Announcements :)

I am on a quest to becoming FRUGAL!  My desire is that I become a better steward over what God places in my hands....I want to be a wise woman in every area of my life.  I have a long way to go.    Follow me on my latest journey at Let's Get Frugal! :)

I also published my first article at Blissfully Domestic this week. Find me there if you'd like.   And comments would be greatly appreciated, as I am the newbie beauty columnist! LOL...  Show me some love! :)

Today on my Facebook status, I offered up some advice along with my friend, Dr. Seuss......

In the words of Dr Seuss..."On you will go, though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl...Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak." Whatever you are going through today...keep going! And remember, God is on your side!

Happy Thursday, y'all! ;)

xoxo

Shelly

Out of These Ashes

A jumbled mess.

A pile of rubbish.

A collection of worthless things.

An array of oddments confronted with ruin.

Set to flame.

Intense heat rising.

Burning.

Take all that is in me that is not of You, O my God.

Burn away that which separates and hinders.

In the midst of fire, still, this is my prayer.

Reveal Your beauty.

Make Your glory known.

"To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord,
that He may be glorified"
Isaiah 61:3

Joy is the Serious Business of Heaven (C.S. Lewis)

(This entire post is taken from The Soul of C.S. Lewis by Martindale, Root, and Washington, pg. 134)

(Read my book review on this book).

Let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever.  Spread Your protection over them that all who love Your Name may be filled with joy.

Psalm 5:11

Do we take joy seriously?  How many of us stood in vacation Bible school in younger years, clapping and singing, "The joy of the Lord is my strength," feeling anything but joyful and just wanting to get to the good part - the snack?  Many of us were not taught to take joy seriously as children, and we take it no more seriously as adults.

One problem is that we don't have a good idea what joy really means.  We think joy is something we're supposed to have when we aren't happy but are expected to have a good attitude anyhow.  For most of us, joy seems more like a martyr complex than like the wild celebrations described in the Bible.  People danced uncontrollably with joy, wept with joy, made music, and had feasts.  Joy is not meant to be a grin-and-bear-it situation. It is exuberant and free and more than happy - not less than.  And joy, says Lewis, is the serious business of heaven.

What a crazy thought!  Isn't the serious business of heaven...serious?  Like chanting in Latin or serenely playing a harp - everyone calm, no one really happy.  If that's what we think, how much we have missed!  We often imagine heaven to be like an exercise in spiritual discipline, but we forget that one of the most neglected spiritual disciplines is celebration, which is directly linked to joy.  If the serious business of heaven is joy, then imagine the levity and the laughter we have to look forward to: heads thrown back and dancing with an exhilarating kind of joy.  Perhaps we can take a cue from David (and others in the Bible), as well as from Lewis, to begin practicing now for this most serious business of heaven. Why not be daring and begin today?  With laughter, celebration, thanksgiving, and praise, we can join the host of heaven in the delightful practice of joy.

A Season of New Authority - Power in Submission to the King

(The following post was taken from a card sent out by Chuck Pierce)

We are entering into a season of unbridled power.  Only by understanding, walking in, and aligning properly with the King can that power be channeled to overcome and transform a society.  The real question becomes: "Will I run with the wild herd or allow the discipline of the King to bring me into a new level of strategic power? "

Psalm 32:6-9 summarizes the year ahead, "For this (forgiveness) let everyone who is godly pray - pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely when the great waters (of trial) overflow, they shall not reach (the spirit in) him.  You are a hiding place for me; You, Lord,  preserve me from trouble, You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance. Selah (pause, and calmly think of that)! I (the Lord) will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Be not like the horse or the mule, which lack understanding, which must have their mouths held firm with bit and bridle, or else they will not come with you." (AMP)

The Ark of the Covenant is advancing and the Glory of God is increasing. However, we must operate in skilled wisdom and authority.  Who will master you as you worship?  Think of David as he brought the Ark into Jerusalem.  He had to realign and bring in God's glory in a new way.  In this season, a new foundation for apostolic/prophetic worship is developing.

Here are some key points for the year ahead: Let us GO UP! We begin a new spiritual ascent to the high places.  The Spirit of God will allow the glory to be administered by those who have been allowing their circumstances to discipline and prepare them for increase.  Multiplication will occur when ONE CAN BECOME ONE THOUSAND.  Many will be making a change in physical positions, out of necessity.  This can work for your advantage.  You will become very sharp as you worship and allow joy to transform you.  Many matters that have weighed heavily on you will now become full, and you will understand the "whys" of a matter.  The Body of Christ will resound with a hearty "AMEN" throughout the year as many blessings draw into reality.

~Chuck Pierce

Book Review: The Soul of C.S. Lewis

THE SOUL OF C.S. LEWIS

Author Jerry Root

Produced by . Livingstone

Author Wayne Martindale

Author Linda Washington 

ISBN:978-1-4143-2566-8

Release:August 2010

The words of C.S. Lewis always seem to speak directly to my soul.  His ideas and beliefs and the magical way he shares them awaken creativity, imagination and life from the center of my being.  I cannot read enough of his thoughts.

This compilation of quotes from twenty-six of Lewis's works was a brilliant idea.  The authors  masterfully expound on some of Lewis's best ideas taken from the books represented.  Written like a devotional, its is easy to pick from any page and start reading, as each page offers treasures of its own.

The Soul of C.S. Lewis was meant for "the seasoned Lewis enthusiast, for those who want to be introduced to Lewis, or for anyone looking for personal growth." The reader, no matter which category he finds himself in, will surely benefit from this book and have a hard time closing its pages.  It is one that will quickly become a favorite to its readers and added to their home libraries to be read over and over again.

(This review is on behalf of Tyndale House Publishers who has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.)

Don't Hang on to Your Baby Teeth

(yet another lesson from mothering....)

With kindergarten comes many "firsts."


My little man has his first loose tooth. :)

 We were in church last night when he made the discovey.

He was terrified.


With some apprehension, he confessed that his tooth was loose and fearfully exclaimed,

"I DON'T WANT TO PULL IT!.... IT'S GOING TO HURT!"


I assured him that it was normal and that he would be fine. 


I then explained that the reason the baby tooth was falling out was because there was a much larger tooth ready to take it's place.

Then I googled.  (Don't ya just LOVE to google?!)

Some information I found on the internet about baby teeth:

• otherwise known as temporary teeth

• the first set of teeth in the growth development of humans

• usually lost and replaced by permanent teeth, but in the absence of permanent replacements, they can remain functional for many years

• considered essential in the development of the oral cavity

• the roots of the temporary teeth provide an opening for the permanent teeth to erupt

And if the baby teeth don't come out, guess what?  The permanent teeth can come in crooked and you will most likely experience some painful tension in your jaw.


After reading this information, I was reminded of how we often get fearful when exiting a season or letting go of something old to make room for the new.


Sometimes, we tend to hang on just a little too long. 


Ever had tension (stress) when you know you are supposed to let go or move on but you just can't find the courage?


When I refer back to my internet findings above, I find many parallels:

• Like baby teeth, we go through seasons in our lives that are temporary. 

• In these varying seasons, we grow, develop and prepare for our next season.

• Although we can remain somewhat functional in our old season for a while, the anointing on our life wanes, new revelation is minimal, and our ability to hear God decreases because of disobedience and lack of faith. 

**Matthew 9:17 says, "Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins." If we try to bring in part of the new that God is wanting to do while clinging to some of the old, it just won't work. When you pour new wine into old wineskins, "the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined." **

• Many times we question why we are in a particular season or what is its purpose.  Just as baby teeth are "essential in the development of the oral cavity," certain seasons we go through are also essential to the development of our character, faith, strength, patience and many other requirements for a successful and effective next season.

**  In Acts 1:7, Jesus said, "..It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority."  God sets timetables for the different seasons/times in our lives.  When we wait for His timing, we go in the power of the Holy Spirit instead of our own strength and ability. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth" (v. 8). **

• Our past or current season will help guide us into the new and provide an opening for God's plans and purposes to erupt or burst forth in His perfect timing.

"There is a time for everthing, and a season for every activity under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Seasons can refer to our job, church, city, or simply our way of thinking or method of doing things, such as programs, schedules, curriculum, the way we worship or any other change that takes place corporately or personally.

Don't rush out of your current season, even if you don't know why you're there.   Know that God has a purpose.

But, also, don't stay too long when your season is up.  You know what happens when you keep things past their expiration date....

Trust that His timing is perfect.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

xoxo

Shelly

Do You Ever Forget?

Do you ever forget?

Forget to put the clothes in the dryer?

Forget that you were supposed to call _________  right back?

Forget that you were boiling something on the stove?

Forget what exactly it was that you were supposed to remember? :)

Do you ever forget what God has spoken to you?

I was reading through some of my earlier posts from this year (from our book study by Paula Rinehart) and couldn't believe how some of them were directly related to my latest posts! 

Totally spoke to my heart...  AGAIN.

We should remind ourselves not only what God has done for us, but also what He has spoken to us.  Make sure you're keeping a journal of some sort so that you can go back and re-read His words to you.

So if these two of my latest posts (Don't Get Dis-Appointed and Misplaced Hope) spoke to your heart, I think these may as well..........

Losing Heart

Pain: The Crossroads of the Heart

It's good to review....and be reminded.  God's Word is alive and continues to speak if we (I) will only listen!

I think I may be doing some reviewing and reminding of my own this weekend! 

But for now.....Got my Netflix in the mail....I'm watching a movie tonight!  Woohooo! :)

Have a blessed weekend, my friends!!

xoxo

Shelly

Misplaced Hope?

I was working on another post, but God would not let me go to sleep without sharing these scriptures.  Someone (besides me) needs to hear them......

In what (or whom) have you put your hope?

Your job
Family
Church
Friends
Finances?...

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Psalm 42:5

In your own strength?

No king is saved by the size of his army;

no warrior escapes by his great strength.

A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.

But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
Psalm 33:16-19



We must put our hope in the One who is the same, yesterday, today and forever....
 
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
Psalm 62:5
 
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope
Psalm 130:5
 
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
the LORD, who remains faithful forever.
Psalm 146:5-6
 
I pray that today, whatever you are going through, that you will put your hope in Him.  Know that He loves you and He knows exactly where you are.  Your circumstances may have changed, but His plans for you have not.  Allow Him to use whatever you are going through for His glory.  Watch and see what the Lord will do!

My Soul Longs For You

All morning my spirit sang "My soul longs for You.....my soul longs for You..."  Over and over again.

I could feel an invitation.  It was an appointed time for me to fellowship with my Father, and I could find no words other than the five I had recited a hundred times already...

My soul longs for You...

With each breath I spoke these words came an increase in their depth and meaning. 

My soul longs for You...

I spoke them until I could speak no more.  I was captivated and captured by His holy presence and my words failed me. 

From deep within, my spirit uttered words outside of my understanding and beyond my human comprehension.  There were no words in my vocabulary appropriate or adequate for this moment...

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!"

Wonderfully amazing.

Indescribably good.

Like nothing on earth.

There is a yearning on the inside of each of us.  A longing only our Creator can satisfy.  No matter how or what we try to substitute, there is nothing or no one worthy to fill the place that cries out for Him.

My soul DOES long for Him....

And sometimes, whether in times of visitation, worship, repentance, brokenness or desperation,  often our words fail us.

I am reminded of the song by Amy Grant, "Better Than a Hallelujah."

We pour out our miseries

God just hears a melody

Beautiful the mess we are

the honest cries of breaking hearts...

...the silence when the words don't come...

...better than a hallelujah sometimes... 

It's not in the eloquence of our speech, the perfection in our posture, impressive vocabulary, or any righteousness we think we might have, but in the beauty of our brokenness, coming to God just as we are...

Honestly.

Openly.

Surrendered.

Answer Him when He calls.

Open the door when He knocks.

Say yes to His invitation.

Let Him be the One to satisfy the longing that only He can.

O God, You are my God,

Early will I seek You,

My soul thirsts for You,

My flesh longs for You

In a dry and thirsty land

Where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1

Don't Get "Dis-Appointed!"

The past couple of days have proved to be a little.....well.....out of the ordinary for me.  I am, by nature, a very positive upbeat person.  But, I let my guard down.  Ever done that?


And I THINK I just used this scripture in my last post....

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
~Proverbs 4:23.

How quickly I got my eyes off of God's promises and onto my circumstances.  And I moped around all day, unmotivated and unproductive.  REALLY, I know better.

 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
 ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18.

Luckily, for me, it didn't last long.


My mom gave me an article to read yesterday, so as I was sitting in the pick-up line at Logan's school, I opened it up.  And, as usual, God began to speak to me and show me the error of my ways. 


I'm so thankful He loves me (and you!) enough to do that.


Apparently, I had allowed unfulfilled expectations and our temporarily less than perfect circumstances to cause disappointment - which I then allowed to come in and set up camp for a bit.

Not good.


The article said..."Disappointment is not just a sad, emotional state of mind; deep disappointment can actually sever our hearts from faith.  It is the enemy's work.  Demonically manipulated disappointment can actually "dis-appoint" a person from God's destiny for their lives" (Francis Frangipane).

It's naive to think that we will never get disappointed.  That is, unfortunately, a part of life that we can't escape.  It's in those times that we have to grab hold of our faith like never before, keeping discouragement, unforgiveness, and/or bitterness from taking up residence!  It's also in those times that God can do a work in us beyond our comprehension - a work sure to benefit and increase our preparedness for a future season.

Anything and everything that tries to bring us down or halt our forward movement is such a lesser thing when compared to the King of Kings!  We just need the right perspective. And we have to stay alert and aware.


I began to wonder....if this happened to me so quickly, how many other people who are going through trying times are stuck in this place?  How many people have sunk even further and allowed deep disappointment to come in and sever their hearts from their faith?


Are you there? 


Has disappointment found its way into a secret chamber of your heart, robbing you and keeping you from God's plans and purposes for your life? 


Maybe you just got there. 


Maybe you've been there for a while.

Or maybe you didn't even know you were there.


F.F. also said that disappointment cuts us off from our vision, and without vision a people perish.

Have you lost your vision?  Is it hard for you to remember the dreams and promises that God once gave you?


Don't accept the power of disappointment in your life. Recognize it when it comes, and tell it to hit the road, Jack!!

Remind yourself how good God is! 

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable! Ps. 145:3

Decide TODAY, right now, to renounce disappointment. Forgive, repent, or do whatever you need to do to return to your Redeemer! Be set free and move forward into your destiny!

Don't allow disappointment to "dis-appoint" you!!


God has great plans!!

xoxo

Shelly