Starting Over (again)

I am lazy.  There I said it!  The first step to freedom is admitting you have a problem, right?  This week I started back walking after "taking off" about 3 months or more.  I don't know why this is so hard for me!  When I do it I feel so much better physically, because I'm doing something good for my body.  I also feel good about myself in general.  It feels good to know you have done something you don't enjoy solely for the purpose of your health.   The thing is, after so long of doing nothing, you can't just jump right back to where you were when you stopped.  I don't have the stamina to walk as long as I was walking when I quit.  So, now I have to start, once again, at square one and slowly build up my stamina as I increase the time that I walk.

You know I have to get spiritual now, right?  Sometimes we get spiritually lazy and drift away from God.  We slowly stop doing the things we did before, like spending time in His presence, read the Word, singing praise music, going to church, etc.  Before we realize it we have taken a path that we know is wrong.  We find ourselves, like the Prodigal son, eating the scraps with the pigs.  It is at that time we realize that we need to go back to where we were.  We have to start over again.  But, there is a big difference in the starting over that I talked about in my exercise program, and starting over with God.  When we make a decision to return to our Father, he doesn't make us start over and go back to where we were when we first met Him.  As soon as the decision is made, we are back to where we were!  We repent and are restored, just like that!  We don't have to grovel, beg, or take a back seat.  We are immediately given back our position as a child of God, with everything that goes with that.

How awesome is our God!  How good is His mercy toward us!  His loving kindness is better than life!  Our human mindset is that if you fall, you have to pay the price before you can be restored.  Jesus already our way.  He not only paid our way into the Kingdom,  He stamped our hand, so that in the event we decide to leave, we can get back in.  Now that will preach!

If you have drifted, don't beat yourself up.  Just repent (change directions) and your Father will be waiting at the gate to welcome you back in.

Be blessed today meditating on this word,
Cathi

Frame Your Day

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God… 

Anyone who knows me well knows that I do not like negative talk. That is one of my pet peeves. Even before I had any understanding of what the Bible says about our speech I tried to keep my confessions positive. After studying the word and hearing teachings on this subject, I am even more convinced that what we say effects our environment. Because of this I have a little sticky note on my mirror that I look at each morning that says, “Frame Your Day”. This reminds me to begin the day with positive confessions, making declarations that this will be a good day, etc. I need this reminder because I have an inclination to think about what I have to do that day with dread and this results in negative thoughts and words. 

The Word of God says the power of life and death are in the tongue. Now, that’s pretty powerful. In other words, we can either speak life or we can speak death. It’s our choice. God demonstrates the power of words in creation. He spoke the world into existence. Hebrews 11:13 says that the worlds were framed by the word of God. In Genesis we know that as God was creating the world He would say, for example, “Let there be light” and there was light. 

I have discovered that if I have a negative attitude and make negative comments at my office, I can help create a negative atmosphere. On the other hand, I have walked into my office and told the ladies who work for me, “We’re going to have a good day today” and it has changed the atmosphere in the office. 

We can even affect our health by our words. Have you known someone who has talked themselves into being sick? You know, they get a little sniffle and begin saying things like, “I’m catching a cold” or “I think I’m getting sick”. Before you know it they really are sick. I know a lady that you have to be so careful around because she can hear you talk about some sort of sickness and, by her negative confessions, can talk herself into getting that sickness. She convinces herself that she will get sick. That shows you the power of our words. 

By saying things like “I can’t do that” or “I’ll never be able to ….”, we effect the outcome of our circumstances. A Christian should never say, “I can’t”. God’s word says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! There have been many times that I couldn’t do something in my own strength but talked myself into being able to accomplish that thing by agreeing with God that I could do it in His strength. Making positive confessions means agreeing with God. Can you guess who you are in agreement with when you make negative confessions? I would much rather agree with God than Satan. 

I challenge you to listen to the words that you speak throughout the day and encourage you to change your confession to positive, uplifting words. I promise you will see a difference in your life and in those around you. 

How Big is God?

I know what you're thinking.  What do you mean, "How big is God?"  Of course we can't even measure how big or how great He is.  The Universe can't even contain Him.  Maybe a better question should be, "How big is God in your life?"  Think about that before you answer.  Meditate on this. 

Do you know that we can limit God?  Blasphemy you say!!!  Well, the truth is, we limit God by the way that we view Him.  Have you ever heard the expression, "We can't put God in a box"?  But we do that very thing by our limited mindsets.  Maybe we were taught God will do certain things, but don't expect Him to do other things.  If we believe this, that is exactly what God will do in our lives. I haven't read anywhere in the Word of God where it says that God cannot do something.  "Well, I heard that certain things were only for biblical times".  Really?  Did God change?  Did He lose His power throughout the centuries?  Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever!! 

So, how big is God in your life?  Is He greater than the things that are that are beyond your control?  I can assure you He is.  But, if you don't believe that He is, then, for you He is not.  How do you change your mind?  We are transformed by the renewing of our minds.  Open your Bible and see the greatness and limitlessness of our God!  Believe that, if He did it then, He will do it now, for you!  Build up yourself in your most Holy Faith and ask God to show Himself mighty on your behalf.  He will do it!! 

Nothing is too difficult for God.

Be Blessed today,

Cathi                                                          

Hoarders!!!

I don't know if you watch the show, "Hoarders".  I admit I watch it because it makes me feel good about my housekeeping.  lol  I was thinking about that this morning.  Don't ask me why this came to my mind but it did.  Actually I was thinking about Jesus and how He did everything for me to make me acceptable to God, cleaning me up and taking away my sin.  This illustration came to my mind so I thought I would share it because someone needs to read this.

A "hoarder" is a person who begins to collect things and can't let anything go.  Now, some of the hoarders on the show are more than "collectors".  Some, actually most, have had a traumatic event in their lives that have triggered the hoarding.  Some even collect garbage and don't clean anything up.  I can only imagine the smell in their homes.  In one episode the team who was cleaning up a woman's home found a few dead cats under the garbage.  You would have to see this show to believe it.

What happens to these people is that eventually their homes become so cluttered and filled with "stuff" that they give up and don't care anymore.  They look at the mounds of garbage and things they have accumulated and see that the task of cleaning it up is impossible. 

On this show they bring in a team to help the hoarder.  They usually have a psychologist to help deal with the cause of the problem and an organizer to help clean the home.  They also have a large team to help get rid of the stuff that will be thrown away and to clean the home.

Okay, you're saying,"And your point is?" .  This is my point.  Before we are saved we are filled with sin.  We are containers for all the garbage we have accumulated in our hearts.  Sin has cluttered our lives to the point we are hopeless.  We see that there is no way we can clean all this up.  We realize that, unless someone helps us deal with the root of our problem, we will never be clean.  We need someone to come in and clean up our mess.

That is exactly what Jesus did and does.  He comes through the door of our hearts, looks at the mess that we are so ashamed of, and deals with the root first.  The sin root.  Actually he dealt with this root problem over 2000 years ago.  He's seen this stuff before!  He saw it as he hung on the cross.  He took our stuff with Him on the cross, carried it to the grave with him and left it there.  When He rose from the grave, he didn't bring it with him.

When we accept this, we see that all our garbage is suddenly gone.  The stench is gone!  But we look around and still see the clutter.  Wait a minute! I thought He got rid of it all?  Don't despair, in walks the Organizer!  The Holy Spirit is your helper!  He will walk through and determine what you should keep and what you should throw away.  He will not overwhelm you.  He will go at your pace, putting your things where they belong and making your heart a place of peace and rest, no longer a place of shame and condemnation.

That's our Jesus!  That is what He did for me and for you!!  When we were overwhelmed, hopeless.  He finished the work for us!  Hallelujah!

His Instruments

We are God's instruments.  I was thinking about this today. I have been dealing with my flesh a lot lately, seeing how much it stinks and how disgusted it makes me.  This morning I was praying for someone and asking God to bless their ministry and feeling jealous that they are able to do what I want to do fulltime.  I'm just being honest.  I hate those feelings!  But, I chose to bless them, regardless of my "feelings".  God showed me that it doesn't matter who is out front, the goal is to accomplish God's plan on earth.  It's about Him, not me!!!!  He can use whoever He chooses however He chooses!

That brings me to being His instrument.  The picture God showed me was an orchestra.  You have those instruments that are out in front, the beatuful violins, cellos, flutes, etc.  Watching, you see that they are all in sinc as their arms move the bows and those playing move to the rhythm of the music.  You don't really notice those in the back, the drums, tubas, etc.  the larger the instrument, the further in the back they are.  They are not the beautiful instruments, they are big and cumbersome.  But, they are necessary!!!  They are the ones who keep the rhythm of the symphony.  They keep everyone together, watching The conductor and pounding out the beat.   And, as the whole orchestra plays together the sound is magnificent!

We are the body of Christ.  We are designed to work together.  No one is more important or more necessary than the other.  The goal is the symphony!  How does it sound?  Does God hear a beautiful song or a disjointed mess?  I think sometimes He hears an orchestra where everyone is competing to be heard.  (ouch!)  If we are doing that, we are ruining the song.  Or maybe He is straining to hear the song because we are all afraid to step out and play.  Perhaps He hears an orchestra where half of the instruments are damaged and not working and the others are trying to make up for those that can't play.  As you can see, it's a mess.  The goal is following the Conductor and playing the song He has written, playing our part, the part that was written specifially for us.  No one else can play our part!  

It's time for us to join together, happy to be His instrument, content to do our part to make the symphony sound as the Song Writer and Conductor intended it to sound and to please Him.  

This is my word for me today!!  I'm going to play my part!  

Cathi