Category Archives: Personal Growth

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I grew up in a family that went to church every Sunday but really had no true idea of who God and Jesus was.  Depending on the particular church, (We moved around a lot.) He was an observer of my actions, hellfire and brimstone, always there….I know now He was there because there seemed to always be something missing in my life.  After I met and married Ray God made himself visible to me.  Ray led me to affirmation of faith and baptism.  I have never doubted that he wants me to have a relationship with my Lord that is greater than what I have with him.  The plan of our lives is God first, spouse next, and anything after that comes after that.  There is no better way to enjoy the purity and sanctity of marriage without having God in the primary relationship position.

Exodus 20:3 tells us we are to have no other gods.  Unless we keep sight of the fact that God is God and we (or our spouse) are not we will not be able to build the relationship that God wants.  Keeping God first and knowing He will ‘grow’ our marriage relationship allows us, as a couple, to recognize what is most important in our earthly lives.  He loves us, He cares for us, He wants what is best for us.  Once we recognize that it is much easier to be the helpers, lovers, and friends God intended both relationships will grow and flourish.

Heavenly Father, thank You for creating marriage.  Grant us the ability to see You in our coupleness.  Let us model to the world around us the joy of making You first.  Help us learn to forgive one another with love and grace.  Let the sanctity of marriage show through us.  Make it so!

Walking With Him

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This morning this was in my Facebook feed and gave me cause to think…Do I ask God to guide me then do nothing?  Way to often.  How shall I change that?

In Prayer – – Father You alone are the true Guide of my life.  Give me the supernatural ability to follow through with what You want of me. 

In Song – – “I have decided to follow Jesus: No turning back.”  “All to Jesus I Surrender, all to Him I Freely Give” “I’ll Tell the World That I’m a Christian”  “Set My Soul Afire, Lord”

In the Word – – The Great Commission – Matthew 28:16-20,  Being fishers of men – Luke 5:1-11,  Proclaiming the Word – Romans 1:15-17

Heavenly Father, King of All Creation, Master of my life,  I am willing to move my feet just help me know where to move to. Amen and make it so.

God is So Good

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The birds are singing, the grass is growing, there are buds on the trees, the sun is shining and in 6 days it will be spring according to the calendar.  God gives us this reminder every year…winter is a cold, dark, waiting time for life to reappear in the spring.

This winter has been a great time of rest and reflection for me.  I was drifting and needed to refocus on what really matters to me.  Daily time with God in prayer, Bible reading, study, and contemplation matters to me.  Time to make decisions on where He is leading me.  Joy in warm blankets, kitties on my lap, really good books, talking with Ray, and planning for spring.

So now what will Spring bring.  First of all great celebration as we have been married for 40 years.  (I tell everyone I was a child bride…) Then, I will be getting to know my brother, whom I just met for the first time in my life about 3 weeks ago, and my new sister whom I will meet for the first time this summer.  (I also have two sisters that I grew up with.)  Perhaps a cruise or some time in the mountains with the man who has kept me laughing and in love for 44 years. 

God is so good!  He has given me so much, so many blessings and miracles.  How can one not believe that HE IS?  I don’t know.  I do know this, without Him in my life I would be nothing, could do nothing, and would be going nowhere.

I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.  Psalm 146:2

Shout for joy to the LORD; all the earth.  Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.  Know that the LORD is God.  It is He who made us and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.        Psalm 100:1-2

Heavenly Father, King of all Creation, You are my God.  You give me all I need and bless me with mercy and miracles.  You know my sins and forgive me.  You know my enemies and protect me from them.   I give You all my praise and honor and lift this prayer to the throne in the Precious Name of Jesus…Hallelujah!!!

Personally His

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 As humans we tend to be groupies.  Everything is more acceptable in a group.  Conformity is part of the human condition.  Our thoughts begin to change when we come to the realization that we are personally acceptable and accountable to God.  We worship in groups but often find it difficult to worship alone.  We pray in groups but may experience some anxiety when asked to be the leading voice.  We believe that Jesus died for us as a group of sinners but find it difficult to believe that we sin personally.  I believe if I were the only person on earth Jesus would have still died for just me.

When we read John 3:16-17 we group ourselves as part of the world (and we are).  Look at John 3:18.  The ‘voice’ changes and becomes more personal, saying  ‘whoever…’  At this point it becomes a very personal choice.  Either I believe and reap the blessings of personal belief or I deny and am condemned.

David, a man after God’s own heart, had more than a bit to say in his writings about a personal relationship with God. Look at Psalm 40:1-3. 

I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry.     David had it figured out.  He knew the Lord personally and with that knew He would answer.   Verses 2 and 3 tell us what God did for him.  The end of verse 3 gives us reason to rejoice.  David knew he wasn’t the only one but many more individual believers would see that God insures our safety personally.  The Message says this so well.  More and more people are seeing this: they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God.

Oh, how He loves you and me!

Heavenly Father, give us the desire and courage to abandon ourselves personally to You.  Help us know and understand Your personal love for each of us.  Let us go and tell others they can have the same thing.  Send Your blessing on us.  I lift this prayer in the Precious Name of Jesus.  Make it so!

Award Season

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What a surprise.  I was recently awarded the ABC Award.  This particular award recognizes the many blogs who create a positive atmosphere in their content.  It is named this because one of the requirements is to alphabetically name those positive things/people/thoughts etc. that define one as a person.  As I thought about it I decided to use some of my favorite hymns to honor the One Defining Person in my life.  (Posted in a previous blog.) It has been my desire and mission to follow Matthew 28:19-20.  To go and teach.  If in that mission I reach just one through my blog or my teaching or my life then I have honored my Jesus and that is what really matters.

The other requirement is to pass the award forward.  These are blogs that inspire me and keep me aware of the many around the world who are “not ashamed of the gospel”.  I grow from them and am blessed by them.

http://awomanforhim.wordpress.com

http://biblelovenotes.blogspot.com

http://365devotions.blogspot.com

http://myhmmmcollection.wordpress.com

http://beautyandspice.wordpress.com

http://hallelujahanyhow.blogspot.com

http://mydailywalkinhisgrace.blogspot.com

What a difference you have made for me.  Pass it on.

As I lift this prayer in the Name of Jesus I give you praise for the many people You have placed in my path to remind me of who You are and of Whose I am.  I ask You to bless them and enlarge all our territories for You.   Amen and Make It So!