on God. I know we feel like we NEED a man or woman in our lives. We feel like we need someone to just need us. God can fill in that gap better than any man or woman can. Fall in Love with Jesus. Psalm 37:4 says “delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Let go of all your inhibitions and just roll with him. He will never let you down. He’ll never break your heart. He’ll never lie to you. He’ll always comfort you. He’ll make sure your bills are paid. He’ll make sure your family is fed. He’ll keep your car running. He can be your EVERYTHING; just let Him.
Now I’m not going to perpetrate like I still don’t have the thought of, “man I wish I had a boyfriend” every now and then because then I’d be lying. The thought steps in, but I just push it right out of the door. The key is not to let those thoughts consume you. Trust in God, and everything else will fall into place.
Let me close out in prayer:
“Heavenly Father, I come before you Lord just saying thank you, Father. Thank you for all you have done in my life, doing in my life, and everything that will take place in the future. I know that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). I trust in you Lord to provide all of my needs, Father. I trust in you Lord to send me my mate when you feel that I am fully capable of handling such a great blessing. Father God, I pray for anyone who is struggling with being single, Father. I pray that you show them that you are “the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6). I pray that they will eventually find complete comfort in you. Father, I pray that this blog will bless those who read it. Continue to bless me, Father. Continue to protect me and my family, Lord, and all the readers; cover our households, Father. Thank you once again for everything that you do in my life, seen and unseen; working for the greater good. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.”
Feel free to comment or leave topics to discuss. I appreciate any feedback.
You can also hit me up on MySpace: www.myspace.com/soflyyohmygod
Be Blessed!!!
Until next time…
Monday, August 20, 2007
A Date With the Lord at Starbucks
Sometimes I find it really hard to be able to concentrate and focus when I'm trying to study my Bible. I get caught up at home with chasing my 2-year-old around and babying up my 6-month-old that studying takes a backseat. If I'm not dealing with them, then I'm tempted to lazily watch television or grab my Sony PSP and attack Gitaroo Man Lives!
My best friend always had this trend of going to Starbucks and studying. I always thought he was weird until I actually went and tried it out myself. The chairs are so comfy and the atmosphere is cozy.
This past weekend around 10pm, I took my 6-month-old to Starbucks with me. As she lay happily tucked away in lala land in her carseat, I was on a date with the Lord. I popped on my MP3 player, took out my Bible, and had one of the most rewarding experiences ever.
I just want to share some of the passages that came to mind while I was on my date with God.
1. Obeying God - I learned that if we do not obey the Lord he CAN and WILL cancel his promise to you. You are not under God's protection when you step outside of His will and are walking in disobedience. We have a way of trying to play God and actually stepping around him and messing things up worse for ourselves. Sometimes we may even fall in so deep, that we are not awarded the original blessings that He had intended for us.
2. Testing (Trials and Tribulations) - Testing comes. Don't despise the discipline. You can't get around it. Ezekiel 21:13. We sometimes get upset when God tests us. We think that He's out to get us. Don't ever believe that. The Lord wants only the best for us, and we are tested meerly to build our faith up. He wants to see how much we truly believe in Him. Testing tends to show you your strengths and weaknesses. So just stand firm during testing in all things. The Lord will NEVER put more on you than you can bear. If you are dealing with temptation, he'll always provide a way out so LOOK FOR IT. Don't just assume that you CANT!
3. Fools - Don't bother talking sense to fools; they'll only poke fun of your words. Proverbs 23:9. This verse is oh so true. To me the fool in this case is the unbeliever. My exboyfriend wasn't saved (notice I said EX. That's a whole 'nother blog for a whole 'nother day). Anyhow, when I tried to explain to him that I was fasting, he couldn't understand it. He mocked it and called it dumb. On a seperate occasion, he even went as far as to say that GOD isn't perfect, but followed that up by saying that GOD had saved him from two overdoses and two bad car accidents. Now my question is: how could he not be perfect after all of that? My point in all of this is: don't expect people who are of the world to understand you. You are IN this world, but you are no longer OF this world once you are saved and have a personal relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Mmm God, there is so much power in that name. I love to say it.
These are just a few topics that came up during my rendezvous with the Lord. More to come later. I'd like to close this post out in prayer.
"Heavenly Father. I come before you Lord just saying Thank You. Father, thank you for waking me up this morning and allowing me to see another day. Father thank you for keeping me out of harms way; from all the seen and unseen dangers. Father thank you for allowing me to know that NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS that I can count it all joy. Father, I just pray that anyone who reads this blog will feel free to post their thoughts Lord, and I hope that the words that you gave me will truly bless someone. Father, I pray that you keep me safe on my travel home Lord, and keep my children and I throughout the night, God. So once again Father, thank you. I praise your HOLY name. In Jesus name I pray. Amen amen Amen."
Feel free to give me a shout on MySpace: www.myspace.com/soflyyohmygod
Be blessed
My best friend always had this trend of going to Starbucks and studying. I always thought he was weird until I actually went and tried it out myself. The chairs are so comfy and the atmosphere is cozy.
This past weekend around 10pm, I took my 6-month-old to Starbucks with me. As she lay happily tucked away in lala land in her carseat, I was on a date with the Lord. I popped on my MP3 player, took out my Bible, and had one of the most rewarding experiences ever.
I just want to share some of the passages that came to mind while I was on my date with God.
1. Obeying God - I learned that if we do not obey the Lord he CAN and WILL cancel his promise to you. You are not under God's protection when you step outside of His will and are walking in disobedience. We have a way of trying to play God and actually stepping around him and messing things up worse for ourselves. Sometimes we may even fall in so deep, that we are not awarded the original blessings that He had intended for us.
2. Testing (Trials and Tribulations) - Testing comes. Don't despise the discipline. You can't get around it. Ezekiel 21:13. We sometimes get upset when God tests us. We think that He's out to get us. Don't ever believe that. The Lord wants only the best for us, and we are tested meerly to build our faith up. He wants to see how much we truly believe in Him. Testing tends to show you your strengths and weaknesses. So just stand firm during testing in all things. The Lord will NEVER put more on you than you can bear. If you are dealing with temptation, he'll always provide a way out so LOOK FOR IT. Don't just assume that you CANT!
3. Fools - Don't bother talking sense to fools; they'll only poke fun of your words. Proverbs 23:9. This verse is oh so true. To me the fool in this case is the unbeliever. My exboyfriend wasn't saved (notice I said EX. That's a whole 'nother blog for a whole 'nother day). Anyhow, when I tried to explain to him that I was fasting, he couldn't understand it. He mocked it and called it dumb. On a seperate occasion, he even went as far as to say that GOD isn't perfect, but followed that up by saying that GOD had saved him from two overdoses and two bad car accidents. Now my question is: how could he not be perfect after all of that? My point in all of this is: don't expect people who are of the world to understand you. You are IN this world, but you are no longer OF this world once you are saved and have a personal relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Mmm God, there is so much power in that name. I love to say it.
These are just a few topics that came up during my rendezvous with the Lord. More to come later. I'd like to close this post out in prayer.
"Heavenly Father. I come before you Lord just saying Thank You. Father, thank you for waking me up this morning and allowing me to see another day. Father thank you for keeping me out of harms way; from all the seen and unseen dangers. Father thank you for allowing me to know that NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS that I can count it all joy. Father, I just pray that anyone who reads this blog will feel free to post their thoughts Lord, and I hope that the words that you gave me will truly bless someone. Father, I pray that you keep me safe on my travel home Lord, and keep my children and I throughout the night, God. So once again Father, thank you. I praise your HOLY name. In Jesus name I pray. Amen amen Amen."
Feel free to give me a shout on MySpace: www.myspace.com/soflyyohmygod
Be blessed
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