Into the Mess

http://www.fearfully-wonderfully.com/2011/05/into-mess.html

WOW.
That is all I have is just Wow!

True Woman | Forgiven Much

True Woman | Forgiven Much



“I believe that people who have been forgiven much ~ love much...they don't have time to get self righteous...
and judgmental because they know that God has delivered them by HIS mercy and His grace...so they become
thankful not expectant.
That’s how I feel as well ...thankful 'coz I know I'm not perfect and got plenty... to be thankful for!”

Friend

WHAT IS A FRIEND?

http://iwillalwaysbeafriend.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-is-friend.html?spref=fb


You're...
My Friends,
my companions,
through good times and bad
my friends, my buddies,
through happy and sad, beside me you stand,
beside me you walk,
you're there to listen,
you're there to talk,
with happiness, with smiles,
with pain and tears,
I know you'll be there,
throughout the years! My friends!



My friends, True friendship is like sound health, the value of it is seldom known until it is lost."

- Charles Caleb Colton


"
My friends, A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."
- Anon


My friends, "Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friends.
- Albert Camus





"My friends are the bacon bits in the salad bowl of life."
- Anon

My friends, "Friendship is one mind in two bodies."
- Mencius


"If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't jump with them, I would be at the bottom to catch them."
- Anon

My friends, "Everyone hears what you say. My Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don't say."
- Anon


My friends,
"We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere."
-Tim McGraw

"Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart."
- Anon




My friends, "Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher."



My friends, Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it is a comfort to go hand in hand." ~Emily Kimbrough~






My friends, If you have one true friend, you have more than your share. ~Thomas Fuller~



My friends, “When it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be there.”



My friends, "Together forever, never apart. Maybe in distance, but never in heart.”


"Promise you won't forget me, because if I thought you would, I'd never leave."
~Winnie the Pooh~



My friends, "A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."
~Walter Winchell~


If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I would not follow, I would be at the bottom to catch them when they fall.
~Source Unknown~


"If I had one gift that I could give you, my friends, it would be the ability to see yourselves as others see you, because only then would you know how extremely special you are."
~B.A. Billingsly~



My friends, "A true friend is someone who knows there's something wrong even when you have the biggest smile on your face."

Source: http://www.indianchild.com/my_friend.htm

My Grandson's Home Run

Who are you?

Who Defines You?
I looked into the mirror and didn't recognize the face looking back. It startled me. That person I thought I knew so well was now experiencing something so unfamiliar.

I didn't realize it at the time. Or at least I didn't want to admit it at the time... but I had allowed something very dangerous and destructive to happen. Of course it happened so slowly, so very slowly.

If it had happened with any speed at all I surely would have recognized it. I would have fought it. I would have recognized the danger in it. But it didn't. It was silent... until it exploded.

I had given away something so very valuable and precious. I had given permission for others to determine something that only one should have the power to determine. I had allowed many others to give a definition that had already been decided and written in black and white... and even in the red of the sacrificial blood of love.

I knew better. It was not intentional. It just happened. I did not keep my focus. I allowed others to define me.

It was not good! It was not right! It was not healthy! It set out to destroy me! It had the potential of stealing from me the very person that God created me to be!

I have since reminded myself that no one has earned the right to define my worth and value. Not even myself! No one should be allowed that role except one... God Himself. He created me. Surely He is the only one who truly can define the value and worth of me.

My identity is NOT:
* how co-workers define me
* how my boss defines me
* how my church family defines me
* how my children's teachers define me
* how my children's friends define me
* how my neighbors define me
* how my friends define me
* how my family defines me
* how my parents define me
* how my children define me
* how my husband defines me

It is NOT even in
* how I define myself

My identity alone rests in how God defines me.

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."


Now that verse in the words of Dennis Jernigan:

"The eternal self-existent God, the God who is 3 in 1, He who dwells in the center of your being, is a powerful and valiant warrior. He has come to set you free, to keep you safe and to bring you victory. He is cheered and He beams with exceeding joy and takes pleasure in your presence. He has engraved a place for Himself in you and there He quietly rests in His love and affection for you. He cannot contain Himself at the thought of you and with the greatest joy spins around wildly in anticipation over you… and has placed you above all other creations and in the highest place in His priorities. In fact, He shouts and sings in triumph joyfully proclaiming the gladness of His heart in a song of rejoicing. All because of you."
I encourage you to take a look at yourself. Who has the keys to your identity? Has it slowly and silently drifted from it's rightful owner without your intent or knowledge?

I was surprised to learn where I discovered the keys to mine. It has taken tears, heartache, pain and chaos and confusion of spirit to locate the problem and return the keys to the rightful owner.

If you find it is anyone other than God Himself holding your identity keys... it could potentially destroy everything He created you to be. It almost did to me!


http://mqcorner.blogspot.com/2010/06/who-defines-you.html

Was about to get ready for church this morning and the lights went off. Needless to say you don 't know how dependant in electricity till it is off. I got ready, was about to put my dress on and realized I can't get out because the garage door won't open without power. Sigh, musta been a sign I was not supposed to leave the house. My boys are off doing their own thing this mornin so I would have been with my church family instead of them. I thought I can just have my own worship with Just God. Lo and behold the lights came back on. It was too late for me to get to church so I thought Lord, you must have wanted me home for some reason. One on ONE time with just Him.

Happy Mom's day with Love to my daughter, Meg who is a wonderful mother to my grandson, Jon Brantlee and wife to my son, Brandon.
Happy Mom's day in Heaven to my own. I miss you - I love you Mom. I felt your presence this morning .
Hope you ladies have a very Happy Mother's Day and are as blessed as I am.

♥ Before you were conceived, I wanted you. Before you were born, I loved you. When you were born, I saw your face and knew I was in love. Before you were a hour old, I knew I would die for you, and to this day I will.



_______________________________________________________---

http://www.incourage.me/imperfection/

Empty and Full - An Honest Mother's Day
Some days I am bone dry.

Even an accidental Spiderman cup of juice flying at my lap from across the table can't move me. I am un-rested mother, and that descriptor shakes a stick at my perspective on sexy and fun and life and light - on the gratitude that keeps my heart singing.

I get caught under clouds of exhaustion, the darkness rolled in for a visit, and I wait in the silence for it all to burst, for the rain to soak me down and relieve my spirit.

But it's dry, and my soul feels like it needs a nap. Wake me up when this is over.

When I hit these days, I prescribe to myself a few remedies: memory verses, prayers, no television, more church, and usually I exhaust myself further before something breaks, like a thunder clap.

And then I'm drenched in the knowledge of God. I hear God's voice so clearly, because He has spoken into the silence. The light bursts in relentlessly.

I see now.

There is much purpose in those dark places, how the mean time prepares our souls, gives us a contrast for which to see greatness and grace, and makes us long for Spirit water and restoration, causing in us a desperation that declares allegiance, sealing bond-enslavement, and granting freedom from this temporary world. There is a beauty in having been aware of great nothingness and in seeing, finally, consuming God.

He makes the dry bones quake. He makes them peel up from the grave and dance. Ah, we are the grateful dead - He, a constant new-creation maker.

And we are mothers.

--------

My experience as a mother and as a woman and as a human, in general, is that sometimes I need a little help. Oh, okay, a lot of help.

I am thankful to Thomas Nelson for generously offering us a little help here today. They are giving an amazing gift package in honor of Mother's Day, for those of us who strongly desire to lead our children in the way of the LORD, in spite of our own waywardness, tools meant to support our dry bones when we need to hear the truth, when we want to recall His past faithfulness, and when we want to express our desires and sometimes don't have the words.

This package includes gifts for Mom

Reflections from a Mother's Heart

An Invitation to Prayer for Mothers

and

Time With God for Mothers

and gifts for the little ones.

God's Promises for Boys

God's Promises for Girls

God's Little Princess Devotional Bible

and

The Tallest of Smalls

You can win all of them...just leave a comment before midnight on Friday!

by Amber Haines, the run-a-muck

My inspiration for today~~

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord who is worthy of praise and I am saved from my enemies.” (Psalm 18:2-3)

http://www.angelfire.com/journal/poetryphotos/forgotten.html

Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. – Psalm 37:34

http://annointedbeautyministries.org/2010/04/20/wait/


I believe these two devotions were meant just for me today.

http://www.crosswalk.com/11628682/


Uniquely Female: The Scriptural Blueprint for Femininity...Mary Kassian
Author, Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild

For most of us, the idea of woman being created "for" man sounds somewhat negative, since it appears to imply that he has license to use and abuse her at will. But the Hebrew preposition carries no such overtones. It simply denotes direction. She was created for—that is, toward or with reference to him, or on account of him. She was created because of him. His existence led to hers. It didn't happen the other way around. Our adverse reaction to the idea that we were created "for man" serves to underline how very far we've fallen from the original created order.

I never know which road to take.... Hardships - sorrow= self reevaluation. All I do know is that Jeseus died for my faults, sins, transgressions and I still an so far semi- sane. Jesus show me just how far the east is from the west.


Lord, I need you so much nore from you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MubiUsjOSQ

When you are Broken......

http://www.incourage.me/2010/03/bare-branches.html
(God definatly led me to this one today! )


Bare branches Three and a half years ago my life fell apart.

In one emotionally draining [understatement] week, I lost it all.

My best friend.

My ministry.

My church home.

My peace of mind.

My understanding of where life was going and what the next day/month/year would even look like.

Something died that week.

Do you know that feeling? I think we all do at some level, right?

The realization that, in a moment, so many things housed in the TRUTH category can be ripped out and put in the THAT'S WHAT YOU THOUGHT category.

Painful. To date, the most painful experience I have ever known.


And though details would make this a juicy story and a real tear-jerker, I've never written about it and I won't.

But. What I will tell you about is how God used that experience to change my entire life.

As Bible teacher and author Beth Moore says, "God allows wounding in your life so that He can bring healing."

And that statement, my friends, can have permanent residence in the TRUTH part of your heart.

In the few months after the total destruction of the life I knew, God began to speak to me of His love. At first, my reply was, "Uh. Yeah. Are You serious right now? Cause hello! You just allowed my life to FALL-A-PART. I'm supposed to label that as LOVE?!?"

[Cause sometimes a sarcastic tone is all I can muster. Forgive me.]

I went to a new Bible study during this LOVE season. My heart was broken and in all honesty, I felt a bit lost in my own skin. So anytime someone invited me to something involving God, I went.

The leader passed out a drawing, a tree with a girl standing in front of the trunk, to each of us. The goal, she said, was to add leaves to the tree with words representing all the ways God is using you in the world, yadda yadda blah blah blah. I stopped listening.

I stared down at my tree. And it looked just like me. Bare. Empty. Dead.

My eyes began to focus and see something coming out of the limbs. I grabbed my Raspberry Crayola marker and began to color.


There, in the empty, in the death, in the absolute absence of life, was L-O-V-E.

Can you see it?

When everything was pruned away, there I was, standing under the tree of His love.

Today, if life seems to have thrown you more curve balls than you can even fathom, if all that was true yesterday is suddenly false, if you are broken in the deepest of places,


I'm asking God to draw near to you.

Because somewhere in your bare branches, He is writing His love to you.

by Annie Downs, Annie Blogs

I believe God led me to this particular blog TODAY

http://www.lorisreflections.com/god-lessons/prayer/gods-promises/


This entry that Lori posted could be describing me to a "T" today. She hit my nail on the head...( I believe God led me to this blog today)


“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

Re: Bloggin', Facebooking, Twittering, Digg It.... (for me)

"My problems are not any different than yours. Life hits and has you spinning wondering which way is up. Problems don’t seem to come individually either, they like to hit all at once.
Certain things happen that I don’t feel the freedom to share on the World Wide Web. I KNOW God has me in a season of growth and development. Growth means dying to self and seeking His will for my life. I may desire things to change or go in a direction that seems logical, but God wants me to hold those dreams loosely and to follow Him even when my eyes can not see."
Read the rest of her post to see God's Promises......

If you Feel as Tho'.....

If You Feel As Tho
by Tanya Staggs


If you feel as tho there’s nothing left
and all your hope is gone,
just remember you still have A Friend
that you can always count on.

If you feel as tho you’re all alone
and noone else is there
to listen to your troubles-
just try whispering a prayer.

If you feel as tho you’ve taken
all you possibly can stand,
just know that He’s there waiting
for you to reach up and take His hand.

If you feel as tho your heart’s breaking,
that your life is falling apart,
and you don’t know where to turn,
just turn to Him, He’ll heal your heart.

If you feel as tho your life’s over,
that things in no way could get worse,
and you feel like giving up, please don’t.
Just try talking to Him first.


http://www.thechristianwoman.com/christian-poems/if-feel-as-tho.html



There are days I surf so many devotional sites to feed my thirst for God's word.
Every now and then I come across articles, blogs, poems, songs, etc... that may touch me that day. I share them here when I can.

Lord, there are those days where a heart is heavy, I lift hands to You for your strength to fill us with the courage,knowledge & peace to forge ahead with who and what is needed.

A great place I found today....

http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/Devotions/TodaysDevotion/tabid/97/Default.aspx

Nailing Lies To The Cross

Gwen Smith

Today's Truth
Romans 8:38-39 (NLT) "I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Friend To Friend
One major blessing of being in women's ministry is the friendships I have with other women in ministry. We are our own little band of sisters. Sisters with a mission! We cheer for one another, cry with one another, laugh with one another, pray for one another, and rejoice with one another.

One sister I have had the opportunity to lock arms with for the journey is Renee. She works for an international women's ministry and is a talented God-fearing, Bible-teaching speaker and writer. A few years back, Renee traveled across the country to speak at a women's retreat. When she got there, a few unexpected circumstances caused her to send out an "SOS, pray-for-me-now" email to her ministry sisters. I got the email and hit my knees.

Early the next week, Renee sent us an email thanking us for praying and telling us what God did in the hearts of women at that retreat. She told us that she spoke about the lies that we believe as women and told personal and biblical stories that illuminated God's truth. Then, at the final session, Renee asked the women to consider what they believed to be true about themselves. Her challenge went something like this: "When you settle your soul long enough to simply be still—when you pause to listen to your heart—what do you hear? Are there lies that linger in your heart knowingly or unknowingly?"

She encouraged them to write down on a note card the lies they had accepted as truth, whether lies spoken by a parent, kids in the schoolyard, a friend, a family member, a spouse, a child, a pastor, or a stranger. She told them that some of the lies might never have been spoken at all, just believed.

When they finished she invited them to bring the cards to a wooden cross at the front of the room. Next to the cross, she had placed baskets filled with promises from God's Word, and after each woman nailed her card to the cross, she picked up a truth that would replace her lies.

Tears ran down almost every cheek as the women brought their lies to the cross and embraced God's life-changing Words. Guilt was forgiven, worthless became precious, and sorrow was traded for joy that day. Then a whoop-it-up celebration went down! God, through his Holy Spirit, revealed His heart to those sweet women and shattered the lies of the enemy.

After the retreat was over, Renee looked through the cards that had been nailed to the cross. One card jumped out at her. Written over and over was one word: Worthless!

The woman who wrote that wasn't the only one at that retreat who felt that way. That same word—worthless—was penned on many of the cards that weekend. It represents a lie that has been believed by most every woman at some point in her life. There have been days, weeks, and months that I've believed it myself.

It's one of Satan's favorite words to throw at us, and it is a big, fat, ugly lie.

The Bible clearly shows us that we are valued in the sight of the Lord. When we allow God's Word to flood our lives with the truth we are changed by the height, the depth, and the width of His love for us. "Take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:18-19, MSG).

God loves you with a personal love. He knows your name. He considers you highly valuable. No matter what you've believed in the past, choose by faith to believe this now: you are valued, priceless, and adored by God. When you take God at His Word, and trust Him at His heart, you will experience the deep, life-changing love of your Heavenly Father.

Let's Pray
Heavenly Father, thank You for holding me safely in Your arms of love. Please help me to recognize any lie that my heart may perceive as truth, and strengthen me to trade in my sorrow for Your joy.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

Now It's Your Turn
What does your heart hear when you are still?

What lies would you write on that card?

Meditate on the following Psalm (Read it silently; then aloud.)

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Psalm 103:1-5).

Now, spend a few moments prayerfully responding to God.

More From The Girlfriends
NEED HEALING for some heart wounds? Today's devotion is an excerpt from Gwen's book, Broken Into Beautiful. To order the book, please CLICK HERE.

LOVE TO WORSHIP? Download Gwen's live worship CD, Unsearchable, from iTunes, or order the CD from the store on her website.

Gwen Smith is a speaker, worship artist, songwriter, and author. For more information about her ministry or schedule, visit her website at http://www.gwensmith.net/.

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Random Entries for today.

http://home.att.net/~sheryl2/FLASH/SEASON/ScriptureTreeChristmas.html

To all my friends, far and wide, May the true spirit of CHRISTmas dwell in each of our hearts all year thru and blessings continue to shower us each day.
I am counting each blessing I have this year.

Christmas is the one time of year when people of all religions come together to worship Jesus Christ.

http://www.slideboom.com/presentations/111361/The-Wisdom-in-Hot-Chocolate

http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/


http://www.incourage.me/
This site REALLY inspires me as well as I relate to so many postings!

Merry CHRISTmas and Happy New Year!

http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/

My encouragement for today -November 5, 2009

This is a wonderful post that I had to re-post because it spoke VOLUMES to me today.

Simply BB

____________________________________________________________________________________
Rejection

Lysa TerKeurst



"For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance."

Psalm 94:14 (NIV)



Devotion:

A few months back I got a phone call I'd been hoping for over 15 years to receive. It was the slightest crack in the doorway of a dream.

I was hesitantly excited. When you have wanted something for a long time and it comes close to becoming a reality, it's thrilling and terrifying all at the same time. Suddenly, your heart shifts from neutral into this vulnerable place where acceptance co-mingles with rejection. And you are all too aware things could go either way.

Following the call, I packaged up my application to send and let my mind prematurely celebrate.

Then I waited.

And waited.

And nothing.

Feeling like a foolish girl who'd bought a prom dress before actually being asked to the dance, I sheepishly called to inquire whether or not my application had been received. I was told it had been and if I hadn't heard anything yet, I should assume it was a "no."

Ouch.

That's when you go sit on your back deck, close your eyes, and decide whether to let the tears slip quietly down your cheeks or blink them back in an act of courageous defiance.

Rejection stinks.

I mean it really stinks.

It stunk when Saxon Palmer didn't ask me to couple skate in the 5th grade. It stunk when my Dad left our family. It stunk when I thought I was getting engaged at the very dinner my college love broke up with me. It stunk when each of my book proposals for years were declined by publishers. And it stunk when I sat on my deck and processed this situation.

Sometimes things like this just simply stink and there's no cheery rainbow or pot of gold around the next corner. The music doesn't crescendo as the hero in the story scoops you onto the side of his horse and the two of you ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after.

Sometimes it just is what it is. And that's that.

But God's girls have a beautiful promise tucked in our pocket that lets us smile even when tears puddle in the corner of our eyes. Even when there's no rainbow, pot of gold, or galloping prince, we have the promise of redemption.

On the other side of every death there will always be a resurrection of some sort. Maybe not a resurrection of our circumstances. And maybe not a resurrection of things lining up like we thought they should. But there will be a resurrection. Jesus has insured that.

Nothing in this world can permanently strip hope from our lives when we know we do "not follow cleverly invented stories...about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" but we follow the reality of the Risen One (2 Peter 1:16, NIV). He is our resurrection.


He is our hope.

He is that beautiful reminder that rejection from man never means rejection from God.

And He is the one who is weaving a story into our life that will one day make sense.



Dear Lord, I know You suffered the sting of rejection in a much more intense way than I ever will. And while this rejection is small in the grand scheme of life, it feels huge in my heart right now. Will You help me process this? Will You help me see past it? Will You let this fragile heart feel the warmth of Your acceptance and love today? In Jesus' Name, Amen.



Related Resources:

Visit Lysa's blog to talk about keeping our identity secure even when circumstances make us doubt.



Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa TerKeurst



P31 Woman magazine



Application Steps:

The reality is our identity in Christ is always certain even when circumstances are constantly shifting. We must park our mind on the truth of who God says we are. Read Lysa's blog today for more on how to do this.



Reflections:

How can I separate my identity from my circumstance? Spend some time contemplating this today.



Power Verses:

Romans 8:38-39, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NIV)



Isaiah 54:10, "'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the LORD, who has compassion on you." (NIV)





© 2009 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.



Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

(In)Courage: The Doubting Self

(In)Courage: The Doubting Self


"In courage" you to go check this one out today!

Heavy Thoughts

http://www.christianitytoday.com/mp/2008/summer/10.14.html?start=1



In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you (Matthew 7:12).

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1).

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up… .

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger… . Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:29, 31–32).

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8).


Correcting my husband's flaws was not my responsibility. Christ holds me accountable only for my life of obedience.