NEGATIVES

I love how the Lord just shows up when you least expect it. Not that He isn't already there, His presence is just magnified larger at times. And sometimes He uses a little humor too! As I was watching TBN, ok go ahead and have a little laugh. As a side note, I know TBN has some questionable people and some questionable goals, but sometimes you dig deep enough and find a gold nugget! HAHA. Which is what happened to me tonight. I'll be honest I sometimes watch TBN, it struggles at times, but it's a lot better than some of that other junk on tv. Anyways, I can't remember what the preacher's name was, but I just felt life in his words, which by the way were not really profound. As he began to speak, I just felt the presence of the Lord come in. All I can describe it was like a breath of fresh air. Almost as if you suddenly come to the realization that you haven't been breathing, and that long gasp of air fills your lungs and you finally have relief!

So I'm gonna do my best to tell you a little nugget I pulled from the preacher tonight. He began to talk about negatives in your life. Lord knows we all have them. It's when we began to dwell on them that we find ourselves slipping into the darkness. Negatives began to develop in the darkness, which then become a picture. The more we dwell on the negatives the greater they become. It's when we allow the Lord of light to shine on us that the negatives are ruined!!Hallelujah!;)

That just made me think a lot about my own life. I'm tired of allowing myself to slip into darkness only to start developing my negatives into pictures of dissapointment, hopelessness, and whatever else is wrong in my life. Enough is enough. I'm letting the Light shine and expose my negatives!

And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. Gen.1:3-4

Rhetoric & Research

I guess I'm gonna try to do some kind of devotion/thought as much as I can. It helps to keep my mind fixed on Him, so I hope you enjoy. I'm just trying to work what's in me out!

On another note, I realized today how much I love to research stuff!! I love looking up things I don't know! Haha. And to think I never liked school. That being said, if you have questions or anything you want me to research I would be more than happy to do that. I especially like Bible stuff. I was actually reading through a theology book tonight. Haha I almost sound like a nerd!

I actually made brownies today. I haven't had a brownie since I don't know when. I usually don't care for them that much, but I had seen them sitting on the counter for days!haha

Well I guess that's it for tonight! Goodnight!

"I wonder why He loves me!" Joy Williams "Wonder"

Child Like Faith

“A child once told his aunt that his mother was having a baby(when in reality she wasn't). When asked how he knew this, he simply answered: “Because she prayed about it!”……………….

It’s stories like this that cause us to question our faith. Do we really believe that God answers our prayers? Let's take it a step further and ask, Do we even believe He hears us when we pray?

Simply put, Yes He hears us and Yes He answers us! Of course there is a lot of depth inside that answer. The first part is there has to be a relationship in order for God to listen. I believe He hears and knows all things, but listening means His attention is captured. At least that's the way I perceive it to be. Now onto the answering us part. He does answer us. It's up to us to see and/or hear the way He does. Remember we are finite being, living in time. Where as God is an infinite being, having no beginning or end. He lives outside of time, so sometimes He answers in ways we as fleshly being cannot comprehend. And that's where faith and trust collide.

All of that knowledge being said, the fact is you can come up with ways to explain how to believe, how to have faith, and how to pray. BUT, The big question is "Do you believe God is who He says he is?"! That's a yes or no question that there is no in between and no debating on.

That answer is where child like faith comes in. Children, most of the time, believe what they hear or are taught. They just believe. They believe that God is who He says He is and can do anything He wants. He's just that big.

As adults, we're always trying to understand everything, to figure things out, or explain why and how. While God asks us to seek and ask for wisdom and knowledge, It should only add to what we already know and believe in our heart. There will be a point where we just have to accept that we can hold the answers, but we can hold the One who does.

So just be encouraged, if you're struggling in the faith area, become as a little child. A child who still believes that their Daddy is the strongest, the biggest, the greatest, and can do anything and everything! And know that Daddy hears you when you call and He comes running to answer His child, so just BELIEVE!

**thanks to my nephew for the inspiration!:)

Writers

Can I just say that I love writers that capture what my heart is trying to say!?! It's like a sigh of relief because your brain can stop looking for the right combination of words to say! Anyways, it just gives me inspiration to write, hoping one day i'll capture the words of someone else's heart.

Living in a Job(Bible) moment

Ever feel like you've been in a Job moment. The place where it seems everything you love, you hold dear, and you feel is right starts to be peeled away. It's the peeling away,layer after layer that always seems to come at a moment in your life where everything seems to feel right. It's where you start to sit on the edge of complacency, but not every really giving over to it. And to some it may not seem to be things of great value from the outside looking in. Job lost everything and though you may not be facing the deaths of loved ones or animals, but you're facing the loss of those things you hold dear. I know these Job moments bring fear, doubt, and sorrow. But, it's these Job moments that bring us closer to God. That's a big thought to try to wrap your mind around, but it's true. It's a time of testing and taking away. It's hard and it hurts. It's okay to get angry, to have questions, and to just plain out not understand. And the good thing is God is big and small enough to understand. How many times in our lives do we get mad at those we love? Lots I would guess. The fact that we are angry at them has nothing to do with whether or not we love each other. The same applies with God. Just because we question and are angry doesn't change our love for Him. In fact, our love for him and his love for us is what keeps us holding on. Being honest with God is much better than hiding what's going on. He already knows what we're feeling. We might as well talk it over. It's in these Job moments that we prove our love. We prove that no matter what God is still God. He is still good and still worthy of glory and honor. Yes, He has promised to not withhold one good thing. But isn't He the only true good thing? I know in our flesh and selfish desires it's hard to understand, but that's what this whole God relationship thing is about. It's about taking up our cross, following Him, and bringing glory to His name. It's not about us, never has been, and never will. So, if you're in a Job moment take up your cross, follow Him, and bring glory to His name. Hold on to the one who never lets you go! He is there, He is that present help. He doesn't come when you call, He's been right there the whole time. And if that isn't enough just remember "This too shall pass"!

So here goes nothing!! I'm attempting to start blogging. We'll see how committed I can be to this!