YES, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desires of our hearts. Isaiah 26:8
isn't that a beautiful way to start a verse, a prayer, a day??? YES LORD!
let's try that this week....
as we wake up in the morning or the middle of the night, let the first words out of our mouths be 'YES, Lord'
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
pride is a sneaky son-of-a-gun
Tuesday nights, me and a group of amazing gals get together for activate group. I am honored, privileged and humbled that I get to lead this group of strong women. A couple tuesdays ago, I came home after group and replayed the whole evening in my head, praying to Him about it.
'Lord, we didn't get to finish discussing the whole week of study....'
I replayed conversations in my head....'Did I answer that person right Lord?'
This went on for a couple days......sadly....
and that's when these 3 things jumped off of the study page!
self focus....
am I doing this right?
my performance....
The 'I' in 'Am I doing this right?' seemed to be in BOLD, UNDERLINED AND ITALICS!!!! and God was tugging at my heart saying'....
'andrea, I don't need YOU to do it right...I AM.'
Oh andrea......
He doesn't need my answers to be right. He doesn't need us to finish the whole week of study.
He doesn't depend on my performance. period.
Writing it out sounds FREAKIN CRAZY!! For me to actually think GOD....THE GOD WHO CREATED THE UNIVERSE....depends on me to carry out this or that! Have you lost your mind, girl?!?! :)
But that is where pride is a sneaky son-of-a-gun!
Obadiah 1:3....The pride of your heart has deceived you.
Whether I'm downing myself OR thinking I'm 'all that and a bag of chips', the problem is I'm focusing on my SELF.
Later in the study, Beth Moore says it like this....'Pride is self-absorption, whether we're absorbed with how miserable we are or how wonderful we are. Humility is God-focused not self-focused.'
The truth is.....
He doesn't depend on me.....He desires me...
He desires my focus to be on HIM. Not on my self trying to please Him.
Do you replay things you do? Do you seek perfection? Do you struggle with low self-esteem? When we struggle with these things the focus is on us and NOT HIM! :(
Lord, take our eyes off of us and put them on YOU!
'Lord, we didn't get to finish discussing the whole week of study....'
I replayed conversations in my head....'Did I answer that person right Lord?'
This went on for a couple days......sadly....
and that's when these 3 things jumped off of the study page!
self focus....
am I doing this right?
my performance....
The 'I' in 'Am I doing this right?' seemed to be in BOLD, UNDERLINED AND ITALICS!!!! and God was tugging at my heart saying'....
'andrea, I don't need YOU to do it right...I AM.'
Oh andrea......
He doesn't need my answers to be right. He doesn't need us to finish the whole week of study.
He doesn't depend on my performance. period.
Writing it out sounds FREAKIN CRAZY!! For me to actually think GOD....THE GOD WHO CREATED THE UNIVERSE....depends on me to carry out this or that! Have you lost your mind, girl?!?! :)
But that is where pride is a sneaky son-of-a-gun!
Obadiah 1:3....The pride of your heart has deceived you.
Whether I'm downing myself OR thinking I'm 'all that and a bag of chips', the problem is I'm focusing on my SELF.
Later in the study, Beth Moore says it like this....'Pride is self-absorption, whether we're absorbed with how miserable we are or how wonderful we are. Humility is God-focused not self-focused.'
The truth is.....
He doesn't depend on me.....He desires me...
He desires my focus to be on HIM. Not on my self trying to please Him.
Do you replay things you do? Do you seek perfection? Do you struggle with low self-esteem? When we struggle with these things the focus is on us and NOT HIM! :(
Lord, take our eyes off of us and put them on YOU!
Friday, March 26, 2010
once it has a name.....
Do you ever feel as if you are walking in a fog? You just can't figure out what is keeping you from seeing Him, hearing Him??
Last week it was driving me absolutely bonkers that I couldn't pinpoint what was foggin up the view!!! After a couple days of shouting for Him, crying for Him, and trying to find Him....He calmly laid it out before me in our Beth Moore Living Free study with these three things jumping off the page to me....
*self-focus
*am I doing it right?
*my performance
I'm not sure I can describe the 'aaaaaahhhhhh' that I felt and wrote at that moment. But a weight was lifted, cause ONCE THAT SIN HAS A NAME it can be dealt with! I can stand face to face with my sin (or on my knees) and recognize it, repent and lay it at the cross. THEN turn my focus, my thoughts, my energies on HIM and ONLY HIM!
and you know what the best part is????? WITH BIG SMILES ON MY FACE :) :) :) ............ He doesn't call me the names of my sins.
He says to me..... 'my precious andrea'
insert your name....He's calling you precious too.... :)
Last week it was driving me absolutely bonkers that I couldn't pinpoint what was foggin up the view!!! After a couple days of shouting for Him, crying for Him, and trying to find Him....He calmly laid it out before me in our Beth Moore Living Free study with these three things jumping off the page to me....
*self-focus
*am I doing it right?
*my performance
I'm not sure I can describe the 'aaaaaahhhhhh' that I felt and wrote at that moment. But a weight was lifted, cause ONCE THAT SIN HAS A NAME it can be dealt with! I can stand face to face with my sin (or on my knees) and recognize it, repent and lay it at the cross. THEN turn my focus, my thoughts, my energies on HIM and ONLY HIM!
and you know what the best part is????? WITH BIG SMILES ON MY FACE :) :) :) ............ He doesn't call me the names of my sins.
He says to me..... 'my precious andrea'
insert your name....He's calling you precious too.... :)
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
dangling your tootsies off the edge of nowhere....
tuesday night at activate group, we watched anita renfroe's purse-onality comedy. OMIGOODNESS SAKES ALIVE!!! it was LAUGHIN' HILARIOUS!!! i laughed. the 'throw your head back' kind of laugh! i clapped. i knee slapped. i tapped my feet reeeeal fast. and.....i cried. yes, there was 'crying-laughing' while watching this dvd.....but this was the kind of cry that hit home. anita sang a song called 'right to rest' and the lyrics that i quickly scribbled down, cause i knew they were for me were these:
**it's ok to dangle your feet off the edge of nowhere...every once in awhile**
i have been 'running' and not dangling. :)
in quiet yesterday morning, our beth moore living free study had us look at 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. and i smiled. :) I LOOOOOVE THIS STORY! God so lovingly gave me His view on dangling.
in this story, king jehoshaphat is going into battle. as they set out to face this problem, God has king jehoshaphat SING and PRAISE HIM instead of fighting the battle!
NOW THAT'S *DANGLING*!!!!! :)
singing and praising Him no matter what is going on around me! :)
so yesterday i wanted to continue to see what His picture of dangling looked like for me.....
swinging my kids
getting on the swing next to them!
taking a moment from work and letting HIS sun warm my face and feeling HIS warm breeze across my cheeks like a kiss
a warm drink and a quiet bookstore not so far off
kiddos are all sleeping and i'm just enjoying the quiet
porch, tea and friends
granny and grandpa's rockers on the front porch with family
panera, a caramel latte and a date w God
two friends and two cups of coffee
silliness in fun songs
silliness in fun hats
really listening to the words He's speaking to me through a song
BELTING AND SINGING OUT THAT SONG!!! :)
cuddlin with my kids and a bedtime story
comfy couch, cozy blanket and my babe
2 Chronicles 20:30 - and the kingdom of jehoshaphat was at PEACE, for his God had given him REST on every side.
is life running around you? is there a storm going on around you? is there dark around you? God says 'SING TO ME :)' so pause. stop. and take time to dangle with Him.
what does your dangle look like? what makes your shoulders relax?
**it's ok to dangle your feet off the edge of nowhere...every once in awhile**
i have been 'running' and not dangling. :)
in quiet yesterday morning, our beth moore living free study had us look at 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. and i smiled. :) I LOOOOOVE THIS STORY! God so lovingly gave me His view on dangling.
in this story, king jehoshaphat is going into battle. as they set out to face this problem, God has king jehoshaphat SING and PRAISE HIM instead of fighting the battle!
NOW THAT'S *DANGLING*!!!!! :)
singing and praising Him no matter what is going on around me! :)
so yesterday i wanted to continue to see what His picture of dangling looked like for me.....
swinging my kids
getting on the swing next to them!
taking a moment from work and letting HIS sun warm my face and feeling HIS warm breeze across my cheeks like a kiss
a warm drink and a quiet bookstore not so far off
kiddos are all sleeping and i'm just enjoying the quiet
porch, tea and friends
granny and grandpa's rockers on the front porch with family
panera, a caramel latte and a date w God
two friends and two cups of coffee
silliness in fun songs
silliness in fun hats
really listening to the words He's speaking to me through a song
BELTING AND SINGING OUT THAT SONG!!! :)
cuddlin with my kids and a bedtime story
comfy couch, cozy blanket and my babe
2 Chronicles 20:30 - and the kingdom of jehoshaphat was at PEACE, for his God had given him REST on every side.
is life running around you? is there a storm going on around you? is there dark around you? God says 'SING TO ME :)' so pause. stop. and take time to dangle with Him.
what does your dangle look like? what makes your shoulders relax?
Monday, March 8, 2010
chewing humble gum :)
i LOOOOOOVE when God uses FUN stuff to speak to me! He has such a great sense of humor! i love that about Him! i read my carley a naptime story today.....Larry Boy and the Golden Gumballs. as soon as i started reading it, i felt like God was reading the story to me...saying 'listen carefully, andrea'. and so i did......and you know what that DAG GUM story is about?!?!?!? PRIDE!!!! aaarrrrggghhhh!! with a smile on my face, while i'm growling :) cause that means that pride girl (aka andrea) is rearing her ugly head again!
yesterday before church i was praying 'Lord i feel so far from you lately....please show me what is blocking me from You!'. the answer came today! PRIDE is my roadblock!
SO STOP ME IN MY TRACKS LORD!! i see pride with flashing red WARNING lights and a sign saying 'DO NOT APPROACH!'
....if you are proud, you will fall. proverbs 16:18
and let me just tell ya...i DO NOT want to go back to that dark pit. am i thankful for that sifting time in my life? ABSOLUTELY! my love for Him has grown to the 'HEAD OVER HEELS' kind because of it!!! it was 'in that time' and 'since that time' that i have been able to understand Him more.
i do not want to forget the memory of that time and all that He taught me 'in it' and 'since then'. soooo, this morning the following verse came up for the SECOND time in the past couple weeks so i decided to pay attention :)
only let us LIVE UP TO what we have ALREADY attained. philippians 3:16
He has ALREADY taught me so much from that sifting time and on. i want to LIVE differently because of it.
Lord, please let me LIVE UP TO each day what you have ALREADY taught me and showed me. i want to chew humble gum! :)
yesterday before church i was praying 'Lord i feel so far from you lately....please show me what is blocking me from You!'. the answer came today! PRIDE is my roadblock!
SO STOP ME IN MY TRACKS LORD!! i see pride with flashing red WARNING lights and a sign saying 'DO NOT APPROACH!'
....if you are proud, you will fall. proverbs 16:18
and let me just tell ya...i DO NOT want to go back to that dark pit. am i thankful for that sifting time in my life? ABSOLUTELY! my love for Him has grown to the 'HEAD OVER HEELS' kind because of it!!! it was 'in that time' and 'since that time' that i have been able to understand Him more.
i do not want to forget the memory of that time and all that He taught me 'in it' and 'since then'. soooo, this morning the following verse came up for the SECOND time in the past couple weeks so i decided to pay attention :)
only let us LIVE UP TO what we have ALREADY attained. philippians 3:16
He has ALREADY taught me so much from that sifting time and on. i want to LIVE differently because of it.
Lord, please let me LIVE UP TO each day what you have ALREADY taught me and showed me. i want to chew humble gum! :)
Thursday, March 4, 2010
let's get this party started!!!
well here i am in blogzone! let the fun begin! so i'm just gonna jump right in.....
the verse that started it all almost a year ago (i've inserted my name cause that's how i like to read it :) .....
(this is Jesus talking) andrea, andrea, look out! satan has asked to sift you like wheat. but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. and you, when you have turned back, strengthen the brothers. Luke 22:31,32
i was so flooded with emotion when i read this verse for the first time. i was in an ugly place in the thought battles in my mind. you know the uglies.....pride, arrogance, judgemental thoughts, impure thoughts, neediness, oversensitivity, overthinking, wrong motives, unforgiveness, complaining, negativity, potty mouth, potty mind..... and i'm sure the list could go on of all the things that i detest about my 'SELF' that were rising to the top of the 'sifting'. we ALL got uglies! raise your hand if you got uglies.....its ok its blogworld here, nobody is gonna see but you and God. :) recognizing and admitting the uglies is a HUGE step in the right direction!
it blew my mind, and my love for Him swelled to read....HE IS PRAYING FOR ME!!!! we are talking about THE ONE AND ONLY GOD OF THE UNIVERSE people!!!! insert your name....He's praying for you too!
so why in the world am i talking about it today? well those thoughts don't ever go away completely. it's what we do with them. our response is our responsibility. we can:
A) choose guilt and focus on that thought, entertain that thought and allow satan a foothold and the longer we entertain that desire....it becomes a stronghold. and takes you WHOOSHING into those dark, ugly, nasty, PITiful places. this is where the LIES are. that satan wants you to believe that you are that judgemental, arrogant, impure, complaining, negative person (insert your ugly). sooooo :) i say 'I DON'T THINK SO SATAN!! I CHOOSE B!!'
B) CHOOSE CONVICTION!!!! i recognize the ugly, confess and repent it to Him, lay it down for HIM to take care of (NOT ME!) and start running towards loving HIM! andrea IN CHRIST is fully able at this point to be full of JOY, LAUGHTER, LIGHT, PURITY, HONESTY, CLEAR CONSCIENCE, and sooooo many other things. i LOVE living here! it is life that is abundant, fresh, clear, fulfilling.
the verse that He continually brings to my mind in these moments is this:
luke 9:62 'no one who puts his hand to the plow and LOOKS BACK is FIT for service in the kingdom of God'
the verse that started it all almost a year ago (i've inserted my name cause that's how i like to read it :) .....
(this is Jesus talking) andrea, andrea, look out! satan has asked to sift you like wheat. but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. and you, when you have turned back, strengthen the brothers. Luke 22:31,32
i was so flooded with emotion when i read this verse for the first time. i was in an ugly place in the thought battles in my mind. you know the uglies.....pride, arrogance, judgemental thoughts, impure thoughts, neediness, oversensitivity, overthinking, wrong motives, unforgiveness, complaining, negativity, potty mouth, potty mind..... and i'm sure the list could go on of all the things that i detest about my 'SELF' that were rising to the top of the 'sifting'. we ALL got uglies! raise your hand if you got uglies.....its ok its blogworld here, nobody is gonna see but you and God. :) recognizing and admitting the uglies is a HUGE step in the right direction!
it blew my mind, and my love for Him swelled to read....HE IS PRAYING FOR ME!!!! we are talking about THE ONE AND ONLY GOD OF THE UNIVERSE people!!!! insert your name....He's praying for you too!
so why in the world am i talking about it today? well those thoughts don't ever go away completely. it's what we do with them. our response is our responsibility. we can:
A) choose guilt and focus on that thought, entertain that thought and allow satan a foothold and the longer we entertain that desire....it becomes a stronghold. and takes you WHOOSHING into those dark, ugly, nasty, PITiful places. this is where the LIES are. that satan wants you to believe that you are that judgemental, arrogant, impure, complaining, negative person (insert your ugly). sooooo :) i say 'I DON'T THINK SO SATAN!! I CHOOSE B!!'
B) CHOOSE CONVICTION!!!! i recognize the ugly, confess and repent it to Him, lay it down for HIM to take care of (NOT ME!) and start running towards loving HIM! andrea IN CHRIST is fully able at this point to be full of JOY, LAUGHTER, LIGHT, PURITY, HONESTY, CLEAR CONSCIENCE, and sooooo many other things. i LOVE living here! it is life that is abundant, fresh, clear, fulfilling.
the verse that He continually brings to my mind in these moments is this:
luke 9:62 'no one who puts his hand to the plow and LOOKS BACK is FIT for service in the kingdom of God'
satan wants our focus and our energy to be spent on LOOKING BACK at our uglies....trying to fix them ourselves. instead of looking forward in the TRUTH, LIGHT, JOY, LAUGHTER and CONFIDENCE IN CHRIST!!!
soooooo let's LOOK AHEAD and be spiritually, physically and mentally FIT for service in the kingdom of God!
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