Let's have us a JESUS-Year!!

I really wish I could come up with some witty title that might just capture someone's attention, but I can't...(Isn't this a great picture of what you think Jesus looks like?)

Anyway, Mama Beth and the folks at Living Proof Ministries wants us to have a great JESUS year! On the 1st & 15th of each month, we are to check in with a new scripture that we will memorize or meditate on.

I felt led to work on this verse because I feel like I've been fighting this battle for the past several months - especially in my marriage - and if you've read any of my posts from the last two or three months, you have seen how God has been guiding me in this battle! I feel like I should know where to find this verse and what it says (since I've been referring to it!). (I think I can combine this with Memory Monday :-).)

Ephesians 6:12 (Today's New International Version)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

I cracked up when I read the verse in The Message:

Ephesians 6:12 (The Message)
A Fight to the Finish 10-12

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

Don't you just love that? Personally, if I was in an athletic contest, I wouldn't forget it in a couple of hours because I'd probably be half dead ;).

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We had a very low key last night. I had ordered several movies from Blockbuster.com but they didn't come in time to watch yesterday. I guess Friday night will be movie night! We watched Law & Order and CSI (Las Vegas & NY) and looked at concession trailers. At midnight, James had trouble getting the the champagne bottle opened and wished me a Merry Christmas...I was confuzzled by that. Maybe he'd already drank all the champagne and I didn't know. lol

Today we're going to have lunch with my mom at "the Legion". We'll all return asthmatic from all the ciggy smoke, but she'll be glad we were with her, and that's more important (for reals). (And I used to help make non-smokers asthmatic and was glad for that opportunity.) We'll be eating a traditional New Year's day meal of pork, black-eyed peas (for luck?) and greens (for wealth?) and then other unhealthy things that don't follow with starting the year with a healthy meal!

I hope you're having a great day and I recommend checking out Living Proof Ministries site if you haven't already done so.

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Really?

God is so awesome! I have entered sweepstakes for years now, and I've never won. I never win the door prize or the contests. Usually, I'm sitting next to the person who wins...you get my drift? Lately, I have been amazed with all that I've won! A beautiful necklace, books, CDs, decorative plate and more books! (I need to link up to all the precious people who have given me prizes because I really apprecite everything I've received!)

Allow me to digress briefly (I promise, I'll try to be brief...I know I KNOW). A couple of months ago, I began crying out to God and holding on to His word as my marriage was quickly crumbing. I knew that if I held on to His promises, then no matter what happened would be for His glory. I was believing God - not just in Him but believing Him.

Here are a couple of the promises I held on to and kept repeating over and over:

Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) -- For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

So, things between James & I are steadily improving. Yippee! And, I've won all these prizes and I have had precious people just give me sweet presents and items to let me know "I love you". So to all of them I saw - THANK YOU!!! I honestly feel the Lord used these people and giveaways to remind me of the delight only He can give. So I PRAISE HIM! Thank you, Abba!

Imagine my surprise when I got home yesterday and I had a box from TitleTrakk.com that said "your prize is inside"! WHAT???? I won a stack of Christmas books from TitleTrakk.com. I went to their site to copy what I'd won for the blog, and there was my name! (The list of books has been taken down already.)

Let's give God a big round of applause and praise Him! Thank you Lord finding favor in me and giving me the desires of my heart. I will worship while I wait on You.

Have a beautiful Saturday. And remember to praise Him through your circumstances. He is worthy!


“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

A United House

There is a reason Beth Moore is wonderful teacher and why I just love her so much!

She wrote this post - A United House. She took the words right out of my mouth (or the words I was trying to come up with).

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To my beloved Sisters who I esteem so highly and consistently find to be part of the solution to our problems in the Church rather than the cause.


Please join me in praying for our President-elect Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, and his precious daughters, Sasha and Malia. Go with me before the Throne of our sovereign God and ask Him to grant wisdom from above to President-elect Obama and the indwelling presence and power of Jesus Christ. In the words of the Apostle Paul, "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior..."

Please also join me in the active and deliberate pursuit of unity and purity in the Body of Christ at this historical time in our country. I implore you in Jesus Name to have zero tolerance for prejudice whether it is regarding party-affiliation, color (whether you are Black, White, or Brown), economics or the like. Disagreement is not sin. Prejudice is. Satan has plotted events and planted attitudes that, should he be successful, will result in havoc. We must not stand for his schemes or cooperate in a single way. We would severely displease God and invite untold chastisement upon Christ's Church in our nation.

Speak clearly to your children and graciously but emphatically draw a line in your work places and social circles regarding your stand against prejudice of any kind. "Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.'" (Matthew 12:25) A united house stands. A divided house falls. The devil has much to gain. But he also has much to lose.

We are the Body of Jesus Christ and we have an opportunity to show His character. This is our watch. We stand for what is right not from our feet but from our knees. I humble myself before you and make these pleas under such bold direction of God that I could not resist it nor disobey it. He made it a fire in my bones.I love and esteem you so much. Shoulder to shoulder, Dear Siestas. Let's leave not one inch for the enemy to come between us.

Amen!


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." Jer. 29:11