{expectations}

   the past year, i have been weighed down by the expectations others have set upon me. after a conversation this morning, i just wanted to yell, "maybe if you didnt expect so much of me, you wouldnt always be disappointed!" does this happen to anyone else?
   i'm expected to do a lot, but i also put expectations on others as well. are you constantly disappointed in someone? angry or hurt by how they treat you? maybe we should start thinking about how we see that person. how do we treat that person, love that person. do we respect them? if someone constantly upsets you, its OK to take a healthy step back.
   we all need the opportunity to step back and grow. grow emotionally and more in love with Jesus. if you think about it...thats ALL we need to do....
BECOME MORE IN LOVE WITH JESUS

{God is serious. so maybe we should be too}.

"this is a cause worth living for. it is a cause worth dying for. it is a cause worthy of moving urgently on. we have the gospel of Christ in us, and we do not have time to waste. some wonder if it is unfair for God to allow so many to have no knowledge of the gospel. but there is no injustice in God. the injustice lies in Christians who possess the gospel and refuse to give their lives to making it known among those who havent heard. that is unfair." (Radical by David Platt)

   lately i have been becoming more and more frustrated with Christians who claim to be doing the work of Christ, and yet not! in fact, sometimes its the complete opposite!Jeremiah 2:19 states that "your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. consider then, and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me', declares the Lord, the Lord Almightly"(this verse was used because i read it in my devotions. there are, of course many different verses and different context)
   i think, many times, we forget the wrath side of God. we justify our actions based on the fact that our God is merciful, forgiving, loving..etc. yes, He is all things and more, but we still will be held accountable.
   its time to start being more respectful of our Savior, Creator, Father and Daddy.no more justifying, no more listening to false prophets, no more beating around the bush with your friends/family.
   take God seriously. He is, and has, already been very serious.

{who we are now should not reflect who we were}

"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

   in our meeting this morning, we read 1 Corinthians 5 & 6. afterwards, in my head, i yelled, "you go Paul! tell it how it is!" how often do we hear people justify themselves? or constantly beat around the bush about their actions?
   when i confront people about a sin that i see, they automatically get angry and start to justify. sometimes i catch myself wanting to justify my own sins! SIN is SIN, christians didnt make this decision or draw this line, God did. and yes, it is our job, as christians to confront our brothers and sisters who claim to be in the faith yet do the opposite (1 Cor. 5:9-11) I love when Paul, in 6:5 says, "i say this to shame you..." wooooow!
   i grow tired and sad of seeing those who claim to be believers, yet their actions show completely opposite. you should be ashamed.
   BUT as always, there is hope with God. there is grace and forgiveness. and i love the last part of these verses. i am just now beginning to understand "freedom in Christ".

as a Christian...

...you WERE washed

...you WERE sanctified

...you WERE justified

we were bought at a price!

{its OK to cry}

   our church had a service at noon today, and of course, i wept. we sang the song, Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) and once we got to this part, the tears fell freely...

"The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine"

   when we got to the last line, i could picture myself going into the tomb, kneeling down at the deathbed of Jesus, caressing his head and singing this to Him. as a woman, and a wife...i cannot imagine watching Him go through all this pain, and not be able to take care of Him!! in this video (New Again), i couldnt imagine being Mary and the pain she felt of not being able to take care of her son. so when we sang these words, i pictured me with Jesus and assuring Him that BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DID FOR ME, HE IS FOREVER MINE!
   this is the first time i have ever had this perspective. just like we take care of our family and friends, and now Joel. the pure sadness of not being able to take care of Joel if he were in that condition is unbearable to imagine.
    its true, the older you get, you do cry more. not because you get more emotional, but because if you get married, you learn a deeper love. if you have kids, you learn a deeper love. my first Easter with children, i just know i'm going to weep even more.
   the unworthiness! the LOVE!! so let yourself mourn and weep...

...allow yourself to be reminded...

{we cant get away from Him!}

The Power of the Cross

   the link above is a video/song that i have been listening to in order to prepare for Easter. tonight, our youth did stations at the cross. it was so emotional! a youth tonight, when asked if they needed someone to pray with them, was so upset saying, "my heart is just SO heavy!" i love when God lets us feel how He is feeling!

"The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don't make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him (HE IS ALIVE)!" Acts 17:24-28

  

THANK YOU, JESUS! CONSTANTLY REMIND MY HEART OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME~Amen

{i want to be wise}

solomon asked for wisdom: 1 kings 3:9

so give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. for who is able to govern this great people of yours?

God gave solomon wisdom: 1 kings 3:12

i(God) will do what you have asked. i will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

solomon's wisdom: 1 kings 4:29

God gave solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding measureless as the sand on the seashore.

   i was reminded in my devotions last night, that when we ask God, we are HEARD. i think as Christians, its so easy to forget that God is so faithful and loving, that he hears our prayers no matter what they are.

   i went to a prayer class last week, and we discussed "why do we pray, if God already knows what is going to happen?" we simply talked about how God does not fail us, and he RESPONDS to our prayers. they may not be in a timely manner, nor may they be answered, BUT God knows our hearts and our needs.

   are your prayers NEEDS or WANTS?

   in your prayers, is your heart earnestly seeking the Lord?

be aware that God notices your heart, your true motives. prayer is an intimate way to talk with our Savior, and he deserves our time. remember, we are nothing without him, therefore, lets pray to become more WISE and more like HIM.

   pray for wisdom, and you will be heard

   pray for strength, and you will be heard

   pray for peace, and you will be heard

   pray for a change of heart, and you will be heard

pray! pray! pray!

{so hard to watch}

   Psalm 37:7-9

 ⁷ Be still before the LORD
   and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
   when they carry out their wicked schemes.

 ⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
   do not fret—it leads only to evil.
⁹ For those who are evil will be destroyed,
   but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

its so hard to watch friends deal with bad stuff happening in their lives. so many times, i want to go rescue someone from their life of sin and lies. but how do we know when to intercede and when to not? we simply as God and listen for Him to answer, right?

   today, i heard a story about a man who went on a missions trip and walked miles and miles through horrible poverty. when they were coming out of that area, the man then stopped and prayed for a woman. others who were with the man got upset and asked him, "why did you pray for this woman when we just passed miles of poverty stricken lives? what made you just now stop and pray with this woman?" the man replied, "because God told me so".

   we all run into people every day that need the Lord through words of encouragement, prayer, friendship..etc. at times, i get overwhelmed for feeling that i need to care for everyone that i meet, and that is not the case. God knows exactly what He is doing. He knows the plans for each individuals life. that may not always involve ME.

   the trouble i have been having lately, is figuring out whose lives to pour into. sometimes i feel bad for investing in one persons life and not the others, but i need to stop that. learning who to pour into and who to either not pour into, or "not yet" pour into is a challenge.

   i hope we all have 2-3 people that we invest in, be Jesus to, and encourage. we cannot be all that Jesus is, but we do have the holy spirit and power of Christ to pour into others. as a Christian, sharing Jesus is not an option, neither is going out and sharing the gospel. its crazy what aspects of Christianity we turn into options.

Love God*Serve Others*Give Back

are you being Jesus to others?

is your heart ready to be poured out?

pray for God to show you the next STEP with a person, for that may be the only thing you may need to do in a persons life. your job is to not be the answer for a friend, but an encourager and a STEP in the right direction. God is the answer! not us!