July 23
"I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Men crawl through their lives cursing the darkness, but all the while I am shining brightly. I desire each of My followers to be a Light-bearer. The Holy Spirit who lives in you can shine from your face, making Me visible to people around you. Ask My Spirit to live through you, as you wend your way through this day. Hold My hand in joyful trust, for I never leave your side. The Light of My Presence is shining upon you. Brighten up the world by reflecting who I Am."
John 8:12; Matthew 5:14-16; Exodus 3:14
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
July 22
Hey friends! I apologize for getting behind. Sometimes when I read the daily devotion, nothing really comes to me to write about until later. However, I realized, for you all, I should still at least post that day's devotion so it can still help and relate to your life, even if it doesn't for me at the moment. So, again, I sincerely apologize for not doing my part. Love you all!
July 22
"FIND FREEDOM through seeking to please me above all else. You can have only one Master.When you let others' expectations drive you, you scatter your energy to the winds. Your own desire to look good can also drain your energy. I am your Master, and I do not drive you to be what you are not. Your pretense displeases Me, especially when it is in My "service." Concentrate on staying close to Me at all times. It is impossible to be inauthentic while you are focusing on My Presence."
Ephesians 5:8-10; Matthew 23:8; Matthew 6:1
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This should have been Wednesday's devotional, lol. But maybe I wasn't meant to realize its meaning for me until the day after.
All too often throughout life, friends, but most especially family, are always pushing you to do one thing or another--go one way or another in your life. To accomplish their dreams, goals, and ambitions for you, when it is YOUR life planned out for you by Him. As much as I respect my parents' and family's wishes for what I should do with my life, it is my own to make my decisions--good and bad, by asking for His direction and guidance. Recently, I openly spoke to one of my parents about my husband and I wanting to try and conceive a baby...next year when he returns from his deployment. I was told, "NO!! Wait until you're 30. Please...trust me on this." I completely understand their concerns as they look back on their own life and wish they would have waited a bit longer. However, just because we want to start trying, doesn't mean it's going to happen right away. I've been praying for direction and guidance from Him. While my husband and I have our plans, we don't know what His are, I am praying it works out the best way possible. It is what we want as a couple. While I will take family/friends suggestions into consideration, it is our life and we feel ready (as ready as you "can" be considering bringing another human into the world, lol), have talked about it extensively and are financially able to. We're not doing it because it's "the next step" or anything, because it's what our hearts are telling us is right.
On Wednesday, I had a bit of a downer day, because of what said family member said. Person has known to be negative in my life previously, though has gotten a lot better. I understand they just want what is best for me and my life, but I am an adult, married, and able to make such decisions wisely. It was just kind of a downer moment, so I prayed, as I have been praying--for guidance. Having that person's .02 in made me second guess, "Should we wait? Are we doing the right thing? Are we jumping the gun?" Even more-so since we already picked out a crib, bedding, stroller, bouncy chair, and a few other things...Gave me a few minutes of panic, so I prayed again, asking for guidance and I felt relaxed and calm--at peace. Haha, I can cry typing that, but it's true. A feeling of contentment washed over me. I gave Him my anxiety and worry, I was 'real' with Him in His Presence and He blessed me with His peaceful Spirit.
Our lives are a gift from above. What we do with that gift is up to us, but not alone. We have the ability to ask for guidance from the One who made us, the One that knows all--what a better person to ask for help when we need it most?
July 22
"FIND FREEDOM through seeking to please me above all else. You can have only one Master.When you let others' expectations drive you, you scatter your energy to the winds. Your own desire to look good can also drain your energy. I am your Master, and I do not drive you to be what you are not. Your pretense displeases Me, especially when it is in My "service." Concentrate on staying close to Me at all times. It is impossible to be inauthentic while you are focusing on My Presence."
Ephesians 5:8-10; Matthew 23:8; Matthew 6:1
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This should have been Wednesday's devotional, lol. But maybe I wasn't meant to realize its meaning for me until the day after.
All too often throughout life, friends, but most especially family, are always pushing you to do one thing or another--go one way or another in your life. To accomplish their dreams, goals, and ambitions for you, when it is YOUR life planned out for you by Him. As much as I respect my parents' and family's wishes for what I should do with my life, it is my own to make my decisions--good and bad, by asking for His direction and guidance. Recently, I openly spoke to one of my parents about my husband and I wanting to try and conceive a baby...next year when he returns from his deployment. I was told, "NO!! Wait until you're 30. Please...trust me on this." I completely understand their concerns as they look back on their own life and wish they would have waited a bit longer. However, just because we want to start trying, doesn't mean it's going to happen right away. I've been praying for direction and guidance from Him. While my husband and I have our plans, we don't know what His are, I am praying it works out the best way possible. It is what we want as a couple. While I will take family/friends suggestions into consideration, it is our life and we feel ready (as ready as you "can" be considering bringing another human into the world, lol), have talked about it extensively and are financially able to. We're not doing it because it's "the next step" or anything, because it's what our hearts are telling us is right.
On Wednesday, I had a bit of a downer day, because of what said family member said. Person has known to be negative in my life previously, though has gotten a lot better. I understand they just want what is best for me and my life, but I am an adult, married, and able to make such decisions wisely. It was just kind of a downer moment, so I prayed, as I have been praying--for guidance. Having that person's .02 in made me second guess, "Should we wait? Are we doing the right thing? Are we jumping the gun?" Even more-so since we already picked out a crib, bedding, stroller, bouncy chair, and a few other things...Gave me a few minutes of panic, so I prayed again, asking for guidance and I felt relaxed and calm--at peace. Haha, I can cry typing that, but it's true. A feeling of contentment washed over me. I gave Him my anxiety and worry, I was 'real' with Him in His Presence and He blessed me with His peaceful Spirit.
Our lives are a gift from above. What we do with that gift is up to us, but not alone. We have the ability to ask for guidance from the One who made us, the One that knows all--what a better person to ask for help when we need it most?
July 21
July 21
"REST IN MY PRESENCE when you need refreshment. Resting is not necessarily idleness, as people often perceive it. When you relax in My company, you are demonstrating trust in Me. Trust is a rich word, laden with meaning and direction for your life. I want you to lean on, trust, and be confident in Me. When you lean on Me for support, I delight in your trusting confidence.
Many people turn away from Me when they are exhausted. They associate Me with duty and diligence, so they try to hide from My Presence when they need a break from work. How this saddens Me! As I spoke through My prophet Isaiah: In returning to Me and resting in Me you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength."
Proverbs 3:5 (AMP; Isaiah 30:15 (AMP)
"REST IN MY PRESENCE when you need refreshment. Resting is not necessarily idleness, as people often perceive it. When you relax in My company, you are demonstrating trust in Me. Trust is a rich word, laden with meaning and direction for your life. I want you to lean on, trust, and be confident in Me. When you lean on Me for support, I delight in your trusting confidence.
Many people turn away from Me when they are exhausted. They associate Me with duty and diligence, so they try to hide from My Presence when they need a break from work. How this saddens Me! As I spoke through My prophet Isaiah: In returning to Me and resting in Me you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength."
Proverbs 3:5 (AMP; Isaiah 30:15 (AMP)
July 20
July 20
"SEEK MY FACE, and you will find all that you have longed for. The deepest yearnings of your heart are for intimacy with Me. I know, because I designed you to desire Me. Do not feel guilty about taking time to be still in My Presence. You are simply responding to the tugs of divinity within you. I made you in My image, and I hid heaven in your heart. Your yearning for Me is a form of homesickness: longing for your true home in heaven.
Do not be afraid to be different from other people. The path I have called you to travel is exquisitely right for you. The more closely you follow My leading, the more fully I can develop your gifts. To follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your desire to please other people. However, your closeness to Me will bless others by enabling you to shine brightly in this dark world."
Psalm 42:1-2; Psalm 34:5; Phillippians 2:15
"SEEK MY FACE, and you will find all that you have longed for. The deepest yearnings of your heart are for intimacy with Me. I know, because I designed you to desire Me. Do not feel guilty about taking time to be still in My Presence. You are simply responding to the tugs of divinity within you. I made you in My image, and I hid heaven in your heart. Your yearning for Me is a form of homesickness: longing for your true home in heaven.
Do not be afraid to be different from other people. The path I have called you to travel is exquisitely right for you. The more closely you follow My leading, the more fully I can develop your gifts. To follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your desire to please other people. However, your closeness to Me will bless others by enabling you to shine brightly in this dark world."
Psalm 42:1-2; Psalm 34:5; Phillippians 2:15
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
July 19
July 19th
"BRING ME ALL YOUR FEELINGS, even the ones you wish you didn't have. Fear and anxiety still plague you. Feelings per se are not sinful, but they can be temptations to sin. Blazing missiles of fear fly at you day and night; these attacks from the evil one come at you relentlessly. Use your shield of faith to extinguish those flaming arrows. Affirm your trust in Me, regardless of how you feel. If you persist, your feelings will eventually fall in line with your faith.
Do not hide from your fear or pretend it isn't there. Anxiety that you hide in the recesses of your heart will give birth to fear of fear; a monstrous stepchild. Bring your anxieties out into the Light of My Presence, where we can deal with them together. Concentrate on trusting Me, and fearfulness will gradually lose its foothold within you."
Ephesians 6:16
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Reading this reminded me how it is okay to be vulnerable and pour everything out to Him instead of keeping everything bottled up inside. For the longest time, I wanted to please everyone and would bite my tongue and hold my true feelings back, letting them bottle up inside. I never really understood how unhealthy that was. Sure, I would talk with my friends about certain things here or there, but those were the surface issues, feelings, anxiety that I was feeling. It only scraped off that first layer. Never did it take care of the root of it all.
Until I gave my heart and life to Jesus did I truly understand how it feels to be de-rooted of all that negative energy, thoughts, and feelings that had been built up over years of bottled up emotions, feelings, thoughts, and abuse that I put myself through and that others have put me through. Never have I felt so...free and so full of positivity, trust, love, and understanding for others and most importantly, for Jesus.
Just because I have Him in my life and have Him there to guide me, doesn't mean that I am completely protected. I get constant attacks from the bad one, daily. Half the time it feels as though I am fighting with myself and I don't even realize it. Those mean little thoughts that enter my head can grab hold of my thoughts and if I don't catch it in time, it makes its way into action. If/when I do catch it, I pray and shout out for Jesus, for Him to help me, to block the devil and his evil from entering my mind and my thoughts, to help protect me against the evil. And Holy Cheeze it sure works! I am able to be care-free again, but I constantly need to remind myself that I have to be on guard as well. I cannot be as care-free as I want to be. There are attacks happening all the time and it's up to me to stop it by asking for His help and protection. When we lose control of it, is when the dark spiral starts taking place again. We need to learn to recognize when it is happening in order to put a stop to it.
No one likes feeling anxious, or anything negative. Present Him with your feelings, anxieties, problems. Go over them with Him, let it out all. He is the best therapist/psychiatrist in existence. He is there to take those feelings and emotions and replace them with His everlasting Spirit and Love. Trust in Him to do His job.
"BRING ME ALL YOUR FEELINGS, even the ones you wish you didn't have. Fear and anxiety still plague you. Feelings per se are not sinful, but they can be temptations to sin. Blazing missiles of fear fly at you day and night; these attacks from the evil one come at you relentlessly. Use your shield of faith to extinguish those flaming arrows. Affirm your trust in Me, regardless of how you feel. If you persist, your feelings will eventually fall in line with your faith.
Do not hide from your fear or pretend it isn't there. Anxiety that you hide in the recesses of your heart will give birth to fear of fear; a monstrous stepchild. Bring your anxieties out into the Light of My Presence, where we can deal with them together. Concentrate on trusting Me, and fearfulness will gradually lose its foothold within you."
Ephesians 6:16
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading this reminded me how it is okay to be vulnerable and pour everything out to Him instead of keeping everything bottled up inside. For the longest time, I wanted to please everyone and would bite my tongue and hold my true feelings back, letting them bottle up inside. I never really understood how unhealthy that was. Sure, I would talk with my friends about certain things here or there, but those were the surface issues, feelings, anxiety that I was feeling. It only scraped off that first layer. Never did it take care of the root of it all.
Until I gave my heart and life to Jesus did I truly understand how it feels to be de-rooted of all that negative energy, thoughts, and feelings that had been built up over years of bottled up emotions, feelings, thoughts, and abuse that I put myself through and that others have put me through. Never have I felt so...free and so full of positivity, trust, love, and understanding for others and most importantly, for Jesus.
Just because I have Him in my life and have Him there to guide me, doesn't mean that I am completely protected. I get constant attacks from the bad one, daily. Half the time it feels as though I am fighting with myself and I don't even realize it. Those mean little thoughts that enter my head can grab hold of my thoughts and if I don't catch it in time, it makes its way into action. If/when I do catch it, I pray and shout out for Jesus, for Him to help me, to block the devil and his evil from entering my mind and my thoughts, to help protect me against the evil. And Holy Cheeze it sure works! I am able to be care-free again, but I constantly need to remind myself that I have to be on guard as well. I cannot be as care-free as I want to be. There are attacks happening all the time and it's up to me to stop it by asking for His help and protection. When we lose control of it, is when the dark spiral starts taking place again. We need to learn to recognize when it is happening in order to put a stop to it.
No one likes feeling anxious, or anything negative. Present Him with your feelings, anxieties, problems. Go over them with Him, let it out all. He is the best therapist/psychiatrist in existence. He is there to take those feelings and emotions and replace them with His everlasting Spirit and Love. Trust in Him to do His job.
Monday, July 18, 2011
July 18
July 18th
"I AM NEARER than you think, richly present in all your moments. you are connected to Me by Love-bonds that nothing can sever. however, you may sometimes feel alone, because your union with Me is invisible. Ask Me to open your eyes, so that you can find Me everywhere. The more aware you are of My Presence, the safer you feel. This is not some sort of escape from reality; it is tuning in to ultimate reality. I am far more real than the world you can see, hear, and touch. Faith is the confirmation of things we do not see and conviction of their reality, perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses."
Acts 17:27-28; Hebrews 11:1 (AMP)
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We all have times where we feel alone. There are some days I wake up and even though my amazingly, loving husband is right there...now and again there is a feeling of loneliness. Maybe because I'm away from the rest of my family and I miss them dearly, maybe because I haven't been hearing God's awesome voice speaking to me... and it makes me realize that I must not be paying attention. I must not be listening for Him. He is always there, always speaking to us; sometimes the problems of the world or daily life drown Him out. We have to take that step and take that initiative to be pro-active in our relationship with Jesus. Call out to Him, pray, speak your problems, ask and pray for guidance, for awareness and open-ness. Ask Him to fill your heart with His Spirit. I know the millisecond I do, that feeling of loneliness disappears from my body and is replaced with love. His love is so full-filling.
"I AM NEARER than you think, richly present in all your moments. you are connected to Me by Love-bonds that nothing can sever. however, you may sometimes feel alone, because your union with Me is invisible. Ask Me to open your eyes, so that you can find Me everywhere. The more aware you are of My Presence, the safer you feel. This is not some sort of escape from reality; it is tuning in to ultimate reality. I am far more real than the world you can see, hear, and touch. Faith is the confirmation of things we do not see and conviction of their reality, perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses."
Acts 17:27-28; Hebrews 11:1 (AMP)
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We all have times where we feel alone. There are some days I wake up and even though my amazingly, loving husband is right there...now and again there is a feeling of loneliness. Maybe because I'm away from the rest of my family and I miss them dearly, maybe because I haven't been hearing God's awesome voice speaking to me... and it makes me realize that I must not be paying attention. I must not be listening for Him. He is always there, always speaking to us; sometimes the problems of the world or daily life drown Him out. We have to take that step and take that initiative to be pro-active in our relationship with Jesus. Call out to Him, pray, speak your problems, ask and pray for guidance, for awareness and open-ness. Ask Him to fill your heart with His Spirit. I know the millisecond I do, that feeling of loneliness disappears from my body and is replaced with love. His love is so full-filling.
July 17
July 17th
"COME AWAY WITH ME for a while. The world, with its nonstop demands, can be put on hold. Most people put Me on hold, rationalizing that someday they will find time to focus on Me. But the longer people push Me into the background of their lives, the harder it is for them to find Me.
You live among people who glorify busyness; they have made time a tyrant that controls their lives. Even those who know Me as Savior tend to march to the tempo of the world. They have bought into the illusion that more is always better: more meetings, more programs, more activity.
I have called you to follow Me on a solitary path, making time alone with Me your highest priority and deepest Joy. It is a pathway largely unappreciated and often despised. However you have chosen the better thing, which will never be taken away from you. Moreover, as you walk close to Me, I can bless others through you."
Song of Songs 2:13; Luke 10:42
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Another good reminder to not lose sight of what is, and should be, the Ultimate Priority: Him. Getting caught up in life happens, and is what makes us normal and human. But, being Children of God, we need to really make Him our #1 Priority. It's hard, it really seems to be one of life's biggest challenges besides living itself.
When He calls to you, answer Him. Don't ignore Him. No one likes being put on the back-burner. He is no different. He has feelings that hurt just like anyone else in our lives. We would never intentionally hurt another, now would we? Pushing Him to the back-burner when something comes up, will only make things worse. Instead, if you're going through an ordeal, the best solution is to keep Him on the front line. He is there as our Warrior, standing and ready to protect us and help us in any way we need. Keeping Him #1 will help you make it through whatever you're going through..in the best way possible. All things are possible with Him.
"COME AWAY WITH ME for a while. The world, with its nonstop demands, can be put on hold. Most people put Me on hold, rationalizing that someday they will find time to focus on Me. But the longer people push Me into the background of their lives, the harder it is for them to find Me.
You live among people who glorify busyness; they have made time a tyrant that controls their lives. Even those who know Me as Savior tend to march to the tempo of the world. They have bought into the illusion that more is always better: more meetings, more programs, more activity.
I have called you to follow Me on a solitary path, making time alone with Me your highest priority and deepest Joy. It is a pathway largely unappreciated and often despised. However you have chosen the better thing, which will never be taken away from you. Moreover, as you walk close to Me, I can bless others through you."
Song of Songs 2:13; Luke 10:42
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Another good reminder to not lose sight of what is, and should be, the Ultimate Priority: Him. Getting caught up in life happens, and is what makes us normal and human. But, being Children of God, we need to really make Him our #1 Priority. It's hard, it really seems to be one of life's biggest challenges besides living itself.
When He calls to you, answer Him. Don't ignore Him. No one likes being put on the back-burner. He is no different. He has feelings that hurt just like anyone else in our lives. We would never intentionally hurt another, now would we? Pushing Him to the back-burner when something comes up, will only make things worse. Instead, if you're going through an ordeal, the best solution is to keep Him on the front line. He is there as our Warrior, standing and ready to protect us and help us in any way we need. Keeping Him #1 will help you make it through whatever you're going through..in the best way possible. All things are possible with Him.
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