He Sings Over Me

From my journal...

Oh your wondrous Love

Your life layed down on Calvary.

Everlasting Love

Washed away

My stain, my sin.

Unfailing Love,

Pure, true and unchainging.

Everlasting Love

It is thy voice

That sings over me.

Oh how I hunger,

How I thirst

To hold Your hand

on Glory's throne.

Precious Lord

Dear Majesty

Draw me in, draw me close

Draw me with

Your tender words.

Cause me to be blind

To this world

So that Your ways, Your will, Your face

Is all that I may know.

At last, I know your love

I feel your grace,

Oh the warmth of your embrace.

I've been set free, sweet liberty.

Sanctified to be like Thee

Oh sweet Jesus

Reign over me.

Everlasting Lord,

My heart is captivated.

I am hidden in your arms, in your words

As You sing over me.

Photos by:Kristybee

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is my favorite Holiday (besides my Birthday, hehe).

 

Psalm 100 A psalm of thanksgiving.

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!

Worship the Lord with gladness.

Come before him, singing with joy.

Acknowledge that the Lord is God!

He made us, and we are his.

We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

go into his courts with praise.

Give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good.

His unfailing love continues forever,

and his faithfulness continues to each generation

la luce

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

This passage reminds me of that song, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine". But the truth is, that the there is nothing little about the light given to us by Jesus. Yesterday, during worship at church we sang Mighty to Save by Hillsong United. I worshipped Jesus in Spirit and in truth for He is mighty to save. Then Nate, our worship leader, began to sing the bridge:

Shine Your light 

And let the whole World see

We’re singing

For the glory of the risen King

Jesus

There I stood with hands lifted up, not in worship, but in prayer asking Jesus to shine His light. The bridge was repeated and suddenly Matthew 5:14-16 came to mind. It was as if it was being unwrapped right before my eyes, from a tightly closed giftbox (with a pretty little bow on top) to that signature piece that I could wear for years to come. To be light, is a command that I have always understood. I have to confess though, that at times I have been apathetic to it. But yesterday I was reminded, we are the light that He shines for the whole World to see!
 
In my last blog, I challenged you to speak and to encourage. Today I am challenged to shine and not hide the light of Jesus. I challenge you as well. Are your actions bright lights or are they dimmed? Are your conversations and words a beacon of light or do they fade away with the mundane talk of this world? How can you shine for the glory of the risen King? Where can you shine Jesus? Are you aware of who around you is in desperate need of His marvelous light? Let us not lose the opportunity to SHINE Jesus everywhere.
 
Be the light to a dark and dying World.
You are a city set on a hill, which cannot be hidden.
Allow Jesus to take you from underneath the basket and to set you on His lampstand, so that you can give light to everyone around you.
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Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
1Peter 2:9

Speak

It's almost 3am, and I have to be up early... But, I can not go to sleep until I speak to you.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I am reading through the book of Acts in my devotion time. Before heading to bed I went back for some more. I picked up where I had left off and kept reading until I got to Acts 20:2, "While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through..." Even as I am writting to you, I am blown away by Paul's zeal to speak!

It got me thinking, am I that diligent to encourage the believers around me? Am I being a vessel of honor, sanctified and ready for any opportunity to minister to my sisters (2 Timothy 2:20-21)? Am I as enthustiastic as Paul, to speak the things of God everywhere I go? When I enter a room do I diffuse the frangrance of the knowledge of Christ (2 Corinthians2:14-15) ? Am I being salt and light everywhere I go (Matthew 5:13-16)?

Paul goes on to say:

(Verse 24) But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

(Verses 26-28) I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know. So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.

May we be Proverbs 31:26 women, "She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness." My prayer is that like Paul, I would be faithful to speak when He is commanding me to do so. I pray the same for you.

A Year In Verses

Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.
Psalm 143:8

[photo credit]

It's almost that time of the year again. No, I am not talking about Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years Eve. It's almost that time of the year where I begin to seek and pray for a "year verse" from the Lord. So you're wondering what I am talking about. For the past few years I have asked God to give me one verse for that year. For 2009, He gave me Psalm 143:8. With this verse I was challenged to go to His word daily and in the morning, to trust it and allow it to guide me. I began to journal one verse each day. Here is a look into my journal, one verse from each month:

January 23, 2009

The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. Psalm 25:14

February 22, 2009

So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47

March 31, 2009

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 48:10

April 2,2009

He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes. Deuteronomy 10:21

May 28, 2009
Tell me, my love, where are you leading your flock today? Where will you rest your sheep at noon? For why should I wander like a prostitute among your friends and their flocks? Song of Solomon 1:7

June 3, 2009
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

July 1, 2009
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Psalm 37:23-25

August 1, 2009
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13

September 5, 2009
Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring. Hosea 6:3

October 23, 2009
But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God. Psalm 50:23

November 13, 2009
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15


His Word is a lamp unto my feet and a wonderful light unto my path. May I encourage you to set a time apart daily and devote it to hearing from God in His word. Journaling is a huge blessing in my life. I love going back and reading scriptures that spoke to me at the time, answered prayers and as I read past entries I see the growth in my own walk. If you don't already journal, try it out. It's like writing love letters to Jesus.

More than a haircut

One thing I absolutely fear is getting a haircut. The thought alone of a bad haircut makes me nervous. Thank God I have a wonderful "hair lady" named Gina that I trust with my life... well, the life of my hair that is. Besides her, I have no one to trust, not even myself. I must confess though, I did cheat on Gina, but only once and believe me my hair paid the price.

This week I stopped by the hair salon and placed my beloved locks in the hands of the master, the big kajuna, the great Gina. I came in and without a word she knew why I was there and what she would do. Without any hesitation from my part I sat at the hot seat and surrendered over my life to her... that is, the life of my hair. For the next 15 minutes I without shame, eavesdropped on a few conversations around the salon. I then proceeded to watched a little bit of the tv program they had on, replied to a few text messages and then it hit me: this is more than a haircut, it's a picture of me and my God!

So, the question came to me, "Do I trust God, my Creator, my Savior, my friend with my life like I trust Gina with my hair? Think about it, I walked in to her presence with ease. I then sat at her seat. I trust no one but her. When she began working on me I didn't hesitate, worry or become anxious with what she was doing... I simply let her do her thing. Have I given God that much control of my life? Can I walk into His presence with great confidence? Do I sit with Him and spend time chatting with God like I do with Gina? Do I trust Him and Him alone with my life? How is it then that I worry, when He who holds my precious life, will only do good for me all the days of my life?

Another question came to mind, "Am I allowing God to chisle away those areas in my life that are dead, wasting away and/or dishonoring Him? Geez, if I allow Gina to cut away all the dead ends and even more how can I not let the God who created me and knows what's best for me prune away those areas that He sees need to be cut off? The more of Me He removes,the more I begin to look like Him.

Jesus should be our Master, our Big Kajuna, our Great God- at ALL times. Living as a Lily among thorns is a challange that requires pruning every so often, more often than anything. Allow the Lord to be that hair dresser that transforms you from dull to radiant. Trust that He knows what He is doing. And if you don't understand what He is doing trust that the end product will be worth the wait. Surrender total control to Him, today!

Going back to my haircut. Gina did what she has always done successfully, she gave me a fanta-bulous haircut. Needless to say, she is a keeper!

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Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Abide in Me [God], and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. -John 15:2,4
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She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. -Proverbs 31:25
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Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. -Hebrews 12:11
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But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. *2 Corinthians 3:18

Busted

Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. -Acts 10:28

Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism." -Acts 10:34

Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. -Acts 10:44

Hello my lovely readers.
The Lord has me reading the book of Acts. It's a great book, filled with little treasures. I refer to this book as a Jewelry Shop, so many valuables are found in it. In chapter 10, I came across a very precious stone. In a summary (though I really wish you would read it for yourself), in a vision God tells Peter to not call unclean that which He has made clean (verse 15). God leads Peter, in a very cool way, to Caesarea. It is there that through Peter the Gentiles hear the good news and recieve the Holy Spirit too.

As I read this precious jewel of a story I heard a sweet voice name a specific person to my heart, we'll call her Jenna.

"Lord why do you bring her up?" I asked Him.
He answered, "I have made her clean, why do you contiue to treat her as if
she was unclean?"

BUSTED!!! I felt like curling up in a ball, in a desperate attemp to hide from the Lord. It had never hit me that I was being judgemental and bitter towards someone whom I considered to be unworthy, unclean and dirty. I had failed the Lord once again. I was confronted with my sin and asked the Lord for boldness and courage to picked up the phone and call Jenna. During that phone call I opened up, confessed and asked for her forgiveness. I was so broken. She was loving, forgiving, humble and meek. The Lord did restore our relationship.

So, who is your Jenna? Is there someone in your life whom you have labeled unclean? Or have you labeled a stranger as unworthy? Christ died for all, equally. Peter in this chapter makes mention that God shows no partiality, so why should we? That lady that really gets to your nerves needs to be shown grace, mercy and love. The individual that hurt you so deeply needs to see Christ vivdly through you. The lady in the corner, she needs to know that God does care for her. That other religion and culture is dying because we are too angry or scared to approach them, and love them courageously. Whether it be the tattoo covered person, the homeless, the lady in the grocery line, the guy who just hit your car or your friendly neighbor, they all need to know Jesus. I know that some people make it real hard to love them, trust me I know, but I also know that we can do all things through Christ who strenthens us (Philippians 1:6). And as for that stranger that you feel you can't approach, 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that He [God] has not given us a Spirit of fear, but of power (yeah!), love (I recieve it!) and a sound mind (I need it!).

I challenge you, to not call unclean that which God died to make clean. Be quick to love. Be quick to talk about Jesus. And if you are holding a grudge, set yourself free by forgiving that person and if led by the Lord ask that person to forgive you too. Remember the Gentiles of Caesarea, who came to salvation because Peter chose to look beyond the earthly.
Who can you love today?
Who can you share Jesus with?

A New Thing

Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth, shall you not now it? I will even make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 (NKJV)

Welcome dear readers to this new blog.

To be very honest with you I really don't know what I am doing, but that is not strange coming from me. For some time now God has been prompting me to do a new thing. That "new thing" has come in the form of a blog... Ta Da! I am not a writer, but I am a messenger of the Most High. Through this blog, I hope and pray that both you and I may become true lilies among thorns. In this world of darkness, wastefulness, of valleys, thorns and hopelessness I invite you, encourage you to:

Be the light of the world.

Be the salt of the earth.

Lead many through the valley to Jesus.

Be a lily among thorns.

Live a life that speaks the Gospel.