Sunflower Faith

Archive for Thankful Thursdays

13 Aug 2008

Word Filled Wednesday-Not the Roller Coaster!

I just couldn’t understand what was so thrilling about the ride. When something is measured in “stories” and goes faster than I normally would drive on any given day, terrifying seem more appropriate than thrilling, but my husband insisted that it would be “fun”, “exciting”, and “I wouldn’t regret it”.

As I heard those words, my brain began processing the meaning of the words. “Fun” became “Fear”.

“Exciting” meant “Screaming”.

“I wouldn’t regret it” meant “I wouldn’t regret sticking my nails five inches into his skin, all the while screaming for rescue while trying to process quickly at the same time how they were going to pry my hands off my husband and not in a good way”.

In my lifetime, going on a roller coaster never really brought up visions of laughter and fun, but usually images of my eyes clamped shut so tight that I appear to be an eyeless woman and my mouth frozen in a not so silent look of terror.

If you were with me, you would find out quickly that I would put Munich’s “The Scream” to share and there was nothing so silent about my screams. People’s heads at the amusement park, including those on the rides would all turn trying to figure out the source of my scream.

I’m getting better.

My husband’s arms no longer bear scars of our recent attempt to ride a ride together, mostly because he got smart and either put a child between us or talk some gullible stranger to take the fall for him.

And I’m still trying to conquer my fear.

I find and instant,”I had to many ice creams, hot dogs and cotton candy’s” routine tend to work even though I think my husband is getting wise to that.

I guess it doesn’t help that I start using the excuse the minute our vehicle pulls up to the entrance way and I should start waiting till we’re ACTUALLY at the rides and I’ve actually had some of the mention food, to use that excuse.

How often though, do we tend to be like that ourselves in day to day lives.

Unless you are a billionaire to have your own roller coaster in your backyard, aren’t our lives sometimes like a roller coaster?

My nemesis. The Roller Coaster.

We have our ups and our downs, and we have our lowpoints when we feel like our stomach has jumped off the rides without us and we have our high points where we want to jump off ourselves rather than face that incoming drop that we see when we peek open one eye (not highly recommended by the way if you get lied... pester…nagged…bullied...sweet-talked ) while on such “fun” rides that have the following names on it such as : “Death” anywhere in it’s name or “Heart Attack” anywhere in its name or”Lose your stomach” or “Everything in your body comes outsides your body (that’s a fun ride)”-or my personal favorite-”Your spouse lied-even Godzilla got scared and sick on this and refuse to come near this again” ride.

That’s when God steps in.

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”-Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT)

That’s actually a comforting feeling knowing that He’s already been on that ride and He’s not going to let us go down that road if He doesn’t already know that we can and will overcome it since He’s paved the way.

So the bill is three weeks late. So the doctor may not have given you a great diagnosis. Your child comes home with enough metal to set off a metal detector without even having to come near one. Your spouse isn’t save. Your dog…okay, I’m not going into dogs because I’m still housebreaking the newest puppy, and Lord, I love You and I know this dog is Your creation but really…the carpet.

How does a carpet feel like grass?

Lord, God bless You if there is a dog heaven, because I love my dogs, I adore them and they are my fur-babies, and they will love it there to do whatever they want, but in the meantime, if there is a doggie military school that exisits…I think my youngest will turn it into an insane asylum within two hours. Somehow, my puppy has gotten the idea that grass is good to play and carpet is…well….you get the picture.

Life is filled with roller coasters….Mini-ones that are just small thrill rides like discovering a secret place that you didn’t think can exist for a puppy to use (not going there in this post or any post…sweet denial is my refuge right now), to the kids discovering the joy of markers and the wall.

Then there are the major roller coasters.

We all have them in our lives.

Our spouses, our families, both close and extended. Work. School. Just life in general, but we have a loving God who IS just and part of helping us in our Christian walk, let us know, we’re not going to be in this alone.

Cry? He has been there and cried.

Pain? He has felt pain, both big and small and wants to comfort you and encourage you in your time of distress.

Betrayed? Wow. He knows the stab of betrayal and says, “I have overcome”, take my hand.

Lost? He’s been there. Has the road all mapped out so it’s not as lost for us.

“Fill in the blank your feeling” and HE has felt it, He has overcome it and HE is NOT going to let you go through this alone. You matter THAT much to Him.

He is with the lost, the broken, the sick and the healthy and the found and the healed.

He is always going to be there, will be there and He is not going to let you, me, anyone go, because He loves us that much and He hurts that much for us to come to Him.

There is NO one He is not wanting to be with. He is the door that is always open, a cup of hot chocolate and cookies waiting and a warm place by the fireplace, ready for you, for me, for anyone who chooses to walk through His door and accept His free, unconditional, no strings attached offer.

Roller Coasters? No problem. He’s the safety inspector whose already written the ride and goes, “I’ve already gone ahead and ridden it and conquer it so come with Me now”.

So what does little ol’ fraidy cat like me do?

“Okay Lord. I’m taking a deep breath and going to try again”.

Of course, I have to get my blood pressure to go down, re-color my hair from the instant white it’s turn and find someone to help loosen my grip on some poor soul’s arm that was in the way when I was clutching at anything in fear.

So I seek Him. I pray to Him, I go to His word,( which reminds me…if you are terrify of roller coasters like I am, no where in the bible does it condemn roller coasters so I’m out of luck there), and I keep pushing forward.

If David can face Goliath than I can face my Goliaths with faith that our Heavenly Father is there with me and for me (and probably with cotton balls in His ear to ease the sound of my screaming in fear) and I may one day conquer my fear of roller coasters. I may not, but no matter what, God is there.

He wants us to push forward. He knows we can’t hide forever and why should we even tried to hide?

If we have faith in Him, how is having more faith in our fear versus having faith in a Heavenly Father who is stronger and beyond all things even roller coasters showing trust in our Lord?

So I keep pushing forward.

I find ways to confront my fear of roller coasters, but more than anything, I find ways to keep having the faith and the trust in our Heavenly Father to deal with the roller coasters that is present in all our lives, knowing that our Lord is there, He has already gone ahead of us, and waiting for us at the ride’s exit with a smile….even if we are staggering and being half dragged by our spouse because our legs gave out before the ride started.

Do you have roller coasters in your life?

What ways can God help you conquer your fear of “Fill in the blank of what you are afraid” of and how does His word and promises give you hope that it’s just fear?

By searching His word, what promises can you find that the roller coaster is just that…a roller coaster and nothing to be afraid of?

Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your words of comfort and trust. I pray that You remind me always that You have already overcome and all I am really seeing isn’t truth or reality but the blanket of fear. Help me Lord find ways to keep removing that blanket from my eyes, so I can see You and see what You have already overcome. Help me Lord see You for what is really there: You standing there at the end to greet us with words of encouragement and comfort and a promise that when the ride is over, we won’t be left standing alone, because You, Lord, is and will always be there with us.

Sunflower Faith | 25 comments | Tags: God's Word, Memes, scripture, Word-Filled Wednesday

07 Aug 2008

Memes • Thankful Thursdays

Thankful Thursday

Come join Iris’s “Thankful Thursdays” every Thursday to share your praises of what God has done for you in your life.

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
—Psalm 105:1-2

I am so thankful to our Heavenly Father for we had a much needed break in some drought that we had recently in our spiritual and just emotional life.

Heavenly Father, Thank You Father for You are an awesome Father and I thank You that You are there in times of need and times when we are filled. Lord, Thank You particularly for not giving up on us so easily as our fragile souls feel close to giving up to You. You are an awesome God filled with unconditional love and redemption and I am so humble and unworthy of the love You keep offering and seeking for and from me. Thank You Father, Thank You.

I have a praise to share to You, Heavenly Father and to the Gentle Readers as well, my husband will be moving to a new job soon, and I praise You Heavenly Father for this new phase in our lives and the new opportunity presented to my husband.

Lord, I thank You that You guide us in all the ways You can and You seek and strive to keep having that relationship with us, whether we are feeling down or when we are feeling up.

Thank You, Lord for the kids. They are growing (too fast) and we are going to officially be homeschooling. We’ve started in July but it’s been more preliminary and it’s really great how open and encouraging my kids have been about wanting to learn so we’re all excited.

Lord, I thank You for my extended family and pray that You would watch over them and bless them. Thank You Lord for the fight in my aunt against her breast cancer and I pray that we keep hearing encouraging results.

Heavenly Father, I know we are looking for a new church, but I pray that You keep guiding this church and that You intervene and encourage the members and the pastor,Lord. I ask Lord,that You please guide us as we seek a church home that will challenge us spiritually, emotionally and convict us in Your word Lord and fit us in our spiritual growth.

Lord, I thank You for all that You give and done and I thank You Lord for just being there this week for me as I seek strength and guidance from You Lord.

Thank You particularly dear Readers, for your support, your encouragement and always, your sweet words.

Sunflower Faith | 22 comments | Tags: Memes, praise, scripture, Thankful Thursdays

31 Jul 2008

Memes • Thankful Thursdays

Thankful Thursday

Come join Iris’s “Thankful Thursdays” every Thursday to share your praises of what God has done for you in your life.

“So what do you think of moving to California”?

I hope my husband was joking. No offense to natives of Californians but of all the days, he had to ask after they just experienced an earthquake after a long while.

I can’t stand roller coasters so I don’t think I would fare well with a ride I can’t get off.

Wait.

I can’t get off a roller coaster till it stops either so never mind.

Isaiah 40:30-31
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Lord, I am so grateful to You that You are a rock and a foundation and though the earth may move and the heavens may pour, You, You are stable and a shield from all things.

It’s been a quiet week with no news except that the puppy has made it another week and we are still working on housebreaking and I am so thankful for just patience because I need it Lord. On top of housebreaking, I’m potty training as well and I’m tempted to just stick with diapers with both of the youngin’s both furry and not.

However I thank You Lord for my husband, who is patient and gives me a hand while I’m off cleaning after one of the two.

My kids and yes my dachshunds, “The Double Trouble”, keep me on my feet and often dreaming of a tropical paradise, but grounded on earth and just thanking You Lord for the humility and the innocence that they teach me.

Praise to our Heavenly Father, a family member is doing well, as well as can be, with her chemo treatment and we just thank You Lord for each day we have her with us and how she is teaching us faith and perseverance in chasing after You Lord.

Thank You also Lord for interceding in the health of my other aunt. An aneurysm and clot was caught in time, resulting in immediate surgery and Lord, I can’t tell You how much we just bow down in humility and appreciation to You for setting the people in her life that saved her life. She wasn’t even aware of the issue and had gone in due to another issue and the good doctors caught the clot/aneurysm.

Lord, we are still searching for a new church home and I pray that You would guide us with discernment and encouragement as we seek a church home that will challenge our spiritual growth and encourage our spiritual growth. I hunger for Your Word, Lord. I hunger it so much and it’s so hard when the women’s ministry is no longer available…there is no available bible study or childcare to allow us to participate.

I want to just read Your Word, understand Your Word and learn more about Your Word, and I can’t even put in exact words how much I hunger to just know Your Word better Lord. Thank You for this hunger and this need to know You better Lord and I pray that I don’t grow too comfortable or satisfied but want more.

Lord, I pray You bless, encourage and comfort those who are able to come to Sunflower Faith and that my words are forever a blessing and testament to You, Lord and not me.

I thank You Lord for every moment You use to humble me, convict me and keep me reminded…It’s not about me, It’s about You.

God bless You, Gentle Reader and I pray You have a blessed and thankful Thursday.

Sunflower Faith | 9 comments | Tags: appreciation, devotional, God, Lord, Memes, praises, scripture, Thankful Thursdays

27 Jul 2008

Lies Women Believe • Memes • Sunday Praise and Worship • Thankful Thursdays

Sunday Praise and Worship

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.-1 John 4:1

When you buy a house do you just buy the first one you get?

Do you buy the first card that you drive or do you test drive a few before settling on one?

Sunday Praise and Worship

What about church? Do you just join one unquestioningly or do you take the time to find out if the church you go to is the right one and fits the need for you, your family and your spiritual growth?

On a personal level, my family and I are going through such a search where as much as we love our current church, it is no longer serving the spiritual needs and growth that God is calling us on our journey and we find ourselves not so much as church hopping but looking for a new home that will help foster our encouragement and need for maturity.

Many of us tend to get burnt by churches and either don’t go back or think this is it and just settle for what we have but the reality is that picking the right church is just as important as taking the time to buy a home.

We don’t quickly just buy the first house that we go into or if we have a growing family do we stay in the same two room home that we are in? So why do we sometimes subject ourselves to staying in a church that for us is not a source of spiritual growth or encouragement?

Maybe for many of us it’s just personal, thinking if we left, we are quitters or that we are wrong, but we shouldn’t let that keep us from fostering a true relationship with Jesus Christ and that includes going to a church that will and does teaches God’s word and will encourage you to grow and to be challenge as a Christian.

For us, the church that we are going to is great and it’s young but the trouble is that it’s limited in bible studies and what is offered doesn’t provide childcare. Now for many this is no big deal, but for others, if they are new to an area or don’t know anyone this can be a serious limitation in participation.

So what does this have to do with this week’s verse.

Friend, there are many good preachers out there and there are many bad preachers out there and the reason is that no matter who or what church it is…the reality is that ultimately…they are ALL human.

Yes human.

Which means they make mistakes, they will fall short too and they are going to fall short too.

We see it in the modern churches that preaches prosperity but not salvation. We see it in the small churches that seek members but forget their own. We see it in the big churches that have the members but don’t know the names.

We are all human.

However, it’s because of that, when we do look to find a church home, that we take as much time and investment in seeking as we would if we were to go house buying. It’s not just a physical investment but a spiritual investment as well.

It helps in the process that while looking for a church home to really take the time to read God’s word and take the time to understand God’s word to be able to practice some discernment when finding a church to call home and not just go to one because it’s popular, it feels good or it looks good.

Not all that glitters is necessarily gold and unfortunately just because a church is a church, the same can be same there. Many have found themselves burnt out because either being “over volunteer”, “cliques” or worse “the sound of bad doctrine” so when taking the time to visit a church pay attention to the doctrine that is being preached and don’t just nod and follow blindly, but take the time to see if it goes with God’s word and is God’s inspired.

Recently I had stumbled across “How should I choose a church” and it was very convicting how the article guided to finding a good church; not only did I share it with others but I went over it side by side the churches that we were looking at.

The article broke down looking for a church into six things that one should look into:

The Authority Test
The Doctrinal Test
The Spiritual Test
The Purpose Test
The Fellowship Test
The Personal Test

For us, as a family with young children, one of the vital things we were searching for and our church lacked was childcare so we could participate in bible study. The studies they have is great but few and limited to basically, those with children and those without and unfortunately for those with, there really wasn’t sound biblical studies that were going on that would serve the need of a growing Christian.

It was difficult on the other hand to participate with the other group due to 1. No childcare, 2. No offers for those with families of a childcare solution so they could participate particularly if they didn’t know anyone and 3. Limited offerings of bible study.

For a new Christian, a “fallen” Christian coming back to the fold and just those who have a desire to know God better, this can be very limiting and something to consider when joining a church.

Participation is vital not for the socialization aspects but for the encouragement, strength and growth of a Christian and a church that doesn’t offer this, it’s very stunting to a Christian.

On the other hand, there is also the consideration of the doctrinal basis of the church. Anyone can easily preach the word of God, but few truly live and walk by the word of God and for those who are wanting to grow in their journey with God, this is a vital vital vital subject to look at.

Because of this, it helps to not only be familiar with the word of God but also to be able to test the spirits and to see if what is preach is of God and not man. There are many out there who can easily talk about the word of God but those who truly walk with the Lord, know that the Christian walk is not an easy walk and it’s not about getting physical rewards on Earth.

So it is with prayers and hope that we find what we consider a family friendly, bible based church that can hopefully serve our needs as growing and what we feel as immature Christians in many respects.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.-1 John 4:1

Unfortunately as we found out….sometimes a church may look and “feel great” but not always provide what a growing Christian need.

Heavenly Father, we thank You that no matter where we go, where there is a body of believers, there is a church, a body of Christ to serve and lift Your name in praise. I pray not for ourselves, but for anyone finding a church that they will find a body of Christ that is dedicated not for working for themselves or individually, but together as a group as a family as a body as You call us to be. A body does not work independently but rather together and I pray that for all those who are out looking for a place to call home, they will find it, in Your name and in praise and glory to You, Lord.

If you are looking for a church, have a church home or have thoughts of what makes a good church home or just thoughts on this week’s “Praise and Worship”, I would love to hear from you for this weeks,”Sunday Praise and Worship”.

To participate in Sunday Praise and Worship, the rules are simple.

Just copy the code from the textbox below and paste on your site with a link back here.

Either share a favorite verse, hymn, sermon or even what this Sunday’s verse means to you on your blog and more than anything, use “Sunday Praise and Worship” to encourage others to spend time with the Lord and to bring Him praise and worship.

Come Join Sunflower Faith, every Sunday for “Praise and Worship” as we come together to share praises and worship to our Heavenly Father!

Sunflower Faith | 2 comments | Tags: Devotionals, faith, God, Jesus Christ, Memes, praise, scripture, sermons, Sunday memes, Sunday Praise and Worship, worship

24 Jul 2008

Memes • Thankful Thursdays

Thankful Thursday

Come join Iris’s “Thankful Thursdays” every Thursday to share your praises of what God has done for you in your life.

Lord, I have been very humbled this week by Your ever present reminder that You are in control and in times when I feel like You presence is quiet, You taught me the importance of just listening not doing.

Thank You Father, for being my Lord and Saviour and reminding me that there are many times when I can’t understand what is going on and it’s not a time to try and understand but a time to learn to trust and have faith in You, Lord.

I’m always grateful to You for my husband, who is just the best friend and partner that I can ask for and just for the constant reminder from my children of the importance of approaching You without hesitation and with an open heart.

Right now we are debating about finding another church and oddly enough it’s due to lack of childcare available either at the church and outside and I will miss leaving the church and a wonderful pastor, but I understand too, that sometimes we have to trust Your plans over our comfort zone.

This quote from a devotional really weighed heavily on my thoughts lately:

“Many times God uses a lack of provision to move us into new directions. It is a catalyst to encourage new ideas and strategies. Many times a loss of job becomes the greatest blessing to our lives because it provides the catalyst to do things we simply would never do without taking the step to get out of our comfort zone.”

And this brings to us some difficult choices since most of our inability to participate has resulted from not finding a babysitter or the church providing childcare so we can participate in studies, but despite this, it’s really taught us that sometimes, God has already seen the road ahead of us and we have to use that time to completely trust in His guidance and not depend on our emotions or thoughts so much.

I pray that our Heavenly Father opens an opportunity so we can stay at the church, but if not, I thank Him for leading us to that church and opening doors that needed to be open and for guiding the pastor. I pray that the Lord will bless our pastor and bless our church and in their growth and that He would continue to guide the pastor’s heart and words that he will be a source of encouragement to the congregation.

Lord, I thank you for my mother in law and her “Titus” mentoring and just prayed that she is just blessed. I thank her for blessing me with a husband I love and adore and a father whose children look up to and love.

I am grateful to the blogs I read and have been a source of strength and encouragement and I thank the openness and just love I see in the women who take the time to share their journey with God and whose writings are a source of both conviction and encouragement. They are a blessing from God and I am just thankful to Him who uses each and every one of us to lead and encourage each other.

Gentle Reader, I am so grateful for you and pray our Heavenly Father continues to bless you, guide you and encourage you through the gift and blessing of each new day. We serve an awesome and loving God!

Sunflower Faith | 8 comments

26 Jun 2008

Memes • Thankful Thursdays

Thankful Thursdays

Come join Iris’s “Thankful Thursdays” every Thursday to share your praises of what God has done for you in your life.

Heavenly Father, to You always, I give thanks and praises that You are my Heavenly Father. When I seek You, You are there, and even when I do not seek You, You still seek me and remind me You are there.

Lord, Thank You for my husband who is taking the forefront of being the spiritual leader and the head of the household; This is a difficult task for him, Lord, and I pray that you watch over him, encourage him, show him discernment, teach him trust in You Lord and I pray that in the same way, You teach me discernment of heart and tongue and pray that You will teach us both, mutual love and respect as we have always an awkward dance.

We’re not perfect nor claim to be perfect or have the perfect marriage, Lord, and this is a far change Lord from when this wasn’t the norm or a reality. Lord, we reach up to You in humility and submission and pray that You will guide the both of us to You and to each other.

Lord, we love You and recognize that first and foremost, YOU, are the head of the household first and formost, and my husband is leading as You will lead us, no more and no less, than what Your words have spoken to us.

1 Corinthians 11:3
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Ephesians 5:22-24
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for my family and my children. They are lights in the darkness and I pray that I learn from them the innocence and sheer joy they have in You without question and that I may always remember to emulate them even when I don’t know truly the answers I would like to know.

God bless my mother in law who loves them with all her heart and in turn, teaches me how to be a better wife and mother to them and to my husband. There is wisdom in past generations and truth that we don’t always know everything just because we are now the wife and mother of a new household.

Lord I pray that you encourage and watch over my pastor and the church we go to. I pray that the church and my pastor will be free from the wants and pull of the world and that his words and the church’s family, never compromise to what the world calls and pulls for. May their words and actions reflect the body of Christ and not the body of the world, and move forward not backward.

Heavenly Father, I pray for all that take the time to read this blog, that this blog will strenghten, inspire, encourage and bless any and all who come here. May I be forever Your vessel, though I am a broken vessel that is always in need of You and thank You for Your love and mercy.

I praise Your name Lord, that I’m not perfect; I make mistakes, I hurt, I cry and I laugh and I smile even as I weep and pain. Lord I thank You Lord that You love me not because I am perfect, but because I am imperfect and I pray Lord, that You keep me humble and focus and reminding me that I am just an unworthy servant of Yours, Lord and that without You, I am nothing.

I thank You Lord each day, that though I feel weak, You are stronger than me and compensate where I can not and though the wolves may claw at the door, may I always lift Your name up in praise and testimony of Your Grace and Your Mercy and a reminder that this broken soul belongs to You and not the world.

Thank You Gentle Reader as always and may Our Heavenly Father forever bless You with love, grace, strength and encouragement.

Sunflower Faith | 5 comments | Tags: Memes, Thankful Thursdays

05 Jun 2008

Memes • Thankful Thursdays

Thankful Thursdays

Come join Iris’s “Thankful Thursdays” every Thursday to share your praises of what God has done for you in your life.

Lord, thank you for the closing of this week….It’s been definitely an eventful and busy week and I am looking so forward to seeing the end results of what we are being called to do.

Heavenly Father, Thank You so much for You are a God of strength and compassion; There been many times this week, when we have felt like we were going to let being tired and weary, wear us down, but just when we seem to think, we couldn’t move forward, You challenged us and lifted us and I thank You so much for that Lord.

Thank You for reminding us what we can’t do but You are able to do for us instead.

Lord, I thank You so much for my husband; I pray that I can be the spouse, the friend and the supportive spouse, he needs me to be. Right now, he is entertaining some job offers and we are praying that if it is in Your will, that the doors will be open. Lord, You are capable of seeing what we can’t see ourselves, and I pray we remember always to trust You and praise You always in what comes our way and in our marriage.

Lord, I thank You for convicting us to home school our children and just for the excitement the children are expressing about being home school. It’s a new venture and a new stage in our life Lord and we are blessed and praise You for leading us to this new venture and challenge in our lives and pray that we will be a praise to You and a praise to them, Lord.

I pray for humility and understanding of where I am strong and where I am weak and to learn to balance between the two. Lord, guide my heart, my soul and my words as I take on this new role in my roles of being a mother, a wife and a home maker and now a teacher, Lord and just be of good service to you, my husband and my family.

Bless my children and I pray that be it me or whomever that is in their lives, that they remember first and foremost as we strive to remember, to seek You always in all we do.

Lord, my mil and fil is coming home this weekend and I pray You lay Your comforting hands around them and that they have a safe journey. We are SO excited to have them coming home from their trip and looking forward to spending time with them again. Lord, I thank You for my mother in law and humbling me with her words of wisdom to help me be the wife and mother I need to be.

Lord, I pray always that you bless my pastor and church and I thank You for leading us to the church. Our marriage, our lives and our family has grown so much in the presence and fellowship of our church and pastor and I pray, Lord, that You bless our Pastor’s words and remind us that he is as human as we are and in just as much need of guidance as we are. Lord, he loves you Lord and we can see it in the growth of the church and pray you keep blessing him as he seeks to share Your word with the world.

Lord, Thank You for the blessings of this blog and I pray that You continually bless all those who take the time to come here. Lord, I pray that my words forever reflect You Lord and You continually use me in every way You see fit.

God bless You Gentle Readers and I pray You have a wonderful evening and day as you read this blog and many other of the wonderful blogs that participates in Iris’s Thankful Thursday, which is a blessing to all who have the chance and time to participate.

Sunflower Faith | 16 comments | Tags: Memes, Thankful Thursdays

22 May 2008

Memes • Thankful Thursdays

Thankful Thursdays

Come join Iris’s “Thankful Thursdays” every Thursday to share your praises of what God has done for you in your life.

Heavenly Father, As this week draws to a close, I lift Your name up in praise.
You are an awesome God and I can never get tired of saying that, feeling that or think that and pray that this love and praise to You never dies.

Psalm 71:6 says, “From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.”

Lord, I have to start out thanking You for teaching me the power of humility and forgiveness. Through Your example, I kneel before You in humbleness in how You open and soften my heart in forgiveness and just plain humility to learn not only from You but from others what I need to learn in my growth and in my journey with You.

Lord, Thank You for my husband, who each day, surprises me with something new about him, that I pray I will keep being surprised about and each day, love him deeper than I did the day before. Lord, help me keep being the wife to him, that You call me to be and to be the mother that You call me to be. I am nothing without You and I pray I never forget that when I am around my husband and my children and my family.

Lord, Thank You so much for being You and being there for us. I pray You watch over my mother in law and my father in law as they journey to take care of her sister and Lord, I thank You, You are my rock and my refuge.

Psalm 46:1 (NIV)-God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

As always Lord, please watch over my church and my pastor; Guide his heart, the words he speaks and the encouragement he receives from You Lord; I pray for the health of our congregation and that we are continually inspired, encouraged and convicted by You, because it’s all about You, not us.

Thank You Lord for the strength and accountability I find through writing about You and for You and I pray to keep this servant of Yours humble, reminded of Your grace and power and forever in awe of You; I pray that You use me as You see fit Lord and not as I see fit and that You guide my words and my heart with conviction, inspiration and encouragement.

I lift Your name in praise, Heavenly Father, and pray as well that You use not me but this blog, to touch, to bless and to inspire others Lord.

Sunflower Faith | 20 comments | Tags: Memes, Thankful Thursday

14 May 2008

Memes • Thankful Thursdays

Thankful Thursdays

Come join Iris’s “Thankful Thursdays” every Thursday to share your praises of what God has done for you in your life.

Lord, I have to just start out with telling you how I just lift my hands up in awe and worship of what an awesome Lord, You are and how you humble us, refine us and teach us, the lessons in our life, that You know so much better than we do, that we need to learn.

This has been a very humbling week and I praise You, Father, for showing me my weaknesses, showing me my strengths, showing me where and what I need to learn, and teaching me powerful lessons.

I thank You Heavenly Father for the people you bring in my life and for the people you bring out and the way You teach me the life lessons You just feel that I should learn and not what I want to learn.

Mark 6:34, “And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.”

We are all teachers and we are all students and we have something to learn from each other, and I praise God, the greatest Teacher of them all, for just playing such a huge force in our lives and using our life to change us and to lead us always to Him.

When [Jesus] had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”- John 13.12-17

I thought of what Iris had said about friends and it was such a reminder to myself and a check of how I am or was or is and will be to those who are in my lives. God, I lift your name up in praise for friends in my life who both humble me and guide me with loving words and not clanging cymbals.

We are all here under the comfort of your arms as brothers and sisters in Christ; One is no better than the other and all accountable to the other. Thank You Lord, for the friends who keep me forever humble by them and their words.

I’m not perfect. We’re all not perfect and I pray that we forever look up to You as an example and a reminder how we are to be with each other.

I pray you bless them who speak with open and honest words and….and with love; It softens the differences and helps us focus not on us Lord, but to You, and Your plan and Will and remind me of what You desire of us and not what we desire of ourselves.

Thank You Lord for friends who lovingly teach me and show me my mistakes and forgive me .

1 Peter 3:8-11 NIV (New International Version)-Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

For,”Whoever would love life and see good daysmust keep his tongue from eviland his lips from deceitful speech.He must turn from evil and do good;he must seek peace and pursue it.

This is my “code of conduct” I keep on my bible study group forum and for my comments and it serves to remind not only others, but myself, the importance of watching what and how we say things to each other and Lord, I thank You for humbling me when YOU know I need to be humble and for the forgiveness when I err either knowingly or unknowingly and using my life and circumstances to remind me where I need to learn.

Lord, thank You for my husband and how you open and soften my heart and in my walk with You and as his wife and friend. Lord, thank You for teaching me patience where I needed to learn patience, respect where I needed to learn respect, love where I needed to learn love and friendship where I needed to learn friendship. Thank You Lord, for being as patient with me as I strive to be with and for my husband and I pray you keep me humble and obedient to Your Word and guide me to being the wife my husband needs me to be as You see and call us to be Lord.
Father, there has been a lot of “human” experiences and I praise You for both the humbling and pain that came out of it; Through it…I seek You out more and through it, it was a much needed speed bump to keep me in check and remember the all too human factor of being…well…human and how You have conquered all this and are beyond all this and gave me a better measuring stick to use to learn from. Thank You for reminding me, I’m not perfect either and how unworthy I am and can be and how much I need and crave to learn from You to be forever Your humble servant.
Thank You Lord for the innocence of our children and how they teach us to approach you with wide eye openness and not closed eyes cynicism. You are not a Lord that is turned on and off when it’s convenient for us and help us forever be reminded of that through our children. Help me be like my child to always want to “See Jesus” and not just when I am in quicksand.
Lord, thank You for this church we call home; It was part of a lesson in humanity and how we are never perfect no matter where we are and Lord, I couldn’t have it any other way; I thank You for blessing me and my family with a church that cares and a church that struggles and convicts us along the way.
Lord, I thank You for the blessing of this blog and I pray you will bless my heart, my hands, my tongue and my soul and keep humbling this unworthy soul and using this broken vessel for whatever You deemed fit, Lord. Bless those who take their time to read this blog and for the lessons they have in store for me to learn from.