Blogger Awards: Blogs that bless me daily

So..this blog is going to be different than my usual posts! Drum roll please......I've recently been awarded two different awards for my blog!!!! **insert praise break** (ok you guys know I always have to joke!)

 
The Versatile Blogger Award  and the Liebster Blog Award were awarded to me by three different women who are my B.I.G. Sisters  in the blogging community. Words cant express how BLESSED I am to be part of a "virtual family" of so many wonderful Christian women who support, encourage and inspire me! I've been blessed these last six months to be able to share God's words and my thoughts with my B.I.G. sisters and my blog followers! Those of you who have read some of my earlier posts, know that I never thought I would be a blogger/writer but God knew best and I'm so glad I listened to his voice and walked in obedience.  Thanks to Dawn at The Most Perfect Gift, Carmen at Calvary's Love and Salina at State of the Heart for nominating me! I LOVE their blogs and I know you will as well!

The Versatile Blog Award rules state:

• Thank the person who gave you this award and include a link to their blog. (Done!)
• Select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly and nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award
• Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself

My chosen nominations for the Versatile Blog Award

• Guiding Light from his Word 
• Keeping it Real 
• Our Journey His Destination 
• Awaiting Adam 
• The 1st Lady Diaries 
• Everyday Truth
• Scattering The Stones 
• Coffee Time With God 
• Beholding Glory 
• Stir Me Up Lord 
• Encouragement of Faith 
• The Beauty in his Grip 
• Here to Find Him 
• A Pause on the Path 
• Cypress Ministries 

7 Things about myself : I have 13 brothers and sisters, I'm the youngest;  I'm afraid of bridges over large bodies of water, I don't know how to swim; I feel naked without a purse; everything in my life revolves around music; I'm a small group bible study leader.

"The origins of the Liebster Blog award are somewhat unclear but the general consensus is that it originated in Germany, Liebster meaning favorite or dearest, to showcase bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. Upon accepting the award the recipient must then pass it on to five more blogs of note."

Here are the rules:

1. Choose FIVE up and coming blogs to award the Liebster to. Blogs must have less than 200 followers.
2. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
3. Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you gave the award to with links to their sites.

My chosen nominations for the Liebster Blog Award are part of my B.I.G. Sisters Network   

(I encourage you to visit every page, along with others links I have listed on my page)

• Mother of Writing
• JEM's Faith Journey
• Morning Cuppas with Glenys
• Chronic Christian Crafter
• Trusting God in all ways

Thanks for all the blog love! To God be all the glory :-)

Who's feet have you washed lately?

Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.^{[a] 2} It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas,^[b] son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. ⁴ So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, ⁵ and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. ¹² After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? ¹³ You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. ¹⁴ And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. ¹⁵ I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. (John 13)

This past week I had the opportunity to celebrate the death, burial and Resurrection of our Savior in my 

church's Holy Week Services. One of the sermons that really challenged us was regarding our service to 

others. John 13 is the passage that describes how as the hour neared for Jesus to leave earth and return 

to the Father he wrapped a towel around his waist, poured water in a basin and washed his disciples feet. 

In verse 14 and 15 Jesus says: And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to 

wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 

Jesus was the ultimate example of what love truly is. We show our love for him when we serve others. 

Whose feet have you washed lately?  

 I hope you are challenged as I was to seek more ways that you can honor God by serving in your church, 

community, in your home or at your job. After all, Love really isn't love until you give it away. 

Come Boldly

We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, 

experienced it all-all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take 

the mercy, accept the help. (Hebrews 4:15, 16 MSG)

....So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will

 find grace to help us when we need it most. (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)

Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed; neither be confounded and depressed, for you shall not be put to

 shame. For you shall forget the shame of your youth, and you shall not [seriously] remember the

reproach of your widowhood any more (Isaiah 54:4 AMP) 

Shame: the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, 

improper, ridiculous done by oneself or another

I often like to THINK that I'm a perfect girl. Every now and then I get on my perfect little princess soapbox and 

brag about my "perfectness" (think I just made up a word). How I say all the right things, I'm polite, I never hurt 

people, i only expose my eyes and ears to good things, I never cheat, I don’t gossip and I never lie. I'm just Gods 

little perfect angel **reaches for my halo** ......then reality hits and welcomes me back from my moment of 

insanity !!!! 

 

Oh how we all wish we were perfect, right? Imagine the bliss we would live in if we could truly be perfect and 

blameless before God! Unfortunately while some of us may think we've come close to this perfection, the fact is 

that the overwhelming majority of people have lived a "less than perfect" life. To be honest I've done and said 

some things that were not pleasing to God and I'm positive have grieved the Holy Spirit. If I were to step off my 

perfect soapbox and get REAL transparent with you, I’m willing to admit my less than perfect life has left me 

with overwhelming feelings of shame.

When I look at the definition of shame, I can see my life weaved through the words. Shame is unfortunately a 

painful feeling I've had to battle with as a result of some "ridiculous" and "dishonorable" decisions done to both 

myself and others. Shame is a powerful emotion that can lead to insecurities, fear, isolation, denial and keep us 

from living confident lives. More importantly it can keep us from an intimate relationship with Christ…BUT oh 

thank God for GRACE (: 

I love this passage in Hebrews 4:15-16 that reminds us of the forgiving Father we serve who invites us to 

"come boldly before his throne" to receive his mercy and grace. How comforting to know that no matter your 

past (or current) shame we still have access to the holy of all holies!! He has an open invitation for us to come 

directly to his THRONE, confess our sins, reveal our hurts and receive mercy.

I love the message translation "So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, 

accept the help." Don't let shame hold you back!!!  Whether its shame from a broken marriage, abuse, criminal 

past, abortion, sexual promiscuity or drug addiction. NOTHING you have ever done or has been done 

to you will ever keep you from God !!!   

For so long I allowed shame to nearly drown me in a sea of doubt, feeling I wasn't "good enough" or 

"pure enough" to ever have an intimate relationship with God and to be used as a vessel for his kingdom. Oh 

what freedom I experienced when I finally decided to let go of my shame, fully accept Gods grace and start 

living in my purpose. Truth is no matter how perfect you may think you are, we are all unworthy and 

undeserving of his grace. Thankfully being the great God that he is, he still makes it so that we can put our 

shame behind us and move forward bold, confident and fearless in Christ. 

I encourage you to meditate on these passages, let loose the grip shame may have on your life and accept Gods

invitation to come boldly before his throne and walk into your freedom. 

I'll leave you with the lyrics and video of a BEAUTIFUL worship song inspired by this passage, "Come Boldly" 

by Mary Alessi. I keep this one on repeat:)


The pardon is granted the prisoner free

My past is forgiven now your calling me

To come boldly, I come boldly

Master redeemer Savior friend

I know you are waiting to usher me into the holy of Holies

 

I come boldly before Your throne

I come boldly Your throne

By the blood of the Lamb my sins are atoned

I come boldly before Your throne

For the veil has been torn away

Night has turned into day

Now I have found a way to come boldly before your throne.

Guard your heart

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (Proverbs 4:23 NLT) 

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23 NIV) 

Search me, O God, and know my heart... (Psalm 139:23 NLT) 

Well it's Valentines Day and love has been in the air all week:) 

I'm always amazed at the buildup surrounding this holiday. Cards, flowers,  balloons, jewelry and chocolate surround you at every turn as people seek to express their "love" to those special to them. While I celebrate the holiday and appreciate what it stands for, it's always interesting to observe the impact (good and bad) this ONE day has on people. 

Weddings and engagement celebrations wait all year for this day. 

Singles either drown in lonely feelings or scramble for a date for the sake of just having "someone". 

Lovers await what surprises are in store, often finding themselves disappointed as their expectations aren't met. 

Those that despise this commercial man-made holiday go to great lengths to show their "Anti V Day" by wearing black and rolling their eyes as flowers overtake their office spaces.  

People just get in a tizzy. I know these people AND I've even been these people at different points in my life.  Feb 14th is a day where most people lay their heart on the line. So as all the attention has been focused on our "hearts" these past few weeks, I couldn't help but think about what God has to say about matters of the heart. 

Proverbs 4:23  tells us to "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."   

Guard:  to protect from harm, to watch over so as to prevent escape or violence, to maintain control over, as to prevent indiscretion, to supervise ENTRY or exit through.

We often experience heartbreak at the hands of a failed relationship, family betrayal, broken promises or unmet expectations. We let our guards down and allow others entry into our most prized possession, the heart, leaving us open and vulnerable to hurt. Over and over we leave the gates to our heart swinging wide open, allowing wrong thoughts, actions and people to infiltrate what God has clearly deemed precious. 

God thinks our hearts are so special that he wants them guarded and protected above all else. The words ABOVE ALL else have always stood out to me. He means this should be a priority in our life, this supersedes anything else we have going on, this should be at the top of our to-do list. Since "everything you do" flows from the heart, it's important to have it in tip top condition.    

If you allow fear in your heart then all your decisions: who you love, how you treat people, your daily mood, etc will all flow from a foundation of fear, having a negative impact on your life. If you want "good" outcomes in your life, you must have "good" in your heart. It's often said "you are what you eat", well I'm learning it's the same with our hearts. We are what we put in our hearts. So we have to take careful action to watch over who we allow to speak into our hearts, what we allow our hearts to be connected to and take observation as to how that is affecting our everyday life. Our hearts should be whole, pure, healthy, wise, steady and full of love so that our life will possess the same traits. God created our hearts for a special reason and it's our job to protect it. 

Every day, not just Feb 14th, should be a day that we celebrate love. As we do, lets make sure we are taking extra care of our hearts, for it is the very thing that God is most concerned with.  

Pray and seek God on what changes you may need to make with matters of the heart. Ask him to show you what should be allowed in your heart and perhaps what you need to purge so that you can stay on the right course for your life.

Indescribable

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It 

is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices 

whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures 

through every circumstance.

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 

(1 Corinthians 13: 4-7,13 NLT) 

"Indescribable, uncontainable, you placed the stars in the sky and you know them by name
You are amazing, God

Incomparable, unchangeable, you see the depths of my heart and you love me the same
You are amazing, God”

(Lyrics from "Indescribable" originally written by Chris Tomlin)

 

Indescribable: beyond description; too intense, extreme for words

1 Cor: 13 has always been my favorite passage in the bible. Over the years this 

passage has come to life for me as I've felt and seen Gods love for me at work 

in my life. 

Love is PATIENT: for all the years I spent outside his will, he patiently waited for

my return and welcomed me back with open arms.

Love is KIND: despite my selfish ways , he continues to give me favor and pour 

out blessings in my life

Love KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONG: when I'm trapped in guilt because of my 

sins, I only need to remember the blood of Jesus has set me free

Love NEVER GIVES UP: when I turn my back on him, he continues to pursue 

and chase me down with his love

Love is always HOPEFUL: when my fears threaten to consume me, I remind 

myself of the perfect plans he has already designed for me

Gods love is truly amazing. No words will ever be able to describe it. 

What does his love mean to you? How has it changed your life? 

Would love to hear from you:)

I've posted my favorite version of "Indescribable" below. 

Nobody likes to Wait

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and 

renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] 

as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run  and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or be tired 

(Isaiah 40:31 AMP)

Every valley shall be lifted and filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked and uneven

shall be made straight and  level, and the rough places a plain.  And the glory (majesty and splendor) of the Lord shall  

be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. (Isaiah 40:4, 5 AMP) 

I don’t like to wait! I’m impatient, anxious and hasty by nature. But in reality I think 

we all are.  The more I share and listen to others I realize the impatience that comes with waiting 

on God to fulfill a promise or desire is universal. God works in his own timing. He often takes the

"scenic route" when I would prefer him to take the expressway, ignore the speed limit, run all red 

lights and get me to my destination ASAP!!!! 

Joyce Meyer often says "everyone will wait", it's inevitable. Some will have to wait longer than 

others, but either way we will wait. Fact of life. Bummer, huh?

So what do we do in the wait? How do we find peace in the midst of anxiety? 

Trust God. The end. 

When you can learn to trust God with whatever you are waiting on you can find rest. It’s not the 

time to question Gods ability. Just because we don’t see or feel him working doesn’t mean he is 

somehow stripped of his power. God is able to bring to pass whatever it is you are believing him 

for. He has the power to do great and mighty things and he gives us the strength to wait on him. 

It may seem as though the dream, promise, desire or need is at a standstill but you have to know 

that God is working and is able. 

God is a "behind the scenes" kind of guy. Think of it this way: while we are living everyday life, 

he's planning and writing a great script , finding the perfect cast of characters, designing the 

perfect set (think: Jer 29:11) and when it's finally SHOWTIME, spotlight is on us and we step up 

as Lead Actor in the role of a lifetime of our own Oscarworthy movie. All that can't happen 

overnight.  If what you are believing God for is worth having, it’s definitely worth waiting for. 

No matter how long it takes. So while we wait, we must be sure to cooperate with Gods plan by

building our faith, studying his word, seeking revelation and standing on his promises.   

Wait patiently. Expect a miracle. Believe the best. Keep the faith. 

Trust him and enjoy the scenic route : )

My Saving Grace

May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God

and Jesus our Lord. (2 Peter 1:2 NLT)
 
I've still got a lot to learn
But, at least I know where I can turn
When I'm in my times of need
Just as long as I believe
 
I've loved a lot, hurt a lot
Been burned a lot in my life and times
Spent precious years wrapped up in fear
With no end in sight
Until my saving grace shined on me
Until my saving grace set me free
 
Giving me peace
Giving me strength when I'd
Almost lost it all
Catching my every fall
I still exist because you keep me safe
I found my saving grace within you
 
 
These are the lyrics to Mariah Carey's "My Saving Grace" beautiful and inspirational song. 

I was riding in my car this week when this came on the radio. I had almost forgot how moving 

the song was. Thinking about Gods grace took me right into worship. As I grow in my 

relationship with Christ I become more aware of his grace at work in my life. It doesn't take 

long for me to have a flashback... 

When fear attempted to stall me, his grace gave me hope to believe.  

When the enemy tried to keep me entagled in the bondage of sin, his grace set me free.

When my hectic workload increases my stress levels , his grace gives me peace to calm the 
storm. 

When I suffered tremendous loss, his grace gave me strength to carry on and finish strong.

When I put myself in dangerous situations because of bad judgement, his grace kept me in the 
safety of his arms.

Indeed our saving grace is found in God and God alone. As you grow in your relationship
with God I pray you discover his grace at work in your life...past, present and future.

There is More that I require of you (part 2)

Lean on, trust in, and  be confident in the Lord with all your heart  and  mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. (Proverbs 3:5 AMP)

So let's keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience. God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it-no matter what.  (Hebrews 4:11-13 MSG)

In my post last month I spoke about obedience and my personal experiences hearing the voice of the Lord. This post is a continuation of that topic...

Have you ever had the Lord scream at you? I mean literally fuss at you like a parent would a child?
I believe the Lord speaks to us individually in ways that sometimes only the two of you can understand.
I am quick to confess that I've had (umm..still have) a "rebellious" spirit since I was a child. Which meant I was always getting a "talking to" by my mom, teachers, instructors, bosses,etc. because of my need to do things "my way" (im the baby of the family so give me a break:-) So I'm very familiar with being fussed at for my wrongdoings but had never experienced the Lord speaking to me in that way until this past summer..

"STOP IT!!" I was preparing for work when I heard those words from him. I was knowingly being disobedient in an area of my relationships and I knew it wasn't pleasing to God. That morning my mind was trying to foolishly reason my actions and how I would "make it work", even if that meant some ungodly compromise. Clearly God was not having it!!! In response I even attempted to talk back to God and explain my reasoning.."NO, JUST STOP IT" was all I got back. I know for some this may seem "spooky" but I can't make this stuff up..trust me!!!!:) I knew what I had to do and I knew it was going to be hard. Tears instantly fell from my eyes. God was calling me into complete obedience and I knew there would be some casualties along the way. My flesh would suffer (rightfully so), my relationship would drastically be altered and I had no clear indication of what the future would
hold.
Hebrews 4:12 says the word is like a "double edge sword" (or "surgeons scalpel" in this message translation) judging our thoughts and attitudes, forcing us to listen and obey. Defined "double edge sword" means: having two sharp edges, something that can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences. Gods word proclaims his blessings but it also serves to correct and judge us. That correction can be uncomfortable to our flesh.

I'm without a doubt a recipient of Gods amazing grace.  It's covered me when I made bad decisions and desired to do wrong. I didn't want to keep taking advantage of that grace so on that day after hearing his voice, I surrendered. I promised God no matter the costs I would obey, do what he was telling me to do and trust him like never before. Have there been costs? Did my relationship change? Is it a struggle? YES, YES and YES!!!!
While my circumstances and situations may not appear to be "ideal" or fitting in "my plan" still my joy, peace and contentment comes from knowing and being close to a God that loved me enough to save me from myself. God knew my disobedience would soon land me in a pit of destruction but with his words that convicted my spirit, he was giving me another chance. A chance to do it his way so that i can bear good fruit and experience his blessings. Fully relying and leaning on God is a perfect place to be. I feel closer to him now than ever before, he's overwhelmed me with favor and provided me encouragement along the journey. I'm indeed blessed to be walking in obedience and am expecting God to continue to do great things! I encourage you to let go of your way and reasoning and trust God. As long as we hang on to his word, walk in obedience,  keep the faith and keep believing WE CAN NOT FAIL:)

If you desire to dig deeper into the amazing journey that comes when you trust God, check out this awesome book "Trusting God" by Girlfriends in God ministry. http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/trustinggod/
You will be blessed!