Live Like You're Dying

In my bible study we have girls reminding the other girls of God's love for them.  These girls are REALLY blessing my life and surrounding me with encouragement!!  Thank you for all you do! " In the multitude of his anxieties within me, His comforts delight my soul. "  Psalm 94:19 Not only can God comfort us to neutral but He can delight us with His comforts.  May your day be filled with His Delight!! Don't strive "to be happy".  Strive to be JOYFUL .  No one can steal that from you!  "The Joy of the Lord is my strength!"

“Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress ….” Hebrews 12:1b No matter how hard we try we cannot win every race we enter, but it’s a certainty that if we don’t enter the race, we will absolutely never win.   It is just as much a certainty that if we enter the race and give it our utmost effort, then we may not win, but we will never be defeated.  If you want to finish the race of life, if you want to make it to the finish line, you’re going to have to let go of some things that may be holding you back in the race. Call it de-cluttering; call it simplifying; there are some things that need to be laid aside in order to finish well. What kind of things am I talking about? Any thing that holds you back from ABUNDANT JOY.  The things that cause you to get discouraged. Think of it this way. If you attach one light bulb to a battery...

Blaming God for evil is like blaming the sun for darkness. -Pastor Rick Warren Just like one of my previous post when I talk about how God doesn't put obstacles in out path, the evil one does, God also brings you out if you are faithful.  I have been doing so good lately.  God has truly drawn me in closer to Him and comforted me.  Monday my counselor told me she can even see an huge improvement in my feelings towards Houston and this light from with in me!!  [side bar:  I think everyone should try counseling, even if it's once a month.  It is SO SO healing!!]  Since then it's been a little bit of a speed bump, but like my friend Brian said, can't let it steal my joy. God loves you SO much!!!  He is there for you!  He loves you SO much he died for you!!  I'm reading Crazy Love in my Bible Study right now and it is amazing .  Francis Chan in the coordinating DVDs talks about the first time he really got the Gospel.  Picture this...

This past weekend, I got to be a part of one of my best friend's wedding!  It was beautiful!!  Amber has never really had a serious boyfriend, so when Shawn came around, I knew he was something special, and I was right.  The two of them make each other better people.  They are loving, great spirited, kind-hearted people, that have different personalities that compliment each other.  And as Shawn describes her, she just understands him (: I was blessed to get to see the card he wrote to Amber for their wedding day and how he felt about her.  He's been holding out and waiting for the right girl and when God introduced the two of them, he knew he'd found her.  He is just so sweet. I have to say THE BEST part of the wedding was the reunion of my friends!!!  Some of my best friends from college and Dallas were in town and it was perfect timing for me to be around my girl friends!  I will post pics soon but just have to say how much I love Mr. ...

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."  We all heard that growing up and we all know it's not true.  Words can pierce your heart like a dagger and bring you down.  And Ladies, we especially have a hard time with this.  So let me just encourage you and say, you are more. I have had people say things that preyed on my own insecurities and brought me down because I re-evaluated my self-worth.  Then there are times some mean things are said that I know absolutely aren't true and those don't hurt.  It's because I know that's not who I am.  I know I am daughter to a Holy King who loves me and sees everything about me before it ever happens. I know when people judge off a perceived image it's usually based on other factors. So I say to you, do not lets words dictate how you see yourself or worse yet, how you feel about yourself.  Worry about what God thinks.  The opinions of other people have no eternal consequences....

You know that saying, when one door closes, God opens another.   Or sometimes things have to fall apart so something better can fall together?   What about, It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it.  But it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives? I've seen all of those in my past and the past of others.  And I cling to them often when things don't go just as 'I had planned'.  Each holds true to relationships, work, life, even where we live and in the tragedies of life.  And what it the thing you lost ends up being what you're brought back to?  I have a girlfriend that was laid off from Katy ISD with all of Texas' big education cuts at the end of last year.  A few weeks ago they asked her to come back!  Praise the Lord the same door that was closed was opened again! What about relationships?  Can it work there too?  Absolutely!!  My mom and her husband were broken up ...

Tuning in to God by Rick Warren “God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another—even though people may not understand it.” Job 33:14 (NCV) God designed you to hear his voice. In a sense, there is a “receiver” in you that allows you to get guidance from God. What channels does God use? The primary way that God speaks is through the Bible. This is why we need to read the Bible every day...

Ever since I moved to Houston I knew that I was going to LOVE First Baptist Church!  And I have!  I love the pastor, the music, the people!  However, the young single life is lacking and I find myself in a similar position as I was in Dallas. In Dallas, I LOVED the Village Church, and still do!  Matt Chandler was literally hand-picked by God to do what he does and touch thousands of people's lives.  But the single life at the Village Church was lacking- amazing marriage ministry- but hard to get plugged in as a young single..  Meantime, I was attending the Porch at Watermark Church on Tuesday nights, making tons of friends with young singles, and my Bible study was predominately girls from Watermark church. Like I said, I'm in the same predicament.  My bible study are girls from Second Baptist, and this past weekend I was with a group of amazing girls and guys from Second Baptist..  I just feel like those are the people I can really do "life" wi...

"You can spend too much.  You can save too much.  But you can never give too much." Gregg Matte, Senior Pastor at Houston's First Baptist (it might not have been those exact words, but it was close) Yesterday's sermon talked about Mary POURING perfume on the feet of Jesus before he was to be killed out of John 12.  And the picture of how much she was GIVING . "Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you." - Luke 6:38 You know when you get a bag of chips, and open them up, and all of the chips are down at the bottom and there's nothing but air in the top half of the bag? I always feel like I'm getting ripped off! Why don't they just make those bags smaller?  When it comes to giving, there are so many Christians who give just like that. On the outside, they make it look like they're giving a lot. But in r...

Peter swore, "A curse on me if I'm lying—I don't know the man!" And immediately the rooster crowed. – Matthew 26:74 Peter's denial of Jesus did not happen over a period of seconds or minutes, but over a period of hours. An hour had passed from the time the first person said, "You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean," to the time Peter made his second denial. He had ample opportunity to hightail it out of there, but he remained in this situation. It just reminds us of the fact that no person is safe from temptation except the one who flees from it. Peter, having been warned by Jesus himself, of all people, should have avoided any place where he could be weakened. He definitely should have steered clear of all roosters. I would have said, "Are there any roosters here? Because I'm leaving if there are. The Lord mentioned a rooster." Greater men and women of God than most of us certainly have been compromised by lowering...

One of my grandfather's best friend's sent this to me.  It's simply amazing: Tour boats ferry people out to the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii every thirty minutes.  We just missed a ferry and had to wait thirty minutes. I went into a small gift shop to kill time.  In the gift shop, I purchased a small book entitled, "Reflections on Pearl Harbor"  by Admiral Chester Nimitz.    Sunday, December 7th, 1941--Admiral Chester Nimitz was attending a concert in Washington D.C. He was paged and told there was a phone call for him. When he answered the phone, it was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the phone.  He told Admiral Nimitz that he (Nimitz) would now be the...

Since all of my posts have been so serious lately, I wanted to write a fun post about all my upcoming trips!!  Now, I will say I have some reservations because I feel like I'm running from all the "stuff" I'm dealing with in Houston, but sometimes you just need to get away and surround yourself with good friends!  And right now, that's what I need. First up Chicago/Canada:  I'm literally flying into Chicago, staying one night and driving to Canada!  I've never been to Canada so I am super excited!  I'll be staying at a GORGEOUS Lake House, sailing and relaxing and exploring!!! Four Days away!!! Then I have a trip to LA:  This will only be a three day getaway!  I will be having dinner at The Ivy Thursday night, Venice Beach Friday and head somewhere on Manhattan Beach for dinner Friday night!  Then Saturday we plan to sail over to Catalina Island!!  I'm hoping to visit the phenomenal Getty Museum as well, but we will see! And Then NY, NY...

**None of this is mine.  It is from Pastor Rick Warren and I just thought it was too good not to share.** Reminds me of my grandfather's letter to me: "Thoughts":  If we believe in God and we pray for strength and understanding to meet life's challenges, then I think that are prayers will almost surely be answered.  If on the other hand we pray for God to handle our problems for us, then I think an answer to those prayers will be less likely to be forthcoming.  Whatever the challenge, if we try to deal with it with God's help then our chances of coping are good. The Mark of Maturity by Rick Warren “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:7 (NIV) God has a p...

Yesterday, I received some encouragement from a friend. " You are so wonderful and worthy of being with a person who only wants to be dating you! Also, in my life I have really grown in this time of being single- it hasn't even been that long, but it's the longest I have ever gone without a boyfriend (really more than 2 months would have been the longest) and it sounds scary but has been such a blessing for me. I know I am rambling, but I believe God has the perfect person for us to marry, and I pray that my husband is out there growing up into a leader and amazing man while God is working in my life to prepare me to meet him. I know for me this means a little while of being single so I can be ready for the Right Guy. Anyway, that's just my little story but I am crazy about you and support you and wanted to tell you a tale... " What a word of encouragement.  But at the same time, I hope I am growing in faithfulness to be an amazing woman for that man....

Not that I have the success to be giving relationship advice, but just some thoughts from some experience and things I have seen. Lets take a look at some general strategies that will help you make healthy relationship decisions: -Go to God -Pray for guidance in the relationship -Choosing to have equal relationships - When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water... -Taking your time and choosing your partner wisely -Not losing yourself in your relationship -Setting and enforcing appropriate boundaries and limits -Having reasonable expectations of your partner and of what a relationship can provide you -Not making assumptions -Not confusing the present with the past -Taking responsibility for your own feelings, reactions, and projections -Working on developing your empathy skills -Agreeing to disagree and taking time-outs -Learning conflict resolution and fair fighting techniques* Women, I strongly encourage you to read Redeeming Lov...

"Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance I hope you dance"  That song is so important to me and my sister, so important in fact if I ever get married, she's singing it at my rehearsal dinner.  But more importantly, it talks about living your life with no regrets.  That's always been my goal.  And although I can't say I've always succeeded, I like to say, there's just a lot of things I'd never do again.  Thanks to a painful lesson from my dad last night, I can say one thing I will never do again - run. I was talking to a friend this morning and he was like, "aw did you runaway with your little back pack to the park and pout?"  Not quite, but what an image of immaturity that we all probably did at one point as a child, which is exactly what I'm doing every time I've run.  I run when I'm afraid of getting hurt or just r...

"But he said to her, You speak as one of the impious and foolish women would speak. What? Shall we accept [only] good at the hand of God and shall we not accept [also] misfortune and what is of a bad nature? In [spite of] all this, Job did not sin with his lips ." Job 2:10 Amplified Bible We all know the image of the Footprints poem.  About the man going through a rough time and getting angry at God for not being there for him.  And during those times of struggle God was actually carrying him. For months I've been in a storm from family stuff, work, and other personal relationships.  As I've prayed and journaled to the Lord about all of my stresses I began to feel more distant because of what I perceived as His  silence . I've felt hurt and agitated, as I would be with any one I went to with problems and felt they were indifferent to my woes.  But what if He can't always keep up? I know He never stopped caring about my problems. But what if I had jus...

Ever heard that the Devil will attack you most when you are following God's plan?  If not, now you have.  And I personally believe it's true.  I followed what God was telling me and moved to Houston even though it was not a decision I wanted to make.  Although, I am grateful for the time I had with my grandmother before she passed away, it seems like everything else in my life has fallen apart. I know as Christians we aren't supposed to be angry with God, but I have to admit part of me is.  I know the Devil is the one attacking me.  He's making all these unpleasant things happen around me for the purpose of me getting mad and distancing myself from God.  But I'm stronger than that and I will not let him win.  I guess the part that makes me upset is that I also know God is more powerful and he can change my circumstances if He wanted to.  Instead, He's giving me a longer lesson than I personally want.  And just when I think I'm at my low...

Romans 8:28 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him , who have been called according to his purpose. My good friend and I talked about this verse last night.  Most of the time people only quote the italicized part and leave off the second part.  But being called to God's purpose means being called to be like Christ.  That includes torment, temptation, and suffering.  As Christians we must face those trials and try to handle them as best as we can, as Christ- like as we can.  Many times we sin and think "if God really loved me, He wouldn't let this happen to me." That thinking is flawed.  First, God never promises someone a life free from pain.  So don't make the mistake of thinking that God has abandoned you when hardship enters your life.  secondly, the presence of hardship in your life does not imply the absence of God in your life.  To the contrary, you can be sure that God is there and wants to r...

Marriage Rules... If u want a successful marriage, hang with those who have one.- Rev. Run Wilson For couples who are dating or engaged, I can not stress this enough.  Last night I got a chance to spend time with one of the most amazing Christian couples I'm blessed to know.  They opened their home to me, served me, and the wife cried with me and mourned with me; it was simply beautiful!  To truly understand the beauty of this image listen to Gregg Matte's podcast from the last three sermons from the series "Here after ".  You can listen here , or podcast through iTunes. Even more amazing was to watch the actions of the husband serving his wife and his children.  Hearing stories of troubled times and the mountain of joy that they are climbing towards and how they handled those valleys was an image that I want my marriage to mirror.  That's a marriage many Christians would want to mirror.  But not just for marriage for how Christians should live thei...