Passion…obsession

Passion is defined as the emotions that distinguishes us from reason an intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction. When single Christians find themselves alone, especially during the holiday seasons, it is extremely hard to not be fixated on finding a mate, partner, or just any person to fill that void that we feel. Whether you are newly single, gone through a divorce, or widowed, the thought of being alone around the holiday season can be a difficult one to bear. As human nature depicts, and TV movies attest, this season is all about being with the one’s you love and finding that perfect person/someone to spend this time with. The oversight that we as Christian’s overlook is the fact that we have already found that perfect person. It is not a physical person, more of an emotional stability. A representative of all we wish for, hope for, and desire in our future mate.
God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It’s a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times. Lamentations 3:25

We become gripped by the propaganda that we see everywhere.

³At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. Titus 3:3 (NIV) On commercials, in the movies, and sometimes even within the relationships we see of our friends and relatives we can get obsessed with finding a person to fill this void we have within. Jealousy can kick in and diminish the true reason for this season. We can become depressed by all of the openly happiness we see, the coming together of families, sacrifices we see of loved ones for their spouses during this special time of year. Nothing can prepare you for this time except the glorious words of our Heavenly Father.

Love is invincible facing danger and death.
Passion laughs at the terrors of hell.
The fire of love stops at nothing—
it sweeps everything before it.
Flood waters can’t drown love,
torrents of rain can’t put it out.
Love can’t be bought, love can’t be sold—
it’s not to be found in the marketplace. Song of Solomon 8:5-7 (The Message)

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round-up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
Romans 5:2-4

Patience is part of this process. The development of patience is one of the character imperfections that I continuously chase. I know that God is there, he loves me unconditionally, but there are times that I just feel alone, lost, singled out, and gripped with the feeling that I am missing out. I have never felt the true love that I desire. The unconditional love that the person that God has planned for me will bring into my life. I feel, know, understand, and except God’s unconditional love for me, yet at times it seems it is not enough and this is one of those times. I struggle with the depression, loneliness, feelings of inadequacy, and at times unworthiness. Thoughts of imperfections take over and make me doubt my maker. I know that he has a plan for me, somewhere out there, my Heavenly Father has a man who will love me as I am, faults, warts, and all. My duty, my faith journey is to move out of God’s way, accept where I am currently at in my life, continue to grow as a Christian woman and wait for his perfect plan for me. For only God knows when the time will be right for me, and the one he has been preparing for me. I must not weary, give up, let false thoughts rule my life. My God, the God who brought me out of my sin and delivered me through his son Jesus is and will forever be here with me, beside me, guiding me, as long as I leave myself open to his call and keep him as my priority. My obsession, passion, needs to always be focused on God, and then everything else we fall into place.

And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you’ve come out of this with purity of heart. 2 Corinthians 7:10-12
… they had first given themselves unreservedly to God…. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives…You do so well in so many things—you trust God, you’re articulate, you’re insightful, you’re passionate, you love us—now, do your best in this, too.
2 Corinthians 8:4-6

Change the Day

While driving to work and contemplating my other blog, Whatever! I felt a peace within and I let everyone into traffic that I came across. Usually I will let in a couple of people if I think it wont interupt my flow of traffic, of getting to work. Today I changed my thought process and the Lord hit me on the head with this one.

What if every person we help in traffic, we say a pray for? Such as after letting several cars turn left onto Hausman (which is typically jam packed with cars). I stopped and asked God to bless their day. I prayed for each one of them! I asked our Heavently father for these individuals to realize the act that they were given and to have them change someone elses day because of it! Can you imagine the impact we each could have by doing this one act of Godliness! Not only does it calm us down during a hectic time of travel, but it helps us to keep focused on God the only truly positive influence there is and then we assist others in having that same positive influence in their lives and the circle of changing  someones day starts and doesn’t ever have to stop. Try it one morning. Leave a comment on my blog about how it impacted you. Let us reach out to others in even the simpliest of ways and see how God works miracles!

Encouraging Word-Klove

Thursday 11/12/2009

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

~ Proverbs 3:5, NLT

Whatever

Encouraging Word-from Klove

Friday 11/13/2009

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

~ Proverbs 4:23, NLT

(So poetic and true to my current life situation.)

Last night I was sitting out on the porch of our clubhouse contemplating life. My life in particular. It was a perfect night. The weather was beautiful and it reminded me of the house and porch I would love to have one day! The Lord layed many things on my heart and one of those things is the word:

“Whatever”!

Whatever God wants in my life is what I need to want, whatever plans he has made for me need to be ok with me, whatever health or financial struggles he puts in my path are for my own good, to strengthen me, possibly help others and are he is will. Whatever circumstances the Lord brings to me are for my good. I am like an atom, tiny and small, God is like the Cosmos, enormous, all knowing and ever after my well being. My job is not to get in his way. To be open to the whatevers he brings into my life. I can not change the past, present or future. Only God has that control. I can pray for his guidance, pray for what I think Is best for me, but in the end only he knows what that is. My reality is not his, how I percieve my life to be may not be what he knows is best. The result, whatever! Whatever my father in heaven decides I must endure, whatever circumstances he feels I need to face, whatever health issues or pain come my way, are all for his glory and with his constent. God wants the best for me just as I do. I must relinquinch myself to the whatevers and let him work his miracles in my life.

Viva “Whatever!”

Proverbs 16:2 (The Message)
Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good.

Ecclesiastes 3:15
Whatever was, is. Whatever will be, is. That’s how it always is with God.

Matthew 6:34
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

John 16:23
“This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!

Romans 5:3
There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Romans 15:3
That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t make it easy for himself by avoiding people’s troubles, but waded right in and helped out. “I took on the troubles of the troubled,” is the way Scripture puts it. Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we’ll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!

2 Corinthians 9:12
Carrying out this social relief work involves far more than helping meet the bare needs of poor Christians. It also produces abundant and bountiful thanksgivings to God. This relief offering is a prod to live at your very best, showing your gratitude to God by being openly obedient to the plain meaning of the Message of Christ. You show your gratitude through your generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone. Meanwhile, moved by the extravagance of God in your lives, they’ll respond by praying for you in passionate intercession for whatever you need. Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough!

Ephesians 3:11
All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go.

Psalm 119:25
I’m feeling terrible—I couldn’t feel worse! Get me on my feet again. You promised, remember? When I told my story, you responded; train me well in your deep wisdom. Help me understand these things inside and out so I can ponder your miracle-wonders. My sad life’s dilapidated, a falling-down barn; build me up again by your Word. Barricade the road that goes Nowhere; grace me with your clear revelation. I choose the true road to Somewhere, I post your road signs at every curve and corner. I grasp and cling to whatever you tell me; God, don’t let me down! I’ll run the course you lay out for me if you’ll just show me how.

Psalm 119:145
I call out at the top of my lungs, “God! Answer! I’ll do whatever you say.” I called to you, “Save me so I can carry out all your instructions.” I was up before sunrise, crying for help, hoping for a word from you. I stayed awake all night, prayerfully pondering your promise. In your love, listen to me; in your justice, God, keep me alive. As those out to get me come closer and closer, they go farther and farther from the truth you reveal; But you’re the closest of all to me, God, and all your judgments true. I’ve known all along from the evidence of your words that you meant them to last forever.

God’s Whatevers are endless! We are to depend on him, and him alone! He is our protector, confessor, lover who will never leave us, hurt us, or betray us! All of our eyes, thoughts, deeds are to be in rememberance of him and all he has done and will do in our lives. Thank you Father God for reminding me of this last night. For seeing me through my pain. Although the pain has not vanished, your love is eminant and will be with me forever. I can not thank you enough, praise you enough for all that you have given me. You have given me father so much more than money can bring into my life. Abba, help me to stay on your path, seek your grace, lean on your love so I can continue to grow as your child! In Jesus Name I pray! AMEN!

Love & Patience

Love is greatly expressed over time. The problem with that statement is that most of us lack the ability to wait. We were not born with the patience of God our Heavenly Father. Even at almost forty years old I still have not learned patience in this aspect of my life. I was under the elusion that I was fine without love, it could wait, I wasn’t ready, my focus  should not be shifted from my daughter, and lastly I am not worthy enough for someone to love me. All of these statements are wrong! God loves me. His love is never failing, never ending and always in abundance. God’s love does not come with any conditions. If you get mad at God for something not going your way, does God turn his back on you, does he walk out of your life, yell at you…rather not likely…in fact it is the complete opposite. God always walks towards us and looks for us, waits for us behind every hurt, tear, and sorrowful pain he patiently waits for us to look up, give it up, and ask for him to come back into our lives. He is never ending, always on our side.

When you think of loving another person this is the love we need to focus on. God’s pure and perfect love. So many times we try to cheat his will and step out of his grace and plans. What happens? We get hurt, rejected because yet again, we failed to be patient. I want what every women wants, a love worth waiting for. I already have my perfect love in Jesus. The love I am referring to is the love that you can only get from the mate that the Lord has picked out for us.

My job is to keep myself dilegent in the Lord, seeking his mercy and grace. Accepting his perfect love for me so that when God sees fit, he will bring my perfect love into my life. When we are both ready to receive eachother. He will be a blessing to my life and mine to his. We will be able to glorify God by our relationship as individuals and as a couple.

Music hits home

God is awesome! Thinking of the passion I want in a relationship when k-love plays the perfect song 2 remind me that I have it with my God! Joyously crying!

TOBYMAC LYRICS

“Stories (Down to the Bottom)”

We’ve been down to the bottom
Stories we got ‘em, when we hit rock bottom
If you been there put your hands in the air
To let the lost know that someone cares
Cause we’ve been down to the bottom
Stories we’ve got ‘em, when we hit rock bottom
If you been there put your hands in the air
And let somebody know that the Most High cares

I never knew that it would feel like this
When the two that raised you up and call it quits
Nobody told me ’bout the emptiness
When the place you call home is closed for business
I push the pain down, I gotta “get by”
Always knowin’ in my heart that it ain’t gonna fly
Rock bottom’s never felt so near before
And if pain is God’s megaphone it’s loud and clear
So hold me now father, human love ain’t enough
I’ve failed and been failed by the people I love
But your faithful arms they surround me
And any other soul who has to sail those seas
Of a broken family

Been so many times that I’ve been close to rock bottom
Tryin’ to look for answers but nobody’s got ‘em
Like the time my mother looked me in the eye
Tryin’ not to cry, tellin’ me the cancer might cause her to die
How can this be, I thought that God loved me?
So why would he try to take my mother from me?
And as I cry myself to sleep at night, holding on my pillow tight
He spoke to me and said that everything gonna be alright
So I tried to fight all the pain that it caused
Try to move on and I try to stay strong
So put your hands up, hey, if y’all are feelin’ me
And put your hands up for everyone to see
So put your hands up, we all a family
So put your hands up, in unity, in unity

I’ve been there too
When everything falls apart and the best you can do is
Get through each day wonderin’ will this never end?
Is it always going to be this way?
And the greatest lie you’ve ever been told is that
You’re the only one to ever walk on this road
And that you’ll never see the light of dawn, so we came together to say
Hold on
Cause we’ve been there and found our way home
I promise you that you’re not on your own
One day this will pass, God will see us all through
God will see us all through, God will see us all pass through

Can’t we all relate to the song above. We have all hit the bottom at one time or another and with the Lord as our Savior we don’t have to be there alone. So many times over the years I have felt just like that but God has still used me, his instrument to reach and teach others. Every day, breath, and step is a chance to touch someone’s life. Just by living the way we do. Taking ownership of who we are, our failures and success is showing others that God doesn’t protect his children always from harm or hurt, we are the same as anyone else. God wants us to be transparent so that others can see that we may be going through a hard time but just as Job did, we will not turn our backs on our father. I am gloriously happy that I have him to count on, him to trust, and him to always love me know matter how crazy I may get! Thank you Father for loving me so much!

Peace within

‘Don’t be afraid, friend. Peace. Everything is going to be all right. Take courage. Be strong.’ “Even as he spoke, courage surged up within me. I said, ‘Go ahead, let my master speak. You’ve given me courage.’ Daniel 10:17-19

The Lord works in mysterious ways. He has provided me with the ability to have peace concerning my relationship with my ex-husband. I never would have thought, a month ago that I would be able to talk to him, open and honestly about the pain I went through. Such a huge weight has been lifted off of me that I can not explain. God has worked so many miracles in my life. I have realized in less than a month that I am deserving of a love worth waiting for. That I am not a leaper that needs to stay hidden away from others. I do not deserve isolation and my father God does not wish this for me. Instead, my God wishes for me the same that I want for myself. A true unconditional love. A love that only God can and will bestow on the man he sees fit for my heart and soul. My job is to be open to such a love. Not to run and seek it under every rock, but rather to trust in him Abba to bring our two hearts together as one. Just as he has spoken about. You must leave your mother and father and be one with your wife. We must love with no ending just as he consistently loves us in that way. We are never alone and always loved.

God gave them peace within and without” 2 Chronicles 15:9-11

The Rich Official

Luke 18:23 “He was holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go.” (The Message) Honestly, most people probably don’t even think twice of what they hold on to. For me it is my TV watching. I have used that little devil box as my scapegoat or destressor. I come home from work, put on my comfy clothes, and plop in front of the TV. Becca and I have certain shows that we watch together and that has become one way we can have some fun together since she is always so busy. Recently though, through a good friend, I have been less watching TV and more on my computer blogging, writing, chatting with family/friends and posting on my face book and twitter. Amazing how life takes its twists and turns. What i need to do is have a healthy balance of the two.

Socializing is important and needed to be well rounded and not to have a sense of being alone. However,  socializing usually means spending money which I have little of.  For me, it is more important that Becca get to do things than me. These teen years are the most fun and important. I want her to be able to do as much as she can to have happy memories to look back upon. Children grow up much to quickly and then could miss out on so much if not offered the opportunity to hang out with friends. I never want her to look back and think she had no fun. Of course, if you know Becca, that is an impossible task. She is a happy, bubbly person who has much love to offer.

My goal is not let anything keep me from God. Such as last night, I was not feeling well, was resting, and the Lord put on my heart that I should write. So I got up to do just that. The more I put him first, the more he will bless me in all that I do. Follow his will and be amazingly blessed!

Born to Fly

Love this!

Born to fly…we were all born to fly. Like Sara Evans states in her song, “and how do you keep your feet on the ground when you know that you were born to fly.”  As children of God, we were all born to fly. He has raised in us as Christian believers the ability to fly, to go and do what he has planned for us. Our feet are not stuck to this earth, but rather heaven bound. At times, we limit ourselves by our thinking of what we can and cannot accomplish. Reality is, the bible states that we have no limitations. God has set no limitations on his children. We each were born to fly, soar on the wings of angels, proclaim his words wherever we go, whomever we see. I cannot tell you how blessed I have been in my life to just have and know that God exists. Many a trials have come my way, many more still will. Yet, I know that God will always be there with me. As the many grains of sand are on the beach, in the ocean, God cares for each one as he does us. He does not limit us nor give us restrictions. He calls us to be more than we think possible, reach more than we thought possible. Each grain of sand has a place, a purpose. Limitations are not an issue, for our heavenly father has not put any on us. Rather we tend to do that ourselves.

Watching my dad and step mom minister to thousands of Indians in India for those ten years was humbling. At the beginning, I felt that I was such a small fish, that God could not use my life or me for such a great purpose. Those thoughts were not heaven sent. God uses each one of us. Just by living your life outwardly for God, you are showing who he is. People are seeing you pray at restaurants, they hear it when you give God the glory for what is happening in your life, and hear you even more so when you stay true to God during trials. That is living a life bigger than yourself, living for God in all you do. Showing others the unconditional love that only Christ can offer.

John clinched his witness with this: “I watched the Spirit, like a dove flying down out of the sky, making himself at home in him. I repeat, I know nothing about him except this: The One who authorized me to baptize with water told me, ‘The One on whom you see the Spirit come down and stay, this One will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ That’s exactly what I saw happen, and I’m telling you, there’s no question about it: This is the Son of God.” John 1:31-33(The Message) Each one of us has had the Holy Spirit come down upon us at the moment we accepted Christ into our lives and were baptized. Doesn’t matter when that was, the bible tells us that we received this special gift that only he can bestow at that time. We are to call on this gift, to help us in our times of need. “When the time comes, say what’s on your heart—the Holy Spirit will make his witness in and through you.” Mark 13:10-12 Only the Holy Spirit can intervene on our behalf with groans of understanding for our God to know. God knows our hearts, our intentions, he knows if we are yielding a life for his glory, his good. We might be able to fake others but we cannot put one over on our maker. That is why even at death’s door we are given an opportunity to know and accept him into our life. God will know who is pretending and who is not. Only those worthy of his love, honest, and true will be accepted into his kingdom. But what a glorious kingdom it shall be. Until that time, we must all fly like birds soaring through the sky, proclaiming God’s kingdom throughout the land.

“No one is good-only God.” Luke 18:19-20

Jesus said, “no one is good-only God!” Luke 18:19-20 (The Message)  I think at times we try to hard to please others and loose sight that no one on this earth is perfect. I am a prime example of this. Monday for me was a really hectic day after having the previous weekend and Friday been the same. I was not able to destress and shake off the craziness of my day. I felt physically and emotionally exhausted by the time I got home and even that was an ordeal. I was looking forward to a much needed conversation with an awesome person who believes in keeping Christ first and the center of everything. Which is paramount for all christians to do. I guess the weight of my day had not left me because for some unknown reason to me, I got upset over something that was not a big deal. I’m blessed that I have aweseme, honest friends to help me realize or see the error of my ways when I have done somthing wrong. All I could do was cry, I ruined what should have been an awesome conversation with exciting things to share.

Today I still feel the reprecussions. I live with my heart on my sleeve or rather my emotions and I can not shake this horrible feeling that I lost a great person in my life. I know friends and loved ones who are true to God will stand the time regardless of my stupidity. In fact, I do think some of my wackier friends/sister (Tracy) might love some of my dorkiness. If it weren’t for me and some of my dorky moments, they wouldn’t have anything to laugh at. Such as, little Chris wont’ let me live this down, how I forgot the spinning table thing moved. I asked for somthing that was on it, they looked at me, started laughing and said, “Aunt Jeanette, you know it moves…how many times have you been here?!”…lol. What can I say, I suppose I have blonde moments just like my daughter.:)

So I guess my point is this, since Jesus say’s we are not good or perfect…I think this is his clue or hint to remind us, we must forgive eachother. Not one of us is perfect, we all share the ability to be dorky, stupid, frustrated, annoyed with our family, friends or loved ones. The key is to love regardless. If your in a relationship (non family) the primary goal should be to love God. Second goal needs to be to love eachother no matter what. If God has called you to be together, no matter how much Satan might try, God will prevail as long as he is the center of BOTH people! My love is out there for the world to see and for me to share. I can not let my heart break and loose the possiblity of a lifetime of love. If no one can handle a quirky, goofy, dorky, short italian women who  loves strong & deep and hurts just the same, then my solice is…My God…my father in heaven will love me always. Despite my quirks or maybe because of them, he will never let me go.

Scapegoat

Jesus is our scapegoat between our sins and our heavenly father. He is not there for us just for a season in our life, but rather for all eternity. We see at Gethsemane that Jesus willingly gave himself up, was beaten, humiliated, and bruised for every person who chooses to pick up his cross.

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
Matthew 26:41-43

God has not designed us to carry our sin, guilt or addictions but rather to pick up the cross that Jesus willingly carried himself and do the same. We are commanded to carry Jesus with us wherever we go. Where you might say, in our hearts, forever in our hearts. Jesus had to physically carry the cross, beaten, ridiculed, bloody and bruised, we only have to emotionally pick up the cross. We have been given a directive to put Jesus in our hearts, carry him and all he stands for in our thoughts daily. Never are we to let him go.  Never are we to reject the one who chose  us, the difficult less traveled road. He chose to go through all of these things for us, while thinking of us. Our gift to him, for his sacrifice and the father that gave him to us is to live a sacrificial life. To live for Jesus and all he stood for. To have Jesus and our Father say, “Well done good and faithful servant”. We are to live a holy life as a gift to him, to praise him in the good and bad times. Not live outside of God’s love or family, but to dwell in it and of it.

⁹Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. ¹⁰And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. -Hebrews 10