Cara did great at the Regional Bible drill! She only missed one. For a first-time driller, that is an excellent thing! She is hiding God's word in her heart, learning good Bible skills, and challenging herself to go beyond what she thought she could do. And her mother is so proud of her!
Last night, I was privileged to serve at the Associational Vacation Bible School clinic at our church. I had a very, very busy day trying to get everything ready. I had originally agreed to be in charge of the snack preparation. That job is big enough in itself! Our director/pastor's-wife could not convince anyone to teach the 5th-6th grade class. Me, always willing to bite off more than I can chew, volunteered to teach that class and do the snacks that I had already agreed to do.
So, I'm chewing, chewing, chewing, hoping to get it small enough I can swallow... I find some delegates!!! God is in charge of the details, I am just the vessel willing to be used. I have to admit though, that I was feeling more than a little overwhelmed yesterday afternoon. After all the planning, and all the delegating that I could do, I just trusted that God would work it all out. You know what? He did!
I went to the store and got what I needed, got to the church and started working as early as I could. There was a little nagging thought in the back of my mind that said, "Tracey, there is no way this will work out." Then my help showed up a little later than I expected her...like an hour and a half later than expected! I was in a near panic by that time. What could I do but keep working? Some of the youth came in to help me, some of the ladies from my church came in an started helping. I found myself singing, and realized that without even thinking about it, I was praying! God exploded peace in the midst of my crisis! He took care of the details that I couldn't!
I went to teach my 5th-6th grade session. His presence was all over me, around me, and I was near bursting with love for Him! Those poor students in my class had to listen to me go on and on about how much I love Jesus and how much I love children! That's a pretty good combination for VBS, I thought. What is better than bringing together two things you love very much?
I know I'm just rambling, but I want you to know how good our God is! He is a God of details! He knows what we need before we do. And when you think that you can't, He can! God let me know yesterday that He hears me when I pray to Him! He also let me know that I am His. I cannot express to you how loved I feel right now. I hope you feel loved too!
Showing posts with label worship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label worship. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Learning...
What am I learning from the Lord right now?
I am learning that introspection doesn't have to be a bad thing. It can be helpful and releasing! I can actually look inside myself and see Him, not my version of my own self-worth.
I am learning that He loves me and forgives me completely. No sin is greater than He is able to forgive! All we have to do is ask.
I recently lost a baby and have been struggling to see myself as a creation of great worth to Him. Thinking that if I was a good mom, God would've let me have that child and the others that I've lost. God knows what He's doing though. You see, I began that pregnancy just as I started a Bible study on "Search for Significance" by Robert S. McGee. That was no accident. Abba knew that I'd need to know my worth in His eyes as He beholds me covered by the blood of Christ. I've been able to dig down deep and see what my Lord sees in me.
What does He see, you ask? He sees someone made in His image, "fearfully & wonderfully made," forgiven by His grace and glorified by His redemption!
I wonder, what have you been learning from the Lord?
I am learning that introspection doesn't have to be a bad thing. It can be helpful and releasing! I can actually look inside myself and see Him, not my version of my own self-worth.
I am learning that He loves me and forgives me completely. No sin is greater than He is able to forgive! All we have to do is ask.
I recently lost a baby and have been struggling to see myself as a creation of great worth to Him. Thinking that if I was a good mom, God would've let me have that child and the others that I've lost. God knows what He's doing though. You see, I began that pregnancy just as I started a Bible study on "Search for Significance" by Robert S. McGee. That was no accident. Abba knew that I'd need to know my worth in His eyes as He beholds me covered by the blood of Christ. I've been able to dig down deep and see what my Lord sees in me.
What does He see, you ask? He sees someone made in His image, "fearfully & wonderfully made," forgiven by His grace and glorified by His redemption!
I wonder, what have you been learning from the Lord?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Eye of My Hurricane
Ahhhhh. Cara's home. I feel better now, don't you? We successfully got our nieces where they belong, and got our oldest home. Now it is back to life as normal. At least for a week. Shawn leaves on Sunday for Austin, Texas.
On my quest to get healthy I have begun week five and phase 2. I have lost 5.5 pounds and 5.5 inches!!! Wooooohooooo! Praise You, Jesus! I couldn't have done this without Your strength. In phase 2 I step up my exercise routine by adding 20 minutes of strength training twice a week. I also get to choose one area of eating to change my habits and no liquid calories for 30 days. I chose meal portions. Only putting enough on my plate, and not eating all the left-overs on the kids plates while I clean up dishes. Upon self-examination, I discovered that I don't like to throw food away. So I end up eating the food left on the children's plates instead of throwing it out, and that ends up making me overweight! I have to admit I'm proud of my 5.5 pounds and 5.5 inches.
Do you ever feel like you are stuck in the eye of a hurricane? Life is zooming past you and you are in the center standing still. It's calm where you are, but you feel like you need to be in the activity. You feel like you need to do something, but there doesn't seem to be anything to do.
I feel like I've almost been at a place of inactivity with the Lord. Not that He's been inactive! He is always at work. But I'm used to being "at work" with Him. I've had a long spell here where I feel like He's telling me to draw near and be still. Draw near and be still. In case you haven't caught on to my tendencies through all these posts, I don't do "be still" very well. I want to be needed and I want to be "doing" something for my Abba. Not that He needs my help, just that I want to give it.
I'm standing in the center of my hurricane and my children are growing up before my eyes, my husband is struggling through the ministry God has given him, my sister and her husband seem to be booming in their ministry, etc. And here, I stand. Not doing anything. Not working in ministry. Not actively helping my husband. Just standing. Am I the only one?
I want to draw near and listen. I want to be still and know that He is God. I want to be satisfied to be in His presence. I want to be all the things I'm so good at teaching my children about, but struggle to live out daily!
Abba, hear my plea! I want to be right where You want me! I want to do exactly as You would have me to do! I want to know that I am pleasing You. Oh that my soul would be satisfied with Your presence as with the richest of foods. That Your Word would be my daily bread and the light to my path! I want to draw nearer to You, to hear Your words of encouragement and be satisfied to sit at Your feet in worship. Renew my mind. Be my strength. Let me be pleasing to You.
On my quest to get healthy I have begun week five and phase 2. I have lost 5.5 pounds and 5.5 inches!!! Wooooohooooo! Praise You, Jesus! I couldn't have done this without Your strength. In phase 2 I step up my exercise routine by adding 20 minutes of strength training twice a week. I also get to choose one area of eating to change my habits and no liquid calories for 30 days. I chose meal portions. Only putting enough on my plate, and not eating all the left-overs on the kids plates while I clean up dishes. Upon self-examination, I discovered that I don't like to throw food away. So I end up eating the food left on the children's plates instead of throwing it out, and that ends up making me overweight! I have to admit I'm proud of my 5.5 pounds and 5.5 inches.
Do you ever feel like you are stuck in the eye of a hurricane? Life is zooming past you and you are in the center standing still. It's calm where you are, but you feel like you need to be in the activity. You feel like you need to do something, but there doesn't seem to be anything to do.
I feel like I've almost been at a place of inactivity with the Lord. Not that He's been inactive! He is always at work. But I'm used to being "at work" with Him. I've had a long spell here where I feel like He's telling me to draw near and be still. Draw near and be still. In case you haven't caught on to my tendencies through all these posts, I don't do "be still" very well. I want to be needed and I want to be "doing" something for my Abba. Not that He needs my help, just that I want to give it.
I'm standing in the center of my hurricane and my children are growing up before my eyes, my husband is struggling through the ministry God has given him, my sister and her husband seem to be booming in their ministry, etc. And here, I stand. Not doing anything. Not working in ministry. Not actively helping my husband. Just standing. Am I the only one?
I want to draw near and listen. I want to be still and know that He is God. I want to be satisfied to be in His presence. I want to be all the things I'm so good at teaching my children about, but struggle to live out daily!
Abba, hear my plea! I want to be right where You want me! I want to do exactly as You would have me to do! I want to know that I am pleasing You. Oh that my soul would be satisfied with Your presence as with the richest of foods. That Your Word would be my daily bread and the light to my path! I want to draw nearer to You, to hear Your words of encouragement and be satisfied to sit at Your feet in worship. Renew my mind. Be my strength. Let me be pleasing to You.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Sweat Drops of Blood
In the garden of Gethsemane, Scripture reports that Jesus had sweat-drops of blood. We know his horrific death, but a preacher recently revealed that Jesus wasn’t scared of death. He had known that crucifixion would be his destiny since the beginning of time. If this is so, why so much anguish? Because He knew in that moment He would have to become sin.
Remember what He left. Remember the glory He shared with the Father in heaven before coming to earth. God cannot be in the presence of sin. If Jesus was to become sin for us, it meant the first ever separation between the Father and Son and Spirit of God in the history of eternity, not just the history of time. Remember that the Triune God exists eternally. He was before time. He IS in this time and will be for eternity future.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had sweat-drops of blood because for the first time ever, he would be completely human. He would know what it is like to be separated from God. We know this separation because we are born into it, but Jesus was God-Man. He was not born into sin. He lived a perfect life and had never, even in his humanity, been completely separated from the presence of his Father and The Holy Spirit.
As Jesus hung on the cross, he became sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) that we might become righteous. We cannot be righteous apart from Him. In that moment, as he hung on the cross and cried out “Father, Father, why have you forsaken me?” he became sin. My sin, your sin, he became sin. It wasn’t for his own sin that he hung there, but for ours. He had never known that kind of separation.
So apart from the cruel way he had to die, he chose to pay the ultimate price. That price was separation from his Father so that we might have a bridge to cross in order to get to Him (the Father). Jesus is our way, our only way to God.Am I grieved over my sin? Obviously I am not as grieved as Jesus was. I don’t walk around with sweat-drops of blood coming from my face. I’m not even sure I cry over my sin like I should. My sin not only separates me from God, but it was the very thing that caused Christ’s death. Shouldn't that shake me up enough not to continue in sin?
I am now undertaking the memorization of Romans 6 so that I can learn how to combat the sin problems in my life. I don’t want to grieve the Lord any more. I want to grieve myself and change it. No, I’m not saying I can be perfect, but I am saying I can be better than I am. How about you?
Remember what He left. Remember the glory He shared with the Father in heaven before coming to earth. God cannot be in the presence of sin. If Jesus was to become sin for us, it meant the first ever separation between the Father and Son and Spirit of God in the history of eternity, not just the history of time. Remember that the Triune God exists eternally. He was before time. He IS in this time and will be for eternity future.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had sweat-drops of blood because for the first time ever, he would be completely human. He would know what it is like to be separated from God. We know this separation because we are born into it, but Jesus was God-Man. He was not born into sin. He lived a perfect life and had never, even in his humanity, been completely separated from the presence of his Father and The Holy Spirit.
As Jesus hung on the cross, he became sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) that we might become righteous. We cannot be righteous apart from Him. In that moment, as he hung on the cross and cried out “Father, Father, why have you forsaken me?” he became sin. My sin, your sin, he became sin. It wasn’t for his own sin that he hung there, but for ours. He had never known that kind of separation.
So apart from the cruel way he had to die, he chose to pay the ultimate price. That price was separation from his Father so that we might have a bridge to cross in order to get to Him (the Father). Jesus is our way, our only way to God.Am I grieved over my sin? Obviously I am not as grieved as Jesus was. I don’t walk around with sweat-drops of blood coming from my face. I’m not even sure I cry over my sin like I should. My sin not only separates me from God, but it was the very thing that caused Christ’s death. Shouldn't that shake me up enough not to continue in sin?
I am now undertaking the memorization of Romans 6 so that I can learn how to combat the sin problems in my life. I don’t want to grieve the Lord any more. I want to grieve myself and change it. No, I’m not saying I can be perfect, but I am saying I can be better than I am. How about you?
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Victory in Jesus!
Okay, I did it. I got up this morning, read my Scriptures, prayed, then I did it. I started the first day for the rest of my life. I walked/jogged for a full thirty minutes. There were times during the jogging part that I literally thought I was going to pass out! I am not just really over-weight (more than I want to be), but MY OH MY, I AM OUT OF SHAPE!
I decided to take a Scripture and use it as a "Surrender Statement". This is a tool I picked up from reading in Chantel Hobbs' "Never Say Diet" book I'm reading. I adapted Romans 12:1-2. My Surrender Statement says "Lord, today I surrender. I will present my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you. I will no longer be conformed but transformed. Thank you, God, for being my strength." Why victory in Jesus? Because through Him, I accomplished the first step toward my new goal!
I really pray you will celebrate with me. I know thirty minutes of walking/jogging isn't much, but for me it was a milestone! I'm not going to go down and sign up for a marathon or anything...YET. One day I plan to be healthy enough to do it!
Like I said, it's the first day of the rest of my life. Yours too, you know? What do you plan to do with it?
I decided to take a Scripture and use it as a "Surrender Statement". This is a tool I picked up from reading in Chantel Hobbs' "Never Say Diet" book I'm reading. I adapted Romans 12:1-2. My Surrender Statement says "Lord, today I surrender. I will present my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you. I will no longer be conformed but transformed. Thank you, God, for being my strength." Why victory in Jesus? Because through Him, I accomplished the first step toward my new goal!
I really pray you will celebrate with me. I know thirty minutes of walking/jogging isn't much, but for me it was a milestone! I'm not going to go down and sign up for a marathon or anything...YET. One day I plan to be healthy enough to do it!
Like I said, it's the first day of the rest of my life. Yours too, you know? What do you plan to do with it?
Saturday, June 20, 2009
"This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!" I pray today finds you basking in the Lord's pleasure and in His presence! Reading through the Psalms this morning brought to my mind how gracious Abba is! I am overflowing with songs of praise this morning! Like..."I am His and He is mine! His banner over me is love!"
When was the last time you were overflowing in His grace? I'm so thankful for His love!
I took my children to see the movie "UP" last night. It was fun for our family, very family friendly. I would encourage anyone with children to see it. There were a couple of parts where Grace was a little scared of "the bad guy", but there wasn't anything necessarily gruesome about it. The story concludes with the concept of continuing to live life even after you think yours is over. It wound up with a very sweet ending.
Also, we had a very good supper at Papa Poblanos. We always love the food there! The girls enjoyed the evening, Hazin enjoyed the evening, but I LOVED it! Just me and my kids for a whole evening!
It was so nice for me to be able to feel like I can still have fun with my children and that our life is not all about laundry and chores. You ever have one of those weeks where you feel like all you do is get on to your children? Well, I had one of those weeks! I was thankful for the evening! I am now looking forward to a day full of friends, birthday parties and shopping! What more could a girl ask for?
Hope you have a great weekend. Hope you remember the Lord's mercy and worship Him this Sabbath! May He keep you and bless you. Thanks for stopping in.
When was the last time you were overflowing in His grace? I'm so thankful for His love!
I took my children to see the movie "UP" last night. It was fun for our family, very family friendly. I would encourage anyone with children to see it. There were a couple of parts where Grace was a little scared of "the bad guy", but there wasn't anything necessarily gruesome about it. The story concludes with the concept of continuing to live life even after you think yours is over. It wound up with a very sweet ending.
Also, we had a very good supper at Papa Poblanos. We always love the food there! The girls enjoyed the evening, Hazin enjoyed the evening, but I LOVED it! Just me and my kids for a whole evening!
It was so nice for me to be able to feel like I can still have fun with my children and that our life is not all about laundry and chores. You ever have one of those weeks where you feel like all you do is get on to your children? Well, I had one of those weeks! I was thankful for the evening! I am now looking forward to a day full of friends, birthday parties and shopping! What more could a girl ask for?
Hope you have a great weekend. Hope you remember the Lord's mercy and worship Him this Sabbath! May He keep you and bless you. Thanks for stopping in.
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