A blessed decade!

Today I turn 30 years old. Hard to believe I've lived 3 decades. And I don't feel 30, I still feel like a teenager some days. But as I was reflecting back on this past decade I realize a lot happened. So I wanted to make a little list of it all. It started with college and ended with a wonderful marriage and 2 kids. WOW! God has really changed me in these 10 years. So very grateful...

1. Attended college at Kennsaw State University
2. Attended college at Reinhardt College
3. Declared my major as Business Entrepreneuship
4. Met Natasha and her mom (here's where the path turned)
5. Met Gregory
6. Graduated with honors - Bachelors in Business Entrepreneurship, minor in Accounting & Management
7. Moved to the big ATL and worked at Van Michael
8. Realized I didn't like working at such a big salon
9. Moved to Alpharetta and lived on my own for the first time in an apartment
10. Got a job as an account executive at Beneficial
11. Started management training 
12. Got engaged to my soul mate!
13. Gregory graduated college and we got married 2 weeks later on the beach that I grew up going to with my grandparents every summer!
14. 2 months later we bought our first house 
15. For 3 months we watched our home be built then we moved in!
16. I decided to leave the corporate world
17. Was offered a job at North Point
18. Joined a mentor group that would really grow me as a woman (thanks Regina)
19. Got to be a matron of honor to my life long best friend
20. Went to Cambodia for the first time 
21. Got pregnant
22. Had a healthy sweet little boy - Finn Wallace
23. Started attending Birds on a Wire group
24. Changed jobs to work for North Point Resources
25. Lowered my hours to focus on family
26. Ran a half marathon with G
27. Got to be a matron of honor to my sister
28. Celebrated 5 years of being married to my soul mate on a cruise to Bermuda
29. Went to Cambodia again
30. Got pregnant again
31. Now just waiting to deliver another sweet baby! 

I praise you Lord for all the blessings I have. I also praise for all the difficult times as you have simply pulled me closer to you through each one of them. 

Rules, regulations, and practices

I took on the Radical challenge almost 2 months ago. And one of the challenges is to read the Bible everyday. I'm doing a chronological plan through the You Version Bible iPhone app. It's been pretty good so far. I really enjoy reading all about God.

Right now, I'm in Leviticus. You know, the most interesting book of the Bible. HA! It's all about rules, regulations, practices, processes, etc. It's amazing to me how detailed God is in His instructions. Look at this (it's basically how to be forgiven for your sins)

The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands—“‘If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.  He is to present the bull at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it there before the LORD.  Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and carry it into the tent of meeting. He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the tent of meeting. The rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—all the fat that is connected to the internal organs, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys— just as the fat is removed from the ox sacrificed as a fellowship offering. Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the internal organs and the intestines— that is, all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp to a place ceremonially clean, where the ashes are thrown, and burn it there in a wood fire on the ash heap. 

Leviticus 5:1-12

All I have to say is that I'm so grateful for Jesus. I don't think I could kill an animal as a sacrifice. 

What are your thoughts when you read this? I am thinking about taking some seminary classes just to have more of a theological background.

Kyrios

I'm sure you looked at the title of this post and thought Kyrios, what the heck is that? Well, Kyrios is actually a Greek word. It means Master, Lord, or to the One whom I belong. And I did some research. That single word is mentioned 740 times in the New Testament. And actually a lot of scholars have debated on the use of this beautiful word. The reason I'm mentioning the word is because it's a short word that packs a big meaning.

At the Women of Faith conference, Angie Smith talked about calling out to our Lord and Savior when we need help. I don't know about you but being able to say "my Lord, my Master, and the One to whom I belong" in one word - Kyrios, is incredible.

So where are you in this life? Are you calling out to Him as your Kyrios? In times of trouble and in times of praise, call out to Him. I am already loving it.

My Kyrios, thank you for loving me. Thank you for directing my life. Thank you for wanting me as your daughter. I love you and pray that I continue to live out my life for you. I pray for every person reading this blog. I pray you will show them that you love them so very much. Amen!

Women of Faith

The picture above is our group of women that went to the Women of Faith conference this past weekend. If you don't know what this is - check out the website - http://www.womenoffaith.com/. This year it was at Phillips Arena in Atlanta. And there was around 8,000 women there. Can you imagine worshiping the same Lord with that many people? Incredible is all I can say.

I have a lot to process through and will be blogging through it over the next few posts. So I hope you enjoy. For now, I will leave you with this awesome quote. More to come...

"Peace is not the absence of trouble.  It's the presence of Christ." -Sheila Walsh

The power of God!

The picture above is of my and my sister Natasha. She is getting married this weekend ( May 7th). I am so thrilled to be her Matron of Honor. My point is writing today is to say - the power of God is incredible.

I have known Natasha for almost 9 years.  I am grateful to her because she introduced me to her brother - Gregory. Natasha and I's relationship started out great and then it got rocky. But we are proof that God can reconcile any relationship.

I want to encourage you today. If you have someone in your life that there is a wedge. Pray, apologize, accept apologies - do whatever you need to. But most of all, trust God. He is all powerful and can reconcile any relationship regardless of the issue or the amount of time that has gone by.

The best job i've ever had.

If someone asked you what the best job was that you've ever had - could you answer it? I can - it's my current job at North Point for sure!

This week is my anniversary date at work. I have been on staff at North Point Ministries 4 years already. As I begin my 5th year at work here, I'd like to make a few comments. First of all, I can say with 100% confidence that I am a better person because of the investment North Point has made in me. Just to be specific - when I say I 'm a better person I mean I'm a better mom, wife, Christian, and friend than I was before coming on staff.

My story of how I came on staff:
Coming on staff was totally a "God thing." I had been in the mortgage industry and was tired of working crazy hours. So, I just submitted my resume into the hiring database. Ashley Jansen was pregnant with her first child, Hamilton, and was looking for a replacement. The role was the IT Admin Assistant to Sean Strickland. I thought this will be a easy job and I will be in the ministry so I'm interested. After applying, I ran into Ashley at GroupLink and she recognized my name. The next week I had a series of 8 interviews. I was exhausted after that and also humbled that North Point took such care in making sure they were hiring the right people for the right job. But 2 weeks later, Sean called me and offered me the job. And of course I accepted right away! I cut my pay in half - but it was totally worth it! God has blessed me WAY more than that extra money every did.

And that's the story - in the last 4 years, I worked in IT for 3 and now in Resources for 1. I loved working for Sean and I loved the IT team. But I do feel like the job I'm in now is the one I was always meant for. To be completely honest, I have found my dream job.

So, cheers to 4 wonderful years! Thank you Andy Stanley for your investment in making sure the staff is cared for. I have felt that from day one and this is definitely the best place I have ever worked.

Thank you Jesus for bringing me to work at North Point 4 years ago. I know it was all you. I love being part of a place that is spreading your name throughout the world. May everything I do here be to your Glory. I take credit for nothing - for it is all you. Thank you for growing me as a person and pulling me closer to you. I pray as time moves that we continue to get the word into as many peoples hands as possible. And also that others not us - but see you shining through. Amen.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. "Colossians 3:23-24 NIV

How Can God Bring Good from This?

I get these daily devotionals from Proverbs 31 Ministry. Every day they are awesome. But specifically today's hit me hard. So I wanted to share with you all... ENJOY!

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Have you ever faced a personal struggle and wondered how God could possibly bring good out of it? How could Romans 8:28 apply to my hidden issues — the ones I don’t like to think about, deal with, or even admit I have?

If you would have told me 10 years ago that God could bring good out of my weight issues and food struggles, I would have seriously doubted you.I would have rolled my eyes and excused myself to the bathroom.

Bathroom stalls are great places to cry in secret.

When a soul is rubbed raw from years of trying and failing, you don’t want to hear, “eventually good will come from this.”

I wanted something to instantly fix my issues.

I wanted to stop calling myself awful names I’d never let another person call me.

I wanted to be naturally thin like my sister.

I wanted to stop crying when I walked into my closet to get dressed in the morning.

I would have cared less about some elusive, eventual good. My jeans didn’t fit. Even my sweatpants didn’t fit. I felt horrible. I couldn’t stay committed to a healthy eating plan to save my life. And I saw no hope in sight.

It’s a terrible thing to scan the horizon and see no evidence of hope.

Maybe you’ve been there with some hidden issue. Maybe you’ve been there like me with food and weight struggles. Maybe you’re there today.

Whether your issues are the same as mine or not, all of us Jesus girls have struggles. We all fall short in some way. And we all need to know more about this “good” mentioned in Romans 8:28.

But instead of a three point sermonette, I want to share with you a letter I recently received. As I read it, the mercy gates of heaven split wide open and reigned down “this working of good.”It was heaven’s salve soothing deep places in me.

It is a picture of the reality of God’s Word being true. Always true. God does work for the good… in all things… every single thing... even our most raw and seemingly impossible things… but we must know it even when we don’t feel it.

“Just want to say thank you for sharing your struggles, Lysa. I’ve had an eating disorder since August,1978. Full blown anorexia, which led years down the road to bulimia.

I became a Christian in 2002, but never could fully surrender my eating disorder to our Lord. Through your story and the advice you shared the Holy Spirit is empowering me as I never knew possible. I’ve had 7 days of no binging or purging!!!

This may not seem like a high number to you, but after 33 full years with this binge/purge addiction, this is AMAZING. Hallelujah!!

You shed such new light on scriptures that I have read, but never knew how to interpret in my life especially with regards to eating. I’ll be honest I figured my eating disorder wasn’t that big a deal to our Lord. In fact I had told myself that He made me this way so it must just be the sin I was born to deal with; so glad to know that it isn’t, and that I matter to HIM."– Melissa P.

As I read this, my tears leaked free.We don’t have to figure out how God will bring good, we just have to stay on the journey with Him and watch Him work.

May this be a glimpse of hope in the midst of your struggles as well.

“And we know (we know it even if we don’t feel it) that in all things (even the ones we can’t even fathom being used for good) God works for the good. (He works for the good. Our job is to walk with Him day by day. His job is to work the good.)

Dear Lord, thank You for this hope. Thank You that You don’t waste our tears, our struggles, or those places rubbed raw from years of trying and failing. Once we do what You’ve instructed us to do, You always do what only You can do. I know You will bring good even when I can’t see it or feel it. And what a comfort that is to me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
If this devotion resonated with you, Lysa’s new book Made to Crave is just what you’ve needed. This is the message Melissa read that prompted the letter in this devotion.Click here to order your copy.

This book can also be a group Bible study by using these life-changing resources: Made to Crave Participant’s Guide and Made to Crave DVD teaching series, also by Lysa TerKeurst

Lysa will be speaking in over 40 cities this year and would love to meet you! To check for a city near you, click here.

Application Steps:
Write out your struggle on the front of a 3×5 card this week and pray for the next 5 days for God to reveal some good that could come from this. Write some of the power verses on the back of your card and meditate on these truths.

Reflections:
God doesn’t comfort us to make us comfortable. God comforts us to make us comfort-able. Able to comfort others with the same comfort we’ve received from Him. Is there someone in my sphere of influence who could benefit from hearing my story? Could this be some of the good God can bring from this?

Power Verses:
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (NIV)

© 2010 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.

Two thoughts

Sorry for delay in my posting. I am in jury duty this week. And when I've gotten home from that - I have to work. It's Wednesday and I'm already wiped out. Sitting in court for 9 hours a day is exhausting. But I know I'm there for a reason.

This brings me to my post. I have been dealing with a battle in my mind. I wanted to post some things I've learned recently about how to fight this battle. It is one that always seems to hit me. And hit me hard.

Here are some facts that I keep in mind:
 
1- You cannot think two thoughts at the same time. What I mean by that is if I am anxious and worried, I can't be feeling peaceful and trusting at the same time.

2-"Your emotions represent truth"is a lie. Our emotions are not truth - God's word is truth. I must focus on His words not how I "feel."

3-You cannot make yourself stop thinking a thought.

4-If you don't willfully choose your mind, it will be set for you.

Here are some tips, I use to help me in the battle:

1- Take every thought captive immediately. Stop the thought before it goes down the road of "what-ifs."
"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

2-Resting in the truth that I do not have to accept every thought that comes into my mind.

3-Resisting what I have been taught my whole life by society - "go with your gut" - that is a lie. We cannot trust our emotions. Emotions or feelings are not truth.


4-Reflecting and trusting in this truth - "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. " Romans 8:5-6

I want to have a mind governed by the Spirit, don't you?

Jesus turned and said to Peter,“Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; 

you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” 

Matthew 16:23

Who/what are you listening to?

There was a series done last year by Andy Stanley and Jeff Henderson called Game Plan.  It was just life changing for me! Here is the series description:
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Discovering God’s plan for our lives can be frustrating. Some have described it as the most challenging experience of the Christian life.

 

But it shouldn’t be.

 

It doesn’t have to be.

 

After all, God is the preeminent communicator. He created communication. And as your heavenly Father, he wants you to know his will for your life.

 

In this 6-part series, Andy Stanley and Jeff Henderson explain, in the most practical ways imaginable, how to discover and embrace God’s game plan for your life.

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In part five, Jeff preached a message that really changed things for me. The message was called A Word from Coach (you can download an mp3 for $1).  The main take away I got was "the people you listen to are a preview to the future you." Basically, everyone and everything you listen to shapes who you will be in the future.

So-my question for you to think about...Who and what are you listening to? 

If you are a mom - hopefully you have some resources and support. Because I know this is all tough to balance. I have to recommend you check out Birds on a Wire. It's an awesome ministry for us moms.

If you are a dad - I can recommend my husband's blog. He is blogging about how he's learning to Raise the Next Generation. Check it out - I know I'm bias, but I think it's awesome! He definitely will make you think.

Please comment if you have suggestions for singles, college students, etc...

Ok - that's it folks...have a GREAT day!

Lyrics that move my soul...

As I was driving to work today, God spoke to me through a song that I have heard a million times. And for some reason the words really moved my soul. I wanted to share with you all.

Here is the video and the lyrics. Have a wonderful day resting in the knowledge that we are His!



Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Bridge:
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
Cause I am yours..
I am yours..

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; 

Whom shall I fear? 

The Lord is the strength of my life; 

Of whom shall I be afraid? "

Psalm 27:1-3

What my faith is....

Today's devotional was so perfect and it really made me think. So, below is the devotional and then after that are my thoughts-ENJOY!

Faith Is Active
by Rick Warren

"When will you ever learn that “believing” is useless without doing what God wants you to? Faith that does not result in good deeds is not real faith." James 2:20 (LB)

Is faith simply a frame of mind? Some see it that way … a passive attribute of a Christian waiting to see what God has in store for you: a promotion, cancer, depression, betrayal, blessing, wealth, or injustice. They might say, “I’ll just wait to see what God is going to do for me and go with the flow.” That’s crazy talk.

Faith is active. It’s not passive. It’s a commitment. Look at your lifestyle and see what kinds of actions follow as a result of it. If you’ve got the real stuff, faith can be demonstrated.

When you were baptized you made a statement to God and the people around you. You said, “I’m in!” But it doesn’t stop at baptism – not by a long shot! What else do you do? You start following the pattern of Jesus. Faith is proven by how we live. Don’t misinterpret this. What you do – your walking around, everyday life – doesn’t get you into heaven. It doesn’t make you saved. It doesn’t mean you’re a Christian; it shows you are a Christian.

The next steps:

· Celebrate the lavish gift of grace. You were saved because Jesus is crazy about you and wants you to be with him in heaven. Revel in it!

· Show your faith. Wedding rings don’t make you married, but they say yes in a visible way. In the same way, baptism isn’t the thing that will get you into heaven but it’s an act of obedience. (Jesus commanded us to baptize and be baptized.)

· Share your faith with the people around you. If you are excited about what God has done in your life, then why not share it? There are lots of ways to do that. Get plugged into serving God. There are literally millions of possibilities. Point people to Jesus and love them like Jesus did. It’ll be something you will relish for eternity.

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My question for you is this-when you look at your life do you see the common thread of Jesus? I know when I look over the years of my life, I couldn't have made it without Jesus. I think of my faith journey as "never let go". Because that's what He did for me. Even when I didn't want to call on Him-I didn't have to because He was standing beside me. My decisions, actions, mindset all depends on the Lord. I know that I didn't personally walk with Jesus but I do know what it means to have a personal relationship with him. I know He is with me at all times and i honestly don't understand how people do life without Him. I love the Lord with all my heart, with all my mind, and with all my strength. And I will impress that upon my children (someday) Thanks for reading today-hope you have a wonderful day!

LOVE-
RW