Christmas Blues

This is my favorite time of year, but for some reason I seem to have the Christmas blues. I ended Novemeber in a thankful state of mind with family and friends and preparing for the Christmas season with a little decorating and shopping on Black Friday. Here it is Dec. 1 and I just can't seem to get in the mood to finish the decorating and shopping. My heart's desire it to keep it simple, less hectic, focused on Jesus and giving to others. I pray that I will allow the Holy Spirit to accomplish this. I anticipate with great joy times of fun and fellowship with family and friends. I hold on to memories from past holidays with family who have gone on to be with the Lord, especially my grandmothers. It's been four years since the death of my maternal grandmother Aka "Bootsie" and nearly two years since the passing of my dad's mother, best known as "MaMa". Once I turned 18 they seemed more like best friends than grandmothers. They both were always there to listen, love and encourage me. I thank God for blessing me with a loving relationship with both of my grandmothers. In conclusion I admit my heart is still tender from the loss of my sweet and precious grandmothers. Dear God fill this void with your joy, love and peace-that surpasses all understanding!!! I thank you for family and friends to share this time of year with!!! Make yourself so ever REAL to me this Christmas season!!!

Hole Makers VS. Risk Takers

One of my favorite Christian artists right now is Jennifer Rothschild. I attended her Fresh Grounded Faith conference in Greenville today. During one of the sessions she taught from Matt. 25:14-30, "The Parable of the Talents". She began by challenging us to consider everything God has entrusted to us as a talent. Not just our God given talents of hospitality, teaching, exhorting, etc..., but anything our lives God has allowed; such as a special needs child, an illness, or loss of a job. In Jennifer's case; blindness at the age of 15. Then, she reminded us that it's all about how we respond to the situation or circumstance. Do we view it as an opportunity for God to mold and shape us into the image of Jesus, or do we take matters into our own hands and grab the shovel of anger, resentment, perfectionism, bitterness, or resisitance? When we choose to cling to any of these shovels rather than God, we dig a DEEP hole and bury an opportunity to bring glory and honor to God. How about you, are you a HOLE MAKER or a RISK TAKER? I have to confess on many occasions I have been a hole maker when I should have been a Risk Taker. I am working on being more of the Risk Taker God wants me to be, with HIS help of course!!

More on this coming soon!!!

God Seeker

I chose to title my blog God Seeker because my life mission is to love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind and in order to fulfill this mission I must seek God. Matt. 6:33 reads "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Seek in this verse means in order to find out by thinking or meditating. I find out about what kind of person God is by meditating on HIS Word, the Bible. Seek also means to aim or strive after. God must be my aim. Another meaning for seek is require or demand-to crave, demand something from someone. This reminds me of when women are pregnant and many times people will ask if you have had any particular food cravings. You know, the ice cream sundae with chocolate syrup, nuts and whipped cream that you send your husband out to get at two o'clock in the morning. Do I have that kind of craving to know God? What are some other things we crave? In all honesty, sometimes I get a craving for a new outfit, new pair of shoes, new pocketbook, etc...even when I don't need them! Again, I ask myself, is my craving for God stronger than anything else in this world? Is God my daily requirement? Do I seek Him first, before anything else? Some days I don't fare very well, but I am thankful for God's grace and patience with me. I must stay focused on HIM and HIS will for my life!!

Humble Pie

When we are seeking to please God we must be humble. In Luke 14:11 Jesus was in the home of a leader of the Pharisees (the religous elete). Jesus asked, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not? He took hold of a man with dropsy and helaed him and sent him away. He looked to the lawyers and Pharisees and asked, "If your son or ox fell into a well on the Sabbath would you not rescue them? The Pharisees spoke not a word. Jesus then went onto to share a parable about being invited to a wedding feast after seeing some of the guests picking out the places of honor to sit. He said, "When you are invited to a wedding feast by someone, do not take the place of honor, for there may be a more distinguished guest there, and the host may come and tell you to give up your place for the more distinguished guest. Disgraced you move to the lowest place at the table. Instead, go and sit at the lowest place, so when the host comes he may say to you, "Friend move up higher; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

How many times do I obey these words of Jesus? Do I graciously sit in the back at the table against the wall or do I want to be seen and insist on sitting "up front"? In all honesty most of the time I find myself not wanting to remain in the background waiting on God to exalt me. Lord forgive me for not being more humble. I need your power and strength in order to be humble; for I am full of pride. Abba, Father thank you for loving me even when I don't deserve it.

Being a God Seeker

All my life I have been searching for something to fill the void way down deep in my soul. I grew up in the church and was saved at the age of 10, but for various reasons, I failed to completely surrender to God until the age of forty. It was at this time, two years ago, that I found myself broken and humble. I returned to my first love, Jesus. Since that season I have been seeking God with all my heart, all my strength and all my mind. He has renewed my relationship with Him and restored broken relationships with family. My husband and I made a committment to God to no longer be lukewarm Christians.

There are many passages of truth from God's Word that have ministered to us. One of our favorites is 2 Chron. 7:14"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." We both have experienced the healing hand of God like we never thought was possible. We rejoice and praise Him for pouring out His love, grace, and mercy upon us. We have been REVIVED by the very breath of Jesus Christ. It is our prayer that Christians across our country will realize that they too can experience the POWER and the PRESENCE of the Lord!!