New Year.....New Beginnings

As I reflect on this past year I am amazed at the road I have traveled and how God has walked with me every step of the way. I ended my 3 year teaching job with ACA in order to go to school full-time to finish my master's degree. I in turn received a job teaching at the college a couple days a week and more hours at my other job. I gave my daughter away to a wonderful man and gained him as a son-in-law. I spent a month in Ukraine where I met some fantastic people and saw the Lord work in miraculous ways!!
Upon returning I was blessed to find the perfect apartment and spent my 40th birthday surrounded by all those I love and adore!!
School started and the stress came, but each step of the way I would just stop and pray if it got to be overwhelming and He was always there to give me peace. I found out I'm going to be a grandma this coming new year and am looking forward to meeting my grandson Brayden and have enjoyed in sharing the experience with Montessa and Shawn. I started having family nights every Thursday, which included me having my family be guinea pigs with all my new recipes.....only 1 has been a bust as of yet. I learned to play my new favorite card game (Dutch Blitz) and have now passed the addiction on to the family. I started a Bible Study in my home for my girlfriends which I enjoy immensely. In the midst of it all a random encounter at Firestone has brought an amazing man in my life!! YAY!!! All in all it's been a fabulous year, I'm looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for me in 2012!!

All that to say this, if you 2011 wasn't what you expected or even what you wanted....know that 2012 is a new beginning a chance to start over. If you have a relationship with the Lord ask Him for help, if you don't what better time to start one. Not as a resolution but as a commitment to follow Christ for the rest of your days in the way that he wants you to!

Praying you and your families all have Happy and Blessed New Year for 2012!!

Cause and effect

I hadn't realized it had been so long since I have posted on my blog. Life has been busy, I made it home from Ukraine safely and with wonderful new friends. I moved into my new apartment closer to my family and friends. This has allowed me to start a Bible study in my home for my friends, which has been a wonderful experience so far! I started attending school full-time in hopes of finishing my degree before I turn 50......oh and yes, I turned the big 40!! Life's been busy but God has been good and provided along the way! Things have started to slow down a little so I thought I'd sit down and blog for a moment.

The other day I was making my 45 minute drive down 74 on my way home from school and noticed how beautiful the trees were. The colors were slowly changing from bright green to orange, yellow, brown and red. It struck me right then how every year at the same time (give or take) the leaves begin to change color and start falling off the trees preparing themselves for the cold winter to come. Through the shedding of this year's foliage new leaves will bloom in the spring! I started to realize how God wants us to shed our foliage (or sin) in order for new foliage (or life) to bloom.

Do we really think about the effect our sin has on our lives and on others. If you haven't, consider the broken home and the child who has to separate their time between parents. The home where alcohol or drugs plays a major factor in someones life, how is that behavior effecting those around them. Consider the parent who gambles away their pay check and the family that is left without money to pay for food, clothes or shelter. Lastly, think in your own life at what point did the sin of someone else effect you. If it hasn't consider yourself a lucky one, because I can imagine for the majority of us, the sin of others has been an effect on each of our lives even if only indirectly.

When we start to think about how our life effects others, either good or bad we may consider changing how we live. It's the selfish person who only considers their own happiness and not the happiness of those around them and whom they love. God gives us the ability to be forgiven and start over, we need to just believe that He's forgiven us and want to start over. It's time to shed our old selves in order to make room for the new.

Not by accident

You ever wonder if an event was a coincidence or if it all came together because God made it happen, I mean are there really moments in our lives which have been divinely put together by God? I've been thinking about that lately and how God knows even the smallest details of our lives and what we need each day. We came to Ukraine do work in a few ministries and it seems that our youth camp would have been an amazing ministry opportunity and it was cancelled due to the weather.

If God sent us here, then is a day sitting in a house waiting for the power to come on and water to be delivered a day truly planned by God? I have to believe it is, if coming on this trip was what each of us feel was His will for us, then a day of not doing a whole lot for Him has to be a day planned by Him as well. I wonder how often I think of work that I can do for Him without asking Him what it is He wants me to do?

If we are to show Christ's love then sometimes sitting with a friend and just listening to their problems is all God requires of us. Maybe we don't feel like we did much, but to God it was, because we showed love. I truly believe God places good and bad events in our lives, as well as change our plans so that we can do what is His plan for the day.

It's not for me to figure out what God's reasons are for why things change, it's only for me to accept the change and go about showing Christ's love in hope of winning another soul to His Kingdom. Sometimes we make it more difficult than we need too, sometimes we need to sit back, grab a cup of tea and just have an open ear and an open heart!

From the village to the mountains

I've had a lot of time to reflect about my life the past few weeks and the one thing that I've come to understand is how amazing God is! Looking back over the last few years I see how He has taken a little girl from the village of New Miami and used her in the mountains of Ukraine. Although I may never get to see the outcome of this experience here on Earth, one day I'll get to know how this trip has affected those we have ministered to.

I'm pretty sure growing up in the village I didn't even know places such as this existed, let alone that I would be working for the Lord in the country. Giving my life to God has helped me to not only see the world, but to see it through His eyes.

I'm sure I have a long way to go and many things I need to work on and get right. Walking with him one day at a time brings my life and what's important into perspective. What I have in the Lord no man, job or material thing will ever replace. Peace that passes all understanding and a heavenly home that awaits when my earthly duties are done.

Blessings,
Monica

God provides

It's hard to believe in less than 3 days I'll be starting on my mission trip. I'm looking forward to going to Ukraine to work with the children there. We will be doing a Vacation Bible School in one part of the country and then traveling to the other side of the country and doing a Youth Camp. Apparently, the Youth Camp is where my military training will come in handy. We will truly be camping sleeping in tents, bathing in the river and yes even digging our own bathrooms :)

Life is an adventure for sure, I was making one of my many drives moving my things this week and had a lot of alone time to think. While I was preparing to move to Belize I remember testifying in church that I was not afraid to move and I would do whatever God wanted me to, even dig ditches if that's what He wanted. Who knew that He would hold me to that statement years later:) I need to remember never to say something I don't mean because God might test me on it down the road.

A friend asked me the other day if I was afraid. I'm looking at it as God's will and if He is in it He will take care of all of us, so that being said, I'm not afraid in the least. He has given me peace about the trip from the beginning and has provided in every way for me to go.

I was short $350 for the final balance of the trip (plane ticket). I had been praying about it and told the Lord I was not asking anyone for the money. If the trip was of Him, He alone would provide it. I also know I had friends and family praying about it for me as well. I received a call a couple days later from my aunt she said, "I have the rest of your money, someone dropped it off this morning." She told me the person didn't want to be acknowledged for giving but felt God laid it on their heart to give it. What a blessing and answer to prayers! So if that person who gave the money happens to be reading this, "Thank You" and know you are an answer to prayer. Thanks to everyone who gave towards my trip....it's amazing how God uses people in all ways to increase His Kingdom!

Now that Montessa's wedding is over, I've moved my things from my apartment to storage and the plane ticket is bought.....another chapter is about to begin. I have no idea what is ahead of us, however I know who goes before us and will prepare the way!! May we glorify Him and help to build His Kingdom!!

If you remember please pray for my team as we are away. I'll try to update my blog, but not sure how much time or internet access I'll have.

Blessings!

Excited!

I was driving back to Cincinnati today after spending the weekend away and it came to me I hadn't updated my blog in a while. A lot is happening and I don't always have the time or take the time to update my blog. My daughters wedding plans are moving right along and I have one more quiz in my college courses to take and I'll be finished with that for the semester. Still no luck with housing, but at least I have a short term solution until I return from my trip to Ukraine.

Ahh, my mission trip to the Ukraine, it's amazing to me how God opens doors and moves things right along. After feeling like He had changed my plans from Israel to Ukraine He very clearly opened all the doors. I've met via Facebook the group I'll be going with. I've also spoken with the missionaries we'll be staying with and gotten some ideas of what types of things we'll be working on. It looks like Vacation Bible Schools and other children ministries. It's amazing to see God is working it all out. He's been faithful in supplying the funds for the trip and I'm halfway there with all that I'll need. I've not even been worrying about it, because I know He will supply. The one thing I'm not looking forward to however is the Tetnus shot they require us to get before we can go, but I'll get through that fear as well.

It's exciting to know I'm going to a country where Christianity is not the main religion and actually low on the totem pole, but God is trusting me to go spread the gospel. What an awesome responsibility!

I know I've used this verse before but Jeremiah 29:11,"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This is a verse that helps me keep my head up when I'm feeling low and knowing that I'm trusting God with everything in my life, including traveling half way around the world.

Superwoman, I'm not!!

My busyness and all consuming "To Do List" have turned into Kryptonite! I was speaking to someone earlier this evening about the schedule I have over the next few months, college courses to complete, my daughters wedding the same week as the last week of the school year, leaving for a mission trip for a month to the Ukraine a week later and to top it all off I have to move out of my apartment by mid June. Which will technically be nearly impossible since I'll be in the Ukraine at that time and I'm not sure when exactly I can go find a new place to live! So among the reminders to take out the garbage, I also need to apartment hunt.

The thought of it all just makes me want to throw my hands in the air and say forget it, but feeling like my life is ordained by God and I'm doing what He wants me to be doing, all I can do is ask Him for grace and strength. I've found at the end of each day I can find many blessings throughout the busy day I've had. Even when things happen and my schedule gets thrown off God still shows me what He's accomplished that day in my life.

Last week my niece had to go to the hospital for pneumonia and issues with her kidneys. I was concerned for her health and for my sister and brother in-law, how they were handling the situation. After them being told that the diagnosis would be life long treatments for my niece, I asked my sister how she was doing, she said, "I'm doing fine, the Lord loves her more than we do and He'll take care of her and can even heal her." What a wonderful outlook on a not so great situation and it made me think about how God loves us more than we even love ourselves and He will take care of us if we will just let Him.

My prayer this evening was, "Lord, help me to do your will and draw closer to you.....whatever that might take." If it means leaning on Him for strength to get through my daily tasks then so be it, but also help me to recognize the daily blessings He's given me, even amongst the busyness of life!

Bucket list

I was talking to a friend the other day and he said he didn't have a "bucket list", had never really given any thought to what he would want to do before he died. Is it just me or is that odd, don't worry I'm not talking about him behind his back, I told him I thought it was strange. The older I get the more I think about all of the amazing experiences I've all ready been allowed to have. God has blessed me beyond belief and allowed me to travel the world and do things I never thought I would or could do.

However, when I think of the things I still would like to do or accomplish the list is still pretty long. Some I have to admit might be a bit frivolous and others not so much, either way it's my list. The Lord says in John 10:10,I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I believe He wants us to enjoy life and enjoy it in Him. When we put Him first in our life He then gives us our hearts desires according to Psalm 37:4. That means those things that we want and are pleasing to Him.

One of the things on my bucket list is to go back to Israel to visit. My first trip there was truly a spiritual journey and an experience with the Lord, you can feel His presence in the land. To walk the places Christ walked made the Bible real to me. God has perfect timing and if it be His will and pleasing to Him I'll get to go back.

There are some things I would like to do that some might think would be a little dangerous, like take a hot air balloon ride or drive a Nascar around a track at a high rate of speed. He may allow me to do those as well, but I always remember the scripture my aunt quotes when I tell her I want to do something not so safe or maybe a little crazy. Matthew 4:7,Jesus said unto him, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. It makes me laugh every time she says it, but I remember it even when stepping onto a roller coaster and think to myself, "Hmmm.....am I tempting the Lord right now?"

Have you thought about what you want to do before you leave this world? Is the dash between your date of birth and date of death going to be filled with a lot of experiences or just a few? I'm not saying you have to come up with some crazy list, unless of course you want to, but have a dream. Give some thought about that list and what experiences God wants you to have, give your list to Him and let Him help you fill it out and complete it. You never know the adventure you can have when God is in control!

Friends for all reasons!

It's been a few weeks since I've been able to blog and had a lot of topics running through my head, unfortunately they come in the middle of the night when I'm just too lazy to get up and write them down, so I'm playing catch up:)

Change is difficult and unexpected change is even harder, but do you ever notice that during those times certain people are around to help you through it. I have been thinking about all the people who have came in and out of my life over the last six years. Some due to hard feelings but most because they were there for God's purpose at that time and now life has seemed to move them or me on. It doesn't mean I don't think about them and wonder how they are doing and with Facebook I can always check in on them. However, there are those people who you just seem to drift away from whom at one point and time that were an integral part of your life. You spent time with them, you shared with them, maybe worshipped with them and cried with them.

I don't always understand why people come in to my life for a short period of time and then leave, but I do know that God has always brought people I needed for a specific reason. When I moved to the job I'm at now, I didn't really care for it the first few months. I was away from my family and friends from back home and I really didn't feel like I fit in. Low and behold, someone on the campus who had been here for years just saw her best friend get married and move ten hours away. She was devastated at the loss. While she was praying for God to send her another friend, I was praying that He would send me someone. Within just a few short months we ended up becoming best of friends.

The people in our life are not randomly placed there, down the road you'll be able to look back and see their purpose in yours and your purpose in their life. Sometimes, our purpose is to be an example of a good friend and to help them. Sometimes, it might be for them to help us through a difficult time or situation. Sometimes, they never leave and sometimes they're only around for a short time. Whatever the reason, there's always a reason. Unfortunately, some people stick around longer than God would like us to allow them to, and others leave sooner than we wish they would, but nothing is by accident and in everything a lesson can be learned. Even those times when it hurts seeing them go or choosing to let them go, knowing God is in control helps get through the pain.

Thank God for those people in your life, even those whom your unsure why they're there. If there are those around who consistently bring you down and are negative, pray and ask God to help the situation or help you or them to move on. For those who are encouraging and positive, thank Him for them each day (they are usually few and far between)!

What gifts??

Someone once asked me if I could sing? My reply, "Everyone can sing, just some sound a whole lot better than others." Making a joyful noise unto the Lord does not necessarily mean it's going to be a joyful noise to us on Earth! All joking aside, I do sing, but I also am aware that it's not a true "gift" the Lord has given me. I like to sing and enjoy singing in the church choir, but by far I'm not even close to excelling at it. That's not the point though, I do it because I love the Lord and it's a way for me to worship Him. If it hurts the ears of the people around me, well my apologies.

When thinking about our gifts the Lord has given us, unfortunately, most people equate it to some type of musical talent and so if you don't have musical ability you might feel you don't have any true gifts. Well I'm hear to say that's absolutely not true. God blesses us all with gifts and talents. 1 Corinthians 12:1-10 speaks about the gifts God gives us: Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues

God blesses us each with spiritual gifts, sometimes it's difficult for us to figure out what ours are. If your unsure what you think yours is ask a close Christian friend who knows you well. There are also other gifts or maybe better explained, "skills" that we all have as well. For example, I'm a very organized person, one of those, there's a place for everything and everything in its place type of people. This can drive some people crazy, but for me my organizational skills helps me to get more accomplished throughout my day. I like to be able to know at the end of the day everything I had planned on completing was completed.

We need to learn to use our spiritual gifts along with our talents and skills to further God's kingdom. Maybe your church doesn't have anyone to write to people who have missed a few Sundays and you enjoy writing letters and sending cards. Maybe they need help in the nursery and you just love babies, or they need someone to help with a children's choir and you enjoy being around children and singing. Sometimes there aren't things within your church, but you can go outside the church and use what you have that way. Either by mentoring a child, visiting a nursing home or shut ins, or writing a blog to tell others about your experience with the Lord:)

God will open doors for you to use your gifts, talents and skills if you'll just pray and ask Him for guidance. He has made us all uniquely individual so we can all do something. Don't be like the man in Jesus' parable in Matthew who hid his talent out of fear, step out in faith and use those things God has blessed you with!

Need a pick me up!

I've been trying to teach my students about character and being Christ-like, then it hit me, how am I supposed to teach them to be Christ-like when most everything in our society goes completely against what Christ taught. We've been doing a Health lesson on dieting and self-esteem. I was explaining to them them we should not judge someone based on the way they look, however they should be judged on their character. How do they treat others, what is their attitude like, do they display the "do unto others as you would have done to you", characteristic? I sometimes wonder if my blind student has it better when it comes to determining who people really are. He has to fully rely upon their characteristics and their attitudes. He can't look at someone and make a judgment about who they are based on their looks. When I asked him during class what he thought about the class based on just knowing them from their actions, he jokingly said, "You're all ugly" which in turn made us all laugh!

After I showed them this video clip, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hibyAJOSW8U we discussed how Hollywood and the media set us up to fail when it comes to looking the way the world thinks we should look. I asked them this, "How many of you have met someone who was really attractive, yet once you got to know them they weren't as attractive as you once thought they were?" The whole class had met someone like this, when asked what changed their minds they said, "they didn't have a good personality or they weren't very nice." They discussed how they didn't realize that the media had changed the way the actors/actresses looked and they just assumed that's what they always looked like. I was surprised by their lack of reality.

The scripture speaks in Proverbs 23:7, "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he." The way we look at ourselves will determine how we feel about ourselves and affect our relationships with others and Christ. Unfortunately, by the time we become adults our self-image and self-esteem has been so destroyed by things that happened to us in childhood, it takes a lot of time to reverse the damage.

Paul said he rejoiced in his infirmities, he had to rely on God to help him with whatever issue he had. If you're dealing with self-esteem or self-worth issues remember you're not the only one, even Moses dealt with it, he asked for God to use his brother to speak for him. Just remember you have one you can take it to, the One whose image you were created in!


As a side note, I've been reading a great book regarding this topic and more if you're looking for more insight check out "Healing For Damage Emotions" by David A. Seamands.

The true meaning of Love is NOT flowers and chocolates!

For the last 4 years I have not looked forward to Valentine's Day. It's just another reminder that I've lost my husband and back in the world of dating and singleness. Don't get me wrong I'm comfortable in my singleness, however when the rest of the country is celebrating their love it's a little overwhelming being reminded you don't have someone to celebrate with! However, my family and wonderful friends always make sure I know that I'm loved on this day!

This brings me to my title, yes I know, we all enjoy getting Valentine's from our significant other, but does the chocolate and flowers really prove they love you? Do you need it to believe they love you? I would hope not, because this day comes but only once a year.

God's love however is with us each and every day and it's not the kind of love that is dependent upon if we are being obedient. His love is unconditional, no matter what we do He will always love us. However, if we aren't showing Him the same kind of unconditional love by obeying Him are we showing how much we love Him?

God clearly gives us the definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13,"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

If we really follow His word for what Love means, we would never need a day to "show" our love because we would be showing it everyday! Christ showed the ultimate jester of love by dying on the cross for each and every one of us (John 3:16). I hope everyone has had a wonderfully blessed Valentine's Day!!!

The Silent Treatment

Have you ever made someone upset, whether you realized it or not and instead of them telling you they were upset they just didn't speak to you? Maybe they did tell you they were upset and still didn't speak to you. They gave you the silent treatment and expected you to read their mind and know what you did or what they needed. I was thinking about this today and I have to admit I despise the silent treatment. I would rather someone scream and yell at me, getting it all out of their system so then we could discuss it, than to just keep silent and say nothing at all. The silent treatment is like saying, you don't deserve to know what you did wrong nor do you deserve the right to defend your actions. I'm just going to ignore you and hope you figure it out! I'm not speaking about a silence when we know the best way to handle a situation and to keep peace is to remain silent. I'm speaking about the defiant, I'll just teach you a lesson silence.

I tried to relate this to how we/I can sometimes treat the Lord. By not spending time with Him each day in prayer how He must feel like He is getting the "silent treatment." Even if our intentions aren't to treat Him this way, if we are not putting into our relationship with Him what we would like to get out of it, I wonder if he is offended or disappointed. Our silence is our lack of spending time in prayer before the Lord. His word in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing." That would mean God doesn't want the silent treatment. When we aren't getting our way and He didn't answer a prayer the way we thought it should be answered, we are still to continue to pray. He knows best and His will is best! Without praying continuously we are in essence giving God the silent treatment.

Words can turn a bad day into a good one!

You ever had one of those days when things just aren't going well. Seems like everything you touch is definitely not turning to gold but to dust right before your eyes! The outfit you put on makes you feel fat and ugly or the shoes hurt your feet,but there's not time to change, it's like nothing goes your way. Those are the days I either want to go to bed early just to get it over with or start over to try and get it right the second time around.

I've found that those are the days God will bring the most random people around to say a kind word. On one particular day I remember walking to work and absolutely hating what I was wearing, funny thing, I had worn the outfit before and not felt that way so it just must have been the mood I had put myself in. Whilst minding my own business, out of the blue a person I rarely see in the morning walked up and stopped me. In a very cheerful voice said, "you look really nice today!" Needless to say I had to let go of my feelings about the outfit after that comment.

As you may know by now if you have been reading my blog and paying attention, I am single and have NO prospects insight. Every once in a while it might bother me but for the most part it doesn't, I know God has it all under control. However, sometimes people will make me feel bad about it, almost pity me for being single. Their words are not encouraging ones and can tend to make me feel bad about not being married. No, I'm not overjoyed by spending the holidays alone or not having someone to hang out with, but I'm also not one to let it bring me down.......it brings me down when people point it out and tell me how horrible it must be or how they just don't understand why I don't have a husband yet. Again, while thinking about this someone was talking to me and out of the clear blue sky said, "you're going to make a great wife to someone." I hope I do and it wasn't the fact that I want to be a wife, but the fact that this person recognized that I will be a good wife and not to worry about being single for now....enjoy my "singleness" while I'm in it.

All of that to say this, encouraging words can be said at anytime as well as discouraging words without us thinking about it. I don't want to be the one bringing someone down. Life gives us enough of those moments on it's own without any help. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." Are you edifying your friends and family and even those you don't know. You never know when your encouraging word might turn someone's bad day into a GREAT day!

"Let me tell you something!"

A few weeks ago I was out shopping at Kroger with my friend Jenny. While we were wandering around the deli department minding our own business, we noticed this man all of a sudden making a b-line straight towards us. You all know what I'm talking about when someone gets in your personal space, well he did! Not only did he get into our personal space, but he proceeded to say very matter of factly, "Let me tell you something, you girls are Pentecostal!" I very calmly said, "No sir, we are just Christians." He almost seemed offended as he said, "Well I grew up Pentecostal and you look like your Pentecostal", then he proceeded to walk away.

Over the last few weeks I've been thinking about that incident. Now don't get me wrong, I was not offended by being labeled Pentecostal. However, I don't want to be labeled by any denomination.......I'm a CHRISTian, I want to be labeled as a follower of CHRIST not a follower of a denomination. I found Christ in a non-denominational church that taught me to trust and live by God's word alone and not man's. I liked the fact that I could say I'm not a part of a denomination, I'm part of the family of Christ, living by His truth and not the opinion of man. I have found that man's truth tends to waver with the times, yet God is never changing. If I'm going to continue my walk, I must stick to following Christ and His examples and not those of man. We all have had someone in our lives who has at some point and time during their Christian walk let us down, that's why we are human, if we are looking to them to lead the way then we could be disappointed, distracted and even become disgruntled with Christianity in and of itself.

If we are all following the Philippians 2:2 scripture, "Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind", we would all be defined by our Christianity and not the label given to us by the name written on the church building. Whether I attend a Bible Methodist, Bible Missionary, Pentecostal, Baptist or so on and so on church wouldn't matter, I'm following God's word and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and lead me through His truth and word. As Christians we would have a more powerful presence in our country and around the world if we were in one accord. Imagine the amount of souls we could lead to the Kingdom of God! Something to think about, are you being led by Christ to live as an example of Christ or are you being led by the church you attend and the people you're spending time with?

Fine Tuning the Art of Doing Nothing

If you're anything like I am it's very difficult for me to just sit and do nothing. I get this anxious feeling like there has to be something I could be doing. So inevitably, I usually go find something, it doesn't always mean I get off the couch however. My part-time employment is an online school so I'll open my computer and check on emails, or I'll pull out my phone and check emails or Facebook or text someone. There's always a room to be cleaned, lesson plans to be prepared or laundry to do. Either way my mind is always racing to get something accomplished. I am a person with lists and I get joy out of marking through the items that need to be taken care of.

Unfortunately, after a little reflection on my part I realized I'm the same way with God. I assign Him a task or in "spiritual terms" a prayer request. As the prayers get answered or what I feel is an answer, I mark them off or a least put a date next to them, so I know it's one less thing I need to pray about. It feels great to see a friend whom I've been praying for get pregnant or a family member or friend get saved. Those are the things I love marking off my list. However, what about those things I've been praying about for years? The things that I'm just not "seeing" anything happen with because really isn't that what it's all about, us "seeing" God work in our lives? Well those things I tend to try to move along myself, in my timing and it's funny that I haven't learned that in those instances it never works out the way I thought it would or should, I get ahead of God.

I've come to realize that God, Well He doesn't really "need" my help with my prayer request. His word says in John 16:23, "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." The verse doesn't tell me that I would have to manipulate or do anything to receive it, get this, "ONLY ASK". So what's one to do who likes to check off a list and push things along in their own timing, because I, in all honesty lack patience in God's timing? I'll tell you, I'm beginning to learn the art of doing nothing!!! That's right, NOTHING, once it's been prayed about, I'm not going to rehash the same prayer day in and day out, God hears me the first time around and His word says specifically that all I have to do is ask, not beg, just ask. What a wonderful amount of pressure that removes from me, being a control freak and all. Now it's just a matter of asking and believing that what He wants for me is best and He'll give me what's best and being grateful for whatever He gives me!

I was reading, The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer the other evening and while trying to make some decisions on what God wanted from me regarding relationships and my time, I came to this passage: "We are often hindered from giving up our treasures to the Lord out of fear for their safety; this is especially true when those treasures are loved relatives and friends. But we need have no such fears. Our Lord came not to destroy but to save. Everything is safe which we commit to Him, and nothing is really safe which is not so committed." What profound words, it was if God literally hit me over the head with what actions I was suppose to take.

Has God been hitting you over the head as well? Have you been trying to answer your own prayers by a lot of doing? If so I challenge you to leave them at the foot of Jesus, let Him take care of them for you and a burden will soon be lifted! It's difficult enough to take care of the responsibilities we have to manage, why take on additional responsibilities that God wants to manage for us!

New Year New Start!

With the new year comes a new chance to start fresh, to look at things in a new light and to make it the best year yet! Prior to the clock striking midnight, I had a lot of anxiety regarding what was going to happen with my life this year. Granted I'm not guaranteed tomorrow! It's funny how we can plan and plan and what we think will happen never does or if it does, not the way we planned. I can look at the past year and pick it apart, being disappointed in life decisions I made that did not work out. I would however, rather look at those decisions that led me to new experiences and stepping outside my own worldview and small box I can sometimes find myself stuck in.

I'm not much on resolutions because let's face it.....I'm really bad at sticking to them. It's not that I don't have good intentions it's that life gets in the way and I tend to not make them a priority. I would love to lose twenty pounds by the time my daughter gets married, it will just be a matter of me eating healthier and exercising more. How often have you started off doing well and then not made it a priority after some time.

My first church service of the year started off with John 15:16, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." The thought that God Almighty, creator of the universe chose me to bear fruit for His kingdom kind of made me stand up and take notice. Only by my abiding in Him can I bear fruit for Him. It is really difficult to abide in Him when I have made other things priority in my life. So a fresh start it is, not resolutions but additional grace and strength from God. God has shown me the things I have allowed to take over my life and mind and I have laid them on the altar for Him as of today. Only with His help will I be able to "move on" past the distractions. If He wills it He'll do it!

If there are things from the past year keeping you from a closer relationship with the Lord, then there can not be a better time to take that step and laying them aside. With a New Year brings new vision and new hope and in Him all things are made new!