In All Things

One recurring theme in my life lately is: In ALL Things God Works.

Let that soak in...

God is not a puppet master, but He makes the most out of EVERY situation. God does not cause things to happen, but He works in all things that happen. The other very poignant theme is that there are EVIL spirits at work in our world today that DO cause things to happen, but IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS.

My small group is working through the book God Works by Randy Harris. This book has spurred most of these thoughts, but it is amazing to me how God connects the classes and various books that I often read. Especially when, spiritually I need it most. I am also reading The Shack by William P. Young, and it goes right along with the overture for my life right now.

IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS. AMEN!

Where do you see God?

Last Sunday my Bible class was challenged to look for where we see God. So through out the week I jotted down quick notes so when Sunday came back around I would remember. Sunday came and we had combined adult classes and I was unable to share, but I thought it would make a good post. Here are some of last weeks:

• At the church bake off - Friendly competition, the kids were all over the place having a blast, and the parents were not stressed about it, people got to share their God given gift of baking


• Praying with my kiddo in the morning, he loves to shout, "AMEN!"


• Children hugging...so pure and without agenda


• God is working on me at work...I am struggling to get along with a coworker


• Knowing that He works even in the midst of tragedy, but it will be a while before we can look back and see it

Overall I see God VERY often in my child and how he is with other children. I know God is shaping me and molding me into the very best version of myself. My prayer is that I will continually draw closer to Him so that I am working with him and not against him.

Matthew 5:8 "Bleesed are the pure in heart for they will see God."

Where do you see God?

Pray for the Positive

Just a quick thought. Over the next few days when you pray, use positive language. Instead of asking God to make sure something does not happen to you, ask him for exactly what you do want to happen. For example, instead of asking not to get into a car accident, ask Him to give you a safe trip. Make sense?

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. "
—Mark 11:24

May you be blessed beyond your wildest dreams.

Spirit Whispers

When I was a Freshman in college at Baylor University in Waco, TX I attended the Columbus Avenue Church of Christ. There was a small group of college students that worshiped there. One of those was a guy named Ryan; he was a little nerdy, and the subjects that he knew about, he knew EVERYTHING - OK he was kind of an argumentative know-it-all. I almost always (since I was about 10) had a crush on at least one guy, and needless to say at this point, it was NOT Ryan. So, one day I am walking to choir practice and I got a "feeling" (that's what I called it then) that I needed to call Ryan. Well, this was before I had a cell phone, so I had to wait until I got back to the dorm. By the time I called him I had worked myself into a panic that something was wrong. He told me that everything was fine with him. So, I got another "feeling" that I should ask him to lunch (we both had meal plans in the dorms.) That is the tip of the iceberg of the story of how I met, became friends with, and grew to love my husband of 5 years.

Now, over 9 years later, I realize that it was the Holy Spirit whispering - guiding me to the love of my life. One thing God is in the process of teaching me is how to recognize when the spirit is whispering. I was recently talking with the preaching minister at our current church, Jarrod Robinson, and a dear friend, and we started talking about this very thing. He told me that we often take for granted that those whisperings are our conscience. But the more you think about it, you wouldn't ask yourself to do something that is uncomfortable, you simply wouldn't. So there is no way it is your conscience asking you to do those things, it is most definitely the Holy Spirit.

Three things keep coming up the more and more I study this:
1. Prayer
2. Scripture Reading
3. Listening
These three things are the ONLY way to recognize when the Holy Spirit whispers because that is how you begin to know God. You learn what he has asked other people to do, you learn about when he whispered to others, you pray - you talk to your friend, God, and you listen. The more you listen and do what God asks of you, I believe, the more he will ask, or the more you will recognize that it is God, and not you.

In John chapter 10 Jesus talks about sheep following their Shepard because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger because they do not know their voice. In the same way we must know our Shepard, we must know Jesus by reading his words and talking to our Father through him, and in this way we will know his voice and be able to listen better.

Know this, I believe, he only asks once. We are creatures of free will, and God is not going to beg you to do something. He will ask, and then he will let you decide. HOWEVER, I firmly believe that he will work in the situation regardless of what you chose. BECAUSE he already knows what you are going to chose....there is no surprising God...he is Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. Example, October 11, 2009, Jarrod preached his sermon about Sharing God's Love, and the majority of the sermon centered around communion, and how as a church we commune with one another. Right before communion he encouraged us to pray with each other, to pray over each other, to love on each other, to reach out to each other, and this made many people uncomfortable, myself included. While I was sitting there, the Holy Spirit urged me to get up and go sit with Jarrod, ALL the way at the FRONT of the church on the FRONT row. I came with every excuse, I don't want to make a scene, what will people think, his wife, my friend, is sitting 4 rows behind me, what will she think...my heart was pounding, I could literally look down and see my chest moving, my heart was beating so hard. The Spirit did not argue back with me, nor did he force me to make that long walk to the front. Ultimately, I did not act, I sat between two of my girlfriends (Ryan was working int he AV booth), and held their hands while communion was prayed over. However, God still worked, when I told Jarrod that story, he told me that he wondered if anyone would get up and sit with him. The irony was that he was sitting alone after giving a message of togetherness. Ever since he shared with me that he thought someone would sit with him, I think hard before I ignore a Spirit whisper. I know I was supposed to get up and sit with Jarrod, especially after he confirmed it with his thoughts. So, now I listen, and when I hear, I always try to act. Most of the time it makes me a little uncomfortable, but every time I am abundantly blessed, and I am a blessing to someone else. Am I perfect? Absolutely not. Will I ignore the Spirit again? Probably. But his grace is sufficient for even me.

I encourage you to study what the scriptures say about how the Holy Spirit whispers.

Supporting Scriptures:
Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God"
Hebrews 10:15-16 "The Holy Spirit also testifies to this. Fist He says: This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hears and I will write them on their minds."
John 16:13 "But when he, the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth."

Others: Proverbs 20:27, Hebrews 3:7, Job 32:8, Ephesians 3:20, Acts 16:6-7, I Corinthians 12:7-11, I Peter 1:2, John 10, Psalm 25:9, Romans 8

Broken and Glue

Just a quick thought God gave me this morning.

Most of us are broken to varying degrees. Some of us are shattered, some are fractured, but not quite broken, some are chipped, some have a piece missing, some are shiny and new, and some of us are the glue. We are not the glue ALL the time, and we can be fractured and the glue at the same time. Sometimes being the glue for someone else can heal our own degree of brokenness.

What's the point...We were put on this earth to heal each other. God put us all here to minister to each other. He is all powerful, and he picked YOU and me to be his hands and feet on earth.

HOW? The how is actually pretty easy...LOVE. If we all act out of Love towards each other we will heal each other rather than tear each other down.

God makes it possible through YOU.

Being Fed

Ok, God gave me this message, and now I am giving it to you....

My 20 month old son, AP, still does not know how to properly use his flatware. He loves to eat with his hands an get messy. So often times I will try to fee him the messier foods myself, but after 2-3 bites he refuses, he makes a horrible sound until I give in and give him the flatware. Most of the time more food ends up on the floor rather than in his mouth, and eventually he gives up on the spoon or fork and goes back to using his hands. The food ends up everywhere...in his hair, on his clothes, etc.

How often do we do that to God? He so desperately wants to feed us so we don't make a mess, but we insist and becuase we are creatures of free will he allows us to make a mess. I am reminded of a song... "All who are thirsty, all who are weak, come to the fountain, dip your hear in the stream of life, let the pain and the sorrow be washed away, in the waves of his mercy, as deep cries out to deep..."

Let go and let God Make it Possible.

S'Mores Delight

This past Saturday we went to hang out with some friends from church. We all brought something for our main meal, and a dessert for the "freeze off." Since we do not have an ice cream maker I decided to make a low fat/light(WW 3 points) variation on Pistachio Delight, S'mores Delight. Graham cracker crust, Dryer's S'mores ice cream, Free Cool Whip and Chocolate covered marshmallows. This is what it looked like uncut...mmmm...can't wait to taste it. Below is what it looked like on my plate.

For the meal I contributed Deviled Eggs.

I always forget how long it takes to make them until I have way too many boiled. This time I sprinkled celery salt on one batch, and I thought it would be delicious, but too much came out of the shaker at once and that batch was EXTREMELY salty. But I didn't realize it until I got the leftovers home...oh well. Maybe next time I will make them possible instead of making them... Tom Thumb.

HE made this possible. Thank you Father for all the resources you provided to make this meal a success.

Genesis 1:29-30

29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.