Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Battlefield of The Mind...

I am reading a really good book right now called Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer. I have really been interested lately in the way the Lord created the mind and how to appropriately counteract Satan's attempts to contaminate my mind. There is nothing worse than a mind filled with the trash the world loves to fill it with. I want my mind to be completely controlled, governed, and authored by the Holy Spirit. There is a scripture in Proverbs that I have truly come to believe with all my heart.

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." - Proverbs 23:7

I want so desperately to be a source of light and life to this world. There is a ton of power in that scripture. It tells me that whatever I fill my mind with is what will come out in my character and in the offering of my life. The mind truly is a battlefield and I have a choice. I can either choose to be set apart for the use of the Lord or I can allow Satan to feed my mind lies that suck the life out of me as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I choose to be set apart for the Lord. I don't ever want to be used by Satan for anything. I want Jesus to seep out of every part of me. He is my Source and my Redeemer. I want my desires and my will to be crucified to His. Believe me, I have a long way to go in the war that is being waged for my mind in the heavenly places. But, I have confidence that the Lord has me on this journey for a purpose, in order to make me more into the image of Christ. I think it is essentially important to think about the things I think about.

Monday, February 23, 2009

My Neighbor...

This week in worship my minister challenged the church body to think about our neighbor. His message was centered around Luke's account of the Good Samaritan. This really got me thinking. Throughout his entire message thoughts rolled all around my head. How do I treat the poor? Do I spread the grace and love of Christ as I am commanded? Do I approach opportunities to give with an open and willing heart and Christ-shaped hands? Am I standing on the front lines to help the downtrodden or do I shy away in fear? Would I willingly give a homeless person who was hungry or naked the food I had or the shirt of my back? Would I willingly give away 10 or 20 dollars to a beggar? I guess what all these questions that were rolling around in my head yesterday boil down to is would I entertain each of these situations as if they were "Jesus with skin on" or would I stay in my comfortable complacancy? I do not want to ever be complacent or get to comfortable where I am. I want to take opportunities to grow and change and become better. Just food for thought.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

A Few of My Favorite Things...

1) I LOVE to receive mail the old-fashioned way. I think there is something so special about seeing my name and address written out in someone's handwriting. God surprised me yesterday with an encouragement card from my church. Getting encouragement notes just does something sweet to my spirit. Affirmation is just pure power if you ask me, and there is not enough of it in this world.

2) I LOVE Earl Grey hot tea. It absolutely soothes my soul. I thoroughly enjoy drinking it out of my tall white mug with cherries all over it. Anything with cherries just puts a wide smile on my face. I usually drink hot tea during winter. I am a hot natured person, so it is entirely too hot outside for me to drink it in the summer.

3) I adore anything with scripture on it. I love being surrounded by scripture. It reminds me who I am and where I'm headed. I think there is something powerful in seeing scripture posted somewhere. I usually try to have some on my bulletin board in my bedroom and on my fridge. It is also a great reminder to stop and recommit and surrender myself again to the glory and use of the Lord.

4) I LOVE being around people I cherish. I am so refreshed by quality time spent with kindred friends. I draw such strength and life from being arund people who are committed to living as authentic, humble, Spirit-filled disciples. It is so good for my soul to be around men and women who promote and provoke me on to love and good works. Good quality friends are such a rare and blessed gift from the Lord. I don't know what I would do without my kindred community.

5) I LOVE pictures. My family and close friends laugh at me all the time becasuse I enjoy it so much. I carry my camera in my purse because you never know when a 'Kodak moment' will preesent itself. It seems like every room in my cozy little home has pictures in in somewhere. I love being surrounded by wonderful people and wonderful, fun memories. My fridge is full of pictures. Looking at the pictures every day reminds me to pray for my precious friends.

There you go. Another glimpse into the things that make me happy is complete.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

A Spirit of Thanksgiving...

I am thankful for so many things right now in this season of my life. It seems that the more I surrender to the Lord, the sweeter my walk with Him becomes. There is nothing in this world or in this life that is more cherished to me than the relationship I share with Jesus. Truly, it is the most soul-satisfying, energizing, and most beautiful relationship I am a part of. God is teaching me so much. I feel like my brain and my heart can't hold it all in. My heart grieves when I see someone who desperately needs Jesus, but openly refuses Him. All in all I am thankful today for the many rich blessings God lavishes on my walk with Him everyday as I listen and try my hardest to follow the leading of Him and the Holy Spirit. There are days when I mess up, and on those days, I am grateful for His grace that readily picks me up, dusts me off, and sets me on the path one more time. Thank you, Jesus for the certainty I have in You. You are the joy of my heart and soul. Continue to have Your way in me.

Monday, February 16, 2009

My Love Walk...

I have been convicted recently to begin to work on how I love others. So, I am starting to work on my love walk this week. Loving others is the one emphatic command God gives me as His disciple in the New Testament. The entire gospel is summed up in one word. L-O-V-E. I sincerely desire my love to be rich, unconditional, deep, and abiding. I want the love I show to others, the love I show to my church, the love I show to my family, and the love I show to my kindred community to be faithful and steadfast. I want the love my life displays to be godly and supremely real above all other things. I want God to be pleased and honored by the way I love. This journey to work on how I love is going to take some time and some intense effort. Learning how to appropriately love takes a committed decision to see this task to its completion. Learning how to love takes devotion. I firmly believe with everything in me, that God will richly reward my desire to take this journey no matter how long it takes, because in the process of learing this quality, I will be transformed, sharpened, renewed, and I will be cultivated more accurately into the image of Jesus Christ. That is what I pray happens most of all throughout this entire time. That is the aim of my entire existence. I have been given three scriptures that I am claiming for my maturity in this area of my life.

"If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God's love for an in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." - I Corinthians 13:1

"Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, your great quest]; and earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual endowment of love." - I Corinthians 14:1

"Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]." - I Peter 4:8

Thursday, February 12, 2009

The Power of Thoughts and Words...

This week Joyce Meyer has been teaching me about the impact and power of my thoughts and words on my life and the lives of others. The first part of her series was about how words and thoughts affect our health. To be honest, I've never really stopped to think about how the thoughts and wods that come out of my mind and mouth affect my physical health. It has really opened my eyes to the need to consciously account for the things that go on in my thought life. A person's thought life is very, very powerful and it definitely leaves either scars or blessings on someone's self-image and perception of themselves. I have been reminded of my need to repel Satan's attempts to pollute and contaminate my thoughts and words. There is a scripture in 2 Corinthians that teaches how to do just that.

"For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons, for the weapons are not physcial [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds. [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ." - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

Now that is a powerful scripture if you ask me. That is exactly what I want to learn to do with every single thought that is contrary to the character and mission of Jesus. I do not ever, ever want my mind being controlled by demons. That just gives me the creeps. I desire my mind and my words to be under the complete authority of Jesus Christ.

Monday, February 09, 2009

Lifegivers...

I want to be a person who gives life to others. I don't want to be a negative person. Negativity produces nothing that is beautiful or godly. I yearn to be a life-giving vesel of the Lord. I desire to be a woman who is firmly rooted and established in the everlasting Source so that I can spill out blessing, goodness, and positive seeds wherever I am. Being given to positive things does wonders for the spirit. It is also healthy and fitting to overflow with life since I have been given the most costly Life there is- life in Jesus Christ. I want my words, thoughts, actions and the workings of my inner life, which is my reputation with God, to be consumed and centered in giving life. Filling people with worth and signifigance is so much fun. I always think that what I reap I will sow later, so I want all of my interactions to be life-giving.

I have been richly blessed to be surrounded by lfegivers in my journey. These people encourage, sharpen, and spur me on to do good things. It is just wonderful to be around people that give life in their words, in their actions, in their thoughts, and in their choices. I want the people who surround me and influence me to be full of Life so that I can stay vitally united with Jesus. Lifegivers are just the best.

Friday, February 06, 2009

I Am The Clay...

I realize that as a disciple of Jesus, I am on a journey. The journey I am on is one that most definitely goes through seasons. I must say that I am a person who loves to learn new things and grow in the process. I love when God has new lessons to teach me. I don't necessarily like the stretching He has to do sometimes. I guess clay needs to be stretched though. I love the image of being clay in the hands of God. This image portrays in my mind the vision of Him making me better. He is taking off all of my rough edges. He is chiseling away at all of the unneeded worldly and fleshly desires that are inside me. He is preparing me for something new and something I have not been equipped to do or partake in before. I LOVE to think about the fact that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is refining me so that His image can be the one seen by the world and not mine. I want to be pliable in His hands. I desire to be surrendered to being the clay and allowing Him to be the Master. He knows exactly what He is doing. He has the eternal picture of who and what I am supposed to be and do for Him so that His glory and renown are known. Hallelujah for that. The bottom line is, I am immeasurably blessed and thankful to be His.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Encouragement...

I love getting mail the old-fashioned way. I also love sending mail the old-fashioned way. I shout with glee everytime I receive a piece of mail with my name handwritten on it. I LOVE sending people encouragment notes. There is just something special about it to me. I adore making people feel loved and special. The other day, I looked in my mailbox and there was a handwritten encouragement note from a fourth grader at my church to me. The note is now displayed on my fridge for all to see. There is such power in encouragement. I am so thankful the Lord has given me a desire to help people see their own giftedness and significance. It blesses me beyond words to encourage someone else. I think God knew what He was doing when he created encouragement. Making someones heart smile is truly one of the best feelings in the world I think. Encouragent can make an eternal difference in the life of someone else. I plan to encourage others as long as I can breathe. It is just plain fun.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Covenants...

I am really meditating on a concept today. Whenever the Lord tells me to write here, I will heed His call. He asked me to write on this concept. The issue that has really stirred my heart is the issue of covenants. First of all, I love that word. In my mind covenant means permanent, decision, a determined purpose, solid, and so, so much more. I pray earnestly that my marriage will be a covenant between my mate, the Lord, and I. I pray that my future family will share a covenant relationship. I believe with all my heart that the concept of covenant is best demonstrated in the form of relationship. Right now, the most important covenant relationship that is in my life is my realtionship with God. I fervently pray that someday soon a marriage covenant will be added to my life, but I will wait patiently and expectantly for that to come in God's good time when He knows I am ready and that my mate is ready to embrace it. Covenants are all over scripture. I just really like the idea of covenant. The most beautiful thing the Lord is teaching me about covenant right now is that covenant relationships take lots of time and commitment to develop, mature, and bear rich and lasting fruit. God is teaching me how precious covenant relationships are. He is also showing me how very rare covenant relationships are in our society.

I believe this society holds such a cheap view of the relationships in the sacred institutions of marriage and the family. This society has demeaned the immeasurable value of these two gifts of God. It is my firm belief that these two gifts hold such blessing that they should be held in the highest esteem in this world. Marriage and family are two of the richest gifts of grace there are to enjoy in this world and in this life. God meant the marriage covenant and the blessings of family to deepen our dependence and intimacy with Him. I believe the marriage covenant is a lesson in holiness. It is a place to extravagantly love, serve, honor, and cherish a partner and a friend given by the hand of the Lord to bring us into deeper and higher places in His character and His ways.

I hope this is a tool of encouragement and blessing.

Sunday, February 01, 2009

25 Random Things...

I was tagged by my friend Jordan Wesley to share 25 random facts, goals, and otherwise unknown things about me on Facebook. I thought I would share them on my blog as well. This was fun, but I had to really think to come up with 25 different things.

1. I love to encourage others
2. London is my favorite city in the world, however, I want to see more of the world
3. I secretly dream of opening a specialty paper and stationery shoppe
4. I love monograms
5. I really enjoy British accents
6. My favorite style of decor is French Country
7. I want to live in a cottage someday
8. Although some people might have trouble picturing it, I am a huge high school and college football fan. I could care less about the NFL
9. Three of my favorite shows are What Not To Wear, Jon & Kate Plus 8, and 18 Kids & Counting
10. I HATE scary movies. Every time a scary part comes, I flinch and jump
11. I HATE the sound of clanging silverware. Everytime I put my silverware away in my drawer, I absolutely cringe
12. Intercession is my passion
13. I LOVE Hallmark movies
14. I am a Food Network junkie
15. My name means "Victorious One"
16. I LOVE Spode china
17. I carry my camera in my purse. You never know when a you will make a memory :)
18. I perfer to be surrounded by friends that are committed to becoming serious and authentic disciples of Jesus
19. I love taking the time and making the effort to get to know someone well
20. I love to look carefully at every picture in the church directory
21.I love antiques
22. I don't know what I would do without the ministry and gift of music
23. Chris Tomlin is my favorite artist
24. I always keep a prayer journal
25. I am a product of extravagant grace

I hope you enjoyed this fast little tour of who I am. I love doing things like this.