I decided to start this blog (2010) because my son, John-Robert gave me a One Year Bible for Christmas, the New Living Translation... reading it has changed my life... I post a daily Bible verse on my Facebook page every day and it has been well received... I thought that this would be a wonderful way to share part of what I read each day!... I hope that you enjoy it.



This Year 2012 I am going to do things a little different... not much...just a little. I am again reading through my One Year Bible (for the 3rd time). But I am also using "The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word" by Joyce Meyer. This book is divided by putting scriptures under different categories so they can be used to speak over our life situations. Each day I will read a category of scripture and pick a scripture in that category to write about.



Hugs

Jeannie







Thursday, March 31, 2011

3.31.11

Luke 9:15-17  So the people all sat down.  Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. They all (5000) ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!

My Thoughts
I read this verse this morning and thought of gas...and the gas prices... The highter the gas prices get the more we all complain and the less we can aford it.  I thought what if we were to look up to heaven every time we put gas in our cars and thank God for our cars that get us to work and to play... what if we ask God to bless the gas that went into our cars each time we put  that gas in our cars... what if we treated gas like it was the gift from God that it is instead of always being upset because it was becoming so expensive?  What if??  I have never, ever thought to thank God for the gas in my car..have you?  Imagine as a nation if each and every person prayed blessing over the gas that went in their car... if we all thanked God each time we fill up ... imagine how life would change!






Wednesday, March 30, 2011

3.30.11

Psalms 71:6 Oh Lord, you alone are my hope.  I've trusted you O Lord, form my childhood.

My Thoughts
The devil loves to get in our heads and tell us that a situation is hopeless.. he will plant that seed and he hopes that the seed grows and that hopeless thoughts take you over.  Our hope comes from God alone..that is whay we need to praise God in all situations... when we praise God it draws him close to us.... Think about it like this... if you were in a hallway...and you got to choose from two rooms to go into.. and you got to peek in first...in one room people were talking on and on about sad things and bad things...they were grumbling and complaing...they were talking about all they didn't have...all you and not done for them they were never happy.  In the other room they were singing your praises... being thankful... excited to see you... talking about all the good things that you had done for them... just going on and on about how wonderful you were.  There would be no doubt which room we would want to go into... in the first room we would think I couldn't help these people if I tried.... in the second room it would just feel good to be there...and if those people that were in there loving us with all their heart needed something we would do our very best to make sure that they have it... God is like that ...He comes close to us when we love Him and praise Him and thank Him..and he is right there when we need Him... When we trust in God we have hope....all hope comes from God.  God is hope and love... God is everything we need... all that we need.  God loves taking care of the people that love him.  Psalms 100:4 says "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and courts with praise.".. that is telling us that if God came and got us at any moment in our life that He wants us to be praising Him and thanking Him when we get there... the only way to be doing that is to be in constant praise of God... to be constantly thankful.  God is our hope.... and God is bigger than anything we face in our life... so drawing God near with praise and thankfulness is a must if we want our lives to be filled with hope.. with joy.. with love.  If we do this..when the devil plants that seed of hopelessness we can keep it from growing by saying out loud to the devil himself... "God is my hope... with God I never have to feel or be hopeless!"...and we can kill that seed of hopelessness before it even takes root.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

3.29.11

Deuteronomy 11:13-15  “If you carefully obey all the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul,  then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil.  He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat."

My Thoughts
I love this...if we love God with all our heart and soul...if we obey his commands He will give us just what we need when we need it!!...He will give us lush pastureland... all we want to eat.... he will give us what we need when we need it!!... I have not had things I thought I wanted...but I have not ever gone without something I needed, ever... even when I was not being my best.... so I know God is going to provide me with the things I need when I am loving Him with all my heart and soul... when I am obeying what He tells me to do!!... This verse says to me... God is taking care of ....I just have to love Him... and listen to Him...and when I don't have something I need... I need to stop and trust God because He knows what I need even before I need it. Matthew 6:8 tells me this.  So if I don't have it... I need not worry about it... because is and will take care of me! Internalizing this fact can change our lives... internalizing this can lift all the burdens and cares of the world off you shoulders.  When we are able to know, that we know, that we know this fact it frees us to worship God even more..the more we worship God, the more we praise God, the more we love God the better life gets!! 






Monday, March 28, 2011

3.28.11

Luke 8:15 And the seeds that fell on the fertile soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.



My Thoughts
"Fertile soil" I read this and thought you know fertile soil doesn't just get that way... it doesn't just happen...and it doesn't stay fertile without work.  To keep a garden growing you have to weed it... and add more fertilizer... and as time goes on you add more fertilizer... and the better you tend your garden the healthier the plant are...the bigger the fruit grows.  When we ask Jesus to live in our hearts we have to keep our hearts healthy... and we have to feed our hearts with the Word of God... the better we feed our hearts the more our relationship with God grows...the more we grow as a Christian... the more we are able to be the good, kind, caring, loving people that God intended us to be.  I have heard this story always about the seeds being scattered on the different soils... I think I have gone through each stage of soil...I have been the footpath... I have been the rocks... I have been the thorns... it took me a long, long time to even know how to be the fertile soil... fertile soil takes work.. it takes time and dedication...it is not always the easy way... but it is always worth the effort.  When we feel like God is being choked out of our life by the cares and riches and pleasures (Luke 8:14) of life...we need to remember to  take time to fertilize our hearts with God's word..the only way to get a seed to grow is to nurture it... pamper it... take time for it... fertilize it.  When we do that we will blossom into something amazing.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

3.27.11

Luke 7:47-48 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”  Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

My Thoughts
As humans we tend to notice others sins...not because other people are bad people... more because we want not to be the baddest person... so we judge to feel better about ourselves.  These verses tell me that any sin keeps me separated from God, any sin...no matter what Joe or Cindy or Billy has done it is my sin that keeps me from God...I  don't need to let their sin separate me from God because I think my sin is less... as a Christian I need to be excited and happy and love others enough that I feel joy that another person is forgiven... I need to feel joy that I am forgiven... I need to thank Jesus over and over that he would forgive me of anything... I never need to worry that my sin is less than someone else's sin or more than someone else's sin... I need to remember that any of my sin... all of my sin....no matter what value people put on it is sin. It is not Joe's sin or Cindy's sin or Billy's sin that makes me a better or worse person...it is not their sin that makes me closer to God or further from God... it is my own sin  that gets in the way.  I need to love God with all my heart and all my soul....and love my neighbor as I love myself... (Luke 10:27). I need to be thankful that Jesus forgives me anything. I need to be aware, completely aware each and every day that Jesus would die for anything and everything that I have done wrong... and even if I had only committed one sin in my life Jesus would have still been on that cross for me... my sins put Jesus on the cross no matter the sins of anybody else... how could I not love somebody that did that for me!






Saturday, March 26, 2011

3.26.11

Psalms 68:19 Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms.

My Thoughts
As soon as I read this verse today I felt comfort.  I pictured a tired two year old reaching up to their daddy... hands stretched out...and that daddy picking up that child... we have all seen and smiled at this very picture of life... the child wraps their arms around their daddy's neck lays their head down... and before you know it they are all safe and sound and fast asleep.  No matter where they are... in a crowd... or safe at home... they feel all wonderfully safe and secure...they know without a doubt that nothing in this world is going to hurt them or bother them... their daddy has them and they are all safe and they feel all safe.  They just rest in their daddy's love.  This verse made me know that I can come and sit on my couch and say "God I am here for you to hold me and keep me safe so that I can rest."  and when I do I can feel complete peace and comfort... I just tired it.... and it felt amazing.  When we are exhausted..no matter where we are at we can call on God and ask him to carry us in his arms...just like we were two and we can feel that wonderful peace... we can feel out bodies relax...I know that  if we  take the time to do this for just a few minutes in the middle of a busy day  God will give us peace and rest... He will relax our bodies and our minds...our souls and the rest of the day will be easier to bare.  This is a really exciting verse.  I can't wait to put it into action!

Friday, March 25, 2011

3.25.11

Deuteronomy 4:5-6 Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy. Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, ‘How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!’

My Thoughts
Oh who doesn't want to be wise...who doesn't want to be considered wise!... My Grandmother, my Mawmaw was the wisest person I have ever known and she had only a sixth grade education.  But boy was she wise.  The most amazing things would come out of her mouth.  From the time I was a small, small child I can remember her reading her Bible.... she had this huge Bible on her coffee table filled with beautiful pictures.  I loved picking up that Bible and asking her about the pictures... she would tell the most amazing stories about the pictures in that Bible.  She could tell the stories because she knew the stories...they were a part of her heart.  And even with her limited education she was smarter than many collage graduates I have met.  She was wise because she did what God ask her to do... she was wise because she spent time learning about what God expected of her... she was wise because she spent time in prayer with God. My grandmother was wise in dealing with people...she could squeeze a dollar out of a penny... she could advise you on any subject.... especially love.... and she would listen for hours...she gave without ever making a person feel like they would own her something in return. When my Mawmaw died she was 96...there were all kinds of people there telling stories about how sweet and kind my grandmother was... how she was always there to lend a helping hand...how she took them in when they had no place to go... how she feed them when they were hungry... she had done the things God had ask of her.  She had used her wisdom... the kind of wisdom that only comes from God... and she had be rewarded with a long life... great health... and a wealth of friends young and old that knew what a good person she was.  I can only hope that one day my grandchildren (when I have some) will see me in the same light as I see my Mawmaw.  My mawmaw would say "It all starts with God."

Thursday, March 24, 2011

3.24.11

Luke 6:27-28 "But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you."

My Thoughts
Jesus goes on to say a few verses down that it is easy to love people who love you even sinners do that.. and it is easy to do good to people who are good to you... as Christians we are go be good to everybody, even when it is hard... especially when it's hard.  This is about loving your neighbor.... no matter who your neighbor is...no matter what your neighbor does... this is about loving your family ...no matter who your family is.... no matter what your family does. We expect God to love us and forgives us no matter... God expects the same from us.  Sometimes this seems impossible... the thing is all things are possible through Christ.. it tells us that in Philippians 4:13... it says ALL THINGS...that means being kind to the hateful... forgiving the unforgivable... turning the other cheek... giving your shirt and your coat to a person that ask for you coat (Luke 6).... From experience I can tell you it is really hard for me sometimes to be around somebody that has been hurtful to me... I tend to run the other way as fast as my legs will carry me... apparently I shouldn't .... I should smile and be sweet and kind... I should pray for these persons.... I should especially love the unlovable..... I always try to be good, and sweet and kind.... but I run from the mean and hateful every time.... I would not want God to run from me. I am so blessed  that I can do All THINGS through Christ who strengthens me...and I am blessed that He is strongest when I am weak (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Because it will take God's strength for me not to run...and I ain't going to run anymore!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

3.23.11

Psalms 66:5-6 come and see what our God had done, what awesome miracles he performs for people! He made a dry path through the Red Sea, and his people went across on foot. There we rejoiced in him.

My Thoughts
Could you imagine standing there in front of the Red Sea and watching the waters roll back.... and the land under it dry up...can you imagine walking through those walls of water.... on dry land! We can hear this story and know that that must have been the most amazing thing to witness...and we can wonder how those people who saw that miracle could ever doubt what God can do.  Yet we see amazing things every day...things that weren't possible 60 years ago that are so routine now that we forget they are amazing miracles.  People have their appendix taken out and we hardly bat an eye... but one day not to far in the past that was an amazing feat, a miracle.  We see babies and mom's saved all the time through c-sections... but the first c-section was a miracle to the people that witnessed it...to the people that heard the story.  We get new medical breakthroughs all the time... peoples lives are lengthened because of tiny pills that were once thought of as a miracle.  It is amazing what God does for us all the time.  But we are so spoiled that we forget to notice things that once seemed as big as the parting of the Red Sea.  I had an aunt die at the age of 3 for a disease that could not be cured... 10 years later another one of my grandmothers children got the same disease... the gave her a series of shots and today she is 65... I know my grandmother knew those shots were a miracle.  We need to take the time to remember the daily miracles in our lives...the people we still have because of a pill... or a successful surgery... the fact that a flower pops up out of the ground.... that food can grow from a tiny seed.  There are so many things to thank God for ... so many things to rejoice about. We need to remember on a daily basis all the miracles God places in our lives and say "Thank You God!"

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

3.22.11

Psalms 65:3 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all.

My Thoughts
Forgave them ALL... love the word all here!!... People tend to pick sins that are are easy to forgive.  Then judge the rest... God forgives all our sins...Sometimes we can be so bad that we feel like nobody will ever forgive us...and we let that sin seperate us from God...after all the people around us can't seem to forgive us...how could God forgive us??......there is not a sin that we can commit that we can't go to God and ask forgiveness for. So we should never, ever let a sin that humans can't seem to forgive seperate us from God.  Once we go to God and ask forgivness... truly want that forgiveness, God forgives us and we get to be right with Him again.  We get a chance to have God near us guiding us and helping us do better... helping us make right choices.  It is impossible to do better without God...but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19 26) even forgiveness.  Next time we are overwhelmed by something we have done we don't need run and hide...we need to  remember this verse and go straight to God and make it right... so our life can be right again.. so our heart can be right again... so we won't miss another minute of our lives because we messed up. When we ask for forgivness and make things right with God we get to move foward... do better... live better...when we put that off.. when we don't ask for forgiveness we are stuck right were that sin is... and it takes over our thoughts... it impeads our actions.... it gets in our way. Even when we mess up bad we need to not mess up more by putting off forgiveness... God forgives us all our sins.

Monday, March 21, 2011

3.21.11

Luke 5:4-6 When he (Jesus) had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets, and you will catch many fish." "Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, we'll try again."  And this time their nets were so full they began to tear!

My Thoughts
When God tells us to do something he has prepared the way!.... Even if we think our attempt failed we have succeeded way more than we may ever know... sometimes it is our job to plant a seed that grows long after we have been placed in another situation.  Like planting an oak tree for you grand children's children.  You will never see that tree as big as it will get but the tree grows even if you don't see it grow.  Jesus was ready for these fishermen to have a huge catch...it was in His plan... and in a place where they could not catch fish on their own they caught enough fish to tear their net.  Because it was Jesus' plan. It was God's plan in God's time.  When we feel God nudging us to do something we need to step on on faith that God has it all under control and if we do our part..the part that God is asking us to do... it will work out..it will all be okay!  God was greater than the fisherman, God commanded the fish.  God is greater than anything we face so when he sends us a task, when he commands our steps and we listen He has set up the rest in our favor.  Next time we hear God telling us to do something and we don't feel like it is something we can accomplish we need to think of the fishermen and how full their nets ended up.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

3.20.11

Psalms 63:1  O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.

My Thoughts
Have you ever had everything you wanted, well pretty much everything you wanted and still been empty, unhappy?... You knew you should be happy... all was right with the world, or so it seemed... but something was just missing.  We were made by God for God.  Our souls were set up to need God.  Just like when a body doesn't have the water it needs it won't function right. Our souls won't function right without God.  Our souls know something is missing when our minds don't.  When we have ask Jesus into our heart...but we don't spend time with God getting to know Him... learning what he has in store for us our soul is thirsty and nothing else will fill that thirsty place up. 

This has been my experience for sure.  I spent years as a Christian not getting to know God.  I often felt like something was missing.  I had depression at times in my life when it didn't make sense.  I had it "all"... a wonderful husband, two great kids... a nice home... my parents... a loving brother...But I could feel so lonesome.  So out of balance.  My life changed completely when I started reading my Bible every day and saying my prayers.... it truly did... it took a few months for me to really notice, I think because it took a few months for me to start really get what I was reading... it took a while for me to learn to start applying it to my life.  The difference in how I feel today is astonishing!  I would love the whole world to feel like I feel.  I have such peace...and amazing peace.  I am happier than I have ever been in my life.  . Do I still have problems that come up... sure I do!  But those problems don't take control over my any more... I give them to God... I use to know I was suppose to but didn't know how.  I have this joy that  you can't explain it is something you have to feel.  I have always been a people pleas-er, now I like it when I please people... it is really nice when I please people.  But now I want to please God more... so pleasing people isn't so important and God gives me a book of instructions on how to please Him! People don't. Love I feel love all around me!  God has placed people in my life that make me feel loved.  God has surrounded me with the most amazing people this past 15 months. God keeps putting them in my path.  When I want to learn something new, there somebody is that I would have never met before, just in my path helping me learn what I want to know.  Because I have filled up soul up with God nothing is missing any more...and when I need something it's always there, always. God left a place in our soul for Him because He can provide us with all we need.  He just want us to want Him in our lives.  It is up to us to fill our soul with God and His love..then God does the rest.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

3.19.11

Psalms 62:8 Oh my people, trust in Him at all times.  Pour out your heart for him, for God is our refuge.

My Thoughts
Refuge:
 1. Protection or shelter, as from danger or hardship.


2. A place providing protection or shelter.

3. A source of help, relief, or comfort in times of trouble
 
When we take time to know God we learn how much God helps us. But first we have to have a relationship with God... live so that God is near all the time.  If we spend time with God he is right there with us when we need Him most.  The times in my life when God was not near I had not made Him my constant companion.

Friday, March 18, 2011

3.18.11

Luke 3:8 Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God. Don't just say, 'We're safe -- we're the descendants of Abraham.' That proves nothing. God can change these stones here into children of Abraham.

My Thought
This is so important.... it reminds me of that song "And they will know we are Christians by our love by our love." If we are a Christian... if we claim to be a Christian no body should have to ask if we are.  Our actions and our reactions (that is the harder one sometimes) should show that we have Jesus in our hearts. What if when Jesus came back He decided if we were a Christian by the way we were acting at that very moment?What if our  actions at  that split second would determine if we lived or died? As Christians we need to be aware of our actions and our reactions, we need to be on constant guard of our sins and repent as soon as we know we have done something wrong.  We need to study and learn God's word and make it a part of our heart so we know when we have done something wrong we will know that we have.  If we don't know we can fix it.  We need to live as if Jesus were standing right beside us in the flesh.  If somebody ask your friends or your co-workers if you are a Christian would they be able to say "yes?" As Christians we need to want to make sure that we live our live so the people closest to us and even the stranger on the street will know that we are a child of the most high God. The people around us need to know that we are Christians by our love. 

Thursday, March 17, 2011

3.17.11

Psalms 60:12 With God's help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.

My Thoughts
Our biggest foe is the devil himself...and he often uses us against ourselves... he tells us we can't, we are not smart enough, something is useless, we are not capable. If satin gets us to believe those things he can totally defeat us.  God is stronger than satin... God will trample down our foes... God will trample down satin, God will trample down the I cant's and turn them into I cans!  The Bible tells us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).  We can too!  I am learning this more every day!!... I am learning to ask God to help me be good at things that I can do... I need to step out and ask for greatness... I am learning when God tells me to do something He will help me do it... God never tells me to do something He is not going to help me with...that he has not prepared me for.

You may find this strange but I am learning so much about what God will help me do through my knitting, spinning, now weaving and crocheting... through my fiber.  God is using it to teach me about his mighty power and how he will help me with anything!!  It all started with a Knifty Knitter Loom... which I  bought in September.... I had been doing my daily Bible reading for nine months by then and learning to pray over so much in my life.  I prayed over that loom and I "got it"...I understood it.... and each time that I pray over it I get it more!... then I wanted to venture out... and Robby built me a simple spinning wheel... I prayed hard over that... and I got it!!... so Robby bought me a "real" wheel.... and I prayed over that... my spinning instructor said that I picked up spinning faster than anybody she had ever seen.  I can tell you it was God!...I asked God and he cared about the desires of my heart (Psalms 37:4). Now I wanted a weaving loom...for a new way to use my new yarns that I am learning to spin... John-Robert (my son) and I went into a store in Gatlinburg and saw a weaving loom... before I got home I had it mostly figured out in my head how to make it...then I talked it out with Robby and now I have it half built...and he is going to help me with the rest...and it is going to be a workable weaving loom!!... out of things we have around the house already!!...I am here to tell you that before I learned to ask for God's help all of this would have escaped me, totally escaped me... I would have never even at temped to figure out how to make something as seemingly as complicated as a weaving loom....I would have believed the lies the devil tells me of all the "I cant's"...In fact I looked at those Knifty Knitter looms for 2 years and believed the "I cant's." God is giving me the I can's and trampling down my foe. The sky is the limit when we do all things through Christ! I will be 50 this year...and I just learning about the I can's... I grew up believing the I cant's in my life.  If God cares that much that I want to be good at knitting, that I want to be good at spinning my own yarn... that I want to be good at weaving yarn into pretty scarves... that He would help me understand "how to." Just think how much he cares when He sends me out to do a task that he has ask me to do... If praying over my Knifty Knitter Knitting Loom...and praying over my spinning wheel ... and praying over my weaving loom can be so powerful... so can praying over my words, and my steps, my actions...my life. Every time we hear the "I cant's" in our head we need to step out on faith and ask God to turn them into "I can's"... He is waiting to chase away our foes all we have to do is ask! I am so excited to be taking this journey with God...I am so excited that God is on my side... He always was... I just had to learn to step out on faith, I had to get to know God... really know God and I have learned that if God will save me from death, that is the biggest thing... God wants to do those little things, and those medium things in my life...John 10:10 tells us that Jesus came so we could have life and have it more abundantly....I ask for life when I was 9... it took me 40 years to understand the abundently part...and the abundently part is teaching me the life part is real!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

3.16.11

Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

My Thoughts
Over the last 15 months I have learned more about peace than I ever knew before. I have learned more about living my life in a way that was pleasing to God.  I don't consider myself a bad person before the last 15 months. I always tried to do good, and to do the right thing. I didn't always know what  the right thing was. I still don't. But as I began to read my Bible last January, every day, and as I begin to surround myself with godly people, wise people I began to learn about peace.  Part of my problem before when I was being good and sweet and kind was that I was trying to please people, not God.  I was constantly racked with anxiety, did I please this person? Did I please that person? Then I would displease one person because I did something to please another.  I would end up doing something "wrong" no matter what I did.  Pleasing God simplified my life... at first it seemed like it would be hard to do.... but it is quite the opposite.  The more I read my Bible and the more I learn about God and his wonderful love, the more clearer my choices in life become.  Every time I make a choice to please God with my words, actions, steps, hands the calmer I become. The more peace I feel in my soul. When somebody ask me to do something instead of jumping on the YES, so that person will like me, I think will this please God now and in the long run? I give myself time to think about it. I think it through to the end.  If saying yes will cause me to do something or feel something God would be unhappy with I say no. For instance if somebody ask me to do something that is long term and I know that down the line I will be frustrated and feel like I have been taken advantage of, I know that my resentment will not be pleasing to God, then I say no. If it is something that will please that person and isn't really what seems to be a bad thing...but it's not a good thing either I can say no.  It narrows my choices in a good way. I have found that when I do what God will be pleased with I walk away with peace in my heart.  I have also learned that when I do what God directs me to do that He leads and protects my steps... when I live inside the will of God I live under His protection.  When I choose to live outside the will of God I choose to forfeit God's protection.  As long as people live on this earth that are not trying to please God our world will have war and stife, fear and violence because those people are choosing to live outside of God's protection. But for those who choose God, who choose to please God. God will give them peace on earth, peace in their heart.  I know this because I have lived the difference.  I have a calm about me like I have never know.  I have learned that when that calm goes away, I have moved outside of God's protection and I put myself in check, I ask forgivness of my sins and I begin to praise and thank God for all he has done for me.  When I do this, even in the hardest of times I feel a peace that passing all understanding. I know, that I know that I know that no matter what happens I am going to be okay.  Before, I learned how to truly have a relationship with God even on my best of days I never flet like I was going to be okay. I felt like the world would crumble at my feet at any second. Now I feel like even if the world does crumble at my feet God will be there to catch me and I will be okay. I don't always do it right, I don't always make the right choices. But God knows I am trying, and my effort, pleases God... in return God gives me peace.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

3.15.11

Proverbs 11:12 It is foolish to belittle one's neighbor; a sensible person keeps quite.

My Thoughts
Neighbor is defined as a person or thing that is near another, one's fellow human being.. My son John-Robert put it best once when he said that your neighbor can be the hardest person to love... they are so close to you that you know all their faults...they are so close to you that they can be the most annoying because they are always there. When people annoy us we want to talk about it!!...  Our neighbor, at work, at play can often feel like our enemy and we want to talk about that too.  They can be the person that hurts us the most on a daily basis... and we want to talk about that too.... Jesus says in Matthew 5:44-45 "But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!  In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven." Our neighbor could be the person that needs us the most to be loving and kind... to show what the heart of God is like... to show what God can do for us... if we have gone about belittling our neighbor how can we reach them?  But if we turn the other cheek, of we are good and sweet and kind... if we keep quite, because after all we don't know what that person has been through to make him act the way he does. We could be the person that makes a difference.  It is important to always remember that we may be the only Bible some people ever see.  I have belittled somebody that hurt my feelings, to justify my anger or hurt, to have somebody be on my side.  It has never ever made a situation better..in hindsight it was foolish. It is always one of those things that made me feel better for one minute..then feel worse for a long time after.  It is a foolish thing to do even to ourselves.  God protects us when we live in His will. So even if your work neighbor, your neighborhood neighbor, your mom at the ballfiled neighbor is doing something hurtful or annoying if you live inside God's will and turn the other cheek, love your enemies, pray for your enemies you will be rewarded.  I would much rather be rewarded than go to bed with the guilt I always end up feeling when I belittle another person....Yes sometimes we have to talk about it!... When we choose to talk about how hurt we feel or how angry we are...we don't need to tell another neighbor, we need to tell God.  Then listen to the Holy Spirit guide our actions. God only makes right choices for us in our lives so isn't that the best place to get advice.

Monday, March 14, 2011

3.13.11

Psalms 57:9-10 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

My Thoughts
David was telling God I will tell everybody about your love and faithfulness...I will thank you God so the people will know that what I have comes from you!!... This is what we need to do... be very aware that what we have in our life does come from God... our abilities to work, to achieve our goals... the ability to even have a goal is a gift from God... Our health comes from God.... when we get in a car each day among hundreds of other cars and get safely from one place to another...that is God's protection... we need to keenly aware that the clothes on our back come from God that the food in our tummies come from God....the shoes on our feet come from God.  The fact that we can go home each night to a safe, warm house...surrounded by people that love us...that is a most precious gift that comes from God.  We tend to go about our days.... just going about our days...we get so caught up that we don't even notice our haves...and if we live in America we have so much!!... We need to be aware of all that God has given us and thank Him for it... daily... hourly.... constantly!!... We need to let others know that God gave us what we have.... We need to sing God's praises for all that we are.  When we do this people will begin to notice what God does for us... even if they are not aware of what God does for them..they will begin to give God credit for good in our lives, when we give God credit for the good in our lives... then they will begin to notice that God does do good things for them too.  When we thank God among the people...when we let our little part of the nation know that we love God ... lives will change around us... our lives will begin to change too.  When we use the gifts that God has given us for His good...when we thank God for what he has done.. when we share with others about how good God has been to us... the heavens will open up and God will pour out his blessings on us (Malachi 3:10)....when we thank God among the people...when we sing God praises... when heaven opens up and pours out its blessings upon us the people around us will see how wonderful God is and they will want what we have!! If you have ever wondered "How can I be a witness for God?"... You can be an wonderful witness for God by giving God praise, by giving God credit, by saying thank you to God among your small part of the world and the people around you will see...they will begin to ask why you glow and you will have your chance to be a witness for God and his wonderful, wonderful love!



Sunday, March 13, 2011

3.13.11

Proverbs 11:8 God rescues the Godly from trouble, and it falls to the wicked instead.

My Thoughts
Oh wow.... what a verse to put to memory.  The question "I know you act like a Christian, but do you react like a Christian?" really goes along with this verse.  Have you ever got caught up in a situation at, lets say work?  You know one of those situations where you are being mistreated and you began to react in ways that you know are wrong?.... you are just so tired of it all!  Then before you know it you at least look to be as much to blame as the other person?  You actually have become to be as much to blame.. it is just hard to admit it to yourself.  If you really examine and are honest with yourself... you didn't "react like a Christian."  God expects us to have integrity and character.... God expects people to see Him in us... When we become Christians we become a representation of God.... and we should be a representation of God's love.  This is not always an easy thing to do because our earthly body wants to react in an earthly way.  But all things are possible through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4 :13).  Now going back to the work place... if we act Godly all the time... if we are a living, breathing example of the love of God... if we work hard like the Bible instructs us... if we constantly building people up and refusing to tear people down.... if no one... not one single person sees us act ugly, hears us talk about another person... if people are use to seeing us be only good and sweet and kind... if we are always going about doing our jobs. If we are covering all of this, when bad things happen at work people can not point a finger at us!... If a customer calls in a complaint no one will even think it could be you... no one could lie about you... when the wicked started acting out trouble could only fall on their head.  Imagine if you went to work and never, ever gossiped, the boss didn't hear you gossip, the other employees didn't hear you gossip... you walked away when people started gossiping... what if people heard you say only good things about others...no matter what others were going around saying about you... then a rumor started...one that was hurtful and harmful... you would never ever be considered to be a party to that rumor.  God would rescue you from trouble.  As Christians we have to do our part!... we have free will and we have choices to make... we need to learn to choose to be Godly...only good can come out of that choice.  If the world chooses to mistreat us because we choose to act Godly... God will give back to us anything taken from us... and what God gives us is always good.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

3.13.11

Psalms 55:22 Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

My Thoughts
"Give your burdens to the Lord"  How can God help us if we hold tight to our problems and don't let God have them.  This verse reminds me every time of a time when Robby and I were at an Mid-South a band festival watching our daughter.  It was really cold that night....the stadium was full...and when it was over everybody was in a hurry to get to their warm cars.  I tripped on a speed breaker... and feel... without missing a beat Robby swooped me up and kept me walking...I didn't even know I was hurt until we reached the car.  If he had not done that I would have been stepped on.  Robby did not permit me to fall to the ground and stay there because he loved me.  But, if I had fought him off... and not let him help me... if I had not given myself to his strength I could have been hurt badly... I could have been trampled.

When we take our burdens on ourselves we will slip and fall... often we ask where was God when?... when what we need to ask is where was I when?  When exactly in this situation did I fail to give the problem over to God... or when did I take it back.  The verse does not say if you believe in God he will take care of you... it says Give your burdens to the Lord and He will take care of you!  You see this is where our free will comes in... God gives us the choice.  We need to wake up each morning and give our feet, our hands, our words, our actions, our hearts and our burdens to God for that day...and we need to do it again the next day and the next day and the next day.  When we keep our burdens that is when we slip and fall... when we give it all to God, God will catch us every time and put us right back on our feet. 




Friday, March 11, 2011

Numbers 15:38-39 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: Throughout the generations to come you must make tassels for the hems of your clothing and attach them with a blue cord. When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the Lord instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do."

My Thoughts
God wanted the people to have a visual reminder to do what was right...to do what He ask them to do. I really like this idea! We need reminders...that is why it is good to read our Bible each day and put the words of God in our heart so that we will remember then when we have decisions to make to choose that God would want us to do.  The words of God need to guide our hearts, our words, our hands, our feet.  I love the idea of something visual to remind me to think of what God would want me to do.  This could be a string around my finger... a cross around my neck... My dear husband always makes sure that I get a heart of some kind for Christmas... always... a heart reminds me always that he loves me.  The sight of a heart can melt my my heart and makes me think of  Robby everytime I see one.... I am going to look for something to have to remind me of God's love... to remind me to choose always what God would have me do...I think it might be a key... Because God is the key to happiness, love, forgiveness, freedom, peace, right living... God is the key to life...and abundant life... I feel truly, hopelessly blessed that I discovered how to have a relationship with our Amazing, Wonderful, All Mighty God. What will you choose to remind you?

Thursday, March 10, 2011

3.10.11

Proverbs 11:4 Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death.

My Thoughts
I have learned that God never ask me to do something that doesn't make my life better... that doesn't make my life easier, even if it is harder to start with.  When God tells me not to worry to give my worries to him it frees up my day...I get more done... I have more energy... and I have discovered that all my worry before didn't change the outcome of one single thing.  I have learned when I do for others I just feel good and it takes my mind off of anything that I might be going through.  I have learned that when I don't gossip I don't have to worry about what I have said.  I have learned that when I spend time with God each day that I stay on track with His will much easier.  I have learned that all I have to do is try my best to do what God ask o me and He will take over when I need Him. I have learned that thinking good thoughts doesn't make me a good person it is acting on those thoughts that prove what is in my heart.  (The good thing about this.. is those bad thoughts that come into your head..they don't make you a bad person... acting on them does.... dwelling on them does but not thinking them.) I have learned that when God ask me to forgive it is as much for me as it is for the other person.  I have learned that loving God with all my heart and soul and might and loving my neighbor as myself does take effort, but it is well worth the effort.  I have learned that when we live like God ask us to live we never have to fear death...and everything else in our lives is easier.  I have learned that there are still some really hard days but I am never alone in those hard days.  I have learned that there is a peace that passes all understanding.  I have learned that I have to do my homework to know how to live right but the time it takes to do my homework is given back to me a hundred times over because that I don't have to spend near as much time fixing things I messed up...I don't spend time worrying to the point of not being able to move.  I have learned that when I learn what God ask of me that the decisions in my life are much easier... it reduces my choices down to only what is good for me.  Right living not only saves me from death at the end of my life it saves me from feeling dead inside myself on a daily basis.  I have learned that God chooses only what is good and right and just an fair and I can never go wrong when I listen to Him guiding me... I have learned that I will never learn it all so I need to always, always do my homework.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

3.9..11

Numbers 13:7-8 I would speak to them in dreams. But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?”

My Thoughts
God loved Moses so much!  God did not want people talking about Moses.  God loves all of us so much that he sent his only son  to die for us.(John 3:16) Do you think God wants people to talk about us... or us to talk about people.  Yet when we run out of things to say we tend to talk about people.  I know I am guilty...in fact most people I know are guilty of talking about somebody at some point in time.  It even happens, often happens in God's house, the Church. We need to listen to what Thumpers mother said in Bambi, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."  Imagine how we could change our world around us, at least our own life if we did not ever talk bad about somebody else.  1. We wouldn't eve have to worry about what we had said, if somebody was going to repeat us. 2. If nobody every heard us say a bad thing about anybody else no one would believe it if somebody said we said a bad thing about them.  3. Imagine how much we would build up the people around us if we only spoke good about others. 4. If we started practicing this we would begin to notice what somebody did right, we would notice the good in others and we would learn to see the good instead of the bad. 5. Others would start seeing only the good in us. 6. God would be so pleased with us, so proud that we were learning to do what he ask.  I imagine that the list of the benefits of not talking bad about anybody would be more far reaching than one could even understand. This one thing could change our own personal world, it could change the workplace, it could change the Church, it could actually change the world. Mahatma Gandhi said: "Be the change you want to see in the world." I, myself, me would love the world to see my through rose colored glasses... so I will do my best to see others and the world the same way.  What are you going to choose to see in others, what are you going to choose to say about others?  Lets start this journey together today lets "Be the change we want to see in others." Lets choose to make God smile.



Tuesday, March 8, 2011

3.8.11

Numbers 11:1a Soon the people began to complain about their hardships, and the Lord heard everything they said.  Then the lord's anger blazed against them.

My Thoughts
God is really working on me about being thankful and not being a complainer.  I think we tend to complain out of habit.  We notice what is wrong instead of what is right.  We can have a hundred things go right in our day. But when somebody ask how our day has been we tell them about that one wrong thing that happened. We have been given so much yet we tend to look at that person that says I am so blessed like they are strange. Complaining seems to be common practice.  We hear people complain when gas prices go up...but we don't hear people being thankful when they go down...they just complain that they went up in the first place. People complain about taxes and forget to be thankful about roads that get us from here to there.  People complain about government, then turn around as talk about what the government should do for them. We complain when it is too hot and we complain when it is too cold. We, who have so much, complain just to be complaining.  Yesterdays verse said to "Make thankfulness our sacrifice." (Psalms 50:14) I am going to start today by doing this: Every time the devil puts a complaint in my head (he loves to tell you you don't have) I am going to speak out of my mouth three things I am thankful for.  I am going to do this over and over and over until my habit it not to complain, but to be thankful!  What are you thankful for today!!

Monday, March 7, 2011

3.7.11

Psalms 50:14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the most high.

My Thoughts
God sacrificed his only son for us.  All God as of us as a sacrifice is thankfulness. We need to be keenly aware that all that we have, all that we can do, all that we are is a gift from God. We are bombarded by media telling us that we don't have enough, that we need more food, car, home and toys. Just when we get a new cell phone there is another new cell phone we "have to have." We have become a nation of want, want want and want more.  We want, want, want and want more in the mist of having so much.  In third world countries people live in huts and tents piled up on top of one another daring to drink dirty water, and here we complain because we "don't have." We complain about high gas prices when we could live in a place where we didn't even have a need for gas.  We can walk out our door and complain more on the way to work that we should complain in a years time. God has showered us with knowledge, entertainment, warmth in the winter and cool air in the summer, food on every corner. Yet we go about our days complaining... talking about what we want that we don't have. Looking at all that there is out there to have and complaining that we don't have it.  We spend beyond our means to have, have, have. Over one million people lost their houses last year many because they put toys on their house mortgage because they had to "have." All God as of us for a sacrifice is to "be thankful."  We have so many reasons to be thankful in America.  But we all go to work and hear about what people are unhappy about, what people are sad about, what irritates people. Kids complain about what they don't have... where do you suppose they learned to complain?... Do they hear us being thankful? I think it must make God sad.

Today I am thankful for a my loving husband, my wonderful kids, my son-in-law who loves my daughter. My son's girlfriend that makes his days nicer. I am thankful for the ability to give them an education.  I am thankful warm house on a cold day and all I had to do was move a switch over.  I didn't have to chop down trees and build a fire, a house that feels like home. I have entertainment in my house every night by the flip of a switch.  I love having a crock pot that I can put food in and walk off for a whole day and come back and have dinner and warm and cooked to near perfection.  I am thankful that I can live where I want to because we have cars to drive to work in, no matter where that work may be.  I am thankful for my car especially because my daughter lives 5 hours away by car.  Without that car I would not be able to see her so often.  I am thankful for rain storms and sunshine...

Look at my list...and I have yet to begin.... but what does God hear... God is more likely to hear about that we want that we don't have yet.  God is more likely to hear that somebody hurt our feelings than if somebody blessed us.  Yet I believe with all my heart that we all have more blessings in our days than we have curses.  We need to learn to talk every day to God like we would if we lived in one of those third world countries and God appeared before us with all that we have in his hands and gave it to us like it was Christmas morning.  Think how thankful we would be then.  Just because we didn't not have, just because we didn't get it all one Christmas morning in the mist of having nothing, doesn't mean that it isn't a gift just the same.  We need to learn, to make an effort to go about our days telling God thank you!! Thank you!!! and Thank you!

You know what we would get in return for those thank yous? We would get a greater awareness of all that we have and our hearts world fill satisfied. When out of our heart comes complaints we feel empty... If out of our hearts came thankfulness we would fill overflowing!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

3.6.11

James 3:9-12 Sometimes it (our mouth) praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.  And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!  Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?  Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

My Thoughts
This was not in my daily Bible reading today... I was researching a few verses to go along with what I was going to write about and ran across this.  It was just so clear in my head. We can't praise God and curse people... Jesus says it right here that a fruit tree can not produce two kinds of fruit. Yet we go about doing this all the time like our praises of God are what is important... it is all important... if we want all of God's goodness we have to go around all the time being good.  We can't be both. It is like we speak good words about God and get a +2 then we speak bad words about a friend and get a -2...that equals 0.  So what if we talk good about God... +2 and praise God +2 more.. then we talk about our spouse -2 and our kids -2 and then our co-worker -2 ... well that is a total of -2.  You just can't get it to add up to a positive. This verse made me so aware of how I go about adding negatives to my life... while I have tried to do positive things... to move forward I need to treat people the way I would treat Jesus if he was here in the flesh walking beside me and I knew it was Him. I need to search out the good in people. I need to only speak the good about people.  I need to make sure not to dwell on the bad thoughts the devil plants in my head and make sure that what comes from my mouth is what I want to been seen in my heart.  Psalms 19:14 says May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.  The devil can get in our mind...he loves to plant himself there.  But what comes from our mouth.. the thoughts we choose to dwell on those are the things that matter.  Since God made us in his image and he wants us to sing praises of Him... wouldn't he want us to sing praises of the people around us!! Just think how we could chase the devil away if every time he planted a negative thought about someone in our head we blessed them out loud. If we had that thought that our boss was unfair and so instead of spreading that thought around the office we said out loud "God please bless my boss!" What if our friend hurt our feelings by saying we didn't look good in our new dress and when the devil put the thought in our head "You don't look so hot yourself today." you showered your friend with compliments. Not only would we end up with plusses in our lives the devil would quit trying to get in our head. Imagine how the devil would leave our thoughts alone if everytime he planted a bad thought in our head it made the good from our heart shine.  I want positive numbers in my life, don't you?






Saturday, March 5, 2011

3.5.11

Mark 12:32-33 The teacher of religious law replied, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other.  And I know it is important to love Him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbors as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law."

My Thoughts
This is the part of this verse that really stood out to me today, "I know it is important to love Him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength."  All my understanding!!.... You do have to understand God before you can love Him completely.  I loved God since I could remember, I was suppose to!... So I did. But, I really didn't understand God at all. I knew that God was suppose to be there for me. I knew that I prayed to Him. I knew he loved me enough to send His only Son to die for my sins. That was as much as I understood.  So my ability to love God was limited.  The more I spend time putting His words in my heart and applying, applying them is an important part of  understanding them, the more I am able to love God.  The more I am able to love God the stronger I become and the more strength I have to love God the more ability I have to love the people around me, including myself.  Understanding what God is all about gives me the power to love God with all that I am!  I just didn't know before.  I have learned that God does not answer prayers that are outside His will.  That would be like telling a child "Oh sure you can play in the street, I love you to much to tell you no."  I have learned that God loves giving me love and peace, God loves giving me ability. God loves giving me friends that love Him. When I pray inside the will of God, God loves answering those prayers.  God wants to give me everything he just wants me to be ready.  Like we want our children to be "ready" to drive a car. We want them to have the ability to handle the car, make wise decisions about driving the car  and we want them to be safe. We want  the people around them to be safe.  The more I understand just how much God loves me the more understanding I have and the more I can love God back.  My journey through the Bible the last 15 months has given me so much more understanding of who God is, of why God is, of who God is to me. Now I don't love God because I am suppose to, I love God because I can't help myself.  "If you find yourself thinking. " I know I am suppose to love God, and I do but." Pick up your Bible, the  version that you can best understand and increase and expand your understanding of who God is, why God is.  With that understanding you will find strength, a larger capacity for love, you will find the choices in your life will be easier. Your live will begin to change in amazing way.  The journey is so worth the time.

Friday, March 4, 2011

3.4.11

Mark 12:15-17 Should we pay them, or shouldn't’t we?” Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.”  When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.  “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” His reply completely amazed them.

My Thoughts
We have all heard this...I recognize "Give Caesar's what is Caesar's" as from the Bible.  But until today I never really got this!!... Truly got it.  This verse is telling me it doesn't matter if somebody is taking everything you have.  If somebody is taking more from you than they deserve, give it to them!  What matters is if we give God what belongs to Him. Genesis 1:27 says that we are made in the image of God.  Just like that coin was made in the image of Caesar.  We belong to God!  We need to give to God what is God's and that is us, that is our heart, and our soul, our love, our actions, our steps, our words. All that we are belongs to God and we need to give to God what is His. Think about it this way...when something belongs to us don't we take really good care of it!... Our babies are ours (for a while) and we take better care of them than we take of ourselves.  Well God will take better care of us than we can take care of us.  We can run to Him when we are afraid and he will hold and protect us.  When we need to  take new steps he will hold our hand and teach us how. God will only do what is the very best thing for us.  But he gives us the choice to give to Him what is His. When we give to God what is his, when we give God us, all of us, He takes us in and cherishes us. He counts even the number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30). God treasures us (Psalms 139:13-14). God cares about  out comings and goings (Psalms 121:8). God values us more than Caesar could have ever valued his gold.  So lets give to the world what is the worlds but lets give our all, our person, our steps, our words, our works, our heart to God.





Thursday, March 3, 2011

3.3.11

Mark 11:24-25 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.  But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.

My Thoughts
When I started my journey through my One Year Bible I began to learn how to pray. One  day I can to this very passage and knew I would have to put this forgiveness thing into practice.  At first it wasn't easy at all! At first it could be down right hard...and my list, well that was a long list.  The first few days I tired this I left people out...after all I was doing my forgiving, which was more than I had been doing. Then as I would pray I began to know that I had to, I must forgive everybody everything.  I knew that God was helping me forgive.  I just had to make the first efforts.  Some people I had to forgive over and over and over again.  I am not talking about people that kept doing hurtful things...I am talking about forgiveness from  years back.  Bringing these things to my mind were sometimes making me angry, or upset or hurt all over again.  I learned when I begin to feel that anger to send up a pray, right then and there, a prayer of forgiveness.  I am telling you some days I could pray lots of times throughout the day.  But those prayers began to work... the forgiveness I was speaking out of my mouth was cleansing my heart.  Lifting weight off my shoulders.  Forgiveness was freeing me. Forgiveness was changing me.  Forgiveness was making more room in my heart for God. Do I still get angry (my anger is always on the inside), yes I do, but when I do I don't wait for prayer time. I send a prayer up the very minute I feel anger or frustration or hurt at somebody... and again I have to do it sometimes several time before I get there.  But, you know what? God always, always helps me forgive. Now when I start out my prayers I find that there are so many days, more days than not that there is nobody to forgive when I say my prayers.  My words will be God I forgive....... then I think.... and I shrug my shoulders and smile and say to myself  "Lookie there Jeannie, you don't have anybody to forgive today." Then I feel so very blessed.  You know the most important thing that I have learned. God doesn't ask me to do anything that won't make me feel better or be better.  God ask me to treat myself and others in such a way that life could only be good.  I opened up my heart totally to God and he has only had blessings for me. Start your day willing to forgive, speak those words out of your mouth and God will do the rest!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

3.2.11

Proverbs 10:27 The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

My Thoughts
I love this...it made me feel more at peace this morning when I read it.  Satin loves to heap sorrow on us... sin in our lives brings on sorrow.  But God is only about goodness and love....I looked up sorrow it is defines as mental suffering or pain caused by injury, loss, or despair. I though when we loose someone we love don't we feel sorrow...then I remembered a girl that I met at Hobby Lobby just the other day... we got to talking and her mom has a brain tumor.  She loves God, you could tell...and she would tell you so.  Her mom loves God, the girl told me so. When I said I am so sorry about your mom she said "It is going to be all right... my mom is ready to "go home" she told me so just the other day.  I am at peace with this." Will she miss her mom? Sure she will...but because of God's great love she won't have sorrow.  I have learned when I feel despair that I have stepped away from God in some way. When I draw Him back to me He brings that wonderful peace with Him. God will heap his blessing on our lives when allow Him close enough to do so.  I am learning that when I feel God far away that I have moved away from God.  To move God back to me I just have to start praising Him. Don't you love to be around those people that praise you?... So does God! When you find yourself in despair and you feel like you can't even think straight just start with "I praise you God, I praise you God, I thank you God, I thank you God." Say this over and over and over and you will feel God move near... you will feel the peace that comes when God is close. You will push the devil away and along with it the sorrow that he brings with him making room for God's great blessings. In life we have the choices that come with free will. I choose God.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

3.1.11

Proverbs 10:20-21 The words of the godly are like sterling silver; he heart of a fool is worthless. The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.

My Thoughts
We have all opened our mouth and inserted out foot or feet.  We know before we start, almost that we should stop. But, we don't we keep talking!  Often those very words come back to worry us, haunt us even. We do this in anger, frustration... sometimes from a complete and utter lack of good judgment. When we do we are being foolish.  If we keep in our mind that all that is foolish, completely foolish we would take care of half the times we open our mouth. None of us want to look like a fool.  Just the the thought that what we are about to say is going to make us look like a fool eventually would stop us in our tracks.  So this verse is a good one to remember.  How do we make our words like sterling silver?  We seek after God, we seek His love and His wisdom.  We seek to be like Jesus in all that we do.  To be like Jesus, we have to know Jesus.  Truly know Jesus.  Then we began to have wisdom... and we check ourselves before we speak... we understand when what we are thinking or are about to say is right or wrong.  We feel the Holy Spirit talking to us.  But to know and to feel and to hear we have to take time.  I have so learned this in the past 15 months ...I had ask Jesus into my heart..at a young age.  I had tried to be good, but often times not achieved being good at all!  I had ask Jesus to be a part of me without taking time to be a part of Jesus.  I just didn't know how, I didn't get it!! I still have so much to learn!  A lifetime of things missed to cram into what I have left.  But as I have read my Bible the last 15 months, daily.  As I have surrounded myself with wise people of God and listened to what they could teach me. I have learned to hear the Holy Spirit talking to me... leading the way.  At first I would know I should shut up...but I would just keep talking!!...now when I hear that voice in my head saying "You don't want to say that! You don't need to say that."  I know that I know that I know that it is the Holy Spirit teaching me to be wiser.  When I listen I get to walk away without any worry about what I have said that I shouldn't have.  The more times I do that the more times I get the opportunity to hear the Holy Spirit tell me what is good, and sweet and kind and encouraging to say. Then I get to be the kind of person that builds people up, that helps strengthen relationships.  I get to walk away and feel happy and free.  I don't wake up in the morning and worry about what I have said.  And all I had to do all along is to take time to really get to know God.  Take time to know how to be more like Jesus, to take time to learn to hear and listen and then act on what the Holy Spirit was teaching me.  What I can tell you from this past 15 months is the time it takes to learn about God... to get to know God that time will be given back to you multiplied! How do you multiply time you might ask, it's simple, when you truly listen to God guide your steps, your hands, your words and your actions you don't have to spend near as much time fixing things you have messed up.  Because God doesn't mess up.