What's the Lord Teaching You? [Archive]

cori

12-01-2008, 07:14 PM

Oh it's been SO confusing Miranda. It's hard to think you're hearing God say "Help out here...." but then you go to help out and you're told "Oh we don't need any help" or you're not told anything at all.

But God spoke very clearly and this morning when I woke up I got my answer :)

you know, Kelly, i had a very similar lesson to this one last year - and it took a severely sprained wrist (i actually thought it was BROKEN!) for me to finally GET it.

i don't do the whole new year's resolution thing, because...yeah....will power is not my strong suit! lol but i DO seek the Lord at the beginning of each year about what HE would like me to work on/change/do/etc... it's generally NOT fun (and usually downright painful! in 2006, He told me to make amends with my biological father - a story for another time, but....it was NOT something i was eager to do, as he disappeared before i was a month old & did not resurface until i was 14 - at MY seeking him out! 3 failed times of building a relationship, i was not ready to face that rejection again! it took me the ENTIRE YEAR to submit myself to God's will, and i finally called him a few days before Christmas. (after pleading & begging God to let me off the hook this time - He just told me that my job was to OBEY & leave the results to HIM - if the father responded, awesome...if not, that was between him & God) the result? a BEAUTIFULLY restored relationship! ok, there's still a long way to go, because 31 years of absence can not be restored in only 1, but...at least it's off to a CONSTRUCTIVE start this time! anyway...that's waaaaaay off topic....and a HUGE side point requiring parentheses! o.O). ok, so...

last year (2007), He spoke a single word. GIVE. whatever i had, i was to give. money, time, food, whatever - give (and there was NOT much of any of those things to be found last year). ok, i'm one of those all or nothing people - i don't know HOW to walk the middle of the road. if my heart's not in it, i can't fake it, and if my heart IS in it, i'm a zealot! (i like to think that can be a good thing, but....balance is better....) well, like every other area of my life, i poured myself into giving. if i heard of a need - ANY need - i was your man (uhhh....WO...man...lol). i literally gave myself to complete and utter exhaustion. but, there were still needs! interestingly enough (ok, maybe just interesting to me because i know myself?), i never did become frustrated with the people i was trying to bless by my giving - only frustrated with myself for not making a difference when i was doing exactly what i KNEW the Lord had told me to do. anyway, i don't know if you read my mini-testimony, but....giving to utter exhaustion & depression just don't mix well. anyway...(i'm trying to be quick..honest...)

my pastor is also one of those give-as-long-as-there-are-needs people, constantly running himself into the ground, so...i decided that i would put myself in charge of trash cans. putting them at the curb for pick-up, and then putting them back where they belong afterwards. no big deal, just one less thing for him to worry about. (i'm also a huge fan of the behind the scenes ministry - i dont like to be seen...at ALL, preferably!) so, i started doing that - but he busted me doing it once (rats!). he told me not to worry about it, so i just kinda "yeah yeah" through the conversation because i fully intended to keep doing it. (did i mention my OWN blonde moments??)

so one night, he beats me to taking the cans out to the curb (it's a silent race now...lol), but i saw him trying to do it. full trash can, arms loaded with Bibles, notebooks, other books, cd's, and a couple of grandkids tugging at his legs. so i figured - really? this man needs help! so i went over & tried to take the trash can from him, but he said that he had already gotten it. i insisted, so did he, and then..i think he thought i let go, but he just started walking again, full speed ahead. snapped my hand back, spraining the wrist. i sprained all the ligaments between the fingers & the wrist, AND the band of ligaments that holds the other ligaments together. treatment? COMPLETE restraint for 6 weeks (may as well have been broken!).

so.....that really put a damper on my giving/doing. there's not really much i could do to help out in the ways that i had been helping (babysitting - can't hold kids....doing the bulletin - can't type....just using the restroom was a huge fiasco!). it had almost healed - i was at the beginning of week 5, i think, and we were doing the youth Christmas party, so i was helping get the gift Bibles wrapped for the kids. my wrist started aching, but...there were still like 50 Bibles to be wrapped, so i kept going (in spite of being told to STOP). by the time the Christmas party for the youth was going on, i had RE-sprained my wrist (genius, i know). back to square one with healing, back to square one with immobilization, back to square one with my obedience.

which was really the frustrating part for me. God told me to give, and now He wouldn't heal me so i COULD. WHAT?!?! so, i spent a few days sniveling in prayer about it (yes, i was sniveling), grumping to God about how unfair it was that i had been doing what i was told, and my heart's desire was to get BACK to doing that, because i also discovered the secret joys of giving (it really IS great to bless someone!), as well as the joys of obedience. i was totally floored when He spoke.....

BALANCE! i became so over-zealous about "give" that i never bothered to PRAY about my giving. the sprained wrist was the direct result of trying to give to someone who did not want my gift. (ok, not that my pastor was being a jerk or anything, but..he was already on the mission of getting the trash can to the curb & didn't see much sense in stopping so i could do what he already started) He reminded me of all the times that someone was trying to "bless" me, but their gift was an inadvertent (on their part) hinderance to what i thought i was doing (that i perceived to be more important), and i immediately realized that not everyone is ready to receive the blessings we are trying to give.

giving IS good - giving is VERY good. but..if there's no balance to it, you run yourself into the ground, making it easy for bitterness to take root (and truly, i'm surprised that it didn't!), and if there's no prayer behind it, you may be giving to someone who's not prepared to receive.

anyway, after all of that, i don't even remember how i thought it related to your lesson, but....yeah....sorry about that! :S (*blush*)

cori

12-01-2008, 07:15 PM

as for this year's God-given goal....(short & sweet this time, honest!) -

obedience.

IMMEDIATE obedience.

references available upon request....lol....

but He's been showing me that obedience is good, but IMMEDIATE obedience is what He's after (being that He usually speaks when it's time for us to MOVE, that DOES make sense....).

CamperGirl

12-01-2008, 07:23 PM

I feel like God is really teaching how to love people. It's so easy to assume a persons charactor or to be so quick to judge them. Or even when your frustraited, it's much beter to lash out at the people around you than it is to just walk away and get over it.

I know God is taking me through a season on love. All sorts of it really, but mostly to love people that way that He loves them. Showing even little random acts of kindness, like helping someone carry somthing to thier car, or even buying them a little trinket to brighten thier day. It's the little stuff that you give, present wise or even emotionally that can really show a person the love of Jesus. :)

Kelly

12-01-2008, 07:31 PM

Hehe actually it absolutely relates! What an awesome story/lesson! :) Thanks so much for sharing!

One thing I really have a hard time with is hearing God tell me to do something, so I do it but it goes wrong, then I think "Oh no, it wasn't really God speaking...so how do I know when it IS God speaking?" Sometimes it's completely clear, but other times, not so much. That can be SOOOOO frustrating at times!

For example, I recently applied for a new job...it sounded so perfect. Then I went on the interview and found out it was only a part time position (the ad stated that there were FT and PT positions available). I felt really good about the interview and my chances for getting the job. But for some reason, when I went home that night, I spent the entire night in tears thinking I'd just messed up and gotten myself into a job that I shouldn't be taking. I just cried out to God and flat out said "If you don't want me to have this job, don't give it to me! I don't want it!" The next day I got hired, so I took that as a sign and accepted. My first week was so stressful, but I loved the job. Then we had an incident that spiraled out of control and as a result I was let go after a month.

I was so mad. But not at God. I was mad at myself because I felt like I'd ruined something that God wanted me to be doing. I was so ashamed of myself! I kept doing the "what ifs" and "if onlys". But through prayer & conversations with God, I realized that I was there for a reason. Even if it was for a short time. God meant for me to be there and it was my time to leave because I was needed even more somewhere else. Well the day after I was let go, I called the organization where I had been volunteering before I took the job. It's an afterschool faith-based program. I asked if they needed me to come back and help while I searched for a new job. Turns out they had just accepted 20 new children THAT DAY and were looking for a teacher. I took the "job" and started right back there. I'm loving being back there. One of my students gave me the BIGGEST hug I've ever received the day I went back! I had to fight back the tears. I knew right then and there that it had all happened for a reason. It saddens me every day that I go there because I know that I'll just have to leave again when I get a job. But I have to remember that God wants me there right now, so I have to enjoy it, and try and figure out how I can best benefit these kids while I'm there.

LauraA

12-01-2008, 08:04 PM

you know, Kelly, i had a very similar lesson to this one last year - and it took a severely sprained wrist (i actually thought it was BROKEN!) for me to finally GET it.

i don't do the whole new year's resolution thing, because...yeah....will power is not my strong suit! lol but i DO seek the Lord at the beginning of each year about what HE would like me to work on/change/do/etc... it's generally NOT fun (and usually downright painful! in 2006, He told me to make amends with my biological father - a story for another time, but....it was NOT something i was eager to do, as he disappeared before i was a month old & did not resurface until i was 14 - at MY seeking him out! 3 failed times of building a relationship, i was not ready to face that rejection again! it took me the ENTIRE YEAR to submit myself to God's will, and i finally called him a few days before Christmas. (after pleading & begging God to let me off the hook this time - He just told me that my job was to OBEY & leave the results to HIM - if the father responded, awesome...if not, that was between him & God) the result? a BEAUTIFULLY restored relationship! ok, there's still a long way to go, because 31 years of absence can not be restored in only 1, but...at least it's off to a CONSTRUCTIVE start this time! anyway...that's waaaaaay off topic....and a HUGE side point requiring parentheses! o.O). ok, so...

last year (2007), He spoke a single word. GIVE. whatever i had, i was to give. money, time, food, whatever - give (and there was NOT much of any of those things to be found last year). ok, i'm one of those all or nothing people - i don't know HOW to walk the middle of the road. if my heart's not in it, i can't fake it, and if my heart IS in it, i'm a zealot! (i like to think that can be a good thing, but....balance is better....) well, like every other area of my life, i poured myself into giving. if i heard of a need - ANY need - i was your man (uhhh....WO...man...lol). i literally gave myself to complete and utter exhaustion. but, there were still needs! interestingly enough (ok, maybe just interesting to me because i know myself?), i never did become frustrated with the people i was trying to bless by my giving - only frustrated with myself for not making a difference when i was doing exactly what i KNEW the Lord had told me to do. anyway, i don't know if you read my mini-testimony, but....giving to utter exhaustion & depression just don't mix well. anyway...(i'm trying to be quick..honest...)

my pastor is also one of those give-as-long-as-there-are-needs people, constantly running himself into the ground, so...i decided that i would put myself in charge of trash cans. putting them at the curb for pick-up, and then putting them back where they belong afterwards. no big deal, just one less thing for him to worry about. (i'm also a huge fan of the behind the scenes ministry - i dont like to be seen...at ALL, preferably!) so, i started doing that - but he busted me doing it once (rats!). he told me not to worry about it, so i just kinda "yeah yeah" through the conversation because i fully intended to keep doing it. (did i mention my OWN blonde moments??)

so one night, he beats me to taking the cans out to the curb (it's a silent race now...lol), but i saw him trying to do it. full trash can, arms loaded with Bibles, notebooks, other books, cd's, and a couple of grandkids tugging at his legs. so i figured - really? this man needs help! so i went over & tried to take the trash can from him, but he said that he had already gotten it. i insisted, so did he, and then..i think he thought i let go, but he just started walking again, full speed ahead. snapped my hand back, spraining the wrist. i sprained all the ligaments between the fingers & the wrist, AND the band of ligaments that holds the other ligaments together. treatment? COMPLETE restraint for 6 weeks (may as well have been broken!).

so.....that really put a damper on my giving/doing. there's not really much i could do to help out in the ways that i had been helping (babysitting - can't hold kids....doing the bulletin - can't type....just using the restroom was a huge fiasco!). it had almost healed - i was at the beginning of week 5, i think, and we were doing the youth Christmas party, so i was helping get the gift Bibles wrapped for the kids. my wrist started aching, but...there were still like 50 Bibles to be wrapped, so i kept going (in spite of being told to STOP). by the time the Christmas party for the youth was going on, i had RE-sprained my wrist (genius, i know). back to square one with healing, back to square one with immobilization, back to square one with my obedience.

which was really the frustrating part for me. God told me to give, and now He wouldn't heal me so i COULD. WHAT?!?! so, i spent a few days sniveling in prayer about it (yes, i was sniveling), grumping to God about how unfair it was that i had been doing what i was told, and my heart's desire was to get BACK to doing that, because i also discovered the secret joys of giving (it really IS great to bless someone!), as well as the joys of obedience. i was totally floored when He spoke.....

BALANCE! i became so over-zealous about "give" that i never bothered to PRAY about my giving. the sprained wrist was the direct result of trying to give to someone who did not want my gift. (ok, not that my pastor was being a jerk or anything, but..he was already on the mission of getting the trash can to the curb & didn't see much sense in stopping so i could do what he already started) He reminded me of all the times that someone was trying to "bless" me, but their gift was an inadvertent (on their part) hinderance to what i thought i was doing (that i perceived to be more important), and i immediately realized that not everyone is ready to receive the blessings we are trying to give.

giving IS good - giving is VERY good. but..if there's no balance to it, you run yourself into the ground, making it easy for bitterness to take root (and truly, i'm surprised that it didn't!), and if there's no prayer behind it, you may be giving to someone who's not prepared to receive.

anyway, after all of that, i don't even remember how i thought it related to your lesson, but....yeah....sorry about that! :S (*blush*)

I am amazed...I have a TWIN in cyberspace! Seriously. Wow. (More later...HAVE to get to bed due to utter exhaustion over the past 5 or 6 days. Wanna guess why? LOL)

cori

12-01-2008, 08:17 PM

lol Kelly, i'm glad it made sense to you! and glad i shared, too - believe me, it was NOT a fun lesson to live!!! lol (although i HAVE learned that the most powerful lessons learned are the ones that hurt the most TO learn!)

i'm sorry you were let go of the other job, but, just as you said, it was for a season, and now you are where God needs you. the whole job situation that you just shared, though, (and seriously, take this for what it's worth....and by all means, SEEK GOD!!!!), i can't help but wonder:

do you (or have you ever) have a heart for missions? it almost seems like God is preparing you for a ministry that's on the move, like a....i don't know....i feel really out of line here, but....as i was getting ready to type out my thoughts on being with the kids is where God wants you, i just had this overwhelming feeling - almost like i could SEE you (yeah, like THAT'S happened! ha!) - that you are not meant for a "permanent" (in the traditional sense of the word in a job scene) position, but...flexible & mobile. ???

my disclaimer - I AM NOT A PROPHET!!!! lol i don't know, like i said, i feel REEEEEALLY out of line saying that, but....that was just WHAM! out of nowhere & very intense. ?? anyway...

like i was GOING to say, God has you with those kids for a reason right now, and...like i have learned through my own various circumstances (remind me someday to tell you the story about my family preparing me for my current ministry opportunities), those reasons may not become clear until much, MUCH later. don't think about getting a "real" job (ok, be wise & realistic..i'm not saying completely abandon all thoughts of that - if it's what you need to do, then do that, but don't DWELL on it by thinking about it when you don't NEED to be thinking about it), don't think about leaving those kids - think about what God has you there for and be doing that (i know i'm totally preaching to the choir...but wait! who am i to be preaching, anyway! sorry....this truly was meant as encouragement.....). you never know what doors God is unlocking for you in this limbo time, and, unless you walk in obedience, you may never know what doors are going to be opened for you! (huh, maybe that overwhelming feeling i had a few mins ago is nothing & God is opening a permanent position for you THERE!)

and i totally hear you, about recognizing the voice of God. sometimes perfect clarity - almost audible, and other times....."are you there, Lord?" i know that those times are intended to continue shaping our spiritual senses, but....in MY life, anyway, it just so happens that those times seem to fall during my most intense struggles! i'm gonna go with -> it's to foster our DEPENDENCE on Him. :D

have i said, yet, that this forum ROCKS??? you guys are amazing! thank you for patiently welcoming me!!! :)

cori

12-01-2008, 08:18 PM

lol Laura, ohhhh, i SOOOOOOOOO can't wait to hear your story!!!! :D

grannies together....uber-givers together.....works for me! ;)

Kelly

12-01-2008, 08:22 PM

Ok that is sooooo weird that you said that cause so many times I've thought maybe I'm supposed to be working with kids, but not necessarily as a teacher. I just don't know what else I'd do.

cori

12-01-2008, 08:57 PM

Ok that is sooooo weird that you said that cause so many times I've thought maybe I'm supposed to be working with kids, but not necessarily as a teacher. I just don't know what else I'd do.

hmmm....maybe some hands & knees time is in order?? :D i'll pray with you!

Lord, i just ask that You would guide kelly. reveal Your will for her life TO her, so that she may begin to walk that path. open doors that lead to Your path, and close any doors that will bring distractions or obstructions to her. guide each step that she takes and every decision that she makes. above all, Lord, i ask for Your peace to surround kelly with each step on Your path. confirm in her heart all that You are asking her to do. we love You, Lord, and we thank You for Your faithful, guiding hand. amen.

Bubelaiken

12-01-2008, 09:18 PM

God has teached me to accept my gifts of teaching kids to believe in god. I love very minture of it.
God has been sooo faithful for me and for you.
God will be soo happy that we keep doing this.

LauraA

12-02-2008, 07:43 AM

lol Laura, ohhhh, i SOOOOOOOOO can't wait to hear your story!!!! :D

grannies together....uber-givers together.....works for me! ;)

I could of written just what you wrote. When I do something, I go at it full speed ahead. I am trying to learn balance, but I just want to go, get things done, work behind the scenes (big time not out in public). I like to stop at church and clean. Make meals for people. Send cards of encouragement. We're putting together a little coffee room at church and I'm there for hours every week working on it. When I see a need, I want to supply it or find a way to help. It can be a very frustrating thing to deal with. I constantly have to put things into the Lord's hands and leave them there. I can't protect the world. I can't feed the world. I can't be a savior. I can't pay everyone's rent. But I can pray and I can do a little bit to help someone, as the Lord leads. It's a big, lifelong, frustrating lesson that I keep failing to learn, so I keep starting over....is this ADD? lol.

Last week my husband had to actually tell me "No, you cannot do anything else. You can't. Period." He uses his head and thinks things out and tries to help me see when I'm doing too much. I use my heart and don't think on things enough (no time!). We balance each other out pretty well.

Still learning....

cori

12-02-2008, 11:32 AM

lol laura, yep...cyber twins we are! (hey, at least we've got the right heart behind our zealout-mindset! haha)

since money & food (errr...the lack thereof, i mean!) have ALWAYS been an issue in my life, that's where i want to give the MOST. i KNOW firsthand what it's like to have no place to live...i KNOW firsthand what it's like to go days with no food...so when i see a need there, no matter HOW tight things are for me, i want to meet it. i actually got in trouble at the grocery store once because i bought one of those $5 vouchers to help feed a family!

i keep failing to learn it, too, so i'm SOOOO thankful that He is patient enough to take us back to the beginning of our failure (thankfully not all the way back to the beginning of the lesson!) & start again. :) (and, for the record, i wasn't implying that God sprained my wrist to slow me down - i think that happened because of my own stupidity, but i DO believe that God used that opportunity to make something beautiful that would reveal HIS glory, even though it was more of a personal revelation of that glory & i dont think anyone else really saw what He did there)

uber giving grannies with add.....i think i like it! ;) lol

LauraA

12-02-2008, 11:42 AM

I knew just what you meant. The Lord allows consequences to happen, and He can use those for His glory. And it is for His glory because you are learning from it. And others who you share that lesson with can learn from it...and grow closer to Him and His will because of it.

UGGWADD....LOL!!!!!! ROTF!!!!

cori

12-02-2008, 12:38 PM

hahahahahaha uggwadd! i LOVE it! now all we need is a secret handshake! lol

how old is ben? we've got ryan (28, married to teresa & father of ayda, who just turned 1), shanna (26, now divorced), stuart (24, just married jessica), noah (7), and matthew (will be 5 on the 27th). i loved that similarity too - big gap between kids!

UGGWADD!!!!

LauraA

12-02-2008, 06:47 PM

cori

12-02-2008, 07:29 PM

:D UGGWADD! :D
Wow, more similarities! Jesse is 34, Lisa is 32 and Ben is 7. We also have 4 grand-kids, ages 13, 11, 10 and 8~ all older than Ben.

It might be hard to come up with a secret giving grannies with ADD handshake, but I love the idea of it! (I'd forget it anyway...might we add 'gray hair that used to be blond' into the equation? LOL), but maybe we could have special T-shirts for the elite group that we are. Hee Hee. :cool:

lol, i'd totally forget it too! t-shirts, maybe! to my knowledge, i don't have any greys yet (i'm only 32, but i DO expect them fairly soon! lol), but.....apparently my hair's not QUITE dark enough to get me out of the blonde category, so....BUGGWADs we are! lol i'd say we could pick a JC shirt to be our group shirt, but...i fear jeremy would think we were trying to include him the group! lol but then again, it wouldn't really be THAT far off, because..i wonder how many OTHER BUGGWADs think jeremy rocks?!?! lol hmmm.....if we add any OTHER letters to our acronym, i fear i won't even remember who WE are! lol

Meadow

12-02-2008, 07:29 PM

God’s will or our will?

Recently as God places me among His people to minister it’s like He speaks through me in words of comfort. It reminds me when you are so tired and so long to lay down and feel that pillow under your head. So finally when you get there you take the pillow and fluff it up to fall into it. It’s real instead of a pillow it’s God providing His comfort to me it ministers with His heart not mine.

Someone recently was very anxious to share an email w/ me of a video of a man being filled w/ the Holy Ghost during his wedding. She continued to go on about it saying that God’s timing is perfect and that would not be in His order for this to happen in the mist of this couple’s wedding. She played the video as I on looked over her shoulder. She was like saying can you believe that you know God is a God of order? She knew how I felt about being filled w/ the Holy Ghost and I really didn’t want to say anything. God began to stir in my mind and the Lord showed me at that moment what His perfect will is all about. The thoughts God gave me became words that came to me in a very calm sweet tone and with a loving smile on my face: “I would love to know that couple’s testimony behind that moment because I would love to know what they had been praying for or he had been praying for. The man may have been praying to be filled w/ the Holy Ghost before he was to be married.”

If that’s the case who is to say what God’s perfect timing is? God is a God of order- His order not ours. We get too caught up in our own expectations and what our own idea of what perfect timing is and don’t realize God’s will for us exceeds everything we could ever imagine. I felt so blessed by this lesson God showered me with and I hope it may bless others too. Thank You, Lord for allowing me to see thru the eyes of Your heart!

I was talking with someone recently and they said, “when I pray I ask God for what I want and then I ask for His will to be done in my life.” I immediately got a picture in my head of little children at the Lord ’s Table with many platters of veggies, meats, breads, etc. and each labeled one of the fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). We are like children and we want what we want, not what’s best for us. Children rather have junk food and candy, but we need a certain amount of all the other things and very little to none of the fatty foods/sugars. Instead of praying I want Your will for my life, mountains of selfish requests are place at the Lord’s throne in a puddle of tears. He is heart broken because His own children won’t trust in Him enough to allow Him to feed them. Their too busy feeding off the world around them wanting this and that; we need to come to the Lord ’s Table with blind eyes and trust His will in our life. He knows exactly how much of each fruit of the Spirit in our life we are lacking and He knows the exact serving amounts we need and what temperature we need to be fed it (how He chooses to feed it to us at His discretion). Some hearts are more tender and sensitive and each heart needs special care and direction. Thank You, Lord again for allowing me to take look thru the eyes of Your heart!

Breathe Him ~Leigh

cori

12-02-2008, 07:33 PM

leigh, i love the vision you had at the Lord's table. so true, we want the junk of the world to fill us up instead of trusting in the nourishment of the Word & the Lord (even when we have experienced that HIS nourishment is more fulfilling & lasting than the "sugar highs" of the world!).

VERY good word, thank you!!!! :D

Kelly

12-02-2008, 07:37 PM

As always, Leigh, spoken beautifully! :) We miss you around here! Hope everything is going well!!!

Psalms23

12-02-2008, 09:26 PM

Right now I don't have time to go much into details..i have to be up for work in 6 1/2 hours... but this pretty much sums up what the Lord has been teaching me..

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

LauraA

12-03-2008, 01:36 AM

lol, i'd totally forget it too! t-shirts, maybe! to my knowledge, i don't have any greys yet (i'm only 32, but i DO expect them fairly soon! lol), but.....apparently my hair's not QUITE dark enough to get me out of the blonde category, so....BUGGWADs we are! lol i'd say we could pick a JC shirt to be our group shirt, but...i fear jeremy would think we were trying to include him the group! lol but then again, it wouldn't really be THAT far off, because..i wonder how many OTHER BUGGWADs think jeremy rocks?!?! lol hmmm.....if we add any OTHER letters to our acronym, i fear i won't even remember who WE are! lol

I know what you mean. I had to keep looking back at our post to remember the acronym already. But repetition should get it in there!

LauraA

12-03-2008, 01:43 AM

Convicted

12-03-2008, 03:44 AM

cori

12-03-2008, 11:22 AM

I know what you mean. I had to keep looking back at our post to remember the acronym already. But repetition should get it in there!

lol - i've forgotten it too!!! every time i type it out, i have to say it (out LOUD!! *blush* lol) as i type it:

BBBBlonde UUUUber Giving Grannies with ADD....and then i have to look at it as a whole -> BUGGWADD, WHILE saying it again, to make sure i got them all! lol

shirts might be a good idea! hahaha

cori

12-03-2008, 11:37 AM

I love the title of this thread. We're all really students, there's not really a day we ever stop learning while we're alive on this planet, whether we're conscious of that or not. Our whole world-view and perspective are continually evaluated and reframed by all of the information we receive everyday. We all are born with a distorted vision of what the truth really is, and the accurate way of living isn't instinct to our errored human nature. When the Truth reveals Himself to us, and seizes our heart and mind so we come to that state of surrender, it's then when we began the whole process of "reprograming" our perceptions. This Scripture articulates the patter of how to acquire an accurate outlook on things: I beseech you therefore, brethern, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2
It all begins with us surrendering to God, dis-attaching ourself from the world and our desires by the paradigm shift that takes place through our continual learning process which is then used to replace our desires with God's. As we learn more by acquiring more knowledge and through more experiences, God's will becomes clearer and clearer to us. If you want to know God's will, listen for His voice... obey what you've been told, even when He tells you something (however He does that) that seems small and not that important, perhaps it's the very thing we should pay close attention to. For who has despised the day of small things? Zechariah 4:10 Sometimes the smallest things we refuse to do, hinder us from the greater things He's predestine us to do.

So yeah, in my life lately I've constantly been viewing it with the perspective of a learner, always desiring to learn something new. Right now, I feel like God's preparing me for other things that He wants me to do in the future, but at the same time not miss seizing upon the opportunities He presents me with today. I could go on about more specific things God's teaching me, but I'll save that for another post.

VERY well said!!!! for a long time, i had the "distant" will of God mentality - i knew God had something planned for me later on down the line, and that He would reveal it when it was time. then my pastor came almost 8 years ago, and truly brought LIFE to the church. he has always had this saying - "bloom where you are planted." (which really spoke to me because at the time, i was also begging Him to let us move to a different town/city) in the beginning of my depression, he did a little bit of counseling with me (before things got so bad that he referred me to a LICENSED christian counselor, because the issues were too deep), and...it was during that time that i finally started to APPLY his sermons, the Word, etc... to my life and really start seeking the Lord out of an earnest desire to meet with HIM (rather than let the pastor meet with Him & then tell me what He said about a, b, c, and d). and it REVOLUTIONIZED my walk with the Lord.

since i began doing that 4 years ago, i have learned that, yes, there is a "big picture" - a primary purpose of God in each person's life, but....that doesn't mean we sit around waiting for Him to drop it on us. there is a right NOW will of God for our lives - areas of ministry, even though they may seem small. if we fall short in THOSE areas of ministry, we may never get to the place we need to be for God to reveal THE ministry - particularly because (this has been my personal experience, but..it makes sense, so i'm pretty sure others have experienced it as well..) the right NOW ministries are the PREPARATION for THE ministry. (for example, when i married - at 19 - i inherited 3 teens...11, 13, and 15 - needless to say, it was HELL!!! but, i stuck it out, and now....13 yrs later, not only are those relationships RESTORED to something more beautiful than i could have ever dreamed they would be, He has me in ministry with the "rejected" teens in our society! would i be able to do ANYTHING there with these kids if i had refused to walk out the relationship troubles early in my marriage? absolutely NOT! i'd crumble at the first hint of attitude from one of these kids!)

so, yes...we need to be constantly seeking the Lord, constantly detaching ourselves from the world, and constantly walking in obedience, no matter HOW insignificant what He asks us to do may seem. i'm always reminding myself that if i can't overcome the trials of today, then i'll never even be able to face the trials of tomorrow. even if today's task seems insignificant, it is preparation for tomorrow - if i learn from it, rather than complain about it.

Kelly

12-03-2008, 11:48 AM

BUGGWADD?!?!?! Oh man, you two are cracking me up with this stuff!!!! If yall are BUGGWADDs then Laura and I are STPs (Same Time Posters) hehehehe

cori

12-03-2008, 12:04 PM

BUGGWADD?!?!?! Oh man, you two are cracking me up with this stuff!!!! If yall are BUGGWADDs then Laura and I are STPs (Same Time Posters) hehehehe

rotf!!! hahahahahah! i think laura has achieved super hero status!!!!

---> LOOK! IN THE SKY! IT'S A BIRD..IT'S A PLANE....IT'S...ACRONYM WOMAN!!!!

hahahahahahaha

Kelly

12-03-2008, 12:12 PM

Hehehehe oh boy!

Oh that reminds me, Laura, we still need Super Mod capes hehehe

cori

12-03-2008, 12:20 PM

Hehehehe oh boy!

Oh that reminds me, Laura, we still need Super Mod capes hehehe

oooooh, capes would be AWESOME!!!!! *dreams of reaching super mod status* lol

cori

12-03-2008, 05:11 PM

as i was driving to pick noah up from school (matthew was quiet, for a change!), i was stewing on everything i've read here over the last few days. and that comment that "convicted" (i'm sorry, i don't know anyone's real names yet :S well, except those of us that use them.....) posted, about doing what God asks us to do, no matter how small it seems - God reminded me of something He showed me in my devotional readings (with the intense immediate obedience lesson), in connection with my life-long dream of leading worship with the same abandonment & freedom that heather clark does. just a question He posed to me, that i will continue posing to myself....

would you rather be SOMEBODY for God, or somebody FOR God??

it is QUITE possible to be SOMEBODY FOR God, but...am i content to be somebody FOR God? (as much as i hate being the center of attention, etc... apparently there is some part of me deep down inside - that i truly am unaware of!!! - that has some kind of desire to be the SOMEBODY part, or God would not be dealing with me on the issue..or maybe it's something that will flair up later? i don't know...) being a nobody who is wholly devoted to God makes us more of a somebody in the Kingdom than being a SOMEBODY who is only partially (or even mostly!) devoted to Him.

anyway...not sure why i felt the need to share that. it was just a deeper level of what we've been talking about....

DawnAurora

12-03-2008, 06:13 PM

I am amazed...I have a TWIN in cyberspace! Seriously. Wow. (More later...HAVE to get to bed due to utter exhaustion over the past 5 or 6 days. Wanna guess why? LOL)

Not a granny yet, but can I be junior pseudotriplet? Me three! Down to the overmotherhenning and potential ADD.

I'm kicking myself for missing the start of this thread - just didn't feel I had the energy to think, so I skipped this part of the forum (at least this thread) for a week or so.

Psalms23

12-03-2008, 08:38 PM

There has been so much going on in the past few months in my life. It has been a tough trail for me. I dont want to go to far into details just for personal reasons. But a few weeks ago I had My Best Friend come out and tell me that she has a lying problem. She went on to say that everything that she has done and said for the past month or two has been nothing but a lie. For me....A Lie is one of the things to hurts the most...but a lie from your best friend just rips you apart. I was hurt, crushed, torn a part, speechless, confused. As I was going through this time there were three verses that the Lord brought back to my eyes when I was reading the encouraging verses here on the board. I would like to share them with you.

Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:14
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Even though at the time I didn't let the verse completely sink in deep in my heart. God brought something else into my life to open my eyes and gave me peace that I needed. There Will Be A Day! I listen to that song one night and just the word grabbed a hold me and didnt let go. I had heard the songs..well soo many times i lost count..I knew the song word for word..but that night when i listen to it...the grabbed on and the lyrics to that song really hit me.

We have an amazing God! There is so much to life then what we see now!! There will be a day with no tears, no more pain, and no more fears!! How amazing is that!! Eternal GLORY!! There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, and we'll see Jesus face to face! I am telling you what brothers and sisters! I dont know about you but can't wait for that day!!

Just remember to fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

God Bless Yall!
Aaron

"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" 2 Corinthians 12:10

cori

12-03-2008, 09:53 PM

Not a granny yet, but can I be junior pseudotriplet? Me three! Down to the overmotherhenning and potential ADD.

I'm kicking myself for missing the start of this thread - just didn't feel I had the energy to think, so I skipped this part of the forum (at least this thread) for a week or so.

lol, no pseudos here - jump right in!!! :D i'm only a granny by marriage (hubby's oldest son from previous marriage is only 8 yrs younger than i am! and married & has a daughter, so...technically i'm a STEP-granny, but....i hate that STEP thing, so.....)

anyway, welcome to our acronym-tastic world! hehe

cori

12-03-2008, 10:06 PM

i'm sorry the last few months have been so difficult, aaron. if i had joined the forum earlier & was aware of the problem, i would have been lifting you up in prayer, for sure!!! last year, i had a friendship completely crumble for no apparent reason, and..while the Lord prepared me for it, it still caught me off guard and there was a lot of hurt. (for no reason other than i feel like i've poured out more of my life story here than i have anywhere else & i'm quite certain that you all deserve a break! but...i will spare the details, unless you feel they might help you) anyway...

it's an amazing testimony that you have, to be able to rise above the hurt that comes from that kind of a situation in a time when most people would still be grieving the loss of the friendship!

and i love that part of ecclesiastes, where it says that God has made one as well as the other (good times & bad). without the good times, we would crumble. but without the bad times, we could never appreciate the good times, and we could NEVER grow. growth usually comes out of discomfort, not out of things being great! when things are great, we don't want to rock the boat, but..when they start getting bad - we want change! so....even though i say this with MUCH fear & trembling (ohh, you have NOOOOOO idea!!! lol), i am grateful for the bad times, because, without them, i'd still be the sunday morning Christian. i still have a loooooooooooooooooong way to go before i attain anything that even RESEMBLES spiritual maturity, but....at least now my feet are actually ON the path that will someday get me there. anyway...

i will continue to hold you up in prayer, Aaron, because....even with the right perspective, there is still going to be a lot of hurt, and it may take a while for the full healing to take place. :D

Convicted

12-04-2008, 07:24 AM

since i began doing that 4 years ago, i have learned that, yes, there is a "big picture" - a primary purpose of God in each person's life, but....that doesn't mean we sit around waiting for Him to drop it on us. there is a right NOW will of God for our lives - areas of ministry, even though they may seem small. if we fall short in THOSE areas of ministry, we may never get to the place we need to be for God to reveal THE ministry - particularly because (this has been my personal experience, but..it makes sense, so i'm pretty sure others have experienced it as well..) the right NOW ministries are the PREPARATION for THE ministry. (for example, when i married - at 19 - i inherited 3 teens...11, 13, and 15 - needless to say, it was HELL!!! but, i stuck it out, and now....13 yrs later, not only are those relationships RESTORED to something more beautiful than i could have ever dreamed they would be, He has me in ministry with the "rejected" teens in our society! would i be able to do ANYTHING there with these kids if i had refused to walk out the relationship troubles early in my marriage? absolutely NOT! i'd crumble at the first hint of attitude from one of these kids!)

so, yes...we need to be constantly seeking the Lord, constantly detaching ourselves from the world, and constantly walking in obedience, no matter HOW insignificant what He asks us to do may seem. i'm always reminding myself that if i can't overcome the trials of today, then i'll never even be able to face the trials of tomorrow. even if today's task seems insignificant, it is preparation for tomorrow - if i learn from it, rather than complain about it.

Also, sometimes when we're in that 'preparation' state in life, (though life itself really is a preparation state) it can be (and usually is) one of the hardest times of our lives. We experience circumstances we never think we can bare, (which WE really can't, but through Christ we can) God develops our character more, (which usually means more tests and trials; in some format. Though not all trials are sent from God of course, but He uses them) and He teaches us to trust and rely on Him more completely instead of ourselves. A lot of times we may not realize why God puts one vision He has for us in the future in our heart and gives us this eager desire to fulfill and possess it immediately, but then the vision He gives us seems so far from the moment of today; and usually we become frustrated about this, and get so weighed down by the obligations, challenges, and heartache we're experiencing that we so quickly lose sight of the fact that it takes a journey to reach a specific destination from our current location. We forget that there's detours in the road we travel, and sometimes we veer off the path because we're still bound by parts of our own will. When tough situations arise in our lives that we didn't cause, we often wonder why God allows us to experience such excruciating pain and allows us to come to these places where we feel like totally giving up... It's in those times we need to remember, we need to give up, but not on the purpose God has for us; we need to give up to His control and recognize His sovereignty, rest in Him; and remember that though our eyes can't see the specific spiritual reasons for why God allows something painful to happen, there's a greater reason and purpose that will eventually be derived from that event, so that it impacts someone else's life for His glory. But meanwhile we undergo the purging and preparation process. It reminds me of this song from Kutless: "Right now you're bruised and bleeding, I see the hurt within your eyes. I know your pain is for a reason, you need to feel just to know that you're alive." (Yeah, I'm an avid Kutless fan also; God uses their music to impact my life a LOT). Those places in the road of our life, seem life we're taking a scenic route for no apparent reason; no one told us we'd take that route, yet we find ourselves being led down this road we don't even want to go; we figure it's useless and waste of time, money, etc.. to take such a route in order to get to our intended destination. Usually it's a long, winding road, sometimes with steep hills and grades we have to climb (climb - drive , you know what I mean); it can be a very bumpy ride - and we become eager and tired, and want to turn back, but we can't because it's a narrow road, we've already been driven down it too far. There's no turning back. Once we get to the apex of the scenic road, and see the beauty that's derived from the journey, the gorgeous landscape; we then can look back down on our journey and see just how the road we were on led us to such a magnificent place -- we soon realize that it might have been a long and hard journey, but it was a worthwhile one. And once we realize that, and have traveled on that part of the road, we can help others, and give them some directions and precautions on how to travel that road. (Though of course everyone's road is different; and some people's are similar to others; there's still basic guidelines for traveling.)

Another thing we need to learn is how to be content, in the preparation process and recognize it's not the place we're always going to be in, since we're continually on the move in our journey -- continually growing, learning, and changing.

Ah, jeez... I could continue writing about this, but I didn't originally expect to make that analogy anyhow. Yeah, I didn't expect to write that much either, but I am notorious for long posts :] Which is kind of funny, because I usually don't talk as much as I write... and I don't write NEARLY as much as I think. Perhaps I should reverse the cycle more often. Or not. lolz

Convicted

12-04-2008, 08:30 AM

ok, i'm one of those all or nothing people - i don't know HOW to walk the middle of the road. if my heart's not in it, i can't fake it, and if my heart IS in it, i'm a zealot! (i like to think that can be a good thing, but....balance is better....)

i was totally floored when He spoke.....

BALANCE! i became so over-zealous about "give" that i never bothered to PRAY about my giving.

Heh, I'm totally like that also -- an extremist. Either you do it completely... or you don't at all. Like I used to have the window rolled all the way down in the car.... someone would tell me to roll it up a LITTLE bit, and I'd roll it up all the way. Either I want to be completely quiet, or never ceasing to be loud, etc.. Over time God taught me the same thing about balance and moderation, how it was extremely necessary in all facets of our lives. If you do too much of one thing, and exclude other things, you're going to be lacking in certain areas that are crucial to the area you're dedicating most of your time to. And thus, all of your passionate dedication for something will be a waste of time (for that moment anyhow), because then you'll have to go back and become more experienced in all the other areas you disregarded earlier (and usually when you do that, you dedicate all of your time to that one thing as well). This could be one reason schools teach several subjects at once.
Extremism can be good though, because you use the polar opposites to the fullest when you do; and you gain a deeper insight in that one specific thing; experiencing it to the maximum, testing its limits; and you can have a broader perspective when it comes to understanding different sides of things, plus you can recognize paradoxes quicker usually. But, without moderation, at cetain times, it can weary you and hold you back from what you're striving for, and dim the missing perspective you need to receive which you only can obtain by being balanced. When you use moderation it keeps you more stable; allows you to experience parts of two different things at the same time. And it's extremely vital when communicating with others.

cori

12-04-2008, 09:11 AM

Also, sometimes when we're in that 'preparation' state in life, (though life itself really is a preparation state) it can be (and usually is) one of the hardest times of our lives. We experience circumstances we never think we can bare, (which WE really can't, but through Christ we can) God develops our character more, (which usually means more tests and trials; in some format. Though not all trials are sent from God of course, but He uses them) and He teaches us to trust and rely on Him more completely instead of ourselves. A lot of times we may not realize why God puts one vision He has for us in the future in our heart and gives us this eager desire to fulfill and possess it immediately, but then the vision He gives us seems so far from the moment of today; and usually we become frustrated about this, and get so weighed down by the obligations, challenges, and heartache we're experiencing that we so quickly lose sight of the fact that it takes a journey to reach a specific destination from our current location. We forget that there's detours in the road we travel, and sometimes we veer off the path because we're still bound by parts of our own will. When tough situations arise in our lives that we didn't cause, we often wonder why God allows us to experience such excruciating pain and allows us to come to these places where we feel like totally giving up... It's in those times we need to remember, we need to give up, but not on the purpose God has for us; we need to give up to His control and recognize His sovereignty, rest in Him; and remember that though our eyes can't see the specific spiritual reasons for why God allows something painful to happen, there's a greater reason and purpose that will eventually be derived from that event, so that it impacts someone else's life for His glory. But meanwhile we undergo the purging and preparation process. It reminds me of this song from Kutless: "Right now you're bruised and bleeding, I see the hurt within your eyes. I know your pain is for a reason, you need to feel just to know that you're alive." (Yeah, I'm an avid Kutless fan also; God uses their music to impact my life a LOT). Those places in the road of our life, seem life we're taking a scenic route for no apparent reason; no one told us we'd take that route, yet we find ourselves being led down this road we don't even want to go; we figure it's useless and waste of time, money, etc.. to take such a route in order to get to our intended destination. Usually it's a long, winding road, sometimes with steep hills and grades we have to climb (climb - drive , you know what I mean); it can be a very bumpy ride - and we become eager and tired, and want to turn back, but we can't because it's a narrow road, we've already been driven down it too far. There's no turning back. Once we get to the apex of the scenic road, and see the beauty that's derived from the journey, the gorgeous landscape; we then can look back down on our journey and see just how the road we were on led us to such a magnificent place -- we soon realize that it might have been a long and hard journey, but it was a worthwhile one. And once we realize that, and have traveled on that part of the road, we can help others, and give them some directions and precautions on how to travel that road. (Though of course everyone's road is different; and some people's are similar to others; there's still basic guidelines for traveling.)

Another thing we need to learn is how to be content, in the preparation process and recognize it's not the place we're always going to be in, since we're continually on the move in our journey -- continually growing, learning, and changing.

Ah, jeez... I could continue writing about this, but I didn't originally expect to make that analogy anyhow. Yeah, I didn't expect to write that much either, but I am notorious for long posts :] Which is kind of funny, because I usually don't talk as much as I write... and I don't write NEARLY as much as I think. Perhaps I should reverse the cycle more often. Or not. lolz

ok, really - where WERE you 5 yrs ago??? lol...this is exactly what i have learned (although my analogy of the road trip looked more like heading for a destination & running into road construction with many detours.....after a while on the detours, you start wondering if you've been following the signs correctly, but you can't go back out - you can only continue to go forward in faith that you HAVE been following correctly...when you get back to the original path to find that you have been going the right way - even though it's not the way you expected - peace & joy again) over the last few years of depression & really pressing into the Lord.

AND....you about made my eyes pop out of my head!!! the BEGINNING of the most serious depression struggles??? GOD GIVING ME A VISION FOR THE FUTURE & MY STRUGGLE WITH STAYING ON TODAY'S PATH, RATHER THAN JUMPING TO TOMORROW'S PATH!!!!!! lol, that was so....exactly what i needed to hear, especially after last night! thank you!!!!

i wish i'd known you 5 yrs ago to receive this wisdom THEN!! :D (although, truth be told, i probably wouldn't have understood a word of it back then! lol)

thank you! (and hey! viva long posts!!! hahahaha from one long poster to another! lol)

cori

12-04-2008, 09:15 AM

Heh, I'm totally like that also -- an extremist. Either you do it completely... or you don't at all. Like I used to have the window rolled all the way down in the car.... someone would tell me to roll it up a LITTLE bit, and I'd roll it up all the way. Either I want to be completely quiet, or never ceasing to be loud, etc.. Over time God taught me the same thing about balance and moderation, how it was extremely necessary in all facets of our lives. If you do too much of one thing, and exclude other things, you're going to be lacking in certain areas that are crucial to the area you're dedicating most of your time to. And thus, all of your passionate dedication for something will be a waste of time (for that moment anyhow), because then you'll have to go back and become more experienced in all the other areas you disregarded earlier (and usually when you do that, you dedicate all of your time to that one thing as well). This could be one reason schools teach several subjects at once.
Extremism can be good though, because you use the polar opposites to the fullest when you do; and you gain a deeper insight in that one specific thing; experiencing it to the maximum, testing its limits; and you can have a broader perspective when it comes to understanding different sides of things, plus you can recognize paradoxes quicker usually. But, without moderation, at cetain times, it can weary you and hold you back from what you're striving for, and dim the missing perspective you need to receive which you only can obtain by being balanced. When you use moderation it keeps you more stable; allows you to experience parts of two different things at the same time. And it's extremely vital when communicating with others.

for SURE!!!!! the passion of a zealot IS a good thing, but without balance, there is little room for blessing (exhaustion & frustration on the part of the zealot - and by zealot, i am referring to MYSELF! lol - and the rest of the world is still dizzy from watching me zing by in my zeal!) it IS good to experience the fullness of a situation, but...having done it MY way (the zealous, extremist way) so many times & been left feeling so empty, seemingly for nothing - i have learned that i would RATHER experience things to their fullest at a slower pace, having more balance in each experience.

hooray for a group of fellow balance-learning extremists!!! :D

ok, must get noah to school...we're late!!! :eek:

Meadow

12-04-2008, 08:54 PM

That is beautiful, Leigh. Wow, what a blessing. Thank you so much for sharing it. I've missed you terribly!

I saw that wedding video you are speaking of. Although God is a God of order as the Bible shows us, our idea of order may not be exactly what His idea of order is, just like you said. That precious man on that video had an open, tender heart for the Lord and at that point in time was submitting to God's will, and God honored it with that beautiful filling he received. I thought it was amazing and something that will always be a wonderful memory for that husband and wife.

I love the thought of the big puffy pillow and God's comfort. That's nice!

Hugs,
Laura

I miss everyone too! Thanks Kelly, Cori & Laura! Life has been quite overwhelming lately w/ many stressors. But it's in His presence I always find peace. He has given me new vision for another book which I understand is going to be of the first to be published (The Lord gave me the title and the picture for the cover during a recent Sunday service a few weeks ago)and also new vision for a Christian novel. The words He gives to me and then He is constantly confirming them in scripture. I know this is what I want to do with my life I can't seem to get enough of Him. I pray for God's will in my life. I long to serve Him full-time. He is my life and I don't see it any other way. He comes first in my life.
The pillow and God's comfort came to life in my mind from "Healing Hand of God"- 2 Corithians 1:3-5. When He overflows in our lives also through Christ comfort overflows just as that fluffy pillow overflowing w/ comfort for us to rest our heads on. Christ will always be our ROCK and will always be the only rock we will find comfort in.

Blessings~Leigh

Meadow

12-04-2008, 09:18 PM

Also, sometimes when we're in that 'preparation' state in life, (though life itself really is a preparation state) it can be (and usually is) one of the hardest times of our lives. We experience circumstances we never think we can bare, (which WE really can't, but through Christ we can) God develops our character more, (which usually means more tests and trials; in some format. Though not all trials are sent from God of course, but He uses them) and He teaches us to trust and rely on Him more completely instead of ourselves. A lot of times we may not realize why God puts one vision He has for us in the future in our heart and gives us this eager desire to fulfill and possess it immediately, but then the vision He gives us seems so far from the moment of today; and usually we become frustrated about this, and get so weighed down by the obligations, challenges, and heartache we're experiencing that we so quickly lose sight of the fact that it takes a journey to reach a specific destination from our current location. We forget that there's detours in the road we travel, and sometimes we veer off the path because we're still bound by parts of our own will. When tough situations arise in our lives that we didn't cause, we often wonder why God allows us to experience such excruciating pain and allows us to come to these places where we feel like totally giving up... It's in those times we need to remember, we need to give up, but not on the purpose God has for us; we need to give up to His control and recognize His sovereignty, rest in Him; and remember that though our eyes can't see the specific spiritual reasons for why God allows something painful to happen, there's a greater reason and purpose that will eventually be derived from that event, so that it impacts someone else's life for His glory. But meanwhile we undergo the purging and preparation process. It reminds me of this song from Kutless: "Right now you're bruised and bleeding, I see the hurt within your eyes. I know your pain is for a reason, you need to feel just to know that you're alive." (Yeah, I'm an avid Kutless fan also; God uses their music to impact my life a LOT). Those places in the road of our life, seem life we're taking a scenic route for no apparent reason; no one told us we'd take that route, yet we find ourselves being led down this road we don't even want to go; we figure it's useless and waste of time, money, etc.. to take such a route in order to get to our intended destination. Usually it's a long, winding road, sometimes with steep hills and grades we have to climb (climb - drive , you know what I mean); it can be a very bumpy ride - and we become eager and tired, and want to turn back, but we can't because it's a narrow road, we've already been driven down it too far. There's no turning back. Once we get to the apex of the scenic road, and see the beauty that's derived from the journey, the gorgeous landscape; we then can look back down on our journey and see just how the road we were on led us to such a magnificent place -- we soon realize that it might have been a long and hard journey, but it was a worthwhile one. And once we realize that, and have traveled on that part of the road, we can help others, and give them some directions and precautions on how to travel that road. (Though of course everyone's road is different; and some people's are similar to others; there's still basic guidelines for traveling.)

Another thing we need to learn is how to be content, in the preparation process and recognize it's not the place we're always going to be in, since we're continually on the move in our journey -- continually growing, learning, and changing.

Ah, jeez... I could continue writing about this, but I didn't originally expect to make that analogy anyhow. Yeah, I didn't expect to write that much either, but I am notorious for long posts :] Which is kind of funny, because I usually don't talk as much as I write... and I don't write NEARLY as much as I think. Perhaps I should reverse the cycle more often. Or not. lolz

Greetings in Jesus Name-
I think there is an angel among us. :) Thank you for all the hope you painted my heart w/ in this message. If you only truly knew what a beautiful analogy you delivered. It was a song from heaven. That's amazing cause it was exactly what i needed! Bless you, I hope you don't mind me calling you friend. Blessings flow ~Leigh

cori

12-04-2008, 11:24 PM

I miss everyone too! Thanks Kelly, Cori & Laura! Life has been quite overwhelming lately w/ many stressors. But it's in His presence I always find peace. He has given me new vision for another book which I understand is going to be of the first to be published (The Lord gave me the title and the picture for the cover during a recent Sunday service a few weeks ago)and also new vision for a Christian novel. The words He gives to me and then He is constantly confirming them in scripture. I know this is what I want to do with my life I can't seem to get enough of Him. I pray for God's will in my life. I long to serve Him full-time. He is my life and I don't see it any other way. He comes first in my life.
The pillow and God's comfort came to life in my mind from "Healing Hand of God"- 2 Corithians 1:3-5. When He overflows in our lives also through Christ comfort overflows just as that fluffy pillow overflowing w/ comfort for us to rest our heads on. Christ will always be our ROCK and will always be the only rock we will find comfort in.

Blessings~Leigh

leigh - i know i don't know you from adam (errr...eve....), but....when your book IS published, please, PLEASE let me know! i would LOVE to read it!!!

i absolutely looooove seeing the end result of something that God inspires in people - especially if i get to walk with them on the journey of creating it (if that makes any sense :confused: ).

and i know i'm not speaking for myself when i say that we will be praying with you as you write! :D

Kelly

12-04-2008, 11:48 PM

LauraA

12-05-2008, 06:22 AM

VERY well said!!!! for a long time, i had the "distant" will of God mentality - i knew God had something planned for me later on down the line, and that He would reveal it when it was time. then my pastor came almost 8 years ago, and truly brought LIFE to the church. he has always had this saying - "bloom where you are planted." (which really spoke to me because at the time, i was also begging Him to let us move to a different town/city) in the beginning of my depression, he did a little bit of counseling with me (before things got so bad that he referred me to a LICENSED christian counselor, because the issues were too deep), and...it was during that time that i finally started to APPLY his sermons, the Word, etc... to my life and really start seeking the Lord out of an earnest desire to meet with HIM (rather than let the pastor meet with Him & then tell me what He said about a, b, c, and d). and it REVOLUTIONIZED my walk with the Lord.

since i began doing that 4 years ago, i have learned that, yes, there is a "big picture" - a primary purpose of God in each person's life, but....that doesn't mean we sit around waiting for Him to drop it on us. there is a right NOW will of God for our lives - areas of ministry, even though they may seem small. if we fall short in THOSE areas of ministry, we may never get to the place we need to be for God to reveal THE ministry - particularly because (this has been my personal experience, but..it makes sense, so i'm pretty sure others have experienced it as well..) the right NOW ministries are the PREPARATION for THE ministry. (for example, when i married - at 19 - i inherited 3 teens...11, 13, and 15 - needless to say, it was HELL!!! but, i stuck it out, and now....13 yrs later, not only are those relationships RESTORED to something more beautiful than i could have ever dreamed they would be, He has me in ministry with the "rejected" teens in our society! would i be able to do ANYTHING there with these kids if i had refused to walk out the relationship troubles early in my marriage? absolutely NOT! i'd crumble at the first hint of attitude from one of these kids!)

so, yes...we need to be constantly seeking the Lord, constantly detaching ourselves from the world, and constantly walking in obedience, no matter HOW insignificant what He asks us to do may seem. i'm always reminding myself that if i can't overcome the trials of today, then i'll never even be able to face the trials of tomorrow. even if today's task seems insignificant, it is preparation for tomorrow - if i learn from it, rather than complain about it.

Dealing with troubled teens can be rough. I admire you for sticking it out and on top of that, learning from it. I praise God that you have now been blessed with good relationships with them.

Now that I've learned that most of the trials I go through will prepared me for future minstries or teach me something, I try not to fight against situations quite so much, but rather step back and pray. The Lord has a way of working things out in such magnificent ways. When I get too involved, I mess it all up.

Exodus 14:4 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

I really like what you wrote about the SOMEBODY for God or somebody FOR God. That was excellent and has put some seed for thought into my head. I will jot it down so I don't forget to think about it. BUGGWADD! (Ha! I remembered the B!):cool:

LauraA

12-05-2008, 06:29 AM

BUGGWADD?!?!?! Oh man, you two are cracking me up with this stuff!!!! If yall are BUGGWADDs then Laura and I are STPs (Same Time Posters) hehehehe

Hahahaha! So true! How am I going to remember all that?! lol. I already forgot the B in BUGGWADD and said UGGWADD a couple times. But Kelly, you and I are always thinking alike and posting at the same time. It's so funny!:D

Capes! Yes, I'd forgotten about our capes. Hahaha. T-shirts, capes, acronyms, flying with scrambled eggs...I feel like a new woman!

LauraA

12-05-2008, 06:30 AM

rotf!!! hahahahahah! i think laura has achieved super hero status!!!!

---> LOOK! IN THE SKY! IT'S A BIRD..IT'S A PLANE....IT'S...ACRONYM WOMAN!!!!

hahahahahahaha

Hahahahaha! You would see SEFBW: Scrambled Eggs For Brains Woman. Acronyms and this granny have issues!

drake71449

12-05-2008, 06:31 AM

i agree with Laura sometimes we need to P.U.S.H. and let God do all the work and also F.R.O.G.

:p

LauraA

12-05-2008, 06:38 AM

i agree with Laura sometimes we need to P.U.S.H. and let God do all the work and also F.R.O.G.

:p

:eek:EEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!! Help me!:eek:

drake71449

12-05-2008, 06:39 AM

what you dont like FROGs..... hehehe

:p

LauraA

12-05-2008, 06:59 AM

I miss everyone too! Thanks Kelly, Cori & Laura! Life has been quite overwhelming lately w/ many stressors. But it's in His presence I always find peace. He has given me new vision for another book which I understand is going to be of the first to be published (The Lord gave me the title and the picture for the cover during a recent Sunday service a few weeks ago)and also new vision for a Christian novel. The words He gives to me and then He is constantly confirming them in scripture. I know this is what I want to do with my life I can't seem to get enough of Him. I pray for God's will in my life. I long to serve Him full-time. He is my life and I don't see it any other way. He comes first in my life.
The pillow and God's comfort came to life in my mind from "Healing Hand of God"- 2 Corithians 1:3-5. When He overflows in our lives also through Christ comfort overflows just as that fluffy pillow overflowing w/ comfort for us to rest our heads on. Christ will always be our ROCK and will always be the only rock we will find comfort in.

Blessings~Leigh

Another book plus a novel?! Praise God! Leigh, that is so exciting. I can't wait to read it and see the picture you've chosen for the cover! Anyway, I will pray for you concerning the books. The Lord continues to use you. He is so awesome! Give Kristen a big hug for me, ok? Love you!

LauraA

12-05-2008, 07:00 AM

what you dont like FROGs..... hehehe

:p

Yea, I think frogs are cute little guys. I like them. :p

LauraA

12-05-2008, 09:14 AM

Last night in the Ladies Bible Study the topic was "Forgiveness." It was so, so good!

One thing that Pastor explained was that God is Love. That is WHAT He is. Love. Forgiving is how He SHOWS that love. Forgiving is the greatest gift, the ultimate, supreme act of love. It is what He did on the cross for each of us. And none of us deserved it. We need to forgive even when we don't feel like it. Our prayers are hindered if we don't forgive. We are not forgiven if we don't forgive. When we forgive others, it bears witness to God's love. Doctors practice medicine, Christians practice forgiveness.

We all had some questions about forgiveness. I asked Pastor if forgiveness is a decision we make, or if it's how we feel. He explained that forgiveness is really a decision. However, feeling hurt by the offender is something that is real and we need to deal with that hurt. We all deal with hurt in different ways. For example, I forgive easily. I feel things strongly. When I'm hurt, I usually cry first, then try to understand something of the other person's view and forgive quickly. Dan, my sweet husband is a thinker. When he hurts, he goes over and over the entire situation in his mind. He is quiet and wants to be alone during that time. It takes him a little longer to forgive, but when he does, it's done. We have to deal with real feelings and real emotions.

I shared something that just happened to me a couple weeks ago. If you've read my testimony is "Camp Fire", you will know what I'm referring to here. My x husband abused me and after I became a christian, I began to pray that I could forgive him. I then made the decision to forgive him. I continued to pray that I forgave him because although I said I did, and I thought I did, it didn't feel like I did. Well, a couple weeks ago Jim's sister passed away. She was only 48. I was filled with compassion for Jim and even wept for him, knowing that his heart would be hurting terribly over his loss. It was then that I knew that I really did forgive him. It was such a wonderful feeling!

I told the people at the B.S. that Jim continues to tell Jesse and Lisa (our kids) that the happiest day in his life will be the day that I die. I didn't understand why he says that, why he can't just forget me and get on with his life. It's been 25 years since I escaped. Well, Pastor explained to me that as long as I'm alive, the guilt, the reminder, and the weight of what he did to me is on him. When I'm gone, he can release that, therefore he looks forward to that day. The other option, of course is for him to submit to Jesus and be saved, then he could be rid of that guilt. (I vote for that option. LOL)

I am particularly touched by the story of Joseph and his brothers, as well as the prodigal son. Very personal and powerful ministering for/to me.

Let me encourage you that if you haven't forgiven someone, please pray about it. Read up on it in the Bible. No matter what someone has done to you, it is essential for you to forgive. That doesn't mean you have to trust that person, but it means that you don't wish him harm, or want to repay evil for evil. We need to wish them well, grieve at their calamities, pray for them, etc. It's a challenge, but it's essential that we do it...which we are able to do with Jesus leading the way.

LauraA

12-05-2008, 09:31 AM

Kelly

12-05-2008, 10:45 AM

Oh yeah! Our Mod Squad tshirts! I almost forgot! Let's see....how many names do you have now Laura? Hehehe

cori

12-05-2008, 11:44 AM

Yes Cori, you will ABSOLUTELY want that book! Leigh has such an AMAZING way with words. I know without a doubt God meant for her to write!

Leigh I'm sorry you're still going through a rough patch, but it will get better :) How's Kristen doing?

that's awesome - let's start leigh's very first fan club, right here. :) free membership!!! :D (hey, i'll even do whatever i can here to help promote it when it's finished!!!!)

kelly - i hope my last email wasn't too long. i know things are crazy, but...i have been (trying not to) worrying a little that i crossed a line, maybe? anyway....if you're interested, i had a BIZARRE dream last night that i'd like to run by you - get your thoughts on....??

cori

12-05-2008, 11:55 AM

Cori, we don't want a break. There are always nuggets of wisdom and lessons to learn from every situation. We might not be able to respond to every post, from every person, but I promise you, they are all read and appreciated very much! Share as much as you are comfortable with and don't ever worry that we are not wanting more. The Lord has used these message boards for many hurting souls to be healed with the help of people who shared their experiences.

man, God is soooooo good! thank you, Laura. you have absolutely NO idea how much i needed that encouragement!!! i feel like such a walking contradiction right now....lol....

sooooo ALIVE & actually feeling VIBRANT, for the first time EVER in my life. mostly because of the acute awareness i have of all that the Lord has done for me this year (and all the years before, too, but this year has just been overwhelming, both in the areas of struggle AND of deliverance & awe), but...these boards. i know exactly what you are talking about, people finding healing in things that are said here. for the first time in my life, i feel like people (you guys) WANT to hear what i have to say, so...it's really helping me to press beyond my comfort zone & try to speak out, to share my story - and, it seems that so many people are struggling with a lot of the things i have struggled with, so i finally feel like i actually DO have something to offer the Kingdom.

but...at the same time....the familiar insecurities & lies of the enemy, telling me that nobody wants to hear it....everybody's heard enough...everybody's sick of it. you name it, i've been dodging it - especially since joining the boards & running my mouth (?! lol) so much. believe me, i don't talk NEARLY this much!!! lol....but....there's no face to face stress with the message boards, so...that takes a lot of the stress away. i don't have to face the possible faces of judgment that i would have to risk seeing in a face to face conversation. (and it doesn't help that i type almost as fast as i talk, so....i can keep up with what i'm thinking when i type, so it ALL tends to come out). so....i've been allowing myself to stretch a little bit here, and...also worrying that i'm stretching too much! so....

just reading the new posts this morning, like THREE TIMES i clicked to reply & started typing a reply, and succumbed to the feelings of needing to go back to being silenced, so i deleted it & didn't reply. ugh. i'm 99% sure that it's just me wrestling with the same things that i've always wrestled with, and i REFUSE to give in to those fears anymore, but....still. i don't know.

HA! crying now! lol anyway....it was just a very timely encouragement...thank you Laura! (i'm working on my hyper-sensitivity! that's one area of extremism that outshines my zealous uber-service! :S that one has NOT served me well, though - NOT AT ALL...)

man, i want to give you a hug! lol thank you, soooo much!

Kelly

12-05-2008, 02:04 PM

Cori, you definitely have not crossed a line! I'd love to hear about your dream! As Laura said, these boards and the stories shared here have helped SO many people in so many different ways. If you feel led to share something, by all means, PLEASE share it! :) You can NEVER "talk" too much here! :D

cori

12-05-2008, 02:15 PM

lol kelly! alrighty then - thank you for the reassurance. :D (i'm a dork, i know - i AM working on it, though....)

so....the dream - i have found that sometimes the interpretation comes easier for someone who is outside of the situation a little bit, so...i'm interested in your thoughts on this one. i don't know - i also feel that the Lord is encouraging me to share it with you?? anyway...

the dream: i was taking noah to school, and it was the day of the class Christmas parties (he is in 2 classes each day - special needs in the morning, because of the pdd-nos diagnosis & then he's mainstreamed after lunch into a "regular" ed class), so..i was staying to help with those. for whatever reason, i was dressed up to the max- wearing my nicest dress, heels, the works. (ok, you've worked with kids, so i know you see the ODDITY in that get-up - especially for a CHRISTMAS party!! lol) when i walked noah down to the playground before school, i noticed that all of the teachers were gathered in his afternoon class, and they were all in their jammies. besides feeling completely OVER-dressed, i couldn't help but think that something fishy was going on, with ALL of them in their jammies. so, i took noah to the playground & then went back to the classroom, with all the teachers, to figure out where i needed to be, etc... i was told that the day would start off with the school Christmas assembly, and then from there, the kids would go to their classes. no one would give me a straight answer as to where i was supposed to take noah (his AM teacher or his PM teacher), and they were just downright...i don't know. i can't think of the word here - they weren't rude, but they weren't nice....their body language was VERY inappropriate though, for being IN the classroom (his PM teacher had her feet up on the table she was sitting on, in a MOST unladylike position! :o). i was uncomfortable, and everyone was treating me like a complete outsider, even though i was there to help. it seemed that no one cared WHERE i took noah, as long as they didn't have to deal with him.

ok, so....i've got a few possible ideas for the interpretation, but..i want to see how they line up with your thoughts, and....i'm not ENTIRELY sure what the overall message is. there HAS been a less-than-stellar history with the school, so....i may need to share some of that with you, possibly? (i always try to go for less details for the initial go-'round, so i don't influence anything the Lord reveals to you....)

yeah....have fun! lol

Kelly

12-05-2008, 02:25 PM

Ok now that one is just weird...hmmmm....I don't even know where to begin with that!

I did have a strange dream of my own last night though. Ever since my horrible experience w/ student teaching I've randomly had dreams where I was teaching and I messed something up. They finally went away when I got the new job, but as soon as I was let go, they started coming back. Then last night, I had a dream that I was starting a new teaching job. I went in to the office and they took my picture for my id, then I had to get a shot. And that was it...it was a very short dream and completely the opposite of the dreams I've been having. So I don't know what to make of that.

cori

12-05-2008, 02:55 PM

that's crazy, kelly, because this morning i really felt that God wanted me to ask you if YOU had a dream! lol (someday i'll master that OBEDIENCE thing! :S ) for your dreams: i'd DEFINITELY say the first ones (about messing up a teaching job) were an all out attack, capitalizing on your fears FROM your experience....another attempt to pull your ministry to a screeching halt. since they went away when you got the job & immediately came back when you were let go, i REALLY think it's just a discouragement tactic - kick you while you're down, so to speak. when you've GOT the job, there's not much he can do, but...if you're let go, that's another experience to use against you. last night's dream - that tells me that in the next job (assignment from the Lord, from the email conversation), you are going to be pressed through the procedures & established in the position - acceptance. ...just my thoughts...

for my dream - noah started school in their special needs preschool. really thrived, loved school, etc... (and, for the record, he is INCREDIBLY bright! just lacks focus to stay on task, therefore tests indicate that he's not the sharpest pencil in the box - BUT! on the way home from school, he'll read me the book they read in class - WITHOUT the book! and he'll pull things from his memory bank from when he was like 9mos old, that i had completely forgotten about) kindergarten was special needs, and first grade was supposed to be the set-up that he's in NOW (special needs in the morn. & regular ed in the afteroons). there was a space issue (no room for him in the special needs class), so they put noah in the kindergarten classroom (the same class, with the same teachers he had) to learn his first grade curriculum, and i was LIVID. you can NOT put a child with a major social delay in with a group of peers that are YOUNGER than he is! (especially brand-new kindergarten kids, who might be AFRAID of going to school) so...it took 3 wks of fighting, but we finally pulled him from the special needs program altogether, to get him in a classroom with same-age peers, who can demonstrate age appropriate behavior. it was a rough start to the year, but noah adjusted & finished in the top THREE in his class (although he hated school for the rest of the year). THIS year, we just kept him completely mainstreamed, but he was really struggling - the classroom was too busy, so he couldn't stay focused, even if he WANTED to (visual stimulation = overload, which causes him to shut down). we struggled with it, and i was spending 2 hrs in class with him every friday for his tests (math, spelling, vocab, etc...) to keep him on task so the entire day didn't fall behind. i was really feeling like EVERYONE at the school was against noah (and have valid accounts of a few administrators & teachers who ARE), and very discouraged - constantly walking around like mama bear, ready to protect my kid at the slightest "grr" from ANYONE. anyway, through a series of circumstances (which will only make this post even LOOONGER, so..i'll skip them because they're irrelevant to the overall point...), we ended up re-evaluating and putting noah back in the special needs class. from the very first DAY in there, he has LOVED it! he's relaxed, he's doing well, there are no discipline problems (which were not so much DISCIPLINE problems in the mainstream room as they were DISRUPTION problems), and...best of all, he likes going to school again! (i WANT to homeschool him, but i can't provide the amount of social development he needs & can only get from being with other kids his age) anyway, since then, i've completely relaxed - put mama bear persona back in the closet & have just stopped thinking about the adults at the school who DO have an issue with noah (because their REAL issue is with ME, but he's there & requires more one on one than most students). i'm wondering if maybe the Lord is telling me to not be SO relaxed about the school situation? like, it's ok that i HAVE relaxed (that was a HUGE stress/depression trigger), but..not to completely relax as much as i have - maybe his pm teacher or other staff are still seeking to get at me by jabbing noah? (in the dream, she was the one sitting & acting completely inappropriately and being nasty)

i don't know....it could just be a pepperoni pizza thing, but....seems that there's a little something to this one, like when God is speaking, so...i don't want to ignore it.

DawnAurora

12-05-2008, 04:18 PM

Hmm... first thought is, your dream is pretty closely restating your worries. The 'overdressed' bit can be a visual expressing of you feeling you take your son much more seriously than the teachers. So my first thought would be that this is more a 'your mind trying to work through a situation' dream than a prophetic dream.

Keep an eye on how Noah is doing, what he tells you he did during the day, are you still working with him in class? If the Lord wants you to be more involved, He will lay out additional signs for you. You already are primed to expect bad treatment, and right there you need to carefully sift what He might point out from a (worldly) suceptibility to assume the worst. Normal, but not what Kingdom people are called to live in.

Hang close to Him and watch for how you tell the one from the other, and He will teach you how to tell them apart. Dreams are often not orders, but jumping - off points for Him to teach us.

cori

12-05-2008, 04:41 PM

thank you!!!!!

most of the dreams the Lord gives me are personal correction, so...your thoughts are exactly what i expected (don't freak out at the slightest indication of a possible threat, but don't ignore things that could be something too - lean on Me to differentiate, kind of thing).

i haven't gone in to help since we've switched him back to special needs, because i wanted to make sure he settled in there before i let him know that i was still available (he's a crutch kid & was fast approaching the point of becoming downright belligerent with his other teacher about tests if i WAS NOT there - "my mom's not here, so i don't have to stay on task now"). the am teacher has said that i'm welcome to sit in any time i'd like, but..i'm reluctant to do that because the main thing we're all working towards is getting him to get his work done WITHOUT having someone constantly remind him (and he's actually finally making progress towards that goal!). next week, though, i do plan to start helping out in the afternoons in the other class (visual stimulation in that class still makes it difficult for noah, although not being in there the ENTIRE day has helped TREMENDOUSLY!), because he should be settled in enough to recognize the boundaries being established, etc... and that i'm not there as a crutch anymore.

thank you!!! wanna tackle some others i've had that still lack interpretation?? hehe (ok, i'm totally kidding! there's only one without interpretation, but it's slowly being revealed....)

DawnAurora

12-05-2008, 05:02 PM

thank you!!! wanna tackle some others i've had that still lack interpretation?? hehe (ok, i'm totally kidding! there's only one without interpretation, but it's slowly being revealed....)

"Chew on it awhile and pay attention, and I'll gradually SHOW you what I mean," is about the most COMMON way He interprets dreams and prophetic words to me!

RockonJeremy

12-05-2008, 05:18 PM

A few weeks ago i went on a Youth Encounter and it totally changed my life.... what the Lord was trying 2 teach me was dat he cares and sometimes we dont notice it. while we were praying this lady said 2 me, "do u know if u were the ONLY PERSON on earth he would have still come" and dat just touched my heart i started crying rite there i just told him how i loved him

if ur in place where u dont feel loved just know theres 1 person loving u no matter wat u do his watching and just adoring u as his daughter or son and he will continue to do so even if u reject him he welll always be there for.....

drake71449

12-05-2008, 06:52 PM

LauraA

12-05-2008, 09:44 PM

I kid you not. I had a dream two nights ago that one of my friends was talking to Jeremy on the phone and I grabbed it away and started yelling at J for not having a concert in Madison for almost 4 years. He said, "Um. OK!" He was very irritated with me. It was quite hilarious when I woke up and remembered it. I'm not a grabber and I RARELY raise my voice or yell. And I certainly would never yell at Jeremy. LOL. Dreams are funny things sometimes. (And I really do get weird dreams if I've eaten anything with tomatoes in it.)

Cori, the first impression I had when I read your dream was that you fear people not accepting your son, just as you fear people not accepting you for who you are. It was just a first impression and I didn't pray about it, just had that thought go through my mind.

Josh, I think you had pizza before bed. LOL. ;)

Convicted

12-05-2008, 10:01 PM

ok, really - where WERE you 5 yrs ago??? lol...this is exactly what i have learned (although my analogy of the road trip looked more like heading for a destination & running into road construction with many detours.....after a while on the detours, you start wondering if you've been following the signs correctly, but you can't go back out - you can only continue to go forward in faith that you HAVE been following correctly...when you get back to the original path to find that you have been going the right way - even though it's not the way you expected - peace & joy again) over the last few years of depression & really pressing into the Lord.

AND....you about made my eyes pop out of my head!!! the BEGINNING of the most serious depression struggles??? GOD GIVING ME A VISION FOR THE FUTURE & MY STRUGGLE WITH STAYING ON TODAY'S PATH, RATHER THAN JUMPING TO TOMORROW'S PATH!!!!!! lol, that was so....exactly what i needed to hear, especially after last night! thank you!!!!

i wish i'd known you 5 yrs ago to receive this wisdom THEN!! :D (although, truth be told, i probably wouldn't have understood a word of it back then! lol)

thank you! (and hey! viva long posts!!! hahahaha from one long poster to another! lol)

Your analogy of sudden road construction is really good also. I've been down that path, a lot. You're doing everything right, reading the map guidlines, following the road signs -- but kapoweee! You find yourself in place where you seem to be stuck forever, and you need help trying to navagate out of the maze that keeps you from accelerating as fast as you could. (and as fast as you think you should). There's many types of roads we travel, to reach the destination. Some of the ones that seem the easiest (and the ones we seem to like traveling the most) are usually the ones, where it's a straight open road, high speed, and less traffic -- but, we usually don't learn as much during our expedition on that road, since we're rather calm and content, no big worries at the moment, which usually means no big growth -- the kind of growth that causes you to shake complacency to a great extent. It's the challenges that produce the greatest appreciation, character, rewards, spectacular sights, amazing rescues out of the dangerous and stressing circumstances, and they're often the most memoriable of times -- that cause the biggest impact on our lives.

Where was I five years ago? Hm, learning the same things, and other things. I could have given you a brief guildline about these things because I was somewhat aware of them, but I was still growing in them (and still am) and becoming more obedient in them. Thing is, even if we are aware of the importance of something or some circumstance, usually it doesn't impact us or mean as much to us, until we actually experience it for a while-- kind of like taking a course on that subject for a certain time in our lives. And if we don't pay attention to studying the material, or we aren't excelling in our growth in that particular subject, or the teacher wants us for some reason to be highly advanced in it-- sometimes we have to continue taking that subject until we have a firm foundation in it. That way we have more in-depth knowledge and growth in that subject and know a lot of extra helpful tips in how to succeed while studying/experiencing it. If we only know the basics about that subject and never do our homework for it, we'll only know a grim amount of how necessary certain things really are -- and less appreciation for it, and respect for those taking/have taken that course. The subjects we take prepare us more and more for the future that we are destine for. That is, if we stick out with the courses.

-Edit-- It's funny I wrote this actually, because earlier today I was reading this Scripture: For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word or deed.... Romans 15:18

Convicted

12-05-2008, 10:26 PM

Greetings in Jesus Name-
I think there is an angel among us. :) Thank you for all the hope you painted my heart w/ in this message. If you only truly knew what a beautiful analogy you delivered. It was a song from heaven. That's amazing cause it was exactly what i needed! Bless you, I hope you don't mind me calling you friend. Blessings flow ~Leigh

Of course you can call me your friend! I'd be honored. I don't think I'd say I'm an angel though (I fall short too much to be one)-- though it really does mean 'messenger,' so in that sense, I am one. I'm glad it encouraged you; You probably don't know how much it encourages me, to be able to be an encouragement to someone else. That's the beauty of the Body of Christ - we all help each other. That's how it's suppose to be -- and it's probably why it hurts more when another member of the Body of Christ hurts us, because it's the exact opposite of what we're suppose to be doing.

Convicted

12-05-2008, 10:34 PM

cori

12-05-2008, 10:54 PM

i had a weird dream that i was playing my guitar and singing in front of a large crowd but nothing came out of my mouth....i knew what i wanted to say but still nothing came out...what do ya think???

:p

i had a dream similar to that a few years ago....let me go through my journals & see if i can find it (yes, i'm cheesy like that & journal all of my dreams & their interpretations). not that the interpretation for my dream that was similar to your dream will be the SAME interpretation, but...i don't know....maybe similar dream will have similar interpretation?

are you feeling silenced by something?

cori

12-05-2008, 10:56 PM

Exactly Cori, I love reading everything you post; it's so awesome how God is using and will use your life. Everything you say can have a tremendous impact on people, even if you (or even they) don't know it at the time. The more I read your posts, the more you remind me of me. :)

lol, thank you! i'm glad to be keeping good company. :D i'll keep up with my posting frenzy, then! (fear not, i won't go TOO crazy! lol)

you guys are amazing, do you KNOW that? i mean, do you REALLY KNOOOW that? :D (jeremy's not the ONLY one who rocks, man! lol)

cori

12-05-2008, 11:03 PM

Cori, the first impression I had when I read your dream was that you fear people not accepting your son, just as you fear people not accepting you for who you are. It was just a first impression and I didn't pray about it, just had that thought go through my mind.

i bet that holds a lot more truth to it than i want to admit, laura! from the minute the dr gave her suspicions about his diagnosis, i KNEW she was right, but everyone else rejected it (which, to a mother who is struggling with this in her OWN heart, feels more like they are rejecting HIM). it was like the way everyone looked at him from that point on was through this scrutinizing eyes - what's wrong with him? nothing's wrong with him - she's a bad mom. she should be doing a, b, c, and d.....and while she's at it, she should subtract 1, 2, 3, and 4.

i never realized how much i worry about people accepting HIM. so much harder to deal with than people rejecting ME...that hurts, but....rejecting my son is like the ultimate rejection. hmmm.....

looks like some facedown time is in order - on many levels.

cori

12-05-2008, 11:07 PM

Your analogy of sudden road construction is really good also. I've been down that path, a lot. You're doing everything right, reading the map guidlines, following the road signs -- but kapoweee! You find yourself in place where you seem to be stuck forever, and you need help trying to navagate out of the maze that keeps you from accelerating as fast as you could. (and as fast as you think you should). There's many types of roads we travel, to reach the destination. Some of the ones that seem the easiest (and the ones we seem to like traveling the most) are usually the ones, where it's a straight open road, high speed, and less traffic -- but, we usually don't learn as much during our expedition on that road, since we're rather calm and content, no big worries at the moment, which usually means no big growth -- the kind of growth that causes you to shake complacency to a great extent. It's the challenges that produce the greatest appreciation, character, rewards, spectacular sights, amazing rescues out of the dangerous and stressing circumstances, and they're often the most memoriable of times -- that cause the biggest impact on our lives.

Where was I five years ago? Hm, learning the same things, and other things. I could have given you a brief guildline about these things because I was somewhat aware of them, but I was still growing in them (and still am) and becoming more obedient in them. Thing is, even if we are aware of the importance of something or some circumstance, usually it doesn't impact us or mean as much to us, until we actually experience it for a while-- kind of like taking a course on that subject for a certain time in our lives. And if we don't pay attention to studying the material, or we aren't excelling in our growth in that particular subject, or the teacher wants us for some reason to be highly advanced in it-- sometimes we have to continue taking that subject until we have a firm foundation in it. That way we have more in-depth knowledge and growth in that subject and know a lot of extra helpful tips in how to succeed while studying/experiencing it. If we only know the basics about that subject and never do our homework for it, we'll only know a grim amount of how necessary certain things really are -- and less appreciation for it, and respect for those taking/have taken that course. The subjects we take prepare us more and more for the future that we are destine for. That is, if we stick out with the courses.

-Edit-- It's funny I wrote this actually, because earlier today I was reading this Scripture: For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word or deed.... Romans 15:18

the road construction analogy was relevant for me because of the situation. i was going on my merry way, how God had told me to go. then He slams me with this totally bizarre, completely unexpected message - a very significant part of His plan for my future, which seemed to be an exact opposite of where i am today. i kept trying to navigate TODAY'S road while looking at tomorrow's, so i kept getting all messed up. so, i completely shut my eyes to tomorrow's road, but was still having a lot of struggles, even though i was pressing in like i had never been before & obeying EVERYTHING He was asking of me. He just kept telling me to take one step at a time & He would tell me when to move. so, after a few months of that, i was just like, "how am i supposed to know if i'm on the right road????" in my prayer time, and....God gave me that analogy. but....the road trip analogy you gave is more appropriate to my walk NOW, so....thank you for sharing that.

5 yrs ago, i was in the midst of the road construction - today i can see the road again, and it's a bumpy one, but....i WILL travel it. no matter how much my feet bleed, i WILL WALK THIS ROAD!

Convicted

12-05-2008, 11:29 PM

man, God is soooooo good! thank you, Laura. you have absolutely NO idea how much i needed that encouragement!!! i feel like such a walking contradiction right now....lol....

sooooo ALIVE & actually feeling VIBRANT, for the first time EVER in my life. mostly because of the acute awareness i have of all that the Lord has done for me this year (and all the years before, too, but this year has just been overwhelming, both in the areas of struggle AND of deliverance & awe), but...these boards. i know exactly what you are talking about, people finding healing in things that are said here. for the first time in my life, i feel like people (you guys) WANT to hear what i have to say, so...it's really helping me to press beyond my comfort zone & try to speak out, to share my story - and, it seems that so many people are struggling with a lot of the things i have struggled with, so i finally feel like i actually DO have something to offer the Kingdom.

but...at the same time....the familiar insecurities & lies of the enemy, telling me that nobody wants to hear it....everybody's heard enough...everybody's sick of it. you name it, i've been dodging it - especially since joining the boards & running my mouth (?! lol) so much. believe me, i don't talk NEARLY this much!!! lol....but....there's no face to face stress with the message boards, so...that takes a lot of the stress away. i don't have to face the possible faces of judgment that i would have to risk seeing in a face to face conversation. (and it doesn't help that i type almost as fast as i talk, so....i can keep up with what i'm thinking when i type, so it ALL tends to come out). so....i've been allowing myself to stretch a little bit here, and...also worrying that i'm stretching too much! so....

just reading the new posts this morning, like THREE TIMES i clicked to reply & started typing a reply, and succumbed to the feelings of needing to go back to being silenced, so i deleted it & didn't reply. ugh. i'm 99% sure that it's just me wrestling with the same things that i've always wrestled with, and i REFUSE to give in to those fears anymore, but....still. i don't know.

HA! crying now! lol anyway....it was just a very timely encouragement...thank you Laura! (i'm working on my hyper-sensitivity! that's one area of extremism that outshines my zealous uber-service! :S that one has NOT served me well, though - NOT AT ALL...)

man, i want to give you a hug! lol thank you, soooo much!

We are walking contradictions-- a lot of things in life, and even life itself are paradoxical in ways. And seeing the many paradoxes, makes me want to scream at my brain sometimes! lol

For a while, (and even sometimes now) I used to think that anything I had to say, would really be pointless, wouldn't mean much to other people-- that someone else could say what little I know in a more eloquent way, or even if I did speak up, all it would do is cause more pain from the reactions of those who are oppossed to what I have to say (because that usually is true anyhow; people don't want to be told the truth sometimes) so.. why even try sharing at all? And most of those thoughts were impressed upon me by the reactions of others previously, fiery attacks from the devil attempting to stump my potential from being transfered into kinetic - action, and taking all of these thoughts to my heart and feeding upon them instead of ignoring what tried to attack my actual purpose. 'Cause we're all here on this planet for a couple primary reasons after we become Christians -- for spiritual growth, but also this major one - reaching this dying world with the hope and life of His message. The only way we're going to be able to do that is if we speak up and speak out--- and we don't know how much time we have here so, we should do what we can now. The main problem I had, (and still do sometimes) is not even attempting to do or say something, because whatever I do might be rejected or I might make some mistake at it. Fear of failing. (However when I stopped listening to those lies, and being held back by those weakness, I usually had a LOT of audacity and boldness -- I just have to be sure, in my mindset before I'm like that - another extremist attribute =]) But I've realized that the thing we need to do is remind ourselves of our original purpose and our true identity in Christ. And when theses thoughts of giving up attack our minds, we should try to change our thoughts to the exact opposite at those moments. Praying for help in our areas of weaknesses and remembering Scriptures, the promises of God and who He says we are and what we can do through Him - refocuses our mindset in the right direction and gives us the needed courage to take the risks of faith to promote the message He's entrusted us with. What the devil wants, is us to lose sight of our original identity (if he can't destroy us or get us to continually be bound by sin) so we don't take action to fulfill the purpose God has for us. And if he can't get us to lose sight of our true identity, he tries anything he can to hinder us from progressing fully into our purpose -- launches numerous attacks from many different angles at once, to disable you or paralyze your heart with fear so you go running back to that stationary state of doing nothing that means anything; because actually the devil sometimes senses more potential in you than you do yourself-- a fierce warrior who knows the truth and isn't afraid of sharing it is a great threat to his kingdom and strategic plans. You're extremely dangerous in his sight -- all the more reason when trials and attacks come to be encouraged in your purpose. I could talk a lot about the battlefield of our minds, and strategic plans, tactics, traps, and full-fledged attacks that are set against us. We shouldn't forget that we are in a war; and our mission is to help free those who are held captive by the enemy. We need to advance further, and take more ground!!

You said, that especially since you joined the boards that these lies and insecuritites have been coming to you -- That actually makes perfect sense. The more you speak out, and maximize your sphere of influence the more the enemy tries to stop you from being heard -- because your words contain so much power. I mean, just think of it ....God has give YOU so much authority and dominion, He's entrusted you with the message of Truth, the hope of the nations ...You interact with God; you listen for what He wants to say, and talk with Him. In all actuality we should really be the people who are the most bold and excited -- can't contain what we're thinking types of people. 'Cause after all we are authorized personal now; we have friends in high places... I mean like REALLY high places, and we belong to a Royal family... Just typing this is exciting me. We're really ABC: Authorized By Christ.

I know what hypersensitivity is like also, I usually don't outwardly show it much though. It's in those points where we need to switch to our zealous- conquering mindset, even if it's hard.

Convicted

12-05-2008, 11:53 PM

i had a weird dream that i was playing my guitar and singing in front of a large crowd but nothing came out of my mouth....i knew what i wanted to say but still nothing came out...what do ya think???

:p

I've had dreams similar to that, and yet different. It could mean, (just speculation though) that you have a huge purpose to reach many other people, and you know that already, you have the message playing in your mind, and yet something is holding you back from speaking out and doing it completely - to the maximum point. I don't know.. When I have dreams, that I remember (even if I only remember it for a day or a week), I try to examine how they could be effecting or resembling my life currently, and how it could be intertwined with my future.

There's usually not a day/night (whenever I sleep) that goes by that I don't dream. I might not remember every dream, but I'm aware that I did dream.. And while I'm dreaming it's like I'm aware that I'm dreaming.... kind of like I'm still slightly awake.. It's kind of weird. :p And, I've had dreams that have occured in extremely similar ways within a few days; though it didn't seem that important at the time. But it was still like God was showing for some reason something that would happen before it did; and the same thing happened verbatim either the next day or a few days later.

Anyhow, I've had many dreams where I'm standing in front of a large audience also. But usually at first, I'll be a little hesitant as to how I'll do singing or playing an instrument, but then I'll finally get the audacity to do it, and it's usually not that bad, and I usually like it... It's hard to distinguish the audience sometimes though. And sometimes, it's like it's all hazy afterward, or the environment and everyone else around seem to be aloof, or spaced out or something... it's kind of strange because the way it happens or feels never is quite like something you'd describe apart from a dream. Other times the dream jumps to some other type of scene, or even another dream. It's all kind of strange. I know what the beginning part of it can mean, (letting fear keep you from doing something you want to, or should do .. and then inspite of the fearful tendancies you have, you actually do it boldly) but the rest... is kind of vague, or it could just be irrelevant. I don't know.

Kelly

12-05-2008, 11:55 PM

Kelly

12-06-2008, 12:16 AM

Oh man....ok so I just typed all that up. Then I went to read my devotional for today. Just had to post it here. All I can say is wow!

The Right Side of the Boat

When you make decisions based on doubt and unbelief, they never turn out right. After hearing Jesus promise to rise from the dead, and actually seeing Him alive, the disciples went back to what they were doing before they met Him: fishing. Now God will use our past experiences to teach us, but He always leads us forward - never back. When fear and uncertainty make us want to go back to the security of what we know, we end up like the disciples. "They went out and got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing". (Jn 21:3)

But there's good news: If God called you, you're still called. Notice how Jesus addresses them "Children, have you any food?" (Jn 21:5) In spite of your lackluster performance you're still His child! Next He tells them: "Throw your net on the right side of the boat....When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" (Jn 21:7) That morning Jesus ate breakfast with them, renewed fellowship, removed their doubts, and sent them out to change the world.

Whats the lesson here? When we work outside of God's will it's like fishing on the wrong side of the boat; we wear ourselves out and in the end have nothing to show for our efforts. Are you succeeding in life? No? Maybe you're fishing on the wrong side of the boat! Things aren't going to work out right until you submit to Christ, renew your fellowship with Him and allow Him to direct your steps.

I tell ya, sometimes I feel like this devotional was written just for me because many times it lines up PERFECTLY with my life! The message for each day is 99.9% of the time, EXACTLY what I needed to hear that day! God is so good! :)

cori

12-06-2008, 12:41 AM

cori

12-06-2008, 12:45 AM

cori

12-06-2008, 01:32 AM

Also on Thursday, this little girl that I didn't know came into my class. She said she was friends with a girl in my class, so they were talking together (this was before we started...not during class time :p)....then later on, she came back to my class and handed me a colored angel. On the back she had written "To the wellchir (wheelchair) nice girl" I thought that was just so sweet! And two other random girls came up and gave me huge hugs that day! One of my coworkers came up to me and said she almost started crying when she saw that. Something is definitely changing, and for the first time, I'm not running scared from it. I'm embracing it! :) Praise God!

ok....kelly....i am soooo the perfect, most confusing mix of :D and :eek: right now, words truly cannot describe it.

when i first read THIS post of yours, i wanted to post, asking if you were in a wheelchair. i decided against it because...well, frankly, it doesn't MATTER if you're in a wheelchair - i love you just the same. and....really, it has no impact on anything, other than the idea completely caught me off guard - i SO didn't see that one coming.

so...anyway...i'm listening to sltb (i know you're completely surprised, right! lol) after reading/posting for almost an hour, and mulling over everything that's been talked about on the boards today (board junkie, i know...lol), and then WHAM! like chills AND wham....(and i SWEAR that i'm not making this up as i go along!)...

God reminds me of the vision that i had, that i shared with you. i didn't mention this part of it in my email, because...well, it really didn't seem that important, but....in light of your post, i think it's TOTALLY relevant.

in the vision, after God scooped you out from behind the desk - when He set you down in your next assignment, YOU WERE STANDING IN A GYMNASIUM HANDING A BASKETBALL TO A LITTLE BOY!

standing. like i said, since the wheelchair thing totally surprised me tonight, i think you can understand why i didn't think much of that. i just figured your next placement would be in some kind of recreational outreach for kids - i didn't think twice about you standing there handing him a basketball.

so.....as with the rest of my disclaimer - take that for what it's worth to you & what GOD says to you about it, but....in light of the whole sltb concept, i couldn't NOT tell you!

Convicted

12-06-2008, 05:28 AM

i never realized how much i worry about people accepting HIM. so much harder to deal with than people rejecting ME...that hurts, but....rejecting my son is like the ultimate rejection. hmmm.....

Probably because you have more control over how you deal with the rejection, and how it affects you, and what you can do to change the negative effects it has on you. But with him, you aren't inside his mind, you don't know how he looks at these things completely, or how he feels about them -- how much they effect him inside. And the reason is, because you already know how painful all of that rejection can be; you just don't want him to have to deal with it like you have. Which isn't a bad thing, (I think more parents should think like that) but the situation is ultimately in God's hand. He'll help you and him... And praying for him is one of the biggest things you can do.

Convicted

12-06-2008, 05:38 AM

the road construction analogy was relevant for me because of the situation. i was going on my merry way, how God had told me to go. then He slams me with this totally bizarre, completely unexpected message - a very significant part of His plan for my future, which seemed to be an exact opposite of where i am today. i kept trying to navigate TODAY'S road while looking at tomorrow's, so i kept getting all messed up. so, i completely shut my eyes to tomorrow's road, but was still having a lot of struggles, even though i was pressing in like i had never been before & obeying EVERYTHING He was asking of me. He just kept telling me to take one step at a time & He would tell me when to move. so, after a few months of that, i was just like, "how am i supposed to know if i'm on the right road????" in my prayer time, and....God gave me that analogy. but....the road trip analogy you gave is more appropriate to my walk NOW, so....thank you for sharing that.

5 yrs ago, i was in the midst of the road construction - today i can see the road again, and it's a bumpy one, but....i WILL travel it. no matter how much my feet bleed, i WILL WALK THIS ROAD!

Exactly, one step at a time. If we only look at the destination, we quickly get discouraged because of what we're facing today. And if we only look at today, we lose sight of how the path we're walking is leading to something greater.

Convicted

12-06-2008, 05:50 AM

Let me encourage you that if you haven't forgiven someone, please pray about it. Read up on it in the Bible. No matter what someone has done to you, it is essential for you to forgive. That doesn't mean you have to trust that person, but it means that you don't wish him harm, or want to repay evil for evil. We need to wish them well, grieve at their calamities, pray for them, etc. It's a challenge, but it's essential that we do it...which we are able to do with Jesus leading the way.

Forgiveness is vital also; not just for the person who did us the wrong, who's receiving the forgiveness, but also for us. Once we make the choice to forgive someone, completely, it's really liberating our souls from a heavy bondage, that's prohibiting us from truly being free and escaping the torment we've received. When we don't forgive, the thoughts of the torment we've experienced by that person continually flood us, or they're left in the back of our head and when a situation that reminds us of them or a hurt they caused, the thoughts for continual revenge, anger, and hatred arise again, and sink us deeper into the bondage we think we're escaping through desiring to punish them in some way and make them pay. When we let that stay hidden in our hearts, we'll never experience the full love, freedom, and forgiveness Christ is offering us. You can forgive someone, and still not like them or what they do/have done. But we are called to love them inspite of how hurtful they behaved. Forgiving others, is really more of a favor for ourselves, more than it is for them. It's something they should be grateful for especially, however it really frees us from an internal prison, so we can continue to move forward.

Convicted

12-06-2008, 05:53 AM

Convicted

12-06-2008, 07:25 AM

They actually talked about that a lot in Kids Club this week. About how we have authority here. We have pastors from the church that runs it come and give messages every day. This past week they talked to the kids about how God put us in charge of this earth and we need to use that power to help take care of the earth.

Another thing you said that I LOVED was when you said "the devil sometimes senses more potential in you than you do yourself"

That is such a scary thought, but so true. He knows that we're capable of so much through Christ and the more potential he sees in us, the harder he attacks! That's why it's so important for us to realize our full potential and not let him attack it! As I mentioned before with my dreams about failing several times at teaching, I started to question whether or not I should be doing it. I thought "maybe I'm better off behind a desk where I can still see the kids...just not be in charge of teaching them". But God changed me this past week. I noticed that I'm a lot more interactive with the children, and my coworkers even noticed it too! During praise & worship time on Thursday, one of my students came back and stood next to me. Then I noticed him pushing himself closer and closer towards me. I asked if he wanted to sit on my lap and he said "yes" so I pulled him up. I've worked there for a year and have had AMAZING attachments to those kids, but I've NEVER invited them to sit on my lap. And it's not that I didn't want them to. It's just that like I said, God has made me so much more interactive with them lately. Also on Thursday, this little girl that I didn't know came into my class. She said she was friends with a girl in my class, so they were talking together (this was before we started...not during class time :p)....then later on, she came back to my class and handed me a colored angel. On the back she had written "To the wellchir (wheelchair) nice girl" I thought that was just so sweet! And two other random girls came up and gave me huge hugs that day! One of my coworkers came up to me and said she almost started crying when she saw that. Something is definitely changing, and for the first time, I'm not running scared from it. I'm embracing it! :) Praise God!

I think it's extremely interesting how God makes things relevant and connects them to something else, within the same period of time. Something that's kind of funny to me about the whole "we have authority" thing is: Years and years ago when I was a little kid (about 4 1/2 years old) my family and I moved onto a street called "Dominion".... The previous Sunday before that, the church bulletin had this Scripture in huge letters on the front of it "For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation." Daniel 4:34 And all the while I've been learning about how important it is to recognize that God gave us dominion in the beginning; but then the fall of man occured and the dominion was stolen from us because of sin-- but since Christ came and was the substitution for our sin, He has given us back the dominion and authority, and we need to put it to use -- and no longer let the devil take control over something that is rightfully ours now.

It is sort of creepy knowing that the devil could sense more of our potential than we do. I wrote a song once (which I still haven't completed, and it's been like a couple years, I think) that asked this question: "What does darkness see in me, that I don't?" The answer is actually quite simple....It's Christ. His authority, etc. It's more than we are in ourselves, because it's supernatural. Sometimes we forget who we really are, and thus we become victims of identity theft. That's why we need to continually remind ourselves about that; 'cause no soldier who's fighting in a war, is really going to continue fighting in the war, if he continually loses sight of why it is he is in a war, who the one is who enlisted him in the war, what he can do, and the weapons he has. Plus, if you're a soldier it's Crucial to be aware of the strategies and tactics of the enemy, not for the purpose of being all interested in who they are - but because of what they attempt to do against you. They're attempting to prohibit your central purpose and take you out if they can. And if you ever desire to succeed in your mission, you need to know how to be defended against the attack and landmines that are sure to await you; and if you do stumble upon a landmine or get hit with a huge blow, you need to know how to not let even that, stop you from continuing on your mission. Sure it might slow you down some, but it can't stop you indefinitely.

Hm, one thing you said, "not let him (the devil) attack," that's actually one thing we can't stop from happening (or at least usually). In fact the Bible indicates that he'll attack as much as he can, unless of course you aren't that much of a threat. We can't really stop his attacks from being launched against us (except through prayer maybe), however we can guard ourselves against them, and ambush the ambushes!! So not really letting him attack, would really be more like, being on guard for his schemes at all times. Kind of like being a minute-man, always having your eye out for a sneak attack and being prepared for when/if it happens. Another thing we should remember is, if the devil was so bold as to tempt Jesus, our master.... who are we to think, that he will not try to derail us all the more? The devil is really a psychological manipulator and con-artist -- he has nothing original about his attempts, and yet all too often we fall prey to his subtle deception. We were never meant to be defeated, (and never can be through Christ) so let's shake out of that mindset that says we already are.

It's awesome how God is using you and instilling something new inside of you! You're definetely right, something is changing. It's changing for me also; I mean, we're always changing, everyday we're a little more different in some way. But being able to see the changing in a more distinct and vivid way, is definetely refreshing; and makes us feel more alive. Similar to a flower, the more we keep growing, the taller we become, our colors become more vivid, and our petals keep opening up wider and wider.... At first we don't look like much, but as we mature, the more our beauty becomes noticable to others.

When I'm more interactive with others, it's another funny thing... because usually I'm more happy, more relaxed, more talkative, more spontaneous and yet they usually automatically think, "You're hyper" like there's something wrong with me. I don't really think I'm being hyper at those times (but it could be another extremist thing they see, that I'm disregarding at the moment) 'cause I'm just really happy and showing it more outwardly. It probably baffles them a lot, the whole extremism thing-- 'cause they don't even recognize it, since once they stereotype you as being a certain way, they don't put in any room for exceptions. No wonder people misunderstand me so much. :D Another place where transparency is helpful.

Convicted

12-06-2008, 07:29 AM

Convicted

12-06-2008, 09:15 AM

ok, convicted (i'm sorry - i'm trying to catch everyone's names, but....i can't remember yours :S) - again, you've hit the nail right on the head (mine!)! i've had more encounters in my life with people NOT wanting to hear what i have to say, so..that's what i'm working from. i need to do exactly what you've said & look at WHO i am in Christ, and remember that HE is speaking THROUGH me....if i'm wise enough to shut up & let HIM do it!

the insecurities have ALWAYS been there.....but they had gone away for a while, because i stopped talking altogether when the depression got really bad. God had spoken to me a few years ago, telling me that if i REALLY wanted to make an impact for Him, i needed to share MYSELF. (i had just started teaching sunday school, actually, and the curriculum was a JOKE! i hate saying that, but it really was bad....was wanting to feed the kids more, but didn't know WHAT to do or HOW to do it, so God told me to share myself....tell them MY story - they will respond better if they can RELATE....)

it's funny, because....all the things that satan used to try to destroy me...that's exactly what God has turned around & will use to reach people.

i bet that just burns him (satan), that not only was he unsuccessful at destroying ME, but...i'm just pouring it all back on him! so....the attacks don't surprise me (i can't remember the reference - i want to say james?? - the verse that says not to be surprised when struggles come your way, as if something foreign has happened to you, but to expect it) - i'm actually quite surprised at myself for DEALING with it NOW. the OLD me would have done ye olde ignore it & pretend it will go away while the fears are really still lingering & growing in the background approach. nope. i've CHANGED.

i SEE that fear, and i see it trying to grab hold. so....i look it right in the eye and address it. (thank you, guys, for helping me fight it!)

My name... I don't really reveal that on the internet (haven't yet anyplace actually) because of the whole, "never reveal your true identity" thing everyone always tells you. And it's also probably part of the whole... uber privacy thing. But feel free to call me by my user name, (that's why it's there) or if you want you can make a name up.

Most of those Sunday school cirriculums really are a joke. They're so simple, (and I realize kids are simpiler) but it's like they think the kids are completely stupid or something, or they just are so preoccupied with keeping the kids attention (through like coloring, puzzles, etc) that they don't teach them a whole lot about God. I know this, 'cause my mom was a Sunday school teacher when I was little, and used to get all the cirriculum packages. (She improvised with them also, using some parts, and then using other things as well) and I worked with kids in nurseries, and kids churches (like from 6-13) for several years when I went to youth groups. Kids can be a lot more intelligent and understanding than we know; sometimes we underestimate them. Everytime I'd go to help out in the nurseries, I'd always get tired of the same routines they had for the kids... "Make some craft, let them play with toys, go outside with them play out there, let them sing a song, give them a snack, tell them the short little story, and then let them watch a movie." They did a lot of different things in the nursery I helped in, (which is good, and I love experimenting) but it seemed like it was just to follow some plan, keep everything in order, and it just taught little things here and there about God. The teacher barely ever, shared a story from personal experience; I can't even remember one. (she had good intentions though) I think above all cirriculums and plans, routines, we need to wait on God and see what He wants us to do or say that day... After all being led by His Spirit, might actually interfere with our plans (even we think we're doing them for God).

Yep, that's exactly what happens. God uses what the devil meant for evil, and He turns it into good for His glory. What the devil doesn't realize (well, he actually does but risks it anyway with his attacks) is that if we aren't destroyed or paralyzed by his attacked completely--- those attacks and weaknesses we have are going to be the very thing that God uses the most for His glory. It's like everytime the devil attacks you, he's just setting you up for a greater influence and impact on others, which ultimately makes his schemes against us backfire onto his own wretched kingdom, and cause his plan to be destroyed. It's kind of like self-destruction. It's like... the devil knows that if he can take you out, or stop you from doing something.... he can take others out and stop them from doing something, further minimizing the over-all potential of everybody--because everything you're called to do, isn't really for you and your personal gain, it's really for someone else. And if he stops you, he stops them...(or so he thinks, it's really the exact opposite though) Uh, how I would like him (the devil) to know that the Body of Christ isn't as gullible and easily deceived as he would like to think. But it all begins with each of us recognizing our true potential; and once we do that individually, it helps us to better unite as one against his attacks.

The Scripture you're referring to: Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;... (that's how the version I'm using right now reads) It's found in 1 Peter 4:12 It's a great Scrupture.

Speaking of fighting the attacks of the enemy I think these verses are pretty helpful: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presense of many witness. 1 Timothy 6:12

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against hte wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:11-12

So often as Christians, we get that mentality that..."Oh the devil is off someplace deceiving some unbeliever, what does he have to do with me? I'm a Christian!" We make it like we're exempt from attacks, fighting, and wrestling.. (not everyone of course) but actually we're called to engage it boldly. We need to first recognize there's a war we're in...and we actually have to do, some pretty rough fighting at times. But it's kind of like... wanting to be a great, fearless warrior, but being too scared to even fight. How can you be a warrior, unless there's an obstacle, an enemy, something you have to overcome? We all want the prize, the testimony, the influence, but we never want to pay the price for that... or fight.

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

I'm more than a conqueror. Conquering is one thing, but God's actually saying I excel beyond that if I'm in Christ.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but might in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself aginst the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

This Scripture right here... kind of illustrates the battle that rages in our mind. See, first of all these thoughts (sin, lies, hopelessness, you're never good enough, etc...) are sent to attack our minds, we're experiencing a fiery ambush... and if we don't use our weapons to take these thoughts captive, cut them off (with the sword of the Spirit... the Word of God... which is more powerful than a two-edged sword... Eph. 6 & Heb. 4) then they just grow inside of us to the point they become arguments...and a great war inside of us, since then we have to choose between one of them, and it's like we're the rope in tug of war; being pulled by each side. And once the thoughts become an argument... if we don't trust God, or yeild to Him... we then give place to the devil; and let him take advantage of us-- we give him a foothold into our lives... and once there's that foothold, the devil gets in a builds a stronghold. Which is why we shouldn't entertain thoughts of temptation and toy with those aspects in our minds, and we shouldn't feed off of lies the devil tries to feed us. It's kind of like a pop-up.... the longer we look at the pop-up the more appealing it seems. It's all a big gimick though. The sooner we exit the pop-up, we have less of a temptation to click it. And if we click the pop-up....we're buying into some gimick, and sometimes we don't realize that certain pop-ups are designed to allure us so that malicious spyware can be downloaded onto our hard-drive. The best thing to do is to exit the pop-up completely... and get security protection against them. It's the same way with our thoughts...

cori

12-06-2008, 10:04 PM

Probably because you have more control over how you deal with the rejection, and how it affects you, and what you can do to change the negative effects it has on you. But with him, you aren't inside his mind, you don't know how he looks at these things completely, or how he feels about them -- how much they effect him inside. And the reason is, because you already know how painful all of that rejection can be; you just don't want him to have to deal with it like you have. Which isn't a bad thing, (I think more parents should think like that) but the situation is ultimately in God's hand. He'll help you and him... And praying for him is one of the biggest things you can do.

i think you're right. i think it's also because he's SOOOOOOO much like me - if something hurts, he just tries to overlook it (which is good, to a point, but it usually just results in a huge jumbled mess of unresolved issues, which is BAD!) - then, when he can't hold anymore inside, he completely melts. i hate to think of him dealing with that. :(

matthew could totally handle it - he's such a little toughie, willing to deal with whatever conflict comes up (although we are still working on the PROPER way to do that! :eek:), but noah is soooo sooooooooo sensitive.

prayer is key! and i have definitely been lacking in prayer for my sons since the depression started last year. i've still been praying fervently for them, but more for protection from the negative affects my depression was having on them, my family, and our household. time to shift back into the RIGHT gear!

(and speaking of prayer, which forum do i put a prayer request under? i have one....)

cori

12-06-2008, 10:06 PM

Exactly, one step at a time. If we only look at the destination, we quickly get discouraged because of what we're facing today. And if we only look at today, we lose sight of how the path we're walking is leading to something greater.

soooo true! there is also the danger of walking for tomorrow's road, which tends to be a whooooole different terrain than today's road! that's a guaranteed recipe for disaster!

BALANCE! (you'd think i'd GET it by now! lol)

cori

12-06-2008, 10:07 PM

Forgiveness is vital also; not just for the person who did us the wrong, who's receiving the forgiveness, but also for us. Once we make the choice to forgive someone, completely, it's really liberating our souls from a heavy bondage, that's prohibiting us from truly being free and escaping the torment we've received. When we don't forgive, the thoughts of the torment we've experienced by that person continually flood us, or they're left in the back of our head and when a situation that reminds us of them or a hurt they caused, the thoughts for continual revenge, anger, and hatred arise again, and sink us deeper into the bondage we think we're escaping through desiring to punish them in some way and make them pay. When we let that stay hidden in our hearts, we'll never experience the full love, freedom, and forgiveness Christ is offering us. You can forgive someone, and still not like them or what they do/have done. But we are called to love them inspite of how hurtful they behaved. Forgiving others, is really more of a favor for ourselves, more than it is for them. It's something they should be grateful for especially, however it really frees us from an internal prison, so we can continue to move forward.

another vital truth!!!! forgiveness is NOT for the person BEING forgiven - it's for the person DOING the forgiving!

Kelly

12-06-2008, 10:21 PM

Yeah it's weird....SOOOO many of my friends have had dreams about me and in every single one, I'm standing. One friend of mine used to have a reoccuring dream that I was chasing him around a room hehehe.

But in my dreams most of the time I'm seeing them through my eyes so I don't actually see myself, but on rare ocassions that I do see myself, I'm also standing. Still trying to figure that one out.

ok....kelly....i am soooo the perfect, most confusing mix of :D and :eek: right now, words truly cannot describe it.

when i first read THIS post of yours, i wanted to post, asking if you were in a wheelchair. i decided against it because...well, frankly, it doesn't MATTER if you're in a wheelchair - i love you just the same. and....really, it has no impact on anything, other than the idea completely caught me off guard - i SO didn't see that one coming.

so...anyway...i'm listening to sltb (i know you're completely surprised, right! lol) after reading/posting for almost an hour, and mulling over everything that's been talked about on the boards today (board junkie, i know...lol), and then WHAM! like chills AND wham....(and i SWEAR that i'm not making this up as i go along!)...

God reminds me of the vision that i had, that i shared with you. i didn't mention this part of it in my email, because...well, it really didn't seem that important, but....in light of your post, i think it's TOTALLY relevant.

in the vision, after God scooped you out from behind the desk - when He set you down in your next assignment, YOU WERE STANDING IN A GYMNASIUM HANDING A BASKETBALL TO A LITTLE BOY!

standing. like i said, since the wheelchair thing totally surprised me tonight, i think you can understand why i didn't think much of that. i just figured your next placement would be in some kind of recreational outreach for kids - i didn't think twice about you standing there handing him a basketball.

so.....as with the rest of my disclaimer - take that for what it's worth to you & what GOD says to you about it, but....in light of the whole sltb concept, i couldn't NOT tell you!

cori

12-06-2008, 10:28 PM

I think it's extremely interesting how God makes things relevant and connects them to something else, within the same period of time. Something that's kind of funny to me about the whole "we have authority" thing is: Years and years ago when I was a little kid (about 4 1/2 years old) my family and I moved onto a street called "Dominion".... The previous Sunday before that, the church bulletin had this Scripture in huge letters on the front of it "For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation." Daniel 4:34 And all the while I've been learning about how important it is to recognize that God gave us dominion in the beginning; but then the fall of man occured and the dominion was stolen from us because of sin-- but since Christ came and was the substitution for our sin, He has given us back the dominion and authority, and we need to put it to use -- and no longer let the devil take control over something that is rightfully ours now.

i just couldn't bear to take anything out of this one, because there's soooo much good stuff in it! (and i feel like i'm playing catch-up from being gone all day) shortly after we got noah's diagnosis (originally it was an autism diagnosis, but they have reduced it to the pdd-nos, because does not display enough autistic tendencies to be considered autistic) - during that time that it seemed that people were rejecting HIM, they were all pressing me to pray for his healing. i just couldn't bring myself to do that, because this was how God MADE him (which intensified the rejecting noah feelings!). it took a long time for me to get it, but one day, it finally hit me that, yes, God DID make noah with autistic tendencies, but....i am STILL to pray for him to be healed - (ok, i KNOW this is a complete no-brainer, but that was the beginning of the uber-dark depression) THE HEALING WOULD BRING GOD GLORY!!! (duhhhh me!!!! - which is undoubtedly where the word DUMMY came from! lol) so...i began praying for his healing....it was almost the only thing i COULD pray in regards to noah. then....around the end of january (he was getting ready to turn 4, so....2005), i really started sensing something HUGE getting ready to happen with him. i kept pressing in, not wanting to say anything to anyone about what i was sensing (what if i was wrong), but then i read the devotional for the day (feb 4) ->"God's help is near. (ref'd ps 145:18 the Lord is close to everyone who prays to Him, to all who truly pray to Him) healing begins when we do something. healing begins when we reach out. heaing starts when we take a step. God's help is near & always available, but it is only given to those who seek it. nothing results from apathy... God honors radical, risk-taking faith. when arks are built, lives are saved. when soldiers march, jerichos tumble. when staffs are raised, seas still open. when a lunch is shared, thousands are fed. and when a garment is touched - whether by the hand of an anemic woman in galilee or by the prayers of a begger in bangladesh - Jesus stops. He stops & responds." (max lucado's grace for the moment) from that day on, i started telling people (pastor, few close friends) what i was sensing, and that i was finally believing for noah's healing. in april, they reduced the diagnosis! but...if God had not been putting all the stepping stones together, i would have totally missed the path! i LOOOVE His faithfulness!

It is sort of creepy knowing that the devil could sense more of our potential than we do. I wrote a song once (which I still haven't completed, and it's been like a couple years, I think) that asked this question: "What does darkness see in me, that I don't?" The answer is actually quite simple....It's Christ. His authority, etc. It's more than we are in ourselves, because it's supernatural. Sometimes we forget who we really are, and thus we become victims of identity theft. That's why we need to continually remind ourselves about that; 'cause no soldier who's fighting in a war, is really going to continue fighting in the war, if he continually loses sight of why it is he is in a war, who the one is who enlisted him in the war, what he can do, and the weapons he has. Plus, if you're a soldier it's Crucial to be aware of the strategies and tactics of the enemy, not for the purpose of being all interested in who they are - but because of what they attempt to do against you. They're attempting to prohibit your central purpose and take you out if they can. And if you ever desire to succeed in your mission, you need to know how to be defended against the attack and landmines that are sure to await you; and if you do stumble upon a landmine or get hit with a huge blow, you need to know how to not let even that, stop you from continuing on your mission. Sure it might slow you down some, but it can't stop you indefinitely.

you know, i DO believe that you're an amazing pastor!!! :D this is all sooooooo well said - relevant & easy to understand! i love it, because it's the articulation of things i have learned but have not yet learned how to share in such an understandable way! THANK YOU!!

Hm, one thing you said, "not let him (the devil) attack," that's actually one thing we can't stop from happening (or at least usually). In fact the Bible indicates that he'll attack as much as he can, unless of course you aren't that much of a threat. We can't really stop his attacks from being launched against us (except through prayer maybe), however we can guard ourselves against them, and ambush the ambushes!! So not really letting him attack, would really be more like, being on guard for his schemes at all times. Kind of like being a minute-man, always having your eye out for a sneak attack and being prepared for when/if it happens. Another thing we should remember is, if the devil was so bold as to tempt Jesus, our master.... who are we to think, that he will not try to derail us all the more? The devil is really a psychological manipulator and con-artist -- he has nothing original about his attempts, and yet all too often we fall prey to his subtle deception. We were never meant to be defeated, (and never can be through Christ) so let's shake out of that mindset that says we already are.

this has been one of the hardest things for me to remember! it's so easy to give in to the familiar attacks - for me, even when i DO recognize them as an attack! i really have to press myself to stand up in Christ & face it head on. (hmmm, maybe that's why things have been so tough this year? to give me practice in standing up??? not that God has MADE things this way, but allowing them to happen for my growth....)

It's awesome how God is using you and instilling something new inside of you! You're definetely right, something is changing. It's changing for me also; I mean, we're always changing, everyday we're a little more different in some way. But being able to see the changing in a more distinct and vivid way, is definetely refreshing; and makes us feel more alive. Similar to a flower, the more we keep growing, the taller we become, our colors become more vivid, and our petals keep opening up wider and wider.... At first we don't look like much, but as we mature, the more our beauty becomes noticable to others.

i've noticed a lot of changing & growing in the Body recently. that's soooo encouraging! and i love how we (the Body) are really starting to step into our proper roles of encouragement & support - it's so important to encourage each other! you guys rock!!! :D (i'm learning....lol...)

When I'm more interactive with others, it's another funny thing... because usually I'm more happy, more relaxed, more talkative, more spontaneous and yet they usually automatically think, "You're hyper" like there's something wrong with me. I don't really think I'm being hyper at those times (but it could be another extremist thing they see, that I'm disregarding at the moment) 'cause I'm just really happy and showing it more outwardly. It probably baffles them a lot, the whole extremism thing-- 'cause they don't even recognize it, since once they stereotype you as being a certain way, they don't put in any room for exceptions. No wonder people misunderstand me so much. :D Another place where transparency is helpful.

haha, are we long lost relatives??? i'm SOOOOOOOOO like that! lol (in fact, when someone who sees me with people i'm relaxed with, they look at me like "who are YOU & what did you do with cori?!?!" because i'm "hyper" when i'm not trying to squeeze into the "socially acceptable" box!)

cori

12-06-2008, 10:41 PM

Yep, that's exactly what happens. God uses what the devil meant for evil, and He turns it into good for His glory. What the devil doesn't realize (well, he actually does but risks it anyway with his attacks) is that if we aren't destroyed or paralyzed by his attacked completely--- those attacks and weaknesses we have are going to be the very thing that God uses the most for His glory. It's like everytime the devil attacks you, he's just setting you up for a greater influence and impact on others, which ultimately makes his schemes against us backfire onto his own wretched kingdom, and cause his plan to be destroyed. It's kind of like self-destruction. It's like... the devil knows that if he can take you out, or stop you from doing something.... he can take others out and stop them from doing something, further minimizing the over-all potential of everybody--because everything you're called to do, isn't really for you and your personal gain, it's really for someone else. And if he stops you, he stops them...(or so he thinks, it's really the exact opposite though) Uh, how I would like him (the devil) to know that the Body of Christ isn't as gullible and easily deceived as he would like to think. But it all begins with each of us recognizing our true potential; and once we do that individually, it helps us to better unite as one against his attacks.

that one has been a hard one to understand. i mean, i've understood it, but...in the midst of the depression, i just couldn't bring myself to share it. i felt like such a failure for all the things i was struggling with - like i should be more mature in Christ than i was & that's why i was struggling with it. i can't even describe it, but i know you all know exactly what i'm talking about. once i realized that what people can relate to & makes them want what we have (Christ) is hearing about the struggles we've had & how Christ has pulled us out of them! if i don't share THOSE things, then i have no hope to offer!!! without sharing my story - ALL parts of my story - i am nothing more than the happy happy joy joy Christians that so many of the lost see as hypocrites! once i understood that God required me to lay down my pride (ha!) and share the things of myself that i didn't want people to know about if i wanted Him to work through me, i FINALLY UNDERSTOOD that i was having a NEGATIVE impact on the kingdom when i did NOT share! (of course, following the lead of the Spirit is soooo important, because...not all things are meant to be shared all at once!) THEN i was able to seek Him for the boldness to share things i had always been too afraid to share.

The Scripture you're referring to: Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;... (that's how the version I'm using right now reads) It's found in 1 Peter 4:12 It's a great Scrupture.

THANK YOU!!!! i'm sooooo bad about memorizing references! i've always (in my apathetic days) figured it was more important to know the Scripture than it is to know where it is, but....i'm learning that they are EQUALLY important! if i'm witnessing to someone & tell them "in the Bible...." - if they want to SEE it for themselves & can't tell them where to look...not good! i'm getting a pretty long to-do list! lol

Speaking of fighting the attacks of the enemy I think these verses are pretty helpful: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presense of many witness. 1 Timothy 6:12

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against hte wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:11-12

thank you for those! i'm going to write them out & tape them to my bathroom mirror!!!

So often as Christians, we get that mentality that..."Oh the devil is off someplace deceiving some unbeliever, what does he have to do with me? I'm a Christian!" We make it like we're exempt from attacks, fighting, and wrestling.. (not everyone of course) but actually we're called to engage it boldly. We need to first recognize there's a war we're in...and we actually have to do, some pretty rough fighting at times. But it's kind of like... wanting to be a great, fearless warrior, but being too scared to even fight. How can you be a warrior, unless there's an obstacle, an enemy, something you have to overcome? We all want the prize, the testimony, the influence, but we never want to pay the price for that... or fight.

ohhh man, for sure! this year has definitely been a year of instilling that urgency in me - learning that it is WAR...not an occasional terrorist attack. it will not stop, and i cannot walk through life like it will. i need to fight for EVERYTHING...and not give up, because it's already been won. and i'm working for THE King, so....that helps with the courage & boldness part! :)

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

I'm more than a conqueror. Conquering is one thing, but God's actually saying I excel beyond that if I'm in Christ.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but might in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself aginst the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

This Scripture right here... kind of illustrates the battle that rages in our mind. See, first of all these thoughts (sin, lies, hopelessness, you're never good enough, etc...) are sent to attack our minds, we're experiencing a fiery ambush... and if we don't use our weapons to take these thoughts captive, cut them off (with the sword of the Spirit... the Word of God... which is more powerful than a two-edged sword... Eph. 6 & Heb. 4) then they just grow inside of us to the point they become arguments...and a great war inside of us, since then we have to choose between one of them, and it's like we're the rope in tug of war; being pulled by each side. And once the thoughts become an argument... if we don't trust God, or yeild to Him... we then give place to the devil; and let him take advantage of us-- we give him a foothold into our lives... and once there's that foothold, the devil gets in a builds a stronghold. Which is why we shouldn't entertain thoughts of temptation and toy with those aspects in our minds, and we shouldn't feed off of lies the devil tries to feed us. It's kind of like a pop-up.... the longer we look at the pop-up the more appealing it seems. It's all a big gimick though. The sooner we exit the pop-up, we have less of a temptation to click it. And if we click the pop-up....we're buying into some gimick, and sometimes we don't realize that certain pop-ups are designed to allure us so that malicious spyware can be downloaded onto our hard-drive. The best thing to do is to exit the pop-up completely... and get security protection against them. It's the same way with our thoughts...

exactly!!! and...if we can master the battle in the mind, the physical battle is soooooo much easier to wage! i've had a lot of CONCRETE lessons in holding every thought captive over the last few years.....sooooo not even CLOSE to mastering it, but....finally starting to make some progress. press on towards the goal...keep your eye on the prize.....don't lose the sense of purpose & focus, otherwise the battles in the mind are easier to listen to! (ok, i'm typing that out for ME.....lol.....)

cori

12-06-2008, 10:46 PM

But in my dreams most of the time I'm seeing them through my eyes so I don't actually see myself, but on rare ocassions that I do see myself, I'm also standing. Still trying to figure that one out.

i think it's how you see yourself - like maybe you can't imagine yourself ever standing, so you haven't ever considered it?

i don't know. i'm not saying that God was telling me that you'll be standing one day (although it wouldn't surprise me!), but...i CAN say that it WAS a profound part of the vision. you know how they can add extra color to pictures/videos? (ok, please forgive my cheesier than cheesy attempt at a technical description here...lol) it was like the entire vision was in color, but you standing with the basketball had the extra color added. the BRIGHTNESS of the orange basketball was the most profound, but....you were also a more vivid color than everything else in the vision.

maybe the ball represents something? the ministry? your embracing something (healing, ministry, firmer hold on the Lord?) - i dont know.

i know what i think (but i'm pretty sure everyone else does, too!! lol), but....i'm not about to make a claim like that! lol

Kelly

12-06-2008, 11:03 PM

cori

12-06-2008, 11:16 PM

Huh, interesting....I've never really paid attention to the colors in dreams. All I can say is that I dream in color. Never dream in B&W. I'll have to start paying more attention (is that possible? hehe) to see if something sticks out more than another thing.

As for me standing in my dreams, most people tell me that's just because I don't define myself as just someone in a wheelchair. Someone with a disability who can't do this and that. I see myself for who I am inside. I kinda like that interpretation because it's very true! Obviously there are times when I need to draw attention to the fact that I'm in a wheelchair, but it doesn't hold me back from trying anything I want. I took gymnastics in elementary school, was a cheerleader in middle school, in HS I was on the Homecoming Court and the spirit squad (our job was to wheel our mascot out to the field & each 200 + lb football player would run by and smack it for luck as they head out onto the field for the game). Some people would tell me that's dangerous, but the sponsor never once doubted my ability to participate :) It has a LOT to do with how my parents raised me. I had some tough times growing up because they would push me to be independent on things when I really felt I needed help. But over time I realized that was a HUGE lesson worth learning (even if I did learn the hard way) because I'm SOOOO much more independent now than people think of me. I never let my disability hold me back until I try something and see for myself that I can't do it.

i never really pay attention to whether or not my dreams are in color or b&w, either - but every now & then, sometimes the color will really catch my attention. if i remember being drawn to the color of something in the dream when i'm recalling it (ie....normally you would just be the girl handing the basketball to the little boy....but since the colors were so intense, you were THE girl handing the ORANGE basketball to the little boy - if that makes sense...), then i remember it, but....like that whole vision was in color, but i couldn't tell you, if my life DEPENDED on it, what color shirt the little boy was wearing! anyway...

that's definitely some food for thought, too - you don't see yourself in the wheelchair in the dreams because you don't consider it to be anything that limits you. it makes PERFECT sense! i LOVE it! :D

when i was 11 (my sister was 8), we were in a car accident. it was bad - people should have died (have i shared this story already? please forgive me if i have - i've turned into quite the posting madman, so....it's a blur! lol can i blame the chess again?), but no one did. the worst injury was a coma, followed by a broken pelvis (requiring 3 pins & with a prognosis of never walking again - she walked in less than a year of the injury!), and my little sister lost her left hand. she ALWAYS handled it so well - watching the way she handles herself, you'd never know that she spent the first 8 yrs of her life with a "normal" body - 2 hands! within 6 months of losing her hand, she was back to jumping rope, playing on the monkey bars, and TYING HER OWN SHOES! i have witnessed that the only limitations that disability knows are the limitations defined by the one WITH the "disability." i have also learned (through my sister & my son, but so many other people!!!) that the REAL people with "disabilities" are generally better balanced people than us "normal" people, which would indicate that the "normal" people are really the disabled!

kudos to you for trusting your parents & allowing them to teach you independence!!!! i know how poorly i would have handled the loss of my hand if the roles were reversed with my sister & i, so i am always completely humbled when i meet people like she is & like you are, who refuse to accept the "disability" as their IDENTITY and use it to become someone who REALLY shines for the Lord. your joy alone is a powerful testimony, and seeing how "normal" you live your life is the transparency of your testimony. :D

Convicted

12-07-2008, 07:14 AM

i think you're right. i think it's also because he's SOOOOOOO much like me - if something hurts, he just tries to overlook it (which is good, to a point, but it usually just results in a huge jumbled mess of unresolved issues, which is BAD!) - then, when he can't hold anymore inside, he completely melts. i hate to think of him dealing with that. :(

matthew could totally handle it - he's such a little toughie, willing to deal with whatever conflict comes up (although we are still working on the PROPER way to do that! :eek:), but noah is soooo sooooooooo sensitive.

prayer is key! and i have definitely been lacking in prayer for my sons since the depression started last year. i've still been praying fervently for them, but more for protection from the negative affects my depression was having on them, my family, and our household. time to shift back into the RIGHT gear!

(and speaking of prayer, which forum do i put a prayer request under? i have one....)

Yep prayer is key. Some things that might help him deal with hurtful situations, or even joyful ones, is maybe trying to urge him a little more to express what he thinks openly, and letting him know you're there to hear all the thoughts he has, no matter what those thoughts are. Though sometimes even if kids trust you, they still have a tendancy to hold back part of themselves from you completely because it feels it gives them a little more control over the situation. (Yeah, that pretty much described how I was/am). When conflict arises usually people either withdraw from it and then throw ALL their thoughts out at once (which can be a Real shock to those who think they normally shy away from it) or they express what they think and how they feel immediately no matter what anyone thinks at the time (which usually isn't in such an explosive and abrupt manner). People usually link withdrawal symptoms to introversion - and the freely expressing yourself all the time to extroversion. That's where balance is also key!!! Usually people who have a more introverted disposition, seem all cool and calm outwardly, but that's only because they're trying to ignore what they feel or think because they're more sensitive to things - though quite a few people perceive them as being pretty strong due to their incredible ability to masquerade things to maintain their inward security -- which is usually derived from some sort of fear. Whereas people with extroverted dispostions express nearly Everything to others, even perhaps when they shouldn't or in the specific way they do or even at that exact time that they do. They usually seem more outgoing, and can also be perceived as strong because they face conflict head on when it arises -- no backing down. At the same time though, some of them also have some fear that gives them the sense that they need to constantly express themselves. Perhaps it's the fear of not being the center of attention, that they might be deprived of something, etc. There's usually some sort of fear that holds up everyone's disposition in some way -- which is usually a learned fear (society, family, school, supposed friends, etc.) but the thing to do is, reverse the cycle by doing the exact opposite. But at the same time, don't fall into wrong type of extremism mentality-- use some moderation. The extremism is good, but you just have to know how and when to use it, and vice versa. That all probably sounds like a bunch of psycho-bable or something, but it could be helpful.

Convicted

12-07-2008, 07:30 AM

soooo true! there is also the danger of walking for tomorrow's road, which tends to be a whooooole different terrain than today's road! that's a guaranteed recipe for disaster!

BALANCE! (you'd think i'd GET it by now! lol)

:D The more we practice it, the better we become at it. And while we're learning it/ have learned it, the more we usually stress that it's a vital factor to others.

cori

12-07-2008, 08:55 AM

Yep prayer is key. Some things that might help him deal with hurtful situations, or even joyful ones, is maybe trying to urge him a little more to express what he thinks openly, and letting him know you're there to hear all the thoughts he has, no matter what those thoughts are. Though sometimes even if kids trust you, they still have a tendancy to hold back part of themselves from you completely because it feels it gives them a little more control over the situation. (Yeah, that pretty much described how I was/am). When conflict arises usually people either withdraw from it and then throw ALL their thoughts out at once (which can be a Real shock to those who think they normally shy away from it) or they express what they think and how they feel immediately no matter what anyone thinks at the time (which usually isn't in such an explosive and abrupt manner). People usually link withdrawal symptoms to introversion - and the freely expressing yourself all the time to extroversion. That's where balance is also key!!! Usually people who have a more introverted disposition, seem all cool and calm outwardly, but that's only because they're trying to ignore what they feel or think because they're more sensitive to things - though quite a few people perceive them as being pretty strong due to their incredible ability to masquerade things to maintain their inward security -- which is usually derived from some sort of fear. Whereas people with extroverted dispostions express nearly Everything to others, even perhaps when they shouldn't or in the specific way they do or even at that exact time that they do. They usually seem more outgoing, and can also be perceived as strong because they face conflict head on when it arises -- no backing down. At the same time though, some of them also have some fear that gives them the sense that they need to constantly express themselves. Perhaps it's the fear of not being the center of attention, that they might be deprived of something, etc. There's usually some sort of fear that holds up everyone's disposition in some way -- which is usually a learned fear (society, family, school, supposed friends, etc.) but the thing to do is, reverse the cycle by doing the exact opposite. But at the same time, don't fall into wrong type of extremism mentality-- use some moderation. The extremism is good, but you just have to know how and when to use it, and vice versa. That all probably sounds like a bunch of psycho-bable or something, but it could be helpful.

psycho-babble? if so, then I'M psycho-babble! you just described me to a T AND the very lesson that has been the key (other than the BIG key, which is Jesus! lol) to unraveling this depression mess.

i always try to encourage noah to share what he's feeling with me, but....with pdd-nos (ANYWHERE on the spectrum), any kind of communication is difficult. i'm not sure how much of a pdd-nos/autism education you want (or how much i even have to offer!), but....lack of communication is what told me something was wrong. he had a very extensive vocabulary, but he said VERY little - and most of what he did say was echolalia (repeating back what was said to him....ie...mom - "how are you, noah?" noah - "how are you, noah?"). as i started watching him more closely (in regards to anything else not quite right, i mean...), i saw other tendencies, but...communication is the hardest thing. it's like....well....

they are very single-sensory-focused. if he's reading, he is looking at words, thinking about written out words (not the mental image most people get when they're reading - when he's reading "the dog ate the bone" he is picturing "the dog at the bone" EXACTLY how he sees it on the page, NOT picturing the dog eating the bone) if he is watching something, then there are no words anymore, just visuals. he CAN multi-task, but it is very difficult for him, and...conversation comes out of thoughts, and his are so confusing for him. if he's watching a movie & i ask him a question, he has to translate what he's hearing to whatever mindset he's in (i hope this is making at least a little bit of sense! i'm starting to confuse myself & i understand what i'm trying to say! :O lol). so, it takes him a while to process whatever has just been said to him (which often leads to giving up & ignoring it because the translation in his mind is taking too long & he's getting frustrated), and then he has to formulate his response - which happens in whatever mindset he is, so then he has to translate that back into whatever form his mind processed it in. he's very sharp, but he can't process information as fast as "normal" people do, so...communication is very frustrating for him. i have to really sit down with him & pick his brain to get 3 sentences about how school was that day. he WANTS to tell me, but he has a hard time staying on track with a single conversation...

and that makes talking about feelings even MORE challenging. he is VERY literal (if someone says "it's raining cats & dogs," he immediately looks to the sky for cats & dogs - he does NOT understand a figure of speech), so...when i ask, "how did that make you feel?" he is thinking of TOUCH, and....if no touch was involved in whatever situation we're talking about, he's REEEEALLY confused! so....i have to kind of decode what he says to me, maybe almost as much as he has to decode what i'm saying to him! (that's not to say we're not trying or that i'm giving up!!! i'm just trying to recognize a pace that isn't too overwhelming for him, because if he gets too overwhelmed, he WILL quit)

so....definitely prayer AND communication, but also some prayer FOR communication!

i love him SOOOOOOO much. i looong for the day that conversation just flows!

cori

12-07-2008, 08:56 AM

:D The more we practice it, the better we become at it. And while we're learning it/ have learned it, the more we usually stress that it's a vital factor to others.

lol, sooo true! it's like once i finally understand a concept - like REEEALLY get it - i can't keep my mouth SHUT about it until i feel satisfied that whoever i'm sharing with understands it, too. (which goes back to the whole balance thing, because...i frustrate a lot of people! lol)

Convicted

12-07-2008, 09:36 AM

(and i feel like i'm playing catch-up from being gone all day) God honors radical, risk-taking faith.

Heh, I play catch-up (ketch-up lol!) all the time on forums 'cause I also get busy, but it's part of the fun of it (though if you find like....10 new pages in the same thread, which I have before at places.. it's kind of a hassel).

I love that concept of radical risk-taking faith. It's so awesome!! Risks always intrigue me in someway. There's a high level of thrills that are involved with them, but unfortunetely sometimes we look at how we might be injured in someway, and insted we let that keep us from taking the risk. I've come to realize the that the real definition of Fearlessness shouldn't really be summed up in not having any fearful tendancies at all. I think that's a false assumption that so many people buy into with the belief of it's definition. Instead, one day (or shall I say overtime) God sort of redefined the definition of "Fearlessness" to me. Because since I face so many fears, and I recognize my own weaknesses, that in itself does not mean I can't be fearless. Fearlessness is truly more like... "Inspite of the tendancies you might have to fear, (sometimes you may not have any whatsoever) and the odds and oppositions against you, you can face that fear head on, unashamed, because you are instead embrassing the reward or thrill that comes from it--- not letting something hold you back." We can be fearless!!!! Because we know the one who conquered fear! For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

you know, i DO believe that you're an amazing pastor!!! :D this is all sooooooo well said - relevant & easy to understand! i love it, because it's the articulation of things i have learned but have not yet learned how to share in such an understandable way! THANK YOU!!

Pastor, Woah... I don't know if I'd exactly say that. But it's kind of strange (or not so strange) that you do say that. Because lately my father's been saying, "I wonder if you're going to be a pastor." I'm like... "Why do you keep saying that?" He's like.. "I don't.. it's just.. Hm." And, when I was like... 14, someone told me I should be a youth pastor when I was talking to them about God. They weren't even Christians. It's funny because usually I don't even think I'm that good at communicating something; I'm not really that eloquent and I get too technical sometimes. I'm always looking for more ways to improve that, because it's a vital part of sharing the message God wants us to. But yeah, sometimes I get confused in the purpose God has for me.... I start thinking, "What EXACTLY is it I should do?" Because there's a lot of things God places in my heart to do, but sometimes it's hard to know which one to do and when. (Especially if there's a lot of diverse things you like doing; it makes it even hard to decide what to do. That's one good thing about only liking a few things, or knowing one specific thing God wants you to do.-- hehehe actually I do know one specific thing-- "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15) And even if you know what to do and when, you still need to know where and how. One night I was just thinking about this, and wondering if I was doing the right thing at the time, and if not what it is I should do, and if all of these desires I have are ones I made up or ones God wants me to do, etc.. And it's like God just whispered/placed this into my heart that "You're more in God's will than you know." It all goes back to that whole thing we were talking about "One day at time." We may have all of these various things God's placed into our heart to do, (and wants us to do) but just be obedient to Him now. Obey what the Scriptures say, try to reach people with the message of His gospel, etc.. and like it says in Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. And this one: Proverbs 16:3: Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.
If you're seeking God, to do His will, you can rest in knowing that He has you in the palm of His hand, and He's guiding your steps. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Psalm 37:23
God's calling us to just walk by faith, :) not by sight; to take a risk for His glory. Because He holds time in His hands, and knows the end of things from the beginning of them... He has everything already figured out, all we have to do is Trust and Obey! (and that song is supposedly for little kids =]).

this has been one of the hardest things for me to remember! it's so easy to give in to the familiar attacks - for me, even when i DO recognize them as an attack! i really have to press myself to stand up in Christ & face it head on. (hmmm, maybe that's why things have been so tough this year? to give me practice in standing up??? not that God has MADE things this way, but allowing them to happen for my growth....)

Exactly. All of this talk reminds me of a song I wrote a few years ago. Here's the main part (it kind of sums it all up, but it's still kind of vague-- that's what verses are for!): I was in the backside learning how to fight; unrecognized, but being trained to watch the warrior arise. I was in the desert, in the valley, in the wilderness... In the eye of a storm, in the middle of a mess... But I clung to Your promise of companionship, knowing You were taking me from the backside to the forefront.

Yeah, I still think I'm sort of still in the backside, and I was when I wrote that song... which is kind of interesting, but I really believe that us, the Body of Christ as a whole, is really transferring right now from the backside to the forefront. That's why the past, and even recent times, have been so tough. You usually have to take some tests and pass them, before you can excel to the next level.

i've noticed a lot of changing & growing in the Body recently. that's soooo encouraging! and i love how we (the Body) are really starting to step into our proper roles of encouragement & support - it's so important to encourage each other! you guys rock!!! (i'm learning....lol...)

It's so true! The Body of Christ is definitely changing as a whole... I really think that God is preparing us and beginning to launch us out into the mission He's called us to do. Another thing that's crucial for the the Body before it can be fully launched out is the need for UNITY. So many times the church (the people of God) is so divided, and where division is.... You kind of lose sight of your central purpose, which makes void some of your attempt in fulfilling it. Here's a Scripture I think is really related to this: ... That He might sanctify and cleanse her (the church) with the washing of the water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:26-27 How should we expect the world to come to the church, when the church isn't even Being the church? If they don't see any big difference in the church, what is so much more appealing than anything else? Sometimes we lose sight that we really are supposed to be salt and light to this dull and dark world. "..But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?" Matthew 5:13 Another thing, how do we (the bride of Christ) expect to go the marriage ceremony, dressed the way that we are right now? God wants us to be prepared, for Him when He returns... that's why things are starting to change, He's getting us ready. (Now, I am not going to make guesses as to when exactly He's returning-- but Jesus did say that we could know the season in which that would occur. It doesn't seem that far off, (still some time though) with the major amounts of prophecies being fulfilled and the Body of Christ being more prepared.)

Convicted

12-07-2008, 09:37 AM

haha, are we long lost relatives??? i'm SOOOOOOOOO like that! lol (in fact, when someone who sees me with people i'm relaxed with, they look at me like "who are YOU & what did you do with cori?!?!" because i'm "hyper" when i'm not trying to squeeze into the "socially acceptable" box!)

We are relatives actually! In Christ, of course. But actually natually as well, since we all came from Adam and Eve. It's funny also that the more science searches theses big questions the Bible already contains the answers to thousands of years ahead of time, the more they confirm how true the Bible really is. New genetic data has found that all of us are related to each other. Our DNA is all linked. Of course anyone who believes the Bible already knows that. =] We could basically go up to some stranger on the street and say, "Hey, distant cousin, what's up?." I just might do that some day... it'd be a great way to start a conversation and then transfer it to something spiritual.

It's so funny how it startles people, when we are happy outwardly... People who label us as "Always serious, never having fun, too predictable." Can actually be extremely shocked when we show them just how much fun we have when we do have fun, because when we do..... WE DO!! In a way we're actually more spontaneous then them, because they never know when we're going to do something spontaneous-- they just surmize how we're suppose to be based on what they usually see. (Which is why it's not good to judge someone based on what you see!! Samuel learned that, when God told him to pick David out of all his brothers as king.) For instance, sometimes I just laugh for no reason at all... I'll just start laughing uncontrolablly. And people will be like, "What's so funny?" And when they ask that, it just makes it all the more hilarious. They don't realize how much our thoughts entertain us. It's kind of sad, because some of them don't like imagining things much at all-- part of the reason why they don't understand us. That's why they always say things like... "I'm bored," to the power of like 10000000 times. I used to say that a lot, but I realized there's always something intriguing you can do. You can't tell me there's NOTHING exciting or useful to do.

Convicted

12-07-2008, 11:17 AM

that one has been a hard one to understand. i mean, i've understood it, but...in the midst of the depression, i just couldn't bring myself to share it. i felt like such a failure for all the things i was struggling with - like i should be more mature in Christ than i was & that's why i was struggling with it. i can't even describe it, but i know you all know exactly what i'm talking about. once i realized that what people can relate to & makes them want what we have (Christ) is hearing about the struggles we've had & how Christ has pulled us out of them! if i don't share THOSE things, then i have no hope to offer!!! without sharing my story - ALL parts of my story - i am nothing more than the happy happy joy joy Christians that so many of the lost see as hypocrites! once i understood that God required me to lay down my pride (ha!) and share the things of myself that i didn't want people to know about if i wanted Him to work through me, i FINALLY UNDERSTOOD that i was having a NEGATIVE impact on the kingdom when i did NOT share! (of course, following the lead of the Spirit is soooo important, because...not all things are meant to be shared all at once!) THEN i was able to seek Him for the boldness to share things i had always been too afraid to share.

Sometimes I think, we get so beaten down by how whole "failure" concept because it's usually referred to as a wrong thing, indicating how it's all our fault for something or for not doing something, and how it's always because of a weakness we had. (Which isn't to say none of that isn't ever true, or even a main cause) But really failure isn't always a bad thing. For one, it shows that you're actually trying and attempting to do something. I once read some place about the fear of failing, and how... someone who fears failing will only take risks and pursue opportunities if they think are safe, and they have extreme confidence in that they won't fail. Whereas someone who takes multiple risks as frequently as possible, always attempting to do something-- and looking for ANY opportunity they can find, even if they've failed at it before. In the end, if you add up the total amount of not failing and failing at something--- say within a year, it'll be that the person who's afraid of failing will only succeed at the things they've attempted to do --since they don't want to look foolish; Whereas, the ones who take more risks, might fail more often, but they'll also increase the total number of things they succeed at -- maybe even double or triple, etc. Plus, the more you fail, the more you learn how to do something. Even if you try something a million different ways, and none of those work, and you think you're failing at what you're attempting... that's just a million different things to cross of the list of how to do something. You eventually narrow down your attempts, and find the right one, and succeed at it. Look at all of the famous scientists who discovered brilliant findings, they never succeeded without some sort of failure at first. And look at all of the famous people you'll find in history books... You'll never find ONE who did not do something that was unusual during that time. (Unless of course that person just happened to be linked with One who did do something that challenged the "normal" state the societies were in.) Thing is, when you do attempt to do these great things... people will think you're weird, crazy,"you'll never be able to do that," try to discourage you, attack you, and look at what they did to the Apostles... (and are still doing in different parts of the world to other Christians) they killed them. (The persecuted church all around the world has had a TOTAL impact on me... we should remember to pray for them, and be encouraged to do what they die to do, to share the faith in love and boldness... it almost brings tears to my eyes, because where we live, we have multiply opportunities to share the message, yet we so often get so caught up with the hustle and bustle, the fading aspects of life, or our own sin, struggles, fear, and complacency that we lose the passion and urgency to share something that can actually save someone from completely devastating eternity, and help live this life for His purpose. I should write more on this part some other time)( All this is reminding me of Hebrews 11 now..) God's calling us to be revolutionaries, to change things, leave an tremendously huge impact on things; but we'll never become that, until we take a step of action.

The lost don't just see us as hypocrites sometimes; Sometimes Jesus does (look at how many times in the Bible Jesus called the religious leaders hypocrites) and sometimes I do; not to mention that sometimes I AM one. But we all really are at times, that's why we continue to be transformed into His likeness. 2 Corinthians 4:18

But yeah, sometimes even if we have the zeal to reach out, sometimes it's not always the best time we should do that, or usually the way we do it. Often times, I think of how we try to present the gospel to those who aren't Christians (plus the more meatier content of the Scriptures for newer believers) and how it's kind of like a foreign langauge the way we present it to some of them. It's trying to articulate something that's from another Realm into this realm -- the spiritual to the natural, which isn't really easy to do. And sometimes our good intentions actually become more like stumbling blocks because we don't know how to present the message in a way that they can actually grasp (and even if they do grasp it, sometimes how we say it to them, a little too harsh on our part, in the sense, that we're not thinking of how what we say might sound to them.) or it can be easily misinterpretated, because it's so vague to them that they need a bigger explanation, more definitions. After all, we can't expect infants or young children to be able to really sink their teeth into or digest the powerful nuggets of the in-depth gospel if we only give the hard meat to eat. See, we really learn the whole language ourselves, de-learning the language we learned earlier; and what we need to do is re-learn part of their language (since we already know their mindset, because after all it's the one we had before we yeilded to Christ. Unless, the person is someone who wasn't exposed much to understanding things from that perspective and never did. That's when trying to understand the way they think is key.) so we can better communicate the overall priceless and profound, lifesaving message to them. Which doesn't mean, water down the Word of God, or think you always have to use a certain kind of music, or certain programs, etc.. to reach people, you just have to try to understand how they would think of something they would say, and then try to phrase the message into a way they could understand it. It's kind of like that with all types of communication. And of course, God will lead you into what to say and how to say it-- but that doesn't mean we never put any thought into what we say-- that's just being careless and trying take the easy exit; and carelessness can cause a LOT more harm than good sometimes.

THANK YOU!!!! i'm sooooo bad about memorizing references! i've always (in my apathetic days) figured it was more important to know the Scripture than it is to know where it is, but....i'm learning that they are EQUALLY important! if i'm witnessing to someone & tell them "in the Bible...." - if they want to SEE it for themselves & can't tell them where to look...not good! i'm getting a pretty long to-do list! lol

You're absolutely right. The Scripture itself is the power; but some people are extremely skeptical (I can be a lot at times, unless of course I'm relying a lot on faith at the time... here we go with extremism again. :rolleyes:) so knowing the reference is good also. Unless you have your Bible with you, or there's one accessible; than you can just look it up if you remember the general location (I do that sometimes).

ohhh man, for sure! this year has definitely been a year of instilling that urgency in me - learning that it is WAR...not an occasional terrorist attack. it will not stop, and i cannot walk through life like it will. i need to fight for EVERYTHING...and not give up, because it's already been won. and i'm working for THE King, so....that helps with the courage & boldness part!

Preach it!! That was a great description. I think our country can actually learn from that as well. And yes the war is already won!! It was won on when Jesus died on the cross, shed His blood for us, and then rose from the grave conquering EVERYTHING!!! However, the battles stil rage, because that very sin that got satan cast out of heaven, is the very sin that still drives him today. Pride. He knows his time is short, yet that just means he's even more hostile and agressive because he knows he can't be God. And since that plan failed, his next mission is to take out as many people as he can-- to devour them, get them to turn their backs on God. Why??? Well, to get at God. And to get at us; and to stop us from receiving the salvation and blessings of God. God loves us so much.... and when I say love, mean LOVE. Love to the point of death. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. John 15:13 ....Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 Plus, we're made in God's image... If that doesn't remind the devil of the One he's so anxious to escape from while he can... that just leaves him no peace whatsoever. (not that he has any at all, it just makes him more anxious because he's reminded of his judgement)

Convicted

12-07-2008, 11:18 AM

exactly!!! and...if we can master the battle in the mind, the physical battle is soooooo much easier to wage! i've had a lot of CONCRETE lessons in holding every thought captive over the last few years.....sooooo not even CLOSE to mastering it, but....finally starting to make some progress. press on towards the goal...keep your eye on the prize.....don't lose the sense of purpose & focus, otherwise the battles in the mind are easier to listen to! (ok, i'm typing that out for ME.....lol.....)

It is a lot easier once you have a mindset that knows how to deal with the thoughts that try to persuade you to be the opposite of who you are and what you should do. It's kind of like... interrogation methods. They work the mind of the person detained and interrogated, in order to get them to break. (and of course they use other methods, but all those methods are really used to get at that persons mind; get inside their head.. make them frustrated, etc. And it's kind of like brainwashing someone. The person continually floods a person with thoughts, things, people, that continually try to altar their perspective and get them to change their mind, so that the person is manipulated and under their complete control. It's like that person is being hypnotized and they don't even know it; which is why they need to know what they believe and why they believe it. They need to be firmly grounded in what they believe otherwise anything that's seem to be persuasive enough or a glamorized sales-pitch will easily sway that person into fibs which can lead to fatal disaster, if they don't finally get their "brain washed" from all of the "brainwashing". This is why the mind is the biggest battlefield. Everyone and everything is constantly trying to influence it.

I type things out for me also... in fact, I almost preach to myself in my mind sometimes-- it's kind of overwhelming (cause it all comes so fast) but exciting and encouraging, and it instills more passion in you. I wish I could sometimes write all the thoughts that come to me (where ever I write them) as fast as they come. But when God starts reminding you of things-- He Takes Over!! It's good to actually do that.. Even and especially when no one else is there to or willing to encourage you. Sometimes you just need to rely on God and do it yourself in Him! Plus, He'll reveal new things to you when you do that, and our relationship with Him grows. Building yourself up on your most holy faith... Jude 1:20

cori

12-07-2008, 06:43 PM

another vital truth!!!! forgiveness is NOT for the person BEING forgiven - it's for the person DOING the forgiving!

the only reason i'm quoting myself in this post is because it was the last one i could find on forgiveness.

ok, so....the whole time we've been discussing forgiveness, i've been asking the Lord to reveal areas of unforgiveness in my heart. of course, in His faithfulness (:rolleyes:), He exposed a few. even told me what i need to do on MY end to start the ball rolling, but...i hadn't started walking anything out yet.

this morning, i walk into church. go through worship, communion - it's all great. i mean GREAT! can really feel the presence of the Lord, and i can't wait for my pastor to start preaching, because these kinds of sundays are just ALWAYS amazing! so....he starts preaching...

ON FORGIVENESS!!!!!! :eek: lol, now THAT, my friends, i call CONFIRMATION!

so...after my kids get to bed, i'll be getting things squared away so they are ready when God says, "GO!" (i won't see the other person until weds & i need to be face to face with her when i do what God has told me to do, so.....weds it is....)

anyway, it was a funny reminder of how God uses what seems like bizarre things to make His point. ;)

cori

12-07-2008, 10:03 PM

ok....i'm SUCH a dork! lol i actually took NOTES on things i wanted to address from the flurry of posts i missed while i was at church! lol i figured since we have been using quotes from each other so much, it might be a little easier on the eyeballs to get everything back to one post & go from there....again. :D hehe (but seriously, i'm LOVING this!) ok....

catch-up...ketchup! HA! maybe we should call it MUSTARD, since we're growing our faith! ;) (ok, no sympathy giggles, really! lol...that WAS bad....and even worse, since i was busting a GUT when i thought of it!) but, back to a more spiritually intellectual note...lol

i completely agree with you about the definition of fearlessness. it is absolutely NOT the absence of fear. i think you are right on with YOUR definition! in fact, i believe that being FULLY AWARE of one's weaknesses & STILL boldly stepping out in faith better defines fearlessness than simply having no fear at all! the absence of fear is faith, and, to walk in faith is to recognize the areas where we are weak & still walk when the Lord tells us to, no matter HOW scary it may seem!

lol, i would most definitely stick with PASTOR, in reference to you! being a pastor does not necessarily mean standing in front of a group every sunday & weds, preaching a 3 pt message & giving an altar call. a pastor is a shepherd - someone who brings strays of the flock back in & keeps them all together, teaching them along the way, leading by example. and....on a technical note, we're ALL called pastors! i'd just say that YOU happen to be VERY gifted in that area! :) and...hey....with as many other comments you've received about it, there just might be something TO it! (especially since a NON-believing person said you SHOULD pursue that!!!!!) and....don't forget moses! God doesn't care how eloquently we speak (or dont) - He cares about whether or not we can be trusted to obey & speak what He tells us to speak! i could TOTALLY see you pastoring a church someday!

oh my....my eyes about popped out when you said that the Lord had told you that you are more in His will than you know! see, last year, when i was really struggling with wanting to walk tomorrow's path today, i was questioning whether or not i had heard the Lord correctly about said path. i was deeply (and legitimately!) concerned that my flesh had fashioned that plan to appease other things that i was dealing with, and....i needed some major answers, and NOW! unfortunately (well, now i see it as FORTUNATELY! but then, it was a completely different story! lol), i never did get THE answers that i was seeking, but....He said exactly the same thing to me - "you're more in My will than you know." it was during that time that prov. 3:5&6 (now that one, i DO know the reference to - even without you posting it so i could cheat! lol) really came alive to me (because i started putting it into practice). tomorrow's path is a direct crossing of today's path (i can't elaborate any more without going into detail, which God has specifically told me NOT to do & i found out the HARD way that He was right :S ), so....i couldn't help but feel that i was out of His will just by even contemplating that path. so...it was a very comforting reassurance - and apparently i'm not the only one that needs it! :D (hey, at least i keep good company!)

i completely agree with you about the Lord moving the Church from the background to the forefront. we are fast approaching days (actually, in some areas, we are already there!) when the world is going be watching us to see how WE respond, because it will be the beginning of their understanding that it CAN'T be survived without the Lord. i believe that God is calling us, as a whole, to the front to be an example to the world in the dark days that lie ahead. but, i ALSO believe that God is calling us to the forefront because it is OUR battle to fight! when it all comes down to it in the end (in any situation, really, but especially the end times - that, i agree, are a lot closer than some may think), the battle is between good and evil - and while the unbelievers may not necessarily be fighting on behalf of evil, they most certainly won't be fighting on the side of good, either. they'll be the spectators (or some other role, perhaps, but...really, it's irrelevant - my thought is just that we can't expect THEM to engage in battle because they dont understand the battle!), probably unsure of what exactly is happening. i believe God is preparing us for battle, and....until we come together in unity, as you said, we have a really weak army.

i do think it's very interesting (for a complete topic change! lol) that satan intends for our failures to beat us down. such a PERFECT example of "what satan intended for evil, God meant for good" (joseph! i DO know that much!!! where....dunno that one yet....lol....but i know the general area to look in!), because...if we press in to the Lord in those "failures," they instead become the platform for our success(es) in Christ! in fact, i'd go as far as to say that they ARE the platform for our ministry successes - we have to CHOOSE to press in & make it so! i mean...really....what reaches people the most effectively? testimonies! and how do we get our testimonies?? THROUGH OUR STRUGGLES & FAILURES!!!!! through those things, we learn the depth of His love, grace, mercy, healing, (and on and on i could go....) and gain the passion to SHARE that with others. without struggles? the world would satisfy, and we WOULD be completely useless! so....i'm doing my best to embrace struggles & learn from them RIGHT away, rather than having my pity party, falling into depression, and - after sulking for a while, THEN choosing to press in!

haha, i TOO burst into laughter for no apparent reason - quite frequently, actually! lol this morning, i could have DIED in church (laughing! but...not for no apparent reason - someone just said something absolutely HILARIOUS!!!!). the pastor was talking about forgiveness & using scars for an analogy - when we get an injury, it leaves a scar, which doesn't hurt, so....we have the vivid memory of getting the injury, but the pain is gone. he was pointing out some of HIS scars to make his analogy really visual. (ok, you have to know that he's in his 60's, i think...) after pointing out a scar over his eyebrow & on his finger, he said that he doesnt even think he can see them anymore, but he remembers the incidents like they were yesterday. so then, the lady sitting behind me says, "or the wrinkles just hide them!" (she was referring to HERSELF, and her OWN wrinkles - she says! lol - but...it was HILARIOUS!!!!!) anyway....if i remember something funny, i truly can't HELP but lol, even if the people around me don't have a clue what set me off! lol (and, just to throw in another measure of confusing people in my life, i absolutely LOOOOVE inside jokes! lol) so....yeah...i totally know what you're going through with all of that! hehe

i'm a HUGE fan of writing out things that Lord speaks to me - no matter WHAT it's on or where i'm at when He speaks it. i've got random things scribbled in all kinds of interesting places, and my study journal is a MESS, because i've got my study notes taking up the lines on the paper & then various things He's spoken (sometimes regarding the study, sometimes not) to me scribbled all in the margins. i find that i retain it better if i actually WRITE IT DOWN....and then if i type it afterwards, it's near impossible to forget! it's almost like it's literally being engraved in my heart when i take the time to read it, write it, AND type it. so....most of what i type is intended to be a reinforcement to myself of something God has reminded me about.

ok....i apologize for that being a FOREVER long post! i just wanted to make sure i got everything that grabbed me. now, i must go eat dinner! i'm HUNGRY!!!! lol

Convicted

12-08-2008, 04:10 AM

lol, sooo true! it's like once i finally understand a concept - like REEEALLY get it - i can't keep my mouth SHUT about it until i feel satisfied that whoever i'm sharing with understands it, too. (which goes back to the whole balance thing, because...i frustrate a lot of people! lol)

:D I do the same thing also. Either it annoys others or intrigues them.

so....definitely prayer AND communication, but also some prayer FOR communication!

i love him SOOOOOOO much. i looong for the day that conversation just flows!

I'll pray for God's help and understanding for both of you in communication. It's a very tough thing to do sometimes, and certain circumstances can make it twice as hard. (Sometime it seems like the hardest part of things, because there's usually so many misunderstandings during it-- which is why sometimes I just like being silent (that's not the complete reason though)... that way you don't have to worry about what or how you say something; which also can be misunderstood just as much as saying something. But it also can be another lie to keep you from speaking out when you should.)

ok, so....the whole time we've been discussing forgiveness, i've been asking the Lord to reveal areas of unforgiveness in my heart. of course, in His faithfulness (:rolleyes:), He exposed a few. even told me what i need to do on MY end to start the ball rolling, but...i hadn't started walking anything out yet.

ON FORGIVENESS!!!!!! :eek: lol, now THAT, my friends, i call CONFIRMATION!

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 It's also good to remember that, while we were still in fault of sinning against God... when we didn't yet ask for His forgiveness, and continued practicing our outright rebellion against God, He looked on us and had mercy and compassion. And wanted to offer us the gift of partaking in forgiveness. He offered us forgiveness when He died, doing His part in giving the forgivness to us. Then it was up to us to receive His forgiveness. See, even if the other person doesn't ask for forgiveness and still continues to think they're right when they weren't, or they may not even want our forgiveness... it's our job to still forgive them regardless of what they think or what we in our natural minds even think. We should continually examine our hearts to see if there's any root of bitterness springing up Hebrews 12:15.

Convicted

12-08-2008, 06:20 AM

I don't think it makes you a dork because you take notes on things posted in a forum; I think it's helpful because it helps you retain more knowledge about something, and allows further contemplation for it later. When you write something, it gets engraved deeper into your thought process. Just like continually thinking on one thing, and then writing that down, then speaking it (you actually get to hear your own voice say it, which makes you feel more confident, like you own what you're saying-- if that makes sense.) Usually if you want to receive a deeper insight into something you'll move up the whole process: Thinking, Writing/Typing, Speaking, etc.. repetition helps a lot (which is why the devil and other people always try to place these negative thoughts in our heads, so we actually believe them, and take them inside of us. Taking notes just shows me how eager someone is to learn and be more knowledgable about something, and exercise it more in their daily lives. I actually considered doing that (and I still might, especially on forums where non-believers post comments on their perspectives of things-- Yeah I'm always looking for new perspectives!) but I decided not to because the more I read and respond to posts, the more the ideas at hand are playing in my head. And in order to remember things I want to address from other posts, all I have to do is open another browser and go to that thread; and switch back and forth, without missing any details.

Ha!!! Ketchup (catch-up) AND Mustard! I like it. It just goes to show how much we're hungry for more spiritual food and growth in Christ; which we receive in at new level when we share things with others about what we've learned and are still learning-- encouraging others and helping them advance further in the faith. It's neat seeing testimonies unravel. Another cool thing about God is that.... He leaves you filled but still wanting more!

Reading about Fearlessness again, it reminded me of: No Matter What It Takes, by you guessed, it Jeremy. :)

You're definitely right, we all are called to be pastors; just in different ways. My pastoring a church though, is sort of a scary thought. (It's not THAT scary of a thought, but in a way it is somewhat). Thing is, when the few other people suggested that to me, I thought about it, (because it wasn't the exact vision He gave me earlier, but that doesn't mean there isn't something to it) and I could see myself preaching/teaching/talking (however you want to put it) to other people, but that in itself just didn't seem complete, because God also put other things in my heart-- it was like, that's part of what God wants but not the complete part, or in the way I might perceive it. But either way, whatever exactly He has for me, that's what I want to do. I know He'll combine all of the things He's shown me in some way, and in a way that my eyes can't fully perceive of right now. It all really comes back down to the whole, "One day at time, but not losing sight of the destination" thing we've been talking about. But really though, the devil has tried to chase me away from churches, keep me away from them somehow, or to just make it so that I have no influence in them whatsoever-- which I think is another indicator that God does want to use me in them in some effective way.

Sometimes I think He lets us go through those periods of time where we do question if we're in His will, even though He later reassures us that we are, to see how much we're willing to be eager and persistant to pursue His will above ours, or the ones others suggest to us. He takes us back to that place of surrender, and asks us, "Even though this is your desire (the desire He actually gave us) would you be willing to lay it all down and put it aside if I called you to do something different? How much do you really, and Completely trust Me?"(Now, I'm reminding myself of "Desire" by Jeremy) Because sometimes it's like we're blindfolded in the middle of the dark, in a dangerous and precarious place in life, and all around us we're surrounded by ravenous creature that seek to devour us completely; and all we have to grasp hold of His hand, it's the only thing that will keep us from falling and getting lost or even destroyed. This Scripture has a lot to say about today and the destiny for the future;God told Moses this when the Israelites came out of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea: Little by little I will drive them (the other nations) out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. Exodus 23:30 As time continues, our vision slowly expands, as more parts become fulfilled and we become more prepared for what it is God has.

It's interesting concerning the end times thing, how some societies seem to be getting more hostile about the gospel or if not openly hostile how they strongly want to keep the beliefs of the believers of religions (all of them) confined to their particular place of meeting or their homes, their own minds, etc. I hear more and more people call Christians "haters" and stuff, (which some might be, but not the whole majority-- and if some are "haters" then they either really aren't a Christian or they aren't obeying the Spirit at that time). This also, seems to indicate how the world is also being prepared (not be God of course) for the complete infaltration of evil. Not to mention, that there's been more earthquakes, terrible storms, tsunami's, etc.. in various parts of the world within in relatively close spans of time. Seismolgoical tests find, that the amount and intensity of earthquakes keeps increasing... more than it ever has in history, until now. When I look at all the things the Bible prophecies about, and then look at all the things that are happening today. It's hard not to believe the Bible. What it says is so relavant and self-fulfilling.

Joseph - "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive."
Last chapter of Genesis. 50:20. You're totally right though, the very things that seem to keep us down are the very things God uses to raise us up. I love that thought. :) He takes our pain, and turns it into part of our purpose. He takes our misery, and makes it our ministry. He takes the very things that caused us deep sorrows and makes those the things that give us some of the greatest and most fulfilling joys. Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continualy goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:5-6 Look at what that says... "Shall DOUBTLESS come again with rejoicing"... It's awesome to know that for every tear we ever cry, there's multiplied joys that will come forth it. Which reminds me of another tactic the devil tries to use against us... He tries to keep us from our joy. Why? To wear us down.. Perhaps joy is more vital to us than we know... after all it is a fruit of the Spirit as mentioned in Galatians 5. And everyday we're growing more and more in the fruit of the Spirit. Plus, there's a reason there's this Scripture, "Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10 And "A merry heart does good, like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones." Proverbs 17:22 Did you know that it's a scientifically proven fact that it's healthy for your entire body to laugh? I think it's no mistake that the Bible has so many scientific facts in it that were stated thousands of years before "modern science" as we know it even existed.

Convicted

12-08-2008, 06:21 AM

Reading about the forgiveness and scars analogy (another analogy I like, that reminds me of the song "Scars Remain" by Disciple, and some scars I have myself-- spiritually, mentally, and physically. Hey, we can cover all sorts of realms on that one!!) it reminded me of how some wounds don't heal as fast as others, and how some don't even heal at first. In life, it's like you receive a devastating wound, and it becomes infected... (usually due to the environment and lack of quality attention to that wound) like no matter how much time has passed, the wound is still torn wide open, and in fact it's even getting worse... and sometimes it comes to the point where it gets dangerous-- where some limb, gets mutated so the infection doesn't spread... and it can also get fatal in some cases. (The part I'm referring to about mutation caused from a wound, is when we attempt to treat the infection ourselves, and so cut off the feeling in certain aspects of our lives-- which really does us more harm than good, because now we aren't capable of operating to the full capacity we were meant to.) And other types of wounds-- are ones that start healing; they begin healing properly and you're starting to relax a little more because of it, but all of a sudden-- someone or something attempts to wound (accidently or on purpose) the same wound again, because it's your vulnerable spot; your point of weakness and they know it. Which makes that area super-sensitive because it keeps getting lacerated, and gashed open over and over again. And you start wondering, when is this wound going to heal completely? This type of wound takes more time to heal from, and needs special attention or else it just might become infected; and I've already described above what that can lead to. It's inevitable in life that we will get wounds, but what's much more important is, how those wounds heal, and if they are healed yet. Obviously we know the cure, and special sauve to these wounds-- the balm of Gilead-- Jesus. After all He Took The Scars for us, and left us Kut-less (lol, :D I just had to say that... Perhaps that's another reason, God uses them so much in my life also) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 Now I'm rememebering The Healing Hand of God!!!! And yep, "I know, that I need His touch." And like you said, either the scars fade so that you can't see them much anymore... Or for the ones that were penetrated really deep in the skin, they're left as reminders to others about how we survived such an experience, how we don't have to experience the pain of yesterday again and again today, and how God is the Great Physician!

I'm also a huge fan of writing things out that God is speaking to me at the time. I have soooo many notebooks (mainly ones where I write songs) and seperate pieces of paper; don't forget napkins! And, I usually end up scribbling in the notebooks to jot down all the thoughts that seem to come like a tsunami of waves flooding into my mind. Thankfully, MOST of the time I can actually read what I've written; I usually try to make it legible. It's funny 'cause sometimes if I'm in a real hurry, I'll start writing on the side of a piece of paper in little print, and then the whole piece of paper will have words written in different angles. Ha!!

I exceeded the word limit!! Sometimes I really do type too much. :p

DawnAurora

12-08-2008, 05:03 PM

Meadow

12-08-2008, 09:03 PM

Hi Dawn!

Kelly & Cori- you guys are funny and sweet! Thank you both and Laura also.

My devotions amaze me how He has placed His word ahead for me once it is time to read it…and it’s an answer- a prayer of hope that embraces the soul. I do have a confession… sometimes I’ll read ahead and then reread them. It’s hard to wait for what God’s got to say- but it’s important that we receive it at the right time otherwise we may miss something special he has for us.

Here are some of my most recent scripture from my devotion “Praying God’s Word Day by Day” by Beth Moore:

Hebrews 10:22-25
22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Romans 5:1-5

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Philippians 1: 21-26

21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

1 Peter 1:7 -7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

James 1:3
3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Galatians 6:9
9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
James 1:22, 25
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
Numbers 23:19
19 God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?
2 John 1:2
2because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever

Those two encounters I spoke of are gifts from God. He is showing me I am usable (no matter what we may be going thru we are usable-the devil will try and deceive us), fruit bearing, and able to minister to others because when we trust more and more in Him, He then shows us His power through us. That blows me away especially to be chosen by God Almighty to be a servant for His glory. And just as ONE we have so much to give and are able to make a difference in this dark world.

I call pop-ups- web flies because they are so annoying. They’re like an annoying fly that continues to try and land on you and irritate you. I think my computer picks up a lot of unwanted stuff from myspace.

Forgiveness- Sometimes I can see that pain as God’s grace embracing us comforting us filling that empty place that hurts. He sustains those on both ends of the hurt if we allow Him to, but the flesh often wants to show face and take over. Then even more hurt is heaped on and a BIGGER bandage is needed. The toughest time I have w/ forgiveness is w/ my father. Dealing w/ his sarcasm, negativity, and hurtful tone and heap on attention seeker is enough to make anyone retaliate and move forward but not always escaping the drama. It is constantly repeating itself.
It hurts me when I know it’s me that causes others to fall short sometimes because of maybe something I said or did or not do, but you can drive yourself crazy thinking about that so all you can do is try to move forward and take what you learned from it and apply it to your life. God perfects us thru our faults which reminds me of how he softens us up to His will for our lives (“soften up this harden clay”). He does it with gentle loving hands that sustain our every step.
Sometimes I have a hard time sharing or requesting prayer because of knowing people already have their own burdens that weigh them down. I don’t want to be that added stress to other people, but I’m wrong for that. I know others that are going thru things find strength in others weaknesses and hurt. There is always something we can add to help bandage a heart or at least help hold it together with prayer.

The other day I received special edition “Speaking…” CD and it was really special because I knew another piece of my journey laid before me because my heart is so deeply embedded into this ministry. It was in a small brown box and usually I would open it right away, but something inside me said wait and open this with Kristen. That’s just what I did. Kristen (my daughter) is more excited about Jeremy’s music now that she is 12yrs old. So it was really nice to sit down together and watch the DVD devos. Each one touched my heart and Kristen said they touched her heart too.

It’s awesome to see the gift that God gave me, a child and see her grow in Him. This past Sunday morning at church we all were worshiping and Kristen grabbed my hand and Sara’s hand(a friend) and lead us to the altar where she was renewed in the spirit and so many dancing at the altar giving their hearts to God. It was so beautiful to see the peace of God wash over her and thru her. One of the songs we sang was called “Dancing Generation” I immediately was reminded of “Speaking Louder Than Before.” This is our time to dance before the Lord and give Him all the praise. To be able to reach out and express our love freely is truly a blessing and reach as many as we can. In other countries as you said people are losing their lives because they share the love of Christ. It’s so hard to fathom such terror, but it exists. Our time here is short and I pray I will always remain to be a broken vessel for God to use.
The Pastor’s message to us spoke right to my heart. It was entitled- “There is a Promise coming down your road.” The promises of God can not be broken. No matter where we are at on our journey if we are in a desert God will provide water. The ending prayer of His message God spoke out so clearly w/ reassurance saying… “There are things You want to unfold in someone’s life. There are promises You want to unwrap like a gift. You want to place something in someone’s lap. You want to place something in someone’s opened hand. You want to touch someone that is reaching out to You right now.” Then they began to play a song…

“There’s a Promise Coming Down that Dusty Road” Lyrics

The hand of fear gripped the hearts of the crowd that day at Jerry's home
When the doctor shook his head and said she's gone
You can feel that matter's hopeless
You could hear them cry at night
That little girl was only twelve years old
Then somewhere in the distance, out lying against the sun
There came a Man on a mission from the throne
They said somebody's coming but what they didn't know
It was a Promise coming down that dusty road

Chorus
Oh it was a Promise coming down that dusty road
From His holy hands He need ? ?
He's got the key to what you need, death and hell He will defeat
And there's a Promise coming down that dusty road

Wonder turned to mocking when Jesus did speak
He said your daughter's not dead she's just asleep
Then He turned to the unbelievers and He told them all go home
That's when I heard Him say leave me and death alone

Then He laid his hands upon the child
He looked death right in his eye
He said all power in heaven in earth given unto Me
And when the voices sounded like thunder
And He hurled death asunder
And then He said little girl rise and be healed

chorus 2x

Oh there's a promise coming down your dusty road

Wonder turned to mocking when Jesus did speak
He said your daughter's not dead she's just asleep
Then He turned to the unbelievers and He told them all go home
That's when we heard Him say leave me and death

There's a promise coming down your dusty road

Then He laid his hands upon this child He looked death in the eyes
He said all power in heaven and earth given unto Me
And with the voice sounded like thunder
He hurled death asunder and then He said little girl rise and be healed

Chorus
That song was again confirmation about the title of the book God gave me because it says “He has the key” – my sub title is “Jesus holds the Key”
I love how He makes Himself known to us! It also touched my heart about “the girl was only twelve” and so is my girl. The pastor also spoke about this story in the bible that day too, and with what happened at the altar that morning paralleled being restored and renewed. His beauty AMAZES me! 

Meadow

12-08-2008, 09:16 PM

cori

12-08-2008, 10:06 PM

the only reason i'm quoting myself in this post is because it was the last one i could find on forgiveness...

...again. i just wanted to clarify something about that situation (and weds) that i made reference to -> i HAVE forgiven her, and i renewed my commitment TO forgive her when God exposed deep-rooted things that i didn't even know where there. but there is a face to face thing that He told me to do - THAT is what i had not yet taken steps to walk out & can't really do until weds night.

with all of my harping (on myself!) about IMMEDIATE obedience this week, i had to respond in my heart IMMEDIATELY when the Lord brought those unresolved issues to mind.

so....cori = hypocrit? not today! :D at least not in THIS situation.....(i don't THINK i have been at all today, but....i also know that i still don't catch myself as often as i'd like :confused:)

ok....off to play mustard, now... :p lol

cori

12-08-2008, 10:19 PM

THANK YOU!!!!! truly, from the depths of my heart, THANK YOU!!!![/COLOR]

...sometimes I just like being silent (that's not the complete reason though)... that way you don't have to worry about what or how you say something; which also can be misunderstood just as much as saying something. But it also can be another lie to keep you from speaking out when you should.) dude, seriously?!?! lol, we couldn't BE more alike, i'm starting to think (lol!), if we made carbon copies!!! i tend to err on the side of SILENCE when it comes to something that has potential for being misunderstood...which, i'm sloooowly learning, tends to add MORE misunderstanding to the mess than saying something! and during conflict? yep, i totally shut down & silence is my best friend (or at least that unhealthy, familiar mindset thinks so, anyway...) - i do NOT handle conflict well, at all! (but i am working on it....i think you're starting to see how loooong my "to-do" list really is! lol)

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 It's also good to remember that, while we were still in fault of sinning against God... when we didn't yet ask for His forgiveness, and continued practicing our outright rebellion against God, He looked on us and had mercy and compassion. And wanted to offer us the gift of partaking in forgiveness. He offered us forgiveness when He died, doing His part in giving the forgivness to us. Then it was up to us to receive His forgiveness. that is an EXCELLENT thing to dwell on when forgiveness is coming slowly (or painfully, or just plain difficult to do!)!!!!! thank you!

See, even if the other person doesn't ask for forgiveness and still continues to think they're right when they weren't, or they may not even want our forgiveness... it's our job to still forgive them regardless of what they think or what we in our natural minds even think. We should continually examine our hearts to see if there's any root of bitterness springing up Hebrews 12:15.this is where i think people get confused, sometimes. i think people have, over time, slowly turned forgive AND forget into forgive MEANS forget. i think when people examine their hearts for the bitter root and still find the memory, they mistakenly think the situation still holds power over them (which dredges up all the hurt & makes us AGAIN want to exact revenge...), and i think a lot of people end up feeling unsuccessful in their forgiveness & eventually just stop trying to forgive. we must forgive - lay down our self-justified ideas of revenge, but we must accept the fact that we WILL remember. without the memory, there is no lesson learned. forgiveness is not forgetting what happened, forgiveness is accepting what happened & choosing to learn from the experience, releasing any hard feelings.

cori

12-08-2008, 10:49 PM

[QUOTE=Convicted;12934]I don't think it makes you a dork because you take notes on things posted in a forum; I think it's helpful because it helps you retain more knowledge about something, and allows further contemplation for it later. When you write something, it gets engraved deeper into your thought process. EXACTLY!!!!! people look at me like i've got 3 heads or something when they find out the weird things i've taken notes on, so...it's refreshing to have someone UNDERSTAND it! lol

Just like continually thinking on one thing, and then writing that down, then speaking it (you actually get to hear your own voice say it, which makes you feel more confident, like you own what you're saying-- if that makes sense.) actually, i've heard from several people that SAYING something out loud is very helpful. the first person i heard say that said that it was the easiest way to learn & accept God's truths about who we are in Him instead of the lies of the enemy about who we are because we tend to believe what we say - people don't generally lie to themselves! (and...by golly...he's right! lol) this is another area i'm working on....along with speaking out, i've ALSO got to learn to just SPEAK. i don't know why (can't pinpoint any traumatizing incident or anything that may have started this....), but, for some reason, i cant STAND the sound of my own voice. (ok, not looking for encouragement or anything here - just being true to self & transparent to you...) when i pray, i whisper. ALWAYS. even if i'm alone....i whisper. i don't know why, but...i know there's power in our VOICES, so....i'm trying to get over that. you would think it would come easily, especially with all the SLTB motivation (thank you, jeremy! :D ), but...it really isn't so easy. but, like everything else in life, it's a process....so....as long as i'm pursuing progress in the process, i'll eventually get there...

Usually if you want to receive a deeper insight into something you'll move up the whole process: Thinking, Writing/Typing, Speaking, etc.. repetition helps a lot...Taking notes just shows me how eager someone is to learn and be more knowledgable about something, and exercise it more in their daily lives. again, EXACTLY!!! it has been my personal experience that if i don't write it down, i will NOT remember it, but..if i DO write it down, 9 times out of 10, i don't even have to look for it & read it again to remember! so, i write EVERYTHING down. EVERYTHING! :D

Ha!!! Ketchup (catch-up) AND Mustard! I like it. It just goes to show how much we're hungry for more spiritual food and growth in Christ; which we receive in at new level when we share things with others about what we've learned and are still learning-- encouraging others and helping them advance further in the faith. It's neat seeing testimonies unravel. Another cool thing about God is that.... He leaves you filled but still wanting more! yep, somehow it makes that "you'll never thirst again" make sense! i always had a hard time understanding why He said we'd never thirst again, but we should be hungry for the Lord. um...WHAT?? (hmmm, put a little ketchup & mustard on that Word! hahaha) but....now....after experiencing it, i GET it! and i cant wait to help OTHERS get it!

Reading about Fearlessness again, it reminded me of: No Matter What It Takes, by you guessed, it Jeremy. :) everything i am, i give to you...EVEN UNTO DEATH, I WILL OFFER...NO MATTER WHAT THE PRICE!!!

You're definitely right, we all are called to be pastors; just in different ways. My pastoring a church though, is sort of a scary thought. (It's not THAT scary of a thought, but in a way it is somewhat). Thing is, when the few other people suggested that to me, I thought about it, (because it wasn't the exact vision He gave me earlier, but that doesn't mean there isn't something to it) and I could see myself preaching/teaching/talking (however you want to put it) to other people, but that in itself just didn't seem complete, because God also put other things in my heart-- it was like, that's part of what God wants but not the complete part, or in the way I might perceive it. again, i can COMPLETELY relate! (i'm soooo tempted to start calling you CCC - convicted, carbon copy! lol) God has given me many different visions, and one (more insightful than i would have given myself, that's for sure!!!) path for my life, but He has not yet pulled them all together. and i know that they DO go together, so...for now it's the right NOW ministries, waiting for HIS timing to understand how the pieces of the puzzle go together. i think a lot of our lessons are for the sole purpose of teaching us PATIENCE in waiting on Him. (soooo NOT easy!)

Sometimes I think He lets us go through those periods of time where we do question if we're in His will, even though He later reassures us that we are, to see how much we're willing to be eager and persistant to pursue His will above ours, or the ones others suggest to us. He takes us back to that place of surrender, and asks us, "Even though this is your desire (the desire He actually gave us) would you be willing to lay it all down and put it aside if I called you to do something different? How much do you really, and Completely trust Me?" preach it, pastor! ;)

...grasp hold of His hand, it's the only thing that will keep us from falling and getting lost or even destroyed. This Scripture has a lot to say about today and the destiny for the future;God told Moses this when the Israelites came out of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea: Little by little I will drive them (the other nations) out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. Exodus 23:30 As time continues, our vision slowly expands, as more parts become fulfilled and we become more prepared for what it is God has. yep, little by little. and, if we fail to take His hand in the little, we'll never make it to the big. we are called to walk His path...i can't find ANYWHERE where it says that we are to walk it with giant steps, so..i'm quite certain that baby steps count!

It's interesting concerning the end times thing...everything we've been talking about on this topic has been lining up with what the Word says....i don't know that i'll see the Lord's return in MY lifetime (nor would i be surprised if i DO see it!), but i DO believe that it's a lot closer than people think. a while ago, we were having a really massive thunderstorm in the middle of summer (which creates MASS humidity - not fun when the dry heat temps are over 120!). i woke up in the middle of the night, after 2 days of pre-storm activity & wretched humidity, but still not a drop of rain, and the sky just ROARED with thunder. at the exact same moment, the sky was BRIGHT as day with lightning, and i thought, "come on, RAIN already!" and the Lord spoke. (this was during the exposure of ted haggard's unmentionables...) He was showing me that He is sifting the Body, starting at the top & working His way down (since a lot of people who aren't committed will fall away when the leadership falls away)....the heavens are groaning for people to return to Him, because the time is getting near. the heavens are ready to rain (reign!), but....our merciful God is not yet ready to call "TIME!" because He wants to get everyone that He can.....extending the time as long as He can, to give ample opportunity to respond. that was a powerful moment, and....as soon as i received the conviction, repented (for my apathy), and committed to start sltb (!!), it started POURING rain. that was very confirming for me - i don't know whether or not that was a word for the Body, but...it was definitely a correction for me.

He takes our pain, and turns it into part of our purpose. He takes our misery, and makes it our ministry. He takes the very things that caused us deep sorrows and makes those the things that give us some of the greatest and most fulfilling joys. i agree - without JOY, we cannot go on. someone once said "a sad Christian is a SAD Christian!" and really, without joy, how can we EVER expect to minister? who wants to go talk to someone constantly battling depression (now THIS was a nasty war to rage in the heart & mind, let me tell you!) about THEIR problems? who believes that a depressed person has ANY hope to offer! so....LONG LIVE SPONTANEOUS LAUGHTER!!!! lol the JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH!!! without joy, we cannot go on. without joy, we are powerless. of COURSE satan wants our joy! if he can get our love & our joy, he has US. end of story. (not the end of MY story!!!)

cori

12-08-2008, 11:00 PM

[QUOTE=Convicted;12935]Obviously we know the cure, and special sauve to these wounds-- the balm of Gilead-- Jesus. After all He Took The Scars for us, and left us Kut-less hahahaha, i LOOOOVE that!!! (is that where they got the band name????? that is GENIUS!!!)

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5[/I] that's another verse we should lean on when we are required to forgive someone for something that seems absolutely unforgiveable. Jesus took my pain. and, if i am accepting HIS covering, i'm not allowed to carry my own pain anymore. if i lay down my pain, i lay down my right to hold a grudge...or to even REMEMBER the pain (other than for the lesson learned, as per my previous post...). my PRIDE is what begs me to pick up the pain again...my PRIDE wants me to use vengeance to appease that pain when i DO pick it up again. and...my PRIDE is what separates me from the Lord, so....that verse is another powerful one when forgiveness is hard.

I'm also a huge fan of writing things out that God is speaking to me at the time. I have soooo many notebooks (mainly ones where I write songs) and seperate pieces of paper; don't forget napkins! ahhh yes, napkins! how could i forget napkins! business cards, torn off corners of noah's homework (:eek:)....whatever i can find to write on! lol

And, I usually end up scribbling in the notebooks to jot down all the thoughts that seem to come like a tsunami of waves flooding into my mind. oh man, when they come, they really DO start FLOODING in, don't they!!!!

Thankfully, MOST of the time I can actually read what I've written; I usually try to make it legible. It's funny 'cause sometimes if I'm in a real hurry, I'll start writing on the side of a piece of paper in little print, and then the whole piece of paper will have words written in different angles. Ha!! lol, that's what MY journal (which is always just a notebook....i don't need those fancy schmancy ones, although they ARE pretty! if i could keep the INSIDE looking pretty, i might be more motivated to invest in those! lol) looks like! ALL of the time! lol i've given up the idea of a pretty journal...legible is satisfactory! lol

I exceeded the word limit!! Sometimes I really do type too much. :p oooohhhh YAY, it's NOT just me that frequently exceeds the word limit!!! lol

cori

12-08-2008, 11:02 PM

cori

12-08-2008, 11:33 PM

I do have a confession… sometimes I’ll read ahead and then reread them. It’s hard to wait for what God’s got to say- but it’s important that we receive it at the right time otherwise we may miss something special he has for us. i used to do that, too!!!! i've gotten myself into a lot of unnecessary trouble by doing that, and i've MISSED a lot, too, so....i don't let myself do it anymore, but...i agree, it's hard to wait for what He's going to say next!

Those two encounters I spoke of are gifts from God. He is showing me I am usable (no matter what we may be going thru we are usable-the devil will try and deceive us), fruit bearing, and able to minister to others because when we trust more and more in Him, He then shows us His power through us. That blows me away especially to be chosen by God Almighty to be a servant for His glory. And just as ONE we have so much to give and are able to make a difference in this dark world. man, that one is a hard one to really believe - like deep down in the heart, BELIEVE. and, with the impact we can have on the world as individuals, imagine how amazing it would be if EVERYONE in the Body came together in TRUE unity, for the SOLE purpose of reaching the lost. wow - that would be absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

I call pop-ups- web flies because they are so annoying. They’re like an annoying fly that continues to try and land on you and irritate you. I think my computer picks up a lot of unwanted stuff from myspace. myspace does bring a lot of JUNK with it! (so many times i've wanted to delete it, but....it's a less invasive way for the kids in the youth group to communicate with me - and boy, do they! :eek: where they are more open, because there's no fear of judgment or rejection, so..i just can't bring myself to delete it....)

Forgiveness- Sometimes I can see that pain as God’s grace embracing us comforting us filling that empty place that hurts. He sustains those on both ends of the hurt if we allow Him to, but the flesh often wants to show face and take over. Then even more hurt is heaped on and a BIGGER bandage is needed. VERY well said!!!! He wants to comfort us through the situation, but...if we refuse to forgive, we refuse to accept HIS comfort - and then, there He stands, waiting, arms wide open, for us to realize that we can't do it without Him! He CAN'T help us until we forgive...the Word says so! (BUT IF YOU DO NOT FORGIVE MEN THEIR SINS, YOUR FATHER WILL NOT FORGIVE YOUR SINS. - matt. 6:15 (convicted! :D))

It hurts me when I know it’s me that causes others to fall short sometimes because of maybe something I said or did or not do, but you can drive yourself crazy thinking about that so all you can do is try to move forward and take what you learned from it and apply it to your life. oh man, that's the truth!!! we can drive ourselves to depression (and worse!!!) with all the what if's, shoulda/coulda/woulda's in ministry (and life, for that matter!). i try to use every experience as a learning experience - especially the failures! (for some reason, i tend to learn a little better through the failures)

God perfects us thru our faults which reminds me of how he softens us up to His will for our lives (“soften up this harden clay”). He does it with gentle loving hands that sustain our every step. man, this is awesome food for thought! goes GREAT with the mustard! ;)

Sometimes I have a hard time sharing or requesting prayer because of knowing people already have their own burdens that weigh them down. I don’t want to be that added stress to other people, but I’m wrong for that. I know others that are going thru things find strength in others weaknesses and hurt. There is always something we can add to help bandage a heart or at least help hold it together with prayer. you know, i struggle with that a LOT, too! but...i've learned that sometimes it actually helps to RELIEVE the burden of those we share with....something new to focus on, a new sense of purpose, something new to pray about while praying about our own situations. i mean, not that we should make light of each other's burdens (quite the opposite, actually!), but....sometimes we need to have help pulling ourselves OUT of our own situations so that we don't drive ourselves crazy trying to work it out! so many times i've found that once i start praying for someone ELSE'S burden instead of my own, the answers that i need are suddenly VERY clear (and have been there all along! but i've been so busy praying about it, i never bothered to LOOK for it!). i have definitely seen the blessings from BOTH sides of sharing our burdens with one another!

i LOOOVED your entire story about sharing the opening of the CD with your daughter, and the worship service you shared with her. :D

I pray I will always remain to be a broken vessel for God to use. heather clark shared a message on worship at a conference that my pastor's wife went to in 2007. she says that sometimes she has trouble hearing out of one ear, and...before one of the services, a lady went up to her & asked, "are you bleeding (leading) worship today?" after a few times of repeating herself, heather FINALLY understood what the woman was asking & answered the question, but she couldn't get the original question out of her mind. are you bleeding worship? she used the story of the woman breaking the vessel & pouring the perfume on the feet of Jesus to illustrate that our most valuable worship comes out of brokenness. when we're in the middle of a hard situation, of ANY kind...what are we bleeding? bitterness? anger? unforgiveness? or are we bleeding worship? i will NEVER forget that message....and i meditate on that (yes, indeedy, i took notes! from a DVD! hahahaha) whenever i'm starting to feel like i'm breaking down. if i can worship with all that i am when i'm broken, THEN i am truly giving abandoned worship to the Lord! (oooh, if you guys are interested, remind me to tell you about her husband's OHHHH SOOOOO insightful answer to the question "if you could go to heaven right NOW, would you?" THAT one was powerful, and was the perfect companion to the bleeding worship message....)

“There’s a Promise Coming Down that Dusty Road” is there a way i can get a copy of that song? (artist, cd info?) that was....just...WOW!

That song was again confirmation about the title of the book God gave me because it says “He has the key” – my sub title is “Jesus holds the Key”
I love how He makes Himself known to us! It also touched my heart about “the girl was only twelve” and so is my girl. The pastor also spoke about this story in the bible that day too, and with what happened at the altar that morning paralleled being restored and renewed. His beauty AMAZES me!  and i SERIOUSLY can NOT wait to read this book!!!!!

Convicted

12-09-2008, 02:48 AM

Awesome! I'm lurking mostly, but I'm loving your discussions. Alot of what you've been discussing, we can vouch for from living it out here in Haiti.

I tend to chew on things awhile before I reply. I also am off-system working from 7am to 5pm or later EST - the timer on this site is messed but I think you are conversing while I'm at work. I'll keep lurking, and chip in when I can.

Hola to Haiti!!! I'm also looking forward to hearing your posts. I usually contemplate on things before I reply as well.

yeah, what's with the time thing on here?? a lot of my posts said they were done at like 3:21am - i PROMISE you, i haven't posted ANYTHING that early in the morning! EVER!!! lol anyway....it's a small thing...lol

I know, it's usually way off... like 16 hours or something (near that anyhow). I do post at 3am though!! It's actually a little after 2am right now... :D But, I'm a late-night/early morning kind of person so it's not that big of a deal to me (plus I'm usually doing something else during the day). I usually post between like... 9:30pm - 7:30 am (PST).

Convicted

12-09-2008, 03:57 AM

My devotions amaze me how He has placed His word ahead for me once it is time to read it…and it’s an answer- a prayer of hope that embraces the soul. I do have a confession… sometimes I’ll read ahead and then reread them. It’s hard to wait for what God’s got to say- but it’s important that we receive it at the right time otherwise we may miss something special he has for us.

Yeah, I do that also when I'm using some sort of devotional; but I'll usually go back and read them anyhow. And sometimes I'll look at it ahead of time, and that will be the Exact time I need to read it.

Here are some of my most recent scripture from my devotion “Praying God’s Word Day by Day” by Beth Moore:

The Scriptures are awesome!! Some of my favorites; but then again I like most of the Scriptures anyhow; though some will be used to really minister to us more so than others at different times.

Those two encounters I spoke of are gifts from God. He is showing me I am usable (no matter what we may be going thru we are usable-the devil will try and deceive us), fruit bearing, and able to minister to others because when we trust more and more in Him, He then shows us His power through us. That blows me away especially to be chosen by God Almighty to be a servant for His glory. And just as ONE we have so much to give and are able to make a difference in this dark world.

How true! Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

It hurts me when I know it’s me that causes others to fall short sometimes because of maybe something I said or did or not do, but you can drive yourself crazy thinking about that so all you can do is try to move forward and take what you learned from it and apply it to your life.

Exactly, we may not be able to change all of things we wish we didn't do or say, but we can learn from those mistakes and boldly step forward because God always "Takes Us Back," and it's a new day. What matters today is what we're doing today; how are we growing and changing from who we were yesterday? And how do we grow and change? Through Christ. Otherwise everything we try do as what we perceive as "right" really will fail, or not be successful to the extent it could be, until we submit to Christ and let Him do it through us. Trying to change who we are through our flesh, (or natural mind for that matter) isn't really going to get us anywhere, except to utter chaos inwardly, which just makes things worse on us. This old saying comes back to my mind, "Let go, and let God." Sometimes we make it so hard, when really it's so simple. That's why Jesus says," Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." Mark 10:15
Really, all we have to have is that simple, child-like faith-- where we just trust Him and absolutely abandon ourselves in Him. He'll take care of the rest (but that doesn't mean we don't do anything whatsoever of course - It's kind of like professional wrestling (the exaggerated television stuff) the fight is really set-up and the owner knows the outcome, and all we have to do is play the part-- He'll be sure we win. Maybe not so great of analogy, but I think you get the point).

Sometimes I have a hard time sharing or requesting prayer because of knowing people already have their own burdens that weigh them down.

Yeah, sometimes I don't do that either; in fact MOST of the time I don't do that. But with me, it's not so much that I don't want my prayer request or problems bothering someone, (though of course I do care about that, and consider it) but it's more because, I already know that God's got it all in His hands and it'll eventually work out. And, most of the time you know what everyone will tell you, about how to deal with it, etc... the usual comments.
So sometimes I kind of feel like, "Should I even bother asking them, if the outcome will probably be the same, either way?" And then there's the instances when the people around you really aren't reliable enough to tell about your own needs. Whether that means, they just have too much of their own problems to deal with, or they're really slanderous and can't keep something private or secret, etc.. But really, sometimes we do need to share our struggles with others and ask them to pray, it gives us extra encouragement, we can grow with that person in Christ, and it helps relieve the burden of feeling that you're walking the road alone, etc.

In other countries as you said people are losing their lives because they share the love of Christ. It’s so hard to fathom such terror, but it exists. Our time here is short and I pray I will always remain to be a broken vessel for God to use.

Yeah; God really woke me up with that one day... well, actually overtime. I always intellectually knew what was going on with our persecuted brothers and sisters in different parts of the world, but the way God started pressing the kind of urgency and passion on my heart like they have, really started sinking deep into my heart; and really began proposing a lot of questions about how much I truly love God and the lost and dying. Long story short: One day I was watching some Christian television (some program I normally didn't watch) and I thought about just going and doing something else at the time. Well, this clip came on about some teenagers who went on a mission trip to a hostile country, and it showed live footage of how the Christians who lived there were really undergoing extreme persecution. Well, that had my attention alone... but since God really wanted this subject to stick into my heart and brain, all of a sudden they started playing a song I already liked... Shut Me Out - Kutless (I feel as though I talk about them too much, but for some reason God always uses them in my life when I don't expect it; 'cause I really didn't like their music at first.) So I'm watching this clip of other Christians being persecuted for Christ, (being taken to prison, having rocks thrown at them, etc) and all the while I'm hearing... "There's nothing you can say that will take me away from this life.. There's nothing you can do to shut me up when I'm speaking the truth." (Hearing those words from a non-Christian perspective can be offensive if not spoken with a strong emphasis of love for them while doing it -- I see where the songwriting can be detrimental) It's like God really seized my heart and proposed these question to me, "Would you share My love at any cost?" "Would you really spread the gospel, if it meant to the point of death?" "Would you be part of the underground, in order to share this faith somehow?" "If you knew the price you'd pay, would you willingly pay it if you ever had to?" "Are you really seizing every opportunity to share the gospel; especially while you live in "free" nation?" "Are you taking advantage of your liberty? Because if they were snatched out of your hands tomorrow, would you regret not doing more during this time?" From that day forward, my whole perspective about persecution change (even though I already knew it was important). Now while, I'm not sure we can know what we would do in such hostile circumstances, I do believe we should continually pray for those who are, and not pretend those things aren't happening... and think "Well, that's not my problem.." Because they're Christians (and people) just like us, and it's not like we never could face a situation like that. I also believe, we should continually examine how much we do love God... and how much we really do care for those who are lost. We should let that urgency, passion, fearlessness, and purpose arise within our hearts like it has in those who undergo such harsh perils. And we should be thankful for the freedoms we do have, and fight to preserve them, while seizing upon every opportunity we can to truly make a difference-- the difference we're called to make. 'Cause after all we're called to be THE change, not just wait for it, or expect it to happen.

“There’s a Promise Coming Down that Dusty Road” Lyrics

The lyrics are awesome; I want to hear it!!!

Convicted

12-09-2008, 04:36 AM

dude, seriously?!?! lol, we couldn't BE more alike, i'm starting to think (lol!), if we made carbon copies!!! i tend to err on the side of SILENCE when it comes to something that has potential for being misunderstood...which, i'm sloooowly learning, tends to add MORE misunderstanding to the mess than saying something! and during conflict? yep, i totally shut down & silence is my best friend (or at least that unhealthy, familiar mindset thinks so, anyway...) - i do NOT handle conflict well, at all! (but i am working on it....i think you're starting to see how loooong my "to-do" list really is! lol)

Yeah, I usually resort to silence when I think something might tend to be easily misunderstood (and sometimes I just like it, for the sake of liking it - it gives more time for contemplating things; and before you do or say something , which in some cases is helpful, that way you don't say something you shouldn't or in a way you shouldn't, or when you shouldn't - and it gives you time to examine different perspectives about things, and then mentally prepare how you're going to say it; which in itself doesn't mean you know exactly what you're going to say, just the outline and basis.) and sometimes our silence is the thing people misunderstand, because they don't know what's going on inside of our heads!! Sometimes they think we're deliberatly putting them off or something; or intentionally trying to avoid them... But when it comes to conflict, I can handle it well at times... but it depends what type of conflict it is. If it's a personal attack - let's start a huge argument, and pick at people in some cruel way; then I don't like them at all. I tend to want to escape the situation more than confront it; though I'm not scared of confronting it, I just don't want the conflict to continue for no reason, since someone's trying to attack my identity. (and often times the people that do that, do it while they're supposedly trying to address some other issue there's disagreement between you and them on, and it's not that really THAT issue so much that makes you want to escape but the approach and unnecesssary forcefulness and useless personal criticism that goes along with that -- along with their reactions, tone of their voice, etc..) When it comes to conflicts, when the issue is extremely important to me, or I feel I need to address something, and be sure I get my point across, or let the other person know just how much their personal attacks can hurt, or the inconsistancy of what they're trying to convince me of -- then I'll usually be pretty deliberate and unyeilding against conflict, no matter what that might be. And when it comes to conflict I receive from sharing the gospel with others, (and yes, I've had a lot of conflict with that) and they take their personal jabs at me also, that kind of conflict doesn't really mean as much as the others to me (in sense of taking it to heart), because I don't really expect those who aren't Christians to really understand the gospel; and thus, I don't expect them to actually live out the principles of the gospel in a calm and considerate way.

this is where i think people get confused, sometimes. i think people have, over time, slowly turned forgive AND forget into forgive MEANS forget.

It really does get confused all too often. That's one trouble with these "catcy cliches" that we just throw around, we tend to lose the meaning of what's really intended to be said because we don't want to bother to take the time to fully get a clear defintion of what that phrase really means. Which is why it's helpful to give definitions to people about things; because even if they know the definition they sometimes forget it; or others never had a proper understanding of what that was - they often misinterpret it.

Really though, forgiveness is another demonstration of mercy. Which means, they might not deserve the forgiveness, but we're not basing whether we forgive them or not on their deed against us. We're making the choice to do that. So can someone automatically forgive someone else? No; they have to willingly decide to do that; which is the hardest part. Mainly because it really cost us something. A great reminder of how it cost God something to forgive us also.

Convicted

12-09-2008, 06:11 AM

EXACTLY!!!!! people look at me like i've got 3 heads or something when they find out the weird things i've taken notes on, so...it's refreshing to have someone UNDERSTAND it! lol

LOL; That's really kind of silly on their part to do that... It just shows that aren't trying to understand what makes something so interesting for you, and they're not really taking into consideration your eagerness to learn new things. Which is really a great thing to do!!! I admire people who do that. And the reason they might think it's weird is because it's just not something they like doing! Now if they did, that'd be another story. I can't tell you how many times people will end up saying to me.. "You're weird." and then they'll will also be the same people who says, "You're wise." Which is it??? It's probably both, in different ways...(extremism :confused: ) and it could also be just because you do something different than them, you don't fit into their "Normal" spectrum. But really nobody is "normal," it's an interchangeable term, which really depends on each persons definition. And it depends on what the "majority" or people do; which doesn't mean what they do is right, or what you're doing individualistically is wrong. This is why DEFINITIONS are extremely crucial. And why I don't really use the terms: "normal," "weird," or "cool" that much anymore; or if I do I state why. The most accurate definition of "Normal," would really be describing Christ... He is the most normal individual; which is why we're called to imitate Him. (Eph. 5).

actually, i've heard from several people that SAYING something out loud is very helpful. the first person i heard say that said that it was the easiest way to learn & accept God's truths about who we are in Him instead of the lies of the enemy about who we are because we tend to believe what we say - people don't generally lie to themselves! (and...by golly...he's right! lol) this is another area i'm working on....along with speaking out, i've ALSO got to learn to just SPEAK. i don't know why (can't pinpoint any traumatizing incident or anything that may have started this....), but, for some reason, i cant STAND the sound of my own voice. (ok, not looking for encouragement or anything here - just being true to self & transparent to you...) when i pray, i whisper. ALWAYS. even if i'm alone....i whisper. i don't know why, but...i know there's power in our VOICES, so....i'm trying to get over that. you would think it would come easily, especially with all the SLTB motivation (thank you, jeremy! :D ), but...it really isn't so easy. but, like everything else in life, it's a process....so....as long as i'm pursuing progress in the process, i'll eventually get there...

Exactly!! There really is a LOT of power in our tongue, which is why we should practice using to promote positive things and make bold declartions! about who we are, what we're doing, where we're going, who God is, what we can do, etc..; and avoid the continual complaining/negativity that we can get used to doing. When you look at the gospels and study what Jesus did; He continuously kept declaring where He was from, what His purpose was, who He is, and where He is going... Jesus really emulated exactly what we're supposed to be doing; He didn't do or say the things He did by accident - there was always a huge purpose behind everything He spoke or did -- to leave as an example of how we should live. And boldly using our voices to do that is something we should definitely do. I really can't tell you how many times I just be singing... (using my voice in an outspoken way) and suddenly the devil would try to interrupt me, or discourage me from doing that. (This also is related to the power of praise & worship, but I'll leave that type of post for another time). I also can relate to you about, usually whispering even if you do speak something He tells you outloud and no one is around... I think the devil is just trying to shut us up because what we speak has so much power, and it really does destroy his schemes, and speak into our future.. Another thing to look at that I think is massive in this area... goes back to the beginning of the Bible, and the world. What did God do to change this formless, void, darkness covered earth? Two things... The Spirit of God hovered over it; And what else? "THEN GOD SAID..."Let there be light." (Gen 1:1-3) One of the first things God did in order to create something was SPEAK. He saw something, and then desired to change it.... so what did He do? He told it what to become!!! That thought right there... is chilling. You speak it, and it happens. That's why our words are so powerful, and can be dangerous; dangerous in several ways: Dangerous to the devils will, plans, strategies, tactics, and attacks... And dangerous to us, if we don't watch what we say and how we say it. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21 That Scripture right there, is no joke. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the sould and health to the bones. Proverbs 16:34 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of the sould and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
If God's words so powerful, we should continually fill our mouths with things that He has said... also it cuts off the fiery attacks of the devil against us.. It's the sword of the Spirit. Remember what Jesus did what satan came tempted Him? He quoted Scripture each time... How much more should we use God's word on a regular basis in our lives. And as we know, His word isn't excluded to Scripture... What He speaks to us/places in our hearts and thoughts, is something we should declare over our lives. For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.. Psalm 138:3 There's lots to be said about speaking things, and the importance of our words.

[/QUOTE]
yep, somehow it makes that "you'll never thirst again" make sense! i always had a hard time understanding why He said we'd never thirst again, but we should be hungry for the Lord. um...WHAT?? (hmmm, put a little ketchup & mustard on that Word! hahaha) but....now....after experiencing it, i GET it! and i cant wait to help OTHERS get it![/QUOTE]

Hm... well, there is a difference in a way. The passage you're referring to which is in John 4, (and others with that same theme) are mainly referring to the eternal thirst which only can be quenched in Christ because He is the living water. But there is another type of thirst that we do eagerly receive, after we've received the eternal quench... It's this one: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 And while this Scripture says we'll be filled, it doesn't say that we'll be exempt from hungering and thirsting while here on this earth, since while we're here we continue learning and growing, etc. Also, I think it has to do with just tasting how awesome He is, and even if that does satisfy us, we can't get over that taste of Him because... He's just so AWESOME!! We want to continue consuming Him. After all He is also referred to as the Bread of Life and the Living Water.

again, i can COMPLETELY relate! (i'm soooo tempted to start calling you CCC - convicted, carbon copy! lol) God has given me many different visions, and one (more insightful than i would have given myself, that's for sure!!!) path for my life, but He has not yet pulled them all together. and i know that they DO go together, so...for now it's the right NOW ministries, waiting for HIS timing to understand how the pieces of the puzzle go together. i think a lot of our lessons are for the sole purpose of teaching us PATIENCE in waiting on Him. (soooo NOT easy!)

You can call me CCC if you want. :) But yeah, it really is like a million or even a trillion piece puzzle, and we might be able to see different parts of what the whole picture will look like, we still can't see the whole thing right now. That's why it's a piece by piece process, that's specially designed. And we may get frustrated in trying to solve it ourselves or all at once, but that's not really what He intended for us.

And yes, we do also learn patience! We go to a new level in learning to wait on Him and just desire Him and His will for us. And really in that waiting process our strength is really renewed, (Isa 40:31) because we're in that special place in His presence, where we just 'be still, and know that He is God'.. Psalm 46:10

i can't find ANYWHERE where it says that we are to walk it with giant steps, so..i'm quite certain that baby steps count!

Nope, we're not called to walk in footsteps that are just too big for us; we're called to walk in the footsteps that were prepared for us; which really are baby steps, since sometimes it's hard to even put one foot in front of the other. This Scripture is interesting concerning this: "Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway." Psalm 85:13
Now His footsteps would seem huge, to me!! What He did though is really break the path ahead for us - He already walked the road ahead of us, to make it easier for us to walk it. All we have to do, is not try to walk our own path, and walk in the steps He's laid out for us. And the way we do that, is by walking in righteousness. Reminds me of the book "In His Steps" now.

Convicted

12-09-2008, 06:12 AM

a while ago, we were having a really massive thunderstorm in the middle of summer (which creates MASS humidity - not fun when the dry heat temps are over 120!). i woke up in the middle of the night, after 2 days of pre-storm activity & wretched humidity, but still not a drop of rain, and the sky just ROARED with thunder. at the exact same moment, the sky was BRIGHT as day with lightning, and i thought, "come on, RAIN already!" and the Lord spoke. (this was during the exposure of ted haggard's unmentionables...) He was showing me that He is sifting the Body, starting at the top & working His way down (since a lot of people who aren't committed will fall away when the leadership falls away it started POURING rain. that was very confirming for me - i don't know whether or not that was a word for the Body, but...it was definitely a correction for me.

I definetely think that was right on target in regard to it being a word for the Body or not. I've thought similar things, and I've heard many pastors/singers and relatives say the same EXACT things.

The storm experience you described sort of reminded me of experiences I've had when it rained. For some reason God really uses the whole "storm metephor" things to speak to me also. I can't really tell you how many times!! It's probably one reason I love thunderstorms (hard ones!!) so much. One time we were driving home, and it was so neat the sight I saw (I've seen several similar sights also)... If you look on one side of the sky, it was COMPLETELY black, except for the frequent lightening strikes, and there was loud thunder and then I'd look to the opposite side of the sky and guess what... It was COMPLETELY killer Sunset. The WHOLE side of that part of the sky was Bright red, like super bright red. So.. I started contemplating at that moment again ( :) like usual) and God revealed this revelation to me: Though everything on one side of you is surrounding you with negativity, hopelessness, darkness; and furious storms and trails and pain in your life; and everyone seems to be against you that over there, always discouragment and continual reasons to give up.... On the total opposite side, there's complete hope, joy, peace; promises will be fulfilled, your future is perfectly designed and it's intended/and will be bright; brighter than you could ever imagine; fullness of encouragment; ease from trials. The world and the devil and even yourself may indicate total hopelessness - But God only plans hope for you, and you can never lose with Him.

but....our merciful God is not yet ready to call "TIME!" because He wants to get everyone that He can.....extending the time as long as He can, to give ample opportunity to respond.

Yep, that's the awesome mercy God is displaying. "Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentence." 2 Peter 3:9

it started POURING rain. that was very confirming for me - .

This reminds me again of another storm!! So it was scheduled to rain really hard on the weather forcast for several days, but... It never rained yet. Then one night during that time God started reminding me of the Body of Christ and how we need His Spirit to move and rain down on us. "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;..." Joel 2:28 So God inspired me to write a song about needing a "Torrential Downpour".. to flood us and our land, and the world. Later on that Night... It started POURING also. It really rocked; 'cause like you said it just confirms what God tells you.

so....LONG LIVE SPONTANEOUS LAUGHTER!!!! lol the JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH!!! without joy, we cannot go on. without joy, we are powerless. of COURSE satan wants our joy! if he can get our love & our joy, he has US. end of story. (not the end of MY story!!!)

Ditto!!!

Convicted

12-09-2008, 06:40 AM

hahahaha, i LOOOOVE that!!! (is that where they got the band name????? that is GENIUS!!!)

Yeah, they use they inter-twine that with Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
They orignally were called "Call Box" (which signifies how prayer is our call box to God that's available for us to use at anytime-- and how a call box is something someone used to call for help, when they're desperately stranded on the side of the remote road) before they signed with a record label, but some other band (I have no clue of, nor do they) had the name already.

my PRIDE wants me to use vengeance to appease that pain when i DO pick it up again. and...my PRIDE is what separates me from the Lord, so....that verse is another powerful one when forgiveness is hard.

Very true. Pride is the root cause to all sins, (as you probably know) even fear. Sometimes I think we tend to just forget about how subtle pride can creep in on us. Especially when it comes to situation when someone else has done us wrong; (and we know it!) because then we don't want to let go of our pride because we either think or know we're right, and want the other person to either pay or acknowledge their wrong-doings. And if we are right it's also pride that prevents the other person from coming and apologizing, admitting they're wrong. But we shouldn't let that stop us from forgiving either.

ahhh yes, napkins! how could i forget napkins! business cards, torn off corners of noah's homework (:eek:)....whatever i can find to write on! lol

:D hahahaha, Noah will have a better excuse for his homework being torn up than "The dog ate my homework," he can say, "My mom ripped up part of my homework because she couldn't find anything else to write on." I don't know which excuse would be more believable! I love it!!!

oh man, when they come, they really DO start FLOODING in, don't they!!!!

I wonder sometimes how many words per minute (WPM) they come in at sometimes... It seems faster than the fastest rap I've ever heard! In speed that is.

lol, that's what MY journal (which is always just a notebook....i don't need those fancy schmancy ones, although they ARE pretty! if i could keep the INSIDE looking pretty, i might be more motivated to invest in those! lol) looks like! ALL of the time! lol i've given up the idea of a pretty journal...legible is satisfactory! lol

Ha!! I can totaly relate again! I have like one fancy looking notebook/journal thing that I've had for like.... 4 years; and I've never used it once! Because I know I'd just mess it up. I might use it someday, but I think I'd have to gather, and combine all of the thoughts I have jotted everywhere before I write anything in there. I'd probably still mess it up though, because everytime I read some old revelation God gave to me, I usually end up adding more to that, because I keep learning about it in a more in-depth type of way.

oooohhhh YAY, it's NOT just me that frequently exceeds the word limit!!! lol

I have to double my posts just for one reply sometimes... unless I cut out a lot of things I want to say; which I don't like doing because it's something that's in some way relevant at the moment, and unless I write it down :) I'll most likely forget it. So I'm thinking now, is that just an excuse for poor short-term memory? Or does everyone remember things and forget them as frequently as us who tend to write things down more often? I think I have relatively good short-term memory though.

Convicted

12-09-2008, 07:23 AM

man, that one is a hard one to really believe - like deep down in the heart, BELIEVE. and, with the impact we can have on the world as individuals, imagine how amazing it would be if EVERYONE in the Body came together in TRUE unity, for the SOLE purpose of reaching the lost. wow - that would be absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

I believe we're getting closer to that day!! This is reminding me of heaven!!!!! It's going to be so awesome there; I'm so glad God gives us little glimps into what that will be like. That is one of the hopes that keep us steadfast and not shaken on this mission to reach the lost. I love it when the whole body of Christ comes together in unity. It's an indescribable feeling when that happens. It's how it's suppose to be... 1 Corinthians 12 talks all about it. And how it's a major division when one part of the body thinks it doesn't need another; but the whole body will not function properly if there's division; and parts missing. I know how much division in churches, families, etc... can hurt. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethern to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore. Psalm 133 1-3
It says, that where there's unity among brethern, that's where there is the blessing. How can we expect to receive the fullness of the blessing if we're not in unity? God's been working on the churches for awhile on unity, and I think we'll start seeing it more. 'Cause the more we each, individually align ourselves under God, the more we as a whole can properly serve Him as we were meant to. We'll begin to see more breakthroughs in ministries and reaching the lost more effectively when we unite as one in the God. Why would the world want to be apart of something that emphasizes unity but is completely the polar opposite; presenting itself as anything other than that? The unity is going to be restored to us as our hearts and minds are drawn towards fully following hard after God, and being living examples of that in our lives. And I fully agree; It indeed is a BEAUTIFUL thing!!

myspace does bring a lot of JUNK with it! (so many times i've wanted to delete it, but....it's a less invasive way for the kids in the youth group to communicate with me - and boy, do they! where they are more open, because there's no fear of judgment or rejection, so..i just can't bring myself to delete it....)

I used to be veryyyy active on myspace. Mainly the chat rooms. I got into some pretty intense conversations with people about God. They either completely hated me for it; kept questioning me if I really was the age I said (like you have to be extremely old to know about God? That's so pathetic. They just couldn't believe that I was young and actually wanted to know about God -- It makes me think of how, the devil's trying to take out this generation of young people also), and then I had one person say, "You've really opened my eyes." But all of THAT was completely short lived at myspace, since after only having my account for 2 DAYS! (the first two days I actually, had been on the internet, in my entire life!) they deleted my account or someone hacked my account there and got me deleted. And I tried to re-apply for a new account, but they blocked the e-mail address I'm using. I'd have to create a whole other e-mail; and haven't decided to do that. I definetely think, the devil didn't want me being there. But I go to other chat rooms (not myspace, naturally) and EVERY chat room I go to they say things like, "I've never had such an interesting and meaningful conversation here before." It's kind of hilarious to me, but it's just a sign of how the world is desperatly hunger for more than what's been served to them... It's time for us to serve them something they'll savor for eternity!! But at the same time, think before we do that, in order to not give them the wrong impressions and to help minimize our chances of being misunderstood.

i try to use every experience as a learning experience - especially the failures! (for some reason, i tend to learn a little better through the failures)

I think when we learn from our failures they seem to have a bigger effect on us because we kept trying and trying and trying to do them accurately and we had to keep going back to the drawing board. Plain and simple, we usually have more experience when it comes to failures, so the lessons we've learned from them get etched on us a little (usually A LOT!) deeper. And of course, learning through experience almost always has that effect on us. And the one that effects us most after that one.... is actually WATCHING someone Experience for themselves that lesson. That way we don't have to learn it the hard way all the time...

heather clark shared a message on worship at a conference that my pastor's wife went to in 2007. she says that sometimes she has trouble hearing out of one ear, and...before one of the services, a lady went up to her & asked, "are you bleeding (leading) worship today?" after a few times of repeating herself, heather FINALLY understood what the woman was asking & answered the question, but she couldn't get the original question out of her mind. are you bleeding worship? she used the story of the woman breaking the vessel & pouring the perfume on the feet of Jesus to illustrate that our most valuable worship comes out of brokenness. when we're in the middle of a hard situation, of ANY kind...what are we bleeding? bitterness? anger? unforgiveness? or are we bleeding worship? i will NEVER forget that message....and i meditate on that (yes, indeedy, i took notes! from a DVD! hahahaha) whenever i'm starting to feel like i'm breaking down. if i can worship with all that i am when i'm broken, THEN i am truly giving abandoned worship to the Lord!

Awesome, awesome stuff. All I can say is, Awesome! :)

(oooh, if you guys are interested, remind me to tell you about her husband's OHHHH SOOOOO insightful answer to the question "if you could go to heaven right NOW, would you?" THAT one was powerful, and was the perfect companion to the bleeding worship message....)

I want to hear it!!!!!

and i SERIOUSLY can NOT wait to read this book!!!!!

Neither can I!!! Leigh, I pray God gives you loads and loads of wisdom and guidance while writing. I know the book is going to have a huge impact on people's lives.

cori

12-09-2008, 09:47 AM

[silence] gives more time for contemplating things; and before you do or say something , which in some cases is helpful, that way you don't say something you shouldn't or in a way you shouldn't, or when you shouldn't - and it gives you time to examine different perspectives about things, and then mentally prepare how you're going to say it; which in itself doesn't mean you know exactly what you're going to say, just the outline and basis. EXACTLY!!!! my husband always gets frustrated with me because i'm giving him the "silent treatment," but i keep explaining to him that it's NOT the case at all! i'm trying to work through the heat of my emotions, find the real root of why the emotions flared in the first place, and then speak from a calm, sorted out state of mind, so i don't say something that can't be taken back! stupid things are said in the heat of the moment, and, as you said in one of your other posts, words are INDEED life & death, so....i try to step back from the moment a little bit in an attempt to bring life to the situation.

conflict, I can handle it well at times... but it depends what type of conflict it is. i just hate conflict - i avoid it at all costs (which is a HUUUUGE fault, in the grand scheme of things!), especially the closer it is to home. where there are heated emotions, i can't STAND to be there. it's just very overwhelming for me, and..even if i'm not involved AT ALL in the situation, i end up in tears every time (stinking hypersensitivity! lol). my marriage really taught me the value of FACING conflict, though. as i've mentioned before, my marriage was totally falling apart earlier this year, and the Lord was telling me to leave. (yes, i'm SURE it was Him....but...i totally freaked when He said "leave," and did not bother asking for further detail, which...brought a HUUUUUUUUGE mess!) i thought He was saying DIVORCE, and i could NOT wrap my head around that. i was like, "ok, but Your Word gives very CLEAR and BASIC reasons for divorce, and...none of that has taken place here....and i KNOW that You don't contradict Yourself, so....what?!?!" (this was one of the MAJOR "did i hear that RIGHT, Lord?" arguments within...) so i sat on it, too full of fear & doubt to move, in ANY direction. He told me to do that LAST YEAR!!! (the BEGINNING of last year!) so, i sat. and the situation continued to spiral out of control, getting reeeeally bad. finally, i had gotten to where i could take NO MORE, and i knew that if i didn't get out, i wouldn't live much longer, and i feared the effect it would all have on my boys. so, i mustered up every ounce of courage i had & left. i TOLD him that i wanted to file (and had every intention of doing so), and the boys & i went to spend a month with my sister. in that time, God began to work in his heart, in my heart, and in our marriage, and....we are now 5 months into the restoration of our marriage. which would NOT have come if i had not obeyed the Lord's "LEAVE." i don't even remember why i put this in here (oh yeah, CONFLICT! lol...ok, so this is waaaaaaaay off topic....sorry!), but....a good reminder that we must be certain that not only have we HEARD the Lord correctly, we must be certain that we don't RUSH into what He has spoken, because sometimes our understanding of what He says has NOTHING to do with what He has spoken! anyway....had i not faced that conflict head on, in spite of the HIGH cost, i WOULD be a single mother right now....and still dealing with depression, most likely!

It really does get confused all too often. That's one trouble with these "catcy cliches" that we just throw around, we tend to lose the meaning of what's really intended to be said because we don't want to bother to take the time to fully get a clear defintion of what that phrase really means. Which is why it's helpful to give definitions to people about things; because even if they know the definition they sometimes forget it; or others never had a proper understanding of what that was - they often misinterpret it. oh man, SO true!!! we've come up with so many catchy little sayings to help us remember Scripture, but...in doing so, we've sort of lost the true meaning & understanding. we've taken kind of the blanket meaning of something, and made it the standard, straight across the board application.

Really though, forgiveness is another demonstration of mercy. Which means, they might not deserve the forgiveness, but we're not basing whether we forgive them or not on their deed against us. We're making the choice to do that. So can someone automatically forgive someone else? No; they have to willingly decide to do that; which is the hardest part. Mainly because it really cost us something. A great reminder of how it cost God something to forgive us also. again, very well spoken! and, every time we (me!) are tempted to grumble about the cost of forgiveness, we should remember the price that JESUS paid for OUR forgiveness. if HE will pay that price, why am i complaining about a little bit of hurt pride? (for THAT matter, i should be GLAD to pay that price, since we need to "lay down my pride!" (see, we DO listen, jeremy!!! haha)

cori

12-09-2008, 10:19 AM

[QUOTE=Convicted;13023]the reason they might think it's weird is because it's just not something they like doing! after having noah, i also think that some people just aren't wired to learn the same way that WE learn. noah is very auditory & tactile in his learning. his fine motor skills aren't where they should be for his age, and writing is very difficult for him. in fact, i honestly believe it is PAINFUL for him to write! and, since his brain is constantly translating date from one of the senses to another, it interferes with his learning if he has to write something down. but if he can just sit & listen (or ESPECIALLY if there's a way that he can TOUCH what he's learning), he remembers it VERBATIM! so...there's that, too. but...i do think that a lot of people just think we're weird. hehe, and that's FINE with me! (who's to say what normal is, anyway!! i know "THEY" have some pretty clear-cut standards of what normal is, but..how did "THEY" get to be such a reliable source!)

Now if they did, that'd be another story. I can't tell you how many times people will end up saying to me.. "You're weird." and then they'll will also be the same people who says, "You're wise." Which is it??? It's probably both, in different ways...(extremism :confused: ) lol, me too! wisely weird? weirdly wise? hmmm.....lol

and it could also be just because you do something different than them, you don't fit into their "Normal" spectrum. But really nobody is "normal," it's an interchangeable term, which really depends on each persons definition...The most accurate definition of "Normal," would really be describing Christ... He is the most normal individual; which is why we're called to imitate Him. (Eph. 5). EXACTLY!!!

There really is a LOT of power in our tongue, which is why we should practice using to promote positive things and make bold declartions! about who we are, what we're doing, where we're going, who God is, what we can do, etc..; and avoid the continual complaining/negativity that we can get used to doing. soooo true - and one of those so simple, yet SOOOOOO difficult things!

When you look at the gospels and study what Jesus did; He continuously kept declaring where He was from, what His purpose was, who He is, and where He is going... Jesus really emulated exactly what we're supposed to be doing; He didn't do or say the things He did by accident - there was always a huge purpose behind everything He spoke or did -- to leave as an example of how we should live. you know, i NEVER made that connection before! thank you for pointing that out!!!

I also can relate to you about, usually whispering even if you do speak something He tells you outloud and no one is around... I think the devil is just trying to shut us up because what we speak has so much power, and it really does destroy his schemes, and speak into our future.. amen! preach it!

Another thing to look at that I think is massive in this area... goes back to the beginning of the Bible, and the world. What did God do to change this formless, void, darkness covered earth? Two things... The Spirit of God hovered over it; And what else? "THEN GOD SAID..."Let there be light." (Gen 1:1-3) One of the first things God did in order to create something was SPEAK. He saw something, and then desired to change it.... so what did He do? He told it what to become!!! That thought right there... is chilling. You speak it, and it happens. That's why our words are so powerful, and can be dangerous; dangerous in several ways: Dangerous to the devils will, plans, strategies, tactics, and attacks... And dangerous to us, if we don't watch what we say and how we say it. soooooo true!!!! a lot of my SILENCE is for the sole purpose of bringing my thoughts into alignment with a Spirit led response, rather than just blabbing out in my flesh BECAUSE of that power!

If God's words so powerful, we should continually fill our mouths with things that He has said... also it cuts off the fiery attacks of the devil against us.. It's the sword of the Spirit. Remember what Jesus did what satan came tempted Him? He quoted Scripture each time... How much more should we use God's word on a regular basis in our lives. EXACTLY!!!!! if the SON OF GOD needed to constantly quote Scripture when He was on earth as man (simply CHOOSING not to tap into His divine power to resist!), why do we think we can get by WITHOUT quoting Scripture!

i always had a hard time understanding why He said we'd never thirst again, but we should be hungry for the Lord. ... well, there is a difference in a way. yeah, the difference is what i was talking about when i said that i never understood it, but now i do. when we allow ourselves to be filled with the things of the Lord, we will hunger & thirst no more - for the things of the WORLD. i believe the connection between the concept of never thirsting again & being hungry (besides the terms "thirst" & "hunger," i mean....i'm using them interchangeably here....) is this: when we allow ourselves to be filled with the things of the Lord, we are no longer hungry for the things of the WORLD...which, in turn, makes us MORE hungry for MORE of the Lord. initially, i was only seeing the natural application in those verses - i wasnt understanding the spiritual application, realizing that He keeps us thirsty for HIM so that we can keep growing, and the more that THAT thirst grows, the less appealing & satisfying the things of the world become.

But yeah, it really is like a million or even a trillion piece puzzle, and we might be able to see different parts of what the whole picture will look like, we still can't see the whole thing right now. yes, indeed! we may be able to see the WHOLE picture, but....we are seeing it from a skewed perspective (if we ARE seeing the whole picture) - our perspective is ALWAYS slanted. God is seeing from HIS perspective, from ABOVE! (an aerial view) He sees the whole picture, spread out before Him in its entirety. when we look at it from our perspective (ok, i'm picturing like standing on a map of the united states..if i'm standing on NY, it looks the biggest because i'm IN it....and i can SEE CA, but my perspective is bad because it's far away from where i'm at), the entire picture is skewed, even when it is seen in its entirety. what we have to do is work from where we're at, but keep looking UP (to HIM!) so that we can navigate to the center of His will, to make sure we don't end up in some other place because we were going by how things look. (ok, i don't even know if that analogy made any sense, but...it sure made it plain as day in my head! lol i KNOW i didn't say it as clearly as i thought it....)

And yes, we do also learn patience! We go to a new level in learning to wait on Him and just desire Him and His will for us. And really in that waiting process our strength is really renewed, (Isa 40:31) because we're in that special place in His presence, where we just 'be still, and know that He is God'.. Psalm 46:10 and....there's only one way to learn patience! :p to LEARN it! it is a FRUIT of the Spirit, NOT a GIFT of the Spirit! ha! it has to be planted, sown, pruned (ahhh, the lovely pruning!!! urgh....lol), sometimes completely CUT OFF to start over, and....it's very labor intensive! it is not simply handed over to us (much to my dismay! lol)!

This Scripture is interesting concerning this: "Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway." Psalm 85:13
Now His footsteps would seem huge, to me!! ME TOO!!!!!! What He did though is really break the path ahead for us - He already walked the road ahead of us, to make it easier for us to walk it. All we have to do, is not try to walk our own path, and walk in the steps He's laid out for us. And the way we do that, is by walking in righteousness. i am SOOOOOO thankful that He has broken the road to prepare the way...i wish i could stop being so easily distracted & wandering off the trail!!!

cori

12-09-2008, 10:41 AM

[QUOTE=Convicted;13024]The storm experience you described sort of reminded me of experiences I've had when it rained. For some reason God really uses the whole "storm metephor" things to speak to me also. I can't really tell you how many times!! ME TOO!!! lol (and i'm reminded of the storms seen in Scripture!

It's probably one reason I love thunderstorms (hard ones!!) so much. i loooooove the rain! the harder it's pouring, the more i love it!

One time we were driving home, and it was so neat the sight I saw (I've seen several similar sights also)... If you look on one side of the sky, it was COMPLETELY black, except for the frequent lightening strikes, and there was loud thunder and then I'd look to the opposite side of the sky and guess what... It was COMPLETELY killer Sunset. The WHOLE side of that part of the sky was Bright red, like super bright red. So.. I started contemplating at that moment again ( :) like usual) and God revealed this revelation to me: Though everything on one side of you is surrounding you with negativity, hopelessness, darkness; and furious storms and trails and pain in your life; and everyone seems to be against you that over there, always discouragment and continual reasons to give up.... On the total opposite side, there's complete hope, joy, peace; promises will be fulfilled, your future is perfectly designed and it's intended/and will be bright; brighter than you could ever imagine; fullness of encouragment; ease from trials. The world and the devil and even yourself may indicate total hopelessness - But God only plans hope for you, and you can never lose with Him. that is just AWESOME!!!! for once, (ha!) i'm speechless! that is truly amazing.

This reminds me again of another storm!! So it was scheduled to rain really hard on the weather forcast for several days, but... It never rained yet. Then one night during that time God started reminding me of the Body of Christ and how we need His Spirit to move and rain down on us. "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;..." Joel 2:28 So God inspired me to write a song about needing a "Torrential Downpour".. to flood us and our land, and the world. Later on that Night... It started POURING also. It really rocked; 'cause like you said it just confirms what God tells you. i looooove His subtleties!!

cori

12-09-2008, 12:16 PM

[QUOTE=Convicted;13025]Yeah, they use they inter-twine that with Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
They orignally were called "Call Box" (which signifies how prayer is our call box to God that's available for us to use at anytime-- and how a call box is something someone used to call for help, when they're desperately stranded on the side of the remote road) before they signed with a record label, but some other band (I have no clue of, nor do they) had the name already. i've never heard of Call Box either, but....at any rate, i think Kutless has made the better choice! that is just AWESOME!

Pride is the root cause to all sins, (as you probably know) even fear. scribbled in one of my journals a few years ago: "THE ROOT OF FEAR IS PRIDE." i remember it like it was yesterday. my pastor was preaching (incidentally, on something COMPLETELY unrelated to fear OR pride!), and...i don't even know what i was thinking about (honest, my thoughts WERE on the point of the message...), and then WHAM! God said, "the root of fear is pride." and really...it IS! i mean....when He tells us to step out, why don't we? FEAR! of failing...of messing up....of rejection.....no matter what the fear IS, it all comes down to pride, because it's all fear of how it will affect US! so....indeed, pride is it! God resists the proud, but gives grace to humble.

Sometimes I think we tend to just forget about how subtle pride can creep in on us. Especially when it comes to situation when someone else has done us wrong; (and we know it!) because then we don't want to let go of our pride because we either think or know we're right, and want the other person to either pay or acknowledge their wrong-doings. And if we are right it's also pride that prevents the other person from coming and apologizing, admitting they're wrong. But we shouldn't let that stop us from forgiving either. for sure, laying down our pride is NO EASY THING!!!! but, it IS necessary if we want to walk a Spirit-filled/led life!

:D hahahaha, Noah will have a better excuse for his homework being torn up than "The dog ate my homework," he can say, "My mom ripped up part of my homework because she couldn't find anything else to write on." I don't know which excuse would be more believable! I love it!!! lol, as long as it doesn't eventually turn into "my MOM ATE my homework!" :O (i guess, technically, he COULD say that, since we are feeding on the Word, so to speak! lol)

I wonder sometimes how many words per minute (WPM) they come in at sometimes... It seems faster than the fastest rap I've ever heard! In speed that is. lol, i know for SURE that they come FASTER than 124 wpm!!!!

Ha!! I can totaly relate again! I have like one fancy looking notebook/journal thing that I've had for like.... 4 years; and I've never used it once! Because I know I'd just mess it up. I might use it someday, but I think I'd have to gather, and combine all of the thoughts I have jotted everywhere before I write anything in there. I'd probably still mess it up though, because everytime I read some old revelation God gave to me, I usually end up adding more to that, because I keep learning about it in a more in-depth type of way. lol, yep! i've got one pretty one that i STARTED writing in (this was back in high school, before i learned the value of scribbling in the margins! lol), and...ended up writing in the margins, so...i got mad at myself for messing it up & never used it again. i still have it, but most of it is empty. your average spiral bound notebook, though - i've got like 7 of those, FILLED! (almost every square inch of paper on most pages, too! lol) i used to get frustrated when God would have me go back to something in one of my earlier journals (lessons), because i always ended up adding more to the things He showed me. i've since realized that He wanted me to go back to the lesson to WRITE DOWN the additional insights He's provided for me!

cori

12-09-2008, 12:37 PM

[QUOTE=Convicted;13026]I believe we're getting closer to that day!! This is reminding me of heaven!!!!! i believe so, too. i really believe that we're seeing corporate fallout (for lack of a better word) in leadership because God is beginning the sifting process....as we've seen through so many awful times (9/11, for example), people tend to band together as one in difficult circumstances. i think it's the separating the sheep from the goats, and i think it's the call to unity.

I love it when the whole body of Christ comes together in unity. It's an indescribable feeling when that happens. ABSOLUTELY!!!! It's how it's suppose to be... 1 Corinthians 12 talks all about it. And how it's a major division when one part of the body thinks it doesn't need another; but the whole body will not function properly if there's division; and parts missing. yep....it goes back to the comparison to the body - we don't cut off our hand because it is wounded. no, we try to HEAL our hand, because the hand makes us more effective in our ministry! we are so quick to cut people off because they have hurt us or we see them bringing hurt to the body (back to our skewed perception of things!), when instead, we should be reaching out to them, helping to make them whole, so that WE can be whole! it's difficult to function as a whole when there is so much division in the Body, ANYWAY, and to have some parts of the Body CHOOSING to cut off other parts of the Body - no wonder the world has little respect for our faith!

It says, that where there's unity among brethern, that's where there is the blessing. How can we expect to receive the fullness of the blessing if we're not in unity? PREACH IT! :D God's been working on the churches for awhile on unity, and I think we'll start seeing it more. 'Cause the more we each, individually align ourselves under God, the more we as a whole can properly serve Him as we were meant to. We'll begin to see more breakthroughs in ministries and reaching the lost more effectively when we unite as one in the God. Why would the world want to be apart of something that emphasizes unity but is completely the polar opposite; presenting itself as anything other than that? The unity is going to be restored to us as our hearts and minds are drawn towards fully following hard after God, and being living examples of that in our lives. exactly!! a while ago, a friend of mine was really burdened because the Church was not being all that she could be, complacency about sin starting in leadership, and....she was crying out for corporate repentance & seeking mercy on a corporate level. we were a balanced thing, together, because i was seeing it more on the individual level. if we are all walking with the Lord the way we are CALLED to walk with Him, on an INDIVIDUAL level, then we can kinda work from the ground up in restoring the Church to all that she is called to be.

I used to be veryyyy active on myspace. Mainly the chat rooms. I got into some pretty intense conversations with people about God. They either completely hated me for it; kept questioning me if I really was the age I said (which is......if you don't mind my asking?? lol...i'm prepared to feel like i'm 90, though! lol) (like you have to be extremely old to know about God? That's so pathetic. They just couldn't believe that I was young and actually wanted to know about God -- It makes me think of how, the devil's trying to take out this generation of young people also), and then I had one person say, "You've really opened my eyes." But all of THAT was completely short lived at myspace, since after only having my account for 2 DAYS! (the first two days I actually, had been on the internet, in my entire life!) they deleted my account or someone hacked my account there and got me deleted. And I tried to re-apply for a new account, but they blocked the e-mail address I'm using. I'd have to create a whole other e-mail; and haven't decided to do that. I definetely think, the devil didn't want me being there. you've got THAT right! and myspace really is kind of the devil's forum, he's got a lot of foothold there.... But I go to other chat rooms (not myspace, naturally) and EVERY chat room I go to they say things like, "I've never had such an interesting and meaningful conversation here before." It's kind of hilarious to me, but it's just a sign of how the world is desperatly hunger for more than what's been served to them... It's time for us to serve them something they'll savor for eternity!! EXACTLY RIGHT, AGAIN!!! we are called to be servants, but i think that's one area of service that we tend to overlook! (or maybe i'm just totally cheesy because all the recent discussion of the Bread of Life, Water of the Word is fresh in my mind, so i've got food on the brain! lol) we need to serve up a more substantial, satisfying meal to those that we minister to - satisfy them, but leave them hungry for more! But at the same time, think before we do that, in order to not give them the wrong impressions and to help minimize our chances of being misunderstood. and there it is again...BALANCE!

I think when we learn from our failures they seem to have a bigger effect on us because we kept trying and trying and trying to do them accurately and we had to keep going back to the drawing board. Plain and simple, we usually have more experience when it comes to failures, so the lessons we've learned from them get etched on us a little (usually A LOT!) deeper. And of course, learning through experience almost always has that effect on us. yep....i've learned that the most valuable lessons are the ones that hurt the most to learn. we learn better when more of our senses are involved, and....failure definitely grabs ALL of the senses! the only way our failures MAKE us a failure is if we allow them to keep us down & we don't learn something from the failure. (actually, i think i talked about this on another thread earlier???)

I want to hear it!!!!! ok...nolan clark's (heather clark's husband) question - "if you could go to heaven NOW, would you?" (heather shared this in her bleeding worship message - it was kind of the spring board for it... but this was a discussion they were having in the van while they were driving somewhere...) her answer was, "yep! SEE ya! well, maybe i'd like to stick around to make sure i responded to the calling on my life to the fullest extent, see my kids grow up & have grandkids type stuff, but...this world or Heaven? i'm OUTTA here." (ok, grossly paraphrased, but that was the general content) nolan's answer? "i'd stay here." and heathers (undoubtedly!!!) SHOCKED response - "WHY???"

because on this earth, this is the ONLY opportunity that we will EVER have to offer up a SACRIFICE of praise...of BROKEN worship. in heaven, there will be no more tears, no more pain....no more brokenness. which IS something to be looked forward to, but....i believe that the greater our brokenness (these are MY thoughts, now....), the greater the sacrifice (and value!) of our worship. i have been really convicted of offering up a lesser than worship because i am so weighed down by the worries of this world. what does that say about my faith!!! He is worthy of our worship simply because He IS!! and i WILL praise Him, no matter WHAT is going on in my life. (heather & nolan are VERY powerful in ministry, for sure!!!)

Kissy

12-09-2008, 01:05 PM

At the moment I don't know maybe I will later on.

Psalms23

12-09-2008, 05:48 PM

Thanks a lot Cori!! That really does mean a lot! I am glad that you have came joined the Board Family!! It is so amazing just thinking how much this board has grown over the years!! I am so sorry to hear about your friendship situation. It isnt and wont be easy but We have the Lord and other Christians to lean on! Once again, I glad you have joined the Board Family! Your a blessing in many ways!

i'm sorry the last few months have been so difficult, aaron. if i had joined the forum earlier & was aware of the problem, i would have been lifting you up in prayer, for sure!!! last year, i had a friendship completely crumble for no apparent reason, and..while the Lord prepared me for it, it still caught me off guard and there was a lot of hurt. (for no reason other than i feel like i've poured out more of my life story here than i have anywhere else & i'm quite certain that you all deserve a break! but...i will spare the details, unless you feel they might help you) anyway...

it's an amazing testimony that you have, to be able to rise above the hurt that comes from that kind of a situation in a time when most people would still be grieving the loss of the friendship!

and i love that part of ecclesiastes, where it says that God has made one as well as the other (good times & bad). without the good times, we would crumble. but without the bad times, we could never appreciate the good times, and we could NEVER grow. growth usually comes out of discomfort, not out of things being great! when things are great, we don't want to rock the boat, but..when they start getting bad - we want change! so....even though i say this with MUCH fear & trembling (ohh, you have NOOOOOO idea!!! lol), i am grateful for the bad times, because, without them, i'd still be the sunday morning Christian. i still have a loooooooooooooooooong way to go before i attain anything that even RESEMBLES spiritual maturity, but....at least now my feet are actually ON the path that will someday get me there. anyway...

i will continue to hold you up in prayer, Aaron, because....even with the right perspective, there is still going to be a lot of hurt, and it may take a while for the full healing to take place. :D

cori

12-09-2008, 06:00 PM

Thanks a lot Cori!! That really does mean a lot! I am glad that you have came joined the Board Family!! It is so amazing just thinking how much this board has grown over the years!! I am so sorry to hear about your friendship situation. It isnt and wont be easy but We have the Lord and other Christians to lean on! Once again, I glad you have joined the Board Family! Your a blessing in many ways!

you are more than welcome, aaron! one thing that i have really learned through my friendship situation is that people are people, no matter WHAT, and...you just have to work through things. regardless of how the relationship goes, you still have to forgive & love them (even though it IS reeeeeally hard!)

my friendship situation is just about completely healed. the Lord prepared me for the dissolution of the friendship, but the way it was handled (by the other person) is what brought so much hurt. in fact, it brought so MUCH hurt, that i had completely forgotten the preparations that the Lord had been making!!! so...once He reminded me of those things that He had spoken to me in quiet times, and now that sometime has passed and i've been able to see the 2 very different paths we were on (we would have actually kept each other from going where God was taking us if we had STAYED friends). it has been a difficult road to travel, but....the more i release my hurt to the Lord, the more He reveals about HIS purpose in it, and the less painful it becomes. :D He'll do that for you, too!

thank you again, for the warm welcome to the boards! i really feel at home here (in case you couldn't tell by my many LOOOOOONG posts! lol), and it's because you guys are all so great!!!! :D thank YOU!

Psalms23

12-09-2008, 06:06 PM

Your Welcome! I am so glad to hear that! God is Good! All The Time! All The Time! God is Good!

Psalms 27:14 - Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

you are more than welcome, aaron! one thing that i have really learned through my friendship situation is that people are people, no matter WHAT, and...you just have to work through things. regardless of how the relationship goes, you still have to forgive & love them (even though it IS reeeeeally hard!)

my friendship situation is just about completely healed. the Lord prepared me for the dissolution of the friendship, but the way it was handled (by the other person) is what brought so much hurt. in fact, it brought so MUCH hurt, that i had completely forgotten the preparations that the Lord had been making!!! so...once He reminded me of those things that He had spoken to me in quiet times, and now that sometime has passed and i've been able to see the 2 very different paths we were on (we would have actually kept each other from going where God was taking us if we had STAYED friends). it has been a difficult road to travel, but....the more i release my hurt to the Lord, the more He reveals about HIS purpose in it, and the less painful it becomes. :D He'll do that for you, too!

thank you again, for the warm welcome to the boards! i really feel at home here (in case you couldn't tell by my many LOOOOOONG posts! lol), and it's because you guys are all so great!!!! :D thank YOU!

Meadow

12-09-2008, 08:50 PM

Yeah, I do that also when I'm using some sort of devotional; but I'll usually go back and read them anyhow. And sometimes I'll look at it ahead of time, and that will be the Exact time I need to read it.

The Scriptures are awesome!! Some of my favorites; but then again I like most of the Scriptures anyhow; though some will be used to really minister to us more so than others at different times.
It amazes me how He lays them out right before us. He takes us right to what we need. I most definitely reread them and a lot of times a scriptutre is give and I look it up and it ties into more that I needed so i will continue to read onin that chapter of the bible to see what God is trying to reach me with. I don't want to miss out on spending time in His devine presence.

How true! Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Exactly, we may not be able to change all of things we wish we didn't do or say, but we can learn from those mistakes and boldly step forward because God always "Takes Us Back," and it's a new day. What matters today is what we're doing today; how are we growing and changing from who we were yesterday? And how do we grow and change? Through Christ. Otherwise everything we try do as what we perceive as "right" really will fail, or not be successful to the extent it could be, until we submit to Christ and let Him do it through us. Trying to change who we are through our flesh, (or natural mind for that matter) isn't really going to get us anywhere, except to utter chaos inwardly, which just makes things worse on us. This old saying comes back to my mind, "Let go, and let God." Sometimes we make it so hard, when really it's so simple. That's why Jesus says," Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." Mark 10:15 Really, all we have to have is that simple, child-like faith-- where we just trust Him and absolutely abandon ourselves in Him. He'll take care of the rest (but that doesn't mean we don't do anything whatsoever of course - It's kind of like professional wrestling (the exaggerated television stuff) the fight is really set-up and the owner knows the outcome, and all we have to do is play the part-- He'll be sure we win. Maybe not so great of analogy, but I think you get the point).

"Take You Back" -What a sweet promise that shows His endless grace for us.
"Let go and let God" reminds me of James 4:8 "Draw close to God and He will draw close to you."

Yeah, sometimes I don't do that either; in fact MOST of the time I don't do that. But with me, it's not so much that I don't want my prayer request or problems bothering someone, (though of course I do care about that, and consider it) but it's more because, I already know that God's got it all in His hands and it'll eventually work out. And, most of the time you know what everyone will tell you, about how to deal with it, etc... the usual comments.
So sometimes I kind of feel like, "Should I even bother asking them, if the outcome will probably be the same, either way?" And then there's the instances when the people around you really aren't reliable enough to tell about your own needs. Whether that means, they just have too much of their own problems to deal with, or they're really slanderous and can't keep something private or secret, etc.. But really, sometimes we do need to share our struggles with others and ask them to pray, it gives us extra encouragement, we can grow with that person in Christ, and it helps relieve the burden of feeling that you're walking the road alone, etc.

Yeah; God really woke me up with that one day... well, actually overtime. I always intellectually knew what was going on with our persecuted brothers and sisters in different parts of the world, but the way God started pressing the kind of urgency and passion on my heart like they have, really started sinking deep into my heart; and really began proposing a lot of questions about how much I truly love God and the lost and dying. Long story short: One day I was watching some Christian television (some program I normally didn't watch) and I thought about just going and doing something else at the time. Well, this clip came on about some teenagers who went on a mission trip to a hostile country, and it showed live footage of how the Christians who lived there were really undergoing extreme persecution. Well, that had my attention alone... but since God really wanted this subject to stick into my heart and brain, all of a sudden they started playing a song I already liked... Shut Me Out - Kutless (I feel as though I talk about them too much, but for some reason God always uses them in my life when I don't expect it; 'cause I really didn't like their music at first.) So I'm watching this clip of other Christians being persecuted for Christ, (being taken to prison, having rocks thrown at them, etc) and all the while I'm hearing... "There's nothing you can say that will take me away from this life.. There's nothing you can do to shut me up when I'm speaking the truth." (Hearing those words from a non-Christian perspective can be offensive if not spoken with a strong emphasis of love for them while doing it -- I see where the songwriting can be detrimental) It's like God really seized my heart and proposed these question to me, "Would you share My love at any cost?" "Would you really spread the gospel, if it meant to the point of death?" "Would you be part of the underground, in order to share this faith somehow?" "If you knew the price you'd pay, would you willingly pay it if you ever had to?" "Are you really seizing every opportunity to share the gospel; especially while you live in "free" nation?" "Are you taking advantage of your liberty? Because if they were snatched out of your hands tomorrow, would you regret not doing more during this time?" From that day forward, my whole perspective about persecution change (even though I already knew it was important). Now while, I'm not sure we can know what we would do in such hostile circumstances, I do believe we should continually pray for those who are, and not pretend those things aren't happening... and think "Well, that's not my problem.." Because they're Christians (and people) just like us, and it's not like we never could face a situation like that. I also believe, we should continually examine how much we do love God... and how much we really do care for those who are lost. We should let that urgency, passion, fearlessness, and purpose arise within our hearts like it has in those who undergo such harsh perils. And we should be thankful for the freedoms we do have, and fight to preserve them, while seizing upon every opportunity we can to truly make a difference-- the difference we're called to make. 'Cause after all we're called to be THE change, not just wait for it, or expect it to happen.

Wow, that reminds me of "This Man" I totally love that song!

The lyrics are awesome; I want to hear it!!!

There is a free MP3 download of this song @
http://www.music-lyrics-gospel.com/gospel_music_lyrics/theres_a_promise_coming_down_that_dusty_road_11427 .asp

Enjoy, it's an awesome song!

jllm04

12-09-2008, 08:51 PM

cori

12-09-2008, 09:37 PM

There is a free MP3 download of this song @
http://www.music-lyrics-gospel.com/gospel_music_lyrics/theres_a_promise_coming_down_that_dusty_road_11427 .asp

Enjoy, it's an awesome song!

thank you for the link to get the free download! it's GREAT!!! :D

cori

12-09-2008, 09:41 PM

This is a fun forum. I love hearing what God is teaching people!
Lately, everyday seems to be some eye-opening revelation for me.
The kind that can wipe out an entire afternoon...just trying to figure it out!

Lana :)

lol lana, i hear you!!!! this is actually my favorite thread on the boards! i check it like 3000 (probably add a few more 0's! lol) times a day, because i looooove the spiritual challenge it keeps bringing! :D

i look forward to hearing some of your eye-opening revelations as soon as you've digested them (and if you're willing!!) to share them! :D

Meadow

12-09-2008, 09:41 PM

Cori -"Originally Posted by cori
and i SERIOUSLY can NOT wait to read this book!!!!!"

Convicted-"Neither can I!!! Leigh, I pray God gives you loads and loads of wisdom and guidance while writing. I know the book is going to have a huge impact on people's lives."

Thank you both and all the prayers are welcome. I haven't felt such a calling on my life ever and really didn't expect God to suddenly slap me in the face w/ this, but He did of course all for good and can't wait for Him to slap me w/ something else. I think this is a BIG part of my journey He has been preparing me for. He keeps giving me confirmation after confirmation about this book. I am so blessed by all of this! He has given me a title, a vision, and words, and the rest of the way I'm counting on Him to pave the way as He has all along. My first book that i have been tinkering w/ for about 4 or 5 yrs (i think). It's title co- aligns which in a way is a testimony of Him preparing me and why He had the other book on hold. I trusted in Him and i want no less than His perfect will otherwise it would all be in vain. This isn't about me it's about bringing God all the glory. I have such a peace and contentment in my soul as i wait on Him to show me the next steps to take. Thank you all for your encouragement! It means so much to me. :)
Breathe Him~Leigh

cori

12-10-2008, 12:57 AM

all of our discussions about being who we are in Christ & walking out what He tells us to do, no matter WHAT the cost and broken worship reminded me of one of heather's songs (and i've actually been listening to it alllllll day!), so...i wanted to share the lyrics with you....i found them to be VERY encouraging....(and humbling! and convicting! and....lol) (it's a VERY repetetive song ->verse, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, chorus! lol so i'll only type each of those out once (especially since the verse is really just ONE verse 3x!) and then add the stuff she added to this particular version that really spoke to me....)

found where i belong
i'll let nothing stand between us here today
cuz You came down from heaven & You showed me
how to give myself away, so i give myself away

so i offer myself, i offer my song, i offer my worship all day long
cuz, finally, i've found where i belong
hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, i've found where i belong (these 3 lines are the chorus - the rest is the extra stuff she put in this version...)

so i offer myself, i offer my song, i offer my worship
and i offer myself, i offer my song, i offer my worship
all day long, all day long, i offer worship

singing hallelujah, singing hallelujah
oh the stars in the sky, oh they glitter forth "hallelujah"
sparkling in all their glory, glitter "hallelujah"
and the oceans, oh the oceans resound with a mighty "hallelujah"
and the flowers in the garden display the colors of "hallelujah"

hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
birds of the air are soaring "hallelujah"
and the fish of the deep, gliding in the water, swimming "hallelujah"
and the trees of the field clap their hands "hallelujah"
---and, for the LIFE of me, i can NOT figure out what she's saying in this line because there's a lot of harmony vocals at this point - and clapping to go with the previous line...it sounds beautiful, but...cant quite make out the words, even with my super duper high quality headphones on---

hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

crown of creation, crown of creation
singing forth a broken "hallelujah"
not yet a perfect hallelujah
broken & disappointed & tested & tried
still not found a perfect hallelujah

no matter the kind of trials i face
still gonna lift up, lift up a "hallelujah"
creation is singing, singing "hallelujah"
i'll join in and i'll sing it out
i'll join with the stars & the flowers & the ocean & the birds & the fish of the deep & the trees of the fields (literally all in one breath, just as i posted it! lol)
oh, singing hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah

ok....so...the first thing i see in that song is the giving away of self, which is the essence of ministry. no matter WHAT the cost, laying down our pride, abandoned love & purpose in Him to walk with Him. the next thing i see is LIFESTYLE worship! she talks about different parts of creation glorifying God just the way they were made to do it - they don't save it for sunday morning, or do anything specific during their worship (raising hands, bowing down, etc... - not that those things are BAD! i do most of them myself, every sunday, actually! but....it's not about doing it specifically during worship times....) - their expression of worship is in what they do naturally. does our worship come naturally? is my life a continuous expression of worship, or do i save those expressions for worship TIME at church? do i reeeeally want to let CREATION offer up a better worship than what i can give? (yeah, this one hit me pretty hard the first few zillion times i listened to it!) and then the last thing i see is pretty obvious, i think. WE are the crown of creation.....and none of us can offer a perfect worship, because we all have places in our hearts & lives that are still broken. but, it's not the circumstances behind the worship that makes it valuable - it's the heart behind the worship that holds the value. and, if we can STILL offer up a sincere, heartfelt worship in our most broken place, that is probably the most genuine (therefore the most valuable!) form of worship we can give.

anyway, i don't know if that even made any sense, but....that song just totally seems (to me, anyway) to go with our current discussion. at the very least, it's made it come alive again to ME....so....just thought i'd give heather some love here! lol (hey, she rocks, too! totally different sound than jeremy, but her message is still very powerful!)

Convicted

12-10-2008, 05:33 AM

EXACTLY!!!! my husband always gets frustrated with me because i'm giving him the "silent treatment," but i keep explaining to him that it's NOT the case at all! i'm trying to work through the heat of my emotions, find the real root of why the emotions flared in the first place, and then speak from a calm, sorted out state of mind, so i don't say something that can't be taken back! stupid things are said in the heat of the moment, and, as you said in one of your other posts, words are INDEED life & death, so....i try to step back from the moment a little bit in an attempt to bring life to the situation.

The hardest part is, when you try step away from the situation to contemplate it and piece things together in a more "generous" way, is when others try to force you into speaking and try to engage you further in a conflict (when that's really the Worst possible time they could choose to do that). At those times, it's like you're being pulled by two different worlds. You want to escape what's being thrown in your face and try to resolve it in a more congenial way, so you don't make those detrimental mistakes that can't be taken back, but it's like the person you're talking with is trying to block your escape route... Which can make it feel like you're suffocating at those moments.

Another thing that's hard, is when a situation isn't bothering you anymore, and someone else keeps expressing their hurt and rage, repetitively, over and over again to you about how they've been hurt by it. You have to sit their and listen to everything they're saying, and at first it doesn't bother you... but when they keep repeating the matter it grows, and you just want to tell them to Stop it! already. (you want to move back to the 'escapism' mentality because it's easier for you to deal with the stress that way, and cool your mind off so it doesn't get overloaded and suddenly burst!) But if you do that, they'll just blow up even more, and then the situation will become worse, because they have a different way of dealing with hurtful situations and problems. It's more relieving to them if someone listens to what they say, as long as they want to keep saying it... until they're finally finished (everyone needs to do that at some times, but with some people it's their usual way of dealing with things; which doesn't mean it necessarily wrong). And they want your complete attention at that time. (which isn't unreasonable, but when it's really repetitive for a good amount of time, it can start getting on your nerves... here's another place where patience comes in handy.) You have to learn how to cope with different people's ways of expressing themselves. Which can also be irratating, frustrating, and hurtful to you, but it does help you grow more.

especially the closer it is to home. where there are heated emotions, i can't STAND to be there. it's just very overwhelming for me, and..even if i'm not involved AT ALL in the situation, i end up in tears every time (stinking hypersensitivity! lol).

Yeah, it usually is a lot harder to deal with at home, no matter what. Because you have to live with whatever conflict is being faced, even if it's not your own. And living with even ONE other person, can be a huge hassel, because that means they have a totally different mindset (though there could be many similarities)... and You aren't them; you can't decide what they're going to do or say. Which is why sometimes it seems like living alone would be a good thing to do because then you'd have no conflict, misunderstandings, have to explain things to others, etc.. but then again there's a lot of things you'd miss if you didn't; you'd miss out on relationships and all the many good things that can come from them.

my marriage really taught me the value of FACING conflict, though. as i've mentioned before, my marriage was totally falling apart earlier this year, and the Lord was telling me to leave. (yes, i'm SURE it was Him....but...i totally freaked when He said "leave," and did not bother asking for further detail, which...brought a HUUUUUUUUGE mess!) i thought He was saying DIVORCE, and i could NOT wrap my head around that. i was like, "ok, but Your Word gives very CLEAR and BASIC reasons for divorce, and...none of that has taken place here....and i KNOW that You don't contradict Yourself, so....what?!?!" (this was one of the MAJOR "did i hear that RIGHT, Lord?" arguments within...) so i sat on it, too full of fear & doubt to move, in ANY direction. He told me to do that LAST YEAR!!! (the BEGINNING of last year!) so, i sat. and the situation continued to spiral out of control, getting reeeeally bad. finally, i had gotten to where i could take NO MORE, and i knew that if i didn't get out, i wouldn't live much longer, and i feared the effect it would all have on my boys. so, i mustered up every ounce of courage i had & left. i TOLD him that i wanted to file (and had every intention of doing so), and the boys & i went to spend a month with my sister. in that time, God began to work in his heart, in my heart, and in our marriage, and....we are now 5 months into the restoration of our marriage. which would NOT have come if i had not obeyed the Lord's "LEAVE." i don't even remember why i put this in here

That's really awesome how God is/has restoring your marriage. I pray God continues to draw both of you together as He draws both of you and your children closer to Him. Really though, I believe God's going to use THAT testimony alone to restore many other marriages. When you look at all of the divore statistics it's really devastating, especially since the divore rate (50/50) is about the same for Christians as that of the rest of the world who doesn't even know God - we should be the ones who have the best marriages. But it is really intersting that there's been a research study that 90% of the marriages where the spouses actually PRAY together (not including their time alone) really do stay together... (that catch-phrase is really true, even nowadays) The percentage is really higher than if they only go to church together.

but....a good reminder that we must be certain that not only have we HEARD the Lord correctly, we must be certain that we don't RUSH into what He has spoken, because sometimes our understanding of what He says has NOTHING to do with what He has spoken!

So true; sometimes God tells us things and we mis-perceive what HIS exact will is for that, because of our incomplete perception of things.

oh man, SO true!!! we've come up with so many catchy little sayings to help us remember Scripture, but...in doing so, we've sort of lost the true meaning & understanding. we've taken kind of the blanket meaning of something, and made it the standard, straight across the board application.

Exactly. Sometimes I think it's the same thing with some songs we sing. We have these "catchy" songs but most of them usually are vague in the direct meaning that was originally intended for the song. I love simple things/songs, but MOST songs nowadays are rather TOO simple; and I don't mean simple in the sense of the meaning of the words, I mean in the way those meaningful words are presented to others. Sometimes we need to be more specific, creative, and more careful and attentive to meanings of the song, so we don't come across with so many misinterpretations. (And to be honest, much music is pretty superficial. It has the same message (which is the timeless message we NEED to present) but it's always presented / written/ performed/ etc The Same exact way ) It's like we've lost the creativity to do something new, different, fresh, and still stick to the heart of the matter. I don't believe God wants everyone doing everything the same way all the time... It gets a little too repetitive and Soooo much meaning can be lost when we never experiment, and look for new ways to articulate the message in a way others can understand. Other times it just shows how we really just copy everyone else and take the easy route in what we do. There needs to be more originality and creativity; specificity in songwriting and more analytical techniques in music (because much music, is the same progression, which is repetitive. Sure it might be easy, but most of it really sounds the same; I believe God likes creativity, after all He is the author of it, and of course the most creative and original!). Combine that with the POWER and direct Presence of God we experience in truly worshiping Him, and that's an awesome mix. Thing is, so many people who are creative in their music, even if they are Christians, tend to lean more toward one side .... creativity vs. power of God - Here's where moderation comes in again! :D We need both. (I kind of went off on a music tangent, but I really think it's something massive that a lot of radio stations/churches/bands/artists, should think about more often...)

(for THAT matter, i should be GLAD to pay that price, since we need to "lay down my pride!"

Yep; and that's one of my favorite songs from Jeremy. When I listen to it, I often repeat it constantly. Actually, I think as a whole, the Restored album, is still my very favorite, even though I like the others also.

Convicted

12-10-2008, 07:09 AM

but if he can just sit & listen (or ESPECIALLY if there's a way that he can TOUCH what he's learning), he remembers it VERBATIM!

Do you think he has a photographic mind when it comes to learning sensory's that he's best at?

(who's to say what normal is, anyway!! i know "THEY" have some pretty clear-cut standards of what normal is, but..how did "THEY" get to be such a reliable source!)

Exactly! And there is only One completely reliable source - God. More people should really check how reliable what they're believing really is.

soooo true - and one of those so simple, yet SOOOOOO difficult things!

It's another one of the many paradoxical things that exist. :) Things that are complicated are often simple, and things that are simple are often complicated.

you know, i NEVER made that connection before! thank you for pointing that out!!!

No problem. :)

soooooo true!!!! a lot of my SILENCE is for the sole purpose of bringing my thoughts into alignment with a Spirit led response, rather than just blabbing out in my flesh BECAUSE of that power!

I truly love silence... Sometimes it's just another great time to just be in awe of God's wonderful power, spectacular works, and just think about how amazing He truly is. Also, I believe if we never choose to be silent, that God will bring us to a place of silence so we can quiet OUR minds (which so often is hard to do, especially since we use them to think so much) to hear what He wants to say to us. I can't really count how many times God wakes me up, when I'm just falling asleep to hear Him whisper a revalation to me, that no matter how much I just try to ignore it or go back to sleep, it keeps tugging at my heart, and I have to usually write it down or contemplate more fully on it. So often we don't just quiet ourselves down (even if we are quiet already - another paradox) and let Him open our ears and seize upon our hearts. This also reminds me of... Run - Kutless (you can't believe I just said that can you ?!? :D ) Which is probably one of my very favorite songs from them... It talks about how Christ died for us, to be with us... because He loves us and how we keep ignoring Him; and how He brings us to a place of solitude so we can once again have that intimacy and close fellowship with Him. I'd encourage anyone to listen to that song via Youtube and even if you don't like the music (because truthfully, I didn't at first either) contemplate on the message.

EXACTLY!!!!! if the SON OF GOD needed to constantly quote Scripture when He was on earth as man (simply CHOOSING not to tap into His divine power to resist!), why do we think we can get by WITHOUT quoting Scripture!

Which is why we should continually meditate on it.

yeah, the difference is what i was talking about when i said that i never understood it, but now i do. when we allow ourselves to be filled with the things of the Lord, we will hunger & thirst no more - for the things of the WORLD. i believe the connection between the concept of never thirsting again & being hungry (besides the terms "thirst" & "hunger," i mean....i'm using them interchangeably here....) is this: when we allow ourselves to be filled with the things of the Lord, we are no longer hungry for the things of the WORLD...which, in turn, makes us MORE hungry for MORE of the Lord. initially, i was only seeing the natural application in those verses - i wasnt understanding the spiritual application, realizing that He keeps us thirsty for HIM so that we can keep growing, and the more that THAT thirst grows, the less appealing & satisfying the things of the world become.

Exactly.. Really what He does is replace our appetites; He changes what's appealing to our tastebuds.. The more we taste of Him, (He's really organic!) the more we crave Him over the artificial food of the world. Which brings me to Daniel 1:8: But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the kings delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. In the same way that Daniel refused to eat the kings delicacies, we should refuse to eat the things the world offers us; no matter who offers us those things. If you read further in that chapter it speaks of how Daniel requested to eat only vegatables and water, and how in 10 days his appearance was better than the rest of those young men who did eat the kings delicacies. See, when we won't compromise what God says with rest of the world, we will continually flourish before their eyes more than they are even though they continually are being fed with things that in the eyes of the world might seem more delicious, but really.... when we eat what is organic, and healthy food... we will truly be in a more healthy, fit, and prosperous state.

yes, indeed! we may be able to see the WHOLE picture, but....we are seeing it from a skewed perspective (if we ARE seeing the whole picture) - our perspective is ALWAYS slanted. God is seeing from HIS perspective, from ABOVE! (an aerial view) He sees the whole picture, spread out before Him in its entirety. when we look at it from our perspective (ok, i'm picturing like standing on a map of the united states..if i'm standing on NY, it looks the biggest because i'm IN it....and i can SEE CA, but my perspective is bad because it's far away from where i'm at), the entire picture is skewed, even when it is seen in its entirety. what we have to do is work from where we're at, but keep looking UP (to HIM!) so that we can navigate to the center of His will, to make sure we don't end up in some other place because we were going by how things look. (ok, i don't even know if that analogy made any sense, but...it sure made it plain as day in my head! lol i KNOW i didn't say it as clearly as i thought it....)

You my friend, are bringing up a topic which most of life revolves around - Christian or not Christian. Pespectives. We all have distorted perspectives of things (which is why the whole framework of our mind is being continually evaluated as we learn and process new information), and the more we look to the One who has the Accurate perspective, we will never be in an accurate position, mindset, etc.. We may not have all of the right perspectives but we can truly know the One who does know all of the right perspectives. And what matters is, in knowing that, are we listening, obeying, and looking for His perspective and direction continually?

and....there's only one way to learn patience! :p to LEARN it! it is a FRUIT of the Spirit, NOT a GIFT of the Spirit! ha! it has to be planted, sown, pruned (ahhh, the lovely pruning!!! urgh....lol), sometimes completely CUT OFF to start over, and....it's very labor intensive! it is not simply handed over to us (much to my dismay! lol)!

That's right; it's something that Only He can cultivate inside of us...
Joy also is only something that can be cultivated; which makes joy and happiness a distinct difference. Happiness is because of something at the moment; it's temporal - while joy is more than just something at the moment; it's something that you can have even in the worst circumstances when you aren't "happy".

i am SOOOOOO thankful that He has broken the road to prepare the way...i wish i could stop being so easily distracted & wandering off the trail!!!

I wish the same thing! But all we have to do is trust Him and follow His guidance; and even if we do go astray off the path, He'll lead us back on it safely.

Convicted

12-10-2008, 07:28 AM

i think Kutless has made the better choice! that is just AWESOME!

I also think it's the better choice; so do they.

scribbled in one of my journals a few years ago: "THE ROOT OF FEAR IS PRIDE." i remember it like it was yesterday. my pastor was preaching (incidentally, on something COMPLETELY unrelated to fear OR pride!), and...i don't even know what i was thinking about (honest, my thoughts WERE on the point of the message...), and then WHAM! God said, "the root of fear is pride." and really...it IS! i mean....when He tells us to step out, why don't we? FEAR! of failing...of messing up....of rejection.....no matter what the fear IS, it all comes down to pride, because it's all fear of how it will affect US! so....indeed, pride is it! God resists the proud, but gives grace to humble.

Yep; it's really not wanting to lose what we think will make us something better or greater; less foolish. But look how often God uses foolish things in the Bible... 1 Corinthians 1 - goes into detail all about it. It really should be an honor to us, to actually be able to be used by God no matter how weak in ourselves we may be.. He always makes us something more than we are, but we aren't something great until we let Him mold us - after all we're just insignificant clay in the Masters hand. Now the touch of the Master is what REALLY makes us something great.

for sure, laying down our pride is NO EASY THING!!!! but, it IS necessary if we want to walk a Spirit-filled/led life! [/COLOR]

It's probably one of the hardest things for us to do, because we relinquish our rights to ourselves and having everything OUR way. How surrunder is the most important and vital thing, and really is so simplistic... and how it's probably one of the greatest things the whole church as a whole we each individually struggle with. It's entry level Christianity - we need to get the basics down, so we can expand on the rest of what God wants us to learn and truly experience Him FULLY...

[QUOTE=cori;13033]
lol, as long as it doesn't eventually turn into "my MOM ATE my homework!" :O (i guess, technically, he COULD say that, since we are feeding on the Word, so to speak! lol)

LOL!!! I love the technicality used there.

lol, yep! i've got one pretty one that i STARTED writing in (this was back in high school, before i learned the value of scribbling in the margins! lol), and...ended up writing in the margins, so...i got mad at myself for messing it up & never used it again. i still have it, but most of it is empty. your average spiral bound notebook, though - i've got like 7 of those, FILLED! (almost every square inch of paper on most pages, too! lol) i used to get frustrated when God would have me go back to something in one of my earlier journals (lessons), because i always ended up adding more to the things He showed me. i've since realized that He wanted me to go back to the lesson to WRITE DOWN the additional insights He's provided for me!

:D I've got like 7 also, plus all of the papers floating around (I've put them in a folder now, so at least I know where they are!) Since I've realized that I'll probably go back and scribble more things down when I re-read a notebook, now I usually leave a page or two empy after I write something, that way the book isn't filled with little jots and tiddles written in one place referring to something totally different in another place, and having to piece all of those pieces together. (though, I still have that from all the other previous notebooks, but at least this might work out better for the future -- or worse if I'm just going to write MORE and more insights in all of those pages.) So simple yet so complicated. :)

jllm04

12-10-2008, 07:57 AM

Thanks Cori,
It is a somewhat scary thing for me to seriously consider writing things down that have happened to me. When I have spoken to people about it in the past, there is this tendency to want to read way more into what I've said.
And unfortunately, things have been taken out of context. And the last thing I want is for some of this to be taken as parent bashing.
As fortunate as I was growing up, I was left with a lot of scars.
(That I've spent the last three years dealing with).

Crazy as it may sound, I have received confirmation after confirmation from the Lord that yes, that did actually happen. Ya know? Then, the lovely aftermath.
(which is where I still am, and wish it were over)
The past three years have been the most difficult yet rewarding years of my life so for. Crazy-wierd revelations have become so real to me. They hurt so bad sometimes; yet in the end, are healing.
People, I must say, are very strange creatures. Huge dichotomies; and that confidence is a more delicate intity than I realized.
Life, is very, very, complicated.

I will share. However, I do have a husband and two young daughters, and well, very little time! And my youngest is asking "to go somewhere" right this minute. So, hang in!

Lana :)

Convicted

12-10-2008, 08:45 AM

believe so, too. i really believe that we're seeing corporate fallout (for lack of a better word) in leadership because God is beginning the sifting process....as we've seen through so many awful times (9/11, for example), people tend to band together as one in difficult circumstances. i think it's the separating the sheep from the goats, and i think it's the call to unity.

I think God began the process of sifting earlier, and we're just beginning to see it in a more open and corporate way. It really is a shame though that when circumstances go wrong, that's the time when people usually band together in unity the most. I think that right there, is a call to remind us of how urgent things really are and to not get complacent even if things are comfortable... We should continually live in that "state of emergency," and always recognize the urgent outcry of the world - because everyone and everything is looking for the appearance and salvation of the Savior - and we can lead them to Him - it's our mission.

yep....it goes back to the comparison to the body - we don't cut off our hand because it is wounded. no, we try to HEAL our hand, because the hand makes us more effective in our ministry! we are so quick to cut people off because they have hurt us or we see them bringing hurt to the body (back to our skewed perception of things!), when instead, we should be reaching out to them, helping to make them whole, so that WE can be whole! it's difficult to function as a whole when there is so much division in the Body, ANYWAY, and to have some parts of the Body CHOOSING to cut off other parts of the Body - no wonder the world has little respect for our faith!

EXACTLY! You know what this reminds me of now?!?! If We Are The Body - Casting Crowns. I love that song; there's so much truth to it. Instead of condemning people who are sinning or who have hurt us: "If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentlness, considering yourself lest you be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:1-2
And if people judge and select others, deem certain people better - than they should also look at these Scriptures (in addition to many more): "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged;" Matthew 7:1 "For there is no partiality with God." Romans 2:11 This is why we should recognize the importance of ALL members of the Body - not just the ones we see the most and surmize are the most effective, etc... There's people all over the world who we have NEVER heard about (and probably won't until we meet them one day) who are extremely vital to the Body as a whole. Those people reach others we ourselves can't reach - because they have their own specific function and we have ours. Imagine all of the people in churches, who others don't even recognize exist - they have high potential as well. Sometimes I wonder if the church is really "equipping the saints" to the extent that they should/could.

exactly!! a while ago, a friend of mine was really burdened because the Church was not being all that she could be, complacency about sin starting in leadership, and....she was crying out for corporate repentance & seeking mercy on a corporate level. we were a balanced thing, together, because i was seeing it more on the individual level. if we are all walking with the Lord the way we are CALLED to walk with Him, on an INDIVIDUAL level, then we can kinda work from the ground up in restoring the Church to all that she is called to be.

Exactly. It all begins with us individually, and as we progress as individuals to seek & grow, get our hearts right - the most the Church as a whole will begin to pull together into what it should be. It's not really about how much "church" we have.... It's really about us being the church.

(which is......if you don't mind my asking?? lol...i'm prepared to feel like i'm 90, though! lol)

There's no need to feel like you're 90. lol... And really if you think about it, 90 really isn't that old (though living all of those many hours would probably feel like forever) in the grand scheme of things. Plus, if you compare 90 to as long as Methuselah lived, which is 969 years -- I think that would be a bit more of a difference. But anyhow, I'm 18 =]. When I was at myspace I was 17, which isn't real young, but for some reason the people there just didn't (or just didn't want to) believe I was.

and myspace really is kind of the devil's forum, he's got a lot of foothold there....

Yeah, it's really sad. When I'd browse through people's profiles, seeing the photographs of them (or at least supposedly them) it was just something I could see in their faces, the pain, emptiness, hopelessness - the searching for God (whether they know it or not) - it's really heartbreaking. I'm always glad when there's someone there who knows the answer and isn't ashamed to tell it. (of course using wisdom also though).

EXACTLY RIGHT, AGAIN!!! we are called to be servants, but i think that's one area of service that we tend to overlook!

Very true. Guess what this reminds me of now? Not What You See - Kutless.
"Nothing more a slave I will be" Another great message in that song.
"Yet is shall not be so among ou; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28
And this also reminds me of when Jesus washed His disciples feet - one of the things that isn't considered such a lovely job - especially since most of the people in those day walked everywhere and dirt got caked on their feet. But even so Jesus calls us to do that exact same thing - lay it all down, so we can be truly raised up. "You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you hsould do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things blesesd are you if you do them." John 13:13-17
I think the Scripture, really speaks for itself... One thing more I noticed reading that was how often Jesus uses the phrase when addressing people, "Most assuredly"... He spoke to us, with COMPLETE assurance - guarantee - and confidence. Not a word of His, can fail - and if we can't fail if we obey Him, why choose not to (no matter how tempting things may be)?

(or maybe i'm just totally cheesy because all the recent discussion of the Bread of Life, Water of the Word is fresh in my mind, so i've got food on the brain! lol)

LoL; food for thought -

and there it is again...BALANCE!

Sometimes it drives me crazy just recognizing it!

yep....i've learned that the most valuable lessons are the ones that hurt the most to learn. we learn better when more of our senses are involved, and....failure definitely grabs ALL of the senses! the only way our failures MAKE us a failure is if we allow them to keep us down & we don't learn something from the failure.

Exactly. It's in those places of brokeness when we truly are the most prepared for Him to use us and mold us more into His likeness.

because on this earth, this is the ONLY opportunity that we will EVER have to offer up a SACRIFICE of praise...of BROKEN worship. in heaven, there will be no more tears, no more pain....no more brokenness. which IS something to be looked forward to, but....i believe that the greater our brokenness (these are MY thoughts, now....), the greater the sacrifice (and value!) of our worship. i have been really convicted of offering up a lesser than worship because i am so weighed down by the worries of this world. what does that say about my faith!!! He is worthy of our worship simply because He IS!! and i WILL praise Him, no matter WHAT is going on in my life. (heather & nolan are VERY powerful in ministry, for sure!!!)[/COLOR]

That's really deep, and really true. I think I'll digest that more thoroughly.

Convicted

12-10-2008, 09:03 AM

It amazes me how He lays them out right before us. He takes us right to what we need. I most definitely reread them and a lot of times a scriptutre is give and I look it up and it ties into more that I needed so i will continue to read onin that chapter of the bible to see what God is trying to reach me with. I don't want to miss out on spending time in His devine presence.

It truly is amazing how He opens our eyes even further into the deep mysteries of His word. - It's just so amazing. No words really can describe it.

"Let go and let God" reminds me of James 4:8 "Draw close to God and He will draw close to you."

I love that Scripture. It reminds me of: "Further From Myself" - Pillar. I love that song also! The Scripture also kind of indicates that we truly can come as close to God as we want - He wants us to. But the thing that really determines the limit of how close we get to Him, is ourselves. How much of ourselves are we willing to lose to gain Him? 'Cause the closer we come to His light, the more radiant and shining it rubs off on us, just like it did with Moses - to the point he had to wear a veil around other people. I so want to get to that point where, it's just Him flowing through me - to the point the temptations and struggles that once bothered me become like feathers compared to the awesomeness and healing He touches me with - to the point I'm completely consumed by His breathtaking majesty. The closer I get to Him, the less and less I look like me. "I have been crucified with Christ; it's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it." Mark 8:35

Enjoy, it's an awesome song!

It is a good song!

Convicted

12-10-2008, 09:06 AM

This is a fun forum. I love hearing what God is teaching people!
Lately, everyday seems to be some eye-opening revelation for me.
The kind that can wipe out an entire afternoon...just trying to figure it out!

Lana :)

Hey! It's great to see you here, and like Cori said, I also look forward to your posts.

I too can relate to everything you said! Everyday really is an eye-opening revelation - God's always teaching us something new, and giving us more appreaciation for Him while we learn to walk with Him closer everyday.

Convicted

12-10-2008, 09:11 AM

this is actually my favorite thread on the boards! i check it like 3000 (probably add a few more 0's! lol) times a day, because i looooove the spiritual challenge it keeps bringing! :D

It's my favorite thread also!!! I also check it constantly (when I'm not busy that is). And I also love the spiritual challenge it brings - which makes me contemplate on how it's the challenges in life that are the things that intrigue us the most, break us the most, and the things we learn from the most. You know, I think we talk about learning here, more than any other place I've been, including school!

Convicted

12-10-2008, 09:31 AM

I trusted in Him and i want no less than His perfect will otherwise it would all be in vain. This isn't about me it's about bringing God all the glory.

That right there, describes life itself. Everything really means nothing without Him. Like I used to say, "It's all like air - a vapor - it's all temporary and passing - never lasting." Last year God really impressed that upon my heart, while I was experiencing one of those Extremely DRY times in life - where you don't really feel much of anything; even His presence. And the strange thing is, I was truly, honestly, and constantly seeking God. But it's during those times of utter dryness that I've learned, it's like God allows us to not feel Him, even though we know He's still there, and He really is. He wants us to get to the point where we become desperate for Him - He wants to see how much we're willing to passionately pursue Him - the depth of our love for Him. And He also teaches us patience, prayer, and waiting on Him to the point we're content with seeking Him .... until we find Him. And of course we, in ourselves, never can find Him - But He finds us and reaches down to us, filling us up again with Himself - to the point we're overflowing to others in our path. He restores our feeling. It's just like a parent playing tag with their little child - the parent (usually) is much faster, and lets the child chase them for awhile - and then the parent comes and tackles (not to the point the kid dies though :p ) the child playfully. In the same way, God lets us pursue Him - and then He starts pursuing us. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:8

"Everything is empty, everything is dry - I've been looking for true riches and left with pyrite." Christ indeed is the treasure we're all looking for - And when I say that it's like I see a whole treasure box full of glittering and glowing riches... precious jewels, rubies - (which almost seem, not of this world themselves)

Convicted

12-10-2008, 10:02 AM

ok....so...the first thing i see in that song is the giving away of self, which is the essence of ministry. no matter WHAT the cost, laying down our pride, abandoned love & purpose in Him to walk with Him. the next thing i see is LIFESTYLE worship!

Completely!!! We should live our lives in such a way that it truly is worship to Him. Our lives should be like a serande of love - the offering itself that we offer up to Him. Can't really say it anymore plain than that.

she talks about different parts of creation glorifying God just the way they were made to do it - they don't save it for sunday morning, or do anything specific during their worship (raising hands, bowing down, etc... - not that those things are BAD! i do most of them myself, every sunday, actually! but....it's not about doing it specifically during worship times....) - their expression of worship is in what they do naturally. does our worship come naturally? is my life a continuous expression of worship, or do i save those expressions for worship TIME at church?

That's the thing, when we have that mindset that we "do worship at church" (which I've actually heard before - I wanted to sing a song of praise to God and my mother says "If you want to sing, go to church and sing.") instead of actually BEING the church - which is living a life of worship to God. In everything we say and do -- and often times the thing we so easily forget Think.

do i reeeeally want to let CREATION offer up a better worship than what i can give? (yeah, this one hit me pretty hard the first few zillion times i listened to it!) and then the last thing i see is pretty obvious, i think. WE are the crown of creation.....and none of us can offer a perfect worship, because we all have places in our hearts & lives that are still broken. but, it's not the circumstances behind the worship that makes it valuable - it's the heart behind the worship that holds the value. and, if we can STILL offer up a sincere, heartfelt worship in our most broken place, that is probably the most genuine (therefore the most valuable!) form of worship we can give.

Awesome! And yes we are the crown of creation. Check out what this Scripture says: For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the reveailing of the sons of God. Romans 8:19 All of creation is waiting for us to rise into our rightful postion that God has ordained for us - the creation itself is groaning for that day when the glory of God is fulfilled fully in us.
And look what Isaiah says: For you shall go out with joy, and be led with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singign before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 55:12.
At times, when I'm just outside, or driving in the car - it's almost like you can sense the creation that it's alive - bringing God glory. It's pretty surreal.
And this also reminds me, of what Jesus said when He triumphantly entered Jerusalem and the people were praising Him.. "I tell you taht if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." Luke 19:40 That begs this question.... How silent have we kept our praise? Is our lifestyle really a melody that's pleasant to His ears?

anyway, i don't know if that even made any sense, but....that song just totally seems (to me, anyway) to go with our current discussion. at the very least, it's made it come alive again to ME....so....just thought i'd give heather some love here! lol (hey, she rocks, too! totally different sound than jeremy, but her message is still very powerful!)

I Youtube'd some of Heather's music, (namely, Even More) and immediately... I mean like IMMEDIATELY God told me why her music is so powerful... Why? She waits on the Spirit - she wants Him to be in control; She wants Him to shake the atmosphere with His descending in our midst -- "God inhabits the praises of His people."

She reminded me a lot of Misty Edwards. Ever heard of her? You may like her music. Youtube: Power Of Your Love - Misty Edwards - I know we've all heard that song probably a million times, but it's still powerful.

Convicted

12-10-2008, 10:20 AM

It is a somewhat scary thing for me to seriously consider writing things down that have happened to me. When I have spoken to people about it in the past, there is this tendency to want to read way more into what I've said.
And unfortunately, things have been taken out of context. And the last thing I want is for some of this to be taken as parent bashing.

I'm sorry there's been so many misunderstandings. They can really hurt, and just add more pain to the situation. Only post what you feel comfortable sharing.

As fortunate as I was growing up, I was left with a lot of scars.

So was I - it's a very tough thing to deal with altogether.

The past three years have been the most difficult yet rewarding years of my life so for. Crazy-wierd revelations have become so real to me. They hurt so bad sometimes; yet in the end, are healing.

I also can relate again. It's so strange (or maybe not) that the most difficult years also are the most rewarding yet in different aspects. I've often found in my own life, that usually the most profound revelations come during the most painful times and experiences. Part of the broknesses, we were talking about earlier.

People, I must say, are very strange creatures.

We really are! We're the most intelligent, yet the most destructive. We destroy things, and then try to fix what we've destroyed. Our real problem comes down to sin. If it wasn't for us sinning way back in the garden, the entire planet would be completely different right now.

Huge dichotomies; and that confidence is a more delicate intity than I realized.
Life, is very, very, complicated.

How true.

I will share. However, I do have a husband and two young daughters, and well, very little time! And my youngest is asking "to go somewhere" right this minute. So, hang in!

Lana :)

Blessings on you and your family Lana! We love hearing from you!.

jllm04

12-10-2008, 10:16 PM

cori

12-10-2008, 10:17 PM

leigh, we're happy to keep you & your ministry lifted up in prayer! :D just be sure & let us know when the book is finished so we can be the first to buy copies, ok?! :)

cori

12-10-2008, 10:43 PM

convicted: The hardest part is, when you try step away from the situation to contemplate it and piece things together in a more "generous" way, is when others try to force you into speaking and try to engage you further in a conflict (when that's really the Worst possible time they could choose to do that). exactly! it makes it so much harder to gather the thoughts & emotions and separate out the "heat of the moment" stuff from the legitimate issue stuff when you've got someone who wants to hash it out RIGHT now. thankfully, my husband isn't the type to try to push me to talk before i'm ready - and i think he's finally starting to understand why i need the time to calm down before discussing anything.

Another thing that's hard, is when a situation isn't bothering you anymore, and someone else keeps expressing their hurt and rage, repetitively, over and over again to you about how they've been hurt by it. oh man, don't i know it!!! the friendship issue i keep mentioning to aaron is exacty one of those situations. one day, she just - completely out of the blue (as far as the relationship had been going) - told me that we couldn't be close anymore. no explanation, no reason given, no nothing. just that. in the months to follow, she proceeded to tell others in the church (one night in Bible study, she even said this to the entire group DURING the sharing time of the study! :eek: ) how destructive i was in her life, robbing her of hope & such. of course, she "never mentioned any names," but our friendship was VERY close & we were almost inseparable, so everyone always knew who she was talking about. i actually had to go to the pastor for advice on how to deal with the situation, and he reassured me that everyone could see things for how they really were (no one thought i was as destructive a person as she was making me out to be & actually felt that she was walking in flesh & pride), and told me to just keep plugging away, keeping my chin up & not getting discouraged by what she said. as if THAT weren't enough to keep pouring salt on the wound, she would constantly (and i mean CONSTANTLY!!!) keep coming up to me to talk after church, pretending like nothing ever happened! i mean, i know i needed to heal & be back to a place in my heart where i COULD have a conversation with her without all that hurt coming back, but...it was too much, too soon, and...frankly, i had NOTHING to say to her. anyway, she has finally stopped sharing how destructive my friendship was & seems to have finally understood that casual conversation is ok, but, since she terminated the friendship, it's unreasonable to expect a deep conversation. so....yeah....trying to accomodate other people's boundaries & coping mechanisms in a conflict also adds stress to the mess, for sure!

Yeah, it usually is a lot harder to deal with at home, no matter what. Because you have to live with whatever conflict is being faced, even if it's not your own. yep....outside the home, it's just a conflict - the size or impact of the conflict doesn't seem as powerful or overwhelming, because home is a refuge. we can get away from the conflict (to some degree, at least) just by going home. when conflict is IN the home....there IS no refuge....there is nowhere to go. you have to face it & feel it until it's resolved, and...sometimes that resolution doesn't come so quickly!

you'd miss out on relationships and all the many good things that can come from them. you know, i spent the last few years avoiding relationships at all cost, because they seemed to be nothing but hurt & trouble. then God spent a few weeks of my Bible study readings really working my heart over about that. i'd have to dig up my notes to share the depth of what He revealed to me, but...the basic point (and what He was really helping me to understand) was that i CAN NOT give up on relationships. it's all about PEOPLE.

That's really awesome how God is/has restoring your marriage. i can tell you for sure that, less than a year ago, i did NOT think it was possible. we are still working through some pretty major issues, but...at least we're working on the communication part of things, which is where the problems usually start.

I pray God continues to draw both of you together as He draws both of you and your children closer to Him. THANK YOU!!!!! you have NO idea how much we need the prayers!

Really though, I believe God's going to use THAT testimony alone to restore many other marriages. He's got to make some good come out of all the heartache! :D and, i know He will....but i also know that it takes TWO cooperative people in the marriage, willing to lay down their pride & tell people how poorly they were doing & how close they came to failing for God to make the testimony. a restored marriage does US good, but it does no one else any good unless we can swallow our pride & share our lowest of lows with others who may need to hear it.

When you look at all of the divore statistics it's really devastating oh, i know!! the stats are reeeeeally sad!!!

So true; sometimes God tells us things and we mis-perceive what HIS exact will is for that, because of our incomplete perception of things. my problem was that my perception of what the Lord was telling me to do (leave) looked - in the natural - to be a door opening for tomorrow's path! i didn't want to NOT obey (leave), and have the opening door be slammed shut because i did not obey. but...i also didn't want to be jumping the gun, trying to make things happen in MY timing, rather than His! that's why i sat on that word for a YEAR before walking anything out. i begged Him to tell me something specific..where to go...what to do when i got there...etc... and He would not give me anything more than "leave." it was a real concrete lesson in "obey God today, and trust HIM for tomorrow." so many times He just says "go," but does not give us the destination. i've learned, over time, that it's to build our faith - it's easy to walk the road when you know the destination (sometimes). when you don't have a clue where you're going, not so easy! it really is a place of complete surrender & submission. thankfully i didn't go full speed ahead when i finally DID walk out that word, because it would have been trying to open doors that are not yet ready to be opened - i am sooooo glad that i waited on Him, even when everything in me demanded answers!

Yep; and that's one of my favorite songs from Jeremy. When I listen to it, I often repeat it constantly. Actually, I think as a whole, the Restored album, is still my very favorite, even though I like the others also. hmmm, i'm not sure if i even have restored - i'll have to go look! (i bought like 4 cd's the same day i bought beyond measure, but...i'm like you (ccc!) & have to digest the music a bit before it really starts to sink in. i listened to beyond measure & was sucked into that one - i tried listening to the others, but i just couldn't get into them until beyond measure had worked its way through me. so, i dont even KNOW what cd's i have! (well, i know i've got beyond measure & sltb, lol!)

cori

12-10-2008, 11:02 PM

convicted: Do you think he has a photographic mind when it comes to learning sensory's that he's best at? actually, i DO think he has a photographic memory (although it could be another form of echolalia). i need to talk to the school psychologist to see how we would go about finding that out for sure, but....this kid's got a memory like no other! he was born in the spring (may), so he spent the first few months of his life in a onesie. then winter came & he was in pants all the time, except for diaper changes. so, being the uninhibited mommy that i was (inhibition goes out the window once you have a kid, man! lol), i made a game out of the diaper change (he had started crawling & wanted to crawl away mid-change! :eek:) and would tickle his knees & say, "naked knees!" every time i changed him. anyway, the game stopped once spring came around again & it was warm enough for shorts. i COMPLETELY forgot about that game....until last year. noah was playing on the floor in front of the couch, and i crawled over to kiss him on the forehead & he looked at me, and said...."NAKED KNEES!" of course, memories of the game came FLOODING back to me & i had to fight back tears, but..he wasn't even a year old when we did that! and he remembered it! anyway....i think he's more on the asperger's end of the autism spectrum (aspergers is like the super genius people with zero social skills) than anything else, but...aspergers cant be diagnosed until they're a little older (teen years, i want to say...need to double check with the school psych. on that one, too).

It's another one of the many paradoxical things that exist. :) Things that are complicated are often simple, and things that are simple are often complicated. i think all things are intended to be simple, but we make them complicated! lol as for the complicated stuff, i think it's just layer upon layer of simplicity being revealed. because, really, once the revelation comes, it really IS pretty simple! it's just a matter of removing the layers of the revelation to gain the deeper revelation. (what? lol i think i totally just complicated that thought! hahahahaha)

I truly love silence... Sometimes it's just another great time to just be in awe of God's wonderful power, spectacular works, and just think about how amazing He truly is. for SURE!!!

Also, I believe if we never choose to be silent, that God will bring us to a place of silence so we can quiet OUR minds (which so often is hard to do, especially since we use them to think so much) to hear what He wants to say to us. that is soooooo true!!! He'll let us go on our merry (!) way for a while, crying out to hear Him but refusing to stop & listen. and then, in His perfect timing, He'll bring all things to a screeching halt. everything in life will cease completely (through various circumstances, of course! lol), so that there is nothing that we CAN do but stop & listen.

I can't really count how many times God wakes me up, when I'm just falling asleep to hear Him whisper a revalation to me, that no matter how much I just try to ignore it or go back to sleep, it keeps tugging at my heart, and I have to usually write it down or contemplate more fully on it. lol, me too!! He'll let me go back to sleep.....only AFTER i've written it down! (you'd think after all this time, KNOWING that it's how i retain revelations, that i would be smart enough to keep a journal on my headboard! i think i'll put one there tonight! lol)

Really what He does is replace our appetites; He changes what's appealing to our tastebuds.. The more we taste of Him, (He's really organic!) the more we crave Him over the artificial food of the world. yes, and this is a GREAT way to describe it!!!! organic vs chemically grown! that's GREAT!!!

Which brings me to Daniel 1:8: But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the kings delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. In the same way that Daniel refused to eat the kings delicacies, we should refuse to eat the things the world offers us; no matter who offers us those things. If you read further in that chapter it speaks of how Daniel requested to eat only vegatables and water, and how in 10 days his appearance was better than the rest of those young men who did eat the kings delicacies. ahhh, the daniel fast! if i wasn't sooooo far behind (and so tired!), i would tell you the BEST story EVER about the daniel fast....remind me to tell you tomorrow! it really is GREAT!

See, when we won't compromise what God says with rest of the world, we will continually flourish before their eyes more than they are even though they continually are being fed with things that in the eyes of the world might seem more delicious, but really.... when we eat what is organic, and healthy food... we will truly be in a more healthy, fit, and prosperous state. yep, and just like in the natural, our bodies are a DIRECT reflection of the nourishment we're receiving!

You my friend, are bringing up a topic which most of life revolves around - Christian or not Christian. Pespectives. We all have distorted perspectives of things (which is why the whole framework of our mind is being continually evaluated as we learn and process new information) ohhh man, how much heartache we'd all spare ourselves if we'd stop trying to function in life from our OWN perspective!!!

We may not have all of the right perspectives but we can truly know the One who does know all of the right perspectives. And what matters is, in knowing that, are we listening, obeying, and looking for His perspective and direction continually? preach it!!! when we submit to Him and come in line with His direction (because we know that we CAN trust HIS perspective!), then we don't CARE what our perspective sees! undoubtedly (most assuredly? :D that was a GREAT observation, btw!) that is why we are constantly told to keep our EYES on JESUS! if our eyes are on HIM, our hearts follow our eyes, and.....our perspective is no longer a problem!

Happiness is because of something at the moment; it's temporal - while joy is more than just something at the moment; it's something that you can have even in the worst circumstances when you aren't "happy". exactly! :) happiness is good fun, indeed, but...joy is SOOOOOO much better!

I wish the same thing! But all we have to do is trust Him and follow His guidance; and even if we do go astray off the path, He'll lead us back on it safely. praise God for His faithfulness!

cori

12-10-2008, 11:14 PM

[QUOTE=Convicted;13181]Yep; it's really not wanting to lose what we think will make us something better or greater; less foolish. our pride separates us from God because it gives us the perception (haha, our OWN perspective!) of being equal with God. maybe not equating ourselves with Him, but....holding ourselves at the same level of importance in our lives that we hold Him. we don't want to lay down our pride if He tells us to do something that may be considered foolish, because we're afraid that it will make US look foolish! but...love does not care whether or not its expression looks foolish - it just MUST be expressed! and that is where our hearts need to be with our love for the Lord!

But look how often God uses foolish things in the Bible i love all those encouraging verses about God using the foolish to lead the wise, the weak to lead the strong, because...yeah...i'm a FAR cry from being wise OR strong! but, i have a hope that someday God WILL use me!...

It really should be an honor to us, to actually be able to be used by God no matter how weak in ourselves we may be.. ...oh, what an honor, for SURE!!!!

He always makes us something more than we are "i am nothing, You are everything, so i thank You, i thank You!"

but we aren't something great until we let Him mold us - after all we're just insignificant clay in the Masters hand. Now the touch of the Master is what REALLY makes us something great. "seems i'm always in this place where the things i seem to take are the things i wish would fade; i always purpose in my heart, well, to do things the right way, and i realize i'm still clay; and this piece that's being shaped will be a beauty YOU create" - that is SUCH a powerful song! (and, probably my favorite of jeremy's so far - bearing in mind that i havent spent as much time on any of them as i have on that one! lol)

It's probably one of the hardest things for us to do, because we relinquish our rights to ourselves and having everything OUR way. right again! giving up our self-righteousness, giving our own way, giving up what we think we deserve (rather than recognizing how much we DON'T deserve!), etc...etc...

How surrunder is the most important and vital thing, and really is so simplistic... and how it's probably one of the greatest things the whole church as a whole we each individually struggle with. It's entry level Christianity - we need to get the basics down, so we can expand on the rest of what God wants us to learn and truly experience Him FULLY...exactly! PREACH it!!!

LOL!!! I love the technicality used there. hehe, the one time splitting hairs actually WAS fun!

cori

12-10-2008, 11:30 PM

[QUOTE=jllm04;13183]
It is a somewhat scary thing for me to seriously consider writing things down that have happened to me. When I have spoken to people about it in the past, there is this tendency to want to read way more into what I've said.
And unfortunately, things have been taken out of context. i SOOOO understand where you're coming from!!! please don't share anything you're not comfortable sharing!! i assure you that whatever you DO share will be received with warmth, compassion, and love, and you will be covered in prayer, but...we don't want you to share anything that you're not comfortable sharing. i think your fears are legitimate, and i think we've all experienced those same fears from similar situations, so..we all understand where you're coming from.

And the last thing I want is for some of this to be taken as parent bashing.
As fortunate as I was growing up, I was left with a lot of scars.
(That I've spent the last three years dealing with). you know, relationships with parents make for really touchy conversations. i'm currently working through some serious issues with my mom (whom i love more than words can say, even though my heart beats like a rabbit with stress everytime i need to call her) from recent situations, but also from childhood situations. there are a lot of hurts that need to be healed, and, i've not exactly been pursuing doing that, because it DOES hurt to go back to those places to deal with things the right way so they can heal properly (nolan clark once gave a message about having wounds heal the wrong way - he had broken his nose in a wrestling match, and it had healed crooked....it was completely healed, but it was crooked. he eventually decided to have the dr look at it to see if it could be made straight again & the dr said he could do it, but he would have to break it again - did nolan want pain meds first? nolan said it didnt hurt that bad when it broke in the first place, so he delined meds, figuring he could handle it. about halfway through the procedure, he was screaming in agony & begging for the meds, but the dr was over halfway done & it would be more painful to stop the procedure until pain meds started working, so nolan had to just trust that the dr knew what he was doing & endure the pain. finally it was over & nolan's nose was re-broken & re-set, and it DID heal straight. sometimes to have a wound heal properly, it has to be broken again, so...i just encourage you to stick it out - i know this is a reeeeally hard time, revisiting all of that old stuff, but....there really IS a rainbow on the other side.). ok...what was i saying? lol oh yeah..needing to deal with mom issues, but not excited about doing so because it DOES hurt. but, at the same time, i also have to take into consideration that, without those things in my past, i wouldn't be who i am today. instead of allowing the pain to drive my life, my focus, i'm choosing to give it to the Lord so that He can turn it into something beautiful that He can work through.

Crazy as it may sound, I have received confirmation after confirmation from the Lord that yes, that did actually happen. Ya know? again, i know exactly what you're saying. and....really, it doesn't sound as crazy as you think it does. we all have stuff from our past, stuff from our own family situations (no matter HOW good they may have been) that we have to work through.

Then, the lovely aftermath. (which is where I still am, and wish it were over) we'll be praying for you!!!

Crazy-wierd revelations have become so real to me. They hurt so bad sometimes; yet in the end, are healing. yep, painful revelations that seem incomprehensible are par for the course...the road to healing is a very difficult one to travel, but....it must be traveled if healing is to come to the situation. going back to each place (revealed in the revelations or sudden return of a long forgotten memory) to deal with it the right way hurts, but..it's the only way God can restore that situation. (i feel like i'm getting all preachy or repeating myself :o i'm sorry! that's not my intention.....)

People, I must say, are very strange creatures. Huge dichotomies; and that confidence is a more delicate intity than I realized.
Life, is very, very, complicated. indeed! i've always joked (well, somewhat joking anyway - i actually was mostly serious!) that God should have stopped creation after the elephants! people (especially that free will part!) were not, in my opinion, His best idea! haha, but..what do i know! we are very complicated and, at times, VERY difficult to get along with, but....Jesus died for each of us, so....i'm busting my butt to get my heart right in the way of dealing with people that have hurt me.

I will share. However, I do have a husband and two young daughters, and well, very little time! And my youngest is asking "to go somewhere" right this minute. So, hang in! whenever you're ready & have time. :)

cori

12-10-2008, 11:43 PM

[QUOTE=Convicted;13186]I think God began the process of sifting earlier, and we're just beginning to see it in a more open and corporate way. i TOTALLY agree!

It really is a shame though that when circumstances go wrong, that's the time when people usually band together in unity the most. I think that right there, is a call to remind us of how urgent things really are and to not get complacent even if things are comfortable... We should continually live in that "state of emergency," and always recognize the urgent outcry of the world - because everyone and everything is looking for the appearance and salvation of the Savior - and we can lead them to Him - it's our mission. again, i TOTALLY agree!

EXACTLY! You know what this reminds me of now?!?! If We Are The Body - Casting Crowns. I love that song; i love it, too! that entire cd is VERY powerful!!! but that song....wow, if you can listen to that song & NOT feel convicted....that might require some facedown time with the Lord, begging for renewed compassion!

there's so much truth to it. Instead of condemning people who are sinning or who have hurt us: "If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentlness, considering yourself lest you be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:1-2 PREACH IT!!! :D

Sometimes I wonder if the church is really "equipping the saints" to the extent that they should/could. i don't think we are! i think the Body is falling waaaaay short here! we see some that aren't doing as much as we (think we) are, and think "eh, i'm doing more than so & so, so i'm ok..i don't need to do more..." but then we ALSO see someone who's really going out to the end of themselves doing what God called them to, and we think "eh, they've got it covered - they're doing so much, i can afford to kick back & chip in later." ok, that's not to say that i think EVERY person does that, but...gosh, if 1 out of a million did that, who knows how many people will be unreached because of that one person's complacency!

Exactly. It all begins with us individually, and as we progress as individuals to seek & grow, get our hearts right - the most the Church as a whole will begin to pull together into what it should be. It's not really about how much "church" we have.... It's really about us being the church. amen!!! same with the Bible....it's not how many times we go through the Word, it's how many times the Word goes through US!

There's no need to feel like you're 90. lol... And really if you think about it, 90 really isn't that old (though living all of those many hours would probably feel like forever) in the grand scheme of things. Plus, if you compare 90 to as long as Methuselah lived, which is 969 years -- I think that would be a bit more of a difference. But anyhow, I'm 18 =]. When I was at myspace I was 17, which isn't real young, but for some reason the people there just didn't (or just didn't want to) believe I was. lol, i appreciate the encouragement, but...i still feel old! lol it's cool though - you're a perfect example of that verse "do not let them despise you because of your youth..." i really wish you lived near me so you could come & speak to our youth group sometime. they're soooo hungry, but they don't even know it yet! we're reaching out to them the best that we can, but there's a lot of power in seeing someone their age with a heart after God. to hear from one of their peers how relevant God & His Word are....i guess it's a positive peer pressure! lol anyway....God uses everyone - young AND old (hehe, our conversations are a perfect example of that mix! :P lol)

Yeah, it's really sad. When I'd browse through people's profiles, seeing the photographs of them (or at least supposedly them) it was just something I could see in their faces, the pain, emptiness, hopelessness - the searching for God (whether they know it or not) - it's really heartbreaking. I'm always glad when there's someone there who knows the answer and isn't ashamed to tell it. (of course using wisdom also though). yep, myspace is a sad place, indeed. it is absolutely heartbroken - i've actually been moved to tears at some of the profiles.

LoL; food for thought - ;) i like food...what can i say?!

Sometimes it drives me crazy just recognizing it! ugh, i KNOW!!!! lol and recognizing it is only half of the battle! :S lol

Exactly. It's in those places of brokeness when we truly are the most prepared for Him to use us and mold us more into His likeness. in those places of brokenness is usually where we are finally willing to acknowledge that we HAVE NO HOPE except through Him, so we finally DO stop & listen! and, because we're so desperate for something to change, we accept the fact that it's usually US that needs to change, so we RESPOND to what He's saying to us, rather than just listening.

That's really deep, and really true. I think I'll digest that more thoroughly. yeah, it was a very powerful concept for me! i'm STILL chewing on it (hahaha, i just now realized how appropriate our "digest that" and "chewing" are with the rest of our discussion! lol - i'm a dork, whatever! lol)

cori

12-10-2008, 11:45 PM

[QUOTE=Convicted;13192]You know, I think we talk about learning here, more than any other place I've been, including school! i think it's because we actually WANT to be learning here! :D (and hey, we're having good fun doing it! can't beat that!)

cori

12-10-2008, 11:48 PM

[QUOTE=Convicted;13197]I Youtube'd some of Heather's music, (namely, Even More) and immediately... I mean like IMMEDIATELY God told me why her music is so powerful... Why? She waits on the Spirit - she wants Him to be in control; She wants Him to shake the atmosphere with His descending in our midst -- "God inhabits the praises of His people." exactly! heather is satisfied with nothing less than the presence of God when she's leading worship. see if you can find "overcome" on youtube - that song is just....WOW!
She reminded me a lot of Misty Edwards. Ever heard of her? yeah, i like misty edwards, too. there's actually not much music that i DON'T like, but...if i can sing it (you know, pain free! lol), then i tend to like it more...

cori

12-10-2008, 11:49 PM

oh man,
I just spent like over an hour writing things down for you guys,and my computer came up with some crazy erro message as I tried to post. Then it was gone!

I'll try again tomorrow. Brain dead and tired after all that. Plus, it's nearly midnight here!

Lana :)

oh man, lana, i HATE it when that happens!!! lol i'm sorry for all that time spent & no post to show for it :S lol

Convicted

12-11-2008, 08:59 AM

exactly! it makes it so much harder to gather the thoughts & emotions and separate out the "heat of the moment" stuff from the legitimate issue stuff when you've got someone who wants to hash it out RIGHT now. thankfully, my husband isn't the type to try to push me to talk before i'm ready - and i think he's finally starting to understand why i need the time to calm down before discussing anything.

You know, to me, communication can be one of the hardest things in life.
It's really so simple, just spew out some words using your vocal chords (unless they're injured/damaged) but when you encounter so many misunderstanding, exaggerations, people taking your words out of context, not stating things as clearly and compassionate as you think and feel about something... It really is difficult at times. I once read on some website that was talking about effective communication... (Yeah, I'm a research nerd, because I know I lack so much knowledge about things, and I want to learn from things so I can become better at them, than I am presently. Now some people think it's useless to research things that aren't relevant to them in some way at the moment, but I think even if it isn't relevant at the moment, I can store up that information and use it when the appropriate time arrives. That is if one ever comes. I've gone to the extreme in this as well before, (:eek:) and have found Exactly what Solomon said to be true: Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commmandments, for this is man's all... Ecclesiasties 12:12-13. Have I ever told you how much I love that book? However, in Proverbs (same writer) 10:14 it says: "Wise people store up knowledge..." Here's comes the Balance again! Both, storing up knowledge and not getting too concerned with it are vital... Just both should be used/done in moderation. Back to my ORIGINAL point) Effective communication: I read someone say that, if people only knew how much what they said would be misunderstood, most of them wouldn't both communicating to begin with.. But as we know it's vital, and really one of the major reasons we're here. So I do think we should become more educated (spiritually and otherwise) about how to communicate with others better. Sometimes I think the word "Communicate" gets watered down because it's used so often... and people tend to take it for granted. I believe more schools, churches, societies as a whole, should really try to gain a better understanding in communicating effectively and clearly. I also once read that, People tend to "Evaluate and Judge" people when they speak with them, more than any other part of communicating. "Understanding" them, was the thing most people usually do the least of - which is to explain much of the problem with communicating. We should really try to understand people before we come to conclusions about them or what they've said, and even before we respond to them sometimes.

told me that we couldn't be close anymore. no explanation, no reason given, no nothing. just that. in the months to follow, she proceeded to tell others in the church (one night in Bible study, she even said this to the entire group DURING the sharing time of the study! :eek: ) how destructive i was in her life, robbing her of hope & such. of course, she "never mentioned any names," but our friendship was VERY close & we were almost inseparable, so everyone always knew who she was talking about.

Ouch, that's really hard to deal with. And it's one of the reasons why, I haven't had that many REALLY close friendships with people. But God's been teaching me more things about friendships & relationships with people...
Several things: 1) How they are needed and a vital part of why we're here. 2) How God is the Perfect Friend - when all else fails He's there for us, even when we aren't reliable to Him - He remains faithful to us. 3) By only maintaining a truly Close relationship with God will we be able to truly know what true friendship really is. 4) Live your life reflecting what a true friend is and means.
All you can do to maintain a friendship is your part, the rest is up to them. 5)Therefore God reminded me of His principle: Give, expecting nothing in return. Which doesn't mean throw away all of your expectations - it means, if nothing is given back, don't be too disappointed by it - that's not the reason you gave your friendship to begin with.

so....yeah....trying to accomodate other people's boundaries & coping mechanisms in a conflict also adds stress to the mess, for sure!

Indeed.

yep....outside the home, it's just a conflict - the size or impact of the conflict doesn't seem as powerful or overwhelming, because home is a refuge. we can get away from the conflict (to some degree, at least) just by going home. when conflict is IN the home....there IS no refuge....there is nowhere to go. you have to face it & feel it until it's resolved, and...sometimes that resolution doesn't come so quickly!

Exactly. It's like there's no way to escape it or find relief, until it ends. Often times when conflict strikes homes, people will sometimes spend most of their time away from home as often as possible or they will sleep when the other person's awake (which doesn't really mean you're still not faced with the conflict it just means you're trying to avoid it, or escape it).

you know, i spent the last few years avoiding relationships at all cost, because they seemed to be nothing but hurt & trouble. then God spent a few weeks of my Bible study readings really working my heart over about that. i'd have to dig up my notes to share the depth of what He revealed to me, but...the basic point (and what He was really helping me to understand) was that i CAN NOT give up on relationships. it's all about PEOPLE.

Yep. That's one thing the devil really, really doesn't want us to have if we have the truth in our hearts.. So he plants this deception within our mindset to try to prevent us from even getting involved with others. He really wants to isolate us - 'cause he knows the potential we possess (what we have just might be contagious to others). Often times, he'll even use our logical reasoning to create those deceptive thoughts which control whether or not we choose to get involved with others. As God's revolutionizes our mindsets, our whole paradigm shifts completely - we get a new perspective in how we look at relationships altogether.

i can tell you for sure that, less than a year ago, i did NOT think it was possible.

It's amazing how God does these miracles - He truly is the only One who can put something shattered back together again, and eventually make it look like a masterpiece.

THANK YOU!!!!! you have NO idea how much we need the prayers!

Maybe not; but from my own experiences with my family and others, I do know how important it can be. Prayer is really powerful.

He's got to make some good come out of all the heartache! :D and, i know He will....but i also know that it takes TWO cooperative people in the marriage, willing to lay down their pride & tell people how poorly they were doing & how close they came to failing for God to make the testimony. a restored marriage does US good, but it does no one else any good unless we can swallow our pride & share our lowest of lows with others who may need to hear it.

Very true.

i begged Him to tell me something specific..where to go...what to do when i got there...etc... and He would not give me anything more than "leave." it was a real concrete lesson in "obey God today, and trust HIM for tomorrow." so many times He just says "go," but does not give us the destination. i've learned, over time, that it's to build our faith - it!

Also true; because if God tells us something specific, it wouldn't be that much of challenge, it wouldn't require the 'complete' trust and dependency on Him.. He just wants us to fall back into His arms and trust Him. Which reminds me of this Scripture: Without faith it's impossible to please God." Hebrews 11:6
"Whatever is not of faith is sin." Romans 14:23

hmmm, i'm not sure if i even have restored - i'll have to go look! (i bought like 4 cd's the same day i bought beyond measure, but...i'm like you (ccc!) & have to digest the music a bit before it really starts to sink in. i listened to beyond measure & was sucked into that one - i tried listening to the others, but i just couldn't get into them until beyond measure had worked its way through me. so, i dont even KNOW what cd's i have! (well, i know i've got beyond measure & sltb, lol!

LoL. :D You know most of the time I buy a CD or an artist/band will release one, It will almost always be at the Perfect Time. It's like God makes people write and release CD's in the most precise time spectrum. Like it couldn't have been a better time for me to listen to the CD. Or I've had times when a CD would be out for years, and I'd never be able to find that exact one (back in the days when I didn't have the internet) and then one day, I'd unexpectedly look for it in a store which I often unexpectedly went to that day, and it'd be there!! And yeah, God usually gives me numerous ideas when I listen to a new CD, and I'm often inspired to write many songs just because of one CD.

The only CD from Jeremy I don't have (at least I think), is an instrumental one that I saw when I got SLTB.

Convicted

12-11-2008, 09:42 AM

noah was playing on the floor in front of the couch, and i crawled over to kiss him on the forehead & he looked at me, and said...."NAKED KNEES!" of course, memories of the game came FLOODING back to me & i had to fight back tears, but..he wasn't even a year old when we did that! and he remembered it!

That is a long memory!

i think all things are intended to be simple, but we make them complicated! lol as for the complicated stuff, i think it's just layer upon layer of simplicity being revealed. because, really, once the revelation comes, it really IS pretty simple! it's just a matter of removing the layers of the revelation to gain the deeper revelation. (what? lol i think i totally just complicated that thought! hahahahaha)

LOL! This is why I say it's paradoxical. Because it really is so easy once you have the complete revelation and understanding, the accurate perspective of it, but with that incomplete perspective it's really complicated and difficult. And not only that, many things that are difficult are really simple in some way, and simple things can be really complicated. And explaining the accurate perspective of things that are generally simple can be complex, and vice versa.

that is soooooo true!!! He'll let us go on our merry (!) way for a while, crying out to hear Him but refusing to stop & listen. and then, in His perfect timing, He'll bring all things to a screeching halt. everything in life will cease completely (through various circumstances, of course! lol), so that there is nothing that we CAN do but stop & listen.

Exactly. It's His way of saying, "It's time to listen & learn now."

lol, me too!! He'll let me go back to sleep.....only AFTER i've written it down! (you'd think after all this time, KNOWING that it's how i retain revelations, that i would be smart enough to keep a journal on my headboard! i think i'll put one there tonight! lol)

It reminds me of how we remain restless until we're in the will of God - and actually do what He tells us.

yes, and this is a GREAT way to describe it!!!! organic vs chemically grown! that's GREAT!!!

And boy, one can only eat so much chemical food, until you either get sick of the taste of the chemicals, or actually get literally sick from the chemicals you've been constantly consuming.

ahhh, the daniel fast! if i wasn't sooooo far behind (and so tired!), i would tell you the BEST story EVER about the daniel fast....remind me to tell you tomorrow! it really is GREAT!

Tell me! I've also heard some great stories that happened because of it.

yep, and just like in the natural, our bodies are a DIRECT reflection of the nourishment we're receiving!

You are what you eat! Garbage in, garbage out! Question is, what have you been eating lately? Either you starve the spiritual hunger you have, or you starve the natural/flesh hunger you have for sin and the things of the world.
Ohhh this so reminded me of something I read in a Christian magazine once: "We feed our bodies 3 hot meals a day, and feed our spiritual man 1 cold snack a week." When I read that, it was so powerful. This is why people should continually examine what they're allowing into their dietary consumption on a Regular Basis, and they should feed their body the proper nutrients that suffices them with the strength & energy they need to continue. Hm, this all really reminds me of a post I wrote months ago on another forum about food and the Word of God.. I'm gonna go and check that out again.

ohhh man, how much heartache we'd all spare ourselves if we'd stop trying to function in life from our OWN perspective!!!

Isn't that the truth! What we really need is to see things from the perspective of the Truth... and everytime I say, "the Truth" now.. I'm reminded of the rapper "Da' Truth"- One of my favorite rappers; he also writes some powerful lyrics.

when we submit to Him and come in line with His direction (because we know that we CAN trust HIS perspective!), then we don't CARE what our perspective sees! undoubtedly (most assuredly? :D that was a GREAT observation, btw!) that is why we are constantly told to keep our EYES on JESUS! if our eyes are on HIM, our hearts follow our eyes, and.....our perspective is no longer a problem!

You know, this reminds me of more songs?! First off, the old powerful hymn: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow stangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." Secondly, Perspectives - Kutless "Who could you be - if your lens was changed for a moment, would you still be the same?" Really, though dealing with perspectives, our own and then everyone else's, is so major. And ALL we need to do, is STOP trusting in our own perspectives and recognized we Don't have 20/20 vision - We need ... an operation. We need to put our trust in the One who can see beyond, what we can - Which brings me to the conclusion of something I just happened to read today... (That's just a random accident that happened by chance and fate, right?) "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12

praise God for His faithfulness!

Amen!!! "Forever God is faithful."

Convicted

12-11-2008, 10:11 AM

our pride separates us from God because it gives us the perception (haha, our OWN perspective!) of being equal with God. maybe not equating ourselves with Him, but....holding ourselves at the same level of importance in our lives that we hold Him. we don't want to lay down our pride if He tells us to do something that may be considered foolish, because we're afraid that it will make US look foolish! but...love does not care whether or not its expression looks foolish - it just MUST be expressed! and that is where our hearts need to be with our love for the Lord!

Right on! Which testifies to the fact we CANNOT be abiding in and practicing or even KNOW what True Love is, if we do not give up our pride and humble ourselves before God.. Otherwise everything we do and say will be out of some sort of "What about me??? How can I gratify my wants and desires? What's in it for me? Look at me!" mentality. 'Cause really... we will never know, experience, or be able to give love... (not lust or just doing something for someone to appease yourself in someway) until we really let all of ourselves go. 'Cause real love, doesn't have terms of condition attached to it... there is no "wrong circumstances" to love.. It has no excuses for why it's given. It's unashamedly bestowed on those it's given to - it doesn't require something in return. And, this again reminds me something I read today! "Love suffers long, and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 God is love (1 John 4) and when we give ourselves completely to Him... He becomes apart of us - therefore real love is part of us. Isn't that awesome!

i love all those encouraging verses about God using the foolish to lead the wise, the weak to lead the strong, because...yeah...i'm a FAR cry from being wise OR strong! but, i have a hope that someday God WILL use me!...

I love those verses also! In fact, everyone God EVER used in the Bible other than His own Son who was perfect, was weak in some way. Their lives alone, stand as a testimony to us to endure so we can grasp hold of the complete promise that He's given us. (Heb. 11 & 12) What I like to say is, "I am only wise enough to know that I am not wise, and really coming to that revelation alone isn't something I came up with myself!." I like to refer to all knowledge we receive as "borrowed knowledge" because it really didn't come from us. It's something we've received, from a higher and completely reliable Source (through various circumstances). "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Proverbs 9:10

i am nothing, You are everything, so i thank You, i thank You!"

That's one of my VERY favorite songs from the Beyond Measure CD.

seems i'm always in this place where the things i seem to take are the things i wish would fade; i always purpose in my heart, well, to do things the right way, and i realize i'm still clay; and this piece that's being shaped will be a beauty YOU create" - that is SUCH a powerful song! (and, probably my favorite of jeremy's so far - bearing in mind that i havent spent as much time on any of them as i have on that one! lol)

:D One of my very favorites as well.

right again! giving up our self-righteousness, giving our own way, giving up what we think we deserve (rather than recognizing how much we DON'T deserve!), etc...etc...

And you just said, "what we THINK we deserve" That again traces back to our very skewed perspectives.

hehe, the one time splitting hairs actually WAS fun!

Ha! With me, I usually like being technical, it's just sometimes I can get too technical (extremism!). Or really, other people don't understand or want to be/hear all of the things that can be revealed when you get to the underlying meanings of things. And let's just say, with MOST people... NEVER respond to one of their jokes or sarcasm with some technical response. It just throws them waaaay off.

Convicted

12-11-2008, 10:27 AM

there are a lot of hurts that need to be healed, and, i've not exactly been pursuing doing that, because it DOES hurt to go back to those places to deal with things the right way so they can heal properly (nolan clark once gave a message about having wounds heal the wrong way - he had broken his nose in a wrestling match, and it had healed crooked....it was completely healed, but it was crooked. he eventually decided to have the dr look at it to see if it could be made straight again & the dr said he could do it, but he would have to break it again - did nolan want pain meds first? nolan said it didnt hurt that bad when it broke in the first place, so he delined meds, figuring he could handle it. about halfway through the procedure, he was screaming in agony & begging for the meds, but the dr was over halfway done & it would be more painful to stop the procedure until pain meds started working, so nolan had to just trust that the dr knew what he was doing & endure the pain. finally it was over & nolan's nose was re-broken & re-set, and it DID heal straight. sometimes to have a wound heal properly, it has to be broken again, so...i just encourage you to stick it out - i know this is a reeeeally hard time, revisiting all of that old stuff, but....there really IS a rainbow on the other side.)

Very powerful!

so....i'm busting my butt to get my heart right in the way of dealing with people that have hurt me.

Hm, just thinking about others who have hurt me, reminds me of how much I've hurt God. It's amazing how He keeps reaching to us with His love and grace, inspite of everything we've done to Him. We're called to do the same, but really WE can't do that in ourselves... Only through Him can we deal with and forgive those who have/are/will hurt us.

cori

12-11-2008, 11:07 AM

[QUOTE=Convicted;13278]You know, to me, communication can be one of the hardest things in life. it IS hard, but...i've learned that nothing of value comes easily! (hmmm, most likely because it gains its value IN the struggle!) soooo many times i've wanted to throw in the towel & give up, and soooo many times i've made things worse by doing exactly that!

I want to learn from things so I can become better at them, than I am presently. that, actually, is a VERY wise thing to do!!!

I've gone to the extreme in this as well before, (:eek:) and have found Exactly what Solomon said to be true: Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commmandments, for this is man's all... Ecclesiasties 12:12-13. lol, in moderation, of course!!!! i've had that hard lesson, too!

in Proverbs (same writer) 10:14 it says: "Wise people store up knowledge..." Here's comes the Balance again! Both, storing up knowledge and not getting too concerned with it are vital... life is ALL ABOUT BALANCE! we have to learn it in soooo many areas of life because it IS life - we need to find the balance between walking as God created us in the flesh and walking as He INTENDED us to walk in the Spirit! bringing the best of both parts of ourselves together so that we can become the best PERSON that we can be! if anything is out of balance, then the whole being is thrown out of balance, and it is impossible to restore it until that teeny tiny imbalance is found & made correct.

People tend to "Evaluate and Judge" people when they speak with them, more than any other part of communicating. "Understanding" them, was the thing most people usually do the least of - which is to explain much of the problem with communicating. We should really try to understand people before we come to conclusions about them or what they've said, and even before we respond to them sometimes. exactly - it's one of the main reasons Jesus came to earth! so He could walk as a man to understand what we experience, think, & feel AS man. if He had not come to make that connection, then we would probably be less willing to trust in Him (how many of us have said, "no one understands what i'm going through!"). judge not, lest ye be judged.....i'm always amazed at how quickly that verse is glossed over!!!! we are called to understanding & compassion - for EVERYONE!!! if we are walking with Him, He will give us discernment to see the things that we need to see to be properly equipped to deal with things that aren't quite right, but....we lack understanding, and...in our (genuine, most times!) attempts to find understanding, we fall back into judgment. who wants to talk to (or listen to!) someone that we KNOW is judging us, rather than HEARING us?!?!

Ouch, that's really hard to deal with. And it's one of the reasons why, I haven't had that many REALLY close friendships with people. it really WAS hard...i've always struggled with relationships and allowing myself to get close to & trust people. this friendship was over 10 yrs long, and the first one that i had absolute trust in. it was absolutely devastating for it to end the way that it did, but there was a lesson in it. as much as i wanted to (and boy, did i want to!!!!), i couldn't just chalk that one up to the long list of similar experiences & write relationships off completely, but i had to embrace (which was equally as difficult!) that tomorrow's path will have parts to it that are more difficult (relationally AND otherwise) than the hurt from that situation. and, if i had given up on relationships and just isolated myself because i was hurt so deeply, i would forfeit a lot of spiritual growth AND the things down that path that God has promised me.

But God's been teaching me more things about friendships & relationships with people...
Several things: 1) How they are needed and a vital part of why we're here. 2) How God is the Perfect Friend - when all else fails He's there for us, even when we aren't reliable to Him - He remains faithful to us. (that was the primary revelation through that relationship fallout) 3) By only maintaining a truly Close relationship with God will we be able to truly know what true friendship really is. 4) Live your life reflecting what a true friend is and means. this is the meat of the message i'm giving to the youth next friday (which reminds me that i need to finish getting that written up! :eek: which is confirmation that it IS the message God wants me to share with them...)

All you can do to maintain a friendship is your part, the rest is up to them. 5)Therefore God reminded me of His principle: Give, expecting nothing in return. Which doesn't mean throw away all of your expectations - it means, if nothing is given back, don't be too disappointed by it - that's not the reason you gave your friendship to begin with. and that is EXACTLY what our purpose is. God sent His Son because He loves us - He KNEW that He would get very little in return! Jesus died on the cross because He loves us - He KNEW that He would be spat on. we are to LOVE people.....their response is between them & the Lord!

Exactly. It's like there's no way to escape it or find relief, until it ends. Often times when conflict strikes homes, people will sometimes spend most of their time away from home as often as possible or they will sleep when the other person's awake (which doesn't really mean you're still not faced with the conflict it just means you're trying to avoid it, or escape it). yep, i tried every one of those things (as a means to cope, not so much as a means of escape...but.....coping WAS escaping, so yeah, to escape...), and it only made the situation worse. MUCH worse. it's ok to pause a conflict to get to a state of mind (and heart!) where you can deal with it properly, but you can't leave it paused TOO long, otherwise it wears too thin & cannot be restored (without the intervention of the Lord). avoiding the conflict is NOT the same as pausing the conflict for a moment of silence to collect yourself before stepping in for resolution!

Yep. That's one thing the devil really, really doesn't want us to have if we have the truth in our hearts.. So he plants this deception within our mindset to try to prevent us from even getting involved with others. He really wants to isolate us - 'cause he knows the potential we possess (what we have just might be contagious to others). and that's the overall point of my message next friday! God is love.....if satan get distort our perception (ha!) of LOVE, then getting us to turn from God is pretty easy for him. his tactic? RELATIONSHIPS? why? because they are so powerful & dynamic! we base our perceptions of who WE are on the input from the people we are involved with (so, a good relationship with a, b, c, and d forms a person who feels good about who they are, whereas a bad relationship with a, b, c, and d forms a person with low self-esteem, who, in spite of their best efforts, can never come to terms with the person that God created them to be!). God designed different types of relationships to teach different aspects of HIS character to be displayed through different areas of our lives (my msg goes into a little more detail to illustrate that for the kids), so....if satan can get in there & tweak a relationship here & there....he's got a foothold. it's up to US to stand against the foothold & trust in the greater Truth - which really feels like we're standing against all odds, but...that's where faith comes in. so....i SOOOOO understand what you're saying here! ;)

It's amazing how God does these miracles - He truly is the only One who can put something shattered back together again, and eventually make it look like a masterpiece. humpty dumpty needs a revision, man! lol

Also true; because if God tells us something specific, it wouldn't be that much of challenge, it wouldn't require the 'complete' trust and dependency on Him.. He just wants us to fall back into His arms and trust Him. Which reminds me of this Scripture: Without faith it's impossible to please God." Hebrews 11:6
"Whatever is not of faith is sin." Romans 14:23 bingo! in one of my sniveling sessions when i was trying to determine today's/tomorrow's path was "how am i supposed to walk the right way if You won't tell me where i'm supposed to go!" and He just said, "you are supposed to walk. with Me. if i tell you AHEAD of time where you're going, you will run off like a child - AHEAD of Me - and get into trouble. but if you walk WITH me...step for step...you can stay on track." it was a very pivotal moment in my walk, and really changed a lot of things (for the better) in my life.

LoL. :D You know most of the time I buy a CD or an artist/band will release one, It will almost always be at the Perfect Time. It's like God makes people write and release CD's in the most precise time spectrum. Like it couldn't have been a better time for me to listen to the CD. haha, me too! it's amazing how God can use "coincidence," eh? lol

The only CD from Jeremy I don't have (at least I think), is an instrumental one that I saw when I got SLTB. do YOU have the holiday trio???

cori

12-11-2008, 11:26 AM

[QUOTE=Convicted;13280]It reminds me of how we remain restless until we're in the will of God - and actually do what He tells us. yep.....delaying obedience, or outright disobedience, ALWAYS leaves us feeling restless. the sooner we can pinpoint the cause of the restlessness & correct it, the better of we will be!

And boy, one can only eat so much chemical food, until you either get sick of the taste of the chemicals, or actually get literally sick from the chemicals you've been constantly consuming. you've got THAT right!!!

Tell me! I've also heard some great stories that happened because of it. i've heard some really powerful testimonies, but...this was more a testimony about the voice of God than it was about a result of this fast. my pastor was sharing with us one sunday morning about a kid that was doing the daniel fast, to stand against abortion. he fasted an outrageous amount of time (for those of us who lack discipline for extended fasts, i mean :S i'm working on that one....), like 2 yrs or something. anyway, whatever event was happening that would reveal the end result of his fasting (i can't remember specifics here, just the main WOW of the point my pastor was making...) had taken place, so....the kid was planning on having a great big hamburger to end his fast. after he got his food & was driving to the Bible study he was headed to, he prayed, "Lord, if you want me to continue this fast, i will, but i need You to speak to me, otherwise i'm going to eat this hamburger!" so, he walks into the Bible study & sits down across from a new kid. he introduces himself, & the kid says, "nice to meet you. i'm Daniel Fast." :eek: :eek: lol talk about God SPEAKING, man! lol needless to say, he gave away the hamburger & continued his fast (not sure how much longer he went...he may still be doing it today!)

You are what you eat! Garbage in, garbage out! Question is, what have you been eating lately? Either you starve the spiritual hunger you have, or you starve the natural/flesh hunger you have for sin and the things of the world. exactly! if you eat of the world, you are too full for the spiritual...if you eat of the spiritual, you are prepared for the world. (some more food - HA! - for thought.....)

Ohhh this so reminded me of something I read in a Christian magazine once: "We feed our bodies 3 hot meals a day, and feed our spiritual man 1 cold snack a week." our pastor gave an illustration similar to that, once. when an athlete is getting ready for a competition, he eats right, exercises right, etc... because he wants to be able to do the best he can do. he eats 3 meals a day, healthy meals, does not indulge in extras....he very strictly maintains a watchful eye on his diet. yet we, as a Body, are engaged in warfare & fail to take in the proper nourishment. we have one good meal a week (sunday morning), and every now & then have a healthy snack (Bible studies & devotionals throughout the week) - yet we STILL expect to stand in the battle! if you were to look at our spiritual beings, most of us are emaciated, scrawny little things because we lack proper nourishment! (ok, i sooo can't remember the analogy the way he gave it, but...that's the basic idea...)

You know, this reminds me of more songs?! First off, the old powerful hymn: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow stangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." i LOOOOOVE that song! soooo powerful (yet so simple! lol)

Secondly, Perspectives - Kutless "Who could you be - if your lens was changed for a moment, would you still be the same?" wow! i haven't heard that one....the only song i can name off the top of my head is "strong tower," but....i don't know the names of hardly ANY songs! lol i can tell you what # on what cd (if i HAVE the cd), but...i don't have anything by kutless - i've only heard them on the readio. i'm sure that i've HEARD more than "strong tower" on the radio, but..i couldn't tell you if it was kutless, or skillet, or whatever (hahaha...funny story about skillet - a couple of years ago, they were playing at ATF...i didn't go that year, because it was before i got really involved with the youth, but my pastor went & one of the girl's mom went...the mom got up to speak about the experience the following sunday & had to share a funny with us -> an elderly gentleman that was at ATF accidentally called skillet "frying pan" HAHAHAHA so then....after she shares & a couple of the kids share, my pastor gets up to bring the sharing to a conclusion & get back to the rest of the service & admits that HE was the "elderly gentleman" that referred to them as frying pan! hahahahahahaha) anyway, that was WAAAY off topic :S lol

ALL we need to do, is STOP trusting in our own perspectives and recognized we Don't have 20/20 vision - We need ... an operation. We need to put our trust in the One who can see beyond, what we can EXACTLY!!! Which brings me to the conclusion of something I just happened to read today... (That's just a random accident that happened by chance and fate, right? coincidence! ha!) "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12

cori

12-11-2008, 11:33 AM

[QUOTE=Convicted;13282]Right on! Which testifies to the fact we CANNOT be abiding in and practicing or even KNOW what True Love is, if we do not give up our pride and humble ourselves before God.. Otherwise everything we do and say will be out of some sort of "What about me??? How can I gratify my wants and desires? What's in it for me? Look at me!" mentality. 'Cause really... we will never know, experience, or be able to give love... (not lust or just doing something for someone to appease yourself in someway) until we really let all of ourselves go. 'Cause real love, doesn't have terms of condition attached to it... there is no "wrong circumstances" to love.. It has no excuses for why it's given. It's unashamedly bestowed on those it's given to - it doesn't require something in return. And, this again reminds me something I read today! "Love suffers long, and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 God is love (1 John 4) and when we give ourselves completely to Him... He becomes apart of us - therefore real love is part of us. Isn't that awesome! that is SO awesome!!! and amazing that you have such a deep understanding of it at such a young age! (really!)

I love those verses also! In fact, everyone God EVER used in the Bible other than His own Son who was perfect, was weak in some way. Their lives alone, stand as a testimony to us to endure so we can grasp hold of the complete promise that He's given us. (Heb. 11 & 12) What I like to say is, "I am only wise enough to know that I am not wise, and really coming to that revelation alone isn't something I came up with myself!." I like to refer to all knowledge we receive as "borrowed knowledge" because it really didn't come from us. It's something we've received, from a higher and completely reliable Source (through various circumstances). "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Proverbs 9:10 exactly! God's strength is made perfect in our weakness - if we refuse to expose our weakness, we are refusing to let God's strength shine through us - NOT a choice i want to make....again.

That's one of my VERY favorite songs from the Beyond Measure CD. that one is my ABSOLUTELY favorite on beyond measure....at this point, one of my favorite's of jeremy's, too!

And you just said, "what we THINK we deserve" That again traces back to our very skewed perspectives. yep - satan is very good at puffing us up (you deserve better than that) while ALSO beating us down (you're no good, i can't believe you just did that again! now He'll NEVER take you back!). why on EARTH do we keep giving in to his lies!!!

Ha! With me, I usually like being technical, it's just sometimes I can get too technical (extremism!). lol, i'm the OTHER extreme - i don't like being that technical....every now & then it's fun (like with the homework thing, lol), but....not so much, most of the time.

Or really, other people don't understand or want to be/hear all of the things that can be revealed when you get to the underlying meanings of things. And let's just say, with MOST people... NEVER respond to one of their jokes or sarcasm with some technical response. It just throws them waaaay off lol, most of the time, i throw people waaaaaay off when i DO joke (which really is a sad commentary on the kind of mindset i used to be trapped in!)

cori

12-11-2008, 11:40 AM

[QUOTE=Convicted;13283]Very powerful! nolan & heather clark are VERY dynamic! they've touched a lot of people in areas that other ministries have not been able to...by sharing their struggles in open transparency, that makes people feel like "wow, they ARE legit, because they've been through EXACTLY what i'm going through RIGHT NOW." what really pulled me into heather's music is that her testimony is IDENTICAL to mine! i mean..IDENTICAL! right down to the vision that was the turning point! (a detail was off, but the vision was identical & the message of the vision was the same) it was just very fortunate for me that i love her sound & her voice, too!

Hm, just thinking about others who have hurt me, reminds me of how much I've hurt God. yep, that's the mindset i've adopted in regards to being hurt. every time someone hurts me, once i've gone through the sifting of emotions process and narrowed things down to the real issue that bothered me, i evaluate my own heart & ask how i've hurt God (and the other person!) in the situation, and forgiveness suddenly isn't so hard after that. of course, it doesn't always go as smoothly (or as easily!) as it looks being all typed out on the screen, but....it IS easier to forgive when i think about how my actions in the situation have hurt someone else (and really, when we hurt someone else, we ARE hurting God! -> whatever you do to the least of these, you do it unto Me!).

It's amazing how He keeps reaching to us with His love and grace, inspite of everything we've done to Him. We're called to do the same, but really WE can't do that in ourselves... Only through Him can we deal with and forgive those who have/are/will hurt us. i think it was peter who said that it's not HIM who does anything, but Christ Who works THROUGH him to do those things that he cannot do...? SO true! even the things that we're called to do - we can't do without Him working in us, so that we CAN! it's all part of that dependency & letting Him be IN us!

Convicted

12-11-2008, 12:10 PM

i love it, too! that entire cd is VERY powerful!!! but that song....wow, if you can listen to that song & NOT feel convicted....that might require some facedown time with the Lord, begging for renewed compassion!

Hm, well I'm not sure every time you listen to it you have to feel convicted by it. I guess it would really depend where your heart is at the time you listen to it. That song does several things: It convicts - It reminds - It instills. It convicts you of not having compassion, or previous times you outrightly treated other members of the Body in a hurtful way. It reminds you of all the times other members of the Body have treated you in a hurtful way (or not recognized you existed all). It instills a passion to reach out to those members of the body of Christ no one remembers, and to live your life with love and compassion for others. I'm sure there's more things, but that's all I can think of right now.

Which CD is that? Is it Lifesong? Another song I ABSOLUTELY love from Casting Crowns is "Set Me Free." It's an awesome song. The First time I heard that song, was when I was feeling really down one day, question God's purpose for me - and that song came on the radio, and instilled His hope in me again. I tell you, I wrote a song like 6 years before that one was ever released, that's very similar to that one (in the message anyhow).

i don't think we are! i think the Body is falling waaaaay short here! we see some that aren't doing as much as we (think we) are, and think "eh, i'm doing more than so & so, so i'm ok..i don't need to do more..." but then we ALSO see someone who's really going out to the end of themselves doing what God called them to, and we think "eh, they've got it covered - they're doing so much, i can afford to kick back & chip in later." ok, that's not to say that i think EVERY person does that, but...gosh, if 1 out of a million did that, who knows how many people will be unreached because of that one person's complacency![/COLOR]

This makes me think of What It WOULD be like, if EVERY member of the Body would strive to do all that they could to reach others effectively with the gospel. This world would be such a different place. But it all begins with you and me. Every individual has to take steps to do that, and the church NEEDS to encourage and equip them to do that. Because really being inside the "church" building is really where the Body should be getting encouraged, prepared, and strengthened to go out into the world and deliver the message that everyone needs to hear.

[QUOTE=cori;13268]
amen!!! same with th