Q.T.I.P.

This past week I was out sharing what a qtip could really do to a person and for a person. The one thing I didn't recognize was the three fingers pointing back at me. Are you saying "huh?" do this exercise: close your fist, now point your index finger out. Your middle, ring, and pinky fingers are pointing back at you. I have been trying to prepare for a transition taking place in my home. As I am walking through it, nothing can prepare me for this. My heart has been heavy over the fact that I don't want my best friend to be angry with me, ignore me, or even feel like I am abandoning her. What I need to accept is that just as the Israelites told Samuel they wanted a king and wanted one now. I need to know the same response the Lord gave to Samuel. "heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day I brought them out of Egypt, even to this day- with which they have forsaken Me and served other other gods- so they are doing to you also." I Samuel 8:7-8 See q.t.I.p. Stands for Q- quit, T- taking, I- it, P - personally! Now get a real qtip out and put one in each ear. You will feel and experience the true meaning of this activity. Well I was reminded in the above scripture that whatever my friend says to me, does towards me, or even doesn't do or say is not geared at me directly. She is not rejecting me, but God. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, and against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against the wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 I have to realize and recognize the evil eyes I get, the negative responses and the rejection I receive is not directly towards me. I believe in healing, I believe that most of our yucky pucky's are between our ears and we have a choice to how we respond to what we hear or experience.  God told us who we fight against, He told us who is being rejected, and He told us how to handle it. In prayer I ask for the Lord to give my friend an awakening. I ask Him for a life changing experience to occur, but I also know His ways are higher than my ways. I know He is with my friend, and I know she has her own journey to take.  I thank the Lord that I have had this opportunity in my life to love on, share His goodness with my friend, and move us both into all that He has for us.  I choose today to stop taking this journey of life personally. It isn't about me, but Him, the Father God Almighty. I praise the Lord Jesus Christ for doing for me and you what we could not do for ourselves. I praise Him for this day. For this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.  So if you find yourself listening to what people say towards you that is negative, beating you down, or just merely criticizing you; put a couple of qtips in your ears.   It will change your perspective, I promise you! ~God's righteousness is encouraging     

Excitement!

Okay so today is just one wonderful day! If your frown is turned upside down, than I hope I can share my day and maybe turn your frown right side up.
I've been tired these past few days so I planned on sleeping in past six at the latest. Well my body wouldn't let me sleep fifteen more minutes, I was up and ready for a cup of coffee. The best part about this morning, was that I didn't have to get dressed.  That's right, I didn't have to follow the big and small hands on the clock, I didn't have to count down the minutes before my next task. It was GREAT!
So here I am getting my coffee, still in my pajamas and my hubby is clearing off the table in our dining room, which we don't use because there is a lot of stuff in this room. So, he clears off the table and we begin finding all the edge pieces in the box of 1,000 mixed pieces. It was GREAT! Then we started talking about things we did growing up. I jumped up to get my iPad and searched YouTube for "Conjunction Function" and  "Little Lulu."  Do you remember these oldies but goodies shown on Saturday mornings? It was GREAT!. Before we knew it the clock showed 9:30am. I wanted to go back to sleep so bad, but I couldn't. I was so hungry I had food dancing in my head. So I got up.
I stayed in my bed clothes until 12:30 or later in the afternoon. Oh, I cleaned my teeth, washed up a bit, but it was so good to just relax and take time for me.
How hard is it for you to relax and take some time for just you? It is important for us to take care of ourselves once in a while. I know we have children and spouses that need us to care for them. However, if we don't stop once in a while to smell the roses, we become worthless for others. Even God was our first example of relaxing, He called it the Sabbath. I think it's no so ironic that Saturday and Sabbath are so closely related in words. I knew growing up that my parents didn't do the same things on Saturday as they did on the other days.  They didn't call it anything different than "Saturday."
I wonder what it was like for people that are older than I am who really rested on Saturday. I wonder if they worked REALLY hard during the week, just so on Saturday they could "veg" out. I feel so relaxed, with some care of the world, but not like I do during the week.
I noticed I wasn't taking good care of me. I was running here and over there, I would make sure all the laundry is done by evening, and I made sure dinner was ready at a certain hour. It was too much for me. So today, I decided to tell my body to sit down and be quiet. I decided to do what I wanted to do because I was in need of some TLC. I had to give it to myself; that TLC. It feels pretty darn good.
If you are rushing to get things done, watching the time clock to get your stuff done, and in such a driven mode that you can't see past your nose; it's time to relax and rest.
Want to know where to read a little in depth on resting try Hebrews 4:1-13. It is a good book to read from beginning to the end.

~Enjoy your day off and remember to take precious moments for yourself!

Truth vs Blame

I remember sitting at the kitchen table with my dad who was trying to help me with my math homework. I have never forgotten two things he taught me. First, use graph paper it will keep your numbers lined up and second, the distance between two numbers is a straight line. The latter of the two has been repeating in my thoughts like a broken record. Why do we go through life taking detours and going the long way around situations sometimes? Jesus says we submit to His ways and He will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:6).
He tells us how he gives peace not as the world gives but as He gives.
Yet, we travel our own broken paths that wind, have sharp curves, hidden driveways, and lots of obstacles in the way.
My broken paths  have been crooked and caused a lot of hurt that requires healing. So what do we do to get the path straight? Well I  think Proverbs said it all....first submit. The next step is going to be for us to  confess our faults to ourselves, to God, and to someone we trust.
 This is going to require some action on our part such as facing the truths and being completely honesty! The light of God's truth will heal us, but we have to be willing to allow Jesus to be the light that exposes the dark. Stop the blame game. We cannot find peace if we continue to blame others or ourselves. If we do not face the truth of our secrets they isolate us and prevent us from having intimacy in all of our relationships.
Freedom is found in Christ from the bondage of sin. Obedience to the Lord is a new concept and means fellowship with Him. You cannot spend time with Christ and expect your life to remain the same. No, you experience freedom and love in that freedom of the broken roads.
Having faith in God can accomplish the impossible.
By accepting God's forgiveness we can start living in that freedom.
Ready to make a life changing action?
Are you ready to face the truth? Ready to stop blaming others and yourself?
The answer is in forgiveness.

Romans says, there is therefore, now no condemnation in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

There is freedom when we become ready for a lifestyle change.  Maybe your ready to face the truth and stop the blame game. Have a little talk with Jesus and make things right in your life.

~Be encouraged  It Only Gets Better!

Victories

Today I have a thankful, joy filled, and lightened heart. The other day it was just the opposite. My heart was filled with pure resentment. I had a hurt that was birthed more than ten years ago. I ignored it, buried it, and lied about it really hurting me. I carried a big and bad attitude "I'm not going to let this bother me, I am all right."  The problem with this attitude is that it affects me and the relationships within my life. This hurt that I said won't touch me, did to the inner depths of my soul.
Let's go on a trip back in time. There were a couple of times in my life that I put all of my trust into one person. I felt myself place my heart in my hands and say "here take care of this, I'm giving it all to you." The scripture says "Let God be true and every man a liar." Only I didn't know this back then. I thought a boy / man who had your heart was suppose to care for it, nurture it, and protect it; not crush it like a nasty bud on the floor. BUT, he did. I carried this hurt all the way through my life until now.
 I have been struggling with many things, but recently I know it's been acted out towards Rodney for things like his driving (which I am still concerned over-LOL), I didn't trust him to do what I asked him to do, and I really didn't trust that he was hearing from the Lord. I know now that I was deceived in thinking we were walking on two different roads. I was questioning why if God is leading him to go this way, then why wasn't I in the loop and wanting to go the same way? I bought the lie that  Rodney and God had their own clique and I wasn't welcome in it.  In  the mean time that I am struggling with Rodney's relationship with trusting God, He showed me something about my trusting others.
 Sunday morning I was waiting for some clothes to wash. I thought they would've been done by the time I was to go to church, "his church." I began to get angry and my anger turned into cleaning the house while slamming the doors, dropping brooms, etc. Can you relate? Yeah, I was mumbling under my breathe too.  I was fuming while shaking my fist at God for allowing all this to happen. Rodney even asked me if he had done something wrong. He didn't and I told him, but I didn't understand what was happening on the inside of me. I had a lump in my chest, I had hate in my heart and I just didn't understand it.
Rodney asked me to pray with him before he left, something we always do before leaving the house, but I told him no.  The word says that if you have something against your brother leave it there at the altar and go reconcile with him. Well I had no intentions of praying with him because I didn't want to slap God in the face with this contrite heart. Rodney left the room I was in and I figured he went out to pray. I was pulled to go to a spare room. So I laid down and told God through my tears just how I felt and I was tired of being tormented. Why didn't I feel led like Rodney? Why didn't I trust him to hear from God too?  Aren't we suppose to be one and isn't he suppose to go where I want to go? Why was my heart full of hate? I know that I love him dearly.
Well the Lord quickened my spirit. I knew what was wrong. I leaped off the bed and off to find Rodney. I told him I knew what was wrong. I did not trust him. I did not trust him to lead me into the unknown. I was sobbing in tears by now. He held me and told me God wouldn't allow that to happen, Rodney said he loved me and wasn't going to let me go.  Well I  have to tell you that I was hurting inside. My insides felt like a knife was tearing me up under my ribs.  I cried out for Rodney to not let me go while I sobbed so hard that I couldn't breath.
After an hour of his holding me in my desperate snot nosed tears, I finally said "okay, let's go to church." The Lord allowed the torment within my spirit because He needed to heal a wound so deep that no man, friend, or family member could touch.  It was for me and Rodney to walk through together so that our relationship would be stronger than any other we both have had. Our love is deep and lasting.
Before we could come to this place of peace, I had to surrender ALL that God had / has for me to endurel so do you. It's hard to trust people when you've been beaten down spiritually, emotionally, verbally and physically sometimes. God has taken this burden off of my heart, I can feel the sunshine within my heart again and that only comes from Him.
Jesus Christ of Nazareth came to break us free from ALL bondages. We must be the willing part to allow Him to make those changes in our lives. He will.
I can sing of the praises of God's grace and mercy, timing, and faithfulness. I can sing to an audience of one.
That day at church, the Lord has spoken to me and told me that we are to tell of His good deeds among the people. Read Psalm 105:1.
I've had writer's block until now. I've had doubts as to why I write, but now I know. I don't share my junk in my trunk just to air out my laundry. No, I tell you of the great deeds God has done through my dirty laundry so that you KNOW that GOD is the only one who can wash us and make us whiter than snow. Psalm 51.

If you are struggling with anger, hurt, or something you can't put your finger on, than I encourage you to seek God's face in private and allow him to openly answer you. It might hurt for a while, but it is well worth it.

~Be encouraged His words tells us of His works, our words tell others of His victories. Go tell someone what God has done for you today.  Blessings are gifts from God himself.

I have been so hidden in Christ that Rodney had to come find me.
Now I am in the covering of Rodney and Christ. 

New Found Hope

Words can be very powerful. They can make a person question many things, cause hurt and pain, be like an ointment on a wound, or they can portray joy, peace, love, and kindness. Words can even speak death.
Recently I got into a heated discussion about the translations of the Bible which lead to other topics of argument and then the grand finale with my words "You can have your Bible and you can have your God because I don't want any part of it!" I was so angry that in my haste I picked up my Bible, put it into a plastic bag and swung it under my bed.
My ground was shaking and I was falling apart. God had me in the palm of His hands and I didn't recognize it. Looking back now, 20/20 hind site, I know God allowed me to throw my temper tantrum just so I would surrender and be broken for Him.
Inside I was in torment because the devil had me where he wanted me. I felt the urge to pick up my phone to pull up the Bible application, but I didn't. I was being rebellious and stubborn.  I was not going to give in.
Then in the middle of this a friend, Sharon, text me to say that she was concerned over me. She had read one my blogs and my words concerned her. So I proceeded to share with her my wound. I know God sent her to help straighten me out. She definitely helped me; I love her dearly.
Through our trials, God cares so much for his chosen people that He reminds us of who He is.
I think of the chorus line in Kutless' song "You Are Everything."

You Are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need

I needed God's answers to my hurt and pain. I was desperate for Him and needing to truly know Him. I needed Him to show up and reveal Himself to me. Was this the God that I grew up knowing? Was  there a different God with a different agenda? I thought there was a different God out there ready to correct me with a baseball bat. The very thing that I grew up thinking, was right, it didn't make sense to me.  God showed up and showed out. First, he called me to confess my faults.  After a few discussions with Sharon, I was lead to read Psalms 51 just the first 4 verses. It was enough to allow me to ask for forgiveness for turning my poor attitude into a poor reaction, lead me to stop questioning this God who has taught me love.  It freed me up from the bondage of rebellion and stubbornness.
Next, God knew what I needed. The next morning I wasn't going to pull my Bible out from under my bed, but I did it anyways. I asked the Lord to show me just who He is and if what I have been taught from my youth until now is factual or phony.
He opened a whole new world of words for me. These words weren't new words, but just words that He used as ointment on my broken heart. Words such as "chosen, forgiven, loved, and Creator."
The next day, He showed me more words "success, love, humble, and perseverance."
Again, it was healing for me to spend time with Him in such a way that was peaceful and rewarding.

Growing up, I use to think the Bible was hard to read and it didn't make sense to me at all. Now, I know it doesn't matter what translation I use or what language it is in, if it's God inspired it isn't wrong to read.  I asked the Lord for understanding of His word before I begin reading it. I figured He could do that too since He is the author after all.
Sometimes we get so hung up on words that we miss  the heart of God's message. It's then that we miss the relationship that He longs to have with us.
I am back to reading His word diligently and intensely each morning, noon, and at night. Oh, how I love Him.


~ Be encouraged God's got ya even when you think you're falling off a cliff. He will help you understand His written word; after all He did create it.

Are You Being Shaken?

Have you been separated from someone you love? Have you intentionally separated yourself from someone or a group of people?  How did it leave you feeling? Sometimes we set ourselves up to be attacked by the enemy and we don't even realize it until afterwards. I have found that when we separate ourselves from the body of Christ we really set ourselves up for more than we asked for; at least I did.
I learned that when I separated from my friends and family in Christ, I opened a door for Satan to come in and attack me. I was questioning who God was (if you read my previous blog entry).
The next thing that happened was that I was separated from the love I received from my friends and family in Christ. When I was involved in Church I was encouraged when I greeted them on Sunday mornings by their warm hugs or hand shakes. I had a few brothers and sisters ask me how I was doing and if anything exciting happened in the week. I really found people in my path that cared about me. I knew that I could call on anyone of them if I was in trouble.  The funny thing is looking back now, is that I didn't call on any of them. None the less, I know now that I can and should call up a friend.
Following the lack of love I missed, confusion settled in. Now you may have heard that confusion is not from God. Yet, I have read in a book or two that God does bring on confusion. However, what I was confused about wasn't a healthy confusion and it wasn't from God. I was confused on who God was. I was listening to the serpent that met Eve in the garden. She got confused when Satan twisted God's words. He did the same thing with me. I was confused when listening to man's words instead of God's words. I know that the great "I am" rescued me from my self pity and dark well of hell. I was not looking into what I knew to be truth, but what someone else knew.  I now know what the statement means when told "find out for yourself."
Last separating myself from God's love left me in a state of torment. I was tormented by my own questions, doubts, and I was double minded. The body of Christ is there to help us to be sharpened by another iron. I've heard people say "I don't have to go to church to have a relationship with Christ." This may be true, but I know now that God tells us to go and fellowship with other believers for edification. I need someone praying for me, over me, and with me. I can not walk in this world alone. Neither can anyone else unless they enjoy the state of confusion.
Then I was reminded "you wouldn't be attacked like this if you weren't doing the right things for God." I believe I forgot who I worked for. I was trying my hardest to be humble and work for the Lord. I believe my  "self" got in the way and I was attacked. Sometimes trying to do right can lead us into the wrong when our focus is off.
I have learned who I can talk to when I need a friend who understands me. I know what I should be doing and where I should be going. We are not meant to be walking this earth alone and that is why God created families; both physical and spiritual.
If you find yourself walking alone and in torment. I encourage you to pray with me.
Father, according to your loving kindness and tender mercies, blot out my sins, wash me thoroughly and forgive me of my sins. For they are forever before me and I don't want to do wrong anymore. Help me to know YOU from YOU and YOUR word.

~Be encouraged He is holding you safely and still as you are being shaken.

Who Are You God?

Lately I have been struggling with what right name I should be calling God, what my worship should look like, and is God who He says he is.  I can only imagine you rolling your eyes and saying "come on Marjorie you know He is who He says He is."  Well I questioned these facts. There was much transformation going on in my life that I questioned God's name(s), why if I am an American was I adopted into the "Hebraic" family? If I was adopted into the "Hebraic" family should I just forfeit my heritage?  Does this mean that I am to call on or talk to God in his language and not mine? The world is a big place, what about the other countries that speak French, Spanish, and Turkey? Is my relationship with God changing now because I am not doing what some theologians or messianic Christians tell us to do? I read where Jesus' name was not his true name, traditions I have grown up with are not His traditions, His name means other things.
This truly distraughted me. I was questioning my own walk with Jesus. I cannot express how I felt during this time of questioning God and His Word.  It was really horrible.  I cried out day and night too. I didn't believe God was hearing me because I was feeling worse about life instead of better. I was ready to throw in the towel to all that I had told the Lord I would do.
My negative change began when I didn't go to church for personal reasons. I was in fellowship in different areas, but it wasn't the same. I believe that the devil was trying to come upon me and get me to separate myself  from my family. I also believe the familiar spirit of self pity was trying to find its open door to come back into my life.
I began a positive change when my husband prayed for me to be revived and asked God to place a right Spirit within me. Then a week later a friend prayed for me that I would have a revival in my Spirit. I didn't think much of it until a few days later.  I was recognizing my attitude towards a few people were abrasive, cold shouldered, and probably down right nasty. I was at work alone when I was prompted to go into one of the rooms and talk with God. I repented for my attitude towards those people, next I had to forgive the people in my life that had hurt me and had lead me wrong. Last, I cried out to God with my whole heart. He lovingly answered me back. It was amazing! Prayers were answered that day.
All that God has created us to do is  "to the praise of his glorious grace."  I don't have to call him by any specific translated name because he knows my heart. He has made me His chosen one. I didn't choose Him, I accepted him. Too many people want to tell us how to think, act, and follow their ways. This is legalism "my way is right and you need to follow it."  I now say, "you may think this, but I don't have to." I am a new creature in Christ, I am learning who He is through HIM. He has sifted me like wheat and I feel the transformation, but I know that my worship is more important to him now.
Jehoshaphat worshipped and yes knew God by his Hebraic names, but that was his culture.
Culture ~the behaviors and  belief characteristics of a specific social, ethnic, or age group.  I grew up in a culture that speaks a different language than Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I grew up in a culture that speaks English and English I will speak. I have learned a couple of foreign words, especially in Spanish.
But like Jehoshaphat, I will worship from my heart and that is ALL that God wants from me.
I am on a journey to know God more and I am changing as he changes me, not man.
I feel the rival happening within my soul and tonight I will be going to church to worship God. A few weeks prior to this struggle, I was going to church for all the wrong reasons. Why do you go to church? What does your knowledge of Christ look like? Does it look like what man has told you or is it what Jesus is showing you?

~Be encouraged, your relationship with Christ the son, Father God, and the Holy Spirit is more important than your relationship with the man set before you. Walk in HIS TRUTH!

Look UP!

I am almost certain that you know someone that is walking around in their sin. I am also certain that you may be praying for them. have you ever read the story of the bronze serpent? If not stop here and take a few moments to read Numbers 21:1-9.
Don't you want to just sake those Israelite people and yell "you got what you deserved!"
But not God, he is gracious and knows how to love them through this. It doesn't not say whether everyone looked at the snake and lived.  They followed a living God and were turning from idols at this time. Therefore, they probably didn't follow God's instructions through Moses and resulted in death.
Hmmm, the irony.
Jesus used this imagery when talking to Nicodemus in John 3:14-15. Do you remember what or where you were when you accepted salvation (the act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, or destruction)? Do you remember perhaps bowing your head in prayer or lifting your face to heaven? Do you remember lifting your soul to look up at Jesus on the cross?  Did you walk away thinking "that was easy?"
Just like the Israelite people, they thought it was too easy to just look at the bronze serpent and be saved. People today believe it's too easy also. But it is.  We hold ourselves back from being saved because we think it is something we should work hard for and accept; especially for the over achiever.
Jesus was placed on that pole, just like the bronze serpent, to save us from our own destruction. When we look to Jesus and accept His love; we live in an eternal life of love.
I don't know if this helped you today, but it sure helped me to pray for my friends and family that are walking in their own venom. My prayer has changed for them to just look up.


~Be encouraged, Jesus saves

Burnt Out or Going for Seconds?

Lately I have felt burnt out. I want a change in my life. I want a renewal, a fire in my belly, and revival of my Spirit. I've prayed and asked for it, but all I get is be still and know I am God.  I appear to have moments of a filled or over filled cup of the Word and then empty again. I think it's called dehydration.
I'm just going through the motions, don't care if what I do matters, feel weary and burnt out, do enough to get by and fill my commitments. I hear this is a dangerous area to be in.
I see where Python has been trying to attack me, but my God's not dead therefore neither am I. But I know that I need to reexamine my commitment to God. I ask myself though, haven't I done that? I have asked for a renewal in my Spirit, a fire in my belly; which I already mentioned.
In the book of Malachi it talks about how the Honor Priest did not give God  his honor nor their best. They pretty much went into ruins, not to mention how they neglected God's house and just down right dishonored him. A I read and listened to this chapter, it made me think of our world today. WE slap God in the face, we dishonor Him, we have become tainted and defiled just as the Priest were. We are no respecters of God. IF we were I
believe there wouldn't be so much of the WIIFM radio station going on.  What's WIIFM?  What's In It For Me.
I ask the question to myself and to you, the reader, what does your worship look like? Do we go to work as though we work for the Lord or do we go just get a pay check? Do we go through the motions with our families who hurt us the most or do we ask the Lord to help us love them like He does?
I know I haven't. I may have asked in passing, but not to completely and totally reach out to God for help like the woman who was sick for 13 years of her life.I'm not even caring if I hang onto his tassels.
Sometimes, going for seconds is a good thing. To give a chef a compliment is to go to the trough a second time. Purchasing a second item at the store says you have valuable things. Is this the kind of seconds you are giving back to God? If I could get up from my chair instead of being in God's time out (like he did with Miriam in the book of Numbers, but not as severe), I think I would get up and give him by BEST.  I use to have a friend ask me when I got home from working retail and complain about my day; he would listen and wait until I finished to ask me "did you give them your best?" Your best is all you can give someone. If you are tired, weary, and burnt out, take a time out, decompress, and spend time in the word. Ask God to give you a story that you can relate to and be rejuvenated by. I am sure He will. He did it for me with Miriam and Malachi.
I don't want to spit in God's face, dishonor Him, or even give him my sloppy seconds. I choose today to be the best servant I can be when He brings me out of my time out.

~Be Encouraged, I am