Remember Falling in Love...

     Awhile back I was waiting, not so patiently, to drive in front of the WalMart so I could go down the row and find a parking place.  Have you ever noticed that the people exit the doors and walk out in front of the cars without looking either way.  I suppose they think that the drivers will look out for the pedestrians.  Well, sometimes I get a little irritated at this.  This particular time was no exception.  Only something caught my eye and immediately took my mind off my irritation and brought my thoughts back to God.

     A young couple, probably in their late teens, was walking towards the entrance of the store.  Now, I normally would've gotten upset because they had no idea they had just walked out in front of a car.  They were so engrossed in one another's company.  So why was this different than the other times I would get irritated?  I noticed something about the girl that I hadn't seen in myself in a very long time.  She had her arm intertwined in his.  She was looking up at him with such adoration.  And she was captivated in whatever he was saying.  Of course I started to think to myself - "yeah, you probably don't have any idea about the sports or cars he is talking about, but you love him so much you would never let on you don't care about the things he is saying.  You only care about him at this moment."  Then another fleeting thought came to mind.  "Boy, are you in for a rude awakening."  BUT! The Lord stopped my thoughts and I dismissed the negative thoughts immediately.  The wonderful thing that the Lord wanted me to notice about this relationship was the fact that "they enjoyed one another's company so much that they were unaware of their surroundings and the people watching them."  So, how did this relate to something I haven't seen in myself in such a long time?  Yes, it could be I haven't felt such adoration for my husband like that for the longest time.  I haven't always enjoyed his company.  We don't have stimulating conversations.  And we never walk arm in arm or even beside one another in public.  I need to work on finding those feelings again.  You know the ones when you look forward with anticipation to his arrival.  You hang onto his every word, even if what he says is not the least important to you.  You yearn for his companionship.  Your heart skips a beat or two just from the sight of your husband.

     I would like to say that is what the Lord had me realize while watching the love struck couple.  But it is not so.  What the Lord had me realize was that I have not felt that way about HIM in a very long time.  Don't get me wrong.  I love the Lord.  I enjoy my time I make for Him (caught that didn't you?).  I long to hear what He has to say.  Only, it has been quite awhile since I gazingly looked up to my Heavenly Father with adoration.  I haven't been such a wonderful companion to Him.  I do more talking (rather arguing and asking- or is it more demanding?) than I do listening to the Lord.  I mope, moan, groan, and complain, just like I do  in my marriage, in my relationship with the Lord.  No wonder He had that couple cross my path.  It took strangers to make me realize I have been estranged from the Lord.

     When did I fall out of love with the Lord?  When did I stop looking forward to His arrival and His conversations?  When did I lose the skipping of the heartbeats upon seeing Him?  When did I leave the Lord in our relationship?  I have not severed myself from Him.  I still love the Lord, but sometime or another my part of our relationship became estranged.  I am still faithful to my Heavenly Father, but I am somewhat liken to a teenager.  I know everything and my Father can't teach or tell me anything new.  I stopped being "daddy's little girl" and went on my own merry way.  I haven't left Him, just "lost that loving feeling."  I don't have time to maintain the relationship we once had.  The relationship one has when they first get saved.  That this is the best feeling in the world and this is the best thing that has ever happened  to me feeling.  But through the irritation of a young couple, the Lord opened my eyes to the fact that the feeling is still there for Him.  He has never stopped loving me nor yearning for my company.  He has never stopped listening to me with sincerity.  He has never stopped caring about me.  He has not fallen out of love with me.  He longs for us to have that relationship we had in the beginning of our journey together.  He wants me to walk hand in hand or arm in arm with Him.  He longs for me to be engrossed only in Him, not so busy in my worldly duties and activities.  He has been looking forward with anticipation of my arrival back to Him.  He has not been too busy to visit with me or just listen to me in my time of need.  He has made time for me because He loves me unconditionally, but, it must sadden Him so to know that I neglect Him so often.  I don't mean to.  I really have every intention to spend time with Him.  I really do... Have your ever been to that point where the Lord has to put a stranger in your path and cause great irritation before you will listen to what He has to say?

     I realize that it is a busy time and one probably says to oneself several times a day - "where has the time went?"  And then one probably says - "I didn't get half of what I wanted to get done today, Or I didn't have time for myself today."   But more truthfully, one probably has said more than once today - "I didn't have time to open my Bible; I didn't have time to spend any devotional time with the Lord."  And most honestly, "I didn't make time for the Lord today, even though He has given me 24 hours to work with."  I can testify to that most definitely.

     Do you yearn for more time with the Lord?  Do you want to walk with Him down the pathway of life, arm in arm?  Do you need to rekindle your feelings and put the joy back into your relationship with the Lord?  Do you long for a loving relationship with Him?  Do you desire the Lord to be in your life 100%?  Are you willing to fall back in love with Him as you first did the day you got saved?  First things first.  You must come to realize that Jesus says in I Jn 2:15-17 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

     It is God's will for us to return the love He has for us.  To know what God's will is for your life you must read His Word.  And more than that, you must as James tells us in Jms 1:22 "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."  Once one realizes what God wants from her, it is her responsibility to go and do what the Lord wants.  In this case that we are discussing - loving the Lord thy God "with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might"(Deut. 6:6), that is the will of God.    Scripture says, I Jn 2:3-6 "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.  He that saith, I know him and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.  He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."

     We can begin this new walk in our relationship with the Lord together.  He doesn't want us to go alone.  He wants us to  have a relationship with one another also.  One that will uplift us in our walk with the Lord.  Mt 5:6 says, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."  Do you hunger and thirst after God's righteousness?  The Lord will fulfill that hunger.  A verse you can reflect on in your journal writing is found in Ps 107:9 "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."  

     It is so good to be able to share with you in your journaling experiences.  We can write about our desires and how our soul longs to have a righteous relationship with the Lord. We can write about how He fills our lives with such wonderful friends.  That is the "goodness" part you can look forward to Him filling your life with.  One may never be a millionaire, but when you have friends and family who will support you and pray for you and love you, that my friend is priceless.  You can find satisfaction through Jesus Christ.  Give it a try.  Show the Lord as much love as you first did when you accepted Him into your heart and found true salvation.  Begin that rebuilding of a relationship with Him that you had in the beginning.  He will satisfy your longing.  He will fill your hunger.  And this is what the Lord had me realize on my trip to WalMart that day.  Thank you for letting me share this with you.  I love you dearly.  Let's walk in love with the Lord together.

     I hope you have been prompted to write about how you remember falling in love with Lord.  You can also write about when you first fell in love with your husband.  Remember looking at your newborn for the first time? You immediately fell in love with him/her.  Write about that.  Write about others you love dearly such as family members and friends.

     If you haven't been writing in your journals lately, may you be prompted to fall back in love with journaling again.  God be with you as you journey down memory lane with your pen and paper today...

Is the Grass Really Greener?

I used to travel home from work each day down  a certain road where the color on the right side is yucky browns and tans.  The grass is dead.  There are weeds that intermingle with the patches of dried grass.  But on the color on the left side is the brightest green you can imagine.  It is winter wheat.  It is so green because it has been fertilized.  It will remain this bright green until the wheat is harvested.

Each day I drove down that road that is between such contrasting colors I am reminded of how on the right side it represents a time of death for the land and grass.  It is in a need of renewal.  It needs watering and it needs tending.  Just as we do in our spiritual lives.  We need a daily renewal and watering by the Holy Spirit.  We need to tend to it and conserve the nutrients we harvest from it.

On the green side I am reminded of how when we fertilize our spiritual lives with God's Word it will continue to grow and give life more abundantly. Our walk through the fields with Jesus could very well be like the green pasture that is filled with life giving sustenance.

But there are thoughts occasionally as I doive through the two different colors of land that I thought of the times I thought the grass was greener on the other side of the fence.

The times I would have rather been at my girlfriend's house visiting and being teenaged girls than having to go on a vacation with my family.

The times I would have been happier listening to the radio or my 45 records than studying for a test.

The nights I would have felt better to be with my family than to have to work two shifts to make ends meet.

The times I wished I was somewhere else instead of being at home with my alcoholic husband.

The many nights I wanted to be in bed instead of doing my homework for my masters program.

And so on and so on...

Are there episodes in your life you thought what you was doing was better than what you should have done?

Are there situations in your life that caused you to wish you were somewhere else?

Are there circumstances that make you want a better life, a different life?

Are there times you covet your neighbor's or your friend's things or even their life?

Is the grass really greener on the other side of the road?

When I lived at home my parents were well off.  I had any materialistic thing I ever wanted and then some.  But I was physically abused.  I was mentally abused.  I was the step child.  I never felt loved by my own mother or my step father.  I could care less about the money.  When they would give me money I usually just gave it away to my friends.  All I really wanted was a family who loved me.  I ended up spending more time with my friends than I ever did with my family.  As I was growing up I envied my friends who had family time, who had family who showed love and affection.  So there are those who think the grass is greener for those who have money.  I traded money for love.  And after years of looking for love in all of the wrong places as the song says, I finally found true love.  The love of Jesus Christ who came into my heart and I found my Savior who loves me.

The world wants us to think that the grass is greener on the other side, but I will take the side of Jesus any day over the world's side.  As far as I am concerned the side of the world and the devil's demons is the yucky dry dead brown and tan side.  Give me the side with Jesus Christ on it and I know that I shall have greener pastures and life more abundantly.

Hope this has prompted you to write of times you thought the grass was really greener but turned out not to be so.  Praise the Lord you do not have to straddle the fence nor stick your head through the barbed wire to reach the green pasture.  If you have Jesus in your life you are walking on the pathway to see the Lord and heaven.

May we join together on this journey and never feel as if we have missed out on something.  The world cannot offer anything more important than life everlasting.

Imprisonment, Incarceration, Bondage, Forgiveness

I was not able to sleep from about 2 am to 4 am or so.  During my moments of insomnia I often am given the many prompts you have been able to read here in this blog.  So during the wee hours in morning, I began to think of the week before Jesus was crucified and resurrected.  And the prompt I am about to share with you came from those thoughts.

Jesus was arrested and thrown in jail.  He became a what we call today a convict.  He was imprisoned, incarcerated and for the first time in his life was held in bondage.  Write in a journal about the week leading up to what we now call Easter.  Read scripture and rewrite the events in your own words.

Now, place yourself in those events.  Become a bystander.  Write of the scenes you witness before Jesus is arrested, during his arrest, while he is being crucified, and after his resurrection.  May this be a prompt of enlightenment.  Thank the Lord for the sacrifice of his son and for saving your life.

Now there is more to this prompting.  What I thought for some more prompts is for your prayer journal.  I suggest you write in your prayer journal prayers or thoughts for the following people or ideas:

prisoners or convicts that you may know personally, such as relatives or friends, or even someone you are in a relationship.

the jailers who "take care", "watch over", and control those behind the jail bars.

the judges and other officials who decide people's fate: their sentencing

the lawyers who either are for or against the person in trouble

all of the people who deal with the people who are in jail throughout the day, such as cooks, doctors, clergy, etc.

There are many reasons people end up in jail.  No matter the crime we must remember they are still people.  We should pray that justice be done.  And that the person in question will find the Lord and ask for forgiveness of their crime.  They still deserve punishment and must suffer the consequences of their crime.  Write about someone's crime and the punishment they were given.  Does it fit the crime?  Do you think it is undeserved?  Should they suffer what they were given?  Write your personal feelings about the whole situation.  And then ask the Lord to help you see why this happened to the person.

We need to pray for the victims of the crimes.  The victims may have been involved in a random crime.  It may have been a crime of passion.  It may have been premeditated.  The crime may have been violent or nonviolent.  The crime may affected you or someone in your family or it may just have affected you emotionally hearing about it.  So, please include your prayers the victim.

We should also include the families of the victims.  They are affected by the crime due to the ties to the victim.  Also remember the families of the convict.  They are definitely affected by the actions of their family member who did the crime.

There are different degrees of crimes.  There are misdemeanors and felonies.  But, to the Lord there are no big sins and little sins.  Sin is sin in the eyes of the Lord.  We tend to look at the convicts with our own degrees of judgment.  Are you guilty of judging someone more harshly than they deserved?  Write how the Lord showed someone mercy when you may not have.  Write of how you would have shown more grace than the Lord allowed to be given to the convict.

Inside of jail there are different "pods" housing the many different types of personalities.  So many people in one small area causes much frustration and misunderstandings.  Many people are hurt because of the different attitudes on the inside.  Some people have to go to the hospital from being beat up.  Pray that these inside crimes will not happen to the person you know personally, unless it is of the will of the Lord.

Many people go to "general population".  Pray for all of those and the officials to have a safe day.  There are some who go to solitary confinement.  It may be for their own safety and they are under protective custody.  It may because they were harmed or threatened.  Pray they will remain safe during their incarceration.  But some are put in solitary because of the crime they committed and their lives are in jeopardy, such as child molestors.  They are in fear of their lives while they are in jail.  Pray that their lives will not be taken by another convict, because then their are other families that will have to suffer yet more heartache due to the extreme results of the original crime.

Pray for those who get "early release" are truly rehabilitated and that they will not go on to commit more crimes.  Pray that no one else will become a victim of this early released convict.

Pray that when someone you know gets out of jail or prison that he/she will have learned his/her lesson and will never commit that crime or another crime again.  Pray that he/she will find the Lord or if he/she has known the Lord will return to the Lord.

If the person you know is a drug addict pray that he/she will overcome the addiction.  And continue to pray for the person for the rest of his/her life because they will always have the temptation.  Pray that the Lord will help them overcome any temptation.

Now, there are other types of imprisonments beside just being put in jail or prison for a crime committed.
There are people who are imprisoned due to abusive relationships.  They cannot get out of this relationship and suffer from domestic abuse daily.  This is a prison that is not seen by the outside world.  The person may lead a normal life on their job and at church and with their family and friends, but once they enter their home it becomes a prison.  Pray for these people that they will be able to remain safe and somehow get out of the situation.  Pray that they have a safe house to go to whenever harm may be in the future.  Pray they have a good support system in family and friends.  Pray the abuse will cease and that each person involved will get the help they need to overcome the abuse and the consequences of those abusive actions.  Pray the circle will be broken and the younger generation is not affected negatively by it.  Pray the people involved will find the shelter of the Lord.

Another type of imprisonment is those who are prisoned in their own bodies.  There are many who are overweight and cannot do things like they used to.  They either are too heavy to get around normally or they cannot even get out of their house at all.  Pray they will find ways to live a healthy life and make healthy choices.  Pray they will be able to do whatever is necessary to lose their life of imprisonment.

Some people are imprisoned in their homes due to a disability that does not allow them to get out of their house,  They may be confined to a hospital bed, a wheelchair, or just not able to get out of their house unless they have a person take them out for shopping or to church etc.  Pray for these people that they can have good mental health days and be able to accept their disability and have good attitudes about it.  Many become depressed due to the disability making them not be able to live a normal life.  Pray the person will overcome depression.

Speaking of depression, this mental disability causes many to become in bondage of an invisible kind.  Many are depressed and no one is aware of it.  Pray the person will be able to overcome this mental illness and be able to live a successful and good mental health lifestyle.  Pray they will be able to ask the Lord for help each time they feel a bout of depression may be taking over.  This is a prison that causes a person to live in a black hole and may not be able to ask for their friends and family to help and pray.  Pray you become more aware of this person and see the signs of depression coming and pray that they will be able to overcome it.  Pray the Lord will be there to see them through.

Being in bondage is another type of prison sentence.  Do you know someone or are you someone who is in bondage?  There are many types of bondage.  Bondage in an abusive relationship.  Bondage to an addiction.  Bondage to financial woes.  Bondage to a ritual.  And so on.  Write in your journal bondages you may be experiencing.  Write about someone you know who may be in bondage.  Write prayers to help the person or yourself overcome the bondage.

Sometimes when a crime has happened to us we feel the need of revenge.  As the Word of God says, vengeance is the Lord's.  Pray you will not act upon your feelings.  Pray that you will let the proper officials take charge and the person that committed the crime will get the sentence he/she deserves.  Pray that you will not commit your own crime in retaliation.  Also pray that you will be able to overcome this need to get revenge.  Even if you do not act upon taking the law in your own hands, you may think of it so much it takes over your entire life.  You need to overcome any feelings of hate etc.  And you need to ask the Lord to help you forgive the person.  Let the judicial system do the judging and sentencing and you do the forgiving.

By forgiving a convict it releases you from the bondage of hate and revengefulness.  If you forgive someone it does not mean the person is released from the consequences of the crime.  Criminals must suffer the consequence of their actions.  God commands us to forgive others as he forgave us.  This is a hard commandment to follow and when you find yourself not being able to forgive it will cause you to have a gap between you and the Lord.  Pray for you to close that gap and accept that the Lord is in control.  Forgive yourself as well that you are feeling these emotions.  Remember that the Lord is a Lord of forgiveness.  And it is shown in the three crosses...

My daughter helped her boyfriend escape from jail.  They were caught.  My daughter was arrested by gunpoint.  She was thrown in jail with other violent criminals.  She was only 18 and had never been in any kind of trouble.  She got mixed up with the wrong kind of person.  And she made a very bad decision.  I was in shock.  How could my daughter allow someone to make her do such a crime?  Well, I started to hate the boy.  I wanted him to suffer for getting my daughter involved.  I wanted to see him suffer literally.  I found the hate overwhelming.  I went to his court hearing wanting him to see how much I hated him for hurting my daughter.  I sat in the front row and stared at him with hate.  But something happened.  My heart began to melt.  I saw him as a troubled child.  He was only a teenager.  He was scared.  It was then that the Lord worked on my heart.  Right there in the courtroom I forgave him. I truly forgave him.  I found myself loving that boy.  He ended up spending over ten years in prison.  My daughter only got a year of weekends in jail and a 5 year probation sentence.  She met a new guy and got married and now have two children.  That life is behind her and she has never gotten in trouble ever again.  When that boy got out of prison I gave him the biggest hug and just found myself loving him as only a Christian person  could.  Sadly though he is back in prison and will never get out again probably.  He almost died and it was heartbreaking.  I pray he will be able to find the Lord and live his life in prison without getting hurt.  I forgave him many years ago (they are in their 30s now).  I do not accept his lifestyle and do not understand why he went back into a life of crime, but I know that loving and forgiving him is so much better than hating him.  He will always have a special place in my heart.  And that is an example of how the Lord is still in miracle making business.  Left up to myself and my own resources I would still be hating him.  But the Lord does not want me to live in that bondage and I am glad that the Lord was able to soften my heart.  Now I can honestly celebrate each Easter as the Lord wants - with a forgiving heart.

Go back to your journal and record in it when the answers have come to your prayer requests.  Write how the Lord has answered them.  See how the Lord had a hand in every situation.  And may you always live a life that is good and acceptable to the Lord so that you may never be involved in a crime that lands you in jail and may you never become a victim of a crime.  By the grace of God we are free.  Salvation and a life eternal is yours.  Ask the Lord to save you and become your Lord of Lord and King of Kings.

Let's Do Some "Light" Exercises Together

Word Study:  Light

Write verses with the word "light" in them.  Record what the Lord means by them.
Read books relating to "light" or with the word "light" in the title.  Example: Traveling Light by Max Lucado

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.  Genesis 1:3
Research different time recorded in the OT when God spoke or in the NT when Jesus spoke and things happened.
Record John 8:12 in your journal.  Jesus is the Light of the World.  Describe how He is the Light of your world.  Record times when you walked in darkness and how the Lord brought you out of that dark time.

More writing exercises using words with the root word "light".

"Don't be so serious, lighten up."  Record times in your life when things weren't so serious.
"On a more lighter note."  Record times when you felt things were serious, but later you found out it wasn't really that serious after all.
Record Matthew 11:30.  Are you burdened with too many problems?  What can you do to "lighten your load?"
"Light as a feather."  Write about things happening this moment in your life that make you feel as if a load had been removed from your shoulders.
"See the light of day."  Write your burdens and concerns down in a prayer journal and thank the Lord for helping you see there is a tomorrow.
"Don't take things so lightly." Record moments when you should have taken things more seriously, but didn't.
"Don't be such a lightweight."  Are there times when you should have been more courageous, but wasn't?  Record these times and write how things might have turned out if you showed more bravery.  Example: opportunity to witness and didn't.
"You are so lighthearted."  Do you take things for granted?  Do you under react to things?  Are you more optimistic than others?  Do you accept things easily?  Write what it means to be lighthearted.

Sing the song "This Lil Light of Mine."  Record how you can make this child's song become a reality in your adult life.  Sing the song "I Saw the Light" and record how it makes you feel when singing it.

Research "lighthouses".
Research how life was "before electricity".  How did people journal then?  Have you ever written in your journal as Abe Lincoln did - by candlelight or lanterns?

Do a word study on the words - enlighten and enlightenment.

The word "light" can be a noun, verb, and adjective.  Write 3 sentences using the word "light" in it as the 3 parts of speech.

Do an opposite word study:  light/heavy; light/dark.

Do a study of the word "lighter".   Relate the word to color, weight, and a flame.

Do a synonym word study:  star, beacon, lamp, lantern, torch, candle.

Do a study on what happened when the Lord created night and day.

Follow the light... Record times you were in darkness in your life and you followed the light to Jesus.

If a light bulb was powered by the energy you put off doing the work for the Lord, would that energy be enough to burn a 100 watt bulb?  Or only enough to burn a 40 or 60 watt bulb?  Or is it just enough to burn a refrigerator bulb?  Write about the work you do for the Lord and how you can make it be more powerful.

Write of someone who "lights up your life."

Memorize Psalm 119:105.  Write the different paths you have been on in your life.  Record the times you walked the path without the Lord and times you walked them with the Lord.  Praise the Lord for carrying you on the path of life during those times you were not walking with the Lord.

I hope you enjoyed this light exercise we have done together and have been enlightened by the different prompts relating to the word 'light'.

Need to Gain More "Wait".

I have several friends who are on diets.  I hear a lot of talk about how much weight they are losing etc.  So, I started thinking about my own weight.  And then the thoughts turned into a prompt.  I got to thinking about the words"weight" and "wait".  This prompt is for the active as well as the couch potato.  The only thing you are required to do for this type of diet is to be a journaler.  You can use your own taste in the type of journal you use.  The only utensils you need in order to consume this prompt is writing utensils.  You will not have to report your responses to anyone. This is a prompt to help you gain more wait and lose some unnecessary pounds that are loading you down.  You will be able to write if you are becoming obese in some areas and if you are anorexic in others.  Let's get going and start to feel the burn of negativity and remember "no pain, no gain."

What is the main objective for a person to want to go on a diet?  They are overweight.
What if you are a person who is overweight in negative routines?  You may need to go on a diet if you are exercising in any of these activities:

Holding grudges - this will not make your arms stronger.  You will find yourself not being able to hug someone while you are holding onto a grudge.  You will not be able to reach your hand out to someone in need if you continue to hold onto a grudge.  "Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned." James 4:9 Write about a grudge you have been holding onto.  Ask the Lord to help you let go, to drop it, and never to pick it up again.  Are you unable to forgive someone?  This will cause you to become obese  and suffer from physical ailments that need not be, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, headaches, depression and fatigue.  Journal how this verse may heal you of holding onto to grudges and unforgiveness:  Ephesians 4:31-32 "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Twisting negative thoughts - Do you participate in gossip, slander, judging others wrongly, worry, anxiety, fear, and other negative thinking?  Untangle your twisted mess of thoughts and allow the Lord to be in your thoughts.  Instead of thinking negatively, go to the Word of God and write out what the Lord has to say about them.  In Hebrews 4:12 it states, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Carrying worries and stress -  I Timothy 6:7-8 says "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."  We need to turn our worries and all that is causing us to be stressed to the Lord and He will take care of these things.  Sing the song "He Will Take Care of You" and let it soothe your spirit.  Remember worry is of the devil and we should "submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  James 4:7.  Find the story of Footprints in the Sand.  Write this in your journal.  And then write about the different times in your life when "there were only one set of footprints."  Carry your worries to the altar and leave them there.

Hanging onto to resentment, guilt, past hurts, offenses of others and bitterness - You need to let go of the things you are hanging onto that keep you from taking the Lord's hand and trust Him. "I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."  Psalm 16:8  In Hebrew 12:15 it states "looking diligently lest any man fall of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."  If you hang onto those things and anything else from trusting God you will also become a stumbling block for others.  Discover ways you can overcome hanging onto them and learn to trust the Lord.  Write out 5 verses on the word "trust" each day.  There are 134 verses in the N.T.  Be doing this exercise you will have written all of the verses found in the N.T. in a month.  Don't become lax in writing out verses.  Make it a journaling habit and it will aid in memorizing God's Word when you find yourself in need of hearing God speak to you and you are without a Bible.

Lifting up covetness -  Psalm 38:4  says, "For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me."  Are you finding yourself practicing some of the "thy shall nots" in the worldly exercise program of going against the Ten Commandments?  Do a research on the actions taken against those who broke those commandments in the Bible.  What are the consequences of not heeding to God's warnings?  Do a study on the words sin, transgression, and iniquity.  When you find yourself lifting up sinful thoughts, lifting up sinful ways repeat the following verse and let the Lord be your exercise partner - "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."  James 4:10

There are healthy exercises you can participate in that will be beneficial to your spiritual health.  Some of those are "Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."  James 5:16  "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is nigh."  James 4:6  "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."  Hebrews 12:14.

What kind of diet should one partake in when shedding the unhealthy practices of the world?  Your diet should consist of "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."  Ephesians 5:11.  Ephesians 4:27 says"neither give place to the devil."  It continues to give you a diet of things you should not partake in - read Ephesians 5:25 - 30.  Your diet should be one that allows you to "be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."  If you remind yourself every time you are tempted to try a crash diet of ungodly ways, remember what God's Word says:  "Be not ye therefore partakers with them."  Ephesians 6:7.   Research scripture for the side effects of such crash diets.  You may feel better for awhile or feel as if you can overcome them, but you will soon see the unhealthy side effects, such as restlessness, anxiety, or insomnia.  When those invade your body, your spiritual antibodies will not be able to fight against the wiles of the devil and you will fall victim to sinfulness.

When you concentrate on a steady diet of God's Word, you will be able to shed those unwanted pounds of depression, discouragement, ungratefulness, frustration, confusion, etc.  You will be able to lose grievances. overcome temptation, and not feel the burn of the consequences of sin.  Read Lamentations 3:40, write it in your journal and let it become your way of dieting and exercising -"Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord."  Let your diet consist of the fruit of the spirit as found in Galatians 5:22-23.  Do a word study on each one mentioned.  Write how you can feed on God's Word and apply it to your daily exercise program.

How can you free yourself of the heavy load you are handling alone?  Are you juggling a load of burdens?  Scripture says, "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:22.   Participate in the exercise program as outlined in the Bible.  Look up the verses in your concordances that are this type of program's objective - casteth and casting.  Is your heart overwhelmed with those burdens?  Do the following heart smart exercise - "Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens."  Lamentations 3:41  And remember God wants us to "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2.

After doing the exercises discussed above have you reached your ideal weight?  Are you reaching your goal of becoming Christ-like?  Did you decide this exercise program is not for you at this time in your life?  Are you suffering from a spiritual form of anorexia?  Do you find yourself underweight in these areas- Bible reading, devotional time with the Lord and with your family, prayer time?  You need to gain more wait.  Do you feel spiritually drained?  Are you suffering from spiritual weakness syndrome due to lack of listening to the Lord?  You need to take a dose of God's Word and you will gain in wait. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."  Isaiah 40:31  Other areas you will gain in is wisdom and knowledge.  The Bible is full of ways to gain in these areas.  "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding."  Proverbs 4:7  Where one must learn about a physical diet so must one learn about their spiritual diet.  Along with daily Bible reading, devotional time, prayer time, and fellowship with other Christians remember to attend church services in order to gain strength in your Christian walk and benefit from your spiritual diet.  Let this be part of your spiritual  exercise to continue a life time - "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."  Hebrews 10:25.

Losing the weight of the world and gaining in the wait for the Lord is the goal of this prompt.  May you find this prompt healthy for your journaling routine.

Finding Victory in Jesus

Finding Victory in Jesus

Independence Day is our nation's celebration of a great victory won to start a nation under God and not be under the rule of a king.  But there is a greater victory that was won recorded in the Bible.  Let's journal about how the Bible is filled with many victories over satan's rule.  Our king is Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior.  We were victorious when we accepted Christ.  When was the last time you shared your salvation testimony with someone?  Journal about how the person responded to your testimony.  Was the person interested?  Did the person listen attentively?  Or was the person just pacifying you?  Now record why did you share your testimony?  So that the Lord will be glorified?  Did you share that time in order to plant seeds of faith?  Praise the Lord for the victory over sin.  Praise the Lord for saving your soul.  Write these praises down.  Record your salvation experience so others may find Jesus too.

Research the different times that the Bible has recorded victories over satan's evil hold.  Record how the people handled each incident and how the Lord was the Victor.  During these times take note what happened to the people who did not listen to God and do as He directed them.

Now, think of the times in your life when you were battling satan.  Record the times you followed the Lord's direction during your trial and tribulation.  Write about how the Lord brought you through these times and the battle was won victoriously.  Were there times though you went into battle and did not rely on the Lord to be your commanding officer?  Did you enter into the battle and not consult the Lord's direction?  What victories were won during these times?  In the end, did you call on Jesus for help?  Record these different times and compare the outcomes.  Memorize the following verse and carry it as you go into life's battles:

Prov 3:5-6   Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Write the lessons you learned from the times you did not let the Lord direct your path and you went into the battle on your own.  Write how you learned to understand the importance to trust in the Lord first with your life battle you are experiencing.

Praise the Lord for the times He forgave you for not taking Him with you as you marched head on into a particular battle.  Those times you went "alone" you were not really alone.  Write how you came to that understanding.

There are many battles we all must fight in this world.  Depression, financial struggles, relationships, jobs, strangers, mistakes in general,  all are different kinds of battles.  Are you experiencing a war of your own right now?  Are you currently battling one of satan's deceptive lies?  Record this war you are in and pray for the Lord's guidance to overcome it and then record how the Lord helped you come out victoriously.

Journal the different times you know the Lord won the victory over one of your friends' battles.  Record how the Lord was victorious in your family's life.  Write these victories down so that others may learn from them one day.  You will have them recorded and will be able to use them to help others.  This is how our generals of our armed services go into battles today.  They read and study up on battles/wars from the past and take note how they were won.  We have something to rely on in battles and can learn from history.  It is the Bible.  Let the recordings of the Lord's many victories be your example to win your personal battles.

Record the lyrics to "Victory in Jesus".  Now journal how that song can be your own personal story.

Make a list of the different battles you have been through.  Record how the Lord helped you win them.
Now make a list of the battles you are currently experiencing.  Record your prayer on how you will seek the Lord's direction in each of these battles.
Record prayers of how you will rely on the Lord for battles you may encounter in the future.

Do a word study on victory, victorious, victoriously, and victor.
Record verses that have "victory" in them.

Extend your word study on synonyms of victory:  triumph, conquer, success, win.  A couple antonyms of victory are defeated, beaten.  Write how these words relate to incidents in your life.  Record how the Lord helped you overcome them.

July 4th may be a day to celebrate "independence", but we must go through each and every day "dependent" on the Lord.  Depend on the Lord as your commander-in-chief.

An extension activity:  Do a word study on depend.  Record the different people who depend on you.  Remember the one thing you must take into battle for these people - prayer.  Can people depend on you to pray for them?  Start a prayer journal for your family and friends.  May you become their prayer warrior.

Make a commitment to depend on Jesus. May you be victorious knowing the Lord is on your side.  Fight the enemy, satan, the devil with God's Word.  Use Scripture as your weapon.  The Bible is your sword in this war called life.  You will always win when you have Jesus to guide you through whatever struggle you are experiencing. America celebrates Independence Day once a year but I pray you  remember to celebrate your dependence on the Lord everyday.