It's been awhile, here's the new do!

Recklessly Abandoned

Paul was not conscious of himself. He was recklessly abandoned, totally surrendered, and separated by God for one purpose— to proclaim the gospel of God (see Romans 9:3).

Wow! This is powerful. This came from the devotion for today “My Utmost For His Highest”. If our eyes are focused on our own character and how we can be more pleasing in our own eyes, the work of the gospel has not really even begun in us. God can’t deliver me while my interest is merely in my own character. I must be recklessly abandoned to God.

Recklessly abandoned...totally surrendered and sold out for Jesus. Our pursuit of holiness can often turn very legalistic and self serving. Who would have thought? This devotion urges us to seek out the motivation of our heart as we seek holiness. God desires for us to proclaim the gospel."Christian workers fail because they place their desire for their own holiness above their desire to know God." Yikes! This was pretty strong yet so thought provoking. I am so grateful for this statement because it reminds me to search my heart and to evaluate my true motivations and desires. It all comes down to KNOWING GOD. So I ask us today, is our desire to KNOW GOD stronger than our desire to look good in our own eyes.
Lord help us to seek You out and accept all that You put in our path. Father, creator of heaven and earth, You deserve all glory. Help us to spread the greatness of the gospel and to be completely and totally sold out for You. Help us to be recklessly abandoned, thinking not of ourselves but of the Your redemption. Father help us to be transformed from the inside out and to be Your hands and feet. Help us to answer the call! In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Lord bless you all this week,
God is good and is worthy to be praised!

Hugs,
Melanie

Representing God

Hello and happy Sunday to all! In my quiet time I read a devotion that really struck me. It is such a simple concept but sometimes hearing the familiar from a new angle helps me to own it. The concept is representing God!
In Numbers 6: 22-27 God spoke to Moses telling him to speak to Aaron and his sons. God told him to tell them that God wanted to bless them and the children of Israel; that He would keep them and shine His face upon them and that He would be gracious to them; He would also lift His countenance upon them and give them peace.
This is a scripture that my pastor always ends our service with. Sometimes we get so used to hearing a scripture repeated that we tend not to think about what it really means. My devotion goes on to talk about the duties of a priest. The first duty is to go before God to represent the people. Secondly, he would represent God to the people as he declared the Word to the people. JUST STOP AND THINK ABOUT THIS. WHAT AN AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY TO REPRESENT GOD TO OTHER PEOPLE!
Well, as I thought about it I realized, duh! That's what my job is too! Those watching God's representatives develop their concepts of Him by what they see in the priest, that is why God is so concerned in how He is represented before the people. Numbers 6:22-27 tells us that God desired to bless the people and that He wants His name associated with peace. Are we doing our job? When people look at us do they see the reality of God: who He really is? The world is watching and if we represent Him as getting frustrated and angry over small annoyances what kind of picture are we painting?
I am guilty! I know that I do not always represent my gracious God properly. So I offer a prayer to Him now; Lord, forgive me for the times I have not represented the true nature of who You are. Lord fill my heart with compassion, tenderness, kindness and goodness. Allow these to flow from my life that all those around me may see who You really are and get a TRUE concept of Your nature. Allow Your Spirit to to work in my life and continue to transform me and to show Your goodness. Help us to be priests who represent You well. Lord forgive me for the times that I misrepresented You. In Jesus name I pray.

So to all of my brothers and sisters, " The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."

Melanie

How Are You Today?

Good morning my friends or perhaps it is afternoon or evening for some of you. As I woke up today I had many things on my to do list to get accomplished. I have been working hard to organize and clear out the clutter in my home. As I sat down at the computer to prepare some activities for my first grade class, I once again was stopped in my tracks by the headlines on Haiti.
I could not help but to investigate the new images of this awful catastrophe. As I viewed each slide I sobbed and prayed over each person and their family. I knew that they would be graphic but I felt that I needed to put a face on those precious souls who are so in need of prayer. I know that these headlines are a reminder for me to remember to pray and pray hard. I cannot say that I can fathom such heartache and pain. However I do know that we are living in end times and this is just the beginning of what the Bible warns about. In the end days there will be wars and rumors of wars, plagues, earthquakes, floods etc.
I know there are many of you out there experiencing some of the toughest times in your life and I do not want to make light of that. However, in my personal case, I have a bit of a perspective adjustment that is taking place. I can find myself whining and grumbling over so many little things. As I remember those in Haiti I truly can say I am good today. There is so much hurt and desperation in that country right now, as an onlooker I feel so helpless. The best I have to offer is heartfelt prayer. Prayer for provisions, comfort, aide, and most importantly HOPE. Do they have the hope of a Savior and of eternal life? I don't know. Many may but what about those who don't know?
Lord I pray that you would reveal yourself to those hurting souls that don't know you. Lord that they would know the hope of your salvation. That they may cast their eyes and hearts on a world that is yet to come where there will be no more pain, no more tears, no more fear. Father come to those people and use whoever you see fit to bring that message to them. Oh Lord Your ways are higher than our ways. We can not understand them. Lord for those who are doubting and questioning right now I say "I believe help my unbelief". Help them to not lose heart or sight of You. Lord be with your children. In Jesus name I pray.

So HOW ARE YOU TODAY?


Sincerely,

Melanie

Which One Is You????

You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as soon as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.

She did and noted they were soft. The mother then asked the

daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile.

Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however.After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit; but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying; and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling; and everyone around you is crying.

May we all be COFFEE!

So to all of my friends, I pray that you choose to be blessed this year, 2010. While we may face many trials and adversity, let's choose to focus on the God Moments in our lives. Choose to see the mighty ways in which he has moved in your life and will coninue to move in your life. He is just and faithful and has a plan for each and everyone of us. I pray that daily that plan would be uncovered and that as we seek Him He will reveal Himself to us. We must choose to focus on the blessings. Just like driving, we will drive toward what we focus on. So let us look toward this new year with great expectations for we serve a God who is all powerful, all knowing, merciful, compassionate and full of grace. May He give us the strength to endure and persevere this year no matter what comes our way.

God bless,
Melanie

Christmas Eve

Me and my family Christmas Eve. We enjoyed a candlelight service at church and a cozy time of fellowhip at home. I truly am blessed! That last picture is Missy trying to get her dress off, she really doesn't care for clothes!

The Lord is Faithful

Hello my friends! This morning I was so encouraged as I was gently reminded by the Word of God that HE, the Lord is faithful. I know that there are many of us who are enduring various trials and difficult times that may seem overwhelming, discouraging and/or down right hopeless. It is very easy to become consumed in our situations and thoughts of ourselves but I do not believe that is what the Lord would want us to fix our eyes on.
In in His holy Word, in 2 Timothy, we are reminded that Paul endured persecutions and afflictions (more than most can ever imagine) and that the Lord delivered him out of them ALL. " Yes and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." God does not promise us deliverance from persecution but deliverance through it. Persecution is one of the means God uses to develop our capacity to reign with Him in His kingdom. 2 Tim 2:12 "If we endure, We shall also reign with Him." Persevering in the faith even in the face of hardship or persecution will result in a reward when Christ returns. (see Matt 5:10-12; Rev 2:10.). Paul continues to remind us in 2 Tim 3: 14-15 " But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that form childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Paul was referring to Timothy in this passage and his Godly heritage. For those of us who are believers, some from childhood and others later in life, we are exhorted that the truths of God's Word directs us to Christ. God's Word and the spirit of God are both essential for our salvation.
The other scripture that really jumped off the page was 2 Tim 4:6. " For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand." Here Paul is confident that no one could touch him until the Heavenly Father ushered him into his eternal home with a victory celebration. Paul had been vigilant in his service to God. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."
So my friend, if you are reading this today, be assured that all that you are experiencing and enduring is seen by God. He knows your struggles and desires for you to fight the good fight being fully confident that He will deliver you through them and that He, the righteous Judge, will give to you on that Day the crown of righteousness. Until that day, let's keep our eyes fixed on that joyous hope that awaits us and allow God to pour us out like a drink offering before Him, fixing our eyes on the size of our God and not the size of our troubles, being fully confident that He is faithful to deliver us from every evil work and preserve us for His heavenly kingdom(2 Tim 4:18).

Many blessings to you,
Melanie