Women In The Word Wednesday!

This is the second week for Women in the Word Wednesday! Come on over to Good Morning Girls and link up with us. Every Wednesday we share what we are learning with our walk with God. He is amazing and works through every post that is posted.

We are still in Luke this week and today we read Luke 21. This chapter has a lot in it!

From the woman giving all she has. Which we should too. We shouldn't give God what is left over. Our time that is left at the end of the day. If we have enough free time we might go to church on Sunday morning. If we have enough money out of this check I will give some in the offering, if we go to church on Sunday, that is. God wants our best of everything! A widow gave everything that she had, knowing that her Lord would take care of her in everything that she could possibly need!

To the end of times! Jesus warned us about things that will happen before Jesus comes back. Most of those things have already happened! So that means it won't be long before he comes to get His bride, which is the ones that believe and have a personal relationship with Him. Not just a I'm going to church and doing this relationship! You have to have faith in Jesus and praise His name even when times are hard, and not to your liking! Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that those who truly believe in Him, will have everlasting life!

Making Your Hame A Haven: Fall Challenge

I love to learn new ways to make our house warm, inviting and calm. Over at Courtney's blog: Women Living Well (here) she is going to be doing a challenge that will be working on ways to make ourselves and our homes a little more calmer. This challenge is called Making Your Home a Haven. Making our home a place where our husbands and children can relax and feel refreshed. 

She will give us one practical tip and one spiritual tip that we can do to create a haven in our home each week. This will start October 4th and go till the end of the month. I am so really excited about this and look forward to learning more about what God has to say about how our homes should be!

Keeping the Home!

I am joining Janeen again this week for her Keeping the Home series. She was in her daughters' room and did an amazing job cleaning out and organizing! I was suppose to rearrange rooms, but haven't quite got to that part yet. We decided to wait and see how many kids they will say we can have in our Home Study on Tuesday. So we waited to decide which rooms would become what.

We did, however, baby proof the kitchen cabinets. Those little door lock things are aggravating. If you have ever put any in yourself, then I am sure you understand. We also added more Smoke Alarms, Carbon Monoxide Alarm and a Fire Extinguisher. (I hope we never need any of these but we have them just in case.) I didn't take pictures of any these because we all know what they look like. HA!

I also moved all of my cast iron pots that were around the wood heater. They are all now stored away in the baby proofed kitchen cabinets. That area was a dust bunnies heaven! It is all nice and clean now and I kind of like it without all the clutter!

Show Us Your Life-Master Bed Room

Kelly from over at Kelly's Korner is doing a Show Us Your Life Series and this week is the Master Bed Room. This is kind of fun, especially looking at other peoples rooms! I was really amazed at how many people viewed my link. WOW! Is all I can say, and they are still looking.

I love our Master Bed Room, but it is very little. If it was bigger I don't think I would add any other furniture to what we already have, just because I like everything open and roomy. My wonderful husband bought me the bedroom set 3 years ago, and I still really love it. I have been searching and searching for a quilt that I love for the bed, but haven't quite found one. (But it's out there, I know it is!)

As for the paneling in the entire house...It is going to vanish, eventually. I want painted walls with white trim and white doors. It is really hard to take pictures in any of the rooms, because of the paneling. Eventually it will all be gone though!

I read one time (I think on Fly Lady's Web Site) that our Master Bed Rooms should be the best room in the house. A place where we can go to relax and spend quality time with the one that we love the most. It should feel like we are stepping into a nice comfy bed & breakfast room every time the door is open. So I have tried to keep our room free of clutter, and it is the first room that gets straightened in the mornings, including making the bed!

Women In The Word Wednesday!

This morning we were to read Luke 15. In the first part of Luke 15, Jesus is being criticized because he eats with publicans and sinners. He then rebukes, by giving them the example of if one of them lost a sheep would they go in search of it.

If we loose something little we look for it. We will turn the house upside down looking and searching and when we don't find the item we are looking for, we clean the house spotless. Jesus also gives the example of the woman who lost a coin and lit her candle in order to sweep her floors to find it.

Our group of girls were suppose to "Let our Lights shine for God" this month. To me a relationship with Christ is so much more important than any worldly object. We should light our candles daily, sweep out the dirt of the world, and seek the presence of God. 

When a sinner repents and turns their life over to God, Heaven rejoices! We should give Heaven the chance to rejoice daily! We should strive to live like Christ daily!

"I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." Luke 15:7



Keeping the Home!

So this week over at Christian Frugal Mama we are learning to be a better steward with what we have in an effort to be more content. Janeen is going to be working on her daughters' bedroom this week. So I think I am going to get started on making bedrooms for foster kids! It is really exciting to think that in a couple of months we might have some kids in our home. And not just teenagers, but young kids.

Last week I went though closets and cabinets getting rid of all the crazy stuff that we have "collected" over the whole 1 1/2 years that we have lived here. Lots of junk got tossed. We are planning on buying bunk beds and dressers for each of the rooms we have planned for the kids, so there isn't too much that I can do, except move the furniture that we already have. So here is the plan.

So we are going to turn this room into the office/sewing room again. It use to be that when we had one of Derreck's nieces living with us, but we changed everything around when she moved out. We will have to invest in a air conditioner/heater to, because when it's hot, it's HOT and when it's cold, it's COLD in there! Ignore the dogs, they were napping and were to lazy to get up. HA!

This is the Sewing Room now and will become a bedroom. It is a little bitty room!

This is the office and will become a nice size bedroom.



We will also be moving the love seat back in the living room which is a challenge in itself, because of the crazy layout of the living room/kitchen area. (Plus the piano takes up a LOT of room.)

Just Trying to be a Proverbs 31 Woman!!!

http://justtryingtobeaproverbs31woman.blogspot.cpm/2010/09/keeping-home.html

Keeping the Home!

So I found a blog wrote by Christian Frugal Mama about keeping our houses. This is what she wrote "As I posted about, I was convicted about being content with what I already have and learning to be a better steward with it." We all should be content with what we have and should be better stewards with all the God has blessed us with!

Has God blessed you with a marriage? Be content and a good steward with it!
Has God blessed you with a home? Be content and a good steward with it!
Has God blessed you with kids? Be content and a good steward with it!
Has God blessed you with a job? Be content and a good steward with it!

Everything God has blessed us with can be taken away in a heart beat. When we stand before God in judgement we are going to have to answer for every thing, including how we handled our everyday blessings! So if you haven't been a good steward with something, now is the time to change and make it better! I haven't always been the good steward with every aspect of my life, but I am trying now, and I know that it pleases the Lord!

So this week I have cleaned out a couple of closets, underneath our bathroom sink, and the cabinet above our washer and dryer. I will confess that everything I did was and is in preparation for our home study for foster parent certification! I want kids in our house and I want them bad! LOL!!! So if that means I have to clean every little nook and cranny I will gladly do it!

Blanket Closet

Before:

And AFTER!

Jacket/Vacuum Cleaner Closet

BEFORE:

And AFTER!

(There wasn't much to do in there, I added the ironing board and iron stuff to it!)

Sewing Closet

BEFORE:

And AFTER!

Cabinet Above Washer & Dryer

BEFORE:

And AFTER!

I forgot to take pictures from under neath our bathroom sink, but I didn't do much under there. Some of the changes were a big difference but some weren't. I like the big differences! Everything looks so organized now. (Derreck won't be able to find anything!)

Show Us Your Life-Living Room

I decided to participate in Show Us Your Life Fridays from Kelly's Korner.

SO.....

Here is

My Living Room

I have already decorated for Fall and if my husband reads this post it will be the first time he will see the decorations. He is away at work for 14 days and then home for 14, so a lot can happen while he is gone. He says the house is different every time he comes home.

Since he has been gone this time I have been trying to get the house ready for the home studies we have to do for the foster parent certification, so A LOT has changed. But not too much in the living room (yet!). I will be moving all of the cast iron pots from around the wood heater but haven't decided where they could possibly go, so I am waiting on that change, but will have to make a decision soon.

Women In The Word Wednesday!

Today is the official start of the Good Morning Girls group from www.goodmorninggirls.org. I am really excited! My group consist of the secret sisters who have the ability to text. Plus a couple of men who wanted to join the sharing of God's Word! So there is a total of 17 people!! We have been sending each other messages for about a month now and it is very uplifting to get a message from one of your friends or even your husband that speaks to your heart!

At our last Secret Sister Meeting everyone received a Bible reading list of what we were to read on which day. Previously we were just reading what we wanted to, but I think this is better, because we are all on the same page and different verses from the chapter(s) speak to different people. So when we get text messages its like a review of what we read. Not everyone sends texts back (yet), but a few do and I know that they are reading their Bibles. Some of the others will send a message saying, "what are we suppose to read today?" So that gives me hope that they are reading some of their Bible!

I personally need the accountability of someone else knowing that I read my Bible today. When it was just myself, I would say that I would read it later, but never get around to it. It got so bad that it wouldn't be until church services when I finally picked up my Bible. And I am the one wanting to lead these women to know the Glorious God that I serve! Since we started I am very excited to say that I haven't missed a day!

We are currently reading in Luke and today we were in Luke chapter 9. Which is a great chapter! We are told by Jesus, Himself, that we want to follow Him, then we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily to follow Him! Jesus then goes on to say that "whosoever will save his life shall loose it, but whosoever will lose his life for my name sake, the same shall save it." How can we serve God and this sinful world at the same time?

In Revelation 3:16 it says, ^"So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." He will spue you out of His mouth! That means that you will not have fellowship with Him. That means that you will not be in Heaven with Him! That is very serious! Don't let this world drag you down, give everything to Jesus and He will deliver you from this sinful world! You have to repent, which means completely stop doing the things that are sinful. If you have a question about what is sinful, look in your Bible. Everything is listed in black and white and sometimes red! Don't listen to what the world says is okay!

My husband sent me a message speaking on the above verses and it really spoke! My message this morning to everyone was on Luke 9:56-62.

The message said,

"Good morning! Have you read Luke 9 yet? I did and Acts 24-25. Luke 9:26 "For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." Many don't want to give up the things of this world to serve God. They think they can walk both ways, but if you don't give everything to Gog then you aren't serving Him! In 56-62 one man wanted to bury his father and the other wanted tell his family bye, Jesus said do neither, but to follow Him and not look back. Are you following Jesus or the world?"

God sent His son to die on the cross for every ones sins! Not some of them but ALL of them! Every time we knowingly commit a sin, we are putting Jesus back on that cross. He suffered through that one time and one time only! Therefore we shouldn't place Him back up there just because we want to be happy in this world! God promises eternal happiness, if we believe in Him and if we really and truly believe in Him then all things are possible!

Secret Life of CeeCee: Chapters 50-71

1. At the end we find out Tim was sending Cory because he thought she could be his daughter since he was having an affair with Genevieve. Did you see this coming?

Complete surprise! I figured  he was a womanizer but I didn't think Genevieve would do that to her husband. It was nice of him to help financially I guess, but it doesn't make up for how messed up her life is.

2. By the end of the story, what were your feelings abut Eve? How had they changed since the beginning?

I still think she should have come clean in the beginning and then she wouldn't be in all the trouble at the end. She should have been honest with everyone. My feeling for her didn't change really, I did feel sorry for her, but just a little. She made her choices, Tim didn't put a gun to her head and make her do these things. So she had to suffer the consequences.

3. Were you happy with the way President Russell treated Cory?

He could have been a little more fatherly to her. I don't blame him for wanting a DNA test, but after he got the results he should have understood, that Cory was affected the most by all of this. Her real mother is dead, her "mother" isn't her mother, and her father is alive all of a sudden. Plus she has a loser as a boyfriend, and she is pregnant. How much can a girl take?

4. If you were in Cory's shoes and had just found out all of this about the woman who raised you and who you believed to be your mother, how would you react? Would you forgive?

I think at first I would just want to be alone so I could process everything without saying or doing anything that I would regret later. But I think eventually I would have to forgive, because after all, she grew up loving this woman, and was at one time very close to her.

5. In your mind, how does this story end? Do they all live happily ever after? Does Cory go on having relationships with her old family and her new family?

I picture them all getting to know one another and all getting along eventually, for Cory's sake.  I think Cory will always remember how deceitful Eve was but still saves a place in her heart for her old family and the woman she new as her mother.

6. How do you think Cory has changed throughout the story? Have your feelings about her changed?

I think Cory grew up in a way that she never thought she would have to. She was pushing her family away to be controlled by someone else, but in the meantime, she lost the only family she had ever known. Because of this she learned how to be on her on, and how to stand up for her self.

September Secret Sister Meeting

We had a great Secret Sisters Meeting last Saturday.

As of right now we have 17 women involved and there is more talking about joining. That is so exciting to me, because I know that I need Christian friends that will pray for me and encourage me when needed.

It is so encouraging to have older women present to! In Titus 2 older women are charged to teach the

younger women how to love their husbands, and take care of their kids and house. But most importantly they are to teach the younger women to fear the Lord! In today's world women aredrowning in there lives. They don't have any kind of hope, or answer as to how they should be doing these things. That is why it is so important to have these older ladies present! Wisdom comes with age. (Wise words from my wonderful husband!)

And we also have young kids present too! We had 3 babies, 3 older kids! (My two nephews said they were only there for the food! HA!!!) I think it is important for all the kids to see their parents serving the Lord, and worshiping Him! These are future women and they are going to be taught by example. They will learn what their mothers learn and pass on to them.

We have been sending text messages out every day to each other with what we have read in the Bible. It is so encouraging for me to get a message from my sisters with scripture that spoke to their hearts. We also use this as a prayer chain, if any of us need prayer.

Currently we are praying for:

• Mandi's mom, who has been sick.
• Matthew to turn to the Lord for answers.
• The Freeman family and their loss of a precious baby.
• & each others daily struggles!

I love these girls and they have been such an example to me these past couple of months!

I had more pictures but for some reason they wouldn't load. We even had a baby race at the meeting and the winner was...PIPES!

Secret Life of CeeCee: Chapters 36-50

This one is on time!!

1. Have your feelings about Tim changed through out this last section of chapters?

No not really, I still think he is a weasel and it doesn't matter how much money he sends Cee-Cee/Eve or Cory he can't make up for how much he changed their lives.

2. Do you agree with Cory and her behavior as an adult and her life with Ken? Is she justified in cutting her mother and father out of her life?

No I think she is just going from one person controlling her life to another. Ken doesn't want her to have anything to do with her family because then they will have some influence on her choices. He wants her to do what he chooses. She shouldn't doesn't have to listen to him, they aren't married and shouldn't even be living together. I don't think she should have cut them out as much. She did need some distance, so she can learn to make decisions on her own and grow as an adult, but she just turned to Ken for him to make those decisions.

3. At what point do you think Cory decided to spend less time with her mother?

When she started getting interested in Ken, and he was returning those interests.

4. What do you think is Eve's biggest fear?

Everybody finding out the truth about everything. About her lying all of these years when she could have fixed everything in the beginning by telling the truth. Really at any point she could have fessed up, but in the beginning would have been the best.

5. When the story about Genevieve's body came out, what would you have done if you were Eve? Just sat back and watched things unfold? Come forward? Would you tell Jack?

I would of told Jack first, that way he isn't surprised by the cops showing up to arrest his wife. Then I would have went to the authorities. Sitting there waiting for someone to knock on your door to arrest you, isn't a way to live. I couldn't stand all of that stress.

6. Do you think eve should tell Jack and confess? Why?

YES!!! Because that is her husband and if she can't be honest with him, then who can she be honest with?

Secret Life of CeeCee: Chapters 21-35

A little late but getting caught up!

1. Do you think that Tim is the one sending the money?

Yes, I do because who else would know how to find here in her new life? And who else would have any kind of interest to send that money to her or the baby?

2. So far, there has been a lot of discussion on Cee-Cee/Eve and her choices. What choices would you make differently from her?

Everything! I wouldn 't lie about the things she has lied about, even if I didn't come clean to the whole world about who I really was I would still feel like I need to tell my husband whom I am suppose to love the complete and honest truth!

3.What do you like about Jack? Are there things about him that you don't like?

I like the fact that even though Cee-Cee/Eve isn't completely honest with him (and he has to know something is not right, just because how she acted when she was pregnant) he still stays with her and loves her. I don't like the fact that he is letting her control everything, he needs to put his foot down, and tell her like it is. He is honest with her and she needs to be honest with him. That's how a marriage is suppose to work!

4. What are the differences between Cee-Cee/Eve's relationship with Tim and Eve's relationship with Jack?

CeeCee /Eve allowed Tim to take charge of their relationship and she followed and listened to everything he said. With Jack though, she is in charge and isn't fixing to give that control over to Jack. If she would have left Tim alone, she would have a great honest relationship with her husband who deserves everything that she can offer him.

5. Do you think Eve is to blame for Cory's fears? What could she do specifically, to help Cory feel less like an outsider?

Let her do things she likes to do with others with the same interest. And maybe even show a little bit of tough love, make her so things that are out of her comfort zone, to show her she can still have fun even if she is scared of everything.

6. Do you think Eve appropriately answered Cory's questions about her father? Do you think Cory will question her father more as she grows older?

I guess it was the safest answer to give, because if she told her that he was alive then she would go looking for a man that doesn't really exist, when he real dad is right there around her. Of course she is going to get curious about him, who wouldn't? I would want to know what he was like, and what he did for a living and who his family was.

Secret Life of CeeCee: Chapters 11-20

This is a little late, but I figured I would post it any ways and catch up.

1. Where do you think Tim and Marty are at this point in the story?

I don't think that they are thinking clearly. Here they are kidnapping a very pregnant woman without a good plan. I mean come on you really think this is going to work guys? It doesn't make any sense at all and it isn't a good plan. They are nuts and I wouldn't be involved in any way.

2. What were your thoughts ar Cee-Cee was helping Genevieve deliver her baby?

Oh my! This is craziness. I know many women have delivered babies without the help of a doctor, but she is in the hands of a kidnapper. And Cee-Cee doesn't have a clue what she is doing! She did do a good job with delivering though under the circumstances. I couldn't imagine having to deliver a baby out in the middle o no where by myself.

3. After Genevieve died, what would you have done with the baby if you had been in Cee-Cee's shoes?

I would have went to the police, and faced the consequences of those crazy decisions she has made. I would of spilled the beans about EVERYTHING!

4. Why do you think Cee-Cee/Eve is still holding onto hope that Tim will come for her?

Because she has gave up so much for him and just wants something that she "knows" to fill that void. She wants Tim to sacrifice for her in return for what she did for him.
5. How do you think Eve will establish a new identity in Virginia?

I think it is going to be really hard for her. I think it would be hard for anyone to completely forget the past and to make memoried for your past for the present and future. Plus you have to remember all of those lies and make new ones. Eve doesn't seem to be too strong right now on her own, so it could fall apart kind of fast.

6. What do you think of Cee-Cee/Eve now after she has gone through with the kidnapping, the delivery of the baby, the escape, and the relocation?

What is she thinking? Why can't she just wake up and realize that she needs to stop and reconsider the things she has done! If a person could just turn their lives over to God and stop listening to this world things would be better.

Let Your Light Shine

Secret Sister Meeting

Lesson 2

What is your daily schedule?

Mine looks like this:

6:00 am- Sleep

7:00 am- Sleep

8:00 am- More Sleep

9:00 am- Fall out of Bed and Make Coffee (If Derreck is home.)

10:00 am- Get Dressed, Make Bed, Start Laundry

11:00 am- Make house look presentable

12:00 pm- Fix Lunch, clean up 1:00 pm- Run errands

2:00 pm- Most likely still around town

3:00 pm- Who knows

4:00 pm- Beginning to think "Whats for Dinner?" but again who knows

5:00 pm- Hopefully start Cooking Dinner but not always the case

6:00 pm- Eat Dinner if cooked

7:00 pm- Watch TV (If Derreck is home.)

8:00 pm- Start thinking about dessert.

9:00 pm- Still watching TV

10:00 pm- Probably still up

11:00 pm- Lock up and get in bed

12:00 pm- Hopefully I am asleep

I am going to give all the girls a sheet that has a blank schedule on it, for them to fill out. This is just to get us to realize how our days are really spent. The page will also have some questions on it. I am going to go ahead and answer them for myself on here.

1. How calm are your normal days? Somewhat calm but can get chaotic and rushed because of procrastination.

2. Is there anything you would change about your days that you don't really like? It's not that I don't like sleep, because I do (A LOT), but I would and am going to change my bed time and how early I get up. I think that by doing this, I will have more time to read my Bible, practice piano, and exercise. (If you notice none of these are on my schedule as of now, horrible I know!)

3. When do you fit in time for God? When I feel like I don't have anything to do at the moment. I know that it shouldn't be that way. I want to wake up and have my time with God. I just need to grow up and discipline myself.

4. Is it the same time every day? Absolutely not, but it would be nice if it was!

5. Are you letting God shine through you as you go about your day? I haven't been, and I think

that is why this question popped into my head. I know that I can set the tone in my home, and if I am angry or sassy, then that is what the tone is going to be. So I do need to work on this and will be praying and listening to God's guidance as I start to have my morning quite times.

6. How is your attitude? HORRIBLE

7. Are you willing to commit a certain time during your day to ONLY God? Yes, and I am writing it on here, that way if I don't then I lied, and I don't want to be a liar. So...I will commit 6:00 am to my God time!

***We will also be reading Luke and Jonah for the month of September! The goal is to all be on the same page, that way we can discuss different things that we learned throughout the month.

Everyone is also going to get a candle to burn during their Bible times. We will see how the candle plays in at next months meeting!!

 

I got this months lesson of the Internet, but I forgot to

save the address from where it is from.

(really need to work on that!)

Just know that these aren't my words, but they are very good words to follow.

 

Gotta Lotta God: Christian Encouragement for Your Busy Days

 

I woke up this morning thinking about all the things I have to do today. I thought about all the places I have to go, all the e-mails I have to send, all the people I have to pray for, all the messages and Bible studies I have to prepare for, all the papers I have to grade and so on and so on. I quickly said in my mind, "I got a lot to do today. I got a lot on my plate" and then a thought came that blessed me from head to toe. I---got---a---lot---of---God. Actually the word "of" was not pronounced and the thought was more like "I gotta lotta God." I gotta lotta God!

 

I began to realize that there would be no letters to spell the word busy; there would be no day, no night, no schedule, no 'things to do' lists, no people to pray for, preach to, campaign for, teach, write or help in any way if it were not for God's awesome gift in Genesis 1. Genesis 1:1 reads, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." If I flash forward to Psalms 24:1 I read, "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein." Here I am thinking about the fullness of that little piece of ground I'm going to cover today and I'm a child of the one who owns it all.

 

According to John 1:12, I got the right to call myself a child of God the moment I received Jesus Christ and believed on His name.

 

With that issue settled I went back to Genesis 1 and I considered God's 'things to do' list at the time of creation and I said, "I gotta lotta God". I looked through that chapter to see if I could find the words overwhelmed, or worried, or flustered, or even a "Oh my...Self" (since He is God). I could not find them. No, instead I found that the earth---God's project---was without form, was void and dark.

 

In other words, there was a huge project ahead and absolutely nothing had been done. Does that sound like anybody else day?

 

I dug a little deeper in Genesis 1 and discovered a clear pattern for how to take care of the business of a day. God said "let there be light and there was light". He checked it out, declared it good and then made the necessary adjustments. In this case He divided the light from the darkness. Then, before he finished with that part of the project, He called the light day and the darkness night. (I believe so there wouldn't be any confusion). Then and only then did He close the books.

 

If this were a course in project management I'd be preaching from the top of the table and proclaiming---Speak it with full authority, Watch it come to pass, be proactive where necessary; praise, name it, file it and close the book.

 

The other thing we have to take note of in verse 2 of Genesis 1 is that in the midst of the darkness and void, the first thing God did was turn on the light. He spoke it and it was so. How many times have you tried to plow into a major project without first turning on the light? Somebody say, "First things first."

 

Take a moment here and think about what God is really up to here. God's turning on the light first is for our benefit and a pattern for us to follow in our daily walk. He didn't need the light to see. He is the light and in Him there is no darkness. (1 John 1:5) David made it plain in Psalms 139:12 when he said, "the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."

 

So yes, God turned on the light first, in one regard, as a pattern for us to follow. Everyday in every way we ought to begin by turning on or seeking the light. Light is revealed truth and we can get it in print or by just sitting before the Lord and being still. Psalms 119:105 reads, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." There's also tremendous instruction and direction that comes out of His mouth. Proverbs 2:6 reads, "For the Lord giveth wisdom and out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." By seeking God we will know how and what we should do during our days, and by following God's instructions we can have easier days filled with knowing that God is in control.

 

I love just hanging out in God's presence and simply enjoying his company. I am telling you though that the things that come out of His mouth in my daily times with Him are something to behold. This morning was a great example. His wisdom for my "I gotta lot to do" was "I gotta lotta God." That was revealed truth!

 

If we would simply embrace Him in all of His ways and follow His exact and complete instructions for everything, we would be all He has called us to be. He is all we need for the busy and the not so busy days. I encourage you to make a daily practice of getting with Him in praise and thanksgiving, prayer and the Word.

 

He's a lotta God and we've gotta lotta getting to know Him to do. Thank God that He freely reveals Himself 24/7.

 

Questions to Stir You Until the Next Lesson:

 

1. What does Matthew 6:33 say about our priorities for the day?

2. How does Paul define the kingdom of God in Romans 14:17?

3 What did God do for Solomon that proves that God wants us to put "first things first"? (read 1 Kings Chapter 3)

4. Solomon asked the Lord for something that would help him do his God job better. What did Solomon ask for?

5. Is there something that believers should ask for? Find scriptures to support your answer.

6. Are there things in the course of your day that cause you to put off spending quality time in your Word and in God's presence?

7. How can Proverbs 3:5-6 help you get on track?

 

 

Basket Case

***This is the lesson from our first Secret Sister meeting***

I got the main message off a website (Can't remember which one)

but I changed some of it to fit our Bible study.

If God is in Control, Why am I a Basket Case?

Are you receiving the full benefits of a Christian life? Are you so focused on the circumstances around you, that you are missing the abundant life that God planned for you? In John 10:10 Jesus said, "I came so they may have life, and have it abundantly."

What Kind Of Life Are You Living?

This is a quick check list to find out if you are living a basket case life or the abundant life:

• I don't make time to daily replenish my mind and heart with God's Word.
• I fill the basket of my mind with worldly thoughts.
• I don't take time to memorize God's Word.
• I meditate on my problems instead of God's promises.
• I hide my sin, not God's word in my heart.
• I base my identity on what other people say rather than who I am in Christ.
• I respond to stress with worry rather than prayer.
• I don't sit with God and quietly receive His instruction.
• I hold to my bad feelings toward people rather than forgive them.
• My hope is placed on people or things.
• I am not daily filled with God's glorious might.
• I don't walk in a way that pleases the Lord.
• I get caught up in insignificant details of the world.
• I don't pray and use Scripture to stand against my enemy.
• I live in fear rather than freedom.
• I work to hold everything together rather than resting in Jesus.
• I let my thoughts run wild rather than taking them captive.
• I don't look for Christ in others.
• I am a person pleaser.
• I don't rest. I'm exhausted.

If you have checked three or more of these you are NOT living the abundant life. So what is the good news?

God gave us instructions for exactly how we leave the life of stress, worry, and exhaustion, so we can receive all the goodness and blessings he intended for us here on earth. He gives us exact instructions for how to have an ABUNDANT LIFE!

Keep Reading!

The book of Colossians gives God's instructions for how to have the abundant life. There are three sections: reasons not to be a basket case, reasons to give God control, ans extraordinary choices for a joy filled life.

Ten Reasons NOT to be a Basket Case:

(Remember all the numbers correspond to verses in Colossians!)

• God has a will for my life. 1:1
• I have the potential to be filled with all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 1:9
• I have potential to walk in a manner worthy if the Lord. 1:10
• I can praise God in all circumstances.
• I can grow in the knowledge of God. 1:10
• I can be strengthened by all power according to God's glorious might. 1:11
• Christ's power mightily works within me. 1:29
• I have laid aside the old self. 3:9
• I have a NEW self image which is being renewed according to the image of Christ. 3:10
• I have been chosen by GOD! 3:12

Now that we understand that we may not be living in the full grace, goodness and blessings Christ has for us we need to take control of our lives. How do we do that? By giving that control to God.

We need to eat, breath, and live Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on the things above, not the things of earth. Sometimes this can be nerve-racking. A lot of times, we will know we should trust God and say we trust Him, but that trust never makes it from our head into our heart. Sometimes that trust works really well in areas that we do not care about as much or areas we perceive as being out of our hands. The problem with that is, if we never give God full and complete trust and control of our lives then we will never live the abundant life.

Reasons to Give God Control of My Life:

(Remember all the numbers correspond the verses in Colossians!)

• God rescued me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to the kingdom of His beloved Son! 1:13
• God has redeemed me and forgiven me 1:14
• Jesus made peace between you and God through His blood.
• Jesus is the one who will present me to God as holy, blameless, and beyond reproach. 1:22
• God's will is for me to know the mystery: Christ in me, the hope of glory. 1:27
• God canceled out my certificate of debt and decrees against me. He's nailed it to Christ's cross. 2:14
• Christ has triumphed over all rule and authority. 2:15

We now know a few of the reasons to give God control, but it can be a difficult process. The Devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy; he would love to rob you of your joy! Don't let him!! There are specific choices we make that will allow us to have the joy filled life God intends for us!

Extraordinary Choices For a Joy Filled Life:

(Remember all the numbers correspond to verses in Colossians!)

• Set your mind on the things above, not the things of earth. 3:2
• Consider the members of your body as dead to sin, immortality, evil desires, greed, evil passions.... 3:5
• Do not lie to one another. 3:9 (Have someone who is also seeking God to hold you accountable.)
• LET Christ rule in my heart. 3:15
• Whatever I do, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. 3:16
• Whatever I do, work heartily, as to the Lord, aware I am serving God. 3:23-24
• Give control of my life to Christ, who is in me, the hope of glory. 1:27

I hope this has given you a lot to meditate on for the next month. God loves you and wants you to live an abundant life and He doesn't want you to be a basket case. I challenge you to memorize Colossians 3:2 - Set your mind on the things above, not on the things of earth and learn to apply it in your daily life!