Scrapping Servant

Again I feel I have had a blessed week in the Lord, I hope you have too.  It has been really good that this Meme holds me accountable to have my walk… of course if I were to come here and say I have not read or learned at all I would expect you all to lovingly rebuke me :o)  I really do mean for this Meme to help us lift each other up, bear one another’s burdens and sharpen each other’s iron! :o)  So please don’t be surprised when I stop by to see how you are doing if you have not been around… you are loved.

 So… do you want to hear what I have learned?  A good one from this morning in youth group with my husband (when I had to fumble around in my purse to find paper (a receipt) to write on) was… well, let’s see if I can find the receipt now…    

• The only way Satan can hurt God is through us.   (Think about that one for a moment, it hit me hard!)
• My response… I don’t want anyone hurting my King, especially if they are planning on using me to do it!  (Ps. we were in Gen. 3)

 And some nice news!  I finished reading my Let Go book… a total God send and a blessing I will never forget!  I may not believe the same things the author of these letters did, but I know that God definitely used his words to put me in check with my self.

After reviewing what I have already learned, God showed me a bit more on what Surrendering is like for me.  You see I was reading about surrender meaning to accept whatever God sends as I looked at the photo of the giant wave from last week’s post.  It made me think about my labor with BBoy.  I had him with no meds and was thinking on what my lovely Birthing Coach would say during the super hard contractions (you see she used to surf and I think this is no coincidence!) she would tell me to “Just ride the wave”.   Now I see that that was me surrendering to the pain!  This is a great picture of surrender to me.  God just wants me to take each wave as it comes and be faithful to balance as He holds me in His arms.   

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• You see we are never alone, God is always there as our faithful friend to hold us up when we are weak.
• And even if the problems we have seem to be waves over our heads they are always under His feet!
• Many of our steps to victory come on our knees.  

 I encourage you this week to actually set time aside to pray, maybe even setting a timer to do so to keep you from distractions.

Now for this week’s Bonus Question: Do you have a favorite place or time to get alone with God?  If yes, when, where and maybe why?… If no, can you think of one you could make, giving it to the Lord as a place for you and Him to hang-out together?

 My Answer: When my kids are awake I have a spot in my family room on the couch.  I like it because it still makes me available to them and because I am close to my husband’s computer which reminds me to pray with them and pray for my husband.  When they are not awake (which is not often) I think God is calling me to a different spot (on the couch in my bedroom), which I am actually not being faithful to come to… please pray for my rebellion to stop.  Thank you ladies and remember you are loved!  

Hello everyone that is joining in on sharing their walk in the Lord… I pray that you will find much encouragement here as it is my heart to both grow myself, but also along-side you my sisters!  Remember if you do not have a blog please feel free to share each week in the comments what you are learning in the Lord and, or the answer to the bonus question.  Here is some of what I have learned this week… first I will start again in my ‘Let Go‘ book… 

•  I want to come to Jesus with nothing of my self, I just want Him to see His own beauty and holiness in me.
• My weaknesses can turn out to be my strengths (through Jesus) if I just accept them humbly.
• Real surrender is resting in the love of God, as a little baby rests in its mommy’s arms.
  • Isn’t that I beautiful picture of our God holding us like babies?!
• Surrender is not a huge heroic laying down of ourselves, it is simply accepting whatever God sends, and not seeking to change it, unless His will is to see it changed.
• Surrender is full of peace, if we have restlessness and concerns about what we surrendered it was not genuine.
  • This really made me question whether a couple things I have given were fully surrendered or not, I found the answer to be no… you try.
• Daily death will completely destroy the pain of final death.

These next couple really blessed me because of how I have been feeling lately, it helped me see WHY I am feeling this way…

• My imagination works overtime, exaggerating terrors of death because my self is fighting to live!  Self is trying to get me to hate all kinds of death to make me selfish again instead of selfless!
  • I have really been struggling just the past couple days regarding being needed by everyone in my family and not having time to my SELF, AHHH!  Listen to that!
• “We are tempted to become discouraged and despondent to our present situations.  We see our current trials rolling in toward us like great, overpowering, ocean waves.  Our hearts fail us with fear at the prospect of drowning.  We do not see that we stand within the point at which God, with a steady finger, has drown the boundary line.  Beyond that line the waves cannot pass.”
  • (1 Corinthians 10:13 -  No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.)
  • This reminds me of those giant VERY scaring looking waves on those surfing contests that make me feel claustrophobic just watching the surfers in the middle of the wave!  My throat tightens up just typing about it!
  • But it also reminds me of the boundary line my God drew when my son didn’t get hit by a car two weeks ago… now this is a God we can trust!
• Resisting God is the cause of all my distress.
  • Again like I said I have been bothered lately and since this book is in the format of a bunch of personal letters, this part felt like it was just for me!
• I allow myself to be so locked up within that I have no power to get out of my self.

Now to share some of what I learned from my Breaking Free study…

•  I will be blessed in what I do if I become a doer of God’s word.  James 1:25
• When I allow God to bring my problems out of the closet out into the light that is where Satan loses his stronghold.  Hebrews 4:12-16
• God wants me to let Him be the power that stimulates progress.
• The very things that I do not chose to cut out of my life in disobedience might become strongholds in the lives of my children!
• God’s glory is the way He makes Himself recognizable… He wants to show Himself through us and to us.
• I need to do things in a way that He may be seen through me and to me.  1 Corinthians 10:31
• “When God used the analogy of a river, He described a peace that can be reatained while life twists and turns and rolls over boulders.”  Isaiah 48:18
• God’s presence is the basis for our courage in a storm.  Matthew 14:25-32  Watch this Video!

Now I come to this week’s bonus question (sorry I did not post one last week): What is your most recent favorite verse in God’s word and why (if it isn’t obvious)?

Mine is Psalm 121:1 because God has been comforting me with it lately when I know I am not supposed to go to others for strength before Him, I will share the whole chapter because it is AWESOME!…

•  I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.

Sorry Ladies for the delayed message today. I have been struggling pretty heavy in the very things God is calling me to be obedient on. Letting go of my selfishness and laziness is no easy battle. It seems like many new tactics are being tossed my way, but the difference is this time I am actually TRYING to fight!!!

 If you are also going through a tough time, please feel free to post that on My Walk Mondays this will help us to know how to pray for and encourage each other.  

 This reminds me of a bit I wanted to share last night when I couldn’t manage to get this post written.  As you know I am still reading the ‘Let Go‘ book… and one of the first things I wanted to share from this week’s devotions was…

To bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) or possibly to bear the burden of their imperfections?!   (That’s something to think about now isn’t it?  Definitely something I need to work on, I am so judgmental and controlling.)         

Here is more of what I learned…

• I must not expect too much from other’s but be patient with their faults, as I myself am faulty!
• to keep peace in a relationship I should be quiet, prayerful & surrendered, refusing criticism and jealousy.
• to seriously think about death (one of the new tactics in my battle) is not necessarily bad, it keeps me aware of my weaknesses and keeps me humble in God’s hands.
• irritability under correction is worse than all other faults combined (ouch!)
• the sting of correction wouldn’t be felt if the old self were dead.
• the more correction hurts, the more it was neccessary.
• the moment I start listening to self screech complaints in my ear is right when God’s whisper gets drowned out (I would much rather hear God than me, how ’bout you?)
• I shouldn’t make important decisions during times of distress.
• the only way I can profit from God’s counsel is to maintain willingness to sacrifice ANYTHING to Him, no matter how much it hurts self.
• I cannot become strong until I am aware of my weakness (well maybe that weakness is what I am learning about lately, because it has been pretty hard.)
• I need to find a balance between learning and doing, like faith and works you know?
• I need to be careful of taking up old habits and focus on building resistance to self.
• my freedom is more valuable than what I am afraid of losing.
• I need to be faithful to practice what I am learning so God can entrust me with more (I am always praying for growth and hoping that I can be a beautiful woman of God someday, but I cannot expect to get to my thousandth step if I haven’t yet taken the second!)

 Did I mention yet that I love this book and am glad God moved me to buy it and that He is helping me be faithful to read it… I love how the writer constantly refers to our flesh as self, because where he says “self” I would be so prone to saying “me”, but that is not the me I want to be, I would much rather be detached from me/my “self” and find Jesus in my loss of life.  (Matthew 6:25)

My husband was blessed to teach on Sunday in main service and was having a hard time thinking his message was too rough, well let me tell ya… it was exactly what I needed to hear!  It was on Genesis chapter 12: reviewing Abram’s journey.  From the beginning he disobeyed!  (There’s that word again!  Of coarse this message was for me!)  Here is his disobendiences… 

1.  he was supposed to go from his relatives, but he brought Lot with him!
2. he did not stay where God told him to go because of a famine in the land
3. he lies about Sarai not being his wife

Here are his consiquences…

1. Lot’s daughters slept with him and had sons: Moab and Ben-ammi (both the Moabites and Ammonites came from these sons, enemies of the sons of Israel)
2. He picked up maidservants in Egypt where he ran to, also picking up Hagar who bears his first son… this effects the present day war in the middle east.
3. Pharaoh gets angry and kicks him out of Egypt making him a bad witness of God’s name.

Why the disobedience?  Loneliness, depression, fear worry… sounds like a snow ball effect of sin to me. 

Remedy… STOP!  recognize it as sin, look at it, let God show you how disgusting it is, repent, be diligent.         

1 Samuel 15:22 (my notes) it is better to obey than to sacrifice… verse 23: rebellion is as witchcraft to the Lord.

 Jude 24-25 “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”         

A-men! Now know that you are all loved by our Lord and I am happy to see you here again. Good Night.

Hello everyone that is visiting for My Walk Monday, Welcome!

 I want to encourage you all to visit the other’s participating here.  Please encourage them in some way in what they shared.  I know it may be hard to read what everyone wrote, but be encouraged as I am today knowing that the longer the post the more time that person probably spent in devotion time with the Lord!  Praise be to God!  Let us effectively practice in sharpening one another!              

For the past two weeks I have been faithfully reading the book I felt impressed upon my heart to buy at the ladies retreat I went to recently… I have been learning a lot, here is my list… (When I read books I write things that stick-out in a separate journal so I have it all in one place to pray over it and let it sink in better.)

* If I want to die to my self I must willingly suffer.                     

*  God is jealous for my attention and wants what I am most reluctant to give up (what I lean on more than Him).  If I am not willing to give it willingly He might take it in love to teach me… do I want this?

 * He removes the human help to supply us with Himself (this is hard but I want Him to be first).                     

* We receive according to our faith, either much or little (I have been praying for a new home), this was encouraging.

 * I need to be careful regarding my resistance to the Holy Spirit.  I need to stop refusing to drink when I am brought straight to the fountain.                     

* I need to receive poor circumstances with an enduring trust in the love of my Lord ie. my recent birth experience.

 * I need to recognize when I turn good circumstances bad with the attachment to my love of self.                    

* I want to be fixed, but that is not what I need… I need to be slain!  I need to stop looking to be changed automatically and let brokenness come.  Only that which is first broken can be fixed.  (Heavy I know)

 * In my walk I need to stop focusing on living and being kept alive…  Instead I need to let death come.                    

* I need to recognize when I am not willing to conform to God’s plan and change when I do.

 * The trials I go through and the strength He gives me come in the same measurements (always enough).                    

* Despair at our imperfections is a greater obstacle than the imperfection itself.  (Read that again)

 * I need to concentrate more on Jesus…                    

 * If I focus on the things He so wonderfully gives me, I am still focusing partially on me.

 * God wants me to LET GO so I can be free to walk closer to Him (He wants me!  This was also something strongly impressed upon me at the Ladies Retreat).                   

* Faith will help me joyfully accept what God has permitted.  (Where does faith come from?  Rom. 10:17)

 (These next two go hand in hand as they where really heavy on my heart last Thursday because on Tuesday and Wednesday I was really close to panic attacks and partial pity parties!  I felt so attacked and lied to by the enemy!)              

* I need not be concerned with how I look or what others will think, I just need to focus on doing God’s will for my life.

 * “One quiet moment in the presence of God will more than repay you every bit of slander that will ever be leveled against you.”  (Even by the enemy)             

 * I need to welcome hardship with friends as the hand of God helping me to grow.  

* Either fully surrendered, calm, peaceful and effective or selfish, afriad, angry exhausted and distrated???               

 * I need to stop continually talking about my problems and just hand them over to God.  

* I need to rest knowing that God permits the actions of those that hurt me, and be obedient, quite and gentle no matter how hard it may be.               

 * I must determine to only hope in God.  

* I need to humble myself and submit under His hand, and become submissive and manageable as soon as I notice resistance or disobedience within.               

 Week 3 Bonus Question: What Bible studies or books of the Bible are you currently going through?  And how do you feel about it/them?  

My Answer: I am going through Beth Moore’s ’Breaking Free‘ with the women’s Bible study at my church.  It just started last Thursday so I haven’t done any of the homework yet, but I am really VERY excited.  I now that God is going to do a work if I am faithful to not jump off the potter’s wheel (Isa. 64:8 :o)  Just the DVD introduction last week was awesome… here is some of what I already learned…           

• Victory always begins with a cry for help.
• Am I more frightened of the Holy Spirit working than I am of the enemy?
• God wants victory in our lives to be the rule, not the exception.
• God wants me to know what went wrong so I can learn… that is is why He doesn’t just fix me.
• Our prison doors are locked from the inside!!!!

(Need I say more on how exciting this study could be!?)  WOW!  I am also learning a lot out of James (that I also write separately in a journal), and I figured I would share that all once I am done with the last chapter.

Just another thought.  I will probably add the things I want to share on my Monday post throughout the week from now on, so it’s not all late on Sunday night :o)  If you want to do the same just start a post after your devotions on Monday morning and save it as a draft adding to it each morning till Monday.  See you around my wonderful family in Christ.

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Eph 6:10 

Last week I shared with you all about how God was leading me to finally be obedient and let go, well He was really reminding me of this all week, it was amazing to me!  My God is so stinking good to me, I just need to be willing to listen!! 

The first “reminder” was through a new blog friend, (Michelle at Delightful Evidence) God had a song waiting there titled (guess what?!) LET GO!  Listen to the song HERE and check the words out HERE, my goodness!!!       

 The second was another song on the radio in the car by Barlow Girl titled (GUESS WHAT?!) LET GO!!!  Listen HERE and see the lyrics HERE. 

I learned… He wants to supply ALL my needs, I need to stop worrying and looking behind or ahead, nothing will happen unless I’m obedient, I need to trust that He’ll catch me, I won’t make it if I continue to do it alone… and I do feel so alone… but I am ready to live what I believe!     

I was reminded just tonight in my My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers that I need to be still, and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).  I found I need tenacity, which is more than endurance, “It is endurance combined with the absolute certainty that what we are looking for is going to transpire.  Tenacity is more than hanging on, which may be but the weakness of being too afraid to fall off.”  “‘Cause I’m about to let go, and live what I believe, I can’t do a thing now, but trust that You’ll catch me, when I let go!”  Will you let go with me?  I can’t wait to hear how you all have grown just this week, and get to know you better with…      

 Week 2 Bonus Question: How do you minister for the Lord?  Can you share a photo?      

My Answer: My husband and I serve in Youth Ministries, Jr High and High School now.  It has been our calling from the Lord to (as my old youth Pastor would say) “Preach the Word and Love the kids”.  It has been an incredible blessing over the years and I praise God that He still wants to use a wretch like me.  And the photo is an old scrapbook layout (of coarse) of us with our 5th graders :o) 

…My Walk Monday…

 I am starting this in hope to have a home for accountability and encouragement in my walk with Christ Jesus.                 

Each week I would like you to share a post on a bit of your walk with the Savior.  It could be anything like what you learned that morning in devotions, what you are struggling with, a new worship song you learned, a prayer request,  a new Bible study you started, a praise report, you get the idea… anything that is a cause for growth in your relationship with the Lord.

   I will also have bonus questions posted from week to week with hope that you will answer and we will all get to know each other better.  After you write your post and answer the bonus question sign-in to the Mr. Linky for the week you are participating.           

 I shared my first post below and made a button (below) so you can post it on your blog to encourage others to join.  Just click the button below to find the page with the code to copy and paste the into your sidebar.

 Ah yes, and if you are a non-blogging Christian that would like to participate you could leave your info in the comments on each week’s post :o)  

Find all of my - My Walk Monday posts HERE. 

So as you know if you read Sunday’s post God showed me a lot of disobedience in my life at the retreat I recently went to… well one of my first steps of obedience was to buy this book.

I usually always find interest in the book reviews and always look through the books at the book table, but I NEVER buy any of them, even if I feel like I am supposed to because I always have the excuse of having too many unread books already at home.                                     

Well this time I bought the one that was jumping out at me (now I see… for obvious reasons).  It’s a good book so far and I am only the second day in… it’s a daily devotional type book.  Mine was only $3.50, good thing too, it made it easier for me to be obedient in buying it :o)

 Here is what I am learning so far (some of it is review but with my disobedience I NEED it)…                                   

* my selfishness is a painful chain that binds me.

* dying to self would be less painful than being bound to it. 

* that which is dead does not suffer. 

 * I can choose to carry the cross God means for me to have, or with my unwillingness to suffer I can add a tormenting inner battle to it.

*  I will suffer more and with less growth if I continue with stubbornness clinging to self.

* humility makes me more easily teachable.  

* personal weakness helps me realize that God wants me to be lowly and obedient.  (There’s that word again!)  This is a choice I have to make, something I just have to do. 

  Week 1 Bonus Question: Do you know the date of your born-again birthday?  How old are you spiritually?

 My Answer: Yes it is January 5, 1998.  I’m 10 years old this year!  :o)