Proverbs 12:25-26
"Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression. But a good word makes it glad. The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray."
Anxiety (or worry) in our lives leads to depression. It's really amazing how little things like worrying about something can lead to something so big as depression but it does. Encouragement goes a long way. As Christians I believe one of our daily duties is to encourage someone whether it's to tell them you like their shirt to telling them they are doing a great job. Encouraging someone can really change their whole day or maybe eventually their whole life. Some people never hear a positive word. They are always down and not having a good day. Some kids are constantly put down and told how worthless they are when all it takes to lift their spirits is to encouragement them. Give them hope that there's nice people in the world. I love the song Give me your eyes by Brandon Heath. I pray everyday that God will reveal to me someone that I may be a blessing to. We never know someone's hurt, we never know where they've come from, a simple smile can even change their direction. Most of the time I really like facebook because in the mornings and all day long I feel so encouraged by everyone's posts with bible verses or just sharing a Christian song or sharing how good God is. For those of you that do that thanks so much for showing encouragement and hope to others. I call you my friends because I feel you help bring me closer to the Lord. The next verse is a WARNING: "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray." If we surround ourselves with people who lift us up it's inevitable that we will be drawn closer to God. Surround yourselves with people would put down on you and it's inevitable you will be brought down and pulled away from God. We need to check ourselves. Are we being an uplifting friend or are we being one of these friends that God is telling us to stay away from? After we've checked ourselves then we should check our friends. Are our friends uplifting us or are they pulling us down? This is so important in our walk with Christ! There are too many other things to distract us and pull us down why allow it to be your friends? Be lifted up!
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Friday, November 12, 2010
A little lie or a BIG lie?
"Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight. A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness." Proverbs 12:22-23
No one really likes a liar. We've all heard since we were kids that a little lie leads to bigger lies. Proverbs 12:22-23 is saying God doesn't like liars either. An abomination is somethings that "nauseates" God. It is better to remain silent that to have lying lips (says my study bible). Proverbs is full of God's guidance and direction and I am just loving reading it. God not only says don't lie he follows it with what will happen if you don't. "But those who deal truthfully are His delight." God delights in His people that speak the truth. It's so easy to tell lil white lies. You're telling a story and you just slip in that the fish was a little bit bigger than it really was. That may not be hurting anyone no but it does hurt God. What is our need for lying? It's sin. So no matter how big or small we shouldn't do it.
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No one really likes a liar. We've all heard since we were kids that a little lie leads to bigger lies. Proverbs 12:22-23 is saying God doesn't like liars either. An abomination is somethings that "nauseates" God. It is better to remain silent that to have lying lips (says my study bible). Proverbs is full of God's guidance and direction and I am just loving reading it. God not only says don't lie he follows it with what will happen if you don't. "But those who deal truthfully are His delight." God delights in His people that speak the truth. It's so easy to tell lil white lies. You're telling a story and you just slip in that the fish was a little bit bigger than it really was. That may not be hurting anyone no but it does hurt God. What is our need for lying? It's sin. So no matter how big or small we shouldn't do it.
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Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Be like Job!!
Job 1
God called Job a perfect and upright man that feared Him. Satan wanted nothing less than to see Job fail. Bad things started happening to him. By the time it was all over he had nothing left. So he threw a fit and cursed and questioned God? No! He immediately fell on the ground and worshipped God. That takes some faith! In.terse 21 Job says "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Blessed be the name of the Lord! Job realized the only perfect and.permanent thing in his life was God, so when he had nothing he dell on the One who has everything! Why do we get mad at.God when bad things happen? Bad things are always going to.happen no one has a perfect life. But we do serve a perfect God. He wants to know we are going to.stand by Him no matter what.
God called Job a perfect and upright man that feared Him. Satan wanted nothing less than to see Job fail. Bad things started happening to him. By the time it was all over he had nothing left. So he threw a fit and cursed and questioned God? No! He immediately fell on the ground and worshipped God. That takes some faith! In.terse 21 Job says "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Blessed be the name of the Lord! Job realized the only perfect and.permanent thing in his life was God, so when he had nothing he dell on the One who has everything! Why do we get mad at.God when bad things happen? Bad things are always going to.happen no one has a perfect life. But we do serve a perfect God. He wants to know we are going to.stand by Him no matter what.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
It's contagious!
My friend Amy challenged me to read a chapter a day of Proverbs. I've read a little bit in Proverbs before but have never completely read through it or studied it. I'm only to chapter 4 and I can already tell it's going to be full of instruction and direction from the King.
Proverbs 4:14-19
"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not into the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble."
As children of the King it is a battle everyday to fight off the enemy. It's not waking up asking God to fight them off, He's already won the fight. I heard someone say the other day we need to accept His willingness to rein in our lives. It's not about Him stepping in to protect us it's about us allowing Him to. That means to completely LET GO. In these verses God is telling us to stay away from evil. Avoid it, pass not by it, if you happen to pass by it turn from it and pass away. If we allow evil to enter our lives we allow it to take over us. I'm not just talking about evil people I'm talking about evil thoughts, actions, emotions, etc. After it takes over us then it uses us to hurt and pull others down too. Then we become this evil person that can't be happy unless we know we are pulling someone else down. I think eventually we are so corrupted we don't even realize what we are doing. Attitudes are contagious! I am guilty of this! If I start the day with a bad attitude more than likely I will end it with a bad attitude and all the people I was around that day will at some point feel that bad attitude and it will bring them down as well. I won't be able to handle anything that happens that day and everything will set me off and make it worse On the other hand if I start out the day with a good attitude I more than likely will end it with a good attitude. Throughout the day if bad things happen it's easier to face the problems and see the positive in them. Please don't let evil enter your lives. Let God's Marvelous light shine through you! Let's start our days with a good attitude IT'S CONTAGIOUS! Love ya'll!
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Proverbs 4:14-19
"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not into the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble."
As children of the King it is a battle everyday to fight off the enemy. It's not waking up asking God to fight them off, He's already won the fight. I heard someone say the other day we need to accept His willingness to rein in our lives. It's not about Him stepping in to protect us it's about us allowing Him to. That means to completely LET GO. In these verses God is telling us to stay away from evil. Avoid it, pass not by it, if you happen to pass by it turn from it and pass away. If we allow evil to enter our lives we allow it to take over us. I'm not just talking about evil people I'm talking about evil thoughts, actions, emotions, etc. After it takes over us then it uses us to hurt and pull others down too. Then we become this evil person that can't be happy unless we know we are pulling someone else down. I think eventually we are so corrupted we don't even realize what we are doing. Attitudes are contagious! I am guilty of this! If I start the day with a bad attitude more than likely I will end it with a bad attitude and all the people I was around that day will at some point feel that bad attitude and it will bring them down as well. I won't be able to handle anything that happens that day and everything will set me off and make it worse On the other hand if I start out the day with a good attitude I more than likely will end it with a good attitude. Throughout the day if bad things happen it's easier to face the problems and see the positive in them. Please don't let evil enter your lives. Let God's Marvelous light shine through you! Let's start our days with a good attitude IT'S CONTAGIOUS! Love ya'll!
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Tuesday, November 2, 2010
LOVE this verse!
Psalm 143:9-12
"Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant."
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"Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant."
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Monday, October 25, 2010
Thank you God for this weekend!
What an awesome weekend! It flew by because we were so busy but I wouldn't have traded it for anything. Praise in the park was awesome! I love christian concerts but when it's not just a concert but a worship church service is when I really love it! I really felt God speaking to me through the testimonies and through the music Saturday and Sunday! It's amazing how in a crowd of that many people you can still feel God speaking just to you. That's just how powerful God is. 1 Corinthians 2:9 "But as it is written, EYE HATH NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN, THE THINGS WHICH GOD HATH PREPARED FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM." We will never understand what God has prepared for us if we love and serve Him. Thank you God for this weekend. Thank you for using it to draw me closer to You. Thank you for the lives that were changed. Thank you for the groups and artists that you used to share your word through song and testimony. Bless them and keep them! Amen
Friday, October 22, 2010
Thank You for carrying me! (wrote Wednesday, October 20th, 2010)
I'm so glad that Jesus paid the ultimate price for me. I'm so glad that I realized I needed a Savior. I'm so glad I understand what a Holy God is and I'm so blessed that He takes the time to think of me and light up the sky so that I can see which way to go! It's been a little bit of a crazy week for me but eventhough there have been tough times, I've felt God in my life this week stronger than ever before. It would have been easy to get down, blame God, and give up but why would I have done that when I am a child of THE King that makes ALL things good! This week (and yeah it's only Wednesday) I have been humbled by God's mercy on me. He continues everyday to reassure me that I'm His and there's nothing that can take me away nor is there anything that can not be conquered through Him. I wouldn't have shared this because I know a lot of people may say oh my gosh tell me what happened but I'm sharing because I want everyone to know just how good God is. He really does makes ALL things good. When you are going through a tough time don't leave Him (God never leaves us, if anyone leaves we leave Him) and don't blame Him. Allow God to carry you through it and then when He does, because I know He will, Praise Him! Thank You God for carrying me this week. I know that this is still going to be a long journey but I will follow you all the way. Thank You God for allowing Your will to be clear to me. Continue to work in my life, in my marriage, at my workplace, in my church, and in my family. Remove anything that will distract us from your presence and help us to always keep you the center of our lives. Thank you God for delieverance. Thank You for being MY strong tower. I love you AMEN!
I found my little "emergency telephone numbers" in my bible this morning and thought I'd share these verses. It says Paul's secret to happiness: Colossians 3:12-17. "Therefore, as the elect of God holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
I found my little "emergency telephone numbers" in my bible this morning and thought I'd share these verses. It says Paul's secret to happiness: Colossians 3:12-17. "Therefore, as the elect of God holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
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