Does the Jesus that comes out of your mouth also flow out of your spirit?

Went to the Mercy Me concert last night at the Clarksburg Amphitheater. It was a great show! Worship... Preaching... We had church! This was one of the treasures I snagged and was the first one I listened to. It is a great collection of worship songs.

I did have a startling thought last night while I worshiped. My seat was right next to my Supervisor (and friend) and all of a sudden I thought "I wonder if she is encouraged and not at all surprised by my worship or is she thinking I'm two-faced?"

Let me be clear... I do not preach one thing and live the exact opposite. But I also am aware that because she sees me every day she gets a front row seat to all sides of me. My reactions when I'm stressed, annoyed by people, in a bad mood, when I get caught up in gossip and mouthing about others. Does she see me as a Christian who still battles the flesh or does she see me as a hypocrite? What about everyone else who knows me? What do they see? Coworkers, friends, family....

Then I started to think how to combat that and fix the things I've already established. How do I reverse any of the "un-christian" things I've said or done? God said this... You can't, but you can pick up from now and make the next choice/word/action/thought good. Yes... that's exactly what I can do! What I will do! Be intentional & deliberate about what flows out of me and quick to repent when I need to.

Encouragement or Scapegoat?

Matthew 18:20
      For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

It was mentioned the other night at church that there wasn't many people in attendance. We thought there would be more... I heard someone in the congregation say "Where two or three". It instantly struck my spirit....

I am in no way trying to diminish this statement... it is very true that it doesn't matter how little or large the gathering is... God is always there!

BUT... how many times do we use this part of scripture to just settle for what the current count is? The current state of the church?

 I feel like it's gone from a statement of encouragement and comfort to a statement settling or a scapegoat.

Even though God loves to have just you and Him time... He longs for more people to express more love and worship. He wants us to grow His Kingdom. He wants us to go out and win souls and disciple and teach them to do the same.

Yes... God is always there even if it's just you... but He doesn't want it to stay that way.

What You See, Is What You Get

I heard a preacher say this phrase while preaching about Elijah & Elisha... "What you see, it what you get".

My brain took off with this and God really brought something out...

 Proverbs 29:18 says "Where there is no vision, the people perish..."

It's the same concept of sowing and reaping... What you believe for, what you pour yourself into, where your faith is pointed... that is what you will attain.

What do you see???
   Your marriage headed for divorce or restoration?
   Your death or your healing?
   Bankruptcy or financial overflow?
   Destruction or victory?
   Your family in hell or heaven?
   Closed church doors or making room for more?
   Failure or success?
  

The Bible says in Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit." YOU determine your destiny & your destination. God will lay out the path... God will open the doors... God will give you the blueprint... BUT what do you do with it? Do you step out? Do you follow what God is showing you? Do you take the stand to believe and do the work?

What do you see? What is your vision?

It's An Unfair Fight

.....for the enemy!

"The Devil's been really fighting {insert name here}"

I HATE HATE HATE that phrase!

When you think about it... For the born-again Christian who is serving God it's no different than me getting into a fist fight with my 1 year old godson and saying "Man, he has really been beating me up! I need help fending him off!".

That sounds absurd!

Now, if I just sat there and let him slap me around... yeah it would start to hurt, but even then not badly. But it's because I LET him. The minute I take control I easily overpower him because I am stronger than he is.

It's the same thing in the Christian/Spiritual realm. Satan only beats up on us because WE allow it to happen. We can easily and in an instant take control and he has no more power over us.

The only person who truly had to battle Satan was Jesus, and because He did we don't have to.

So... stop letting him!

Praying For Your {future} Spouse

I got tagged in a Facebook post this morning by my best friend saying we should start praying over our husband's every day and attached was a link to this page. It is a great template to follow to pray specifically over your husband. And I'm excited to do it! Then I got to wondering if there was one for husbands to use... I found one here!

A little later I saw a post on another friend's page about his "singleness" and I commented on it. He later on texted both my husband and I and I tried to encourage him in the waiting. That also got me thinking... This is also a great template for those who are waiting for God to send their spouse their way.

My husband and I are a perfect example of "in God's time". I had just ended a going-nowhere relationship with the desire to focus on God and He was a bachelor for many years with no intention of remarrying. God brought us together at the perfect time and we've literally had a Heaven on Earth marriage.

I want to encourage you to take an active role in praying for your spouse. You have the greatest influence and know better than anyone what their needs and desires are.

Singles - While you are praying for your future spouse, ask God how you can work in this current season. What can He use you to do right now that may not be possible once you are married. Each season of life comes with it's own responsibilities and priorities. Learn what you can do now and then as life changes, seek God for a new work to do.

Be A Missionary Every Day...

(CLAP)(CLAP)(CLAP)(CLAP)
Tell the world that Jesus is the way!
Be it any town or country or a busy avenue…
Africa or Asia, the task is up to you! So….
 
Be a missionary every day
(CLAP)(CLAP)(CLAP)(CLAP)
Tell the world that Jesus is the way!
The Lord is soon returning: there is no time to lose, so….
(CLAP), Be a missionary…(CLAP), God’s own emissary…
(CLAP) Be a missionary today!

LET'S GO!


We sang this song in Sunday School as kids. One of those upbeat, group participation songs that everyone borderline yelled. Oh the memories :)

As I think about my sweet friends the Shafer's and how they packed up everything and moved their family to Peru to work and be missionaries I feel a twinge of jealousy. I want to do that. I want to be used big (in my opinion) to build the Kingdom! I've wanted to work in Peru since I was a little girl. I don't know why Peru, but that's where I wanted to go. I was praying and God spoke very clearly to me... "Work as a missionary where you are called now". So as I thought about how to do that I thought I would make a list in case anyone else has wondered the same thing...

•Pass out fliers with your church service times and directions on it

•Make a "Blessing Bag" to have at the ready
     There are several routes you can take here... homeless, elderly, new mom, etc...

•Work with your church to organize outreaches

•Give expecting nothing in return
     Buy a restaurant/retail gift card and leave it for a neighbor/friend/co-worker/stranger

•Take up donations for your church's or city's food pantry

 •Pray for...
     Your Neighborhood
     Your City
     Your County
     Your State
     The area your church is in
   
•When someone you know asks for prayer for a need, pray right then with them!

•Keep different cards on hand to mail out for a sickness, birthday, thinking of you occasion.

•Don't say "If you need help, let me know". Instead say... "What do you need help with?".


If you have anymore ideas... feel free to share!

The Love of Christ

The love of God is greater far
  Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
  And reaches to the lowest hell.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
    The saints’ and angels’ song.


   This old hymn was written by Frederick Martin Lehman. It's a beautiful song. I encourage you to click here to listen!.

   God has been dealing with me A LOT lately about showing the love of Christ to EVERYONE! Teaching me that part of worship (which I'm passionate about) is living out the love of Christ in my daily life. Anything from a smile to spending my time and money. People express and receive love in so many ways. You never know if just a "hello" will brighten up someone's day.

   Oh to express the same type of love God has displayed to me! That is the challenge God has given to me in this season of life... show HIS love to people every day. It's not always about preaching His Word. Revelation 12:11 says "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.". We need to LIVE the Word, not just SPEAK the Word.

   THAT is how we win lost souls to Christ!

Are you a safe place?

Proverbs 31:11 & 12
    The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

This scripture has been in the forefront of my heart for several weeks now. God keeps expounding on it to me. Generally, people view this scripture in the context of fidelity. He knows he can trust her with his heart and that she will be faithful to him. 

God has been showing me so many different applications to this simple little section of the Bible. 

Do I do my husband good in my housekeeping?

Do I do my husband good in my cooking (homemade and healthy)?

Do I do my husband good in my speech of and to him?

Do I do my husband good in my submission to him?

There are so many aspects of marriage that I need to think about and remember... "{Fill in the blank} will honor my husband."

Would your sweetie be surprised to come home to a clean house and dinner on the table? Sadly... there are some weeks that mine would.

Pray about how you can improve in different areas. And also remember... each wife, each husband, each marriage is different. What works for one home may not work for another home. My advice... speak to your husband. Ask him what he would like to see. You might be surprised by the answer.

Quiet Time

I've had it come up in my life a lot lately about spending intentional quiet time with God. Preaching, devotions, blog posts (like Amanda Carroll's), a husband's nudging... reminding me to not get so caught up in life, social media, nothingness and forget/not have time for God.

I'm making an intentional choice to remove myself from social media for a while. Not delete any accounts, just not waste my time there when I can feel my time with God lacking and desperately need to connect deeply with my Friend.

I feel there is so much He wants to do for me and through me. I feel He's asking things of me that I'm not quite able to yield to Him. He's wanting to use me in a specifically mighty way and I'm limiting all of that because I'm not pursuing Him like I should.

Keep me in prayer while I seek after God and dive into a deeper relationship with Him.

Bless Your Spouse

I don't tell my husband often enough just how much he means to me. I tell him I love him all the time, but rarely do I tell him why. I felt today was a good day to blow up his phone with "why" texts. This is the message I get back...

I'm literally speechless... You're the best... You have blessed me so much

That last one choked me up... I've blessed him. I never thought of it that way before. I knew he enjoyed getting these little spurts of texts, but that it makes him feel blessed is something I didn't consider.

I looked up what "bless" means... It means to glorify, honor, exalt, magnify.

I HONORED him, I EXALTED him.

I encourage you to bless your spouse today. Tell them why you love them. Like I said in my Facebook post the other day... Give them your best, and this is one way to do that.

Another's point of view

I am always praying for patience with people. To show them more compassion. To be kind and listen to people.

I fail at it daily.

I feel I fail so miserably that I can never be what/how I want to be.

Then God sends words my way to encourage me that even though I still have some things to work on, I have grown.

My dearest friend says to me yesterday "You are so good at keeping quiet and praying through your emotions when someone confronts you or upsets you or has news you don't want to hear. How do you stay calm and collected? Have you always been this way?".

I chuckled. I don't see myself that way AT ALL.

I see an impatient, judgmental, harsh person. I don't feel calm. I started thinking back. No, I haven't always been like this. I used to be snippy, back-talk and sarcastic. I would wear my thoughts all over my face and if I didn't like you or what was being said it would show. I would say that I've been better at holding my tongue and thinking through my words more in the last 6 years. That is how long I've really given my life back to Christ and pursued a serious relationship with Him.

How do I do it? I have no idea and at the same time I know exactly how!
    It certainly isn't me. My flesh is impatient. My flesh is mean. My flesh only wants to deal with people I like. BUT, the God in me is beyond patient. The God in me is compassionate. The God in me loves EVERYONE.

I still have to fight the flesh and let the God in me show, but as I grow with Christ and seek Him and His ways it becomes easier and easier.

I've prayed a lot lately to be better and God used my sweet friend to remind I am getting better because He is making me better. She looked to me for advice and she in turn, without even knowing it, encouraged me :)

Heart for Souls

I am in the middle of "Kisses From Katie", a book about a young woman who ventured out on a year long mission's trip after high school that has turned into her life's work. I just visited Katie's blog and read some of the most recent postings.

I'm wrecked.

This woman's heart is amazing. She's following the call God has placed in her and she's daily living out the love of Christ to those most deem unworthy.

I'm seeking God. Desiring a heart like that. Asking God to work in my spirit a love that sees past dirty clothes, unbathed bodies, people who "aren't like me".

I think about my dear friends the Shafer's who, at this moment I'm writing, are with another couple, the Flanary's doing missionary work in Peru. Their heart for souls is one I envy. I can't get passed my own pride to see more then what my natural eyes view.

My heart is changing, though. A little at a time. My prayers for the Shafer's and Flanary's and now my prayers for Katie and her work feel more urgent. Asking God how I can help.

Will I ever go to another country to do ministry work? I don't know.

Right now, my mission field is right here... my apartment building, my workplace, my local Wal-Mart, my city park, my neighborhood, the community my church is in... that is where I need to work NOW.

God, change my heart to be more like Your heart. Help me to see souls. Help me to view people with the love and compassion You daily show to me. I seek to further Your Kingdom. 

Beauty In The Mess

Here in WV we just had another round of snow come through. It was a doozey! My Mr. and I went to Walmart the evening after it came through. A wet heavy snow laid on everything. Limbs were weighed down, roads were covered, power was out in places. It looked grim and messy. The next morning my Mr. took me to work. It was a sunny-blue sky day. The contrast of the bright white snow against the gleaming blue sky was gorgeous! See....

The first photo is one I took on my way to work. The second and third are ones that a friend posted (next town over).

It got me thinking. Everyone always complains about how ugly, messy, inconvenient the winter storms are, but we usually don't take time to appreciate and notice the beauty.

What a shame it would be if God did the same thing with us! Instead of stopping to bask in how beautiful we are, He just complains about how much of a mess we make of things. I'm thankful that God sees the beauty in me and not mess.

"Judge Not"

For those who know me, it is no secret that I am a fan of the Duggar Family. For that reason, I follow some of their social media and because of that I am aware and read this post by Jessa (Duggar) Seewald. She does an awesome job of laying it out about Biblical judgment and God actually means. I tell ya, this girl got at it!

I'm proud of her. So many Christians sugar coat and tip-toe around this and other not so popular topics. They preach love and tolerance. I agree we should love everything as Christ does, but when you love someone don't you want them to know about how to be saved from an eternal torment???

Kudos to Jessa for speaking up and not backing down from what the Bible has to say even when it causes backlash and shouts of hates. She gets a big Amen from me!!!

Embracing Womanhood

I heard a piece of Patricia Arquett's Oscar acceptance speech shouting for women equality and rights and of course it got cheers and "you go girl" responses from the audience. I understand women want the same opportunities as men. Want the same pay as men. Want to be treated with the same respect and I'm all for that, but I am worried that women will start embracing the workforce role more and more and neglect or do away with altogether the role of a wife and mother.

To me, it is saying that being a homemaker, being the nurturer and energy of the home isn't something to desire. That keeping the home welcoming and warm, having dinner ready when your husband gets home, making sure there are clean socks... they are worthless duties. They make you less of a woman.

I have been married for just over 6 years and not once have I felt trampled on or beneath my husband because I "just" cook and clean. Yes, I work outside the home, but my desire is to be a stay at home mother when that time comes. Nothing makes me feel more like a woman than when my home is cozy, when I make my husband's dinner plate and bring it to him (although he doesn't expect or demand it), when I have a clean kitchen, when I stand at the stove cooking. I find my identity in what my husband thinks of me not how high I've climbed on the corporate ladder.

Let me clear this up... I don't think any less of any woman who strives for the best in her career. I just wish that it wouldn't appear that you have to be "Woman Hear Me Roar" in order to be something important. I want woman to know that one role is not better or more valuable than the other. Whether you sit at a desk with stacks of paperwork or in a rocking chair holding your napping baby, you have value and you are a powerful woman! Whatever stage you are in, embrace being a woman in it. Be strong, be gentle, be a force to be reckoned with at work, be a boo-boo kisser at home, be a powerhouse, be feminine. Be what God has called you to be and nothing less!

Let Me Tell You What God Says...

   I have been thinking and praying on this for over two weeks now. I have debated on whether to even approach this topic because it is a cause of borderline arguments among denominations. God has continued to deal with me about it and I feel compelled to explain to you and show you scripture what God says about "losing" your salvation.
   No one has ever asked me personally "show me scriptures to back up your doctrine. Tell me what God says". Honestly, I don't think anyone would let me get it all out without arguing. I know, I was one of those people. This is a chance for God to speak through me without interruption. An opportunity for God to get HIS Word in without pause. I want to come at this from a Q&A angle. I grew up believing once saved always saved and now from studying the Word I believe Truth and I'm secure in that.


First let me say this... we don't actually believe you can loose it as in misplace it, the better word is forfeit it.

So then you believe that you are saved through works?
   No. The Bible is very clear that we aren't save through works but by the grace of God through faith in the Work that only Jesus could do. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8 & 9.

   There is a difference between obtaining salvation and maintaining salvation. Neither of these can we do apart from God. I can not live the life of a sold-out Christian completely devoted to God and His Kingdom without HIM. The Bible does says over and over again that we must "continue" "maintain" or "abound" in good works and "endure" to enter Heaven (Mark 13:13, John 8:31-35, Romans 11:21-23, Titus 3:3-11). The Bible also says, how can we escape hell if we "neglect" our salvation (Hebrews 2:2-3) and that if we overcome (you can't overcome something until that something is over, and in this case... human life) that we will be rewarded with Heaven (Revelation 2:7 & 3:5).

Hypothetically, you have a bout of road rage and curse the other drivers and then get in an accident and die... you are saying you'll go to hell?

   Nope. There is a difference between committing a sin and sinning (living in sin). Sinners can not enter heaven (Revelation 27:21, Matthew 7:21, II Peter 1:1-11) and a sinner by definition is "one that sins" (merriam-webster.com). That is in a present continuous sense. Sinning comes from an unrepentant heart. If I were to smoke a cigarette, that won't "send me to hell" but if I do not repent of that sin and turn away from it, it could (not necessarily will) lead me to start drinking which could lead to fornication and presently/continuously doing that is living in sin and will merit hell.

But the Bible says "no man can pluck me from the Father's hand" (John 10:28-29)

   That is truth. No man can remove us from God and likewise God can not/will not remove us. He will never forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5). BUT, God is a gentle God and He holds us in His hand, not a clenched fist. Just like God didn't snatch us up in the first place, we freely walked into His open hand and we can freely walk out of it. Free will works both ways. If we have free will to come to Him, we also have free will to leave Him. Why any would want to is beyond me, but if once we are saved we are always saved then that does away with free will and that makes God a liar and a liar He is not.

Aren't you scared you won't make it to heaven?

   Are you? I'm secure in my salvation that if I obey what the Bible says about continuing in the faith, maintaining my salvation and abounding in "good works" I'm promised Heaven. I am aware that if I were to fall back into sin there is nothing God can do for me except offer forgiveness and restoration just like someone coming to Him for the first time. Again, God is not unfair. He will take me back any time I ask Him.

   There are so many misconceptions about exactly HOW we believe and after hearing the comment made " I don't want to be living scared 'If I die right now will I go to heaven or hell. Oh I just don't know' " God started working on me to not keep quiet. I felt it was said in a mocking way and it saddened me that this person and so many others actually don't know "we" don't live with that fear. I pray this is met with an open mind and not shouts of "you're wrong" without actually looking into the Bible. This change that I made was not instant. God started bringing people into my life at the age of 16 to share with me this truth and it wasn't until I was 23 that I finally allowed GOD to show me what He says not what man says He says.

   I'm not saying if you believe "once saved always saved" you are going to hell, I'm saying if you believe that and still live as worldly as the worst sinner than you might want to check with God on that point. If you are saved by grace believing in what Jesus did on the cross than you are saved! 

   The moment ANYONE asks for forgiveness and repents they are immediately saved. 
 Romans 10:9&10 says "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." It's how you live after that that matters just as much as believing. 

Marriage Musing

As I sit here on the couch typing, my husband is stretched across the couch with his feet in my lap. He literally fell asleep within mere seconds of laying down and saying "do you mind if I put my feet there?".

Oh how I love this man!

He has quirks that make me roll my eyes at times and I'm sure I have quirks that merit the same response. The thing is, I love my Mr. quirks included. He is truly more than I prayed for.

I think about what the Bible says a husband is to be...
    He is to love his wife to the point of sacrifice (as Christ loved the church) - Ephesians 5:25
    He is to treat his wife like a priceless heirloom - I Peter 3:7
    He is to be pleasant with her - Colossians 3:19
    He is to lead his family - Ephesians 5:23
    He is to come to her and be her family - Genesis 2:24
    He is to give his body to her - I Corinthians 7:3-6

Then I think about what the Bible says the wife is to be...
    She is to submit to her own husband - Ephesians 5:22-23
    She is to come to him and be his family - Genesis 2:24
    She is to work for her family (no matter the size), care for her home, give honor to
       her husband, be wise in finances of the home, etc - Proverbs 31:10-31
    She is to be pleasant with him - Proverbs 21: 9 & Proverbs 25:24
    She is to give her body to him - I Corinthians 7:3-6

I am not this awesome Biblical wife all of the time. Most days I may only nail one of these traits, if that! But at the end of the day I know I've done well because my husband is pleased with me, and I with him. He tells me I'm a good wife not because of my housekeeping (it could use some work), not because I make tons of money, but because I love him, I honor him and I'm faithful to him and our marriage.

I pray my marriage is one people can look to and think "I want a marriage like that". I know 6 years seems like a drop in the bucket for some but for me 6 years is most of my adult life. In this day 6 years is an accomplishment and I'm proud of that. After 6 years of marriage we still hate being apart, we hold hands even sitting on the couch watching TV, when he winks at me I get butterflies. He is my love, my protector and my best friend.

Mark 16 "with signs following"

I read this quote the other day on Facebook...

“There is nothing that our God cannot do. He will do everything if you will dare to believe.”   - Smith Wigglesworth, Ever Increasing Faith

 I know very little about this great man of God. I do know he was a man of great faith, he was used by God to raise the dead (one being his own wife). So, I thought I'd look into who this man was. As I was reading some exerts from an interview with him I find this...

"...from time to time when reading the Acts of the Apostles I always saw that the signs were not following as I am led to believe ought to be after a real Pentecost, according to Mark xvi. The desire more and more increased in my very inner soul, giving me a holy breathing cry..."

He is referring to this...
   Mark 16:17 (KJV)
     "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;"
   Mark 16:20 (KJV)
     "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen."
  


 It struck me that he was just as stupefied that they weren't seeing miracles and signs then as I am that we don't see them now. If people say they are baptized in the Holy Ghost and they believe that God can, then why don't we work in the gifts of healing and miracles? Why don't I?????? There are several reasons why we don't see this. Some don't believe that God works like that anymore. Some think it should be as easy as just believing. Some think they deserve whatever is against them. The list could go on. Instead of wondering why not, I need to focus on what I need to do to have God use me in the gifts. I urge you to do the same!

I plan on reading some of Smith Wigglesworth's sermons. Diving into the Bible. Seeking God. I leave you with some of Smith's famous quotes... I pray you are encouraged and challenged!

“In me is working a power stronger than every other power. The life that is in me is a thousand times bigger than I am outside.” 

“It is better to live ready than to get ready!”

“There is nothing impossible with God. All the impossibility is with us when we measure God by the limitations of our unbelief.”  

“You are in the right position when you allow the glory of the new life to cause you to act. Live in the Acts of the Apostles, and every day you will see some miracle worked by the power of the living God.”

Worship Not Routine

I was thinking today about church. About what church is. About how a church {service} should be. We moved out of our church that we served in together for 6 years to help work in a brand new church very dear friends of ours started.

First we met under a tent, then as the weather got cold we met in the Pastor's living room. In October a church in the community who only met on Sunday mornings offered to let us use their building when they weren't having services.

I grew up in a traditional church setting. There was a basement with Sunday School rooms, there was an auditorium with pianos and people who knew how to play them, there was a choir loft. Same with the church I went to in college and the same with the church I attended after marrying Todd.

Then everything changed. I went from all that I knew of how church should be outwardly to being under a tent with a small sound system. No piano and an occasional guitar player. A dog that would help himself into service that we would have to usher back out. The kids just wanting to play because of course we're outside.

My head had to unwrap from around all I ever knew about church and how it should be. Get rid of my preconceived ideas and everything I knew and let God teach me about HIS church not my idea of church.

We have Sunday School at 5pm on Sunday evenings and then church hour at 6pm. Our midweek service is on Thursdays. We still have the same small sound system. We have two men that can play guitar... our pastor (who will stop in the middle of a song if someone would like prayed for {of course that comes first}) and another man who comes when he's able to get off work in time. We have no piano player.

Even though the routine of church is nothing like I'm used to and I've struggled at times over the last four months to actually worship God because "it doesn't feel like church", God has been teaching me tremendous things about what church is.

Mainly.... its not a routine, its not in how many musicians you have on stage, its not about what time you do what.... Its about gathering together and worshiping God... Below are a few scriptures that have helped me open my mind about how to embrace church, not routine....


Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭25‬)

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. (‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬)

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭20‬)

One Word: Fruitful

There is this "thing" going around to encourage you not to just make a list of resolutions, but to pick One Word (see my original post about it here). Like the post says I pick a word then it kinda dwindles as the year progresses. I was doing my Bible study this morning about God being El Shaddai (God Almighty; All Supplying) and the scripture references for it included the words "be fruitful and multiply". I start meditating on the word "fruitful"

To be fruitful means "fertile, producing good or helpful results; productive"

Of course, I'm all over that word because I'm expecting to have Jeremiah Ryan in my arms before 2015 is over, but I quickly started a thought process going (I have that a lot).

There are so many things I need to be fruitful in... Finances, homemaking, my job, my health, the Kingdom.

So, as I've done in years past... I'm choosing a word, praying over that word, finding scriptures that compliment not only the fruitful, but also that is specific to areas I want to be fruitful in.

This is going to be a fruitful year!