Source of power

By John MacArthur

God chooses the humble, the lowly, the meek, and the weak
so that there's never any question about the source of power
when their lives change the world.

Focus on God

By Kim Sorgius

It's our focus on God that brings victory in our lives
not perfect circumstances or desirable results.

Falling prey

From Not Consumed posted by Susan B.

In the desert of despair, doubt is so deafening even the strongest of Christians can lose sight of God's truth. Constant prayer and meditation on the Word are the only way to walk through life's trials without falling prey to the father of lies.

Sky would be empty

If a star fell each time I thought of you, the sky would be empty.

Rise up

From A.W. Tozer

It's time for us to rise up, get out of the rut and routine, and begin to take our Christian faith seriously.

Upgrade

Posted on Jennifer R.R.'s page.

You live, you learn, and you upgrade.  -Unknown

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

Today's Bible Gateway Verse of the Day.

John 14:1-3
The Way, the Truth, and the Life
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Define vs. reveal

From A.W. Tozer

I don't want the world to define God for me. I want the Holy Spirit to reveal God to me.

Can't be brave

Quote from Mary Tyler Moore.

You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you.

More than a Christmas story

From Max Lucado's Daily Devotional

More Than a Christmas Story
The virgin birth is more, much more than a Christmas story. It's actually a story of how close Christ will come to you! The first stop on His itinerary was a womb. Where will God go to touch the world?

Look deep within Mary for an answer. Better still-look deep within yourself. "Christ in you, the hope of glory!" the Scriptures say in Colossians 1:27. Christ grew in Mary until He had to come out. Christ will grow in you until the same occurs. He will come out in your speech, in your actions, in your decisions! Every place you live will be a Bethlehem. And every day you live will be a Christmas. Deliver Christ into the world...your world.

Revelation more powerful than reason

This was on Honorine's wall from Elevation Church.

I thank God when I cannot know the reason, He gives me a revelation. I have learned that revelation is more powerful than reason. It didn't have to go down like this. Because one mistake we make sometimes is to assume that everything that happens to us is what God wanted to happen to us. That kind of logic and that kind of thinking, to me, is not a celebration of the sovereignty of God. It is irresponsibility of people who do not want to live according to the statutes of God, but then want to blame the results on Him when their lives are falling apart. There are some things you went through that God didn't make you go through.There are some things you went through, that God was trying to say, "Hey, hey! He's a terrible person. Don't date him! Hey, hey! It's going to screw up your life to hang out with them! Hey, you can't afford that! I know it's got leather seats, but you can't afford it!"

There were some things God tried to keep you from doing that you did anyway and now you find yourself in a situation that your own foolishness created. But I got good news. No, I got good news! Because it doesn't even matter the reason. When you have a revelation of the goodness of God-this is where my life changed-because I always heard that if the devil attacked me or if God tested me, that God would deliver me. But I found out something. And maybe I found it out around in my twenties. I thought that, I thought if I do it right, then God would help me if I call on Him, but if I do it wrong, I got to fix it myself. I found out that the SAME GOD who will be faithful to deliver me when I'm right, I can't make this explode in your heart, but the moment that you realize that God is not just the God of good decisions, God is not just the God of your faithful steps, but Paul looks at these men and says, "The reason we're in this situation is you. The reason we're in this situation, it's your fault we're here. Nevertheless keep up your courage because God showed up and told me last night that even though it's your fault, HE'S STILL FAITHFUL! And we're going forward anyway."

Sinners

Sinners judging sinners for sinning differently.

Best friend

I think this is from Toby Mac.

My best friend was born in a manger.

Pastor's preaching

By A.W. Tozer

If your Christianity depends upon a pastor's preaching, then you're a long way from being where you should be.

Jesus Quilt

This is sooo good. I needed this today. On a FB page called Gods411.

The Jesus Quilt

As I faced my Maker at the last Judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with the other souls. Before each of us laid our lives, like the squares of a quilt, in many piles. An Angel sat before each of us, sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that was our life. But as my Angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares were. They were filled with giant holes! Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in everyday life. I saw hardships that I had endured (which were the largest holes of all). I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Others had a tiny hole here and there. Other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune.

I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened. My Angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air. Finally, the time came when each life was to be displayed, help up to the light and the scrutiny of truth. The others rose each, in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. My Angel looked upon me and nodded for me to rise. My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life and laughter. But there also had been trials of illness, death, and false accusations that took from me my world as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. 

I had spent many nights on my knees, in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully; each time offering it up to the Father, in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me. And now, I had to face the truth my life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it had been. 

I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light. An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with eyes wide. Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded through the many holes, creating an image. The face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, "Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through until there was more of Me than there was of you...Welcome Home My Child."

Become fearless

Once you become fearless life becomes limitless.

The new me

This was on one of "those" websites.

The New Me
I am the smile behind many tears
I am a parent that lost part of myself
I am the parent of a child that will never come home for Christmas.

Passages

I was looking at USA Today which I never go on, and seeing who died this year in their "Passages" slideshow. Of course, I saw your name, you sneaky. Here it is:

Nicky Hayden of USA and Red Bull Honda World Superbike team prepares to start on the grid during the Race 2 during the FIM Superbike World Championship-Race 2 at Enzo e Dino Ferrari Circuit on May 14, 2017 in Imola, Italy. Hayden died on May 22, 2017, five days after he was hit by a car while training on his bicycle. He was 35.

Wise words

Counselor Dave told me this yesterday regarding my concerns about getting a divorce:

The people who KNOW you will realize that things must have been really bad in the marriage for you to go through with this.

Hayden dream

I had a dream about you the other night. Carter and I were coming out of some sort of store, and we saw you walking with a few friends in the parking lot. I realized that we had gone back in time, and had to get to you while we were there. I ended up finding you in a park at a picnic table and talking to you. Don't know what we said.

It's amazing, being with you in a dream, because it is SO familiar. It just feels like it always did. It feels normal. So thankful for that.

Safely say

Quote from A.W. Tozer

I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.

God is light

From A.W. Tozer

God is light and in Him there is no darkness. God will never betray you, He'll never let you down.

Son of God

From C.S. Lewis. I'm pretty sure I've posted this before, but worth re-posting.

The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.

Real reasoning

This is the real reasoning why what people think of you doesn't matter:

You are what you love and not what loves you.

Mother & Son

Mother and Son

I would give my live to have you back,
said his (Mom)
I know you would, said her son.
I cry each night for you, said his (Mom)
And I catch all of your tears said her son
I pray for the day that I can see you again,
said his (Mom)
Close your eyes and you can see me,
said her son...
You are the first person who loved me,
and you are the first person I loved.
You were always there when I needed you,
and you always knew when I needed a hug.
I am here for you now, (Mom)
in your heart and in your soul.
I did not take your heart with me
instead I left mine with you to hold.
One day I will take your hand
and lead you to paradise,
but until then my beautiful mother,
when you want to see me
you only need to close your eyes...

E. Warby

*Original poem said "Mum" but I changed it to "Mom"

In Memory of a Special Son

This is a poem I considered for the Christmas FB post, but I went with something more Christmas-y.

In Memory of a Special Son

It's sometimes hard to know

why some things happen as they do

for so much joy and happiness 

was centered around you

It seems so hard to comprehend

that you're no longer here

but all the happy memories

will help to keep you near

You're thought about with pride, Son

with each mention of your name

death cannot change a single thing

the love will still remain.

Anxiety and depression

Having anxiety and depression is like being scared and tired at the same time.

It's the fear of failure but no urge to be productive.

It's wanting friends but hating socializing.

It's wanting to be alone but not wanting to be lonely.

It's caring about everything then caring about nothing.

It's feeling everything at once then feeling paralyzingly numb.

Money

Money doesn't make decisions, you do.

Loved more

We are loved more than we could dream.

Christmas post

This year I took pictures of the Christmas mug that Steve and Katrina gave us and wrote the following:

This mug was a gift from special friends a few years ago, commemorating Hayden's last Christmas with us. He brought so much joy every day, and Christmas was no exception. This is Christmas #3 without you, sweet boy, and it's still hard to believe you're really gone.

Missing You at Christmas

There is a little place within my heart
That's with me every day
A place where all my memories
Are softly tucked away.

It is the perfect place
In my grief for me to go,
For words could not explain
How very much I miss you so.

And now that once again
Christmastime has come around,
It's where the sweetest memories
And thoughts of you are found.

Added this quote: "Grief is just love squaring up to its oldest enemy...and after all these mortal human years, love is up to the challenge."  -Kate Braestrup

Until the light returns

From A.W. Tozer

Trust God in the dark until the light returns.

My enemy

By A.W. Tozer

Whatever keeps me from my Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear to be.

Price tag

If you had a price tag there would be an infinity sign on it.

So I did

I believed I could so I did.

Find you sooner

If I had my life to live again, I'd find you sooner.

-Kobi Yamada

Walk fearlessly

From that speaker/author Kate Braestrup.

Walk fearlessly into the house of mourning, for grief is just love squaring up to its oldest enemy.

New beginnings

By Lao Tzu

New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.

Love up to the challenge

This is from a video from Getting Your Breath Back. The speaker was Kate Braestrup.

You can trust a human being with grief. Grief is just love squaring up to its oldest enemy...and after all these mortal human years, love is up to the challenge.

Worth it

Quote of my own making:

Love is always worth the trouble

Correct and encourage

From A.W. Tozer

We must allow the Word of God to correct us the same way we allow it to encourage us.

Dayspring

I liked that the word "Dayspring" was in here, like the greeting cards. Also, the verse is amazing.

From Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day

Luke 1:76-78
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us.

Suffer for good

1 Peter 3:17
For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Too busy to see Him

Excerpt from Max Lucado's Daily Devotional

Too Busy To See Him

Those who missed His Majesty's arrival-missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren't looking.

When Jesus calls your name

Excerpt from Max Lucado's Daily Devotional

When Jesus Calls Your Name

And when He calls your name, be ready. Look up. He will reach down and take you home...when Christ comes!

His love covers all things

From Max Lucado's Daily Devotional

His Love Covers All Things
Would you do what Jesus did? He exchanged the worship of angels for the company of killers. If you were God, would you? I wouldn't, but Christ did! Jesus humbled Himself. He went from commanding angels to sleeping in the straw. Why? Because that is what love does. It puts the loved before itself. Your place in heaven was more important to Him than His place in heaven, so He gave up His so you could have yours.

It's time to let His love cover all things in your life. Every promise broken, every cross word, and hard word. His love covers all things. Let it! Do it for His sake. For the peace of your heart. And do it for their sake. For the people in your life. Let His love fall on you so yours can fall on them.

Unlikely provision

When people don't support you, God will send unlikely provision.

Trust

From website called Hitting Home from a book by Dr. Force titled, How to Fight for Your Marriage Without Fighting with One Another.

Marriage Is Like A Bridge To A Woman
For a woman, marriage is a bridge upon which she desires to safely walk. If that bridge has ever fallen through, she thinks twice before bearing all her weight on it again.

Most women simply want to know that their relationship with their husband is stable in the areas of unconditional love, commitment, emotional intimacy, and finances. Deep down, they desire to kow that this bridge called marriage will hold up their sense of self worth as well as their expectations. When it shows signs of weakness, they tend to test its strength by doing what I call jumping up and down. This is usually done in one or more of the following ways:

1. A wife may withhold her love for her husband until she sees that he truly cares about her and not merely himself.
2. She may show hesitancy to act like everything is fine in the marriage.
3. Some act cold or indifferent about the marriage until they see viable change.
4. A wife may question her husband's motives for making changes for the better.
5. A woman could display a lack of willingness to participate in physical intimacy.
6. She could be curt, and at times, rude toward her husband.

These are all natural tendencies for a wife that feels insecure about her relationship with her husband. This, of course, does not condone this type of behavior, but it certainly explains why some wives are tempted to act in such a way. I often say that though this describes a woman's behavior, it does not necessarily prescribe what should happen in a marriage.

Wooing Your Wife On That Bridge
Many a man has found himself standing on a broken down, dilapidated bridge called marriage, trying to encourage his wife to follow. While he stands wooing, begging, and sometimes, pleading with his wife to trust him once more, she often reacts with reluctance. It is not so much her reluctance or lack thereof that will determine their success, as much as his reaction to her reluctance that will be the key. 

Some men, while standing on that bridge, feel either afraid or overwhelmed by the task. Others feel incapable. Either way, they will do well not to run and hide from their God-given responsibility to promote an atmosphere of safety in their marriage through sacrificial service and safe conversation.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Other men err in that they focus on their wife's reluctance rather than their responsibility to strengthen the bridge with the planks of unconditional love and biblical character. This is a crucial mistake that many, if not most, men make as they work at rebuilding trust in a marriage.

Early in our marriage, I was guilty of such behavior. Rather than rebuilding the bridge of trust through unconditional love and kindness, I was more focused on the thought of my wife jumping up and down. This only served to delay any type of substantial success.

As a young married man, I would try to use my carefully constructed arguments and long lectures to reassure my wife, Melody, that the bridge would never fall through again. Looking back, I could have avoided countless one-sided discussions by doing more to repair the bridge than trying to sell her on the state of it.

When women show hesitancy to trust their husbands, men often become defensive. Although this is a natural reaction for most men, it will do little to boost a woman's level of confidence. Men that are prone to such behavior will be wise to understand that there is a formula for rebuilding trust in a marriage. I call it change over time.

Men usually do not mind the numerator of my formula. Change is sometimes easy. It is the denominator of the equation that causes men to struggle.

When men repent or change their minds, they often change on the spot by making an about-face turn. Women, on the other hand, are vastly different in that they reverse directions by making a very slow 180 degree turn. This is often a tremendous source of frustration to men trying to woo their wives.

A Castle Around Her Heart
As we saw in the last chapter, when a woman is hurt, she will often build a castle around her heart and shut the door tight. As she hides out for safety, is it vital that the man patiently serves as he waits for her to open that door. Any signs of impatience will send out a resounding message that he is serving his fears rather than her needs. She will also be prone to perceive that he is simply using date nights, flowers, and charitable acts of kindness as a form of control to get her to conform to get her to conform to his wishes.

Spiritually reborn

From R.C. Sproul

To put it as simply as I can,
If you are not spiritually reborn,
you are not a Christian.

No limit

From A.W. Tozer

The deeper into the heart of God I go, the more the enemy will oppose me, but the more God will draw me. The enemy may be strong, but his strength is limited, whereas God's grace has no limit.

Physically painful

From I Am A Mother To An Angel

Grief, after the initial shock of loss, comes on in waves. When you're driving alone in your car, while you're doing the dishes, while you're getting ready for work...and all of a sudden it hits you-how so very MUCH you miss someone, and your breath catches, and your tears flow, and the sadness is so great that it's physically painful!

-Nicole Gabert

That fateful day

From I Am A Mother To An Angel

That Fateful Day

I can't forget that fateful day,

You had to leave, you went away,

A sadness filled me up inside,

Emotions that I could not hide.

Tears, they came, sadness too,

All my emotions, just for you,

Time will heal, so I was told,

But time could never fill this hole.

Here in my heart, there is a place,

You're always there, keeping me safe,

It's filled with love and happy times,

It's never dark, your light it shines.

In heaven now, you do reside,

To watch over me, with love and pride,

I know one day we'll meet again,

Until we do just know how much I miss you

And you are always with me, always!

Backsliding

From A.W. Tozer

You can blame circumstances, but backsliding always begins in the heart.

Uses greatly

From A.W. Tozer

God never uses anyone greatly until he tests them deeply.

Honestly

From I Am A Mother To An Angel

Honestly, living without one or more of your beautiful children is the closest thing you can get to hell on earth.

End of story

Don't just pray about what seems logical and possible. Pray hard about the "impossible." God will show you that nothing nothing nothing is impossible with Him. Ever. Period. End of story.

Stumble in the road

Quote from Toby Mac

Never let a stumble in the road be the end of your journey.

Old enough

From C.S. Lewis

Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again...

Truest darkness

Quote from the movie, Justice League

Two versions:

The truest darkness is not absence of light but that light will never return...But the light always returns...Hope is real. You can see it. All you have to do is look up into the sky.

The truest darkness is not just the absence of light; it's the conviction that the light will never return. But the light always returns...

Find them with music

From Casting Crowns

I will find them with music

And then I'll lead them Home

One thing

By A.W. Tozer

It is one thing to believe the Bible but something else altogether to allow the Bible, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, to impact and change your life.

My home

Quote from Billy Graham

My home is in Heaven. I'm just traveling through this world.

My grace is sufficient

2 Corinthians 12:9
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Consider

K shared this with me.

Consider for a moment that what you call your "personality" is actually just a composite of habits and behavioral patterns you developed to cope with trauma. Now ask yourself, who am I outside of my pain? Who would I be if I stopped living life as a product of my story?

Silence

K sent this to me.

Don't kill people with kindness,
because not everyone deserves your kindness.

Kill people with silence,
because not everyone deserves your attention.

Being hurt

From A.W. Tozer
If being hurt by the church causes you to lose faith in God, then your faith was in people, not in God.

Christ's Birth

Today's Bible Gateway Verse of the Day

Luke 1:26-28
Christ's Birth Announced to Mary
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

Broken

Broken

by Lifehouse

The broken clock is a comfort, it helps me sleep tonight

Maybe it can stop tomorrow from stealing all my time

I am her still waiting though I still have my doubts

I am damaged at best, like you've already figured out

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing

With a broken heart that's still beating

In the pain there is healing

In your name I find meaning

So I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on

I'm barely holdin' on to you

The broken locks were a warning you got inside my head

I tried my best to be guarded, I'm an open book instead

I still see your reflection inside of my eyes

That are looking for a purpose, they're still looking for life

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing

With a broken heart that's still beating

In the pain (in the pain), is there healing

In your name (in your name) I find meaning

So I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin')

I'm barely holdin' on to you

I'm hangin' on another day

Just to see what you will throw my way

And I'm hanging on to the words you say

You said that I will be OK

The broken lights on the freeway left me here alone

I may have lost my way, haven't forgotten my way home

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing

With a broken heart that's still beating

In the pain (in the pain) there is healing

In your name I find meaning

So I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin')

I'm barely holdin' on to you

I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin')

I'm barely holdin' on to you

What it can take away

Never forget yesterday,
but always live for today...
Because you never know what tomorrow can bring...
or what it can take away...

I could never survive that

The Trouble With Saying 'I Could Never Survive That' After Child Loss
by Molly Woo

I could never survive that.

We've all thought it. We've said it all. Absentmindedly, we brush back our child's hair or kiss the top of their head and shudder at the story we read or heard or watched. The horror of someone else's child dying is so repulsive to a mother that she cannot help but reflexively distance herself from it. We impulsively, collectively recite our mantra: I could never survive that.

I became a mother for the first time seven months and fourteen days ago after three long days of labor. When they laid that red-faced, 9-1/2 pound baby on my swollen belly, my world refocused on that face that had my mouth and my husband's eyes. Through the subsequent weeks and months of sleep deprivation and crying jags, I never wanted to put him down, even as exhausted and frustrated tears streamed down my face. I have never loved anything like I love that baby boy.

So when my best friend's teenage brother died last month, and I saw his mother shake uncontrollably at the funeral, I looked at my sweet baby, and in solidarity with mothers everywhere, shuddered and thought, I could never survive that.

Immediately, I regretted the thought.

You see, my parents have survived it. When I was 4, my sister died of SIDS. I grew up watching my parents learn to survive the loss of a child. I watched as they rediscovered normal, as they remembered how to laugh, as they took joy in me, and eventually my other sister, who was born four years later. I watched every Halloween come and go with little fanfare and gobs of grief as her anniversary passed. Every June, we celebrated her birthday with family parties at the park where we planted a tree in her name and mourned her absence.

And my parents learned to survive.

As I rock my little one to sleep, my heart hurts for my own parents and the suffering I can only now begin to fathom. For the first time, I see their grief through the eyes of a parent instead of my own grief at the loss of a sister. But instead of insisting that I could not survive it, I am grateful they did.

When we, as a unit, solemnly swear that we could never survive that, we cast a shadow on those who do. What does it say about those who survive? They never wanted to, never intended to. They would trade that survival badge in a heartbeat. No one should outlive their child, and those who do wished they hadn't.

But they did.

They aren't naturally stronger than you and I; they don't have some magical quality. Their love wasn't any less for their child than my love for mine. They woke up each morning and had no idea how they would survive it, and went to bed each night with no idea how they continued to breathe.

It's only natural to close our eyes and repel the thoughts and stories, and there's nothing wrong with knocking on wood or saying a little prayer. But the next time you open your mouth to recite the mantra of mothers everywhere, bite it back. It's the unintentional insult, slung in a grieving mother's face, heavy with the implication that her love is somehow less and laden with guilt for surviving.

Her grief may be contagious, but her circumstances aren't. Don't distance yourself from the horror, and by proxy, the woman. Instead, have empathy for her struggle to survive and give plenty of love. She needs it.

Warm and fuzzy

Me: Sometimes you make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

He makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, even when he's not tryin. I like this.

Chase the warm and fuzzy.

Christ lives in His children

From Max Lucado's Daily Devotional

Christ Lives in His Children

Proliferating throughout Scripture is an enticing and inviting preposition-the preposition in. Jesus lives in his children. From Revelation 3:20 Jesus says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

God in us! Have we sounded the depth of this promise? With God in you, you have a million resources you didn't have before. Can't stop worrying? Christ can. And he lives within you. Can't forget the past, forgive the jerk, or forsake your bad habits? Christ can! And he lives in you! Oh to be so full of him that we could say with the apostle Paul, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me!" (Galatians 2:20)

Search the night for a light

From Max Lucado's Daily Devotional

Search the Night for a Light

On the night when Jesus was born, I wonder if Joseph prayed, Father, this all seems so...bizarre. The angel you sent? Any chance you could send another?

You've stood where Joseph stood. Each of us knows what it's like to search the night for a light. Not outside a stable, but perhaps outside an emergency room or on the manicured grass of a cemetery. We've asked our questions. We've wondered why God does what He does.

If you're asking what Joseph asked, let me urge you to do what Joseph did. Obey. He didn't let his confusion disrupt his obedience. What about you? You have a choice: to obey or disobey. Because Joseph obeyed, God used him to change the world. Can He do the same with you? Will you be that kind of person? Will you serve...even when you don't understand?

God comes to the common

Excerpt from Max Lucado's Daily Devotional

God Comes to the Common-because His most powerful tools are the simplest!

We always assume the worst before we look for the best.

Joseph went out on a limb

From Max Lucado's Daily Devotionals. Trying to get caught up.

Joseph Went Out On A Limb

"After His mother, Mary, was betrothed, before they came together, she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 1:18)

Joseph was perched firmly on his branch in the tree. Predictable and solid, Joseph had no intention of leaving it. That is, until he was told to go out on a limb. Conceived by the Holy Spirit? Come on! Who will believe me? Pride told him not to do it, but God told him to do it.

I have a feeling you can relate to Joseph. One foot in your will and one foot in His. His will or yours? Disrupting, isn't it? You bet it won't be easy. Limb-climbing has never been easy. Ask Joseph. Better yet, ask Jesus! He knows better than anyone the cost of hanging on a tree!

No one

From Angela Miller, A Bed For My Heart

Remember that no one, no one, no one has the exact relationship that you do with your precious child. No one will feel the exact same piercing agony, pain and longing you do for your child. Therefore, no one has the right to give you unsolicited advice about how to tend to your soul-deep wounds, this holiday season, or any day of the year.

As I sit in heaven

Good reminder.

As I sit in heaven

And watch you everyday

I try to let you know with signs

I never went away

I hear you when you're laughing

And watch you as you sleep

I even place my arms around you

To calm you as you weep

I see you wish the days away

Begging to have me home

So I try to send you signs

So you know you are not alone

Don't feel guilty that you have

Life that was denied to me

Heaven is truly beautiful

Just you wait and see

So live your life, laugh again

Enjoy yourself, be free

Then I know with every breath you take

You'll be taking one for me...

Restores

When God restores, He doesn't bring you out the same. He pays you back for everything you've lost.

Deeper

By Nikita Gill (via noticingneverland)

If you have been brutally broken, but still have the courage to be gentle to others, then you deserve a love deeper than the ocean itself.

Church

From A.W. Tozer

We should come to church not anticipating entertainment but expecting the high and holy manifestation of God's presence.

Christmas

From Corrie ten Boom.

Who can add to Christmas?
The perfect motive is that God so loved the world.
The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son.
The only requirement is to believe in Him.
The reward of faith is that you shall have Everlasting Life!

Lucky enough

From Toby Mac

If you are lucky enough to be different, don't ever change.

What you do

From Toby Mac

Love is not what you say. Love is what you do.

You are missing

From something called Pop Punk Kids. Tempted to correct the grammar, but will leave as it is.

in english, you don't say "i miss you." you say "where are you?" and i'm so sorry i cannot sleep i cannot dream tonight i need somebody and always this sick strange darkness comes creeping on so haunting every time and as i stared i counted the webs from all the spiders catching t

In French, you don't say "I miss you." You say, "tu me manques" which means, "you are missing from me." Isn't that amazing?

The train

This was on S. Nadig's FB yesterday.

THE TRAIN: At birth we boarded the train and met our parents, and we believe they will always travel by our side. As time goes by, other people will board the train; and they will be significant i.e. our siblings, friends, children, and even the love of your life. However, at some station our parents will step down from the train, leaving us on this journey alone. Others will step down over time and leave a permanent vacuum. Some, however, will go so unnoticed that we don't realize they vacated their seats. This train ride will be full of joys, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, goodbyes, and farewells. Success consists of having a good relationship with all passengers requiring that we give the best of ourselves.

The mystery to everyone is: We do not know at which station we ourselves will step down. So, we must live in the best way, love, forgive, and offer the best of who we are. It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life.

I wish you all a joyful journey.

Dirty work

A strong woman doesn't seek revenge. She moves on and lets karma do her dirty work.

Your life

This was from a video about a man with a special needs son giving a motivational speech to some students.

Your life is not about you.
Your life is about all of the people around you.
Your life is about all the people you can touch.
All the people you can impact.
All the people you can influence.
All the people you love.
All the people that love you.
That's how you source your life, from the people around you.
From what you can do for those around you.
That's what your life is all about.

(Definition of "source" as a verb: to obtain from a particular source. Definition of "source" as a noun: a place, person, or thing from which something comes or can be obtained)

If I could be where you are

This is by Enya

If I Could Be Where You Are

by Enya

Where are you this moment?

Only in my dreams

You're missing, but you're always

A heartbeat from me.

I'm lost now without you,

I don't know where you are.

I keep watching, I keep hoping,

But time keeps us apart

Is there a way I can find you,

Is there a sign I should know,

Is there a road I could follow

To bring you back home?

Winter lies before me

Now you're so far away.

In the darkness of my dreaming

The light of you will stay

If I could be close beside you

If I could be where you are

If I could reach out and touch you

And bring you back home

Is there a way I can find you

Is there a sign I should know

Is there a road I can follow

To bring you back home to me

By your side

This song came on by Lifehouse the other day. I love it.

By Your Side

by Lifehouse

All I want now is to be with you

Cause you know I've been everywhere else

Looking back at what you got me through

You know me better than I know myself

When I feel lost and I can't find my way

When words are at a a loss and I can hear you say

I'll be by your side, when all hope has died

I will still be around oh, and I'm still on your side

When everything's wrong, I will still be around

By your side

Fighting my way back to where you are

The only place I ever felt at home

Stumbling backwards through the dark

I know how it feels to be alone

And where we go is where I wanna be

And in the silence I hear you say to me

I'll be by your side, when all hope has died

I will still be around, oh and I, I'm still on your side

When everything's wrong, I will still be around

I can't wait another day to show my space between

Your heart and mine, and you're all that I need

You say I

I'll be by your side, when all hope has died

I will still be around, oh and I'm still on your side

When everything's wrong, I will still be around

By your side, by your side, by your side, by your side, by your side

Won't give up

The devil doesn't know what to do with somebody who just won't give up.

Reason to live

From Timothy Joshua

You will only ever meet someone like her a few times in your lifetime,
so hold onto her,
for she will give you reason to live.

Guided by God

From Lysa Terkeurst

A teachable heart, a willing spirit, a bendable will, a loving attitude

This is a woman guided by God

Like air

From Maya Angelou

But still, like air, I'll rise.

Push him away

She didn't lose him, she had to let him go. She didn't get over him, she had to move on. She didn't lose feelings for him, she had to walk away. She didn't get bored of him, she had to do what was best for her. She didn't let him go, she had to push him away. She didn't forget about him, she had to cut him off. She didn't want things to end, she just did what's best for her. She didn't want to break up, she just couldn't handle it anymore. She didn't want to leave his life, she just needed time to herself. It just got to the point where she put herself first for once and she decided it was time for her and him to go their separate ways. It's not that she doesn't want to be with him anymore because she does, but it's just that things weren't the same anymore and no matter how long she waited for things to get better, no matter how hard she tried to make things work, it just wasn't happening. She just didn't want to be unhappy anymore. She'd run back to him in a heartbeat, but for now, she just needs to be on her own.

Hardships

From C.S. Lewis

Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny...

Religion

From Tim Keller

Religion stresses holiness over grace. Irreligion stressed freedom over holiness. Christianity is freedom through grace that leads to holiness.

Burst into tears

Have you ever

missed someone so

much that even the

thought of them

made you burst into tears!

YES!YOU!

Ask yourself

From A.W. Tozer

Ask yourself another question: "Am I using my money wisely? Am I using my money to bless people? Am I using my money to find the lost sheep? Am I using my money to help feed the hungry children?" Here is yet another question: "Do I gossip about people? Have I been a troublemaker?" Some people are disease carriers who are not sick themselves. They carry some disease, but they are not ill--just carriers. There are some Christians who are carriers. They can say "amen" with the best, can sing "Nearer My God to Thee" with the loudest, but they are not around very long until suspicions begin to enter the minds of Christians. They are trouble makers and trouble carriers. Then, "Have I judged other Christians? Your present frozen condition may be a judgment of God, for as you judge others so you will be judged by God. Your present frozen condition may be that you have judged somebody else to be frozen, and the Lord allowed the thing to turn around on you." Am I heavenly minded or earthly minded? Where do my thoughts tend to stray when they are free to stray where they will? What do I brood over? Are my thoughts pure and charitable?" If you can find out what you brood over, you will know what kind of a heart you have. We always brood over things that we love, or that we hate if we are holding a grudge against somebody.

(Weird grammar and punctuation, but that's how it was in the post)

Adjust

From A.W. Tozer

We are called not to adjust ourselves to each other, but to adjust ourselves to God.

So many screenshots

Was it a bad day? Or was it a bad five minutes that you milked all day?  -Toby Mac

Being negative only makes a difficult journey more difficult. You may be given a cactus, but you don't have to sit on it.  -Joyce Meyer

The present age is so flippant that if a man loves the Savior he is a fanatic and if he hates the powers of evil he is a bigot.  -Charles Spurgeon

How I wish I could go

Back to the day

When angels came down

And took you away

I would cherish each moment

And never let go

Tell you all day

How much I love you so

I would treasure each second

Minutes and hour that past

So the whole day would last

I would tell you I love you

And tell you I care

When the angels did come

I want to be there

I would kiss you one time

Before you went away

For I know in my heart

We will be together some day

By John F Connor

I'll love you today, and I'll love you tomorrow, and I'll love you ten years from now. You'll be that story that I give my kids when it comes to heartbreak. I'll tell them that it hurt like hell and you were supposed to be the one. I'll tell them that there's boys who will pry you open and spill acid into your heart. They'll watch as you rot and they'll only say sorry when they need something. That they'll come in and out of your life as they please unless you put a stop to it. I'll tell them that they need to be stronger than I was, that it'll hurt to leave, but it'll hurt worse to give them as many chances as they want. -From Sarah C.'s page (A part of my writing I did today via Idrinktoforget?)

The same person

From Getting Your Breath Back

You are under no obligation to be the same person you were a year, a month, or even 15 minutes ago. You have the right to grow. No apologies.

This book

By A.W. Tozer

Holy Bible

Believe it or not:

This book is being played out right before our eyes, 

and the world doesn't even see it.

An unknown future

From Corrie Ten Boom.

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

All of the tomorrows

All of the tomorrows of our life have to pass through Him before they can get to us.

-F.B. Meyer

Your heart

Your heart toward God is so much more than a mistake that you make!

Never fear failure

From Joyce Meyer.

Never fear failure, but instead fear being successful at something useless.

In every heartbeat

By Eric Celerier

On this day Jesus tells you...
See, your name is engraved on my hand.
Forget you? How could I?
You are in every heartbeat of my heart. I love you passionately, infinitely.

Light of the world

From Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day from the other day

John 8:12
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

Bread of life

From Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day the other day

John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Have life

Today's Bible Gateway Verse of the Day

John 10:7, 9-10
Therefore Jesus said again, "Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate, and whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Repeat after me

From Toby Mac

Repeat after me:
My current situation is not my permanent destination.

Love never dies

On Lydia K's page today

When you believe beyond what your eyes can see...
Signs from Heaven show up to remind you
Love never dies.

-Julie Clapp

Worth repeating

Was thinking of this the other day

Travel and tell no one. Live a true love story and tell no one. Live happily and tell no one. People ruin beautiful things.   -Kahlil Gabrin

Holy

From A.W. Tozer

Holy is the way God is. To be holy He does not conform to a standard. He is that standard.

Inviting it back

From I Am A Mother To An Angel
I want to talk about what happened without mentioning how much it hurt. There has to be a way. To care for the wounds without reopening them. To name the pain without inviting it back into me.

When I lost you

From Blowing Kisses to Heaven
I wish I could see you one more time
come walking through the door
But I know that is impossible
I will hear your voice no more.
I know you can feel my tears
and you don't want me to cry
Yet my heart is broken
because I can't understand why
someone so precious had to die.
I pray that God will give me strength
and somehow get me through
As I struggle with this heartache
That came when I lost you.

The plans

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   Jeremiah 29:11

Never gone

It has been said, "Time heals all wounds." I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.

-Rose Kennedy

No man

Listen to no man who has not listened to God.  -A.W. Tozer

Imagine

By Angela Miller, A Bed For My Heart

Imagine being separated from your child for the rest of your life. Imagine never being able to see him, touch him, hold him, hear his voice, his laugh, or see him smile again. Imagine a violent period permanently placed where there should have been the endless run-on sentences of childhood. Imagine your garage filled with sharpie-marked boxes of your son's entire life, the clothes he wore yet will never wear again. Imagine you took the last picture of your child without knowing it was the last. Imagine.

Imagine not being able to watch your child grow up. Imagine waking to a living nightmare that never ends. This is how child loss feels, every second of every day, for bereaved parents everywhere. This is why grief lasts a lifetime.

Just blooms

A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms.

Your talent

Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.

What storm

Do not judge. You don't know what storm I've asked her to walk through.  -God

Without Him

From C.H. Spurgeon

You may think you can live fine without Christ, but you cannot afford to die without Him.

That Christian

From A.W. Tozer

There are rare Christians whose very presence incites others to be better Christians. I want to be that rare Christian.

You're gone

My mind is still having trouble wrapping itself around the fact that you're gone.

No peace

From Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day

Isaiah 48:22
"There is no peace," says the Lord, "for the wicked."

The glorious unknown

From SCC:

Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown.

That's strength

You know you're strong when you're helping people through their storms while going through your own. That's strength.

His sun

On my Verse of the Day calendar last week.

Matthew 5:45b
For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

The eternal Word

From Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day last week.

John 1:1-2,14
The Eternal Word
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

The Word Becomes Flesh
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld the glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Every step

Quote from Toby Mac

There will come a time when every step of the journey God is taking you on will make sense. Until then, keep trusting him.

Come a time

From Toby Mac

There will come a time when every step of the journey God is taking you on will make sense. Until then, keep trusting Him.

Live to learn

This was one of those Goalcast videos. The speaker is comedian Tim Minchin.

These 9 Life Lessons Will Make You Laugh and Learn

One. You don't have to have a dream. Americans on talent shows always talk about their dreams. Fine, if you have something you've always wanted to do, dreamed of it in your heart, go for it. After all, it's something to do with your time, chasing a dream. If it's a big enough one, it'll take you most of your life to achieve, so by the time you get to it and are staring into the abyss of the meaningless of your achievement, you'll be almost dead so it won't matter.

I never really had one of those dreams. I advocate passionate dedication to the pursuit of short-term goals. Be micro-ambitious. Put your head down and work with pride on whatever is in front of you. You never know where you might end up. Just be aware the next worthy pursuit will probably appear in your periphery, which is why you should be careful of long-term dreams. If you focus too far in front of you, you won't see the shiny thing out of the corner of your eye.

Two. Don't seek happiness. Happiness is like an orgasm. If you think about it too much, it goes away. Keep busy and aim to make someone else happy and you might find you get some as a side effect. We don't evolve to be constantly content. Contented homo erectus got eaten before passing on their genes.

Three. Remember, it's all luck. You are lucky to be here. You are incalculably lucky to be born. Understanding that you truly can't take credit for your successes, nor truly blame others for their failures, will humble you and make you more compassionate. Empathy is intuitive, but is also something you can work on intellectually.

Four. Exercise. I'm sorry, you pasty, pale, smoking philosophy grads, arching your eyebrows into a Cartesian curve as you watch the human movement mob winding their way through the miniature traffic cones of their existence. You are wrong and they are right. Well, you're half right. You think, therefore you are, but also you jog, therefore you sleep, therefore you're not overwhelmed bu existential angst. You can't be Kant, and you don't want to be.

Play a sport, do yoga, pump iron, run, whatever, but take care of your body. You're going to need it. Most of you mob are going to live to nearly 100, and even the poorest of you will achieve a level of wealth that most humans throughout history could not have dreamed of. This long, luxurious life ahead of you is going to make you depressed.

Five. Be hard on your opinions...We must think critically and not just about the ideas of others. Be hard on your beliefs. Take them out onto the veranda and hit them with a cricket bat.

Be intellectually rigorous. Identify your biases, your prejudices, your privileges. Most of society's arguments are kept alive by a failure to acknowledge nuance. We tend to generate false dichotomies and then try to argue one point using two entirely different sets of assumptions, like two tennis players trying to win a match by hitting beautifully executed shots from either end of separate tennis courts.

Six. Be a teacher. Please, please, please be a teacher. Teachers are the most admirable and important people in the world. You don't have to do it forever, but if you're in doubt about what to do, be an amazing teacher. Even if you're not a teacher, be a teacher. Share your ideas. Don't take for granted your education. Rejoice in what you learn and spray it.

Seven. Define yourself by what you love...I see it all the time online, people whose idea of being part of a subculture is to hate Coldplay or football or feminists or the Liberal Party.

We have a tendency to define ourselves in opposition to stuff. As a comedian, I make my living out of it. But try also to express your passion for things you love. Be demonstrative and generous in your praise of those you admire. Send thank you cards and standing ovations. Be pro-stuff, not just anti-stuff.

Eight. Respect people with less power than you. I have in the past made important decisions about people I work with, agents and producers, big decisions based largely on how they treat the wait staff in the restaurants we're having the meeting in. I don't care if you're the most powerful cat in the room. I will judge you on how you treat the least powerful. So there.

Nine, finally, don't rush. You don't need to already know what you're gonna do with the rest of your life. Don't panic. You will soon be dead. Life will sometimes seem long and tough and, God, it's tiring. You will sometimes be happy and sometimes sad, and then you'll be old and then you'll be dead. There is only one sensible thing to do with this empty existence, and that is fill it.

Life is best filled by learning as much as you can about as much as you can, taking pride in whatever you're doing, having compassion, sharing ideas, running, being enthusiastic, and then there's love and travel and wine and sex and art and kids and giving and mountain-climbing. But you know all that stuff already.

It's an incredibly exciting thing, this one meaningless life of yours. Good luck and thank you for indulging me.

Just in case

From Toby Mac. I have a hard time believing this though...

Just in case no one told you today, you are good enough.

Give thanks

Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day from the other day

Psalm 136:1, 26
Thanksgiving to God for His Enduring Mercy
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures forever

The day of the Lord

Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day

2 Peter 3:10-11
The Day of the Lord
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness.

Dream

Dream like they will all come true.

Break up

8 Things to Avoid When You Break Up With Someone (Lifestyle, Fashionbeans.com)-Excerpts

No one should be in a relationship if they're not feeling it, and if you've decided to end the relationship. you're 100% justified in taking action, regardless of the circumstances.

Period. Ultimately, you need to look out for your own happiness, and as cold as it may sound, your ex-partner's feelings really aren't a factor in the decision.

Mutual friendships-non-factor

Not your job to soften the blow

If you actually made the decision to break up and followed through with it, that's a great sign; you  value yourself enough to leave a bad situation.

You need to enjoy life as a single person for a little while, or at least prove to yourself that you're confident enough to put real effort into that next relationship.

I hope

I hope you find someone who doesn't make you sad at night and someone who reminds you how much they love you every day and who laughs at your jokes and wants to listen to your music and who genuinely wants to be with you and doesn't make you second guess their love for you. I really hope you find that. Because you deserve that.

Wants you

If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away.
And if he doesn't want you, nothing can make him stay.
Remember that.

A storm

From Sarah C.'s page

She used to believe that love
should feel like
a storm,
passionate,
raw and raging.

But so many storms
have come
and left her
more broken than before

Now, she looks for a love
that feels like
a night
after the storm
is over.

-Cynthia Go, The calm after the storm

Butterflies

Lydia K. posted this.

Butterflies can't see their wings. They can't see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. People are like that as well.

Sneaky

Last night, I sent a song to K by the name of "Pieces" by a group named Red. It was definitely a Christian-themed song, so I googled to see if the band was Christian. Everything I read said that the people in the band were Christian, but the band wasn't a Christian band per se.

In one of the articles that came up, it said that the drummer was replaced by Hayden Lamb. :)

The real Jesus

From A.W. Tozer (love him!)

Wherever I am, whatever I am doing, I hope and pray to God that I will have the courage to stand up for the real Jesus of the New Testament, regardless of whom I offend.

The Holy Spirit

Quote from A.W. Tozer.

The Holy Spirit never enters a man and then lets him live like the world. You can be sure of that.

It might be you

A line of this song tied into The Carpenters song I just entered, so I wanted to make sure I had these song lyrics recorded too.

It Might Be You

by Stephen Bishop

Time...I've been passing time watching trains go by

All of my life...

Lying on the sand, watching seabirds fly

Wishing there would be

Someone waiting home for me...

Something's telling me it might be you

It's telling me it might be you...

All of my life...

Looking back as lovers go walking past...

All of my life

Wondering how they met and what makes it last

If I found the place

Would I recognize the face?

Something's telling me it might be you

Yeah, it's telling me it might be you

So many quiet walks to take

So many dreams to wake

And we've so much love to make

I think we're gonna need some time

Maybe all we need is time...

And it's telling me it might be you

All of my life...

I've been saving love songs and lullabies

And there's so much more

No one's ever heard before...

Something's telling me it might be you

Yeah, it's telling me it must be you

And I'm feeling it'll just be you

All of my life...

It's you..

It's you...

I've been waiting for all of my life...

Maybe it's you...

Maybe it's you...

I've been waiting for all of my life...

Maybe it's you...

Maybe it's you...

I've been waiting for all of my life...

It's going to take some time this time

Heard this song twice today-had two Pandora stations going at the same time.

It's Going To Take Some Time This Time

by The Carpenters

It's going to take some time this time

To get myself in shape

I really feel out-of line this time

I really missed the gate

The birds are on the telephone line (next time)

Are cryin' out to me (next time)

And I won't be so blind next time

And I'll find some harmony

But it's gong to take some time this time

And I can't make demands

But like the young trees in the wintertime

I'll learn how to bend

After all the tears we've spent

How could we make amends

So it's one more round for experience

And I'm on the road again

And it's going to take some time this time

It's going to take some time this time

No matter what I've planned

But like the young trees in the wintertime

I'll learn how to bend

After all the tears we've spent

How could we make amends

So it's one more round for experience

And I'm on the road again

And it's going to take some time this time

Avid reader

I'm debating over whether to order this book or not. It's called Emotional Abuse: Silent Killer of Marriage by Austin James, an admitted abuser. One of the reviews of the book on Amazon was amazing. It was written by someone named Avid Reader.

There was something about how counseling is not the answer to this problem-I will have to look that up.

When the church is pitying the abuser and putting all the pressure on the victim to try harder in the marriage, they have forgotten that "He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord" (Proverbs 17:15).

...abuse is Biblical grounds for divorce

What she needed to do was obey the Bible's command to "Go from the presence of a foolish man when you perceive not in him the lips of knowledge" (Proverbs 14:7).

The abusive form of anger puts the abuser in the category of "foolish" according to Proverbs 14:17. "He that is soon angry, deals foolishly." And warns us that someone "with a quick temper, sins a lot" (Proverbs 29:22).

But instead of teaching the Bible, what you hear all the time preached from the pulpit is that divorce is sinful and reconciliation is your only option. Hang on a second-if reconciliation is your only option than why does Proverbs 22:24 say, "Do not even associate with a man given to angry outbursts."

While overnight repentance is possible, it takes time to change behavioral patterns.

What it said about counseling: He warns people that if they visit a counselor for help and that counselor insists on joint marriage counseling first---then walk away because you won't find the help you need there. He points out that even when he and his wife sought professional help "not once did the question of abuse come up during years of seeing both secular and Christian counselors." That's a real problem, especially in the church. However, just to be clear, Austin does recommend seeking professional help---but distinguishes between types of counseling that aren't helpful in dealing with abuse.

If only

Excerpts from a Max Lucado Daily Devotional.

John 3:6: "Human life comes from human parents, but spiritual life comes from one Spirit." Your parents have given you genes but God gives you more. God is willing to give you what your family didn't.

Come to Me

From one of Max Lucado's Daily Devotionals.

Come To Me
How does a person get relief from shame, embarrassment, anger? In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus said, "Come to Me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and and you will find rest for your lives..."

I can see you shaking your head. I've tried that. I've read the Bible. I've sat on the pew-but I've never received relief. Could it be you went to religion and you didn't go to God? Could it be you went to a church but never saw Christ?

"Come to Me" the verse reads. Jesus is the solution for weariness of the soul. Go to Him. Admit you have soul secrets you've never dealt with. He already knows what they are. Go to Him! He's just waiting for you to ask Him for help!

You matter to God

Excerpts from a Daily Devotional by Max Lucado.

You Matter To God
What matters to you matters to God!...

...The Bible says you are an heir of God and a co-heir with Christ. You have a crown that will last forever. You were chosen before the creation of the world. But more than anything else is the simple fact-you are God's child. 1 John 4:4 says we are called children of God. And we really are His children. I love that we are really His children! And if something is important to you-it's important to God!

Birthday post

For Hope's bday post, here's what I said along with a super cute picture of her:

This girl. She makes me laugh every single day, inspires me, impresses me and keeps me in line. She is so many things I wish I could be, and I couldn't be more proud to be her mother. Happy 17th Birthday, Hopie!

K's comment: "'She is so many things I wish I could be'-she's simply mimicking her mother...."

Greatest miracle

Quote by A.W. Tozer of Leonard Ravenhill

The greatest miracle that God can do today is to take an unholy man out of an unholy world and make him holy, then put him back into that unholy world and keep him holy in it.

When Tomorrow Starts Without Me

I know I've recorded parts of this poem, but I've never come across such a long version of it.

When Tomorrow Starts Without Me
by David Romano
When tomorrow starts without me,
And I'm not there to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me;
I wish so much your wouldn't cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
We didn't get to say.
I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time you think of me,
I know you'll miss me too;
But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,
And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above
And that I'd have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye
For all my life, I'd always thought
I didn't want to die.
I had so much to live for,
So much left yet to do,
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.

I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad,
The thought of all the love we shared,
And all the fun we had.
If I could relive yesterday
Just even for a while,
I'd say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.
But then I finally realized
That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories,
Would take the place of me.
And when I thought of worldly things
I might miss come tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did
My heart was filled with sorrow.
But when I walked through heaven's gates
I felt so much at home
When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne,
He said,"This is eternity,
And all I've promised you.
Today your life on earth is past
But here it starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day's the same way,
There's no longing for the past.
You have been so faithful,
So trusting and so true.
Though there were times
You did some things
You knew you shouldn't do.
But you have been forgiven
And now at last you're free.
So won't you come and take my hand
And share my life with me?"

So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don't think we're far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I'm right here, in your heart.

Perhaps

From A.W. Tozer.

Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now.

The Way

From another Verse of the Day by Bible Gateway

Psalm 1:1-2
The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

A Call

From Bible Gateway's Verse of the Day

Psalm 95:1-2
A Call to Worship and Obedience
O come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

With you

When I'm with you, I feel safe from things that hurt me inside.

Certain people

Sometimes you just have to move on without certain people in your life.

The next chapter

I trust the next chapter because I know the author.

Toby Mac

For a reason

People come into our lives for a reason.

What He says He will do

From one of Max Lucado's Daily Devotionals.

God will always be the same. No one else will. Companies follow pay raises with pink slips. Friends applaud you when you drive a classic and dismiss you when you drive a dud.

Not God. God is always the same. James 1:17 says, with Him "there is no variation or shadow due to change." Catch God in a bad mood? Won't happen. Fear exhausting His grace? A sardine will swallow the Atlantic first. Think He's given up on you? Wrong. Did He not make a promise to you? God is not a human being, and He will not lie. He is not a human, and He does not change His mind. What He says He will do. What He promises, He will make come true. His strength, truth, ways, and love never change. Hebrews 13:8 declares "He is the same yesterday and today and forever." What He says, He will do!

Jesus builds the bridge

Excerpts from Max Lucado Daily Devotional.

Remember the next time you find yourself amazed at your own failures. Or the next time acidic accusations burn holes in your soul. Remember. It's man who creates the distance. It's Jesus who builds the bridge.

God's reward

From today's Daily Devotional by Max Lucado.

God's Reward
God rewards those who seek Him! Not those who seek doctrine or religion or systems or creeds. Many settle for these lesser passions, but the reward goes to those who settle for nothing less than Jesus Himself.

And what is the reward? What awaits those who seek Jesus? Nothing short of the heart of Jesus. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him. Can you think of a greater gift than to be like Jesus? Christ felt no guilt; God wants to banish yours. Jesus had no bad habits; God wants to remove yours. Jesus had no fear of death; God wants you to be fearless.

Jesus had kindness for the diseased and mercy for the rebellious and courage for the challenged. God wants you to have the same. Isn't it just like Jesus!

Too short

From Toby Mac.

Life is too short to start your day with the broken pieces of yesterday.

Darkest hours

From A.W. Tozer.

God does his deepest work in our darkest hours.

Walk alone

I've recorded this before, but it bears repeating. It's by A.W. Tozer.

There are times when to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in our life we must walk alone, which goes contrary to our natural inclination. Sometimes we must walk away from the crowd, even the Christian crowd.

Put up with

From Toby Mac.

What you put up with you end up with.

Parts of this

I've seen this before Dad posted it and parts of it I agree with.

Sometimes we get hurt by people we thought would never cause us any pain. But they do, they break our heart and the trust we had in them. They are the ones we love deeply and genuinely. The ones we never thought, even in our wildest dreams, would cause us any pain. But they do, and many times intentionally to show the power they have over us; how much control they have in our life. But while they are hurting us they forget one thing, and that is too much pain is also a healer. One day, anything they do will no longer affect us because they have lost the control they had in our life. One day, they will lose us too...  -Neena Gupta

Storm

This song came on my Pandora last night. It's by the same band that sings, "From Where You Are." That prompted me to track down that song again too. Beautiful.

Storm

by Lifehouse

How long have I been in this storm?

So overwhelmed by the ocean's shapeless form

Water's getting harder to tread

With these waves crashing over my head

If I could just see you

Everything would be all right

If I'd see you

This darkness would turn to light

And I will walk on water

And you will catch me if I fall

And I will get lost into your eyes

I know everything will be alright

I know everything is alright

I know you didn't bring me out here to drown

So why am I ten feet under and upside down

Barely surviving has become my purpose

Because I'm so used to living underneath the surface

If I could just see you

Everything would be all right

If I'd see you

This darkness would turn to light

And I will walk on water

And you will catch me if I fall

And I will get lost into your eyes

And I know everything will be alright

And I will walk on water

And you will catch me if I fall

And I will get lost into your eyes

I know everything will be alright

I know everything is alright

Everything's alright

Yeah, everything's alright

In the storm

This was a video on FB of a speaker named Jentezen Franklin.

I'm telling you today, that if you're going through a storm, you're in that storm for divine instructions. And God does not intend for you to go down, He intends for you to receive something in the storm.

But Jesus was about to show 12 of them what they would never see on the shore.

Some of you are about to see things in the storm that other people, burping on the blessings on the land, never get to see.

When God allows you to go through a storm, it is not to destroy you. It's to show you who He is on another dimension and level, that you've never seen Him move before.

Rock of Ages

I think we sung this or someone sung this recently at church. The 4th verse stood out to me but I decided to record the entire hymn.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law's demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow;
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring.
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages,cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Oprah

This was from a video on Goalcast by Oprah. It was on Honorine's wall.

You always know it's the right thing when, in the end, there's peace.

You are rewarded by peace in knowing that you did the right thing.

Three things in life to carry you if you let them:

1.  Knowing who you are
   
Who am I and what do I want?

I want to fulfill the highest, truest expression of myself as a human being. I want to fulfill the promise that the Creator dreamed when he dreamed the cells that made up me. You must have some kind of vision for your life, even if you don't know the plan, you have to have a direction in which you choose to go.

2.   You must find a way to serve

3.   Always do the right thing

Even when

Faith is trusting God even when you don't understand his plan.

Embrace the suck

This was part of a video from Goalcast. It was very powerful.

"managing expectations"

Without friction there is no growth

Do something that sucks every day of your life-that's how you grow

Embrace the suck

Can't walk

From A.W. Tozer

We can't walk with the Holy Ghost unless we agree to walk the way He walks and go in the direction He's going.

Come this far

You didn't come this far to only come this far.

Open my eyes

From today's Bible Gateway Verse of the Day.

Psalm 119:18
Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.

Accepting God as your Father

Today's Daily Devotional by Max Lucado.

Accepting God As Your Father
by Max Lucado
I can't assure you your family will every give you the blessings you seek, but God will! Let God give you what your family doesn't. How do you do that? You do it be emotionally accepting God as your Father. It's one thing to accept Him as Lord, another to recognize Him as Savior, but another matter entirely to accept Him as Father.

To recognize God as Lord is to acknowledge that he is sovereign in the universe. To accept Him as Savior is to accept His gift of salvation offered on the cross. To regard God as Father is to go a step further. Ideally, a father is the one in your life who provides and protects. That's exactly what God has done! God has proven Himself as a faithful father. Now let God fill the void others have left. You are His child and He'll give you the blessing He promised!

Just you

This reminds me of someone. It's from Toby Mac.

If you live your life as if everything is about you...
You will be left with just that.
Just you.

Something better

Heard this before, but it bears repeating.

When God asks you to give something up, He is never trying to take something away, He is trying to get something better for you.

Not so sure

The two songs from your tribute video played in a row, and I think this is the right order but maybe it's not: "To Where You Are" and "Forever Young". It always plays the other way around when they're together, but maybe that WAS the right way. Hmmm...I know I started singing one of them part way through-that might have been "Forever Young" first. I don't know. If I've been wrong all this time, thanks for pointing that out. Love you!

Absolutely terrified

From Georgia O'Keefe.

I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life-and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.

Not the worst thing

From A.W. Tozer, quoting Harry M. Shuman

This may sound strange-but it is a fact that death is not the worst thing that can happen to a believing Christian!..."Remember, Tozer," he said, "death is not the worst thing that can happen to a person!"
For the Christian, death is a journey to the eternal world. It is a victory, a rest, a delight. I am sure my small amount of physical suffering has been mild compared to Paul's, but I feel as Paul did: "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far."  (Philippians 2:23)

Closed the door

Consider the fact that maybe God closed that door because He knew you were worth so much more.

My delights

Today's Bible Gateway Verse of the Day.

Psalm 119:143
Trouble and anguish have overtaken me,
Yet your commandments are my delight.

Resolves

Quote from A.W. Tozer.

When I understand that everything happening to me is to make me more Christlike, it resolves a great deal of anxiety.

Instinctively

A mother instinctively protects her child.

A grieving mother instinctively protects her child's memory.

Wear you out

The devil couldn't take you out so he's trying to wear you out. Don't you dare get weary.
Hold on, the tide is about to turn in your favor!

Learned through pain

Sometimes you must
Hurt in order to know
Fall in order to grow
Lose in order to gain
Because most of life's greatest lessons are
learned through pain

Because of you

I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say, "Because of you, I didn't give up."

How you know

Good article-found it on Facebook

This Is How You Know You're In An Abusive Relationship
by Jill Cory
You would know if you were in an abusive relationship, right? It would be obvious. Well, maybe not. Most women who experience abuse from a male partner spend months or even years thinking the relationship problem is something other than abuse. It's a "communication issue" or "a failure to set boundaries." Maybe you've thought your partner has a bad temper or a problem with anger management. Perhaps you think that you are doing something wrong or that there is something wrong with you. In our society, we aren't very good at talking about abuse, so women are often left wondering.

A common myth is that abuse means only physical abuse. But, actually, there are many different types of abuse, including emotional, psychological, financial, and sexual abuse. These can be just as damaging as physical abuse. For example, abusive partners can attempt to isolate you or cut you off from sources of support, use sarcasm or threats to put you down, change moods to intimidate you, express jealousy, and become emotionally distant.

They can also refuse to allow you to practice your faith, devalue your knowledge or education, control the finances, or threaten to have an affair if you don't do what they ask. These and many other examples are not generally thought of as abuse. You may know there is something "wrong" but may not label it as abuse. Here's a list of seven things that abusive partners often do in their relationships. Ask yourself if you partner does any of these things:

1.  Takes away your freedom to choose what you want or need
Abusive partners are controlling and often do not allow their significant others to make choices for themselves. You may find yourself unable to ask for what you need or want without your partner becoming aggressive, angry, or reactive.

2.   Demeans you
Abusers are very critical. Everything-your ideas, your beliefs, your body, even your feelings-are "stupid" or wrong. You may find that you second-guess yourself-what to wear, what to prepare for a meal, who you can be friends with-because you are worried about your partner's reaction.

3.   Is unpredictable and volatile
While abusers can behave in acceptable or even positive ways some of the time, they are also unpredictable and even explosive in their behavior. This leaves women feeling like they are "walking on eggshells" because they are not sure what their partners will do next. If this is happening to you, you may find yourself exhausted and confused as you try to anticipate your partner's next move.

4.  Blames you or others for their abusive behavior
Abusers rarely take responsibility for their behavior. Rather, it is everyone else's fault. The boss is causing him stress. The kids are making noise. You are "pushing his buttons." The abuse is not your fault, but he may leave you feeling like it is.

5.  Uses the "silent treatment" to punish or frighten you
Abused partners find that they are punished in many ways when they do things that their partner does not like. The "silent treatment" is just one such punishment. The "silent treatment" can be terrifying for women because they do not know what will happen next.

6.  Limits your access to money
Abusive partners are often very controlling when it comes to money. Since we need money to do just about anything, it is a powerful way to control someone. If your partner controls your access to money or other necessary resources such as a car, the computer, or the phone, you are being abused.

7.  Apologizes for their behavior and promises to change but never does
Part of the pattern of abusive behavior includes periods of behavior that appears positive-times when he might seem caring and helpful. During these "honeymoon periods," he might even apologize for hurtful behavior and promise to change. But abuse is cyclical, and although he might promise to change or appear to be changing for a while, he will not be able to sustain it. His behavior will deteriorate again, and he will revert to controlling, frightening, or explosive behavior.

If you have experienced some of these behaviors from a current or past partner, you have likely experienced abuse. This is a hard reality to face. If you are with your partner, it may be hard to think of them as abusive. Your partner might not fit the stereotype of an abuser any more than you fit the stereotype of an "abused partner," but that doesn't matter. People who experience abuse come from all economic, racial, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. Abuse is not reserved for the poor or weak-it can happen to anyone.