God's Steady Protection and Refuge

For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" ( Luke 4:10-11 *NKJV ) "In the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock”

(Psalm 27:5, NIV)

Our God is an awesome God.  He knows and understands the obstacles that come our way.  Mine are at the forefront of  my day to day walk.  Slow SLOW weight loss, 7 Habit implementation, and discipline with exercise are just to name a few.  I get tired just thinking about those.  Then there are the money obstacles.  So much we need to fix and change, and every time we make some headway, money falls through our fingers again and the future looks even bleaker.  But I MUST remember  that God has me in His hands and has His mighty angels over me, protecting me from far worse that what I am going through.  Thank you Lord for that!!! He is in control of me and pulls me close when I am struggling.  Lord I an struggling today, so hold me tight and give me courage and strength to persevere. 

There is a Plan!

^{I Chronicles 28:
19} David said, "All these plans were written with the Lord guiding me. He helped me understand everything in the plans."
²⁰ David also said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and brave, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged, because the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or leave you until all the work for the Temple of the Lord is finished.²¹ The groups of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the Temple of God. Every skilled worker is ready to help you with all the work. The leaders and all the people will obey every command you give."

God has a plan and purpose for me.  ME!  Can you believe that?  That is REALLY quite a big deal when you think about it.  ME.  He has a plan for me and is guiding me... Wow, that is what He is doing with this change in me.  He is guiding me to see what HE wants for me.  At least I know that is what God is trying to do with me.  I ate a lot of salt last night... calories fine, point+ fine, but just a lot of sodium and I knew I would be up as I was this morning.  I at least processed it while I was eating... you will pay the price for this tomorrow morning.  I did, BUT, I didn't get beat up this morning, got on the treadmill and started my journey again today.  I am reflecting on the "trip" not the goals right now.  I guess I am being strong and doing the work.  I just have to remember to not become discouraged, and have the belief that God will not fail me until and He will not stop until He is finished. 

Don't Let it Get YOU!!!

“And do not be conformed to this world, But be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”

(Romans 12:2, NKJV)

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a
harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1* NIV )

He who guards his mouth and his
tongue keeps himself from calamity, and oh how
true that is indeed!    ( Proverbs 21:23 )

This morning I woke up with a "stress headache" due to the rain that was outside.  Wesley had gotten me up at 4:00 this morning and I had barely gone back to sleep when my alarm went off to walk this morning.  My day was not starting so well, but I did get out of bed, I did walk, I did stick with my goals this week and I did make it to school.  I was late for prayer group, I was late to do my devotions, I was late all around, and I am sure I will likely struggle if don't turn this day over to God right now. 

I know that I must hold onto the these goals I have and believe that they will come to pass.  These are the desires of my heart and God will give them to me with the perseverance I show.... That doesn't mean it will come easy, and it doesn't mean I won't struggle. 

I prayed yesterday that God would just give me some encouragement each day and so far He has, so a least I know He is listening to my prayers and affirming that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. I had a BEAUTIFUL day yesterday with Wesley doing homework and sitting around outside.  Quality time and time well spent.  That was an answer to prayer.  I lost 2 pounds yesterday (to be up today), yet, that was an encouragement and answer to prayer.  This morning out of the blue, a teacher tells me I looked skinny.  Well I didn't even expect that, but that too was an encouragement to stay on this path with happy good eating.  So God is helping by giving me gentle nudges to stay on the 7 habit path with family and Sharpening the Saw for me. 
As my verses say, I am going to continue to renew my mind with the words of God and see  how these 7 habits can help me, because I know that they are good and acceptable in the Will of God.  I will continue to use words of expectation and praise to already claim God's victory in the path, and it will give me strength and peace. 

Can YOU believe the impossibile?

A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman NIV 1984

⁴⁰ Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. ⁴¹ Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house ⁴² because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. ⁴³ And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,^[d] but no one could heal her. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. ⁴⁵ “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” ⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” ⁴⁷ Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. ⁴⁸ Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” ⁴⁹ While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher any more.”

⁵⁰ Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

⁵¹ When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. ⁵² Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” ⁵³ They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. ⁵⁴ But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” ⁵⁵ Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. ⁵⁶ Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Ok, so today, I began to feel defeated in my efforts, feeling as if I was expecting immediate results... with my weight loss, with clothing sizes, with financial peace, and well, even with my boys.  I thought for sure, day 4 of pushing the 7 habits and rigorously applying them to myself and trying to hold my family accountable, surely they would comply.  So... I guess, I was beginning to have what is called DOUBT.  This is why this mornings message was so important.  I MUST HAVE THE FAITH, and not give up, but HOLD TRUE TO THAT BELIEF, even in times of hardship. 

Can you believe the impossible???? 

If you had told me that a woman who had been sick for years was healed and a dead child had been raised... I would have said that was IMPOSSIBLE, yet it was their faith that lead to this happening. 

It is the example laid before us to reflect on in our times of DOUBT.  So... I must not give up, but hold true to the wisdom God has delivered to me.

I didn't even seek this out this morning... amazing that God is continuing to give me the same message. 

Well... Holding onto God's Hand

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Jesus Is the True Vine

15 Jesus said to his disciples:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts away every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit. But he trims clean every branch that does produce fruit, so that it will produce even more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of what I have said to you.
⁴ Stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me. ⁵ I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me. ⁶ If you don’t stay joined to me, you will be thrown away. You will be like dry branches that are gathered up and burned in a fire.
⁷ Stay joined to me and let my teachings become part of you. Then you can pray for whatever you want, and your prayer will be answered. ⁸ When you become fruitful disciples of mine, my Father will be honored. ⁹ I have loved you, just as my Father has loved me. So remain faithful to my love for you. ¹⁰ If you obey me, I will keep loving you, just as my Father keeps loving me, because I have obeyed him.

Well once again this morning, (like I should be really surprised by now), the message is clear.  He is the essential component in my life... the means to produce great works.  Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him I can produce great things. I prayed this morning that God would give me the encouragement in times of depression, times of frustration, times of struggle, and this is the message I get this morning.  That is PRETTY amazing and a clear reminder that He is with me and that I must remain on the path I am on and persevere. 

Then I got another message:
^{Ephesians 7-8} Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us. God has great wisdom and understanding, ⁹ and by what Christ has done, God has shown us his own mysterious ways. ¹⁰ Then when the time is right, God will do all that he has planned, and Christ will bring together everything in heaven and on earth.

Again, God has wisdom that I cannot understand, but WHEN the time is right, all that He has put into place with me will come together.  Wow, how is that for food for thought.

Perseverance---Oh MY!

2 Thessalonians 3

Request for Prayer

1 Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.

Warning Against Idleness

6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching[a] you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

11 We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.

14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Well, if that isn't confirmation that God is working in me, then I am just plain ole blind.  So, this morning I found myself already struggling... struggling with exercise, struggling with moving forward on this mission to move the family forward. 

ROADBLOCK!!!! 

Oh yes,  saw and felt I was giving and giving this morning, even taking the time to say to both my boys... this is my act of kindness, I will help you (indicating that it was a conscencious choice), and hoping that maybe, I might see someone take initiative and  do something without me having to ask as an act towards me. 

OH THIS IS GOING TO BE SO HARD!!!!! 

But I told Bruce yesterday with a loving heart and whole commitment, that maybe, just maybe the reason we both struggle with wanting more in our lives, our bodies, our appearance, our home, our desires, is because we haven't invested and given our whole being to those things.  

 If we invest, give and learn, we find VALUE.  if we try, then maybe the DESIRE and LONGING to do these things and have these feelings won't be do hard./span> 

 Maybe our time here on Earth is that time we must have to learn this so that in heaven we will know how to use and appreaciate all that we have.  I see that we MUST not be idle in our actions... we must stay strong.  Guess I better go get my medicine and meditate on this all day. 

 LORD HEAR MY CRY AND HELP ME TO BE STRONG.

Am I prepared? Matthew 24

Matthew 24

The Temple Will Be Destroyed

¹ As Jesus left the Temple and was walking away, his followers came up to show him the Temple's buildings. ² Jesus asked, "Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. Every stone will be thrown down to the ground."

³ Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his followers came to be alone with him. They said, "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that it is time for you to come again and for this age to end?"

⁴ Jesus answered, "Be careful that no one fools you. ⁵ Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will fool many people.⁶ You will hear about wars and stories of wars that are coming, but don't be afraid. These things must happen before the end comes.⁷ Nations will fight against other nations; kingdoms will fight against other kingdoms. There will be times when there is no food for people to eat, and there will be earthquakes in different places. ⁸ These things are like the first pains when something new is about to be born.

⁹ "Then people will arrest you, hand you over to be hurt, and kill you. They will hate you because you believe in me. ¹⁰ At that time, many will lose their faith, and they will turn against each other and hate each other.¹¹ Many false prophets will come and cause many people to believe lies.¹² There will be more and more evil in the world, so most people will stop showing their love for each other.¹³ But those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved. ¹⁴ The Good News about God's kingdom will be preached in all the world, to every nation. Then the end will come.

Clearly God is working in me a desire to stop resisting Him and His training in me. I awoke this morning feeling pressed to take the leadership if necessary in holding and molding our family in the 7 habits. I am now convinced without a doubt that I was involved in the 7 habits because God saw fit to equip me with the tools to prepare me for His will. I like structures and He knows that. Every scripture I seem to read talks about these actions, yet they are not the same names etc. the habits aren't biblical, but yet God is using them in my life to see that His word makes them so real. So....I will help my family, because that is my goal in life. Being the best I can be for my family.  

Yesterday I made a point to be kind to all I met. It made me happy. I also said I would make a memory yesterday and I did. I had to make the conscience decicion and action to get up and stand up on the bed with Wesley and dance to Good Morning. Frankly, I didn't want to do it.  I thought it was silly. But... I made a memory.  Today, I said that I would do something as a family and teach Wesley something. It is working. I feel blessed today already by making those things the most important things for me today and have seen by making one thing important, suddenly, many opportunities lead to many.

I also reflected on the fact that many of us are much like a married couple with Christ, or like a parenting situation. I often struggle with Wesley and Bruce and many times i just want to crawl into a hole and just shut them out, declaring I am officially over it, tired of trying to do it,  and officially going to be selfish and focus only on me, since they often put themselves first. But the work that has begun in me is helping me see that that is always going to happen, but it is MY actions that need to change. It is my effort. If I don't move forward then Christ who is the parent, must become frustrated and disappointed in me. Yet He doesn't. He ALWAYS tries again. Another situation , another test, and I fail over and over again, yet He remains with me. He remains faithful in knowing I will be in His favor. I don't deserve it, yet he never gives up, the way we should be in our marriage, the way a parent loves despite the wayward child.

It is going to be hard, because I am realizing it is about a million decisions a day I have to think...is this a good choice, but I am discovering it is worth the day struggle in the end.

Making WISE Choices

So, I had a wonderful time with my girl friends last, crying and laughing, and always learning from each other. I realized that they are true treasures and blessings from God. I feel selfish in saying that God has brought us together because He knows I will need them within the coming year as I deal with the decline of mom.


With that being said, I really have tried to be honorable and reflective this week with the things I have learned. The verse I read today talked about how Gods love should be seen much like through the eyes of children. I meditated on that throughout the day and I thought how my son must see me and better yet, how do I want him to see me. I used that today to guide my decisions and choices because that is one on my life goals. I did some silly stuff (danced to "good morning" by Mandisa on the bed with Wesley,and tried to wake Daddy up with ice cubes. I really thought "What memory do I want to make today for my son. I had quality time with him and still managed to be productive and honestly.... It was the BEST day I have had in a long time despite the hurdles. I really think it is because the versus and message I have gotten all week are a steadfast reminder that I am here to honor God. It is my personal choices that are the things that allow me to be closer to my goals or the very things that pull me away. My downslides on the weekends have been a choice. I can be lazy. I can waste time on meaningless games instead of being with Bruce and Wesley. I really began with the end in mind today, and really put the most important things first. That is why I had such a good day.


I watched the movie FIREPROOF today. It was just another right in my face reminder. The movie has a separating couple in it and ultimately it is the choices they make that lead them to the spot where they are. It is also their decision to persevere in making daily BETTER choices, that leads them to God. One of the segments is about the man struggling to persevere in trying to save his relationship. He is rejected regularly and is tired of trying, saying it is not worth it, and he is going to throw in the towel. He asks, how am I supposed to love someone over and over when all they do is reject me. That is when his dad points to the cross and says, " that is a good question". Did you get that??!?!?

God must feel that way with us, always making poor choices and rejecting what God wants us to do. WOW. Hit me hard. Also saw the parallels to parents and children. We can't give up when the struggles are rough. We love our children and NEVER give up in hope that they will come to do what is right. If we give up, it all falls apart. I have to stand firm in making all the wise decisions I can, because THAT is what God wants for me.

Romans 5

Right with God

¹ Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have^[a] peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² who through our faith^[b] has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory. ³ We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience.⁴ And patience produces character, and character produces hope.⁵ And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.
⁶ When we were unable to help ourselves, at the right time, Christ died for us, although we were living against God. ⁷ Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die.⁸ But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
⁹ So through Christ we will surely be saved from God's anger, because we have been made right with God by the blood of Christ's death. ¹⁰ While we were God's enemies, he made us his friends through the death of his Son. Surely, now that we are his friends, he will save us through his Son's life. ¹¹ And not only that, but now we are also very happy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we are now God's friends again.

Training Me For a Purpose

Jesus Said, "Whoever does the will of my
Father in heaven is my brother and sister
and mother."
             ( Matthew 12:50 *NIV )

Dear friends, now we are children of God,
and what we will be has not yet been made known.
But we know that when He appears, we shall be
like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
                                                       ( 1 John 3:2 )

So... today I continue to see that Christ has a plan for me.  As I struggle with my weight, my fiances, my personal goals in my personal mission statement, I need to understand that God holds me dear to his heart and like a parent, I will always be special and dear to Him because I am a child of His.  Even when I stray, rebel, and fight with Him, he loves me unconditionally.  But more importantly, God even knows the plans he has for me.  I don't know what plan there is for my son, but I know I want him to grow up and be a good person, and a follower of Christ.  God knows the plan for me, so He knows what He has to do to prepare me for my future.  I have to do as He desires for it is all a part of His direction for me to become what I am to be. 

 I CANNOT FAIL.  I CANNOT FIGHT.  I CANNOT LOSE FOCUS.

7 HABITS= DIRECTIONS TO FOLLOW GOD'S PLAN FOR ME

BE A PROACTIVE DECISION MAKER AND MAKE WISE CHOICES

ALWAYS PUT GODS PLAN AHEAD OF ALL ELSE; BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND AND  PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST

A Harlet in the Lifeline of Christ: LG's study of Ruth

Again we see that God blesses a nation, they take it for granted and sin continually, God brings punishment, they repent, and He blesses them again, only to find man fall short again.  Ruth starts in a time of great famine and suffering.  Naomi, an older woman who has lost her husband and 2 sons.  She is left with two survivors, two daughter in laws, one named Ruth.  Women have little to survive on at this time and often turned to prostitution. 

Lesson to see through this study??? 
God is sovereign, and can call and use ANYONE in His plan.  We must be prepared to stay true to the plan God has in store for us, and ensure our choices and actions are part of God's training an preparation for the plan He has in store for us. 

I have to be proactive in ensuring that my choices and decisions are part of the goals has laid on my heart, and that I am staying focused on the important things in my life.

Give God the Glory before it happens to set the tone of the day

God’s Promise to Zechariah

6 Then he said to me, “This is the Word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by strength nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of All. 7 ‘What are you, O great mountain? In front of Zerubbabel you will become a plain. Then he will bring out the top stone and call out, “May God give it loving-favor!”’” 8 Also the Word of the Lord came to me saying, 9 “Zerubbabel’s hands have laid the first stones of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of All has sent me to you. 10 Who has hated the day of small things? Men will be glad when they see Zerubbabel building the walls of the Lord’s house. These seven are the eyes of the Lord which travel over all the earth.”

My Reflection:

God enables us to do all things, but we must make the daily decisions throughout the day to believe in God and show our faith in all that He can do. We should not dwell on what we struggle with, but rather on the fact that God is good and has us in the palm of his hands and allow God to find favor in finding victory over obstacles and struggles in our life. My issue... clearly weight, and financial peace. These are struggles that I will face my entire life and yes, I have let it get me down on many occasions. But I am making the decision today, to try and remember, that these obstacles are minuscule compared to what God can do. There is a reason God has chosen me to bare these burdens, and it is my role to ensure that I give Him all the praise for choosing me to have them and learn from them for there is a preparation that is training me for.

I see Being Proactive and Putting First Things first From the 7 habits as the focus for me.

Lord help me to be strong in You... and help me to make wise choices throughout the days. Help me to already claim the victory in your name and no longer see my struggles as struggles, but rather regular workouts that are a part of my life.

Stumbling Over and Over... But stay true to honor God

I Corinthians 6: 19-20

19 You should know that your body is a
temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you. You have received the Holy Spirit
from God. So you do not belong to yourselves,20
because you were bought by God for a price. So honor God with your bodies.

My reflection today:

God is showing me this week that there are consequences to my poor choices; truly not taking care of my body leads me to gain weight, feel sluggish, unmotivated,etc...I have to be more proactive and make wiser choices ALL DAY LONG to honor God. If I don't, then my choices will ALWAYS lead to a consequence. Daniel 11 stated this as a clear point. Sinners get warnings from
God in the form of consequences, and they did not listen even with those
consequences and there kingdom was punished severely. Our world will be punished, but we must remember to do what is right ---at least as often as we can!

Reminders for me!

1. MAKE BETTER EATING CHOICES
2. MAKE BETTER FINANCIAL CHOICES FOR OUR FUTURE; DO I NEED THIS RIGHT NOW?
3. BE A BETTER MOTHER; TRAINING MY SON; SPENDING TIME WITH HIM
   

Remember:
God’s favor opens the right doors. His favor will bring good breaks. The favor of God will cause you to accomplish what you could not accomplish on your own. It gives you an edge. Now, if you’re going to see the gracious hand of God at work in your life, you can’t go through the day
feeling intimidated, thinking that you’re average, looking around and comparing
yourself to everyone else. No, you have to live like you have His favor, think like you have favor, talk like you have favor, walk like you have favor, dress like you have favor! Not arrogantly. Not in a way that portrays that you’re better than somebody else, but with a quiet confidence knowing that you have the gracious hand of God on your life!
Live like you’ve got it because you do! - Care of Osteens