Afternoon Hike

Yesterday afternoon all I wanted to do was go for a hike, some would say I am crazy for hiking at 2 pm... and I would agree, it… was..  HOT!!!!!  

As I was hiking up the mountain, feeling like I was going to die from the heat,  I took as many opportunities possible to stop, breathe, and talk myself into keep going.  As people passed me I kept my eyes focused on the top and ignored any “hellos”- “good lucks” “almost there” comments.  I was exhausted and just wanted to get to the top.  I made it and had time to take in the beauty before going down.  As I hiked down, my attitude totally changed.  I was miss smiley, had conversations with others going up/down the mountain, and zoomed down the mountain with no need to stop and appreciate where I was.

Just as if we are going up a mountain, our walk with God can get tough, and at times we may consider giving up.  It is during those times that we should seek for contentment, allow others to encourage and support us.  Think back to the last time you were at a low.  You were feeling a lone, hurt, confused.. did you allow others in?  Did you allow yourself to take your eyes off the end point and take in where you were at, at that very moment?  Try it next time!  Let someone give you an encouraging pep talk, let yourself take in where you are at and learn from it. 

Romans 5: 3 We Rejoice in your suffering because we know that our sufferings produce perseverance, character and hope

As I went down the mountain and gained an entirely different attitude I stopped to think of my attitude when God blesses me.  For instance, little kisses from my nephews, weekly dinners with my family, roommates that encourage and show me love each day.  These are all gifts from God and at times I overlook them.  As you are given special blessings from above do you take it in?  Give Thanks to our creator who gave them to you?  Or do you come to a point were you just start to expect it?

1 Chronicles 16:8 Give praise to the Lord!  Proclaim His name; Make known among the nations what He has done.

So much for just a hike!!  Thanks God for the mini lessonJ

The unforseen trickery

This week I was overwhelmed with the attacks of the tricky Devil.  What amazes me most is that the previous week I was studying on how he is so sneaky, watches our every move, knows our weaknesses, can and will attack.  Even me preparing myself, I still missed him coming and allowed his trickery to overtake my words and actions.

So, here’s my reflection on this previous week, enjoy!!

Ephesians 6: 10-13

Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength.  Put on the full amor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the devil.  For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.  This is why you must take up the full amore of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

What is the one thing that gives you the most difficulty in life?

Would you narrow it down to people, your job, lack of security?  Paul tells us that the battle is against unseen spiritual powers. People, jobs, bosses are not our enemy, "Be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace."  We use hateful words, critical things, we tear somebody else down to build ourselves up as if we are in some kind of competition with one another. We forget we are on the same team. When we fight - we lose.  We are not to be each other’s enemy.. Our enemy is what controls the people and these negative situations NOT the people.

How to get out from these attacks- Gods word renews our mind.  His truth will help us in how we think, and help us in how we behave.  Which means we are dealing with a Truth struggle, not a power struggle.  So if we are abiding in truth we are standing firm and can resist the lies that are being told by Satan and the world (our flesh). 

Because Gods word (Truth) renews our mind, our actions and thoughts, it is Him who we need to go right to when being faced with our attacks.  I want to make it clear, as much as I wish I could say I do this, I do not do it every time and because of that, my actions are not always loving and my words are not always encouraging.  Bring your struggles, your pain, frustration to the Lord first and foremost.  Allow Him to bring you that needed comfort, that needed encouragement, that needed love and the needed TRUTH!

“He is on the move looking for ways to throw us off balance, to distract us from doing what we need to do so that we can be what God wants us to be.” (Tony Evans) Be on guard for the tricks that will be played and know that we have the choice, the choice to let Satan bring us down with him and play in his game as well as the choice to shut him out with the help of our Heavenly Father.

Am I Listening?

I'm back to blogging.. yay!!!!

So.. I re read my blogs from 10 months ago and to be honest, it upset me.  When rereading my blogs I saw a girl who was so passionately seeking only Christ in her life and for those around her to know and love Him.  She had total faith in her creator and was so content that she had no fret of what her future may look like.  She was in constant aww each day and moment giving complete thanks to her Heavenly Father.
Fast forward 10months, that same gal still LOvES the Lord, still acknowledges Him in every circumstance and still desires to bring glory to Him.  Yet, noticed she allowed herself to spend so much of her year in wonderment.. Spending more than enough prayer, reflection quiet time focusing on the future and not enough on what God has for her right now!
When contemplating my focus I turned to this passage and asked myself... Am I listening?
A Linen Belt
13 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.” 2 So I bought a belt, as the Lord directed, and put it around my waist.

3 Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time: 4 “Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks.” 5 So I went and hid it at Perath, as the Lord told me.

6 Many days later the Lord said to me, “Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there.” 7 So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.

8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them,  will be like this belt—completely useless! 11 For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor.  But they have not listened.

God bound Israel and Judah to Him to be His people for His renown and praise and honor. But they didn't listen. They followed their own heart and ran after other gods.
Guess what, how many years later is it and all too often God's people still aren't listening.
God has bound us to himself, to be his people, to bring praise and honor.  He has taken us, sinful, lost, people who deserve His wrath and He has bound us intimately to Himself. 
I think over the past few months I have forget too often, I start going off and thinking that I am my "own," that I have to have total control of my life.  But God has taken me (us) and God has attached me (us) to Him.
God didn't do it so that we could be our own, empowered people or so people could talk about us.  He didn't do it for people to praise us, or to say how wise, more sound than others,  passionate we are.  He did it so that we would be His people, so people would hear about Him. He did it for His praise, He did it for His honor!
My attitude.. our attitudes, should be like those who were rebuked for standing up for Jesus, who do not live for their own glory but for Jesus to be known and praised. 
Looking at the past few months, I've noticed that I have tried to hold onto myself and some ounce of ownership of my life.  Sadly, I do not feel as though I allowed myself to fully listen.   And God says that when His people are like that, He will ruin them and their pride. God will do what it takes to humble us. Even if that means ruining us so that we end up like that soiled ruined loincloth (gross). When we try to be independent, God humbles us.
Jeremiah 13  (9) He will ruin his people – (10)He will make us completely useless, if that's what it takes to get us humble before Him. He would rather us be humble than useful.
Will we listen to His instruction?!
Dear Father, for those of us who are suffering, may it draw us closer to you! May we find great thanks in this time and be in remembrance that we are your children, we are to be worked on for your good.  Discipline seems to bring so much discomfort, and pain, please help remind us that in this time you are building our character, our hope and our perseverance.  You are building us to be strong, loving ambassadors for You!!  I ask for peace and guidance.  Father, please use us for your glory and not for our own.  Please open our heart, our eyes, and ears to what it is that you want for us, that we can be in your Will, in your desires and not in our own.  Thank you Father for binding us to you, allowing us to bring praise and honor to your Great and Holy name.