It's just amazing how God works!
This weekend we had our Christmas play for church, "The Richest Family in Town", and I had played the role of the mother. And this got me to thinking.....
Just 2 years ago, I first stepped into church, I was terrified. I hated and was scared of meeting new people, going new places, and doing new things! The people that were watching our children for us invited me to go with them, so I went (THANK YOU Sharon and Allen!!) I was so scared and nervous, that I literally hid behind Sharon. Yes, it sounds funny, but its true! Well, I ended up attending regularly with them (whenever I didn't have to work). I have no idea why, I guess it was for my children. But I'm sure it was the Lord pushing me to go.
It was probably 3 or 4 months after I started attending church that I was saved....and that's a story for another time. :) And since then, the Lord has done a miraculous work in me! I hadn't really noticed or even thought about it, I was just following God's leading. Then in Sunday School, Janie reminded me of where I had been and how wonderful it was to see God work in me. I was a scared little lady, hiding behind a friend, and now I was acting in a play, on stage, as one of the leading roles! That's right I said on stage, in front of people...look at what the Lord has done!
We did the play for 2 nights and yes I was nervous the first night, but after the second performance on Sunday, after exiting the stage, I just thought....I just did that, and I was comfortable with it. How Amazing! The Lord called me to do something that was out of my comfort zone, something I had NEVER done before, and I was comfortable with it. I followed God's leading and He provided me with His strength and peace to do what He asked.
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
I also believe that where He leads, He also provides prayer. I know that there were many people praying for the play and for me, but it gave me comfort the first night of the play to know that I was being prayed for. Janie said to me that when the choir wasn't singing she would be praying for me. What a comfort!
I am definitely not the same person I was 2 years ago, I am so much better because of the Lord. I hope that I will always follow His leading.
Thinking about all this the other night, this came to my mind:
I am who I am, because that is who God needs me to be.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
...to Judge or not to Judge...
James 4:11-12
"Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?"
As I read this today, I thought of a dear friend that has been going through some things. She has commented how people have and are judging her. I am not here to judge her, but to be a support/shoulder to cry on/someone she can turn to if needed.
But even I am guilty of judgment. How many times have you or I judged. we are not here to judge; God is the Judge. We are here to encourage/edify one another. (Rom. 14:19)
Luke 22:32b "strengthen thy brethren"
And most importantly...we are to LOVE each other! John 13:34, John 15:12-17, 1 Thess. 3:12
John 13:34
Charity=Love (1 Cor. 13:1-8)
1 Cor. 13:13
"Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?"
As I read this today, I thought of a dear friend that has been going through some things. She has commented how people have and are judging her. I am not here to judge her, but to be a support/shoulder to cry on/someone she can turn to if needed.
But even I am guilty of judgment. How many times have you or I judged. we are not here to judge; God is the Judge. We are here to encourage/edify one another. (Rom. 14:19)
Luke 22:32b "strengthen thy brethren"
And most importantly...we are to LOVE each other! John 13:34, John 15:12-17, 1 Thess. 3:12
John 13:34
- "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."
- "This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
Charity=Love (1 Cor. 13:1-8)
1 Cor. 13:13
- "Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity"
Monday, September 14, 2009
Where God Opens a Door, He Will Provide
Pastor's evening service last night was exactly what I needed to hear.
I Corinthians 16:7-9
"For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit. But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries."
A "great door" was opened to Paul, so he stayed where he was to follow where God was leading.
Where God opens a door, He will provide. Even though there may/will be troubles and adversaries, we should not be afraid to follow where God leads. We shouldn't be afraid to do the work He has for us to do. Do we look at the open doors or at the adversaries that will come with it?
...Pastor Aaron...
Well, I have been working on putting something together (if it is going to work, I'll let everyone know) and I feel like I am being led a certain way. This thing is so out of character for me, but I am ok with it. I don't understand why, all I can say is that it is the Lord working.
Well, last night before the service I told Becca how I was feeling. I have been feeling this way for a little while, and it seemed that once I admitted or I guess accepted it, the Lord gave me this message. He always knows what you need...even before you do :)
I believe the Lord had opened this door to me and He will provide what is needed. I just pray that I follow where he leads and that I will have the strength and courage to do what He asks. But then again..."Where God opens a door, He will provide."
We need to have Paul's kind of faith and follow God's leading and go through the doors He opens.
I Corinthians 16:7-9
"For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit. But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries."
A "great door" was opened to Paul, so he stayed where he was to follow where God was leading.
Where God opens a door, He will provide. Even though there may/will be troubles and adversaries, we should not be afraid to follow where God leads. We shouldn't be afraid to do the work He has for us to do. Do we look at the open doors or at the adversaries that will come with it?
...Pastor Aaron...
Well, I have been working on putting something together (if it is going to work, I'll let everyone know) and I feel like I am being led a certain way. This thing is so out of character for me, but I am ok with it. I don't understand why, all I can say is that it is the Lord working.
Well, last night before the service I told Becca how I was feeling. I have been feeling this way for a little while, and it seemed that once I admitted or I guess accepted it, the Lord gave me this message. He always knows what you need...even before you do :)
I believe the Lord had opened this door to me and He will provide what is needed. I just pray that I follow where he leads and that I will have the strength and courage to do what He asks. But then again..."Where God opens a door, He will provide."
We need to have Paul's kind of faith and follow God's leading and go through the doors He opens.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Wherever I am, "thou art there"
Psalm 139:7-10
"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."
Isn't it wonderful to know that wherever you go, there the Lord will be...He knows your every move and thought. It is so encouraging to know that He is always there! I love the words "thou art there"! And not to mention that in verse 10 it says that His hand shall lead me and His right hand shall hold me.
"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."
Isn't it wonderful to know that wherever you go, there the Lord will be...He knows your every move and thought. It is so encouraging to know that He is always there! I love the words "thou art there"! And not to mention that in verse 10 it says that His hand shall lead me and His right hand shall hold me.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
...Lust...
As I was watching Joyce Meyer this morning, she said something that made me think....
She defined lust.
She said that lust is not limited to a sexual lust. But that a lust is wanting anything too much (a dream you have, a goal, a desire, etc.). Wanting something so bad that you can't be happy without it. Wanting something so much that it gets in the way of God or becomes more important than God.
It just made me think...do I have any dreams that are that big??
We need to keep God first in our life; our focus needs to be on Him not a dream. If we do this, He is all we will ever need and God will bless us in His time with what He knows is good for us. We just need to trust in God and His timing.
We should tell God how we feel, but then move on...quit "lusting" over the thing that has become more important than God and His Will.
Love Ya!
She defined lust.
She said that lust is not limited to a sexual lust. But that a lust is wanting anything too much (a dream you have, a goal, a desire, etc.). Wanting something so bad that you can't be happy without it. Wanting something so much that it gets in the way of God or becomes more important than God.
It just made me think...do I have any dreams that are that big??
We need to keep God first in our life; our focus needs to be on Him not a dream. If we do this, He is all we will ever need and God will bless us in His time with what He knows is good for us. We just need to trust in God and His timing.
We should tell God how we feel, but then move on...quit "lusting" over the thing that has become more important than God and His Will.
Love Ya!
Friday, August 21, 2009
The Peace of God
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
Yesterday, I had a deposition, that was for my lawsuit concerning my bear attack. I was so nervous!! (I was probably scared too.) Wednesday night at church while telling Becca about what was going on, I just broke down and cried for no reason. She knew just what to say...it just wasn't words of encouragement (they did help)...but it was "let's pray." The answer was not in the words of man (or woman) but in laying my burdens on the Lord. We stood there and prayed, just the two of us, for what I needed at the deposition...God's Peace and Strength.
Yesterday, the Lord was with me and gave me his peace & strength to make it through the day.
THANK YOU LORD!
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13
Yesterday, I had a deposition, that was for my lawsuit concerning my bear attack. I was so nervous!! (I was probably scared too.) Wednesday night at church while telling Becca about what was going on, I just broke down and cried for no reason. She knew just what to say...it just wasn't words of encouragement (they did help)...but it was "let's pray." The answer was not in the words of man (or woman) but in laying my burdens on the Lord. We stood there and prayed, just the two of us, for what I needed at the deposition...God's Peace and Strength.
Yesterday, the Lord was with me and gave me his peace & strength to make it through the day.
THANK YOU LORD!
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13
Monday, August 17, 2009
Blessings from the LORD
Well, it has been almost 2 years since my bear attack and last night I had a dream concerning bears (I think that I have only had 2). It wasn't a nightmare, so that is good.
In the dream some bears had came into a camp where I was a counselor. I was so scared for the teens that had went on a hike and luckily, they were coming back right when I went to look for them, so we headed to our cabins then were confronted with these bears between us and our cabin. I had such a large panic attack that I cried and couldn't even function because of my fear. I had to rely on the teens I was with to get me through it. The bad thing is that if faced with a bear in the open, how would I react? I feel that this dream is how I would react and that is very terrifying!
In light of this dream, it made me think of the blessings God has given me in this situation.
The lawyer has made comments about me not getting upset and having no need for counseling. I think that he is concerned about it and I guess I kind of am when it comes to a deposition or a trial (if it goes that far). But the only thing I can say is that the Lord has laid His Hand upon me and has made it so that I can handle it. The only thing that I have a big problem with (besides my physical appearance and lost functions) is my panic attacks while hiking. But the Lord is there too! I will get this awful feeling that there may be a bear and I just want to run out of the woods as fast as I can. That's when I call upon the Lord...I stop and pray...I pray until the feeling is lifted and I can continue.
"Fear thou not; For I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
Isaiah 41:10
"For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."
Isaiah 41:13
I AM SOO THANKFUL FOR THE LORD'S GREAT BLESSINGS!
In the dream some bears had came into a camp where I was a counselor. I was so scared for the teens that had went on a hike and luckily, they were coming back right when I went to look for them, so we headed to our cabins then were confronted with these bears between us and our cabin. I had such a large panic attack that I cried and couldn't even function because of my fear. I had to rely on the teens I was with to get me through it. The bad thing is that if faced with a bear in the open, how would I react? I feel that this dream is how I would react and that is very terrifying!
In light of this dream, it made me think of the blessings God has given me in this situation.
- For starters, He saved my life from the bear!
- He healed me faster than the doctors had ever seen.
- I CAN WALK!!
- He has kept nightmares from flooding my dreams.
- He has kept me from thinking about my attack every second of the day.
- In recalling the memories of the day, God has allowed me to not be flooded with emotions.
- He is keeping me mentally sane [at least with this subject :)]
The lawyer has made comments about me not getting upset and having no need for counseling. I think that he is concerned about it and I guess I kind of am when it comes to a deposition or a trial (if it goes that far). But the only thing I can say is that the Lord has laid His Hand upon me and has made it so that I can handle it. The only thing that I have a big problem with (besides my physical appearance and lost functions) is my panic attacks while hiking. But the Lord is there too! I will get this awful feeling that there may be a bear and I just want to run out of the woods as fast as I can. That's when I call upon the Lord...I stop and pray...I pray until the feeling is lifted and I can continue.
"Fear thou not; For I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
Isaiah 41:10
"For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."
Isaiah 41:13
I AM SOO THANKFUL FOR THE LORD'S GREAT BLESSINGS!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Isn't it AMAZING!
I was thinking last night....
Well, we watched a video at church and one of the illustrations used in the video (to show a point) was a farmer using a calf puller. Well, if you don't know what a calf puller is, here is a brief description: when a mother cow is having trouble giving birth (it may be that the calf is breached), the farmer will use some sort of contraption to pull the calf from the mother. Now, I know that all you mothers out there are grimacing in pain, but don't worry. When I was in college and studying to be a vet. tech., I learned about these things.
So now to the AMAZING stuff :)
Cows are made in such a way, by God, that yanking the calf right out of them hurts neither the mother cow or the calf! They are don't have any complications from the procedure! Now isn't that just AMAZING?! Now when it comes the horse, even the slightest complication and you can loose the horse and even the foal. I just think how AWESOME our God is! He created cows in this way because they had to be.
Another AMAZING thing I thought of last night, and have at other times, is chickens. Yes, chickens...think about it... They can be used for meat, but think about the eggs (I think of this because I have chickens). Chickens can lay eggs continually without a rooster....all year round! Isn't it AWESOME how our God provides!!
Kim
Well, we watched a video at church and one of the illustrations used in the video (to show a point) was a farmer using a calf puller. Well, if you don't know what a calf puller is, here is a brief description: when a mother cow is having trouble giving birth (it may be that the calf is breached), the farmer will use some sort of contraption to pull the calf from the mother. Now, I know that all you mothers out there are grimacing in pain, but don't worry. When I was in college and studying to be a vet. tech., I learned about these things.
So now to the AMAZING stuff :)
Cows are made in such a way, by God, that yanking the calf right out of them hurts neither the mother cow or the calf! They are don't have any complications from the procedure! Now isn't that just AMAZING?! Now when it comes the horse, even the slightest complication and you can loose the horse and even the foal. I just think how AWESOME our God is! He created cows in this way because they had to be.
Another AMAZING thing I thought of last night, and have at other times, is chickens. Yes, chickens...think about it... They can be used for meat, but think about the eggs (I think of this because I have chickens). Chickens can lay eggs continually without a rooster....all year round! Isn't it AWESOME how our God provides!!
Kim
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Teenage Phobia...
My first blog post...how exciting :)
I was just thinking about how the Lord works...I used to have this terrible phobia of teenagers. YES, I said teenagers!! (It's called Ephebiphobia) Anyways, I think that it had something to do with having a not so good experience as a teenager myself.
But anyways...Ryan's job is working with teenagers and I guess that I have gotten over it, because of helping him out with work related activites.....now I do believe that I have taken quite a liking to teenagers and they seem to like me too...go figure :)
I just pray that the Lord will use me where needed in the life of a teenager that needs it.
LOVE YA!
Kim
I was just thinking about how the Lord works...I used to have this terrible phobia of teenagers. YES, I said teenagers!! (It's called Ephebiphobia) Anyways, I think that it had something to do with having a not so good experience as a teenager myself.
But anyways...Ryan's job is working with teenagers and I guess that I have gotten over it, because of helping him out with work related activites.....now I do believe that I have taken quite a liking to teenagers and they seem to like me too...go figure :)
I just pray that the Lord will use me where needed in the life of a teenager that needs it.
LOVE YA!
Kim
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