Love, Do Good, Be Merciful?

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Luke 6:32-36

I wonder how many were loving to people at the mad sales tonight/tomorrow, if they really checked their hearts and watched their words.

I wonder how many of us exclude those that need our love the most because we see them as 'sinners' not worthy to receive our love until they repent......when Jesus walked the earth He loved them, went to their place ate and drank with them. He did not stay in 'safe' places, only Christians around Him all the time.
How can we do this? show our love for them, Christ's love for them, when we tend to keep to our own 'circles' ?

We have gotten so use to those we 'hang' with that we forget to reach out to others. We forget where we came from (I know some had a Christian background so they've always been 'saved'). It's something the Lord needs to give us/me revelation on.
God has been bringing to my mind just how lost I was and what my lifestyle was like.....what Christian in their right mind would want to spend any time with me??!!
But you know what, there were some that did just that, they were so sound in their walk with Christ that they were able to love me in the midst of my sin.....it was their love for God and their taking time to talk to me (to my hubby and me--living together at the time).....that peaked my interest, stirred my soul.

"because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

Because of my past, I know that some, if not most of those that seem ungrateful and wicked or hateful are really hurting on the inside, they are scared, alone, unsure of who they can trust. Shouldn't we me merciful as our Father is merciful? Shouldn't we be kind?

I don't really know where this came from tonight, I was just sitting her talking to the Lord and this came out. My hearts desire is to reach people by showing them the love of Jesus, not to condemn them. I believe when they see how I,- how my husband and I live- (even the part where we need to repent because we sinned--we will not reach perfection until the day we enter Heaven but because of our robe of righteousness the Father sees Jesus when He looks at us) that it will give hope and later conviction to someone who will in turn begin to seek the Lord and learn His ways.

Why would the Bible say to confess our sins to one another if we never sinned after accepting the Lord and being baptized? He shed His blood, died a horrible death on the cross so our sins would be covered. He knew it would be a journey and the neat thing is He knows our HEART. He knows if it's just lip service. Are we saying 'don't do .......' and then we turn around and do it? My point here is......we have all sinned, so why do we see our sins of less consequence over those that are still in the world? How many Christians have lusted with their eyes? or told a lie? .....

I've been praying the Lord will show me where He wants me and that He will reveal to me How he walked, sat with, ate with and was merciful to the 'sinners'. He said --  "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Show me Lord, how and what you said and did to open the eyes of the lost; to bring hope to the hopeless; how You stayed strong in the midst of the 'sinners' you sat with. I'm sure they did not watch how they talked, dressed or acted and yet there You were in their midst, Your heart so full of love for them, longing for them to accept Your Truth. How do You want me to show Your love to them today? Where do you want me to go? I desire to be Your Light to a dying world.

      In Jesus Name I Pray........Amen

Proud Of Me? You Bet Ya!

Proud Of Me? You Bet Ya!

You see the Lord has been dealing with me on my health situation. I have been doing better but I started using that as an excuse to eat this or that and some more of this. Really?!  I know better than that. I’m not improving my health and losing weight to celebrate with food and laziness. That’s going backward not forward.

One of the neat ways the Lord began to get my attention has been during the tithe at church. Yep, you heard right, the tithe messages at church.

You see our tithe messages have been on sewing up the holes in our bag and one of those holes are spending too much money at the grocery store on food we don’t really need and/or eating out more than we should.

As we advance in the tithe message we begin to see the sin of gluttony has been left out of many messages in the churches.  (for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.  Proverbs 23:21) Much like adultery, divorce, the Holy Spirit, baptism, and others truths of the Bible are being left out, after all people don’t want to hear that kind of truth they might quit coming to church or tithing. Okay that’s another blog so let me get back to ‘eating’ and my health.

In these tithe messages I began to see just how much food and flavor have control over me, more control than the Holy Spirit and that’s not a good thing. 

Then I began to see how lazy I had become and the excuses I had begun to use. 

It is too easy to fall into this pit when you don’t allow the Holy Spirit to help you. I started bringing junk food back in the house knowing I did not have good self-control and would eat it, sometimes all in one setting.

God is so good and I love the way He equips us to handle temptation. We just have to be listening and willing to obey – to trust Him for the strength.  So today the Lord spoke to my husband and me during our Bible reading and prayer time about our ‘addiction’ to food.  The Lord also spoke about our need for organization in our home. I have a confession here – the Lord has been dealing with me on this for 6 months if not longer – I have repented and that’s another blog story too  lol.

So with this information I bring it back to my blog title ‘Proud of Me? You Bet Ya’ …..

because chocolate chips cookies were calling out to me all night!

I had a meeting at church and the person having this meeting brought in pizza, potato chips and soda, and thankfully a vegetable plate; someone else brought in homemade chocolate chip cookies – did you hear what I said ‘homemade’ ! 

So my flesh was all up in this….you have to have at least one and I hear my mind already reasoning for a second and  a third because I knew if I had just one I’d eat several more. So I walked away. Okay, I walked up to it again and almost gave in the second time...almost but I didn't, I walked away again.

They had 6 or more pizzas and I did have 2 small slices – one was just cheese and the other pepperoni. But I did NOT have potato chips, soda or CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES. That is why I’m proud of me. I remembered what my husband and I talked about this morning,  it was truly from God and I resisted the temptation to give in to the food that causes high blood pressure, high cholesterol and an oversized stomach So even though the pizza was not the best choice I only had 2 pieces, water to drink and several carrots and cucumber slices.

The neatest thing about all this – my husband and I heard from God this morning and with this confirmation I was able to turn away from overeating and the temptation of homemade chocolate chip cookies. I didn’t have to unbutton my pants or come home feeling tired and bloated. I gained strength from being in God’s Word, in prayer with my husband and then in our talking about what we heard from the Lord. How awesome is our God!

Be willing to make the change God is telling you to make.

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. Romans 12:2 Amplified

Exercising and Eating - Is That All I Need to Do?

It's a new year and lot's of people are deciding this is the year to get in shape, to drop some weight.

But I believe there's more to getting fit than exercising and watching how much you eat.





"Dear friend I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even
 as your soul is getting along well."  3 John 1:2

"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones."  Proverbs 3:7-8

'health' here in the Strong's Concordance means - cure.

As I study the Bible I begin to see that God's warnings are not to keep us from having fun but to protect us. We lose our mental, physical and spiritual health when we don't shun evil; when we think we know better than God. 

There are more Scrptures that talk about health but I just wanted to put a few out for now.

I personally believe I should be in God's Word daily, talking/praying and listening to Him; making sure I obey what His word says.

I can tell you after the initial ouch or hesitation, there is such a joy, a strength, and energy that comes in and this helps me exercise and helps me to say no thank you to those tempting foods.

Sit before the Lord and ask Him for guidance on getting healthy and make sure it's in all areas of your life - not just food and exercise of the body.

It's That Time of Year Again Food Everywhere!

The holiday's are fast approaching and you know what that means - 

lot's of places to go, not enough time to cook right and even better--

families get together and have all that once a year yummy food! 

So don't wait for New Years to begin that healthy eating, exercise resolution. 

Start NOW so you can enjoy some of that yummy food guilt free.

I would start with the shake - 30 day money back guarantee, but you ask

 anyone that knew me a year ago - the change has been amazing.

 No caffeine jitters just good energy and cravings for sweets - GONE! 

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/BLESSEDANDFIT

Then find a workout you like (I love Turbo Jam because of the music, 

gets me up and off my butt ;-) plus I love to dance)

I feel better at 57 years of age than I did when I was 40!

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/BLESSEDANDFIT

Let me know if I can help in anyway - I don't have a 'fit' club or area except 

for my body and I will share all I've been through if it will help you.

YOU have to desire to be healthy, no one will get you there, no magic pills,

 no magic exercise - it's YOU.....but these are some aids that will

make it fun and help!

Have an awesome week!!!!

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/BLESSEDANDFIT

www.beachbodycoach.com

THIS IS THE NEXT ONE I'M GETTING !!  LIKE I SAID I LOVE TO DANCE

I have been struggling this week and I have felt anger rise up in me at God and at myself. So I began to repent and get quiet before the Lord and see what the heck this was all about.

I have had great victory over anxiety/panic attacks, however I am not walking in the complete victory the Lord says I have. I began to search God’s word and ask why that is.

I believe the first reason is

…..I have not learned to let my fleshy response to certain situations be renewed.

What do I mean by that? When someone spoke words of failure over me as a child/young adult – I accepted it and it began to give me a fleshly emotional feeling. When I saw this person I would hang my head and then I began to believe it and expect it from others. My mind has control over my body therefore the feelings I would have would range from headaches to extreme tiredness to anxiety attacks FEAR.

Then the self talk would come in and make it worse. If I made a small mistake, let’s say I put a cup of milk too close to the edge of the counter and it falls and spills – you stupid….they are right….you can’t do anything right…you are worthless, look at this mess and it’s all your fault.

Here goes my body that sinking feeling, tired, want to run and hide, sick to stomach….

BUT what I heard and what I was telling myself was not true.

Yes, it was a mistake to sit the cup there but it wasn’t because I’m stupid or worthless. It was because I was in a hurry I wasn’t paying attention – that is something you learn to do, you realize that doesn’t work and you correct it the next time.

I cringe when I hear parents tell their children how stupid they are when they spill their milk. I’m sure they have no idea how much damage they are doing to that young spirit.

I believe because of my past it helped me to bite my tongue (no I was not perfect at this) and tell my daughters it’s okay, it can be cleaned up but to be careful next time, make sure you put the cup back further next time.

I believe our Father God does the same thing for us as we grow in our faith. When we sin He doesn’t tell us – hey stupid!!  He reminds us of His word, His love and that He is waiting for us to repent, receive forgiveness and move forward, walking away from the sin.

And the second thing

  Obedience – ouch, yep I was not being obedient. God does not tell me to be obedient in the big things only He tells me to be obedient period. And I see where I have been resisting Him – are you ready……I’ve been resisting Him in one area for a little over a year! Yikes

Does God still love me? Yep

Am I still saved? Yep

Is He still blessing me? Yep

But you know what – there are consequences in disobedience and therefore I’m not getting the full blessing He wants to give me.

So what am I going to do?

Repent, renew my mind in the Word of God, watch what I’m thinking and speaking and obey – move forward and do what He has told me to do. If He calls me to do it then I can do it – by His power!

Laziness, fear, self-condemnation, and the effects on my body from these things, are all lies of the devil.

So I Submit to God and resist the devil – devil, you have to flee!!!!!

In the name of Jesus!

Now I am off to do one of the things I know the Lord wants me to do – it is for His kingdom, His children. I even have a smile on my face as I take another step of faith.