HEART TO HEART!!

Parents!


Have your kids ever opened up to you to share something from their heart that's on their mind?  What they say takes you by surprise, so you feel the moment is necessary to have a "HEART TO HEART!"  Then you realize when they say, "I knew I shouldn't have told you," that maybe sometimes you were better off just listening!  Once again, asking for God's GRACE!!  Trying hard to be a better listener this week!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!

Our  INADEQUACY  forces  us  to  do  our  work  in  the  power  of  the  Holy Spirit. 

Anything  that  puts  us  on  our  knees  and  drives  us  to  God  has  to be GOOD!

Hi readers!
How many of you out there ever feel inadequate?  We often attempt to hide it but what if we saw it from a different angle?
Let's see it as a way to prepare us for great accomplishments.

By acknowledging that we are not sufficient in ourselves, we are able to step out beyond our own personal limits and tap into supernatural power.  This is exactly what Paul did.  Just think about it.

He was the one who started all the Jesus franchises! (as Andy Stanley put it) He clearly looked not to himself but to God's call to service because he chose to see himself through the eyes of God.   God has equipped each and every one of His believers with all we need to serve Him.

Perhaps you don't feel like you have a lot to offer, but see yourself through the eyes of the creature.  As Charles Stanley put it, "never underestimate the impact of one person who has learned how to depend upon the adequacy of Almighty God.

Just Imagine!

Hi there friends!
     My sister asked me yesterday, "what is your thought for the day?  I had to think about it for a second and then I remembered what  I had thought about in the early A.M.!  I thought would challenge myself and DO EVERYTHING I DO TODAY AS IF I WERE DOING IT FOR JESUS HIMSELF!  EX. How I respond to my husband, my boss, co-workers, kids..... from the first word that I speak until the last before I kiss them all goodnight and my head melts into my pillow!
CHALLENGE YOURSELVES TODAY FRIENDS!

New Starting point with God!

The traditional way to approach God is, "God, I've done some bad things but I am going to do better."
"God, I haven't talked to you in a while but I am going to start praying more."
 When you realize you've been far from God and sinned we say, "God, I know I shouldn't have, but I promise..." The apostle Paul says there is a new approach to how we should look at that and how we talk to God.
He said it isn't about "I" in the phrase, it's about God saying HE is rich in mercy because of HIS GREAT LOVE with which He loved US.. the reason this is an important phrase is this answers the question.. God, why do you care? God, why would you listen to my prayers? God, why would you give me a second chance? What have I done to deserve that? 
To which God says, it has nothing to do with you. The answer is because of HIS GREAT LOVE for us.  But let's replace the us with ME. Because of HIS GREAT LOVE FOR ME. That's why you don't have to bargain with God.  Because He doesn't want something from you, He wants something FOR you.  It is by Grace that you have been saved.  Another way to say it is He chose to un-separate you because He wanted to!
IT is by grace you have been saved, by FAITH. The way that this becomes a reality for you is when you embrace this.  Through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the GIFT of GOD.  It's not the TRADE, it's not the BARGAIN, its not the NAGOTIATIONS, it's not the I will if you will.  It's the GIFT of God. 
This is some of what I took from the message from the series of STARTING POINT by Andy Stanley. Its the 5th one titled Nothing But!  SOOOO worth your time.

A STORY OF HOPE THAT CAN HELP CLEAR UP YOUR MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE STORY OF THE "PRODIGAL SON"

Hi out there.
It's been a while last I posted.  I have had a lot of opportunity to demonstrate God's grace and it wasn't easy!  That's just it. It's hard but it does get easier because Lord knows I need His grace daily!

I hope after you read this someone will feel comfortable to share their stories or comments.  It doesn't need to be like facebook where everyone knows who is responding. It can simply be people sharing their stories. It's a safe way to share without feeling judged or condemned in any way..

Growing up, I had a, let's say pretty negative, judgmental attitude toward a family member.  I couldn't stand how the choices she seemed to make in her life would effect our family.  So, without thought, I judged her.  I was resentful, angry and basically chose to disengage myself in having a relationship with her for years.
That in itself was toxic and hard on our family. Especially around holidays or any gathering for that matter. For years my bitterness and judgmental type attitude spread throughout the family.  My thoughts were, " I'm not the problem, they are!"

Then, one day as I was listening to a story that I've heard all my life but never, ever clearly understood.   The "prodigal son." I realized that I was acting like the younger son who claimed to never do anything near as bad as the older brother, and couldn't accept why the father would welcome his son back so easily with open arms.  But what God revealed to me while I heard that story again was that God doesn't look  at our Actions of good or bad, Jesus has already paid the price for them.  But He looks at our heart when we return to Him.  We were lost (away from Him) and now we are found (with Him)  In the story, the father knew his son was so humbly sincere, that he was so thankful he was near to him again. 
So,  back to my story of the issue I had with the family member.  I called that person on the phone and asked for forgiveness for all the bitterness and resentment I had been holding inside for so many years.. It was a bit frightening at first because I didn't want to hear any excuses of why they had made those poor choices throughout the years! But you know what? Instead, God blessed the situation, due to my obedience in asking for forgiveness, and the response I got couldn't have been better!  The family member never gave any excuse. For the first time they didn't have to defend themselves!  They owned the poor choices and thanked me for my apology, and that was the very beginning of a new and beautiful relationship between two family members that our God is proud of and that I am proud of. How FREEING that was!
God is love, gentle and kind. 

Ladies, This is my story, what's yours?

   Let us peel away the many layers of thoughts that we have right now about whether or not our kids are behaving or what our husbands may be doing right now and if he’s doing it to my liking!  When our minds are clear, God will not only speak to us

But we will here Him more clearly.  How many women are like me in the fact that I like the way I parent better, or I am a better spiritual leader of the family.  If I could only get my husband to see it my way and do things the way I think it should be, our world would be such a better place. If he would just help more around the house or with the kids.(without me having to ask) I am doing almost all of it and I’m exhausted. It is not fair.  Life isn’t fair! 

   Ladies, what does GOD say about all this?  I’ll tell you what God says: 

    I have created you to be your husband’s help meet.  You ask what is a help meet?  Being a help meet is being who God has asked you to be,(helping your husband meet his needs). I use to ask myself, what about me?  Me and my needs?  If I could just get him to be who I think he should be as a husband and father, THEN I WILL be joyful and thankful and he would be DESERVING of my love and respect.  But only until he’s deserving.  Listen, thank God JESUS didn’t wait until we were deserving to come save US.

     What changed my life was when I began to focus on what God says in His gospel about our role as wives:

There are so many things I want to read to you tonight but you will just simply have to order this book on amazon for $9.00 and read and ask God to REVEAL to you what He has planned for you as a  help meet to your husband. 

   My mind set was this: if I do become his helper, then he will start treating me better.

He will help more around the house.

He may even start going to church with us.

I finally realized this:

It’s not about receiving, it’s about giving, submission, honoring and respecting.  And not when he’s deserving, it’s because listen:

When we honor and respect our husband, we are honoring and respecting God.  When we are in submission and honoring our husbands, we are in submission and honoring God.

I had grown so bitter and full of resentment toward my husband for so many reasons I thought were justifiable that my soul was bitter and unhappy with my marriage. “you can practice joy and thanksgiving. Every day, every right response makes the fingers of your soul find the notes of joy and thanksgiving easier and easier.

    *THANKFULNESS IS HOW YOU THINK; JOY IS THE ABUNDANCE IT PRODUCES.

    *DISCONTENTMENT IS NOT A PRODUCT OF CIRCUMSTANCES; IT IS THE STATE OF THE SOUL.

    *NEVER DEMAND THAT A MAN LOVE AND CHERISH YOU BECAUSE HE OUGHT TO. EARN EVERY LAST SMILE AND SHARED MOMENT.

     “No man has ever crawled out from under his wife’s criticism to be a better man-no matter how justified her condemnation.”

We SHALL NOT be our husband’s conscience!

Nor shall we play the HOLY SPIRIT!

GOD STANDS WITH YOU WHEN YOU STAND BY YOUR MAN.

    “The degree to which you reverence your husband is the degree to which you reverence your creator.  As we serve our husbands, we serve God.  But in the same way, when you dishonor your husband, you dishonor God.

You would think because my heart had grown so bitter that it would be hard to begin to love, respect and honor him.  But when I read that statement I wept! I had been so dishonoring and so disrespecting to God.  So as I prayed and asked for forgiveness for what I had not been to my husband, God gave me grace and made it easier to love and respect and submit to him because I now knew I was loving, respecting and submitting to God.