As we approach this holiday season it brings back wonderful memories of days gone by. Happy childhood fun traveling to grandma and grandpa's house, seeing all the cousins, playing and eating to exhaustion. Those are the memories that we should still be making. As children we are unaware of the tensions and hurt feelings that may be lurking between adults but as adults we understand that they are part of the picture. Many times little misunderstandings get blown out of porportion and big problems then arise. People ignore each other, tensions arise and holidays become very stressful.
As adults, we all have our own issues and bring our own baggage into the mix. Let's make a committment this year to start a new tradition in our families and leave the baggage behind. Forgive each other forget the past and just love each other. Let's go back to our childhoods where we fussed and a minute later we were playing again and having a big time. Let's be the bigger person, forgive and forget. More than likely the things that we dislike about our families are not going to change anyway so it is wasted time waiting on the change.
Greet your loved ones with open, loving arms. Enjoy the fellowship and make a family committment this year to put all the past behind and start from scratch. Have fun, play games, laugh and completely enjoy each other. We don't know how much time we have left so live it to the fullest.
New beginnings-what a wonderful way to finish out the rest of our lives. Happy and full of unconditional love.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Preparing To Share The Gospel Today
Today I have the opportunity to teach another lady the plan God has for her life. As I prepare what I am going to share with her I realize that everyone who reads my blog may not have taken all the steps to prepare for their blessed future. I would like to share with you what I will share today.
As we unfold God's plan for our lives, we have to have an understanding how to read the bible and relate it to our lives today. We as women sometimes get caught up in our daily lives and forget to take care of ourselves but taking care of ourselves is taking care of our families. You are setting the example for your children, what they learn from you mom will be part of their human make-up and we all want our children to have all the possible tools to go out into life with. Here is one of them that can determine their eternity.
The bible is divided into three parts:
The Patriarcal Age-Genesis 1-Exodus 20. During this time God spoke only to the father of the family and he taught them God's plan for their lives.
The Mosiac Age- Exodus 20-Acts 2. This period of time was for the Jewish People only, they were given the ten commandments as a new way of life. Moses taught the people how to live and they had other Jewish laws to abide by. God spoke through dreams and prophets.
This is where we come in today:
The Christian Age-Acts 2-Revelations. The Christian Age is for everyone who is willing to accept the guidelines set in the book of Acts. The rest of the New Testament teaches us how to live as Christians and our reward in Revelations. Christ came to bring redemption to not only Jews but to the Gentiles also.
The first thing we need to look at is our standing. In Christ what blessings do we receive and out of Christ are there any blessings. What blessings do we receive In Christ: Romans 3:24-being justified freely(just as if I never sinned)by His grace; 2 Timothy 2:1-grace; 2 Corinthians 5:17-a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new; l Thessalonians 4:16, 17-the dead in Christ will rise first vs.17-we who are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Now, outside Christ there is no forgiveness of sins, no security, no redemption, no unity, no spiritual blessings, condemnation, no hope. Now it is time to decide which do you choose. In Christ or remain outside Christ.
How do we get In Christ? Look at it like you own a house and you are outside standing at your front door. You cannot be in the house unless you take out your key and unlock the door then open it and step inside. I don't care how long you stand outside looking in you are still not inside until you do some actions. Now, let's get the proper key in the door so it will unlock and freely allow you to walk through.
Hear the Word-Romans 10:17
Believe-John 3:16, 8:24
Repent-Acts 17:30
Confess Christ-Matthew 10:32
And the key to go through the door, to put on Christ. Baptism-Acts 2:38, 22:16, John 3:5, Romans 6:1-5, Galatians 3:27, Hebrews 9:22, Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21.
As you study the different passages think to yourself, "do I want security for me and my family, or do I want to keep living not knowing what will happen to my family and myself when we die?" The choice is yours. Choose wisely.
You are so loved! Christ gave His life and suffered to take on all your sins. He wants to spend eternity with you, but He can't unless you use the proper key to get in.
As we unfold God's plan for our lives, we have to have an understanding how to read the bible and relate it to our lives today. We as women sometimes get caught up in our daily lives and forget to take care of ourselves but taking care of ourselves is taking care of our families. You are setting the example for your children, what they learn from you mom will be part of their human make-up and we all want our children to have all the possible tools to go out into life with. Here is one of them that can determine their eternity.
The bible is divided into three parts:
The Patriarcal Age-Genesis 1-Exodus 20. During this time God spoke only to the father of the family and he taught them God's plan for their lives.
The Mosiac Age- Exodus 20-Acts 2. This period of time was for the Jewish People only, they were given the ten commandments as a new way of life. Moses taught the people how to live and they had other Jewish laws to abide by. God spoke through dreams and prophets.
This is where we come in today:
The Christian Age-Acts 2-Revelations. The Christian Age is for everyone who is willing to accept the guidelines set in the book of Acts. The rest of the New Testament teaches us how to live as Christians and our reward in Revelations. Christ came to bring redemption to not only Jews but to the Gentiles also.
The first thing we need to look at is our standing. In Christ what blessings do we receive and out of Christ are there any blessings. What blessings do we receive In Christ: Romans 3:24-being justified freely(just as if I never sinned)by His grace; 2 Timothy 2:1-grace; 2 Corinthians 5:17-a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new; l Thessalonians 4:16, 17-the dead in Christ will rise first vs.17-we who are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Now, outside Christ there is no forgiveness of sins, no security, no redemption, no unity, no spiritual blessings, condemnation, no hope. Now it is time to decide which do you choose. In Christ or remain outside Christ.
How do we get In Christ? Look at it like you own a house and you are outside standing at your front door. You cannot be in the house unless you take out your key and unlock the door then open it and step inside. I don't care how long you stand outside looking in you are still not inside until you do some actions. Now, let's get the proper key in the door so it will unlock and freely allow you to walk through.
Hear the Word-Romans 10:17
Believe-John 3:16, 8:24
Repent-Acts 17:30
Confess Christ-Matthew 10:32
And the key to go through the door, to put on Christ. Baptism-Acts 2:38, 22:16, John 3:5, Romans 6:1-5, Galatians 3:27, Hebrews 9:22, Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21.
As you study the different passages think to yourself, "do I want security for me and my family, or do I want to keep living not knowing what will happen to my family and myself when we die?" The choice is yours. Choose wisely.
You are so loved! Christ gave His life and suffered to take on all your sins. He wants to spend eternity with you, but He can't unless you use the proper key to get in.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
What Scares Us About Relationship?
I am speaking about any type of relationship. Parent/child, friendships, husband/wife, co-workers etc. Relationship in it's best state means freedom. Relationship should mean respect and or love in an unconditional way. When we understand the meaning of unconditional then we can move closer to that freedom that we all seek. The definition of unconditional is wholehearted, unqualified, unreserved, unlimited, unrestricted, unmitigated, unquestioning, total, entire, full, absolute, out-and-out unequivocal. That is definitely a mouth-full of definitions. Before we can be a good participant in any relationship we must work on our own definition of unconditional. Unconditional is a terrifying word for most (me especially). Sometimes unconditional doesn't make sense to us because we don't fully understand that concept. The fear that we face to be vulnerable and open our hearts up will usually back us off or make us run for cover. The truth of unconditional is when things become difficult between you and the other party and you use your personal escape route from the fear of reaction from the situation.
Before entering into any type of relationship, we must look in the mirror, examine our unrealistic expectations and learn to be true and honest with ourselves. If we are going to be a success in relationship we do have to go to the unconditional academy and get educated. We rely on what we have learned or seen as examples of how we live our lives, but if the examples we have relied on are dysfunctional then we become dysfunctional and pass that bad behavior on as we teach others. I like the definition of unqualified. Unqualified means we don't have the credentials to be unconditional but we definitely have the possibility of growing, learning and become fully qualified to give and receive unconditional. Unlimited and restricted means the sky is the limit, having truth and complete openness with the other party will bring respect, safety and the relationship will blossom and grow even in the midst of difficulties. We will have the trust and unrestricted ability to work on difficult issues together. And, if you are married or dating, that faith in the unconditional non-judgment and confidence will give you both the peace to not have fear to talk and work on problems. We will learn not to blame but work as a team, a partnership. As the relationship grows we will be able to feel the warmth, security and the peace that "we can do it together". We can get through anything. We can build the relationship on wholeheartedness, unquestioning and total confidence in each other.
Let's put the definition of unconditional in our vocabulary, let's work on the true meaning and teach ourselves to be the person that other people can feel safe with each day. Conditional is such a hard word to live up to, let's free ourselves and the ones who are part of our lives and get rid of that nasty word. Learn to live a life with open arms and be UNCONDITIONAL everyday.
Instead of dwelling on all the problems and negative things that have happened to us in the past. The things that bring on the fear of unconditional, we need to let go of the past, open our whole hearts and give, give, give. The freedom from the pain will come as we change the negative to the positive. Love unconditionally, share unconditionally, listen unconditionally, and build relationships unconditionally. Peace can be found in unconditional and it will allow us to breath without anxiety. We won't have to worry about everything anymore. We will be able to find the rest we all so need.
Before entering into any type of relationship, we must look in the mirror, examine our unrealistic expectations and learn to be true and honest with ourselves. If we are going to be a success in relationship we do have to go to the unconditional academy and get educated. We rely on what we have learned or seen as examples of how we live our lives, but if the examples we have relied on are dysfunctional then we become dysfunctional and pass that bad behavior on as we teach others. I like the definition of unqualified. Unqualified means we don't have the credentials to be unconditional but we definitely have the possibility of growing, learning and become fully qualified to give and receive unconditional. Unlimited and restricted means the sky is the limit, having truth and complete openness with the other party will bring respect, safety and the relationship will blossom and grow even in the midst of difficulties. We will have the trust and unrestricted ability to work on difficult issues together. And, if you are married or dating, that faith in the unconditional non-judgment and confidence will give you both the peace to not have fear to talk and work on problems. We will learn not to blame but work as a team, a partnership. As the relationship grows we will be able to feel the warmth, security and the peace that "we can do it together". We can get through anything. We can build the relationship on wholeheartedness, unquestioning and total confidence in each other.
Let's put the definition of unconditional in our vocabulary, let's work on the true meaning and teach ourselves to be the person that other people can feel safe with each day. Conditional is such a hard word to live up to, let's free ourselves and the ones who are part of our lives and get rid of that nasty word. Learn to live a life with open arms and be UNCONDITIONAL everyday.
Instead of dwelling on all the problems and negative things that have happened to us in the past. The things that bring on the fear of unconditional, we need to let go of the past, open our whole hearts and give, give, give. The freedom from the pain will come as we change the negative to the positive. Love unconditionally, share unconditionally, listen unconditionally, and build relationships unconditionally. Peace can be found in unconditional and it will allow us to breath without anxiety. We won't have to worry about everything anymore. We will be able to find the rest we all so need.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Facing Our Fears-Making Our Lists
Have you had time to get your list together? Did you find time to pray over your fears and ask God to help you face them? As we face our fears together new energy will emerge within us and we will have more joy. This new found freedom will give us the opportunity to figure out who we are and why we are here. One thing that has helped me is having a good friend who was willing to face her fears as I face mine, we have worked on them together and now we are growing stronger as women as well as confronting our fears. Your friend will be a good listener as you will be for her, you will be able to talk about them confidentally and pray together about specific things. The unity will give you an sense of well-being. Now, let's go to the Word and see what answers God has written down to help us on our journey.
2 Corinthians 1:3,4...Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our troubles with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
Now let's look at some scriptures that will help us understand that we do not need to be afraid.
Insecurity - Matthew 11:28,29,30..."Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yolk upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yolk is easy and My burden is light."
Not being good enough - 1 Corinthians 3:16...Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
The fear of death - Matthew 10:28..."And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Financial fears - Matthew 6:25,26..."Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of ore value than they?
Loneliness and Abandonment - Hebrews 13:5...Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 1 Corinthians 12:26,27...And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
Body image - 1 Timothy 4:8...For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
Jesus reminds us that a life in Him will not be easy but if we are willing to be bold and trust Him, He will always be there for us and will remain a soft place to fall. In the next scriptures Jesus is talking to His disciples but the words also relate to us today.
John 15:16-19..."You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another. "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
These are just a few of the fears we face as women. Putting our faith and trust in God will help us overcome the fears that haunt us. Get your friend and get started together facing your fears. Pray about your fears everyday and face them one y one reassuring yourself of the scriptures that will give you the confidence you need. As you pray and give your fears to God you will begin to see the Holy Spirit faithfully working in your spiritual recovery. You will be well on your way to a complete and full recovery.
2 Corinthians 1:3,4...Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our troubles with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
Now let's look at some scriptures that will help us understand that we do not need to be afraid.
Insecurity - Matthew 11:28,29,30..."Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yolk upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yolk is easy and My burden is light."
Not being good enough - 1 Corinthians 3:16...Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
The fear of death - Matthew 10:28..."And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Financial fears - Matthew 6:25,26..."Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of ore value than they?
Loneliness and Abandonment - Hebrews 13:5...Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 1 Corinthians 12:26,27...And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
Body image - 1 Timothy 4:8...For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
Jesus reminds us that a life in Him will not be easy but if we are willing to be bold and trust Him, He will always be there for us and will remain a soft place to fall. In the next scriptures Jesus is talking to His disciples but the words also relate to us today.
John 15:16-19..."You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another. "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
These are just a few of the fears we face as women. Putting our faith and trust in God will help us overcome the fears that haunt us. Get your friend and get started together facing your fears. Pray about your fears everyday and face them one y one reassuring yourself of the scriptures that will give you the confidence you need. As you pray and give your fears to God you will begin to see the Holy Spirit faithfully working in your spiritual recovery. You will be well on your way to a complete and full recovery.
The Beginning Of The Healing
To get Spiritual First Aid we must be willing to learn, to open up to get real with ourselves. We must realize that the mess of our lives is the starting place for God to bring His plan forward. On this journey, we are going to learn how to put the hurts of the past behind us. How to move on and live with the peace and contentment that we all desire. We, as Christian women, have a special place to live but we so often forget about it's availability. We are going on a journey together. The journey will take us through difficult places and may open old wounds that we would prefer not to open. But, if we will risk a little temporary pain, we will be able to get the necessary first aid for our healing. I have spent many hours daily searching the scriptures for the answers to my own issues and as I opened my heart up and allowed God to speak to me through His Word, the puzzle started coming together and I learned so much. I now can't wait to get started studying, researching and writing each new day.
As we face our fears together and I share the proofs of the first aid, you will get healing too. Always keep in mind that I am a work in progress also and that is the original reason for my research. As we grow together in confidence of how special we are the fears that we all have will slowly leave and that will give us plenty of room in our daily lives to grow and find confidence in who God created us to be. What we believe about ourselves is what we create in our own lives so our thinking has to change. We are totally at fault in how people treat us because we taught them how by our own lack of confidence. Once the walls are torn down, we will be able to see our own beauty, gifts, talents and we will have the tools to create many unique possibilities in our own lives.
The first thing we must face is FEAR.
2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV...For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind.
Psalms 34:4 NKJV...I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
First, let's talk about fear. I want you to take a piece of paper and write down all the fears you endure that come to mind. Writing them down will help you be more aware and will put them in your face to deal with. Here are a few examples: body image, loneliness, rejection, not worthy, ugly, no friends, not loved, failure, financial, insecurity, inferiority, abuse, abandonment, guilt, character assassination, and many more. Now, I want you to prioritize your list from the least fear to the most fearful and we are going to deal with each one. We will start with the easiest and gain strength as we go to face the big ones. The first thing I want you to do after you make your list and face it is make your list available every day to go over. I want you to take your list and pray specifically to God to help you face them and deal with them. I want you to name them and talk about them and why you experience them. As you finish your prayer, thank God for listening to you and thank Him ahead of time for the healing that you know you are going to receive from Him from your fears. Our plans is to completely demolish the whole list one fear at a time.
As we go through this time of healing, I will be sharing many of God's promises and many scriptures that will help us build the confidence we all desire. Today, get started with your lists and start praying, tomorrow we will start dealing with the issues together. Have a great day! Your friend, Gina
As we face our fears together and I share the proofs of the first aid, you will get healing too. Always keep in mind that I am a work in progress also and that is the original reason for my research. As we grow together in confidence of how special we are the fears that we all have will slowly leave and that will give us plenty of room in our daily lives to grow and find confidence in who God created us to be. What we believe about ourselves is what we create in our own lives so our thinking has to change. We are totally at fault in how people treat us because we taught them how by our own lack of confidence. Once the walls are torn down, we will be able to see our own beauty, gifts, talents and we will have the tools to create many unique possibilities in our own lives.
The first thing we must face is FEAR.
2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV...For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind.
Psalms 34:4 NKJV...I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
First, let's talk about fear. I want you to take a piece of paper and write down all the fears you endure that come to mind. Writing them down will help you be more aware and will put them in your face to deal with. Here are a few examples: body image, loneliness, rejection, not worthy, ugly, no friends, not loved, failure, financial, insecurity, inferiority, abuse, abandonment, guilt, character assassination, and many more. Now, I want you to prioritize your list from the least fear to the most fearful and we are going to deal with each one. We will start with the easiest and gain strength as we go to face the big ones. The first thing I want you to do after you make your list and face it is make your list available every day to go over. I want you to take your list and pray specifically to God to help you face them and deal with them. I want you to name them and talk about them and why you experience them. As you finish your prayer, thank God for listening to you and thank Him ahead of time for the healing that you know you are going to receive from Him from your fears. Our plans is to completely demolish the whole list one fear at a time.
As we go through this time of healing, I will be sharing many of God's promises and many scriptures that will help us build the confidence we all desire. Today, get started with your lists and start praying, tomorrow we will start dealing with the issues together. Have a great day! Your friend, Gina
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Dream Big
We all want to be seen and heard but we aren't quite sure how to achieve that without looking prideful and arrogant. We worry about making mistakes and the people who judge us so we sometimes give up on our dreams and desires. Sure, we are going to make mistakes from time to time and yes, people are going to make fun but oh well, don't worry about it. If we wait for acceptance from everyone we will never get anywhere. I believe if you dream big and plan big, God has planted something inside you. He sees that you are the person for the task. Don't worry about what others think, just focus on your goals. Have the guts to do it anyway. What worries us anyway? Is it that we will be rejected? Not good enough? Bounce your ideas off of your best friend, they are there to encourage you in your endeavors and maybe they may want to join you. Feel safe with that friend. Remember that opposition comes just before your destination begins. You will never reach your destination if you allow the negative people to tie you down. Remember that your self-worth is not calculated by others, it's your opinion that really matters. Be proud of who you are and have a clear vision for your life. Your gifts and talents were custom made just for you, there is no one else like you so don't wait for approval to start your journey. Expect obstacles along your journey. If you don't encounter them then you probably aren't being authentic to yourself.
Always be honest and thankful for the gifts you have been given. Remember, don't share your dreams and goals with just anyone. Share your dreams with the ones you trust so you won't start out feeling defeated.
What excites you? What are your desires? What are your talents? That's where you start. Begin with a big conversation with God. Ask Him to help you find your true path and purpose. He will guide you in the right direction and why? Because He is your Creator and knows who you are and what your gifts are. You will know if you are in the right place on your journey because that is when you will have the most opposition. That opposition will help build your character and will help you grow. There are very few people who have a drive any bigger than living a normal life, if you dream bigger than that, go for it. Don't suppress that drive. Start by writing down your thoughts and dreams about what you would like to do. Make personal goals. Keep a journal as thoughts come into your mind and pray about them daily. You will soon be on your way. Vision is exciting, don't hesitate, go boldly and get started writing down your plans.
We all want to be seen and heard but we aren't quite sure how to achieve that without looking prideful and arrogant. We worry about making mistakes and the people who judge us so we sometimes give up on our dreams and desires. Sure, we are going to make mistakes from time to time and yes, people are going to make fun but oh well, don't worry about it. If we wait for acceptance from everyone we will never get anywhere. I believe if you dream big and plan big, God has planted something inside you. He sees that you are the person for the task. Don't worry about what others think, just focus on your goals. Have the guts to do it anyway. What worries us anyway? Is it that we will be rejected? Not good enough? Bounce your ideas off of your best friend, they are there to encourage you in your endeavors and maybe they may want to join you. Feel safe with that friend. Remember that opposition comes just before your destination begins. You will never reach your destination if you allow the negative people to tie you down. Remember that your self-worth is not calculated by others, it's your opinion that really matters. Be proud of who you are and have a clear vision for your life. Your gifts and talents were custom made just for you, there is no one else like you so don't wait for approval to start your journey. Expect obstacles along your journey. If you don't encounter them then you probably aren't being authentic to yourself.
Always be honest and thankful for the gifts you have been given. Remember, don't share your dreams and goals with just anyone. Share your dreams with the ones you trust so you won't start out feeling defeated.
What excites you? What are your desires? What are your talents? That's where you start. Begin with a big conversation with God. Ask Him to help you find your true path and purpose. He will guide you in the right direction and why? Because He is your Creator and knows who you are and what your gifts are. You will know if you are in the right place on your journey because that is when you will have the most opposition. That opposition will help build your character and will help you grow. There are very few people who have a drive any bigger than living a normal life, if you dream bigger than that, go for it. Don't suppress that drive. Start by writing down your thoughts and dreams about what you would like to do. Make personal goals. Keep a journal as thoughts come into your mind and pray about them daily. You will soon be on your way. Vision is exciting, don't hesitate, go boldly and get started writing down your plans.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)