Do it Now

Recently I was given the opportunity to speak at a women's conference. I have a few friends who said they did not get to go, but wanted to know what  God gave me to talk about.
What I have shared is not all of what God gave me to say, but most of it. I hope you will read with attention, intensity, and perhaps share this with a friend. I did, you.
Seeking God's Face in Such a Time as This:

Matthew 6:33

But Seek First the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you

Matthew 6:10~Jesus prayed with these word:

Your Kingdom Come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Jesus' Model prayer showed that He even seeked after God's heart and God’s plan

What does it mean to seek God's face?

Have you ever taken a mirror and looked at yourself in it? I mean really look at yourself?

 When you look in it what do you see?

What do others see?

 Do you forget what you see when you walk away from the mirror? Do you look at the person's eyes in the mirror? What do you see behind your eyes?  The eye is the window to the soul; if you look deep enough you can see this is true.

I did and I saw a mess! I saw ugliness, shame, guilt, worthlessness, a reject, I was a hopeless being.
 But with God’s eyes and accepting his love, I began to see worthiness, forgiveness, I worked on having a clean heart, a lighter heart, and love for myself and others.

 Sometimes it is difficult to look at our self because of the choices we have made or the choices  other people have made in our lives.

It's just too messy to look at.

But you see God wants you with your mess. You have a purpose for being here, you have been created so that God can just love you.

Make the choice today to make a change in your life.  Jesus came so that you can be free from the bondage of your bitterness and hurt.  Your life story will make a difference in someone else's life and  
one day they will need to hear your story, after you decide to surrender to meet Jesus where you are at.

Today, I look in the mirror and I see Jesus; I can't do anything apart from him. When I look in the mirror, if there is any mud on me, I have to go to him and ask him to wash it away. He's the only one who can.

Most of the time we want what we want and we want it now.

Give me, give me, give me, or I we say we deserve this thing and we will find

any reason or excuse to get what we want. 

The world says “The one with the bigger toys wins” or “I have all I need right here in my toys or things.”

for the things that are visible are temporal, but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

God's heart is people.  He gives us two commandments:  love Jesus and love others.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22: 37-39.

Jesus, tells us what he wants in his word. Take your time getting to know him and let him show you how much he loves you. Make his words personal to you.  The word will change you from the inside out. He says you are more worthy than rubies and diamonds.  God says he loves you so much he gave his only begotten son to die on the cross for you and to forgive you of all the things you’ve done wrong.  You have to do your part and ask him for that forgiveness; realize your ways are not working for you.

Jesus wants you to see what he sees when you look in the mirror. He sees a prince or a princess, a beautiful woman or a handsome man, clean and righteous like him when you accept his gift of love.

To seek God's Face is to seek his heart means to love, have compassion, seek truth, follow his commandments, statutes, and laws.

It is a lie from the pit of hell that he is strict and rules with an iron rod, or he wants to take the fun out of life so he created commandments and laws.

So what are you doing today to seek God's face?

Are you concerned more about how many toys you have today or where you will go when you die?

What kind word did you say today?

What investment have you made in someone else's life today?

What do you see in people?

Hate, anger, bitterness, or selfishness?  Or do you see love, kindness, gentleness?

Look at your neighbor, look at the people walking past you.

“Mary Kay Ash use to say “ Imagine everyone has an invisible sign around their neck that says  “make me feel important”

You may be the only bible they see,

The only walking, talking, living, breathing, smiling Jesus they may see.

If Jesus is in you, you are called to be a light in a dark world.

He loves you and can be the loving, warm, compassionate, and most understanding love of your life.

Jesus knew you before you were in your mother's womb .

Your frame was not hidden from me when you were being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought [as if embroidered with various colors] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery].

I saw your unformed substance, and in My book all the days [of  your life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them.

 If you noticed, I didn’t quote the scripture but I made it personal. God wants a personal relationship with you.

My prayer for you today, is for you to choose God’s love and to seek him in all you do and for you choose to get to know this man named Jesus. There is nothing in your life that is hidden from him, that he doesn’t already know. All you have to do is make the choice to accept him today. He is easy to find.  Our time is running out and we need to accept Jesus today and to turn our eyes off of ourselves and onto Jesus and his plan for our lives.

Let us pray:

Father, I ask for myself and my friends here today.

Father, I ask you to forgive us for we sin against you and only against you. We recognize that we are not in control of our problems, our pain, and other people.

We confess, we have hurt others and ourselves by the choices we have made.

Papa, I ask you to protect us from keeping company with those who openly sin or think their way is the best way.

We choose to be guided by you and begin a personal relationship with you.

May we choose to seek after the desires of your heart and not our own.

Papa, you have told us in your word, that you have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. May we choose today to accept you in our hearts and this truth to become a reality to us. 

Father, thank you that you are you who you say you are and you will do what you say you will do.

Thank you for forgiving us and loving us just as we are.

May we be kind and help the weak, living in your presence, and praising you.

For your name is above all names, majestic and mighty, holy and righteous. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ,  Amen.

*References

The Purpose Driven Life-Rick Warren

Life’s healing Choices by John Baker

Bible

Quotes from Mary Kay Ash from her Biography “Mary Kay Ash”

Piece of Chocolate Cake, Please....

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful:
But his delight is in the law of the Lord.
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water
That brings forth its fruit in its season
Whose leaf also shall not wither
And whatever he does shall prosper.
Psalm 1:1-3

If you have read my entries in the past you know that I like to describe God's word like this:
 "God's word is like a piece of chocolate cake without the calories, the more you dig in the more you want."
Imagine Jesus sitting in your bedroom on your bed, in one of the chairs at your table, on your sofa in the den. He is waiting to talk with you and to hear you read his word out loud to him. When you have a question, he's ready with an answer. Jesus may not answer you in that moment, but he will answer you.
To meditate on God's word is to read, re-read it and memorize it.
I read these words in my bible study book " a deliberate neglect of God's word."
I thought "wow, neglecting God's word deliberately." Why? Why wouldn't I want to read and know God's word. I thought to myself, "I don't want guilt." God's word is not meant to put a guilt trip on us, but to encourage us, strengthen us, guide us, and love on us.
I was taught to read God's word like this:
1) read a small portion, maybe one verse
2) write it down and carry it with you during the day and read over it once an hour
3) let God love on you as you read those written words
4) look for opportunities to do what that those written words say
My first scripture I memorized was "For with God nothing will be impossible" Luke 1:37
I wrote it down and put it into my pocket and read it throughout my day. At the time I was having car trouble and I started to give it back to God. " okay God your word here says you can take care of my car, please show me." he did. It wasn't my way, but he did what he said his word is possible.
I then found another scripture (Philippians 4:19) and did the same thing and ended up adding the previous scripture (Luke 1:37) with the new scripture. God starting showing me that he is in the small and large things in my life. The word became alive for me.
In God's word, the Bible, it shows many times where Jesus would set time aside to pray and meditate. He was connecting with God, his Father. He was showing us by example to get alone with God and have a relationship with him.
I have thought of ways you can do this even if you don't have an hour to give, but you do need more than a quicky prayer of "oh God, I need you." It's good, but it's not quality time with God. One way is to write it down as suggested above. Next, take a picture and write a scripture that may relate to the emotion of that day. An example might be a baseball photo and you might write "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
If you don't want to write it on the back of the photo use a sticky note.
I encourage you today to go and spend quality time getting to know this man named Jesus.
If you need help getting started, let me know. I will love to help you start a personal relationship with Christ today.
Have a great day!

My Jesus

More Truth Than Fiction

This was also sent to me. You might be able  to relate to this visitor at this small town family's home.

A while ago, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town.  From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family.  The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on. 
As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family.  In my young mind, he had a special niche.  My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey.  But the stranger...he was our storyteller.  He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.
If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future!  He took my family to the first major league ball game.  He made me laugh, and he made me cry.  The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind. 
Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet. (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.) 
Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them.  Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home... Not from us, our friends or any visitors.  Our longtime visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush.  My Dad didn't permit the liberal use of alcohol.  But the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis.  He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes distinguished. 
He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex.  His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing. 
I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger.  Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked... And NEVER asked to leave. 
More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family.  He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first.  Still, if you could walk into my parents' den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.
His name? 
We just call him 'TV.'
(Note: This should be required reading for every household!) 

This is a devotion that was sent to me and thought I would like to share it with you. I think it has some good points and it fits in our world today. We are so caught up in what "me, myself, and I" want that we tend to forget about others.
Read it-
Joshua 23:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Now it came to pass, a long time after the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua was old, advanced in age. 2 And Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them: "I am old, advanced in age. 3 You have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the Lord your God is He who has fought for you. 4 See, I have divided to you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, as far as the Great Sea westward. 5 And the Lord your God will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall possess their land, as the Lord your God promised you.
Apply it-
Joshua the son of Nun is now around 110 years old! His long life started in Egyptian bondage and ended in a worship service in the Promised Land. In between those events God had used him to lead Israel in defeating the enemy, conquering the land, and claiming the promised inheritance. We commonly think of Joshua as a great soldier, and he was; but here we see him as a great shepherd with a loving concern for his people. Joshua was about to go "the way of all the earth" but at the end of a long and full life, Joshua's greatest concern wasn't himself. His greatest concern was his people and their relationship to the Lord. He didn't want to leave until he had challenged them once again to love the Lord and keep His commandments. His life's work would be in vain if they failed to keep the covenant and enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land.
What a testimony is Joshua's life! I not only want to live well but I want to die well! I wanted to start well and I want to finish well! Joshua did that. Two things that made Joshua finish well. The first one is that Joshua even to the very end of His life was focused on the calling that God had placed on his life. There was a lot of things that Joshua could have done with his life but the ONE thing Joshua was completely focused on was "God's" agenda for his life. Joshua never got sidetracked! Joshua never lost focus! Joshua all the way to the very end never lost focus on God's call on his life! The second thing is that Joshua's life was about serving others! Joshua was not concerned with himself or his accomplishments but he cared for others. Joshua lived his life first for God and then for others! Joshua was not self centered or only concerned with himself!
These two truths are a great challenge for us today. We must examine our lives and ask ourselves "are we committed to God's agenda?" In my life I have found that at every stage of my life there is another challenge for me to overcome to stay focused on God's agenda. It is very easy to lose focus! One of the biggest contributors is the busyness of life! Sometimes I get so busy that I lose focus on the main thing! We have to remember to put God first in all that we do and let Him set our agenda!Today spend some time in prayer and evaluate your life to see if you are focused on the main thing!
The other challenge to consider is "am I self centered?" Am I living my life for myself? Is it all about me, myself and I? If I want to finish well like Joshua I must remember that my life should be about serving others! It is very easy to get wrapped up into yourself and live your life for your own good but we must step back and remember that we should live our lives for "others"! William Boothe who founded Salvation Army had just one word on his tombstone and it was "others". Evaluate your life today and make sure you are not all wrapped up into yourself! Someone once said, "that a person who is all wrapped up into them self makes a mighty small package!"
Have a blessed day!
Pastor Ted
(and me, Marjorie)

Basket Case

My good friend, Robin, gave me a book by Debbie Taylor Williams, "IF GOD IS IN CONTROL, WHY AM I A BASKET CASE?" "Extraordinary Choices for a Joy-Filled Life."
I have been reading this book and participating in the lessons and I have found an old hero in the Bible that has become my new hero. You may know him, Paul.  If you don't know him I'd love to share a little bit with you.
Paul was one of these men  who hated Christians, he would kill them and stone them to death. He didn't believe Jesus Christ did what he said he would do nor believed he was the Son of God. You may know someone like this; I do.
Paul had a change of mind and heart when God showed up and radically changed his thought process.
He became on fire about what Christ did and became an ambassador for the Word of God, an encourager while in prison. He had many pot holes in his life such as: being flogged more severly, prison more frequently, been exposed to death again and again. Five times he received from the Jews 39 lashes. Three times he was beaten with rods, once stoned, shipwrecked three times, spent a night and a day in the open sea, on the run,  in danger in the city, the country. He was in danger from the rivers, countrymen, from Gentilies, and from false brothers. Paul labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep, food, and liquid. He has been cold and naked. Through all of these troubles and trials, Paul continued to give praise and glory to God. He stayed focus on God and his plan. (2 Corin 11:23)
I am still concerned that my family won't accept me, my friends will think I talk to too much about Christ. Sometimes I think I ought to stay at home and boast about the Lord to my dog; she wouldn't ignore me.
To become an Apostle like Paul, I probably should not worry about my family and friend's responses,  but should just keep looking to the maker of the stars. If Paul can trust God in all his circumstances; why shouldn't I? Why shouldn't you?
Today I ask you to join me, to NOT live in despair, frustration, anger, and self-pity, but instead live an extraordinary life and realize God has appointed you and me to serve Him in the midst of circumstances, live in grace and peace, and be assured of God's love.
I am a basket case because I choose to base my identity and feelings on my circumstances and relationships rather than what God says about me and my relationship with him.
Today, I choose a different path. If someone disagrees with my excitement over Jesus' death and resurrection and doesn't want to hear what I have to say,  that is their choice. For me and my house, we will serve the Lord, speak of his victories through my life and my circumstances.
I pray you will choose an extraordinary life filled with joy and peace!

You can visit the author Debbie Taylor Williams at her website http://www.debbiewilliams.com/ and look over her studies. I promise you will not be disappointed. I pray that through the love of Christ we will become great friends.   Thanks to Debbie for her obedience to the Lord and all she has to share with women like me.

A song sang to God!

(Moses and  the Isrealites sang this song to God)

I'm singing my heart out to God-what a victory!
He pitched horse and rider into the sea
God is my strength, God is my song,
and, yes! God is my salvation.
this is the kind of God I have
and I'm telling the world!
This is the God of my father-
I'm spreading the news far and wide!
God is a fighter
pure God, through and through.
Pharaoh's chariots and army
he dumped in the sea,
The elite of his officers
 he drowned in the Red Sea.
Wild ocean waters poured over them;
they sank like a rock in the deep blue sea.
Your strong right hand, God shimmers
with power,
your strong right hand shatters the enemy.
In your  mighty majesty
 you smash your upstart enemies,
You let loose your hot anger
and burn them to a crisp.
At a blast from your nostrils
the waters piled up
the surging waters stood firm like a wall;
the deep waters congealed in the heart of
the sea.

If you would like to read more of this song travel to Exodus 15:1-18 and read it in its entirety.
He is the same God today, yesterday and will be the same tomorrow.

Is it enough to say I want love? I want love and more.

I imagine friends of mine that are married and truly love one another sitting at home and watching a program or reading. They have been through some serious tough times. When one is down the other lifts him/her up. I've noticed  they encourage each other too, support one another with their mission fields. I've seen them be complete upset with each other, but they manage to kiss and make up. I don't live with them of course, but I imagine  there are days they stay in bed, one reading to the other or   both are reading the same book. I imagine them praying together before they seperate and go to work or go to sleep.
They talk about their finances as payday approaches and make decisions together as to what to buy for their home or their family.
I want that too. I am almost certain I speak for every single person out there. I've tried the online dating game. I can only say, I've made some good friends. I think that when I put my hand in God's plan, I stir the batter and add too much flour or too much milk to it. I'm ready to surrender to the Lord and let him bring me my best friend for life.
I made a decision to write down what I'm looking for in a man. He first has to love the Lord and  love everything else second. His heart needs to be so hidden in Christ, I have to go through Christ to get to him.
Sometimes, I think, I love the Lord so much that noone can compare and therefore can't compete with him either. So wouldn't that leave me without a spouse and totally committed  to Christ? It might, but what I know, what I have learned, is that God didn't want Adam  to be alone and he wouldn't want me to be alone either..
When I've made a choice to commit to a marriage; somehow it went wrong. For once in my life, I want it to go right.
If you know someone, that has his heart so hidden in Christ that I have to go through Christ to get to him, please let me know. I'm open for suggestions and who knows, maybe God will use you to lead me tomy best friend for life.
Thanks for letting me share this and I ask you to pray for me to continue to surrender to the Lord's plan and not my own.
Jeremiah 29:11-12
 I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen.

I hope this ripple will touch you.....

God, My Shepherd!
I don't need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from
True to your word
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.

Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I'm not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepheerd's crook
makes me feel secure.

You serve me a six-course dinner
right in front of my enemies
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims with blessing.

Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I'm back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life.

Psalm 23 from the Message
The throwing of a rock makes a ripple. You never know who your message will touch.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

You know the story and you know there is a happy ending.  But the story I am about to share is still going on.
There was a time when I was sleeping on nothing except a mattress in a cold room. This room had no carpets and no curtians on the window. It was in an apartment rented by another occupant; it was a safe place to put my head for a few days. I am very thankful for this person in my life and the kindness of their heart to allow me to stay there for a short time.
During my stay in this room, the Lord changed me. If you have ever gone through a transformation, you know it's NOT easy; no matter what kind of change it is.  "Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes."

What do you see when you look in a mirror? Do you forget what you see when you walk away from the mirror? Do you look at the person's eyes in the mirror? What do you see behind the eyes?
I did and I saw a mess! I saw ugliness, shame, guilt, worthlessness, a reject, and a hopeless being. I saw me.

I literally took out a mirror and looked at myself. I HATED what I saw.
 I sat there and cried, talked to God. I told him, "I wish I was dead."  "I wish I had never been born." "He messed up when he made me." I told him I was tired of being in this pit of mine.

Let me share what my pit looked like. It was a BLACK hole, with no stepping stones, but it had muddy wet walls; slimy feeling to it. There was a lid at the top of my pit, not any pine straws, no grass, no hint of light whatsoever.  I knew I was NOT going to get out of my pit either. It didn't feel good, but it sure appeared to be my home for the rest of my life.

 Then in a split moment I knew what I had  to do. It was as if God came and sat with me on the floor of this cold room. I had to pick up the mirror and forgive myself for all the things I had chosen to do that brought
me to this place.  You see, we don't fall into pits; we walk towards them. The choices we make leads us into them.

Now you may think it's easy to forgive yourself, but it wasn't for me. I had come to a place in my life that I didn't like who I was. When I began to name each offensive action I made, and asked God to forgive me and chose to forgive myself, the dirt was coming off.  By the time I had finished my list of nasties, the Lord had washed me clean. I was still in my pit, but it was beginning to have stones poking out of its sides. I was able to take a step up. I was informed, by the Spirit of God, that each stone represented someone in my life that was helping me to step up and out of my sinkhole. My daughter, my co-worker, a pastor, a friend, and the list goes on.

Not this particular day that I am speaking of, but another. I felt the sun shining in my well. I was now at the top of my sinkhole and stepping on the last stone with God reaching his hand down, pulling me up, and helping me to reach the fresh air. I was standing at the top of the ground and not on the floor, in the dark, cold place anymore.

When we choose to make a change, there are people in our paths that are our balcony people. They pray for us and with us.  These people give us words of encouragement: "you can do it."  "I believe in you." "You can't do it alone, but I am here for you and willing to help." "are you thirsty?" "are you hungry?" "what can I do for you?"

Make the choice today to make a change in your life.  Talk to someone about the unclean, nasty crud in your life, and allow God to lead the way.  Your life story will make a difference in someone else's life. 
One day, they will need to hear your story.

Today, I look in the mirror and I see Jesus; I can't do anything apart from him. When I look in the morror, if there is any mud on me, I have to go to him and ask him to wash it away. He's the only one who can.
I dont' know what water hole you are in, what well you have stumbled upon, or what cave you have entered into, but I am here to listen to your story.  I am here to be a balcony person for you.
I hope you will share it with me.

Lord, as you helped me rise above my circumstances, I pray you will help my friend here too.
Thanks Papa, Marjorie

Do you like to party?

I do too. The music that gets you in the groove, the party favors, the food. Oh man the food! The cakes, cookies, Chocolate! Can't have a party without chocolate.
The chips and dips, the finger foods. Oh man,how great it looks in my mind's eye.

But whose the guest? Who is being honored at the party?
Where are the gifts? What are the gifts?

What if I told you, you were the guest of honor and you brought the only gift needed? You brought yourself and nothing more.
And the party still took place?

That is what happens in heaven when you just show up and accept Christ in your heart, He throws a party. It might not be like I described earlier, but he does hold a celebration in your honor. When you show up just as you are, ready to make a change in your life, and allow Him to help you make those changes, there's a party!

Ask yourself these questions:
1) do you believe Jesus Christ died for you and proved he was God by coming back to life?

2) do you accept God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins?

3) do you want to switch to God's plan for your life?

4) are you ready to express your desire for Christ to be the director of your life?

If you answered "yes" to these four questions, it's time to show up for your party.


Need help with prayer?  Let me hold your hand and let's go together and surrender.

Lord, I believe you died for me, I ask you to forgive me. I don't know what your plan is for my life, but it's gotta be better than what I'm going doing now. Lord, will you come into my life and change me?
Will you take the director's chair and lead me?
Amen

I still have your hand, email me or call me and let's talk about the next step. Let me know if you showed up for your party. I want to be invited to celebrate with you.
Thank you, Marjorie 

Listen to 91.3 Hope FM for some encouraging words and hear how other's lives have been changed also. You are NOT alone!

Casting Crowns - Does Anybody Hear Her

Would You Die For ME?

In or around 1992 I use to ask my friends and boyfriends "Would you die for me?" I would place us in scenerios that would cause this person to make a choice to die for himself or die for me. It's strange, they would (most of the time) say no they would not die for me, why wouldn't they after all they said they love me.
I wanted them to love me so much that they would trade their life for mine. Isn't there anyone on earth that loves me that much? Don't you want someone to love you so much that they would give the very breathe they breath for you? I wanted to be put on a pedestal and loved beyond all measure. 
Then one day around Easter, I was in a church service. The Pastor told us to write down on a sheet of paper what we wanted to give up.  I don't remember what I wrote, but what I do remember is this wooden cross that was handmade and placed in the sanctuary. We had to nail our papers to the cross. 
I stood at my seat and cried. That cross was more than a place to put my sheet of paper with what I wanted to surrender. That cross was a representaion of Jesus' love more me and that he died for ME. I was born with sin in my life and he died to save me from the torment and bondage of this world. There was no scenerio, I didn't have to ask him, he did it just because he loves me.
So, if you are looking for love and maybe in the wrong places, you will find it in HIM, Jesus Christ.

Humility

"Humility is neither self promotion nor self demotion. It's teachability and putting others before yourself."

We live in such a world that is all about "ME," "WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?" 
What happened to caring for your neighbor? Who is your neighbor?  Do you know the person(s) living next door or down the street to you? Is what is happening in your neighborhood only affecting you?
What do you do for others?

I was watching this commercial about baking cookies for a class, and that gave an idea to someone else to make cookies for another person, and  the idea of giving and doing goes on. I don't remember the company it was promoting or the idea. What I do remember is how everyone was thinking of someone else.
Putting others before yourself.

Recently, I was at a conference with my co-workers and took the opportunity to shake Loui Giglio's hand and ask him some questions. My good friend, mentor, and Lil Brother Adam introduced me to Loui with honors and accolades about me. I felt less than humble.  You may ask "what is that?" It's a person who doesn't think they are worthy enough to be on the same road or in the same room as others. I was so excited to be shaking the hand of Loui Giglio the Pastor who talks about "How Great is Our God," makes videos and is interesting to listen to. I didn't feel worthy to be in the same room as him or any of the other radio personalities there. I wasn't on the radio, I didn't have hundreds or thousands of people listening to me.
Who am I? I'm just the Office Manager. Who am I that gets to sit in this conference and listen to these amazing speakers?
In the past few months,since our trip to Orlando, God changed me with humility to stride-stepping out confidently, purposefully, positively, and selflessly to care and help His ministry grow.
From the experience of listening to "big radio personalities," business men and women about networking, and how to make the ministry better, God has shown me that he has a place for me in His mission field.

Humility is taking yourself out of the equation and making sure others are provided with the tools they need to succeed. God will make sure you are given your tools to make you succeed.
I"m no longer "just the Office Manager," I'm Marjorie the office personality that partners with others to spread God's love. Apart from Christ, I can do nothing. Apart from the body of Christ, I cannot do it alone.
It brings me great joy to answer the phone, take your monthly donation so you can be a partner also in God's work, and I enjoy praying for others too. There is no other place I'd rather be than working in God's mission field.

When we stop looking at ourselves with what we don't have and begin looking at ourselves with what God has given us, we can do amazing things for others.
I look at the glass being half full, other times I don't; I look at the glass being half empty.
I use to look at my life and think "I don't have money, I don't have a job, and I don't have a higher education." I use to think I couldn't do anything worth a dime. Then I learned to look at what I did have such as, a car, a little bit of gas, two good arms, two good legs, and a lot of time on my hands. I started focusing on what I could do for others while I was trying to change my life.
The Lord says "Humble yourselves before me and I will lift you up" and he also says "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

So, what does humility look like to you? Are you trying extremely hard to show how good you are at your job or are you trying to help someone else succeed at their job? Are you willing to take the lowest paying job or are you waiting for that high profile job?  Take Jesus as an example, he washed the feet of his disciples (I am sure they were pretty dirty feet because they walked in sandals back then) and is the same man who died on a cross sinless for our sins.
Humility isn't glamorous, but it is being meek and NOT weak.