God Size Beginnings

Why do we get so surprised when God does God size things? He is God of love, God of all-knowing, and God all powerful.  We worry about things that we have no need to stress over. We try to do all things in our power and then wonder why these things don't go our way.
We all get on this insanity cycle and either are too comfortable to get off of it or we are filled with so much fear that it paralyzes us to move forward.
I have been on both sides of this fence, oh let me not forget that when we procrastinate it kills the action that needs to be completed. None the less, we expect different things to happen even when we keep doing the same things. Can you think of something in your life that you keep trying to make happen differently, but you keep doing the same thing and the results are the same?  Yeah, the insanity wheel.

Well the LORD has guided my steps to come off of my insanity wheel, at least one wheel. What I have found is that when I totally surrendered myself to God and said okay, I keep screwing things up so I'm just going to let  you have your way with me, my life changed. I was bound and determined that since I kept messing my life up, doing things my way and not listening to him, that he would want me to be alone for the rest of my life. I was trying to prepare myself for that very thing.  I dove more into what I was doing around me, adding more things to my plate to keep my mind occupied and on the go.
Then one day the LORD prompted me to make a phone call to a gentleman name Rodney who heads up Jesus Jam youth event in Crescent City; so I did. We talked and I offered help where the LORD was guiding me to.
The event was a success, I saw relationships renewed, lives changed, and a lot of good music, skits, and more.  After the event, Rodney and I talked more and more. As we kept in contact with each other, our friendship began to grow and it is still growing.  The things we shared about our walk with the world and with the LORD were amazing at times. We are still fascinated by what God is doing in our lives.
The Holy Spirit reminded me of a time back when I was 14 years old or younger. There was a boy in our neighborhood that I went to school with and his name was Rodney. He came to my house to visit and during that evening, I knew that he was the one I was going to marry. I knew it in my spirit that I was going to marry him because his name was Rodney. I couldn't explain it, I just knew it. Well, a few days later, Rodney was cleaning his hunting gun to prepare for a weekend trip with his dad and the trigger went off. When I got the news, my heart sank and I guess I gave up on my feelings. After all, I was taught that feelings are facts.
One evening a few weeks ago, I was talking face to face with Rodney and my spirit swelled up in me and I lashed out.."your name! your name!" Rodney looked at me with peace and said "yes, what about my name." I told him about the story I just told you.
The Holy Spirit as the reminder shared that with me. I had forgotten it.  I also had a day where I questioned if I should get as close I have been with Rodney because of his past and mine. I have learned to go to my knees and talk with God about where He is at work in my life around me.  I want to please God before anyone else and do His work before my own. God quickly gave me peace about Rodney and me with what we do, say, and go. The spiritual world I experience when I am with Rodney is like no other time with others that I have been around. I know that God will reveal to others what He wants others to see through our walk.

What I didn't know before that phone call, was that Rodney had asked the LORD for me.
Can you see the picture? I resided to being so hidden in Christ that the boy would have to go to the Father and ask for me; just as Rodney did.   I know that the covering of the Lord is shifting from us being individuals to being one in the Spirit of the Lord. I don't know exactly what God is doing with us, but what I do know is that what I am experiencing with Rodney through Christ is God sized. What is going to happen is God driven and God completed. I am enjoying the journey of experiencing God.
Just a thought, if God knew us while were in our mother's womb than it is possible He knew us before we were there too.

Experiencing a God size beginning,

~Marjorie

New Beginnings

♫ I'm in a hurry to get things done, oh I rush and rush until life's no fun. All I really gotta to do is live and die, but I'm in a hurry and don't know why.♪  Do you know this song by Alabama? It really explains how I lived my life. I did things my way. I remember a time in my life that my parents and siblings tried to explain to me that I didn't have to get married at age 18. I didn't listen, I wanted my life to begin, be my own boss, and do what I wanted to do.
Little did I know that that was the beginning of the hardest life's lessons I had to endure. It was a good time too, don't get me wrong. I have two beautiful children and a grandson that came from this adventure I call "wild child years."
My "wild child years" didn't stop until 2005 or more. I still wanted to have both of my feet on each side of the road.  You know what I mean. The left foot is on the bible side and the yellow line in the middle with the right foot on the worldly side. I wanted my cake and to eat it too. I quickly found out that the Lord wanted all of me. So one day, I realized what I was doing, how being worldly made me feel and I decided that one Saturday evening coming home from Celebrate Recovery that I wanted all of God's blessings. So I turned my life around and made a complete change.
The best way for me to express what is happening in my life would to call it "New Beginnings." You see, I cling to what the LORD says in His word.
Psalm 37:3-4 
Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
 ⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
I truly believe that if the LORD wants me to surrender to His desires therefore His desires become my desires. I only have to trust in Him and do what He wants me to do.
I recently recognized that sometimes we relapse into our old selves in order to allow God to move us forward. We are tempted without knowing why and we relapse. It is in that moment we make a choice to live in this is old lifestyle or not.
No matter what I walked through I knew the Lord wanted to restore to me what the locusts have stolen.
“ So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you." Joel 2:25
I recently shared with you that Jesus showed me that I was in a relationship with Him and it really opened my spiritual conscious. I really enjoyed the reality of a personal, realistic, and progressive relationship with the Creator. He loves me and I love him, what could be better? Having a partner to share God's love with others, enjoying pleasing God the way He wants to be pleased and journeying on a road that He paves and not ourselves.
This to me would make life better. I want a relationship where I am free to be me, trusted, and not afraid of anything; a warrior. Yes, a warrior for Jesus in my life, that is what I want.
I think God looked at me and laughed "haha, I know what you want because it's what I want too." I wasn't looking for anyone to be my partner, I wasn't "scoping the scene," or
even looking. I honestly was crying out to God and surrendering that since Timothy states that it is better to be alone and serve the Lord that is what I will do.  I found peace in my heart when I surrendered to this reality.
I can honestly say that my life has changed and it is changing in ways I never thought or imagined, but isn't that like God?  He says his ways are higher than my ways and his thoughts are higher than my thoughts, so why should I be surprised at what he is accomplishing through me?  I'm not surprised anymore.  I have my spiritual conscious eyes open and I can see him at work around me. I love it.
I have so much to share, but for now I must go and do the work he has prepared for me to do today.
I pray you are seeing God's love like you have never seen it before. He truly is the King of kings and the Lord of lords and loves with an everlasting love.
Hmmmmm, oh how I love him.

~Marjorie

Broken Hearts to Transformed Hearts

When you hear the word "professional" what comes to your mind? I think of a person that has gone to school and has obtained the required credits to receive a plaque and then hangs it on their wall. A professional _______ (you fill in the blank).
Jesus didn't call the elite, he called the lowly to accomplish His work, right?
It is written this way in the Message
"Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God."" 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
I often wonder why God has me talking to certain women and youth when it appears their problems need a professional counselor; not me.
I expressed my concerns to a friend and his response was "you are the professional." I replied with "huh?"  Once he explained what he meant another friend, a day later, gave the verse above. 
Now it all is clear to me and I hope it is to you too.   God of Creation is about relationships right? We go and do worldly things sleep around, eat bad foods, drink to get drunk, smoke to feel better, and the list goes on and on. He, God Almighty, comes at that moment you are in the darkest pit.  He comes with His arms stretched down ready to pick you up and see if you are going to reach up to Him.  We have to walk through some serious garbage in order and get to our lowest of lows sometimes. We don't know why people treat us the way they do and hurt us along the way. We don't even know why we hurt other people sometimes, but we do.  It is at the moment we decide to make a change in our lives. We turn from the ways of the darkness of this world and towards the light of Jesus Christ. Now, He has something to work with and change now that we've surrendered.
So now we're on this road of recovery and we happen to have people in our path that can help us. I've always said,  that people need to hear your story. It's true because you are now the "professional" that they need to help them in their garbage.
I like being an ambassador for Christ. I am willing to talk to anyone about Jesus that will listen to me, but most importantly will listen to Jesus through me.
In my mind's eye I can hear a crying heart of a child, a youth, a woman, and a man. In my heart, I know there are people, like me, desiring a change to be made. Some of them have no control over their environment and others have a lot of control, they are just not willing and ready to make the change. For some of these people they don't even know there is a change possible for them.
I had a friend ask me "why are you being nice to me." Isn't that a loaded question? I didn't have to think to hard or long over my answer because I knew why. The problem I had was saying the right words for her to understand why. You see God is love. Jesus lives in me and forgives all sins when we ask. God is the God of Restoration and he has and is restoring me. If God can forgive me and restore me shouldn't I love others too? Shouldn't I be an example to others? Therefore, if God is love and He loves me than I have love and can show love. I know I was called by God to help this young lady,  but what I have found is that I see me in her. Ironic isn't it? God calls me to help out someone else that reminds me of me?
I lead by my example; my own experience that God has seen me through time and time again. He still loves me, He died for me and restored me to sanity.
Some people see God as they do their earthly Fathers. People today believe that God doesn't care about them, will leave them, wants to hurt them, and has no time for them. My dear friend, that is a lie from the pit of hell. Satan and his demons wants you to be separated from the love of God. He wants you to believe those things so that He can keep you in torment.  Oh precious one, God's word tells us that He cares about our every thought, word, emotion, problems, and situations. God does not hurt you He loves you and He is there for you 24/7. In the middle of the night, you may not be able to call your best friend Doris, but you can call on Jesus. He's waiting to hear from you. All you have to do is start the conversation. By the way, He already knows your name because He gave you your name. Just talk to Him about your hurt, habit, or even a hang up you have. Talk to Him about what you are mad about. He will listen and He will answer you. Sometimes His answers come in an instant and other times it is gradual. One thing is TRUE though; He's an on time God.
You can even write a letter to Him; he reads too.
Need some help talking or praying? I'll help you....
God I am hurting because __________________.
God I am angry because ___________________.
God I've read and hear that you love me, I need you to show me that love.
Start pouring your heart out to Him; He'll listen and He will answer.
"If you love me you will hear me. The reason you do not hear me is because you are not of God."
This means that if you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, you will not hear from God. No one comes to the Father accept through His Son, Jesus.  Ask Jesus into your heart today, right now.
He will lead and guide you into all truth.  He promises this and cannot lie.

~Marjorie

God of Restoration

"Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid."
You can read the whole story of the demon possessed man in Mark 5;1-20. I find it interesting that Jesus, who sits with the sick and lost, was asked to leave a group of people because they were afraid of Him and not the now clean spirited man.  Anyways..
I am excited what God has been revealing to me this month.  He is truly a God of restoration. I know that there is nothing good that is in my sinful nature, but in my spiritual nature is a GREAT GOD!
I know that I am not who the world says that I am. I am not even someone that I think I am. No, I'm a new creature in Christ. He has taken away an unclean spirit within me that I cannot explain to you, but I can say I understand the torment that the demon possessed man experienced in the book of Mark.
I am eager to find out what all God will restore to me in the coming year. I know He isn't a Jeannie and will grant me wishes; no that is a farce. I do know that the desires of my heart He will fulfill as long as they are aligned with His desires for me. Yes, that it is. I want my desires to be His desires because I know God wants to give me the Whole Disney World.  I just want to shout for joy over what God has done in my life. I want others to know just "How Great is Our God."

I recognize that I have not shared many things that the Lord has restored and this may leave you feeling like I am not sharing my testimony. Well  the truth is that He isn't ready for me to share all that He is accomplishing in my life. When I do; it will be good, but with God it is GREAT; promise.
I want to encourage you today. If you are feeling low and left behind, you aren't. There are hurting people everywhere. I suggest you call a friend, a co-worker, a pastor, a community leader, an agency that can and is willing to talk with you. You are not alone and whatever you are going through He is with you and will see you to the other side. Hold onto the truth that is with Jesus Christ and see the waters part.

~Marjorie

Have you called on the 9-1-1?

So there has been a time in your life that you have people around you are ready with their tongues sharpened and hurting you with the words coming out of their mouth. The one person you thought you could trust with your every thought, word, and life, steps on your like a bug, treats you with the worse kind of ugliness you have ever known. There is a pit in the middle of your stomach that is tight and you just want to regurgitate. You are so very hurt and angry that  you just know that the end of the world is coming like that of a wild fire in the forest. These people around you are going to devour your life or you hurt so much that you want to take your own life.  What good is that going to do you?

Do you know about the birds in the forest? When there is a forest fire and a mother bird has her babies with her, she scoops them under her wings to protect them from harm. After the fire spreads through and the forestry rangers are walking the grounds to survey the land they do not just walk past a bird in belief it is dead. No,  they will flip the bird over and find her babies are all safe and ready for feeding time. Your secret place of the Most High God is just this way. He wants to scoop you up and protect you; cover you with His royal robe. In order for the babies to be scooped up by the mother bird, they must be close enough for her to reach them. Your presence with the Lord is the same way. You see, even if you are not walking close to the Lord, but close enough for Him to scoop you up, you can rest in His safety.  God is not this huge monster looking creature from the blue lagoon. No He is gentle, loving, and kind. He wants to just love you. He wants you to know him in return. He has no intentions of hurting you, but to be true to you. 

The next time you are hurting and it appears that there is no where to go. Call one of His names, God Almighty, Father God, Papa, Mi Dios....any name you know.  He will come to your rescue and scoop you up in his arms for safe keeping. Yes, there is a safe place you can run to and be loved like no other.

 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
         Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
         My God, in Him I will trust.”
    Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
         And from the perilous pestilence.
  He shall cover you with His feathers,
         And under His wings you shall take refuge;
         His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
  You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
         Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
  Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
         Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
         Psalm 91:1-6

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Look at the birds closely and see yourself being protected and loved like these youngsters.

A Real, Personal, and Practical Relationship

When you hear the word "love," what do you associate it with? A person, a place, or a thing?
Most of us do. I've recently looked at "love" in a whole new light; God's light.
You hear it said, "Jesus loves you," "God is love," or "no matter what you've done, Jesus loves you." But my question to you now is, do you love Him? Do you know Him?
I am involved in my church wide "Experiencing God" series until November. Recently, I had the opportunity to examine my own real, personal, and practical relationship with the Creator of Heaven and Earth. I had an "ah-ha" moment when I read: "Love must be real and personal.  A person cannot love without someone to love. A love relationship with God takes place between two persons."You may think that this is elementary 101 in relationships. Well, for me I didn't look at my love for God or His love for me as a "love-relationship."
You read questionnaires that ask "Are you in a relationship?" What is the first thing that comes to your mind? A boy or a girl physically on earth, right?  What if you are not in a "physical" relationship, but a Spiritual one? Does that count? To me it does.
At the moment I read that statement, I felt a since of peace. I felt good in my own skin. You see, I always thought that I had to have a man in my life. I thought I was defined by a relationship with another human being. Those three sentences spoke volumes to me. I do not have to have a physical relationship, I am in a Spiritual relationship and I love it.
I surrendered that day to the Lord completely. I didn't and I don't want to hold anything back from my real, personal, practical, and now progressive relationship with God Almighty. I began to experience life in a whole new way. God has begun to restore to me what the locusts have eaten.
I know that a relationship with God Almighty is more important than a relationship with a man on earth. My focus changed from searching for a "man" in my life to "God is love" in my life.  What I have learned the most is that God is an EXTREMELY realistic and absolutely loving, forgiving, and personal God.
I am so in love with Him that I am floating on clouds. I can feel His arms wrapped around me, I can feel Him kiss me on the cheek, and I KNOW that He walks next to me. We laugh, talk, eat a meal together, and He showers me with His love through other people. I have experienced Him saying "I see you and I have heard you." " I know the depths of your heart's desire and I want to give you MY Best."
The best way I know how to describe God's best is that you and I think that Wonderland at Disney is God's Best when His Best is the whole Disney World.  The funny thing is that HE CAN if He wants to give us Disney World.
If you have children, grandchildren, or nieces,/nephews don't you want to give them your best?  Are you going to give them a stone when they ask for bread? Are you going to give them a snake when they ask for fish? No you will want to give them the best bread and the best fish.

God gave you His Best already, His only Son Jesus. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pilate the Governor, was crucified, dead and buried. On the third day, He rose from the grave, ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
He was bruised and beaten beyond recognition because of  your sins. Man, God loves you with a love that is indescribable. He loves ME with a love that is unimaginable and He loves US AS WE ARE.

I encourage you today, choose a life of LOVE with a God that LOVES YOU So very much.
~Marjorie

I am so in love that my heart melts like chocolate under a light flame. Hmmmm. I hope you choose to experience this kind of love too.

Focus

What is your focus on today? The troubles of your life, the wrong actions of someone else, the nasty fight you had with a friend or family member, or the fear of the unknown of today?
These things mentioned probably leave you feeling despaired, lonely, angry, hurt, tormented, frustrated, weak, worthless, hopeless, and down right nasty.  Why? Do you want to feel these things?
Just writing these words I felt my body tense up, I desired to grind my teeth, and squint my face. YUCK! That doesn't feel good, so why would you want to feel that or even do that.
A soft rose petal, the smell of a sweet fragrant perfume, chocolate, a cruise ship, smooth waters on a lake, a sunrise and a sunset, love, silk and satin, a warm blanket, scents of wood, clean air, fresh cut grass. AHHH! Now that is more like it. I feel relaxed, a smile came upon my face, and the list was longer.
There is a lot more to life that we live. Your choice, your battle between your ears is yours, I hope your choices make you feel warm and fuzzy inside instead of walking around with your panties in a wad; nasty.
What do you love? I didn't ask "who" do you love. I asked you what do you love? Do you love food? Do you love a nice ride on a sunny afternoon in a car or on a bike?  Why do you love it? My guess is that it makes you feel good in some way, shape, or form.
How did you get to know that you love it? Did you spend time doing it? Did someone introduce you to it?
Maybe it was from something that happened when you were a kid.
Falling in love is powerful. Life is that dance we do in the space between "making it happen" and "letting it happen."
So now what is your focus on? Perhaps being the bigger person (not the better person) saying "I'm sorry for ________" in that argument you recently had, maybe re-focusing on your blessings (gifts) from Father God that loves you more than stuff or anything you could ever do. Instead of being in fear of the unknown, maybe you could have "faith" that you are about to walk into a huge blessing and you're out there looking for that blessing. What you think about, you bring about. What are you focused on?

Just when you think Jesus Christ isn't in your life, boom there He is; ever present. What are you focused on today? Death or Life?  I encourage you to chose life.

"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence O Lord.
They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness."

God is LOVE; choose the Love of Jesus Christ. It will change your life forever. 

Satan is DEATH; your panties in a wad is just plain nasty.

~Marjorie

R E S P EC T and Love!

What kind of love relationship are you chasing after today?
The relationship we most jump into are the ones that make us feel good, loved, sexy, giggly, and special.  Is this love though or are they just emotions that we let lead us?

Okay, so a boy and girl get together, they like the way the other one looks, smells, feels, and that warm and fuzzy feeling comes along. Now we think this must be love so is it?
We need to have a mental meter that will keep track of how much time is spent together, how much information is shared, and gauge if their words match their actions.  It takes time to get to know someone.  You must experience them, learn to trust them, and see if they are who they say they are.
I'm not an expert on relationships but there is a relationship that I've been pursuing. I've been listening to what words are used, what I am like after we spend time together, and not only do I pay attention to my feelings but my actions.
I know what I want, but I know God wants to give me and I need His best.
I've been spending a lot of time with God lately and recognizing the love relationship I have with Him. I know I love Him and I know He loves me.  What I didn't recognize was that this is a 'relationship.'
I work with girls and I continuously tell them to seek a relationship with God first and become familiar with what HE says about them. I didn't realize until now that this is a 'love relationship' I am encouraging them to seek after.
God is forever at work in our lives and we are usually too busy to notice. We want what we want. We tell God to meet us where we want changes in our lives. We tell God what needs to change instead of listening to God and hearing what He says what needs to change.  We didn't speak the stars into existence, we didn't tell the sun where to stand in the morning or the moon at night. Who are we tell God what to do?
When was the last time you met a gentleman; a true gentleman?  He is the one that doesn't push you into a relationship but pursues you. He treat you with respect and loyalty.
God is this gentleman.  Woman, you need to be so hidden in Christ the man has to go to Christ to get to you.  In another era, boys had to go to the girl's father to ask them out on a date or even ask for the girls hand in marriage. Daddy's don't do this anymore.
My Father God does though. I've become so close to Christ that I want the man to go to Christ and ask for His permission. Why?  Because God knows what kind of man I need in my life. Jehovah Jireh knows what kind of partner and helper I need in my life.
Oh, the flesh rears it's ugly head, but it's better to die to flesh than get into trouble down the road.
I share this because I see young girls on the corner hugging and playing with the boy who's interested in her. She laughs and giggles at him while he is whispering in her ear, touching her butt ever so casually, but none the less is doing it. Where has the self respect gone? Who is teaching self respect in today's culture?
Ladies here's a few things you might want to consider:
God loves you just as you are.
He knows what is best for you.
God knows how you long to be loved and desired.
God wants to love you first and be first in your life before a guy.
Be so hidden in Christ that the boy has to go to your Papa and ask for permission.
Modest is Hottest. No, hanging out of your shirt or shorts are not pretty it says "easy" and leads to torment in your life.
Aretha Franklin said it best "R E S P E C T yourself!"
When you don't respect yourself, you lose yourself, and it leads to other problems such as abuse, rape, motherhood, prostitution, and drugs.
RESPECT YOURSELF and others will respect you too.

~Marjorie