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Being Intentional

I am one of those gals that needs to be very careful and intentional with my faith.

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home so I lack a lot of the discipline and understanding that happens when you grow up in a faith filled family. Being honest here, I struggle immensely with my worldliness because I have lived and tasted that life, while shallow and lacking in substance, was still thrilling and fun. I sometimes, maybe much like an addict, will see or hear something that gives me a hunger for a lifestyle long (mostly) forgotten. It just sneaks in there without much cause or warning and I am left battling my heart against my flesh. The enemy is tricky and knows where I am weakest. Lucky for me, my God is stronger than my worst temptation and I know the more I seek Him the easier it will become to rely on the promises of our living God.

Romans 12:2 says-“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”. Sanctification can begin as soon as I surrender and seek the will of God in my life but I can’t do this unless I am intentional with that relationship because it doesn’t come naturally-but as time goes on it does get easier. Staying faithful requires endurance, much like a seasoned athlete, it takes careful preparation, training, and focus on the ultimate goal-which for me is having everlasting life.

What do I do to be intentional and remain in the Word? First, I have to keep my Bible in plain sight along with a devotional or Bible study. Why is reading the Bible important? Ephesians 6:11 says-“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” and Ephesians 6:17 goes on to say-“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”. We have to be ready to face the enemy (Ephesians 6:17) and unbelievers (1 Peter 3:15) we do this by knowing the word of God. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus says, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

It is important that I get involved in church and ministries. God wants believers to come together in fellowship. Proverbs 27:17 says ” Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” When the body of Christ comes together we can restore each other (Galatians 6:1 and James 5:19-20), to love and encourage each other (I Thessalonians 5:11 and Hebrews 10:25-27), and to bear each others burdens and to forgive one another (Galatians 6:2 and Cololassians 3:13). By coming together as the body of Christ we become more refined, effective in our calling, and have brothers and sisters in Christ directing us away from temptation.

Finally, I need opportunities to serve and love my neighbors. Romans 12:13 says, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” By doing this, I can be a reflection of Christ’s love. A concrete reminder that being the hands and feet of Christ demonstrates His love for all in a way that is selflessly sacrificial.

My brothers and sisters, how do you stay intentional? I would love to know!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Tags: believers, Bible, blessed, blessing, body of Christ, christ, Christian, christianity, church ministries, Encouragement, enemy, Eternal Vaue, faith, fellowship, God, hospitality, intentional, Jesus, Lord, love, neighbors, prayer, scripture, Servant, servants heart, serve, sin, teaching, temptation, transformation, Truth, unbelievers

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Categories Faith

Loving when you don’t Like

22 Jul

As a Christian, we get fired up to love like Jesus. There are sweet thoughts of loving and caring for God’s people with unconditional limitations. Let’s be honest, there are just some people that you just don’t like. I am guilty of this. Despite my best intentions, I just can’t get over it. How in the world am I supposed to love someone I just don’t like? It seems the two, liking and loving, should go hand in hand.

Usually, not liking someone stems from a past unresolved hurt. In our humanness we hold on to hurt and allow it to remain a raw wound on our soul. How do we begin the process of healing the hurt and learning to love like Jesus?

First, surrender it to the Lord. Matthew 5:44 says” Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” I know, easier said than done. Sometimes we hold onto it and practice in our head how revenge will be brought forth. We feel vindicated to store our hurts and disappointments in a chest that we can, from time to time, open and revisit like a treasured memory. It isn’t an easy or pretty process and God is OK with messy, be honest, He understands. The more time we spend with Him the better our perspective of people become and the easier it becomes to forgive.

It is a process we can’t do alone. John 15:4 says “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”. We need to cleave to His promises and we will be given the strength and grace necessary to forgive, heal and ultimately love.

It is a process and journey. Varying on the degree of hurt, it can be lengthy. Each journey begins with a single step-one foot in front of the other, stepping out in faith, along you go. a Maybe a few times you trip or wander off course but you keep at it, one step at a time.

Keep this in mind, Jesus didn’t command you to like, He commanded you to love (John 13:34). My brother’s and sister’s, I pray the Lord will help you through your journey of forgiveness and learning to love as Christ commanded. Sometimes hurts are so deep and raw you need to seek a professional. I urge you to seek a Christian therapist, pastor, or a mature trusted friend to help you along. Trust in God’s Divine Providence, and it will be you that is blessed.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Tags: Bible, blessing, burdened, care, christ, Christian, christianity, comfort, command, disappointments, Eternal Vaue, faith, forgiveness, forgiving, Freedom, God, healing, hurt, Jesus, journey, liking, love, loving, praise, prayer, scripture, transformation, Woman

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Categories Faith

God Will Meet You Where You Are

18 Jul

Finding a quiet moment when you are parenting little ones can be tricky. There is never enough hours in the day. Sleep is a precious commodity, and going to the bathroom alone requires careful orchestration. We are busy caring for our children and husbands, tackling a never ending laundry pile, cooking dinner, running errands, and a hundred other things. Something has to give and unfortunately that usually means our quiet time (guilty!). Carving out a few minutes to meet alone with the Lord each day is so important-especially in this busy season. What are the benefits? Many. We get direction and wisdom from His word (Psalm 25:4-5). We grow more like God and His word gives us truth and correction (John 17:17). We have the opportunity to delight in the Lord and to worship and thank Him (Psalm 29:2). Those are just a few of the reasons. God will meet you where you are. In the bathroom, in the car, and even at Target. Start small, a few minutes each day. Grab your Bible and/or a devotional and meet with God.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

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Tags: believers, Bible, blessed, blessing, burdened, business, busy, busy mama, busy woman, chaos, children, christ, Christian, Christian blog, Christian mother, Christian wife, Christian woman, christianity, comfort, delight, devotions, easy, Encouragement, Eternal Vaue, faith, family, food, Frazzled, God, God will meet you, God's love, gratitude, homemaker, homemaking, housewife, husband, Jesus, Joy, Lord, love, media, mother, motherhood, need, parenting, peace, prayer, quiet time, scripture, Servant, servants heart, serving, teaching, time, transformation, trust, Truth, weary, wife, Woman, worship

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Categories Faith, Family

My Thoughts on Paula Deen

11 Jul

I just read an article about the rise and fall of Paula Deen. Let me start off by saying that I don’t condone the use of hateful speech.

I think as a culture we enjoy building people to superstardom status and then we love to watch them tumble hard, all the way down and when they are as far as they can go we start to stomp and kick them. There is some sweet satisfaction that is gained by almost stripping all humanity from them. It isn’t just with celebrities. I have seen it done just generally with everyday people.

I have said things that I regret. In the heat of the moment I have said things that I didn’t mean but said them because they were convenient, easy, trash words readily available to the situation-even though they don’t mirror my true feelings. I have felt shame and remorse and grateful for not being in a position where it would haunt me for always. I am pretty sure if we were all to be honest we are all guilty at one time or another. Under oath, I would hurt a lot of people I love with all I got. Good or bad we have given some words a lot of power. In any extreme emotion we naturally want to pull at those words, grab them and breath life into them. They have meaning and they can bless or pierce a soul.

She is a wounded bird. I think many of us can relate to being in a place of such remorse and sorrow, willing to give and do anything just to have a little mercy thrown at you. To be given the grace needed to prove that it was all just a big mistake and the grace to pick oneself up and to continue on being a wiser better person.

As Christians we need to be better at setting that example. The measure we judge someone we will be judged with. So we need to make sure we remove that log in our eye before we point out the speck in someone else’s eye. We can then see clearly and take a different approach to the situation (Matthew 7:1-5). Romans 3:23 says we ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. I doesn’t say some, but all. I like what Galatians 6:1 says about the attitude we should take as believers when another believer sins “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believeris overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.”.

Ephesians 1:7 reminds us that we have redemption through His (Jesus Christ) blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance of God’s grace. If God is willing to forgive who are we not to?

This is my perspective as a believer to other believers. I think we need to be the ones offering the olive branch to our brothers and sisters. Remember, forgiveness doesn’t mean we let them off the hook it just means that when they repent we give them the grace and mercy needed to make things right again. We can stand behind them and offer love and encouragement just as our heavenly Father does time after time for us.

I know I am better because of the grace given to me and through it God was able to use it for good (Romans 8:28). Let’s take joy in building up and not tearing down.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Tags: believers, christ, Christian, faith, forgiveness, grace, guilt, Jesus, judgment, love, mercy, mistakes, Paula Deen, remorse, scripture, sin, sinners

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Categories Faith

Talking to our kids about Boston

9 Jul

This was something I wrote and shared on our MOPS blog right after the Boston bombing. My thoughts on talking to our children about such things–

It seems more and more we are having to be so deliberate to shield our children from never ending bad news. Shooting, war and now a bombing.

I still remember the morning more than a dozen years ago when I turned on the TV just in time to watch live as a plane took out the second tower. It was the first time I knew that I couldn’t hide the bad news from my then five year old, Alison. Minutes later my nightgown wearing barefoot daughter made her way sleepily to the living room. As she snuggled down deep next to me she knew that this morning was different. You don’t necessarily think when you are cradling your baby in your arms that one day you would have to explain evil to them. You are not prepared and I don’t think you can be. It is just one of those jump in head first and pray that what comes out is sufficient enough to be truthful and satisfying without ruining the innocence and wide eyed curiosity that only childhood can yield. How do you remind them the that here and now in my arms or at school or at grandma’s they are safe? I know we need to filter but most of the time it is unavoidable.

Several months ago. Another school shooting. This time it was Brouke’s turn to see what evil looks like. And now, an all American wholesome activity marred by destruction and devastation is plastered everywhere. The horror and destruction is all over the TV and on the lips of every adult.

It is a fine line and letting your kids steer your conversation will generally give you parameters to work with. Kids usually ask great questions and beyond what they ask is most of the time unnecessary. They will clue you in to what is in their heart and how much they can handle. With the little ones be selective, you don’t want to compromise their sense of safety. Older kids will be able to process more but all children will need extra love and reassurance. Speak scripture to them. Remind them not be worry or be anxious (Matthew 6:27) that God will deliver us from our fears (Psalm 34:4). Tell them that God will give them peace and that He is in control (Phillipians4:6-7). Remind them for every bad person their are thousands of good people. Let them get involved in making the world a better place by giving them opportunities to serve others and their community. It helps channel all their fears and gives them a sense of control over their environment. Mostly, trust your instincts. God gave you the children you have for a reason.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Tags: and a sprinkle of love, believers, Bible, blessed, blessing, blog, blogger, boston, burdened, catastrophe, children, christ, Christian, Christian blog, christian blogger, Christian mother, Christian wife, Christian woman, christianity, comfort, conversation, daughter, easy, Encouragement, Eternal Vaue, evil, faith, family, family friendly, forgiveness, Freedom, fun, God, grace, gratitude, heart, Heaven, Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, home education, homemaker, homemaking, homeschool, hope, housewife, husband, husband and wife, Jesus, jesus christ, Joy, learning, life, Lord, love, mama, marriage, media, mom, mother, motherhood, parenting, peace, Pinterest, praise, prayer, precious, safety, scripture, TV, violence

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Categories Faith, Family

Come to Me

7 Jul

Today a friend posted on her Facebook wall “Please let there be only one set of foot prints today.” I remember seeing this poem on my parents’ wall as a kid. It made no sense to me then but it is such a comforting visual now. I am sure many have read it but here it is.

Matthew 11:28 says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”.

A yoke was a piece of wood designed to allow animals to support one another in pulling heavy weight. We can be yoked to many things and people in our life, good and bad. When hardship and stress happen in our life, Jesus invites us to be yoked to Him. This means that he longs to draw you closer to Him, to trust, and rely on Him. This isn’t an invitation to drop all at His feet and carry-on, no it is a process where you will walk together and a heart transformation will begin. Though the hardship may remain, how we respond to it will have changed. We can find that if we believe and trust we will find peace in our hearts and freedom from stress and anxiety. A wonderful transformation will happen in your life and you will find true freedom and healing and you will have been changed from your old ways. Our trials strengthen us (2 Corinthians 12:7-9) and allow God to comfort us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) among other things. I believe our trials are necessary to make us more like Him.

Are you here at this verse where the burden is bigger than you? His yoke is big enough for us all! No matter what you are going through you never have to go it alone.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Tags: burdened, christ, christianity, comfort, faith, Jesus, Matthew 11:28, rest, transformation, trials, trust, weary

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Faith

Teaching our Children to Have a Servant’s Heart

2 Jul

More than anything else I want my children to have a servant’s heart and to have empathy for those who are lost and hurting. I want their eyes to be open to see that life doesn’t revolve around them but life could be better for someone because of them. To serve in the name and love of God and not in the name of their ego and pride. To serve knowing their eternal reward is far better than any worldly award or recognition (Knowing it is by grace they are saved not works-Ephesians 2:8). To put all selfish desires aside, religious beliefs, social class, racial class, and any other worldly obstacle aside and love because He loved us first ( 1 John 4:19). To teach them to be ready to give their coat, to bandage a wound, to give a hug, to offer encouragement, to offer a prayer, a listening ear, a strong back, but mostly be ready to tell of their Savior and the great gift of salvation He brings (Proverbs 11:24-25, John 3:16).

How, in the midst of an entitled culture do I do this? First, and most important, I need to be in the word and in prayer. Second, I don’t indulge every whim and fancy of my children. A gift then becomes a real surprise, welcomed with true gratitude. We discern the difference between want and need and they are learning to appreciate a job well done. Lastly, practice what you preach. Your children do as they see not as they hear.

I am a work in progress, always! I fail more than I succeed. I just pray that in the middle of my shortcomings, they see the true intentions and through that, I pray, compassion sprouts.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Let’s connect on Pinterest!

Tags: believers, Bible, blessed, blessing, burdened, children, christ, Christian, Christian blog, christian blogger, Christian mother, Christian wife, Christian woman, christianity, comfort, easy, empathy, Encouragement, Eternal Vaue, faith, homemaker, homemaking, housewife, husband, Jesus, Joy, Lord, love, media, motherhood, parenting, prayer, scripture, Servant, servants heart, serving, teaching, transformation, trust, Truth, weary, wife, Woman

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Categories Faith, Family

This is not Heaven

1 Jul

“The song of the whippoorwill. Let her sing. Let her sing in the dark. let her sing at the dawn. Let her song remind you that you were not made for this place and that there is a place just for you. But until then, be realistic. Lower your expectations of earth. This is not heaven, so don’t expect it to be.”

~Max Lucado~

I just now read that. I had to stop and read it a dozen times. As I sat quietly looking this over, this thought came to my mind-“Will what you sow now be worth reaping in the future?” In Galatians 6:7-10 it says that “for the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

When we live for worldly things it creates turmoil and misery in our lives, well, actually our soul. When we give in to the lusty appetites of our flesh our only gift is endless disappointment. But, when we live under the influence of the Holy Spirit we reap everlasting life.

It is hard to comprehend sometimes. We are fallen and of the flesh brings immediate gratification. Doing something for eternal value sometimes can be uncomfortable and even painful. I needed the reminder that what I do or don’t do has eternal effects. Is what I’m planting going to have kingdom value for tomorrow and tomorrow’s tomorrow?

Not always, but God reminded tonight to be more mindful of my life and those who pass through it. To plant seeds of truth and life. To look up and remember this is only my temporary home. To find my joy in the Lord and to not make this place heaven because heaven will never let us down.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

Let’s connect on Pinterest

Image courtesy of [ponsulak] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tags: believers, Bible, blessed, blessing, burdened, children, christ, Christian, Christian blog, christian blogger, Christian mother, Christian wife, Christian woman, christianity, comfort, easy, Encouragement, Eternal Vaue, faith, family, future, Galatians, God, gratitude, Heaven, Holy Spirit, homemaker, homemaking, homeschool, housewife, husband, Jesus, jesus christ, Joy, life, living, Lord, love, Max Lucado, media, motherhood, parenting, prayer, scripture, Servant, servants heart, serving, teaching, transformation, trust, Truth, weary, wife, Woman

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Categories Faith, Family

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…..and a sprinkle of love

Being Intentional

Loving when you don’t Like

God Will Meet You Where You Are

My Thoughts on Paula Deen

Talking to our kids about Boston

Come to Me

Teaching our Children to Have a Servant’s Heart

This is not Heaven

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