An Unexpected Blessing

I know it's been a very, very, very long time since I've blogged but I just had to share this.

It always amazes me how God blesses me with the desires of my heart in so many unexpected ways.  This being one of many:

We just got back from a last minute, very short and quick trip to Wasilla and Anchorage; about 6 hours away.  Randy had an appointment in Wasilla and asked if I and the girls wanted to go.  Since his appointment was in the morning, he said we could go shopping but will be driving back home soon afterwards.  There was going to be no overnight stay but he said the magic word: SHOPPING.  Of course, the girls and I said YES!  Amanda didn't think she could take off work with a few hours notice so she didn't bother to ask so it was just Amy, Jamie (a friend of the girls that moved back to AK and is staying with us) and I that went.

I was thinking that it would have been nice to have been able to go to the malls in Anchorage since we don't have any as well as don't drive there often (this trip wasn't figured out in the budget so probably a good thing we didn't go to any)  BUT where we did go....

My one rule whenever we go any where from home:  The only thing "allowed" is to go to places that aren't at home (unless it's absolutely necessary to go to a place that is at home).

We had breakfast at IHOP (Amy's request) before Randy's appointment.  During his appointment we had time to go to KOHLS and Target (a couple of stores that I always go to when "there"); also slipped into Sally's Beauty Supply Store too since had little bit more time to wait for Randy (AND THEY WERE ALL ACROSS THE STREET from where he had to be in Wasilla and we HAD FINISHED JUST BEFORE HE FINISHED).  We then drove into Anchorage since the store Randy had planned to go to on this trip was there.  He's such a sweetheart because the girls had mentioned wanting to go to Burlington Coat Factoryand he took us there FIRST and waited the couple of hours until we were finished.  Did I mention how thoughtful and kind he is because he's NOT a shopper.

Last, off to his "man store" to get a pair of overdue, much needed pair of hunting boots.  I tried to get him to get the other item he wanted but he said he could make due without it.  That man does not like to spend money on the things for himself that he'd like to have; even on the "practical things" that is needed/would be well used and get more than its money's worth out of it.  Didn't see the price or know if it can be bought here but I think I know what to suggest to the kids to get for Father's Day.  We rounded off our trip with a meal at Arby's (my request since Olive Garden was not fast food LOL) and ice cream from Dairy Queen (Jamie's request).

Nope this trip wasn't in the budget but I did have a gift card that was given to me awhile ago but didn't have the opportunity to use until now.  Amy argued it was suppose to be used on me but nothing "caught my eye" so I used it for the cute things I found for Samuel instead and the spending money I keep in my wallet for "things" that might say "buy me" was used for things I got for Nevaeh.  Yeah, my grandbabies are worth giving up to.  My mom once said to me many years ago: she had sent me money for a birthday and said to use it on me but instead I used it for something the kids needed.  When I told her what I used it for she said I was definitely a "real mom"; giving up something I need or want for my kids.  So it must mean I'm a "real grandma" now, right?  LOL  Besides, I had fun doing it.

A needed reminder and something to think about:
It may be something so minute that it's missed if I don't take time in my day to realize and appreciate all He actually does EACH AND EVERY DAY.  You know, if I would just take a little bit of time to sit and think and look, I'd see how He blesses me every day. What/Why is it that I am so busy doing that I can't see and appreciate all God does and is doing for me ALL the time.

With all that said, what I want to say is: isn't that just like God.  Blessing us when/where we don't or least expect it.  

A Realization.....

I can say that I might have gotten side-tracked or I've just been too busy or had to stay focus on my own responsibilities or ?  but I'm not sure what the excuse is for not having to not continue on here with the book review I had started as I had said I was going to do or into even blog anything at all.  I just haven't taken the time to is all because I did have the time.  I think also that my heart wasn't into doing it anymore but then I realized something the other night.  I did not get any sleep that night; I kept waking up every 45min./hour and when I finally went back to sleep, I was awake again soon after.  So what I did during those "awake times" was what I used to do when this happened; pray for whoever/whatever came to mind. Do you know what/who came to mind?  Me.  I came to realize that I wasn't being "A Woman After God's Own Heart".  Sure, I was going through the "motions" but my heart wasn't in it.  I was home alone that same evening with Randy working late and girls not home.  It was too quiet.  I didn't have anything that needed to be done except dinner but I was just piddling around waiting to hear from Randy of when he was on his way home as dinner wasn't going to take long to cook.  I felt lost.  I did have a "small prick of heart" that I needed to face some things but I wouldn't admit it, even to myself, that I needed to "take care" of some things in my heart.  It is so easy to go through the motions/routines of the day without paying attention to what one is doing because they have become habits, and that's what I have been doing.  I realized that this have been going on for a long time.  It seems that the routines I have, that I do, have just been that, a habit.  Good habits to have/do is a good thing but my heart just wasn't into doing them, into doing anything really.  I was just going through the motions.  This time of quiet reflections had made me realize that I had lost my first love for my Lord.  It was something I had not realized until I took the time to sit (or I should say lay in this case), be still, and listen during this "prayer time" with my Saviour.  After much time in prayer about myself, it ended up to be a sweet hour(s) of prayer and I am glad that I was able to have it.

I am now going to really pay attention to what I do and to get my heart to where I can be A Woman After God's Own Heart.  No matter what it is that we all have to do, be responsible for, we should still be doing it for the Lord in actions and attitude on how it is done.  What we do may seem minute to someone else but everything we are responsible to do, that needs to be done, should be done for the Lord.  For me, for example, just doing things around the house, may not be much for the other woman that has a career but I should still be doing it for the Lord because he gave me those things to be responsible for and the ability to do them--which is just as important for the other woman in God's eyes--and I should be thankful to be able to do those things and to do them with my whole heart for the Lord.  (I hope all that made sense)

I am going to start from the beginning of this book review, for myself.  As I go through, or maybe it won't be until I am finished, I will continue to post my review/comments/of what I learned.

 

Watching, Waiting, Welcoming....

IT'S A BOY!!!  We've been anticipating this moment for quite some time.  I'm sure many didn't know we were expecting...a new baby horse that is.  Wouldn't you know it was due to be born when Randy was gone on his hunting trip with a good friend (Jeff Humphries); a trip that had been planned many weeks ago.  Midnight started to show definite signs two days after he left so it was time to keep round the clock watch on her.  I did the "day shift".  The girls split the rest of the hours so I can get some sleep.  Amanda did the "swing shift" (is that what the shift from 6-midnight is called?) and Amy had 2am--8am.  I had the longest shift, what's up with that?  but it was also the easiest after getting a full night's sleep.  Lack of sleep is not good for me--causes me to have "spells" as when I overdue it.  Well we missed the actually birth.  I so enjoy being able to watch the mircle of birth before (horses, cows, and my first grandbaby--the greatest mircle of all!) that I was disappointed to have missed this one.  He was born just before 4am.  Amy had just went outside to check on mom when the colt was almost all the way born, so she got to see the end of it.  She was able to help mom to break and remove the sac before she came to wake me up.  We were able to watch the colt take his first steps.

Some thoughts came to me:

Shouldn't that be what we should be doing of our Saviour's return, to anticipate it--to be watching and waiting for him to return.

What about when we are telling others about our dear Lord; watching and waiting for them to realize their need for Him for their Saviour and then welcoming them into the family of God; then to be a part of their first steps to learning more of him.

One last thought:  When we see a dear one straying away from God, we pray, watching and waiting for our prayers to be answered.  If we are blessed enough to be able to see that stray one to return, we welcome them back with open arms and help them to take those first steps back towards God.

It made me wonder that if I would just get pass the first step of watching and start to wait more....
Sometimes if when we are watching and don't see anything happening we stop waiting.  I wonder if because of that we never get to the end of being able to be the one to do the welcoming as well as being the one to help them take those first steps.

It makes me wonder if I would get pass the watching and waiting more....
What/how many blessings have I missed to not be the one to  "welcome" as well as to be the one to help with those "first steps".

It is something to think and pray about, isn't it.

Chapter 1 continued....

B.  A Heart Devoted to God

After choosing to have a changed heart, what does it actually mean to have a heart devoted to God?  In Luke 10:38-42 we can read about Mary and how Jesus praised her for having a heart devoted to him.

As you read this Bible passage, you will see two very different women when Jesus was received in their home.

• Martha was busy with the "physical needs",  "But Martha was cumbered about much serving..."

I can just imagine her runing around picking things up, and putting them away, do a little cleaning, making excuses if things aren't up to par, etc.; making sure everyone had a drink to quench their thirst from their travels, then preparing something to eat.  Something we may do if we have an unexpected guest we want to impress.  Or even when friends stop by unexpectly and our homes isn't as clean as we would want it to be

• Then there is Mary who "....sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word."

I'm sure with all the "running around" trying to meet the "physical needs" that Martha was starting to get stressful trying to get everything done for their unexpected guest that she started to complain to Jesus;

 "...Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?  bid her that she help me."  Then Jesus responded, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath choosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Before I go on with my "review", I'd like to share something about the last part of this verse that was "revealed" to me when I read it.

I need to be careful to not take away from someone their desire to know/learn more of God.  Yes, I can be a part of directing them in the right direction, especially if I see they are "going down the wrong path"--believing something that doesn't go/or isn't in God's Word but "sounds" like it could be something from God.  Though I must remember that if I choose to say anything to anyone that I may see "going down the wrong path" when they are searching to know/learn about God and his ways, I need to be able to prove/back it up with God's Word, the Bible.

I need to be careful with this "person" as I direct them as I can be discouraging them to stop if I'm not.  My purpose may be noble but it has to be done carefully--especially if it's someone that doesn't like to be told they are wrong or what/how to do something.  My words need to be put in a way that it will be encouraging them to keep seeking God instead of discouraging them to stop.  Hope this made sense to you.

Okay, where was I....

I'm sure Martha was excited to have Jesus in their home and to be able to have him at her dinner table.  Of course she wanted everything to be perfect.

Mary, too, was excited to have Jesus in their home but for a different reason.  She was able to hear God's Word from God himself and didn't want to miss a single word.

Are we so busy in our every day lives, doing our every day responsibilities, that we forget or just don't take the time with God; to read his Word and to pray.  Are we so busy that we don't take the time to stop, be still and "listen" what it is he wants us to know/learn.

I know I am guilty, many times, of not taking the time to do so.  How can anyone have a heart devoted to God if they don't spend time with him, to continue to get to know him, to learn about the things he wants us to know.

When we meet again, I'll mention some things on how we can follow Mary's example of her choice to spend precious time with God.

Do What You Can

I just want to say, so you may understand where I am going with this (or is the phrase "coming from" better?); whenever I go to church (I may have said this before), I go with a heart, expecting God to show me what it is he wants me to hear/learn.  Many times it is something not even being preached about but there is that "one thing" that shows me so much of what I need to know/learn.

We had a wonderful message given by Bro. Ryan Gray Wednesday night.  To put it all in a nutshell, if God put something on our hearts to do for Him then what's keeping us from doing it.  It will be put on our church's website soon http://biblebaptistfairbanks.com/ so you may listen to it yourself.  He took us to Nehemiah and compared the building of the walls--what the people had to put up with--to what may be stopping us today to not do what it is God places on our hearts to do.  (The book of Nehemiah was an encouragement to me during another discouraging "phase" in my life a few years ago).  Bro. Gray was basically preaching on that if God puts something on our hearts that he wants us to do for him--gives us a desire to do something--then we shouldn't hesitate to do it.  One of the things that he pointed out that can cause a person to not do it is because of distractions--we may have let these distractions interfere, take focus, instead of staying focus on doing what it is that God had placed on our heart to do.  God may have blessed us with many things but it's what or how we use these things, whether or not they become distractions--take away from doing what God wants us to do.

As long as I can remember, since I was a teenager, I had always been involved with church--wherever there was a need, I was there doing it.  If you had read my testimony, God still used me even though I wasn't saved, as well as taught me so much.  He finally had to get my attention through my health--where I HAD to stop.  To keep from going on and on and on and..... As I think I said in my testimony, I had wanted to get involved with church ministries again but it was not to be.  At first I came to see it was because I wasn't saved like I thought I was.  Then it seemed like whenever I wanted to do something, the "door was shut"--it just didn't work out.  Mostly it was because I was trying to do too much and then I'd have a relaspe; then I'd cry out, "Why can't I!  Why can't I do the same things as before?"  It got me thinking, why, why, why??? My desire is to serve God.  Why wasn't things working?  After hearing the message the thought came "Do what you can.  Do your best at what you are responsible for NOW, without being distracted with worrying about what you want to do elsewhere; then just sit and be still.  Do what you can."

When I came home I thought, yeah, the things that I do do are just as important as what others do elsewhere.  I need to be content at where I am and do what God had already given me to do.  As I said before, if we are so "in tuned" with God, the desires we have on our heart are his desires.   When He feels I am ready to do something else, he will put that desire on my heart; and if I am "in tuned" with God, I will know that it is from him.  This may not be what the message was exactly about but it was what God had showed me.

It made me wonder, when did I stop being content?  I mean, I'm content at where I am as far as my home and needs being met but I wasn't being content at what I was already suppose to be doing.  I am to do what it is I need to do now, what I have already been given to do, and that will help me to be a Woman After God's Own Heart. 

First Steps

My granddaughter (Nevaeh) took her first steps not to long ago.  She is still unsure of herself so she'll take a few steps, gets unsure then "falls" back down.  She had also come to find (since she doesn't have the confidence yet) that it's faster and easier to just give up and go back to crawling.

Isn't that true with our Christian Walk at times?  We've accepted Christ as our Saviour.  Now we want to learn everything we can as fast as we can but if we aren't careful we can fall because we're unsure (don't have the confidence/understanding) and can end up giving up.  And if we aren't careful to really learn what God wants us to, to grasp it, we can go back to the "old" because it's so much easier.

We ALL need to take the time to learn by taking each step at a time.  It doesn't matter how long a person's been saved, they still need to take one step at a time and be careful as Satan is still out there to put a "blindfold" on anyone so he can trick us into not learning anything that will draw us closer to God in our Chrstian Walk; or to "pick up" something again that we had "let go" or even to not "let go" something that we need to get rid of or even haven't gotten taken care of in our sinful lives.  It doesn't matter how long a person's been saved or how much a person knows about God, there is still much more to learn about God and his ways if one has the desires to do so.

Many times when some first gets saved, they think they are "safe" from everything; how UNTRUE that is.  Just because a person has accepted Christ as their Saviour doesn't mean they are "protected" to not fall.  God gave each and every one of us a free will and that means we have choices we have to make all the time.  Whether or not that will be good or bad choices is up to us.  That's why it is so important to be in his Word daily as well as pray daily.  Many times, too, a person may think that since they've been saved so many years and knows many things, is able to answer many questions that they don't have to be in God's Word as much or to pray as much but that is SO wrong.  There are still many things we ALL don't know no matter how much we may think we already know.   As we go to His Word, we should go with expecting God to show us something and he will.  The same thing we should do when we go to church.  The message that is preached may have nothing to do what is going on in your life but if we go with a heart that EXPECTS something from God, I guarantee that He WILL give/show you something.  I know this because He's done it EVERY TIME for me and I know He will for others too.

Don't let pride get in the way of preventing you to get back up again after falling.  We have a merciful God who is waiting with open arms to continue to teach/show everyone what it is he wants us to learn/know.

I think I've said it before; remember that the day that a person accepts Christ as their personal Saviour is the first step for each of us to be a person after God's own heart.

I know I've said I would tell my thoughts of what I've learned from the first chapter but after praying and asking God to lead me in what I should say, I felt lead to say this instead.

You're invited to take a trip

I'm sorry I haven't been diligent in posting my "review" as when I said I would but I've had a couple of "bad days" and not feeling well on top of that.  For those that are reading my blog, I hope that you will understand and be patient with me.

While reading (a fiction book, no less!) I came across a verse: 
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." ~Jeremiah 29:13

I got to thinking that before anyone can be a person after God's own heart that they must find him and see their need for him as their personal Saviour for themselves FIRST.
I mean how can anyone be a woman (person) after God's own heart if we don't KNOW him; meaning, have come to the point that we realize we are sinners and believe what he did for us on the cross, then to accept him as our Saviour so that we may have life eternal with him in heaven.  I don't mean to just know it in our heads but to believe in our hearts of the need of him and accept it.
I came to the conclusion that before I can actually start telling y'all about what I have learned/my "review", that first I should take you on a "trip" down the Roman's Road (there may be some "detours" but basically it all leads to the same "destination").  If you haven't been "down this road" and "finish the trip" completely, I pray that you realize your need to do so.  Since I am making this simple, if you have any questions, please email me personally and I will answer.

ALL HAVE SINNED
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. ~Romans 3:10
....there is none that doeth good, no not one. ~Romans 3:12b
None of us is "good".  Not a single one of us.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" ~Romans 3:23
ALL-That's every single one of us that has been born into this world.
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."~Romans 5:5
He gave us a way "out".  Please contine on and I'll tell you more.

THE PENALTY FOR SIN IS DEATH AND HELL
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." ~Romans 6:23
Wages = death (being separated from God forever) in hell  Accepting God's gift = eternal life in heaven

JESUS DIED TO PAY FOR OUR SINS
"For God so loved the world, that he GAVE his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him (Jesus) should not perish but have everlasting life."~John 3:16
"But God commendeth (proved) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." ~Romans 5:8
To show how he loves us; he first gave, then died.

JESUS INVITES YOU TO BE SAVED TODAY
To have God's gift is to just accept his Son as our Saviour.
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:  if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." ~Revelation 3:20
"And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hat not life." ~I John 5:11-12

It's easy to accept his gift of eternal life so you won't have to pay if you don't.
"That if thou shalt CONFESS with thy MOUTH the Lord Jesus, and shalt BELIEVE in thine HEART that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
"For whosover shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." ~Romans 10:9, 10, 13

Each and every one of us need to do this in order to receive his gift of eternal life.  If you haven't already and this is what you want to do, you may say a prayer something like this:
Dear Lord, I confess that I am a guilty sinner and that I need to be saved.  I believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay my sin debt.  Please forgive my sins, come into my heart, and save my soul.

Just remember that it's NOT the words that save you.  It's the confession AND the believing that does.  If you JUST SAY the words (without truly confessing and believing), just thinking that you'll be "safe" now, then you aren't/will not be saved.
Also, you CAN'T say this "prayer" for any one else, whether living or dead.  EACH and EVERY person need to do this for themselves.
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." ~John 3:36

The wonderful thing is that once you've accept His free gift is that you NEVER have to do it again, IF you truly confessed and believe.
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." ~I John 5:13

I do have a passion for all to know Christ as their Personal Saviour so if I seem to come across "strong" then it's because I want every one to know their need for Him because I know what is in store for them if they don't and I don't want any one to have to go through that (in hell) for eternity.  
My prayer is that whoever reads this, that haven't already, will realize their need for Christ.

By the way, I'm usually not on the computer on the weekends so I probably won't be adding to my blog again until next week.  Besides, it'll give you a chance to think and ponder about whether or not you are truly saved.  Don't make the same mistake I did; thinking I was already saved.  I was trusting in someone else's word that I was when I wasn't.  It still bring tears to my eyes to think that if I never, FINALLY, admitted that I wasn't saved and was trusting someone's else's word instead of trusting Christ as my Saviour MYSELF (you can read my testimony if you haven't already).  Don't wait until it's too late as I could have.

Outer Beauty/Inner Beauty

I went to get my nails done yesterday (acrylic fill-ins).  As I was getting them done, I got to thinking; yikes I can think?!  LOL  I had two thoughts about the Christian's Walk:


Those of you who don't know about acrylic nails, basically fill-ins are what they "say"; as the nails grow, the grown out natural nails needs to have the acrylic filled in.

1) As we GROW in our Christian Walk, it's as if our eyes are open to more and more things.  Once we were blind and now we see that there are things that we shouldn't have in our lives; ex. movies, music, books, etc.  As we get rid of these things, we ought to replace
(fill in) it with godly things, ex. replace the "worldly" music with godly music.  If we do replace these "worldly" things with godly things, it is so much easier not to have the "worldly" things enter back into our life once again--it's easier to not let it or permit it to.

After the fill-ins I got them painted (french tip manicure).  If I want to continue to have my nails look nice I have to be deligent to go back to have the fill-ins done.  It is recommended to go every 2 weeks.  Why can I "get away" for not going that often?  Because I "know how" to keep them looking nice myself because I've learned how to do nails years ago when I was in Cosmotology school but I still can't do them "completely on my own" to make them looking good so I still need to go in to get them done.

2)  As in the Christian Walk, we want to be able to stay close to God, get closer, learn more, etc. (as I want my nails to stay nice).  As we grow we realize our need to go to church to hear his Word being taught so we can learn what God wants to teach us.  We don't go often (just Sundays & Wednesdays); so how do we stay on the right "road" of the Christian walk since we don't go to church often? By reading the Bible and praying daily (which also draw us closer to God).

Again, remember that even though we have the "know how" that we must be deligent in reading the Bible and praying daily OURSELVES in order to help stay in our walk (comparing to my nails staying nice) we also need to be deligent in going to church (an Independant Fundamental Baptist Church, KJV Bible).

I hope I said this for you to understand what I "saw" when I was getting my nails done.