The Lord is Close to the Brokenhearted

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in Spirit.

Psalm 34:18

Isn't wonderful to know that of all the many things God is, close to the brokenhearted is one of them? It doesn't matter why we are brokenhearted, God draws near to us. It might be a seemingly small reason that can set you off; a tough day at home with your children, a day where nothing goes right, unfulfilled expectations or the pangs of loneliness. It doesn't matter how we got to this point, to God, a hurting heart is a heart that needs love, a heart that needs Him.

If today you find yourself brokenhearted or your spirit broken down, run to Him. He won't minimize your pain, expect justification, explanation or a promise to be stronger tomorrow. He just wants to hold you, His dear child.

Let God hold you. Let Him love you. Let Him save you. No strings attached.~

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A Life Overfilling!

Has your heart ever over flowed with so much excitement and joy that you feel you must shout out to the world? Well that's how I feel right now! I have some very, um, yucky errands to run tomorrow, some stressful situations and a toddler that cried for almost 90 minutes straight this morning. Yet, somehow my heart is over flowing with joy and hope. I can only attest it to Christ and His love.

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

The Lord is good to those who hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentation 3:25-26

Some days I feel like I am praying to a wall and feel at the brink of being consumed. Sometimes I become so frustrated at my family that everything in me wants to lash out and tell them all how I feel. But the thought in my mind is that I would rather patiently suffer than fail to please my God. Of course, I often do lash out, but I have been seeking God and asking the Holy Spirit to work through me. When I want to say something, I bite my lip and walk into the other room. Inward I feel a battle raging inside. Sometimes my flesh is so weak and and want to scream! I can actually feel the tears well up in my eyes I get so mad and it seems like a such a struggle to keep quite. But that's just it, the inward struggle is not just about not saying something, it's about not letting something consume your heart and holding on to hurt. I can keep my mouth shut, but letting it go can be so hard.

This has been my struggle. Through the help of the Holy Spirit I continue to pray and ask God to deliver the help. I pray that He would take my problems and take my troubles and make them something beautiful. Sometimes it doesn't seem to help. I still end up saying the wrong thing or can't help to let a hurtful look leave my face. I feel weak and lonely. But, I continue to seek God because I don't need to live my life on how I "feel."

But today, I woke up and and feel like a new creation. I feel so overcome with just ... JOY! I feel strong, confident, and ready to take on my little world. I feel God's presence and I know He is with me. WITH ME! He is just here for little ME! I know He always is, but I think that's why He let's you feel His presence so strong sometimes. So, those days when He doesn't feel close, you can think back to days like this when you feel Him holding your hand. That's what's going to be so great about heaven. You will always be in His presence.

I am also thrilled about the first "official" snowfall this morning! But more about that in the next post. :) Have a wonderful day everyone and be blessing to someone today :)

Sweet Hour of Prayer

Although I have been a Christian my whole life and have a general knowledge of the Bible, I have never read it cover to cover. I probably have read most books, some several times. I also know a fair amount of scripture verses and many Bible stories and have a pretty good general understanding of the timeline of the Bible. But I have wanted to learn more. Not just learn more about the Bible, but really understand who God is and what His will and plan for me is.

So last year, the day before my birthday (on September 25th) I decided I was going to read through my Bible, cover to cover, in a year. I started that morning in Genesis 1:1.

Since then, I have attempted to spend one hour every morning alone with God. Let me say, that some of the sweetest and best moments of my life have been spent in those one hour mornings. What started as a simple plan for one hour alone with God to read His word, has turned into a life giving and heart renewing experience!

Now, It hasn't' happened every morning. For those of you who know me know that my morning start very early, 4:00am. By the time hubby is at work and I go to sit quietly on the couch it is 5:00. The girls wake up about 6:30. That gives me a good solid hour in peace and quite to read and meditate. Now of course, some days I am so tired I fall asleep only to wake up when the girls do, or sometimes the girls get up at 5:00 and don't go back to bed... everyday life sometimes just happens and that's Ok! I know God hasn't taken me on this journey for me to be super strict with my schedule and be legalistic about times. Just the opposite! I believe He wants me tolearn how to go with the flow a little bit and realize that although every morning isn't perfect, I can always make a little time for Him. I like it to be an hour, but sometimes it's 5 minutes. Sometimes it's a single verse that I read in 30 seconds.

Anyway, I am only about a month and a half away from my one year and I am not quite even halfway through the Bible. I'm sure I could still finish in my one year time frame if I wanted, but I don't think I am going to. My goal has changed and now includes no time frame. I think I needed the incentive for me to make the commitment in the beginning, but now that it is part of my daily routine I want to read at a slow and steady pace and soak up everything I can!

I have kept a journal since I started. In there I will sometimes record my thoughts on different subjects, write out questions on things I don't yet understand and write out verses that touch my heart.

Sometime I spend as much time writing as I do reading! I usually pray in the beginning. I just ask that God would revel His word to me and teach me. I then will pray for my family and anything else on my heart. Sometimes 45 minutes of my hour is in prayer and I only read for about 15minutes. There are days where instead of the bible I will read from a devotional book instead. Sometimes after 45 minutes of reading I stop right there as I feel I have more than enough to meditate and ponder. Other times, after I pray, I will sit and listen to hymns almost the entire time. The words and the music will touch my heart in such a way that the tears will just stream down my face, in awe of God's great love for me. His love overwhelms me!

The reason I am sharing this is because if I would have just stuck to my original goal of reading enough of my Bible to finish in a year, I think I would have missed out on a lot. I have learned a lot just about being ready and willing to change your plans! It's more important to follow where the spirit leads you, instead of your own plans. Whether it be concerning morning reading time, or anything else in life. Our plans may not be what's best and I want to always make time to hear God's gentle and quite voice because I want to Go where He leads me. I believe that it's imperative to make a time for hearing God's voice. God knows us and He knows our hearts. He can speak to us in an hour, and He can speak to us in 5 minutes. But, He won't speak to us if we don't invite Him in to do so. Won't you make some time this morning to let Him speak to your heart? He is waiting.... I know because I found Him!

God’s Gift of Grace

I have been desperately trying to become the wife and mother that I know God desires of me, since I have become a wife and mom. But, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to make any lasting changes.I continue to be short tempered and fault finding with those around me, I try to change, but I just can’t seem to get it right.

Well, I am very happy to say that God is moving is great ways in my life and reveling many things to me through the Holy Spirit. Im not always the best at getting my point across, but let me attempt to share because God has blessed me so much!

Grace
God has given me a better understanding of the meaning of the word grace and it’s application in my life. I know that through grace we are saved and that through works we will never reach Heaven. It’s impossible to reach heaven through works, so God gives us grace and forgives our sins so that we may dwell with Him. But He has shown me that Grace is much more than just forgiveness and acceptance into heaven. Grace is an ever present help that He uses to meet us where we are at and then transform us.

We need God’s grace to transform our lives, we can’t do it alone! Now I know that I can’t change on my own, but somehow my prayers always seem to revolve around myself anyways. Example, “Lord, help ME to be kinder to my husband and give ME the strength to do Your will. I have faith that You will help ME to be kinder. Thank you Lord, Amen”

Now I know now that we really can do absolutely, ABSOULTELY Nothing ourselves and absolutely anything good in our lives is completely 100% Christ. Simple as that. Although I have been praying and asking God for help, I still have depending on MY faith that God would make ME be kinder. But I see that thinking is wrong. I have come to realize that God can’t make me kinder, but I can let God work His kindness though me with Grace. It’s not me being kind, it’s God’s grace and kindness in me and through me. Not me.

I also realize now that I was putting far to much faith in my faith. I thought simply having faith that God would change me, would change me. But that’s only half of it. Half is having faith that God can work through you and the other half is receiving that grace (Or God’s help to come and meet us where we are at and make the change within us) It’s through faith that I receive God’s grace to change me, not my faith will change me.

It’s like faith is the straw. We are at one end and God’s grace is at the other end. The straw itself can do nothing for us. It doesn’t matter how big or long that straw is, it by itself is just a empty straw. But once God’s grace comes through that straw, then we receive His help. It doesn’t matter how big OUR faith is, it’s a matter of accepting His grace through that straw. Once I started to realize that faith is simply a channel and not power itself, a bible verse came to mind that really hit me:

If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Mathew 17:20

I used to think that verse meant that Faith is so powerful, that we need the tiniest bit and we can do great things for God, but now I see it differently. It’s the other way around. God is so powerful, that it doesn’t matter if we have the littlest faith of any human on the earth… we can move mountains with Him! We can’t move mountains with our faith, it’s our little bit of faith that let’s God do His thing and move those mountains!!!

I really hope this all makes sense, it is an amazing new revelation to me and the Holy Spirit has reveled to me how to pray. Since I have learned more about Grace, I know have prayed more like:

“Dear God, I know I am nothing and have no good in me, any goodness and strength is all You. That is why I humbly ask that You fill me with Your grace so I might shine of Your love. Dear Lord, I am asking in faith that You will give me the grace I need to show Your love.
Amen”

Praying this way has transformed my life. For the last year I have beyond frustrated myself asking God to “change me” Now, I simply pray and humbly ask through the little faith that I have, that God’s grace would work in me. I challenge you to do the same and see what God does in your life. You, like me, will be amazed!