Last night as I lay in my bed with my computer on my lap, I was watching a video blog update on Matt Chandler. For those of you who don't know who he is, he is the lead pastor of The Village Church in Dallas, Texas. Last Thanksgiving he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and has terminal brain cancer. He has been on very aggressive chemo drugs and has done radiation. He does video updates usually after he has MRI's to let everyone know the prognosis. This particular video blog update I was watching last night was from his wife, Lauren back in April. What she had to say really encouraged me. She read from Isaiah 33:5-6, "The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure."
I thought to myself, here is a woman, a Godly woman, who could lose her husband to brain cancer and yet she has such peace. Even in the unstability of their situation, she rests in the truth that the Lord is her stability. I found such comfort and encouragement in that verse and in the Chandler's story. That even amidst the craziness and unstable situations in my life, the Lord will always be my stability. I so needed to be reminded of that. I think that sometimes, I get so overwhelmed by the changes that occur in my life that make me feel unstable and that my world is going to crash in on me at any given moment. But, what I love about the Lord is that even in the craziness of my ever-changing life, He is the one constant. He is the only one I can always count on, who will never disappoint me and who will pick me up when I fall. I am amazed at the grace, mercy and character of my Lord and I am so humbled and thankful. Isaiah 33:6 has become one of my favorite verses and will always serve as a reminder to me that my Lord is my stability. I rest in this truth and fully trust Him with my life!
As of November 12, 2010, almost exactly 1 year later, Matt Chandler had another MRI and the scan was 100% clean. All I can say is how great is our God! Continue to pray for the Chandlers, as Matt will continue on chemo and has another MRI in January!!!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
On the DL....
Well, I am officially on the DL and for those of you who don't know baseball lingo, that means the disabled list. I babysit for an orthopedic surgeon and he looked at my ankle tonight. I not only sprained my ankle, but I managed to sprain it on both sides which isn't the norm. The good news is that I didn't tear any ligaments, just strained them pretty good! So I of course asked him about working out. I can ride a stationary bike, swim and I'm allowed to lift weights. I just can't do any running. I won't be able to run for 3 more weeks. So I'm trying to figure out how P90x will work with a sprained ankle. I am going to continue doing P90x, but I will only do the exercises that work my upper body. I'll continue to rest my ankle and do everything I'm supposed to do for it. I will blog about my work out tomorrow and also post my thoughts on Chapter 2 of Radical! Stay tuned for updates!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
A Sprained Ankle....
So this past weekend I was in Clearwater for my best friend, Kristina's wedding. I had the best time. By the end of the weekend all of the bridal were good friends! We made some awesome and quite hilarious memories. I am so honored that I was able to be part of Kristina and Matt's special day! I love them both and would not have missed this for anything! That is why my blog has been pretty quiet for the past couple of days. After the wedding I went over to Treasure Island to spend some time with my parents and Mama Jo! It was awesome and I can't wait to go back! I love my Mama Jo, she is my Florida grandmother! My parents came back yesterday and I stayed another night with Mama Jo. We just hung out on the couch and watched tv. It has been a fabulous Labor Day weekend and I didn't want to go back to work today.
This week marks the start of week #5 in P90x. However, over the weekend I managed to somehow sprain my right ankle. I wish I had a good story of how it happened, but I honestly I have no idea. It's bruised and all swollen which is not okay. I am hobbling around like I'm 80...haha! So needless to say I was less than enthusiastic when I realized this would definitely hamper my workouts this week. Since I am now injured I am still going to workout, but I will only be doing the workouts that don't require me to workout my legs. That means that plyometrics, yoga, legs (of legs & back) and kenpo are all out this week. I will be working out chest, shoulders and triceps tomorrow along with abs! Today also marks Day 30!!! Woohoo...I'll be taking pictures tonight and I cannot wait to compare them to my before pictures! Despite this minor set back, I will not give up and I will finish P90x! Also be looking for my review on Chapters 2-3 of Radical this week too! I hope everyone had an awesome Labor Day weekend!
This week marks the start of week #5 in P90x. However, over the weekend I managed to somehow sprain my right ankle. I wish I had a good story of how it happened, but I honestly I have no idea. It's bruised and all swollen which is not okay. I am hobbling around like I'm 80...haha! So needless to say I was less than enthusiastic when I realized this would definitely hamper my workouts this week. Since I am now injured I am still going to workout, but I will only be doing the workouts that don't require me to workout my legs. That means that plyometrics, yoga, legs (of legs & back) and kenpo are all out this week. I will be working out chest, shoulders and triceps tomorrow along with abs! Today also marks Day 30!!! Woohoo...I'll be taking pictures tonight and I cannot wait to compare them to my before pictures! Despite this minor set back, I will not give up and I will finish P90x! Also be looking for my review on Chapters 2-3 of Radical this week too! I hope everyone had an awesome Labor Day weekend!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Not Giving Up
Yesterday I started Week #4 which is my Recovery week. On the agenda for day 1 of my recovery week was Yoga. I have to say I had absolutely no desire to do this at all. Even though I didn't want to do it, I perservered and made it through yoga! I'm glad that it's over for the week! Today was a new workout, Core Synergistics. Oh my, this was hard and my core was worked a lot. Tony has you do all kinds of things like banana, super man, the Dreya roll and so many more. I really enjoyed this workout and I'm looking forward to doing it again Thursday. I love how working out is making me feel!
My devotional today comes from Hebrews 13:16, "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." The title of my devotional today was Not Giving Up. The story was about how we can't convince people to believe in Jesus. Even though we can't convince people to believe in Jesus, it is still our responsibility to share the Gospel with unbelievers. That's what this verse in Hebrews is talking about. Sharing the gospel may not always go over well with people, but we are not to neglect it, we are to share it. When we do we are pleasing God! I hope this encourages you to keep on sharing the Gospel with those who have not heard the Gospel before.
Something to think about...
My devotional today comes from Hebrews 13:16, "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." The title of my devotional today was Not Giving Up. The story was about how we can't convince people to believe in Jesus. Even though we can't convince people to believe in Jesus, it is still our responsibility to share the Gospel with unbelievers. That's what this verse in Hebrews is talking about. Sharing the gospel may not always go over well with people, but we are not to neglect it, we are to share it. When we do we are pleasing God! I hope this encourages you to keep on sharing the Gospel with those who have not heard the Gospel before.
Something to think about...
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Someone Worth Losing Everything For
I finished week 3 today!!! Woohoo!!! I can't believe I've made it this far and I am beyond excited. It was my Kenpo day. I just love this workout. I think I had a smile on my face the whole time I worked out. I'm sure for most people that wouldn't be the case. That's okay, because I love it and I have fun doing it! My kicks are getting better and higher. I'm also punching harder too. So watch out, I'm rough and tough!! I will start week #4 which is my Recovery week on Monday. I'm not sure what to expect, but I know it will be great.
So when I started my P90x journey, I also said that I would be doing a book review. I started Radical this week and I have finished Chapter 1. All I can say is WOW! This book is going to absolutely rock my world and challenge me in so many ways. Chapter 1 is entitled, "Someone Worth Losing Everything For, What Radical Abandonment Really Means". David Platt doesn't mess around, he just puts it all out there. I just want to share some of the highlights from Chapter 1. He starts the book with saying that Jesus is more like a minichurch pastor. He poses two questions from the start. He says that Jesus actually spurned the things that today's church culture said were most important. The first question, was I going to believe Jesus? The second question, was I going to obey Jesus? Platt is convinced that as Christ followers in American churches, we have embraced values and ideas that are not only unbiblical but that actually contradict the gospel we claim to believe. He says we have 2 choices, continue with business as usual or we can take an honest look at the Jesus of the Bible and dare to ask what the consequences might be if we really believed him and really obeyed him.
He said that he could not help but think that somewhere along the way we had missed what is radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable. We were settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves. Platt cites Dietrich Bonhoeffer a German theologian. Bonhoeffer wrote in one of his books, the first call every Christian experiences is "the call to abandon the attachments of this world." The theme of the book is summarized in one potent sentence: "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." Bonhoeffer entitled this book, "The Cost of Discipleship." Platt says that while Christians choose to spend their lives fulfilling the American dream instead of giving their lives to proclaiming the kingdom of God, literally billions in need of the gospel remain in the dark. Platt challenges us to wake up to the countless multitudes who are currently destined for a Christless eternity.
He says this brings us to the crucial question every professing or potential follower of Jesus must ask: Do we really believe he is worth abandoning everything for? Do you and I really believe that Jesus is so good, so satisfying, and so rewarding that we will leave all we have and all we own and all we are in order to find our fullness in him? Do you and I believe him enough to obey him and to follow him wherever he leads, even when the crowds in our culture and maybe in our churches turn the other way? He closes the chapter with this, "Here we stand amid an American dream dominated by self-advancement, self-esteem, and self-sufficiency, by individualism, materialism, and universalism. Yet I want to show you our desparate need to revisit the words of Jesus, to listen to them, to believe them, and to obey them. We need to return with urgency to a biblical gospel, because the cost of not doing so is great for our lives, our families, our churches and the world around us."
Wow, I don't know about you, but that was a lot for me to swallow in the first chapter. What I have shared with you is only a small sampling of chapter 1. It is jammed full of amazing things. I have to say I am already thinking alot about what he has said so far. I would encourage you to buy a copy of Radical and read along with me!
Definitely something to think about...
So when I started my P90x journey, I also said that I would be doing a book review. I started Radical this week and I have finished Chapter 1. All I can say is WOW! This book is going to absolutely rock my world and challenge me in so many ways. Chapter 1 is entitled, "Someone Worth Losing Everything For, What Radical Abandonment Really Means". David Platt doesn't mess around, he just puts it all out there. I just want to share some of the highlights from Chapter 1. He starts the book with saying that Jesus is more like a minichurch pastor. He poses two questions from the start. He says that Jesus actually spurned the things that today's church culture said were most important. The first question, was I going to believe Jesus? The second question, was I going to obey Jesus? Platt is convinced that as Christ followers in American churches, we have embraced values and ideas that are not only unbiblical but that actually contradict the gospel we claim to believe. He says we have 2 choices, continue with business as usual or we can take an honest look at the Jesus of the Bible and dare to ask what the consequences might be if we really believed him and really obeyed him.
He said that he could not help but think that somewhere along the way we had missed what is radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable. We were settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves. Platt cites Dietrich Bonhoeffer a German theologian. Bonhoeffer wrote in one of his books, the first call every Christian experiences is "the call to abandon the attachments of this world." The theme of the book is summarized in one potent sentence: "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." Bonhoeffer entitled this book, "The Cost of Discipleship." Platt says that while Christians choose to spend their lives fulfilling the American dream instead of giving their lives to proclaiming the kingdom of God, literally billions in need of the gospel remain in the dark. Platt challenges us to wake up to the countless multitudes who are currently destined for a Christless eternity.
He says this brings us to the crucial question every professing or potential follower of Jesus must ask: Do we really believe he is worth abandoning everything for? Do you and I really believe that Jesus is so good, so satisfying, and so rewarding that we will leave all we have and all we own and all we are in order to find our fullness in him? Do you and I believe him enough to obey him and to follow him wherever he leads, even when the crowds in our culture and maybe in our churches turn the other way? He closes the chapter with this, "Here we stand amid an American dream dominated by self-advancement, self-esteem, and self-sufficiency, by individualism, materialism, and universalism. Yet I want to show you our desparate need to revisit the words of Jesus, to listen to them, to believe them, and to obey them. We need to return with urgency to a biblical gospel, because the cost of not doing so is great for our lives, our families, our churches and the world around us."
Wow, I don't know about you, but that was a lot for me to swallow in the first chapter. What I have shared with you is only a small sampling of chapter 1. It is jammed full of amazing things. I have to say I am already thinking alot about what he has said so far. I would encourage you to buy a copy of Radical and read along with me!
Definitely something to think about...
Friday, August 27, 2010
The Lord's Renown
Today was another day in my P90x workouts. I did legs and back. For the first time ever since I started this program, I started to get a sick. So I didn't push myself as hard today. I didn't give myself enough time to eat something before and I think that may be why I started to get a little sick. But I made it through and I'm glad I did. I did 80 pull ups today, so I am slowly increasing the number of reps I do each week. That is pretty fun to see. I can't believe I'm almost done with week #3. Tomorrow is Kenpo which I cannot wait to do!! Then on Monday I start week #4 which is my first recovery week. That will be something new and I'm excited to see what all I get to do next week!
For my devotional thought today, I wanted to share Isaiah 26:8, "Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." The word renown isn't something we hear very often. "Renown" means a state of being widely acclaimed and highly honored; fame. I learned tonight that Isaiah 26:8 is the vision of the Passion Movement started by Louie Giglio. Passion seeks to inspire a generation to live for something greater than themselves, specifically the glory of God. How many of us seek to live for something greater than ourselves? How many of us can say that's God's name and His Renown are the desire our hearts? I don't know about you, but I want to live for something greater than myself. I want to live for the glory of God. I want His Name and His Renown to be the desire of my heart. I want to make Him famous all over the world. As followers of Christ, we need to uphold the Lord's renown and make His name famous. Matt Redman wrote "All Over the World" back in 2005 for the Passion '05 Conference. This song is all about the Lord's Renown. I want to leave you with the lyrics and if you don't have this song or any of the songs from Passion, I would encourage you to buy them. The songs are incredible and uplifting.
"All Over the World"- Matt Redman
Even as the world began
the stars they sang and all the angels
shouted for joy
shouted for joy
And looking back through history
Your people they have always had
A song they must sing
A song they must sing
We are the people of God
We'll sing your song
Here on the earth
All over the world Your song will resound
All over the world Your praises ring out
We're living to see You're name and renown
All over the world
Young and old, near and far
there's a place for every heart to
join in your song
join in your song
And every nation, tribe and tongue
come together join as one
give glory to God
glory to God
We are the people of God
We'll sing Your song
Here on the earth
All over the world Your song will resound
All over the world Your praises ring out
We're living to see You're name and renown
All over the world
Great is Your name
And great will be Your song
We lift up our hands and pray
We lift up our hands and pray
for Holy is Your name
Your name, Your renown, are the desire of our souls,
Your fame, Your glory, Your song,
for You alone are God, You alone.
Something to think about...
For my devotional thought today, I wanted to share Isaiah 26:8, "Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." The word renown isn't something we hear very often. "Renown" means a state of being widely acclaimed and highly honored; fame. I learned tonight that Isaiah 26:8 is the vision of the Passion Movement started by Louie Giglio. Passion seeks to inspire a generation to live for something greater than themselves, specifically the glory of God. How many of us seek to live for something greater than ourselves? How many of us can say that's God's name and His Renown are the desire our hearts? I don't know about you, but I want to live for something greater than myself. I want to live for the glory of God. I want His Name and His Renown to be the desire of my heart. I want to make Him famous all over the world. As followers of Christ, we need to uphold the Lord's renown and make His name famous. Matt Redman wrote "All Over the World" back in 2005 for the Passion '05 Conference. This song is all about the Lord's Renown. I want to leave you with the lyrics and if you don't have this song or any of the songs from Passion, I would encourage you to buy them. The songs are incredible and uplifting.
"All Over the World"- Matt Redman
Even as the world began
the stars they sang and all the angels
shouted for joy
shouted for joy
And looking back through history
Your people they have always had
A song they must sing
A song they must sing
We are the people of God
We'll sing your song
Here on the earth
All over the world Your song will resound
All over the world Your praises ring out
We're living to see You're name and renown
All over the world
Young and old, near and far
there's a place for every heart to
join in your song
join in your song
And every nation, tribe and tongue
come together join as one
give glory to God
glory to God
We are the people of God
We'll sing Your song
Here on the earth
All over the world Your song will resound
All over the world Your praises ring out
We're living to see You're name and renown
All over the world
Great is Your name
And great will be Your song
We lift up our hands and pray
We lift up our hands and pray
for Holy is Your name
Your name, Your renown, are the desire of our souls,
Your fame, Your glory, Your song,
for You alone are God, You alone.
Something to think about...
Deeper Still....
Today was my yoga workout. The amount of determination I have to muster up to do this workout is ridiculous. I'm just not a fan of it at all. But alas, I still did the workout. Today I only did 45 minutes of the workout because of a headache. With all of the downward dogs you have to do during this workout I knew it would only make my headache worse. For those of you who don't know what downward dog is, all you need to know is that you're kind of upside down ALOT. It's just down right atrocious. I did the balance portion of the workout, which is still pretty hard. That part I actually do enjoy though. Tomorrow is legs, back and abs. It should be a good day!
Today for my devotional, I want to revisit one of my favorite scriptures. I wrote a blog back in December on Ephesians 3:20-21 and I want to share some more thoughts on that. Ephesians 3:20-21, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." I found my notes from the Deeper Still conference I went to last September. Priscilla Shirer spoke on these verses and I wanted to share that with you. Priscilla had 6 points:
1. Now is the time to start considering God.
~This will take deliberate action on our part.
2. Truth~ God is Able to do it FOR YOU.
~Truth is not relative, it's absolute.
~Whether or not He chooses to do is not a question of His Ability, but of His Sovereignty.
~God does not have power, He is Power.
~It is possible to be a disciple, but not believe.
~The bottom line is either you trust God or you don't.
3. Transcendence
~God is able to do far more ABUNDANTLY than we ask or think.
~God exceeds all expectations.
4. Totality~ He is able to do ALL that we ask or think.
~Take the totality of your needs to God.
~We have a God who cares about everything from beginning to end. He cares about every area of your life.
5. Turbo Power
~We have to turn the power on and allow the Holy Spirit to work inside of us.
6. The Tribute
~Our God is predictable in His Character, but He is not predicatable in His Activity.
~You cannot box God in, when you box God in, you limit your view of Him.
I loved this message and one year later it still speaks to me. I believe we all need to be reminded from time to time of God's character and His Ability. I love what she said about God's power, He doesn't have power, He IS power. I think that is just awesome. I also love what she says about His Sovereignty. We always need to remember that God can do anything He wants and what he chooses to do is all about His Sovereignty, not His Power. I love learning more about God and His character. What an amazing God we serve! The question we should ask ourselves is do we trust God or not?
Something to think about....
Today for my devotional, I want to revisit one of my favorite scriptures. I wrote a blog back in December on Ephesians 3:20-21 and I want to share some more thoughts on that. Ephesians 3:20-21, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." I found my notes from the Deeper Still conference I went to last September. Priscilla Shirer spoke on these verses and I wanted to share that with you. Priscilla had 6 points:
1. Now is the time to start considering God.
~This will take deliberate action on our part.
2. Truth~ God is Able to do it FOR YOU.
~Truth is not relative, it's absolute.
~Whether or not He chooses to do is not a question of His Ability, but of His Sovereignty.
~God does not have power, He is Power.
~It is possible to be a disciple, but not believe.
~The bottom line is either you trust God or you don't.
3. Transcendence
~God is able to do far more ABUNDANTLY than we ask or think.
~God exceeds all expectations.
4. Totality~ He is able to do ALL that we ask or think.
~Take the totality of your needs to God.
~We have a God who cares about everything from beginning to end. He cares about every area of your life.
5. Turbo Power
~We have to turn the power on and allow the Holy Spirit to work inside of us.
6. The Tribute
~Our God is predictable in His Character, but He is not predicatable in His Activity.
~You cannot box God in, when you box God in, you limit your view of Him.
I loved this message and one year later it still speaks to me. I believe we all need to be reminded from time to time of God's character and His Ability. I love what she said about God's power, He doesn't have power, He IS power. I think that is just awesome. I also love what she says about His Sovereignty. We always need to remember that God can do anything He wants and what he chooses to do is all about His Sovereignty, not His Power. I love learning more about God and His character. What an amazing God we serve! The question we should ask ourselves is do we trust God or not?
Something to think about....
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Mighty To Save
Well yesterday, I did Plyometrics. Oh man, that's intense. Tony says it's the "x" in P90x. I completely believe him. I find it very difficult to not only jump in the air, but to bend my knees while jumping. I looks and sounds eaiser than it actually is....it's crazy. I have to admit I wasn't exactly looking forward to that workout yesterday, but I did it anyways! I'm so glad I did. I burned a ton of calories yesterday for sure! Today was one of my favorite workouts of the week, shoulders, arms and abs. I'm not quite sure what to say about this other than I love it!!!! I'm not sure how many reps I did of each shoulder, bicep and tricep exercise, but I know it was a lot. I am now half way through week #3. It's hard to believe I'll be 30 days in, a week from Monday. It's going by quickly and 90 days will be here before I know it. I can't wait to take my 30 day pictures...woohoo! Tomorrow is my least favorite workout of the week, yoga. I'll have to muster up some determination to get through it! But I know I can do it!
Today for my devotional, I wanted to share one of my favorite scriptures from the Old Testament. It's Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." I love this verse because it reminds that no matter where I am or what I am going through God is always in my midst. It also reminds me that God is a Mighty God, He is a Saving God, and a Loving God. This verse has been a huge source of encouragement for me. I just read it and I feel like God is reminding me of His character and who He is. I think it is just awesome. I'm so thankful I don't serve a weak and unloving God. This verse made me think of the worship song by Hillsong called Mighty to Save. I love this song because it's all about God's power. I want to leave you with the lyrics to this song. Always remember that we serve a Mighty God and He is Mighty to Save!
Mighty To Save- Hillsong
Everyone needs compassion,
Love that's never failing;
Let mercy fall on me.
Everyone needs forgiveness,
The kindness of a Saviour;
The Hope of nations.
Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.
So take me as You find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again.
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in,
Now I surrender.
My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of Salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.
Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing fo the glory of the Risen King...Jesus
My Saviour, You can move the mountains,
You are Mighty to save,
You are Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
You rose and conquered the grave,
Yes, You conquered the grave.
Something to think about...
Today for my devotional, I wanted to share one of my favorite scriptures from the Old Testament. It's Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." I love this verse because it reminds that no matter where I am or what I am going through God is always in my midst. It also reminds me that God is a Mighty God, He is a Saving God, and a Loving God. This verse has been a huge source of encouragement for me. I just read it and I feel like God is reminding me of His character and who He is. I think it is just awesome. I'm so thankful I don't serve a weak and unloving God. This verse made me think of the worship song by Hillsong called Mighty to Save. I love this song because it's all about God's power. I want to leave you with the lyrics to this song. Always remember that we serve a Mighty God and He is Mighty to Save!
Mighty To Save- Hillsong
Everyone needs compassion,
Love that's never failing;
Let mercy fall on me.
Everyone needs forgiveness,
The kindness of a Saviour;
The Hope of nations.
Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.
So take me as You find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again.
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in,
Now I surrender.
My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of Salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.
Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing fo the glory of the Risen King...Jesus
My Saviour, You can move the mountains,
You are Mighty to save,
You are Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
You rose and conquered the grave,
Yes, You conquered the grave.
Something to think about...
Monday, August 23, 2010
Spiritual Gifts
Well today was the start of week #3 of P90x. I worked chest, back and abs....translation, a lot of push ups and pull ups. I can feel myself getting stronger because I noticed today that I did more reps of everything than I have the last 2 weeks. I'm also going deeper in my push ups, which is awesome! I hate push ups, but I'm really learning to love this workout. I'm so excited to have made it this far in the workout and I'm so motivated to keep going. There is no stopping me now! Tomorrow is a cardio day, so Plyometrics here I come.
Instead of sharing a devotional today, I wanted to share some things that I have learned. Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? If you have never taken a test to find out what those are, I would highly recommend it. I just finished taking a spiritual gift test. I learned that my top 3 spiritual gifts are the gift of faith, the gift of intercession and the gift of hospitality. The description of each of these really describe me. I am so excited to learn about the gifts God has given me. It really is amazing to me to see how these spiritual gifts have played out in my life. God knew what gifts to give me that would work with my personality. Now that I know what my spiritual gifts are, it is my prayer that God will use these in my life to encourage and reach others.
Instead of sharing a devotional today, I wanted to share some things that I have learned. Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? If you have never taken a test to find out what those are, I would highly recommend it. I just finished taking a spiritual gift test. I learned that my top 3 spiritual gifts are the gift of faith, the gift of intercession and the gift of hospitality. The description of each of these really describe me. I am so excited to learn about the gifts God has given me. It really is amazing to me to see how these spiritual gifts have played out in my life. God knew what gifts to give me that would work with my personality. Now that I know what my spiritual gifts are, it is my prayer that God will use these in my life to encourage and reach others.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Prayer Warriors
Today was my absolute favorite workout of the week, Kenpo!!! I love the high energy and intensity of this cardio workout. The fact the I love a cardio workout is just amazing, because usually cardio is my least favorite thing to do. I would much rather do strength training then run. But P90x has at least one cardio workout I love! I really enjoy kickboxing and my favorite part is the blocks, punches and elbows! I feel so great after I do Kenpo. I know I burned a lot of calories during my workout today. I have now successfully completed 2 weeks of P90x. I have to say that I am so glad I am doing this program. I have so much more energy and I can already start to see changes in my body, so I can only imagine what I'll look like in 11 more weeks! I have even stopped drinking soda, which if you know me, you know that is HUGE!!!!! I find now that it just doesn't taste as good when you don't drink it everyday. I've always liked water, but now I love water and I drink about 72 oz of water a day. I start week #3 on Monday. I'll be taking my 30 day pictures on September 7th and I can't wait to compare my before pictures to those! It's going to be awesome! :)
For my devotional thought today, I wanted to talk a little bit about prayer and share some of my favorite scriptures on it. Did you know that the word prayer (pray, prayed, praying) is mentioned 512 times in the Bible. I find that to be pretty amazing. Prayer is such a powerful tool and yet often times we don't use it. Prayer is how we communicate with God. I like to think of it as having a conversation with God, telling Him about things going on in my life. Yes, He already knows all those things, but He wants us to commune with Him and talk with Him.
Have you ever prayed for something and either you didn't get the answer you were looking for or it took awhile for it to be answered. I love this quote by Martin Luther, "Whenever I have prayed earnestly, I have always received more than I asked for. God may delay, but He always comes." God may not always answer our prayers when we think He should or want Him to, but He always answers them in His perfect timing. The answers also may or may not be the answer we want, but we have to trust that God knows what's best for us and He can see our future whereas we cannot. That's where our faith really kicks in, we have to completely trust that the answers God gives are given to us for reasons we may not be able to see or understand at the time. I know this is something I have encountered in my own life. But as I am able to look back on those times, I can see God's hand at work and I see that His answer and timing were perfect. Prayer is such an intimate time we can share with God. I don't know about you, but I want to have that deep, intimate relationship with God. Prayer is just one way of growing our intimacy with Him. How's your prayer life?
Something to think about...
1 John 5:14-15 "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to His will he hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him."
Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
James 5:16 "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Romans 8:26 "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Matthew 6:5-8 "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."
2 Chronicles 7:14-15 "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place."
Colossians 4:2 "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."
For my devotional thought today, I wanted to talk a little bit about prayer and share some of my favorite scriptures on it. Did you know that the word prayer (pray, prayed, praying) is mentioned 512 times in the Bible. I find that to be pretty amazing. Prayer is such a powerful tool and yet often times we don't use it. Prayer is how we communicate with God. I like to think of it as having a conversation with God, telling Him about things going on in my life. Yes, He already knows all those things, but He wants us to commune with Him and talk with Him.
Have you ever prayed for something and either you didn't get the answer you were looking for or it took awhile for it to be answered. I love this quote by Martin Luther, "Whenever I have prayed earnestly, I have always received more than I asked for. God may delay, but He always comes." God may not always answer our prayers when we think He should or want Him to, but He always answers them in His perfect timing. The answers also may or may not be the answer we want, but we have to trust that God knows what's best for us and He can see our future whereas we cannot. That's where our faith really kicks in, we have to completely trust that the answers God gives are given to us for reasons we may not be able to see or understand at the time. I know this is something I have encountered in my own life. But as I am able to look back on those times, I can see God's hand at work and I see that His answer and timing were perfect. Prayer is such an intimate time we can share with God. I don't know about you, but I want to have that deep, intimate relationship with God. Prayer is just one way of growing our intimacy with Him. How's your prayer life?
Something to think about...
1 John 5:14-15 "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to His will he hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him."
Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
James 5:16 "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
Romans 8:26 "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Matthew 6:5-8 "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."
2 Chronicles 7:14-15 "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place."
Colossians 4:2 "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."
Walk By Faith
Today was an awesome workout! I did legs, back and abs. My legs were shaking so much during this workout. I did a ton of lunges, squats and calf raises. I can't get over these workouts...they are crazy, but I love it! I think the thing I enjoy most about the legs and back workout is that I don't know the same thing and the rotation between legs and back is awesome. I do 2 sets of leg workouts and then do a set of pull ups. So your legs get a little break while you do pull ups. I did a total of 78 pull ups today and I was quite proud of myself for that. I am so excited to see the changes in my body at the end of week 13!!! Tomorrow is my favorite workout of the week and that is Kenpo so stay tuned for that blog tomorrow night!
For my devotional today, I just want to share the lyrics to a song. I was listening to it today and I just love the simplicity of the message; and yet it is so difficult to do sometimes. The song is "Walk By Faith" by Jeremy Camp. The chorus just says that I will walk by faith even when I can't see. I love that line because that's what this Christian life is all about, walking by faith. It's so simple, but we find it hard to do sometimes. As humans we want to know what's coming next and we want to have control over our lives. But you see the beauty of our faith journey is that we don't have to know what is coming next and we don't have control. Because God knows what our every move is and by walking in faith we know that He will guide our steps. I love this quote by Martin Luther King Jr, he says, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." I think how true that statement is; faith calls us to step out and believe that God will come through. Because the truth is we don't know what is coming next, we can plan all we want but ultimately God will guide us in the direction He has for our lives. All we need to do is take that first step of faith and walk side by side with God on this journey!
"Walk By Faith"-Jeremy Camp
Would I believe you when you would say
Your hand will guide my every way
Will I receive the words You say
Every moment of every day
Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see it
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
Help me to win my endless fears
You've been so faithful for all my years
With the one breath You make me
Your grace covers all I do
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, ya
Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see it
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
Well I'm broken, but I still see Your face
Well You've spoken, pouring your words of grace
I will walk, I will walk, I will walk by faith
I will, I will, I will walk by faith
For my devotional today, I just want to share the lyrics to a song. I was listening to it today and I just love the simplicity of the message; and yet it is so difficult to do sometimes. The song is "Walk By Faith" by Jeremy Camp. The chorus just says that I will walk by faith even when I can't see. I love that line because that's what this Christian life is all about, walking by faith. It's so simple, but we find it hard to do sometimes. As humans we want to know what's coming next and we want to have control over our lives. But you see the beauty of our faith journey is that we don't have to know what is coming next and we don't have control. Because God knows what our every move is and by walking in faith we know that He will guide our steps. I love this quote by Martin Luther King Jr, he says, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." I think how true that statement is; faith calls us to step out and believe that God will come through. Because the truth is we don't know what is coming next, we can plan all we want but ultimately God will guide us in the direction He has for our lives. All we need to do is take that first step of faith and walk side by side with God on this journey!
"Walk By Faith"-Jeremy Camp
Would I believe you when you would say
Your hand will guide my every way
Will I receive the words You say
Every moment of every day
Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see it
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
Help me to win my endless fears
You've been so faithful for all my years
With the one breath You make me
Your grace covers all I do
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, ya
Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see it
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
Well I'm broken, but I still see Your face
Well You've spoken, pouring your words of grace
I will walk, I will walk, I will walk by faith
I will, I will, I will walk by faith
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Magnify
So today I'm combining posts from yesterday and today since I didn't do one yesterday. My workout yesterday was shoulders, arms and abs! This is seriously one of my favorite workouts! I'm not really sure why I enjoy working out my arms and shoulders, but I just do! I enjoy bicep curls, upright rows and shoulder presses....call me crazy!! Those are only a few of the things I do during my workout. The little changes I'm starting to see in my arms and shoulders is awesome!! Now today's workout is one of my least favorite and that is Yoga. It's just an hour and a half of torture. The first 45 minutes of the workout is so repetitive and it drives me nuts. I have a short attention span so it makes it very hard for me to concentrate. I do like the second half of the workout because it's all about balance. However, I have decided that I am just not a fan of yoga! Tomorrow is legs, back and abs!!!
In my devotion today, I was going back through one of my favorite books. It's a book by A.W. Tozer on the Attributes of God. The one that I wanted to share about tonight is God's Goodness. I just love what Tozer shares in this section about God and His Goodness. He says, "Christianity at any given time is strong or weak depending on her concept of God." He goes on to say that our religion is little beacause our god is little, that our religion is weak because are god is weak and we do not see God as He is. I just sat back and thought about that for a little bit. It is no wonder to me unbelievers don't want to become Christians. It's because as Christians we make God small and tend to put Him in a box. Our churches today have basic trouble because of her unworthy conception of God.
Tozer quotes Psalm 34:3. "O magnify the Lord with me." I learned that "magnify" can mean one of two things: "make it look bigger than it is," or "see it as big as it is." Tozer says that the psalmist used magnify in the sense of see it as big as it is. When we magnify the Lord we are to try to see Him as big as He is. I love what Tozer says about this. He says if you want to examine a very small amount of matter, you put it under a microscope and magnify it to make it look bigger than it is, BUT it is impossible to make God look bigger than He is. I'm so glad that I don't have to try to make God look bigger. God is already bigger than I can fathom. I don't know about you, but I want to try to see God as big as He is! What an awesome God!
Something to think about...
In my devotion today, I was going back through one of my favorite books. It's a book by A.W. Tozer on the Attributes of God. The one that I wanted to share about tonight is God's Goodness. I just love what Tozer shares in this section about God and His Goodness. He says, "Christianity at any given time is strong or weak depending on her concept of God." He goes on to say that our religion is little beacause our god is little, that our religion is weak because are god is weak and we do not see God as He is. I just sat back and thought about that for a little bit. It is no wonder to me unbelievers don't want to become Christians. It's because as Christians we make God small and tend to put Him in a box. Our churches today have basic trouble because of her unworthy conception of God.
Tozer quotes Psalm 34:3. "O magnify the Lord with me." I learned that "magnify" can mean one of two things: "make it look bigger than it is," or "see it as big as it is." Tozer says that the psalmist used magnify in the sense of see it as big as it is. When we magnify the Lord we are to try to see Him as big as He is. I love what Tozer says about this. He says if you want to examine a very small amount of matter, you put it under a microscope and magnify it to make it look bigger than it is, BUT it is impossible to make God look bigger than He is. I'm so glad that I don't have to try to make God look bigger. God is already bigger than I can fathom. I don't know about you, but I want to try to see God as big as He is! What an awesome God!
Something to think about...
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Empty Words
Well, it was Plyometrics day. This workout is just hard. If you know me well, then you know it takes a lot for me to sweat. Let me tell you, plyometrics makes me sweat a lot. I enjoy doing it, but I'm glad I only have to do this workout once a week! I still don't jump as high as Tony and his team, but I know in time that will come! I am just glad that I survived another day of P90x! I'm looking forward to my workout tomorrow!!
My devotional thought today comes from Isaiah 55:11, "So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." This verse came alive to me back in April of this year when I attended the Exponential Church Planting Conference. I had the opportunity to hear Louie Giglio speak and he spoke on this verse. I was reminded of this verse tonight when I read my devotional book. I just love this verse. Have you ever thought about this before? When God speaks, His words have purpose and they will not return to Him empty. In my devotional tonight, this particular author shared a story about a letter he received in 1997, from a man who had attended a crusade he preached at in 1990. This man had written the preacher to tell him that he wished he would have listened to what the preacher had said and then he wouldn't be in prison. But what he also told the preacher was that he finally repented and testified to the new life that he now experienced. His only request was for a Bible and Christian literature in his language, which the preacher sent him. Eighteen years after the crusade, the preacher learned that this man was released from prison and now attends the church that was started in the town where the crusade was held.
Even though 18 years ago, this man turned from the words God was speaking to him through this pastor at a crusade, God's words to him had a purpose and it suceeded. This story is an awesome example of God's words not coming back to Him empty. My thought for you is this, even though we may never see the fruit of our labor, we need to allow God to use us to speak His words into the lives of others so that His words do not come back empty and accomplish all that He has purposed for it. I just stand an awe of the God I serve. God doesn't have empty words or empty promises. Every word of God has a purpose and it will always succeed!
Something to think about...
My devotional thought today comes from Isaiah 55:11, "So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." This verse came alive to me back in April of this year when I attended the Exponential Church Planting Conference. I had the opportunity to hear Louie Giglio speak and he spoke on this verse. I was reminded of this verse tonight when I read my devotional book. I just love this verse. Have you ever thought about this before? When God speaks, His words have purpose and they will not return to Him empty. In my devotional tonight, this particular author shared a story about a letter he received in 1997, from a man who had attended a crusade he preached at in 1990. This man had written the preacher to tell him that he wished he would have listened to what the preacher had said and then he wouldn't be in prison. But what he also told the preacher was that he finally repented and testified to the new life that he now experienced. His only request was for a Bible and Christian literature in his language, which the preacher sent him. Eighteen years after the crusade, the preacher learned that this man was released from prison and now attends the church that was started in the town where the crusade was held.
Even though 18 years ago, this man turned from the words God was speaking to him through this pastor at a crusade, God's words to him had a purpose and it suceeded. This story is an awesome example of God's words not coming back to Him empty. My thought for you is this, even though we may never see the fruit of our labor, we need to allow God to use us to speak His words into the lives of others so that His words do not come back empty and accomplish all that He has purposed for it. I just stand an awe of the God I serve. God doesn't have empty words or empty promises. Every word of God has a purpose and it will always succeed!
Something to think about...
Monday, August 16, 2010
White As Snow
Well now I am into Week #2 of P90x! I am feeling great and already starting to notice subtle changes in my body! Today, I worked chest, back and abs. For the first 3 weeks of the program you do the same workout routine and then week 4 will be a recovery week. I am really enjoying this workout and look forward to it everyday. I am finding I have more energy which is fabulous! I would highly recommend P90x to anyone who wants to get into better shape!!
For my devotional thought today, I wanted to share about a testimony I just watched. I'm sure many of you remember the show Full House. It was one of my favorite shows growing up. Candace Cameron Bure played D.J on the show. I was on her website because I follow her on twitter. She has a video up of an interview she did where she shares her testimony. I was incredibly impressed with her. The one thing that caught my attention was when she was talking about her sin and how she measured it. She always thought she was a "good person" according to the world's standards. But she said when she started measuring her sin against God's standards, she quickly realized she wasn't as good of person as she thought she was. She used an analogy of a little girl who saw a sheep eating green grass and the little girl thought the sheep was so white and pretty. Then it started to snow and against the snow she saw how dirty the sheep actually was. Her point in this analogy was this, when we measure our sin against the standard of the world it will often look like the white sheep eating green grass. We need to be measuring our sin against God's Word and His standards.
So my question for you is this how are you measuring your sin, against worldy standards or against God's Word and His standards?? Something to think about....
Candace Cameron Bure's website: www.candacecameronbure.net
For my devotional thought today, I wanted to share about a testimony I just watched. I'm sure many of you remember the show Full House. It was one of my favorite shows growing up. Candace Cameron Bure played D.J on the show. I was on her website because I follow her on twitter. She has a video up of an interview she did where she shares her testimony. I was incredibly impressed with her. The one thing that caught my attention was when she was talking about her sin and how she measured it. She always thought she was a "good person" according to the world's standards. But she said when she started measuring her sin against God's standards, she quickly realized she wasn't as good of person as she thought she was. She used an analogy of a little girl who saw a sheep eating green grass and the little girl thought the sheep was so white and pretty. Then it started to snow and against the snow she saw how dirty the sheep actually was. Her point in this analogy was this, when we measure our sin against the standard of the world it will often look like the white sheep eating green grass. We need to be measuring our sin against God's Word and His standards.
So my question for you is this how are you measuring your sin, against worldy standards or against God's Word and His standards?? Something to think about....
Candace Cameron Bure's website: www.candacecameronbure.net
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Seeking Fine Pearls
This is a post that should have been put up last night, but I went to bed with a little bit of a migraine. So staring at a computer for a little while was just not gonna happen! Yesterday, I completed my first week of P90x!!! Woohoo!! My workout was all about Kenpo which basically is kickboxing. Let me just tell you I am so incredibly sore today. I absolutely loved this workout thought. It's an awesome cardio workout and not to mention just fun. I have learned how to defend myself through some of the moves that Tony teaches in this workout. I now know how to properly elbow someone in the face as well as block any punch that comes my way! I think that's pretty awesome! Tomorrow I start week #2 and I'm totally loving this workout! :)
My devotional today was pretty good. I enjoyed it because it talked about pearls and the different kinds of pearls; which I happen to know a little bit about since I used to work at a jewelry store! The scripture for today was from Matthew 13:45-46, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it." Pearls are simply beautiful. A pearl's value is determined by a few things like luster, surface flaws, color, shape, size and texture. The story was about a missionary who had a befriended a lady named Bee who owned a pearl shop. This missionary used 3 strands of Bee's pearls to help her understand how Jesus sees all of His children. She used a South Sea pearl, a medium-valued Mikimoto pearl and a Freshwater pearl. South Sea pearls are the most expensive and the most rare. Freshwater pearls are more plentiful and less expensive. She asked Bee if the 3 strands of pearls represented people which one would be allowed into paradise according to her Quran? Bee answered the South Sea pearl. This missionary goes onto explain to Bee that she is more like the cheap strand, but according to the Bible she would spend eternal life in heaven since she had been redeemed by Christ. She explained that Jesus saw her as a South Sea pearl even though she was more like a freshwater pearl and that's how He sees all His children.
I thought this was a great reminder of how precious we are in the eyes of Christ. Even though we are like a freshwater pearl, Christ sees us as a rare and extremely valuable pearl. Just like pearls we are all unique, but Christ still sees all of us something rare, beautiful and of great value! What an amazing thought! I'm so thankful to serve a God who sees beyond my flaws and imperfections; and that He sees me as a treasure! I want to share the prayer at the end of my devotional today and may we all be thankful to be seen as precious in His sight!
"Father, Hallelujah that I am precious in Your Sight! Because of your plan of redemption, You have taken someone worthless and made me into a pearl of great price. Thank you for Your tremendous grace. Amen."
My devotional today was pretty good. I enjoyed it because it talked about pearls and the different kinds of pearls; which I happen to know a little bit about since I used to work at a jewelry store! The scripture for today was from Matthew 13:45-46, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it." Pearls are simply beautiful. A pearl's value is determined by a few things like luster, surface flaws, color, shape, size and texture. The story was about a missionary who had a befriended a lady named Bee who owned a pearl shop. This missionary used 3 strands of Bee's pearls to help her understand how Jesus sees all of His children. She used a South Sea pearl, a medium-valued Mikimoto pearl and a Freshwater pearl. South Sea pearls are the most expensive and the most rare. Freshwater pearls are more plentiful and less expensive. She asked Bee if the 3 strands of pearls represented people which one would be allowed into paradise according to her Quran? Bee answered the South Sea pearl. This missionary goes onto explain to Bee that she is more like the cheap strand, but according to the Bible she would spend eternal life in heaven since she had been redeemed by Christ. She explained that Jesus saw her as a South Sea pearl even though she was more like a freshwater pearl and that's how He sees all His children.
I thought this was a great reminder of how precious we are in the eyes of Christ. Even though we are like a freshwater pearl, Christ sees us as a rare and extremely valuable pearl. Just like pearls we are all unique, but Christ still sees all of us something rare, beautiful and of great value! What an amazing thought! I'm so thankful to serve a God who sees beyond my flaws and imperfections; and that He sees me as a treasure! I want to share the prayer at the end of my devotional today and may we all be thankful to be seen as precious in His sight!
"Father, Hallelujah that I am precious in Your Sight! Because of your plan of redemption, You have taken someone worthless and made me into a pearl of great price. Thank you for Your tremendous grace. Amen."
Friday, August 13, 2010
What Are You Afraid Of?
My workout today was all about the legs, back and abs. I just know I won't be able to walk for the next 2 days. My legs were put to the test today with more lunges and squats than I can count! My abs have finally stopped being super sore and that's fabulous! It really is no fun when it hurts to sit up in bed or to laugh. I have almost survived my first week of P90x and I'm so excited!! I know as I continue with my workouts I will only get stronger. I am definitely looking forward to that!
Today my devotional thought comes again from Francis Chan's, Forgotten God. In this particular chapter of the book, Chan talks about fear; fears about rejection, what others think about us, or what if God doesn't come through. He says that "fear has a way of channeling our thought process." The thing that caught my attention is when Chan addresses our fear of God not coming through for us. I found this to be very interesting. Chan says, "I think the fear of God failing us leads us to 'cover for God'. This means we ask for less, expect less, and are satisfied with less because we are afraid to ask for or expect more." Think about how much this must grieve the heart of God to see His children hold back from relationship with the Holy Spirit out of a fear that He won't come through. Luke 11:13 says this, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" So the question we have to ask ourselves is do we really believe that God gives His Spirit to those who ask? The truth is it comes down to faith and whether or not you believe God keeps His promises or not? "There is a difference between believing what God has promised and praying for things you'd like to be true (Chan)." Do you trust God when He says no and do you still believe He is doing what is best?
I want to leave you with this quote by Tertullian:
"The Lord challenges us to suffer persecutions and to confess him. He wants those who belong to him to be brave and and fearless. He himself shows how weakness of the flesh is overcome by courage of the Spirit. This is the testimony of the apostles and in particular of the representative, administrating Spirit. A Christian is fearless."
Something to think about..
Today my devotional thought comes again from Francis Chan's, Forgotten God. In this particular chapter of the book, Chan talks about fear; fears about rejection, what others think about us, or what if God doesn't come through. He says that "fear has a way of channeling our thought process." The thing that caught my attention is when Chan addresses our fear of God not coming through for us. I found this to be very interesting. Chan says, "I think the fear of God failing us leads us to 'cover for God'. This means we ask for less, expect less, and are satisfied with less because we are afraid to ask for or expect more." Think about how much this must grieve the heart of God to see His children hold back from relationship with the Holy Spirit out of a fear that He won't come through. Luke 11:13 says this, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" So the question we have to ask ourselves is do we really believe that God gives His Spirit to those who ask? The truth is it comes down to faith and whether or not you believe God keeps His promises or not? "There is a difference between believing what God has promised and praying for things you'd like to be true (Chan)." Do you trust God when He says no and do you still believe He is doing what is best?
I want to leave you with this quote by Tertullian:
"The Lord challenges us to suffer persecutions and to confess him. He wants those who belong to him to be brave and and fearless. He himself shows how weakness of the flesh is overcome by courage of the Spirit. This is the testimony of the apostles and in particular of the representative, administrating Spirit. A Christian is fearless."
Something to think about..
Power Made Perfect in Weakness
Today my P90x workout was an hour and a half of Yoga. When I first saw on my schedule that I would be do Yoga, I thought to myself how hard can this really be? Well, let me tell you it is very difficult and extremely tiring. I was amazed at how flexible the people were in the video. I'm not flexible at all and today I learned how not flexible I really am! Haha. The first 45 minutes of the workout is very repetitive. You do all kind of things I've never heard of, like downard dog, upward dog, warrior 1, 2, and 3 among so many other things, but I can't remember the names. The last 45 minutes is all about balance. I didn't do too bad during this, however during the majority of the workout I fell over multiple times...haha! But just like Tony says, "do your best and forget the rest." It was definitely an interesting workout and I'm not sure I'll be a Yoga loving girl at the end. But I do hope to become more flexible by the end of P90x!
My devotion for today comes from Forgotten God by Francis Chan. Chan is talking about Jesus taking up our cross. Chan says "Jesus is doing more than calling us to endure the daily, circumstantial troubles of life. It is a call to radical faith. Jesus is calling us to be willing to suffer anything and forsake everything for the sake of the gospel." Jesus calls us to total surrender and to give up all that we have and for us to realize that His Power is made perfect in our weakness. Chan uses the scripture from 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 which says, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' There I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Wow, what a claim for Paul to make; to gladly boast of his weaknesses so the power of Christ may rest on him. How many of us have ever thought about gladly boasting of our weaknesses? We normally think of weaknesses, hardships or calamities in our lives as bad things. But Paul is telling us that we should gladly boast of these things because it is in our weakness that Jesus' power is made perfect. That when we are weak, we are strong. We can be strong in our weaknesses only because of the power of Jesus Christ. If we are always looking at the weaknesses and hardships in our lives in a negative way, how then can Christ's power rest upon us to make us strong? I want to have that same attitude as Paul. I want to gladly boast of my weaknesses so that Christ's power can be made perfect.
Something to think about...
My devotion for today comes from Forgotten God by Francis Chan. Chan is talking about Jesus taking up our cross. Chan says "Jesus is doing more than calling us to endure the daily, circumstantial troubles of life. It is a call to radical faith. Jesus is calling us to be willing to suffer anything and forsake everything for the sake of the gospel." Jesus calls us to total surrender and to give up all that we have and for us to realize that His Power is made perfect in our weakness. Chan uses the scripture from 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 which says, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' There I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Wow, what a claim for Paul to make; to gladly boast of his weaknesses so the power of Christ may rest on him. How many of us have ever thought about gladly boasting of our weaknesses? We normally think of weaknesses, hardships or calamities in our lives as bad things. But Paul is telling us that we should gladly boast of these things because it is in our weakness that Jesus' power is made perfect. That when we are weak, we are strong. We can be strong in our weaknesses only because of the power of Jesus Christ. If we are always looking at the weaknesses and hardships in our lives in a negative way, how then can Christ's power rest upon us to make us strong? I want to have that same attitude as Paul. I want to gladly boast of my weaknesses so that Christ's power can be made perfect.
Something to think about...
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
A Contagious Life
Today my P90x journey continued with shoulders, biceps, triceps and of course abs! I have always really enjoyed working out my shoulders and arms. Today was no different. This was of course an hour workout and I'm positive I'll be super sore in the morning. My abs, well the soreness hasn't stopped there since I started on Monday. It's a good soreness though! It is so amazing to me all the muscles we have in our body. Each muscle has a specific function. I stand in awe of the God who created everything about our bodies. He knew exactly what we needed for our bodies to function the right way. I think that is so cool and down right awesome!
My devotion today was based on the scripture from Deuteronomy 31:6 which says, "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." The author of this particular entry was telling a story about her son practicing his Bible verse. She was only partially listening when she heard him say, "Be strong and contagious." At first, she found this to be humorous, but as she thought about it more it was actually very profound. Her thought was this, isn't being contagious exactly what we're called to do as we reach out to an unbelieving world?
As I read this entry, I loved this thought. It is so simple and yet as she said so profound. As Christians, we are called to live a contagious life so that when people see us they see that something is different about us and wonder why. Not only should they wonder why, but they should want to find out what it is so they too could have what we have. We should be living our lives in such a way that it affects those around us who are lost. Our lives should be lived in such a way, that the Lord uses us to draw people to Himself. The beauty of living a contagious life is that we are not alone. Just as Deuteronomy 31:6 says God goes with us and that He will not fail or forsake us. How awesome is that?
I want my life to be contagious and one that God uses to draw those to Himself who don't have a relationship with Him. The truth is people are watching us everyday whether we realize it or not. The question we have to ask ourselves is do we want the lifestyle we are currently living to be contagious? Is the lifestyle you or I living one that God would use to draw people to Himself?
Something to think about...
My devotion today was based on the scripture from Deuteronomy 31:6 which says, "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." The author of this particular entry was telling a story about her son practicing his Bible verse. She was only partially listening when she heard him say, "Be strong and contagious." At first, she found this to be humorous, but as she thought about it more it was actually very profound. Her thought was this, isn't being contagious exactly what we're called to do as we reach out to an unbelieving world?
As I read this entry, I loved this thought. It is so simple and yet as she said so profound. As Christians, we are called to live a contagious life so that when people see us they see that something is different about us and wonder why. Not only should they wonder why, but they should want to find out what it is so they too could have what we have. We should be living our lives in such a way that it affects those around us who are lost. Our lives should be lived in such a way, that the Lord uses us to draw people to Himself. The beauty of living a contagious life is that we are not alone. Just as Deuteronomy 31:6 says God goes with us and that He will not fail or forsake us. How awesome is that?
I want my life to be contagious and one that God uses to draw those to Himself who don't have a relationship with Him. The truth is people are watching us everyday whether we realize it or not. The question we have to ask ourselves is do we want the lifestyle we are currently living to be contagious? Is the lifestyle you or I living one that God would use to draw people to Himself?
Something to think about...
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
How Many Different Ways Can You Say OUCH?
Well after doing Plyometrics, I'd say there are quite a few different ways to say OUCH!! I'm pretty sure I'm still counting the ways! I'm still sore from yesterday so what's a little more pain, right?? Plyometrics for those of you who aren't quite sure what that is, put loosely is jump training. Yes, you read that correctly. It's a really intense fat-burning exercise that primarliy focuses on lower body movements. Tony doesn't mess around with plyometrics, it's an hour workout and super tiring! He has 3 people exercising with him in the video, one of which has a prosthetic leg; not only does this guy do plyometrics, but he does it really well. I was incredibly impressed. So that meant no excuses for me! Tony's mantra is "Do your best and forget the rest," and that's exactly what I did! Just to give you an idea of some of things I did today in Plyometrics....exercises like jump squats, swing kicks, circle run, jump knee tucks, lateral leap frog squats and hot foot just to name a few! This is one of the most intense cardiovascular training programs I've ever done. I couldn't believe how high they jump, especially the guy with the prosthetic leg. It was unbelievable. I'm barley getting an inch off the ground...haha! I know that as I get stronger I'll eventually be able to jump as high as Tony and his team! Day 2 down and only 88 more to go!!!
My devotional today was entitled, "A Calling, A Message." It was about missionaries from Africa. They had a group from a church in Ohio on a mission trip. The pastor from Ohio asked the men and women gathered there if they had anything to be thankful for because when we pray we need to be thankful. Two men stood up and said for years something had been drawing them to Christianity and to Jesus, but they didn't know how to become a Christian or how to find Jesus. They didn't know how to do that until the group from Ohio came and shared the Gospel with them.
God had been drawing them to Himself for years, but they had no idea how to find Him. This really got me thinking how many people or people groups are out there that have felt God drawing them to Himself and yet they have no idea how to find Him. It's just more confirmation that we as Christ-followers need to be actively sharing the Gospel and love of Christ with everyone. We need to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a world that is lost and full of hopelessness. Last night I heard a song by the group Leeland, called Follow You. I want to the share the lyrics with you and if you can buy it on itunes I would highly recommend it. It's an amazing song and goes with what I've been blogging about the past 2 days.
Follow You-
You lived among the least of these
The weary and the weak
And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away.
All my needs you have supplied
When I was dead you gave me life.
How could I not give it away so freely?
And I'll follow you into the homes that are broken
Follow you into the world.
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God.
Follow you into the World.
Use my hands, use my feet
To make your kingdom come
Through the corners of the earth
Until your work is done
'Cause Faith without works is dead
And on the cross your blood was shed
So how could I not give it away so freely?
And I'll follow you into the homes that are broken.
Follow you into the world.
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God
Follow you into the World.
I give all myself.
I give all myself
I give all myself...to you.
And I give all myself.
Yes, I give all myself.
And I give all myself...to you.
And I'll follow you into the homes that are broken
Follow you into the world
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God
Follow you into the World.
May we follow Jesus into the world to be His hands and His feet to a lost and broken world.
My devotional today was entitled, "A Calling, A Message." It was about missionaries from Africa. They had a group from a church in Ohio on a mission trip. The pastor from Ohio asked the men and women gathered there if they had anything to be thankful for because when we pray we need to be thankful. Two men stood up and said for years something had been drawing them to Christianity and to Jesus, but they didn't know how to become a Christian or how to find Jesus. They didn't know how to do that until the group from Ohio came and shared the Gospel with them.
God had been drawing them to Himself for years, but they had no idea how to find Him. This really got me thinking how many people or people groups are out there that have felt God drawing them to Himself and yet they have no idea how to find Him. It's just more confirmation that we as Christ-followers need to be actively sharing the Gospel and love of Christ with everyone. We need to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a world that is lost and full of hopelessness. Last night I heard a song by the group Leeland, called Follow You. I want to the share the lyrics with you and if you can buy it on itunes I would highly recommend it. It's an amazing song and goes with what I've been blogging about the past 2 days.
Follow You-
You lived among the least of these
The weary and the weak
And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away.
All my needs you have supplied
When I was dead you gave me life.
How could I not give it away so freely?
And I'll follow you into the homes that are broken
Follow you into the world.
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God.
Follow you into the World.
Use my hands, use my feet
To make your kingdom come
Through the corners of the earth
Until your work is done
'Cause Faith without works is dead
And on the cross your blood was shed
So how could I not give it away so freely?
And I'll follow you into the homes that are broken.
Follow you into the world.
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God
Follow you into the World.
I give all myself.
I give all myself
I give all myself...to you.
And I give all myself.
Yes, I give all myself.
And I give all myself...to you.
And I'll follow you into the homes that are broken
Follow you into the world
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God
Follow you into the World.
May we follow Jesus into the world to be His hands and His feet to a lost and broken world.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Extreme Fitness & Extreme Faith
So today I started day 1 of P90x. I worked out chest, back and abs! The good news is I survived, but I know that it is going to be really intense. I'm sure I will feel it all tomorrow! I don't remember the last time I did that many push ups and actually I'm not sure I've ever done that many push ups in one setting. I've discovered I really enjoy chin ups and pull ups! Never thought I'd say that...haha! I am very pumped up about it and look forward to the journey! Tomorrow is Plyometrics and I have absolutely no idea what to expect! It should be fun though.
As I posted yesterday while I'm going through P90x, I will also be going through a book. Well, I've decided what book I'll be reading and reviewing here on my blog. I've chosen to read a book entitled, Radical, Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt. It's the perfect book to go along with P90x because it's extreme and so is P90x. In his book Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated a God-centered gospel to fit our human-centered preferences. It is a very challenging book from what I have heard but, I look forward to challenging my thinking and deepening my faith. I'll be posting my thoughts and give an overview of each chapter!
My daily devotions come from a book called Voices of the Faithful. Today's entry was called "An Unexpected Change". The entry was about missionaries in Central Asia having the opportunity to share the Gospel with 13 muslim men. The thing that caught my attention was the scripture at the very end. It's Romans 10:14b, "How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?" The reason this verse caught my attention was because it falls so perfectly in line with the book Radical. I learned that there are 6,000 people groups who have virtually no access to the Bible or a church. Platt says we have an obligation to share the Gospel with the Unreached because their knowledge of God is only enough to damn them to hell; because the grace of God is powerful enough to save them for heaven; because the plan of God warrants the sacrifice of His people (Romans 10:12-15); because the Son of God deserves the praise of all peoples (Romans 16:25-27). I've been challenged by this verse and have come to realize it is my duty to share the Gospel with those who have never heard of Jesus. Remember this, "The Gospel is only good news if it gets there on time," David Platt.
Something to think about......
As I posted yesterday while I'm going through P90x, I will also be going through a book. Well, I've decided what book I'll be reading and reviewing here on my blog. I've chosen to read a book entitled, Radical, Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt. It's the perfect book to go along with P90x because it's extreme and so is P90x. In his book Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated a God-centered gospel to fit our human-centered preferences. It is a very challenging book from what I have heard but, I look forward to challenging my thinking and deepening my faith. I'll be posting my thoughts and give an overview of each chapter!
My daily devotions come from a book called Voices of the Faithful. Today's entry was called "An Unexpected Change". The entry was about missionaries in Central Asia having the opportunity to share the Gospel with 13 muslim men. The thing that caught my attention was the scripture at the very end. It's Romans 10:14b, "How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?" The reason this verse caught my attention was because it falls so perfectly in line with the book Radical. I learned that there are 6,000 people groups who have virtually no access to the Bible or a church. Platt says we have an obligation to share the Gospel with the Unreached because their knowledge of God is only enough to damn them to hell; because the grace of God is powerful enough to save them for heaven; because the plan of God warrants the sacrifice of His people (Romans 10:12-15); because the Son of God deserves the praise of all peoples (Romans 16:25-27). I've been challenged by this verse and have come to realize it is my duty to share the Gospel with those who have never heard of Jesus. Remember this, "The Gospel is only good news if it gets there on time," David Platt.
Something to think about......
Sunday, August 8, 2010
P90x
Well tomorrow starts a new journey for me. What is this journey you ask? I am starting the extreme home workout program called P90x! It's a 13 week, 90 day workout plan. From what I have heard it is an extremely intense workout program. However it is also highly effective. I've seen the results first hand from friends that have gone through it and I was incredibly impressed with the results! I'll be keeping up with my blog while I am going through P90x.
I've also decided that while I'm getting physically healthy, I am also going to get spiritually healthy! I'll be reading some books as well as my Bible and posting my thoughts on what God is teaching me! For the next 90 days, I'll be doing book reviews as well as keeping y'all posted on my workout with P90x! I'll post tomorrow after my first workout....this should be interesting! I'm so excited for this journey and looking forward to getting physically and spiritually healthy!
I've also decided that while I'm getting physically healthy, I am also going to get spiritually healthy! I'll be reading some books as well as my Bible and posting my thoughts on what God is teaching me! For the next 90 days, I'll be doing book reviews as well as keeping y'all posted on my workout with P90x! I'll post tomorrow after my first workout....this should be interesting! I'm so excited for this journey and looking forward to getting physically and spiritually healthy!
Friday, March 19, 2010
MARCH MADNESS!!
Well, it's my favorite time of year....that's right you guessed it, MARCH MADNESS!! There is nothing more exciting to me than the NCAA tournament. 64 teams competing to be the best and prove they are the best in the nation. And this year is no different. Sometimes the Cinderella team surprises us all and other times it's the dominant team taking home the prize! That's why it's called March Madness because it can truly be just that.....MADNESS! You never know who will upset who and that is what's so fun!
For those of you who do not know, I am a diehard Kentucky fan. I bleed blue and it runs so deep! I was born and raised a UK fan and it's also my Alma Mater! This year my CATS are one of the four #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament. After a tumultous 2 years (with the worst coach in America, Billy G), Coach Cal has turned the program around and restored us to the greatest tradition in all of college basketball! We were the first school to reach 2,000 wins, the regular season SEC Champions and then went on to win the SEC Tournament, which was simply amazing!
Now it's time to go dancing, the Big Dance that is! So here are my Final Four picks for the 2010 NCAA tournament: Kansas vs. Kansas State and Kentucky vs. Duke. My picks for the National Championship Game are Kansas vs. Kentucky with Kentucky bringing home the Championship to the Bluegrass State! I sure do love this time of year! I'm ready to go dancing, are you??
For those of you who do not know, I am a diehard Kentucky fan. I bleed blue and it runs so deep! I was born and raised a UK fan and it's also my Alma Mater! This year my CATS are one of the four #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament. After a tumultous 2 years (with the worst coach in America, Billy G), Coach Cal has turned the program around and restored us to the greatest tradition in all of college basketball! We were the first school to reach 2,000 wins, the regular season SEC Champions and then went on to win the SEC Tournament, which was simply amazing!
Now it's time to go dancing, the Big Dance that is! So here are my Final Four picks for the 2010 NCAA tournament: Kansas vs. Kansas State and Kentucky vs. Duke. My picks for the National Championship Game are Kansas vs. Kentucky with Kentucky bringing home the Championship to the Bluegrass State! I sure do love this time of year! I'm ready to go dancing, are you??
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