Recent Posts

Patricia R.
on 8/14/09 8:51 pm - Perry, MI
Topic: Who Am I? I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ

Hebrews 4:14-16

I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.


14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,a]" class="footnote">[
a]" class="footnote">aa]" class="footnote">] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

I grew up in the Catholic church, and was as devout as a child could be.  My parents were not very devout, but made me attend Catholic school, even though my siblings did not.  I came to believe that I had to attend the church, and speak to the priests, or receive communion, to have access to the Lord.  My perception was that there was either some real or imagined wall between God and me.  

After coming to the Lord through a friend in high school, it took me years to fully comprehend the meaning of this Truth.
  I also had no clue that the Lord understood my temptations, and was empathetic.  I always believed God to be cold, and impersonal.  Now, I see things in a wholly different way.  God understands and has compassion.  He also is right there, just as the father in the Prodigal son was....with His arms around me, receiving me personally.

Seek always to do some good, somewhere. Every man has to seek in his own way to realize his true worth. You must give some time to your fellow man. For remember, you don't live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here too.
Albert Schweitzer
96179

Patricia R.
on 8/14/09 2:18 pm - Perry, MI
Topic: RE: Prayer Request
Like I told someone when I broke my foot, "They shoot horses, don't they?"  LOL

This too shall pass.

Hugs,
Trish

Seek always to do some good, somewhere. Every man has to seek in his own way to realize his true worth. You must give some time to your fellow man. For remember, you don't live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here too.
Albert Schweitzer
96179

Hislady
on 8/14/09 2:13 pm - Vancouver, WA
Topic: RE: Prayer Request
Trish, Trish what are we gonna do with you sweetie?! You know my prayers are on the way that it isn't as bad as it sounds and that you'll be able to get back to work soon! God bless!
Patricia R.
on 8/14/09 11:52 am - Perry, MI
Topic: Prayer Request
I need prayer this weekend.  I tripped over my dog this morning and broke the small toe in my left foot.  My doctor wants me to see an orthopedist on Monday, as there is a small possibility I might need surgery.  I am not concerned about the medical issues at all.  God is my Physician.  My concern is that I cannot work my hospital job till it is better, and I desperately need the money.  I was supposed to work at the hospital this weekend, and had to tell my boss I can't.  

Thanks,
Trish

Seek always to do some good, somewhere. Every man has to seek in his own way to realize his true worth. You must give some time to your fellow man. For remember, you don't live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here too.
Albert Schweitzer
96179

marylaw
on 8/13/09 10:22 pm - Winfield, KS
Topic: RE: Who Am I? I am complete in Christ
How true, Trish. Through Christ Jesus, each believer is made complete, whole--nothing missing, nothing broken. "We just need to catch up to Him and start living it out in obedience." I love that! So true.
Blessings,
Mary
"Don't tell God how big your storm is; tell your storm how BIG your God is!"

     ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
Patricia R.
on 8/13/09 9:31 pm - Perry, MI
Topic: Who Am I? I am complete in Christ
Colossians 2:9-10   I am complete in Christ.

" 9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority."

Completion.  How many incomplete projects do I have in my closets.  Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, cleaning, organizing, etc?  I start things I never finish, or finish days, weeks, years from now. 

Not so with me and Jesus.  God never leaves His work unfinished, and when He began His good work in me, He completed it by giving me the fullness of Christ ONCE.  I am complete. 

I really never thought about this prior to now, but am just beginning to comprehend the full meaning of it.  Because of God's work, I have all that I need to live victoriously, because I am not waiting on the Lord to finish something in me.  He already did it.

Kind of makes that cute little poster wrong.  You know that one that says, "Please be patient with me.  God isn't finished with me."  Well, this verse says I am complete.  God patiently waits for me, and does not give up on me, and meets my every need.  But, HE did the work in me already.  I just have to catch up to Him and start living it out in obedience.


Seek always to do some good, somewhere. Every man has to seek in his own way to realize his true worth. You must give some time to your fellow man. For remember, you don't live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here too.
Albert Schweitzer
96179

Patricia R.
on 8/13/09 9:20 pm - Perry, MI
Topic: RE: Fellow believer experiencing great loss--pray, please
Hi Mary,
Thank you for sharing this prayer request.  I wrote to Tami at length, as the Lord laid on my heart to share with her about my sister-in-law's experience being widowed last year. 

Hugs,
Trish

Seek always to do some good, somewhere. Every man has to seek in his own way to realize his true worth. You must give some time to your fellow man. For remember, you don't live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here too.
Albert Schweitzer
96179

Patricia R.
on 8/13/09 8:57 pm - Perry, MI
Topic: RE: Friday Coffee Talk
Excellent thoughts for today for me, Randall,
I was away for a while, visiting my daughter, and on the way home, I fell into such a funk.  I lost my vision for certain aspects of my life, and really allowed the Enemy to play with my thinking.  In speaking to a few friends in recovery, I was challenged about MY purpose and vision for my future.  So, I rethought things and the Lord dropped some great stuff in my lap to think about.  

So, now, I will be seeing about serving in my church in various aspects, and am so grateful for these opportunities.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Hugs,
Trish

Seek always to do some good, somewhere. Every man has to seek in his own way to realize his true worth. You must give some time to your fellow man. For remember, you don't live in a world all your own. Your brothers are here too.
Albert Schweitzer
96179

Randall Culpepper
on 8/13/09 7:56 pm - Guntersville, AL
Topic: Friday Coffee Talk
WOO HOO for Fridays!!!  Today is going to be a wonderful day.  I can just feel it, can't you?  I hope you've had a great night's sleep.  I've been up since 3 a.m. and ready for the day.  How bout you?

Our challenge for today is to set goals and go for them.  Without goals, we get lost in life.  Without vision to goals, we perish.  We have to have goals in life to motivate us, to get us going, to make us succeed.  If you don't have a goal or vision to aim for in life, then what do you have?  Where are you going?  It is like we are just wandering around like we are lost.  You have to "know where you are" in life.  Know what you are going for.  What is your goal?  Where does your vision lead you?  Where are you going?  Can you see your goal or are you wandering around in the dark and keep hitting walls?  Aim for the bulls eye (goal/vision) and go for it!  I KNOW YOU CAN!

So, who's up this morning?  What cha sippin' on?  ME?  I'm enjoying some awesome blueberry cinnamon coffee today.  The stuff sure is good too.  I mixed the 2 flavors together and they sure do taste good together.

Y'all have a wonderful GOAL SHOOTING Friday!

For every Goliath, there is a Stone! His name is Jesus!"
       coffeefirst.jpg image by jrcpepper

    
marylaw
on 8/13/09 5:20 pm - Winfield, KS
Topic: Flashback Friday Devotion #31 [What I've Learned]
Hi, Everyone.
Today's devotion is from my personal journal dated May 9, 2007. It is a review of what I'd learned the previous 30 days. If you'd like to read those 30 devotions, they're on my profile blog (Flashback Friday Devotions #1-30).
I pray that as you read through the list, your heart will be touched by the confessions you need to put into place in your own life. In reviewing this list, I see a few I definitely need to revisit.

Flashback Friday Devotion #31 [What I've Learned]

     I woke up about 1:30, I think, and had my quiet time. I sought the Lord then, about what He had for me today. I "heard" Him say, "Go back to the first day." I knew that I needed to review all that God has taught me the past 30 days.
     That's what I did. I read each day's journal entry, and I made a list of what stood out to me as the main point of each entry. I even knew what to call it.

                                                               The Way of Holiness

  1) Whether I eat or drink, whatever I do, will be for the glory of God.
  2) If I purpose in my heart to work for God, for His glory, He will enable me.
  3) If I "feast" on Jesus, I will be full and satisfied.
  4) I must learn what I need to learn, apply it in my heart and life, and leave the results and
       timing up to God.
  5) Fasting once a week will help my bondage to food be broken, my yoke of self-loathing
       loosed, and true freedom realized.
  6) I receive food with thanksgiving and with discipline (when and how much to eat).
  7) When I overeat, I deny the sufficiency of Christ. I must change my focus from the physical to
       the spiritual, from food to Him.
  8) If I give in to a craving, I choose to gratify my flesh over enjoying the presence of God.
  9) Food cannot meet emotional needs (quench the thirsty heart, fill the hungry soul). Only
       Jesus can do that.
10) If I allow the "waters" of the Word of God, the Presence of God, the Glory of God, and the 
       Power of God to flow over me, I will be satisfied, fed, quenched, refreshed, and transformed.
11) My purpose is to honor the Lord, to magnify His grace, and to show the power of God in my
       life, living a disciplined life and savoring the preciousness of my Jesus.
12) Gluttony, the habit of overeating and indulging the flesh, is sin.
13) It is important to remove all obstacles on The Way, and that involves repentance and
       purposeful living.
14) I must "put off" gluttony, overeating, and indulging my flesh and "put on" disciplined eating
       habits, feasting on God's Word, and offering my body as a living sacrifice. The power of 
       God's grace will accomplish this.
15) My two accountability partners and I are a "three-stranded cord [that] is not easily broken"
       (Ecclesiastes 4:12).
16) I am most easily tempted after a spiritual experience, when I am physically weak, and/or
       when I am alone.
17) I am clay in the Potter's hands. He will remake me into a beautiful, useful vessel.
18) Jesus will set me free from the bondage of overeating, as I yield to Him and His Word.
19) God saves, rescues, and frees. My part is to cry out to Him.
20) When I "feed" on Jesus, my Passover Lamb, I leave Egypt, my enslavement to overeating.
21) On my own, I am powerless over food addiction. I must keep my eyes on God, looking to
       Him for help.
22) Renewing my mind is thinking differently, and thinking differently leads to acting/behaving
       differently. It's the key to presenting my body as a living sacrifice.
23) God fights for me. Because of Him, I can stand firm, confident, and undismayed.
24) I must be vigilant in my walk of victory.
25) When I embrace God's Greatness and all of who He is fills my view, I will no longer be able
       to overeat in His Presence.
26) When I'm weary, God's power will strengthen me. When I'm weak, God's power will
       empower me. I find it by waiting in His Presence.
27) Living by the Spirit (being led by and walking with the Spirit) is the key to not gratifying my 
       flesh (not overeating).
28) I am a new creation, on the inside. In time, my "outside" will show that, too.
29) When I fall down, I will get back up again.
30) When I am content in my cir****tances, God is free to intervene in them.

Today, read all 30 steps of "The Way of Holiness" out loud, as a way of renewing your mind. Listen to "Lifesong" by Casting Crowns. May your life sing to the Father this day. http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=9a5bc0fa34381bf42fb d.

Blessings,
Mary
"Don't tell God how big your storm is; tell your storm how BIG your God is!"

     ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and Support Group Coach
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