Who is Master of Your Manor?

Psalm 91:9-10
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

I read a lot of Victorian literature. Mainly because I was forced into it by the requirements put on me from school. However, I remember I took some electives also. One thing that popped out as I read Victorian novels was that every house had a "master" and the oldest son would also be called master by the servants. I kept thinking how dreadful to give a child so much power to trip over. Then a few weeks ago I watched a movie Faith Like Potatoes. The main character was not always a good man. When he dishonored God by treating his workers wrong God did not bless him. However, his life turned around and his workers began to call him "master". He was always good to them making sure they were safe and protected. That is how God wants us to be in our homes. He gives us the reign in our home but if we honor Him, He will bless us. Not only our homes but our bodies as well. If we honor God with our whole lives God will bless us. He is our Master but we are His children and He has given us authority as well.
Many of us women get a little "antsy" when we hear the word "submitting". Our deep lineage back to Eve has made us "helpmates" not "heads". The bible says in Genesis that we can not be head of our home. Our husbands will be the head of our home. Isaiah 54 says that "God is our husband". So when we are single, God is the only husband we have. When we are married, our earthly husband is the "spiritual" head of our house. That is why it is so important to choose your husband wisely. We want someone who will be a master over our house like God. We want someone who will honor God so that our home will be blessed. However, we too are required to make sure that our house runs the right way and that our children are raised to honor and obey God. Submitting isn't such a bad thing when our prize is so great. God honors us when we honor Him. If we seek Him, He will protect us and love us.

Is your home in the hands of the Master?

1 Samuel 2:30
30“Therefore, the Lord God of Israel declares: I certainly thought that your family and your father’s family would always live in my presence.

“But now the Lord declares: I promise that I will honor those who honor me, and those who despise me will be considered insignificant.

Esther: Stand Up Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Psalm 91:7-8
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

Continuing on Psalm 91 our woman of the week is Esther. When I saw this scripture I thought of verse 8 where it said "punishment of the wicked". Let's recap Esther for those of you who aren't so familiar. Esther was a Hebrew named Haddassah, but her uncle gave her the Babylonian name Esther so that she would be selected by the king to be his wife. Her uncle knew that God had a great calling in her life. Esther was like you and me, she was probably afraid of being used so much by God because she was not used to it. She went from a child who was raised by a man to becoming a woman who was born to be a heroin. It's a great responsibility! I am sure she had her doubts.

Don't we all have doubts at times? I know God has a strong calling in my life to be a teacher. I know He has a calling in my life to help others. When I got up in front of this first grade classroom this semester for student teaching I freaked. I kept thinking maybe God doesn't want to use me like this I'm amongst the Babylonians and I'm all for God. I don't think I fit in what's going on here? Well, perhaps sometimes it's not about fitting in. Perhaps sometimes God takes us out of our comfort zone so that He can do something AMAZING with us.

So Esther gets chosen by the king to be his wife. Esther sees her people being slaughtered by one of the kings men and knows she has to do something but is afraid to make a move. So what does her uncle tell her?

"For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14)

For such a time as this? We are facing a world full of liberalism that is desensitized to sin. One by one we watch our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ slip away into the world getting caught up in the weeds. We need to take a stand and speak up. Reach out even if it means being fired or loosing a friend. We need to tell people the truth! We are children of God and we need to start a revival!

2 Corinthians 5:20
So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!"

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Psalm 91:5-6
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

When I was a little girl I always would sit up awake at night and imagine shadows that lurked. Since my early childhood I was aware of the forces of evil and this scared me. I didn't want to think that there were demons waiting to devour me... I didn't know it only meant devour my soul. This caused my prayer life to be very abundant from a young child on. I prayed to God to protect me I released my fears to Him, and HEY! I am still here whattaya know? So, whatever your fear is whether it is relationships, boogiemen, spiders... just realize that God is bigger than the shadows. He already overcame Satan. We don't have to stand for it! and GET PRAYING!

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Birds of a Feather

Psalm 91:3-4
Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

A while ago an old friend of mine when to the gulf of Mexico to help with the oil spill. The pictures they took showed the birds on the posts and the oil all around them. They found refuge on the strong tower.
In a Sunday school class one year our pastor's wife read a story about a mother hen. There was a great fire and the mother hen didn't fly around and go crazy. The mother hen instead tucked her baby hens under her wings. The fire blazed and the firemen eventually put it back. When they picked up the corpse of the mother hen the babies were safe and alive.

God is our protector He even came from Heaven to earth as Jesus in order to die for us so that we would not have to face death. God loves us and He will never fly away from us during a time of trouble. He will always smother us with unfailing unconditional love and keep us safe.

I love this following scripture because whenever I am afraid or worried I remember God cares for the little birds. He protects them and provides for them. He will protect us and provide for us!

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?

My Strong Tower!

Psalm 91:1-2
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

Today we are beginning Psalm 91. We just ended Psalms 139 taking it two verses at a time and going into real life with it. Today our verses are about God as our shelter and our fortress. It talks about how we can find rest in God. I don't know about "you" but "I" can use some rest. When kings would build kingdoms they would often put big giant walls around the kingdom so that people could rest secured in their own homes. Even today the Great Wall of China still stands a wall big enough to keep China's enemies out... and it stretched for miles. Now that is a lot of protection! However, no matter how "great" China's wall is God can protect us even better. God reaches over our lives everyday to protect us from many things so we can rest in His peace. Sometimes God even tares down walls so that we can live in peace. Nevertheless, we can put our trust in Him to do whatever He needs to do to keep us safe. Think about walls today... do we need God to put up a wall in our life? Do you need to realize that God is your protector and ask Him to put a wall against something harming you in your life? Or perhaps you need Him to tear down a wall that you placed there yourself. He is willing to do whatever it takes to make you safe.

Proverbs 18:10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.

The Heart of the Matter

Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Have you ever performed a virus scan on your computer? If a virus gets into your computer it can be very deadly for your computer. That is the way our hearts are. Anything that is unhealthy to our spiritual walk can also cause our lights to dim. That's why it's important for us to install our virus protection Jesus Christ into our lives. To keep updated on His word. To guard our hearts! God will point out if anything offends us even if He steps on our toes in the process. I have sat through sermons before getting pretty frustrated at the pastor because I was pretty convicted on what He was preaching on. However, I realize now that it was God and He wanted me to get my heart right. God's word is our best defense for catching any spiritual virus that may begin to attack us. The bible says that God's word have I hid in my heart so I may not sin against Thee. It's important to stay in God's word and to know it well so we know know how to be healthy. God's word is not to make us not have fun... it's to keep us safe. If you've ever had a computer virus you know that it likes to spread around. Our hearts are the same. If we don't keep protecting our hearts and if we allow bad things to enter in then they will come out eventually and it wont be pretty. So stay in God's word and remember to keep your Spiritual virus protection updated!
Luke 6:45
A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

Anger is Not the Answer

Psalm 139:21-22
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

Anger is not a healthy thing. It destroys us more than it destroys the people that we are angry at. In the bible people's anger has always led to destruction and mostly of themselves. Moses was angry at the slave driver for the way he treated the Hebrew slave so he killed him. Then Moses had to deal with the blood on his hands for the rest of his life. Moses to this day will never gain full honor because he dishonored God's commandment "thou shalt not murder". When we get angry we are not allowing God to control us. We let our anger control us and that allows Satan to sneak in. Have you ever gotten angry and said something that you still to this day regret saying? I know I have. When I've gotten angry in the past I didn't let God control my words that came out of my mouth. Instead I let my emotions run away and hurt someone. I had to seek forgiveness from those people afterward and it wasn't easy. Proverbs is full of scriptures about how anger can affect us as well as others. Proverbs 14 says, “People with a hot temper do foolish things; wiser people remain calm.” “If you stay calm, you are wise, but if you have a hot temper, you only show how stupid you are.” (17,29). It's true when I start screaming at someone because I'm angry I really say stupid things, things that I don't even mean. I make myself look foolish and really the person I am hurting the most is myself. We need to think like God wants us to and let Him control our thoughts. Yes, people out there will get you angry... and most of them for good reasons. Just remember that justice is in the hands of God. In the right season you will reap your harvest and they will reap theirs. So pray for them and perhaps their bitter fruit will turn sweet.

Ephesians 4:31-32 - Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Deborah Prophetess and Judge

Psalms 139:19-20
19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!
Get out of my life, you murderers!
20 They blaspheme you;
your enemies misuse your name.

If you read the book of Judges we learn that Deborah was a woman but she was also appointed by God and Israel to be a judge. Deborah was a judge at a time of great distress when people gave up caring about morals. "In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was proper in his own eyes." Judges 17:6; 21:25 Deborah often had to give godly advice about things and not let her personal judgment get in the way. It wasn't always easy to tell a man what God has told her. In Judges 4:6-8 we read about how God told Deborah to tell Barak to fight against Jabin's army. Deborah even said that God would deliver the enemy into Barak's hands. However, Barak didn't trust God and said that he would only go if Deborah went with him. Therefore the battle was won at the hands of a woman. Later in Judges chapter 5 Deborah even tells the Israelites that God has allowed their enemies to overcome them because they were not focusing on God.

To be in a position of judge is a very hard thing. However, to be required to relay messages to many people from God is another very hard thing. If we were judge wouldn't we want to destroy the wicked and anyone who went against the word of God. In society today many of us forget that we are not judges. Christians judge other Christians and even non-believers. Our world has once again fallen into immorality with homosexuality and abortion as only two of many forms or immorality. However, it is still not our place to judge. God is the only one who can judge these people. If you remember from reading Judges, Deborah didn't make decisions on her own, she carried out orders from God! God commands us to love our neighbors... even our enemies. He says to bless those who persecute us. He also reminds us to remember that even those living in immorality deserve the Love of God. We were once stuck in the miry clay too people. It's very hard not to be judgmental Christians but we need to remember to stay focused on God and just be a messenger of His love and His truth.

James 4:12
12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

How Thoughtful!

Psalm 139:17-18
17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!

Who even cares enough to count the grains of sand when they are surrounded by it? To think that God thinks about us that much, isn't it a bit overwhelming? Just think about how often we think of Him. How often do we let our thoughts of the world and the worries of life sideline our thoughts toward God? I think I've spent most of my time thinking about my future. I've always been the one who had to have it all laid out in concrete. Then God would come along with His crane machine and remind me that He is my one "true" foundation. We need to keep kicking ourselves to remind ourselves that our thoughts are toward the Lord. As many of you know I "hate" television, but you want to know why? Because when those commercials come on it is very difficult to control my thoughts. While I work out at the gym they have televisions on and my thoughts aren't turned toward possitive things anymore. They swarm you with ads for junk food and sweets as well as ads that make you feel like you aren't beautiful enough. I really have to catch myself and remember WHAT I am going to the gym for. I want to be healthy! Why? Not because society is telling me I need to be a size 0 for a guy to like me, but because I like to feel great. Our bodies our the temple of the Holy Spirit. On the playlist for this website there is a song that is called "Garbage In". I really like that song because it reminds me that when I put garbage in my thoughts ... they come out. Why do I need to worry about "wordly" things? I should be focused on thinking about God! He thinks about me so much I can't even count it! We should totally turn around our thoughts and focus them upward. So the next time I start blurting off about wordly worries remind me about who God is and how often He thinks of me. Remind me to keep thinking of Him!

Philippians 4:8

For the rest, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things have honour, whatever things are upright, whatever things are holy, whatever things are beautiful, whatever things are of value, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, give thought to these things.

Hang onto His Promise!

Psalm 139:15-16
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

I love this scripture. Yesterday I didn't write my blog because I was facing a storm. I needed to realize that God is bigger than my problems and that He created every day and He mapped it out before I was born. God loves us. He wouldn't map out a life full of turmoil and hardships. Sometimes it seems that way, but He reminds us that although we might have turmoil and tribulations "fear not" that He "overcame the world". We don't have to live in a hopelessness that will never fade. God is the God who heals and restores. Even those days when we feel so distanced from Him. He draws us closer to Him. He raises us up on His shoulders. When I face challenges sometimes I get a little weepy and I might even write or say something that I don't exactly mean. I may even blurt out things that seem like I lost all hope. However, I always seem to pull through it because I always remember the blessings I have. How much I am truly blessed with everything and everyone around me totally changes my attitude. Perhaps if you get caught in a corner of hopelessness you need to look up and remember that He gets us out and we can overcome it. Also, don't forget to count your blessings... even if it's just being able to breathe :)

And remember God will never plan anything in your life to harm you. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger :)

Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Oh Wonderful

Psalms 139:13-14
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Many people struggle to realize that God created us in our mother's womb and that His word says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Sometimes we wish we were taller, skinnier, or prettier. We might even sometimes wish we were born to a different family. However, God knew what He was doing even before you were born. You were fearfully and wonderfully made. God made you and He makes great things! God doesn't make mistakes.

A few days ago I was glancing at some old baby photos with my best friend. I couldn't believe how much I've grown. I looked similar to those baby pictures but a lot changed. As an early childhood professional it's not easy to forget that a lot of important development occurs in the womb. The life I have had outside of my mother's womb was just a part of my life. Life in the womb is important as well. While we are in the womb we are developing physically so rapidly. However, it is also said that we develop emotionally inside the womb as well. Babies can recognize their parents voice. When Elizabeth had John the Baptist in her womb he lept when Mary came to Elizabeth also bearing a child. The fact that John the Baptist lept just proved that even babies in our wombs can be filled with the Holy Spirit. John's heart rejoiced at the presence of his Savior even though his savior was not yet born. Isn't it amazing what occurred before we were born?

Isn't how much we developed wonderful? We will be discussing this more tomorrow but for tonight just think about how important life is... no matter how small or short lived. God created us we were created in His image... we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Gen. 1:27
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

In a World of Darkness...

Psalm 139:11-12
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.

Why do people surround themselves with darkness? Everywhere we go today we are surrounded with some form of darkness. Spiritual darkness anywhere from vampires to stores like Spencer or Hot Topic. They play innocent but if you put on your spiritual goggles for two seconds I bet you would see those places are swarming with demons. Why? Because they do not welcome in the light. The light has never really been welcome in this world. From the moment Jesus came to earth people began immediately to try to shut out the "Light". Nevertheless, the light does overcome the darkness. Jesus has already overcame the world when He rose from the dead. This world lays in darkness today... but someday the Lord will return with all glory and majesty and the light will shine again.
Here's a task for you. Take a flashlight and go into a pitch black room... does the flashlight make a difference? No matter how small our light is within us... it is still stronger than the darkness. Something to keep in your mind when you feel surrounded by darkness.
So why do Christians allow darkness to come into their lives? I don't know, I've always wondered myself. If Christ lives in us and He does not associate with darkness then why are we allowing our children to associate with darkness when we want Christ to live in them? Just stay in the light and realize that darkness can surround you but it can not define you.




1 John 1:5
5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.

♥ My Crutch My Healer ♥

Psalm 139:9-10

⁹ If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.

Thank God for His support. A lot of my friends have been through trials and tribulations. I believe we all have. It is so much easier to get through life knowing that you have a God who will be there for You to really lean on.

A few years ago I sprained my ankle falling down 3 flights of concrete stairs and smashing my head into iron railing twice. I fell to the bottom of the stairs completely knocked unconscious. I don't remember anything but I did remember feeling like someone or something caught me. I was in an area of the school I was at where no one found me for a while. I woke up when I got to the hospital where I saw my mom and dad. Completely out of it I started balling because I was so afraid about what had just happened. I almost died that day and weeks later I still was not able to walk 100% stable. I needed God to help me. Even if I crawled it would have been uncomfortable with the amount of bruises I had. I literally leaned on Jesus in my time of pain. Sometimes, when we face things in life we need to realize that God is willing to help us walk through it. Even if we need to apply all our weight burdens hurts on Him, He is able to help us heal. Sometimes people say Christians use God as a crutch. :) I admit I do but see nothing wrong with it because He keeps me strong until I heal.

So lean on Him today and just let Him be your crutch.

Isaiah 40:31

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Wake Up it's Morning :)

Psalm 139:7-8
⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

Everyone has heard the story of Adam and Eve I'm sure. Eve and Adam ate the forbidden fruit and became naked. They tried to hide from God but it was hopeless because God always sees us. He knows everything we do He never leaves our presence. He watches over the just and the unjust.

When I was little and I did something naughty that I knew I would be spanked for I hid from my parents. We do this a lot with God also. When we are living in a life of sin we tend to ignore that God exists so we don't feel the conviction. Most of the time when we are living in darkness we like to hide in the dark. Rarely will you get a Christian who "knows" they haven't been living their all for Christ who "wants" to go to a Christian event. The fear of God is okay... we should fear God. However, we need to realize that there "are" actions for our consequences and that God only makes rules because He loves us and wants to keep us from getting hurt.

I had a friend who was recently going through so much. She was going from abusive drug addicted sexual boyfriend to abusive drug addicted unloyal sexual boyfriend. Her life was falling apart and she did "not" think it was a problem. Until her boyfriend was arrested for trying to kill her and her eyes were awaken to see the problem. She saw the many bad choices she made. She saw that "before" when she was walking in the light she was a much happier person. She had a family that loved her and a church family that loved her. However, because she was living in darkness... she pushed the light away. Thank God she found the light again and now is living her best in the light. She shines her persona is completely changed. Her confidence and esteem has improved as well. It is important for us to go to God broken and bruised. We may have done something naughty and we may still have to take the consequences... but rest assured our Heavenly Daddy will always love us!

Lamentations 3:22-23

²²the Lord’s mercy.
We were not completely wiped out.
His compassion is never limited.
²³It is new every morning.
His faithfulness is great.

Lacking Lately Ladies?

Psalms 139:5-6
⁵ You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!

Today I am going to do our woman of the week because tomorrow I will be busy hosting the potluck praise party. Continuing our chapter Psalms 139, we see today that God places his hand of blessing on our heads. Has anyone here ever felt like they just NEEDED God to touch them and receive that blessing from God? Well this woman went through a struggle. She longed to just receive a blessing from God to heal her. Let's read on;

Luke 8

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. ⁴³And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. ⁴⁴She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

⁴⁵"Who touched me?" Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."

⁴⁶But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."

⁴⁷Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. ⁴⁸Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

So who are we?

We are daughters of the King of Kings! We are princesses and our Prince Charming is Jesus Christ! We are complete!!! WE LACK NOTHING through Him!

James 1

²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Feeling encouraged yet? Just remember that we are all going through trials we are all going through tests of faith. We all must develop perseverance! God is molding us so we can believe as women that we lack nothing!

I have been in many situations where I have asked my mother’s advice time and time again and I’ve cried on her shoulder so many tears because I felt so “lacking”. Let’s see what we have told ourselves we’ve lacked?

- A good husband? --- we have God! –

Isaiah 54:5

⁵ For your Maker is your husband—
the LORD Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.

- A beautiful body?!? --- we are beautiful on the inside because we our God’s!

1 Peter 3-4

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. ⁴Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

- so are we worthless? – no because we have great worth in God’s sight

What are we lacking?

The woman who had the issue of blood probably went to all the doctors and yet no one was able to heal her. She probably felt worthless, exhausted, unloved… she probably just wanted to be healed so she can live a life and stop lacking… lacking energy? Lacking a good mood… lacking health… However even she knew the only way that she could be made complete was through Christ!

Big Mouth!

Psalms 139:3-4
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

Has anyone ever read the book Me and My Big Mouth by Joyce Meyers? Well, I started to. I have a confession to tell you. I "don't" like being told that I have a big mouth because I know I do. I also have an authority issue which doesn't help because I always feel like I need to defend myself. The problem with that? Most of the time I'm defensive with my words. Most of the time the words I choose come from emotions and aren't picked out with wisdom. When I speak from emotions I also don't even usually "think" about what I am saying. So why am I telling you this? Well #1 the bible says to confess our sins to one another and #2 I am pretty sure I am not the "only" one with this problem. So how can we control our tongue realizing that God knows what is coming out before we do? We can make sure that we keep meditating on His word (garbage in= garbage out). We can also take a time to think about how we are feeling before we speak. It's very hard but our tongue is a powerful instrument. I'm praying for God to control my tongue, can you please pray with me? I will also pray with you. God loves when we are open about our struggles because that helps others walk in light as well.

Proverbs 18:21

The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

That's a Thought!

<sup>Psalms 139

1</sup> O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

² You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

Have you ever been to the ocean? You feel so small and the ocean seems so big. I love to go to the ocean and just be alone with God. This week I will be breaking down Psalms 139 into two verses a day. #1 Because I am so busy and it's something I'm familiar with. #2 Because meditating on this passage will help put us all at ease. Today let us think about how God knows our thoughts. What are you thinking? Is it always something you "want" God to know? Today I had trouble keeping my thoughts positive around this one person. I thought that she just did not like me and that she was a snot. I thought that she looked down on me. Then it dawned on me that maybe she was just having a bad day. So, I started to be sickening sweet and went out of my way to be nice to her... even when she was disgusted by something. At the end of the day... she smiled! She said thank you for holding the door for her! I also got to hear how she had the most horrible day. See? We don't know what others thoughts are... and we shouldn't try to read them. However, God knows our thoughts ... so we should worry about ourselves and think positive! This is what I was thinking when I decided to change my thoughts around... maybe it will help you :)

1 Peter 3:19

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Christopher COLUMBUS!

Many of us have heard the reference from the bible that we are His "vessels". When we read further in the bible this vessel is talking about a water pot that will hold in water if it is not broken. However, the word vessel also can refer to a ship. Today is the day that many in the United States learn about Christopher Columbus. They learn that he was determined to find a new land of plenty so that he would please his queen with it's riches. Well, our King is the same way. He wants us to go out there and discover uncharted territories and make claims for His Kingdom. What uncharted territory is out there? Look into the hearts of the hurting around you. People who have never experienced the love of God. People who need to rediscover the riches they have within themselves. Peter and John went to pray, they met a lame man on the way, he asked for alms and held out his palms... and Peter said this, "silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I be, in the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk". We might not be rich, but that is not what God is looking for. He is not like the Queen who sought rich earthly things from Christopher Columbus. He wants us to go out and use the gift that He has given us. He gave us a vessel and we need to use our vessels to go after those who do not know Him. They are the treasure of the Kingdom of God. So are you ready to go hunt some treasure? God has given you a mission. Set your sail and enjoy the journey.

Mark 16:15

And then He told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.

The Yoke's on You!

I'm sure you have all heard the scripture "do not become unequally yoked with unbelievers". Well, many of us believe this is referring to choosing your future mate. Yes, it is very important for us to realize that we have to be smart in choosing a good Christian mate who will compliment our gifts that God has blessed us with. Marriage "is" a ministry. However, it is also referring to other relationships we have in our lives. Many of you may have heard the phrase "if you lay down with dogs you will wake up with fleas". Another one that I like to remember is... "if you spend too much time in the dumpster you will smell like trash". When I was in college, I felt a deep oppression. Many of you may remember I was always down. I felt the darkness around me I knew that God did not want me to associate so much with the darkness. That is why I spent most of my time around the campus ministries. I was searching for the light. In a secular college the light is very hard to find. The more I interacted and associated with people who held onto the light the more happier I was. However, when I was in class and sin was being revealed all around me... I saw people slipping into the "very liberal" tolerance that was being taught. I longed to reach out to them and rescue them. Yet, all I could do was pray... and all I felt safe doing was hiding. Soon it became so much that I moved off the sin filled campus and back into my sanctuary. It was as if I had gone to a revival. I was still fighting off the darkness but I was now walking in the light. There are times in our lives when we are faced with situations of darkness. We may feel led into the darkness to try to "rescue" people from the firey pit of hell. It's a danger only meant for those who are well equipped with the armor of God. Demons are out there and they are ready to seek whom they will devour. We have to pray and remember not to associate too closely with the darkness or we will get burnt.
Many of my friends call me a hypocrite for not having anything to do with Harry Potter, or Twilight. What they don't realize is that I am guarding my heart against darkness. Yes, media can desensitize our discernment to fail realizing that sin is harmful to us. We need to remind ourselves what is "not" allowed into the Kingdom of Heaven. It's not just about your mate... it's about anything you choose to tie your soul and your heart to. Be careful what you see,hear, and do for the Father up above is looking down with love. I am praying that God guides you in truth as we face this world of darkness. Please pray for me also.


^{2 Cor 6:14-18
14-18}Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That's not partnership; that's war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way:

"I'll live in them, move into them;
I'll be their God and they'll be my people.
So leave the corruption and compromise;
leave it for good," says God.
"Don't link up with those who will pollute you.
I want you all for myself.
I'll be a Father to you;
you'll be sons and daughters to me."
The Word of the Master, God.

Don't Be Ruthless ;)

On your own- read the book of Ruth

In chapter 1, we learn that Ruth is a Moabite and she married Naomi’s son… we learn that although Naomi pleads with her two daughter-in-laws to leave her and start a new life, Ruth remains with Naomi. We learn that Ruth’s dedication to Naomi is very strong and her love shows greatly through it.

¹⁶ But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. ¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." ¹⁸ When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

In chapter 2, we are introduced to Boaz… after Ruth begs the foreman to let her work in the fields with Naomi’s permission. Boaz treats Ruth in a very kind way making sure that no harm comes to her and that she is well fed and nourished along with Naomi.

Meanwhile we begin to see something unfold.

¹³ "May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord," she said. "You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls."

¹⁹ Her mother-in-law asked her, "Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!"

²⁰ "The LORD bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers."

Key notes: Reading on to the end of the book we learn that Ruth lies at Boaz’ feet but Boaz doesn’t judge her because he knows she has a pure heart. Instead Boaz favors her and blesses her with food and dismisses her before anyone finds out she spent the night at his feet.

We also are meant to love Jesus so much that we would throw ourselves at his feet until he has favored us and blessed us. He looks into our hearts and through His blood our hearts are pure. Jesus is our redeemer… just like Boaz was Ruth’s kinsmen redeemer. He will make sure we are provided for and looked after and protected. All it takes is trust, faith, and patience.

Here Wolfie, Wolfie, Wolfie... Master of Disguise and Deception

Does anyone ever feel like they can trust people then they wind up hurt? Or perhaps you fell in love with someone and they turned out to be a total jerk? Well there is something called deception. Even our heart is deceitful. We feel that something may be right when it is really wrong. Deception can cloud our mind and clutter us into confusion. The devil is the author of confusion. Satan wants us to be confused and deceived so that our perception is not entirely clear, this way he can sneak in and cause damage. A while ago I had been in a relationship where I was deceived into thinking that the relationship was healthy for me. I wasted hours and valuable friend and family time by defending these relationships. I had convinced myself that these were the men I would marry. Yes, it happened more than once (I'm not proud of that). However, it helped me to realize what exactly the bible meant about the heart being deceitful. When we realize that we are struggling with a spirit of deception it is important for us to pray about it. We have the authority through Christ to rebuke it. However, when God opens our eyes and gives us the spirit of discernment we might not like what we see. We might have to make life changes that might not be comfortable for us. Yet they are worth it! When God helps us break free from deception His work starts to break through. I pray today that if you are struggling with a spirit of deception that you are released from it in JESUS NAME! You deserve to be happy. You deserve to be at peace in the love of Christ Jesus. If you need "any" prayer feel free to contact me. God bless and may the spirit of discernment be with you.

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Weapons and Warfare

My grandmother gave me a bunch of books while I was down in North Carolina because she knows I love to read. I now own the Left Behind books as well as this other series. The series starts with a book called This Present Darkness. In the first chapter the author uses vast imagery to describe the evil around this small town and this shadow that keeps creeping closer and trying to get into this little white church. However, no matter how many times the darkness tries to strike forward... it is tossed back. Two angels are protecting the church, but not because it's a building... because there is something special happening inside. A young man was kneeling and praying. He was crying out to God for the people. In a time when we are surrounded by darkness all around us we often forget that one of our strongest weapons is prayer. Frank E. Peretti reminds his readers that one person no matter how small their faith "can" make a difference just by simple prayer. It is time we start to take a stand for the people around us and get on our knees to pray. You don't "need" to pray in a church you can do it right in your room. However, prayer is a powerful thing... it helps fight off the darkness.

Ephesians 6:2 AMP
¹²For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

Cupcake Control

Have you ever been on a diet? It seems as soon as you admit you are on a diet, temptation slaps you in the face. People start offering you sweets or yummy smelling greasy foods. You realize that the diet is to help you feel better. However, you are still tempted to indulge. Isn't it great to realize that we can overcome temptation? Being a teacher isn't always easy. My "first" day of my diet a little girl came in today with cupcakes. I just convinced myself not to eat them. Therefore, success I have "not" cheated on my diet. Not only do I feel better but I realized that I'm growing in self control. Self control is one of the fruits of the spirit. Self control is mentioned several times in the bible. Maybe there is something you struggle with? Maybe it's not cupcakes... maybe it's smoking cigarettes, maybe it's something even like bulimia... whatever it is God can help. He can rescue you and help you to overcome temptation and achieve self control! One step at a time... one mountain at a time we can make the journey together! Let me know if you need any specific prayer. Keep remembering God's mercy is new every morning but that doesn't mean we can slip on purpose ;)

“A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls” (Proverbs 25:28 NLT).

Oh Deer

If any of you have ever traveled on the highway you realize how dangerous a deer can be. They are "everywhere" and at "any" moment can leap out in front of you. My brother on the way up prayed a prayer that God would protect us from any deer. On the way back sure enough there was a deer standing right on the highway, just standing and looking at us. It seemed confident and secure and didn't seem to fear us much at all. My dad blasted it's horn and finally it lept off to safety. Deer belong away from people where they can be safe and live long healthy lives. This reminded me of the scripture that says that God will protect us and He'll keep our hinds feet in high places. We can't always be secure or confident around others who might harm us. However, we can remember that God promises to protect us. He will lead us into safety even if it's not for a while. Bad things might happen to us but God will always provide a place of rest and safety when we need it. If we pray and open up to Him he will take pleasure in that and answer our prayers. God loves when we come to Him even when we are afraid and broken. He will heal us and give us hope and courage. Remember where you stand with God today. Keep confident in secure in His mercy, grace, and unconditional love.

2 Samuel 22:34 AMP
He makes my feet like the hinds' [firm and able]; He sets me secure and confident upon the heights.

Are You a Well Woman?

I'm sure you've heard the story of the woman at the well. A Samaritan woman comes to the well at noon day so she wont bump into a lot of people. Very few people came to the well at noon day because it was so hot. This woman was ashamed of who she was. She was ashamed of how she lived. She even said Jesus how can you talk to me I am a Samaritan? She didn't need to "confess" her sins to Jesus because He already knew them. However, she didn't deny them either. She respected Jesus and she listened to what He had to say. Why? Because she was broken. She was probably like most of us at the end of our rope having gone from one relationship to another feeling bruised broken and hopeless. Is there any man out there worthy of our love? WHY DO WE FEEL SO EMPTY?

Well... :P

Have you ever questioned if your pot is so broken that no matter how many times you get filled... spiritually... you still feel like you just leak out? Perhaps we need to let go of our broken pots. Did you notice in verse 28 it says the woman left her water jug beside the well and ran to tell the people of the Messiah? That is what we need to do. We need to let go of the things in our life we are trying to fill... we need to just focus on how AMAZING Jesus' love is! So what do you think girls? Are you ready to leave your brokenness at the alter? Focus on Jesus and the plans He has for your life? THEN you will be filled!

John 4

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John ² (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). ³ So he left Judea and returned to Galilee.

⁴ He had to go through Samaria on the way. ⁵ Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. ⁷ Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” ⁸ He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

⁹ The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans.^b]">[b] She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”

¹⁰ Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

¹¹ “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? ¹² And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

¹³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. ¹⁴ But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

¹⁵ “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”

¹⁶ “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

¹⁷ “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied.

Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—¹⁸ for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. ²⁰ So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim,^c]">[c] where our ancestors worshiped?”

²¹ Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. ²³ But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. ²⁴ For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

²⁵ The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

²⁶ Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!"

²⁷ Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” ²⁸ The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, ²⁹ “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” ³⁰ So the people came streaming from the village to see him.