Friday, July 27, 2007

Vacation

I will be on vacation all next week (w/o 7/30) and having alot of fun! I will not be doing blog posts as I have decided to take a vacation from my computer and my email!lol God bless!

Verse of the Day

Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment. John 7:24

Jesus was having a conversation when He made these statements. He was being confronted by men who were angry and judging Him for healing a man on the sabbath. His point was, "Hey, look at the whole picture, and the overall good". Basically, let's use common sense when faced with situations, and even though something may appear to be wrong, and may go against what we consider the "norm", that does not mean that it actually is wrong. Especially if the motives are pure and moral. So, even when we may not like the hair style, or the clothing, or etc. (there can be so many) that is associated with someone, we need to look at the big picture, and that includes the way we should treat others despite the fact that they may not be the same us.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Verse of the Day

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Today I have alot to celebrate, and I do praise the Lord. The first grandson in my family was born, and mother and baby are doing well. I cannot wait to see him! What a blessing and what great reason to rejoice.

However, the Bible does state that even in times of trials and sorrow we are supposed to rejoice. I have learned that even when life seems overwhelming, even when it seems like we just can't go on, if we lean on the Lord and praise His name, we can find joy in those dark times of our life.

It's a Boy!

My nephew was born early this morning (shortly afther 2:00am est)! We are very excited about the addition to the family!

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Verse of the Day

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:16

This was from a letter that Paul wrote to the Romans (hence it is in the book of Romans). Basically, these were people that may have had a more "means" than the average person of that time. Paul was basically trying to keep them grounded by saying "Hey, you are no better than the next guy, no matter how little money he makes, so make sure you don't think you are too cocky to associate with anyone".

My parents did a good job of pointing out to me that we are all equal as I was growing up. I must say that they did not make alot of money, but we were still more blessed than others. They basically did a good job of making sure that my brothers and I understood the concept of equality. That we were all equally loved by God. All of us. I am grateful that my parents instilled that belief in me, and I try to always keep myself grounded on the fact that I am no better, or worse, than anyone else in God's eyes.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Verse of the Day

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10

Sometimes people come into your life, and they are filled with such integrity. Integrity does not just mean being truthful. It means being honest in all things. Being a good steward with the financial blessings that you have. Being generous, not only financially, but emotionally and spiritually as well. People like this are truly blessings, and these are relationships that should be cherished. This verse really is true. When someone is trustworthy with small things, they are also trustworthy with larger things. However, dishonesty with small things shows a character that cannot be trusted. Does that mean we are supposed to judge them? Not at all. However, it's o.k. not to trust. God did give us common sense.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Verse of the Day

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105

I really learn alot reading God's word. I try to read daily, although I do not always get to read as much as I would like. God's word is truly a light for path, a lamp for my feet. It helps me to stay on the right path in life (although I often find myself straying). However, His word just puts life into perspective, and through His word I find myself really becoming a better me.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Verse of the Day

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Ephesians 5:17

Trying to do God's will can often times seem unachievable and daunting. It can be discouraging at the very least during certain times of our life. However, what we fail to sometimes understand is that God does not expect perfection. He expects us to admit that we cannot do it on our own. He wants us to pray and read his work for guidance, and to seek guidance from the Holy Spirit. When we fail to look to the Lord for guidance with our lives, we can become mired in confusion and become filled with emotions that drag us down. Truly trying to live for the Lord can bring peace and joy. It's not always easy, but remember that a picnic is just not the same without the ants.

Happy Friday! It's going to be another great weekend! :)

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Verse of the Day

39 "And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:39-40

I guess you could say this is part 2 from yesterday's verse, which was love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind being the greatest commandment. Notice that in today's verses Jesus makes a point of saying that "all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments".

Love your neighbor as yourself. What does that really mean? Who is really your neighbor? A neighbor can be defined as someone who lives next door or close. Neighbor is also defined as a fellow human being. Since Jesus showed love to everyone he came in contact with, he was obviously not referring to the guy next door in this verse. Now, when it says to love your neighbor as yourself, what does that mean? Truly, most of us are really not sadists (unless it comes to pushing ourselves at the gym)lol. However, I know that I much prefer to have someone in my life that treats me well. That respects me, that has integrity and honesty, and that really tries to do the right thing where I am concerned. If that is how I want to be treated, how can I treat others differently?

Now, Jesus was saying that every law in the past, all that the past prophets had taught, was to be defined by these two. The synonymous theme-love. First and foremost God, secondly love everyone the way you want to be loved.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Verse of the Day

37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. Matthew 22:37-38

This morning, while driving to work in the wonderful Chicagoland traffic, I was reflecting on the blessings in my life, and the trials that I have gone through (especially the last year and a half). I was listening to my favorite contemporary Christian CD and radio station alternately, and jamming in my car.lol My thoughts took me to the Lord, and the peace and joy which he has brought to my life. I know that without a doubt I would not be where I am today without Him in my life. He truly has my love, and I do love Him with all my heart and soul.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Verse of the Day

34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

I must say that loving people is not always easy. Especially people who "do us wrong", so to speak. When you think about it, though, at some point we will do wrong to anyone who comes into our lives, and they will do us wrong. Why? That is just the nature of the beast. How many times have you snapped at someone that you love for no reason other than you had a bad day at work and they just happened to be there to get the blunt end of your bad day? How many times has petty jealousy caused you to say something spiteful? How many times have you lied to/about someone? My point is that we all do things to hurt others, even if we don't mean to. Some are outright malicious and deceptive, however others are just reactions based on our circumstances of the day.

The one consistency that the gospels in the New Testament show is the love Jesus had for everyone. He did not show prejudice with his love. He did not have selective love, mercy or compassion. It was for everyone. There were plenty who rejected that love, but none the less the love still existed.

Some of you may wonder how can we love others, especially if we don't know them, or if they are not "good" people? Are any of us good? I'm not. I try to do the right thing, but sometimes I fail miserably. However, the awesome gift that Jesus gave when he sacrificed his life for us is the gift of the Holy Spirit. The awareness of God in me changed my life completely, and I see people differently. All people. If we really surrender our lives to the Lord, and try walk with the Spirit, it will change us. I am such a different person, and it cannot be describe or explained by anything natural. It's a supernatural, God thing, and loving others is the same way. Look at the need, rather than the problem.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Verse of the Day

Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:14

I have a great life. I will admit that I feel truly blessed and am very happy. Do I have bad days, disappointments, etc? Sure, I do. Have I experienced some bad things in my life? Of course. However, God is awesome, and the fulfillment that his son Jesus has given me has enriched my life more than I can possibly express.
I was on vacation Friday and actually spent the day at Six Flags Great America...what a blast. I am a roller coaster junkie! Vertical Velocity and Deja Vu were awesome! I must say hanging horizontal to the ground (way to high to really think about the distance) and looking down and waving at people is definitely a new perspective.lol However, I had this realization that in order to truly live life, we cannot be dictated by fear.

For me, fear can be overcome by having faith in the Lord. This knowing inside, this fulfillment that I have is inexplicable. I will be the first to admit that it's a bit crazy sometimes when I think about it. It goes against some of my educational background, and I truly cannot express in words what the Lord has done for me. I cannot express how I know that the Holy Spirit resides in me...it is something that I feel, that I am so aware of, like being aware of the fact that I have a heart, can feel it's beat, even though I cannot see it.

Anyway, I digress...I had guests visiting from out of town for a few days, and I truly realized how very blessed I am. It's my relationship with the Lord through his son Jesus Christ which has "filled my thirst" and fulfilled my life.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Verse of the Day

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

Who has ever said something to another person that just drags that person down? Something mean and hurtful, either out of anger or out of hurt. I know in the past that I have, and I have some regrets.

The Lord has changed me tremendously. Life sometimes throws curve balls at us. One of the lessons that I have learned as a person is that each of us has good qualities. None of us are perfect. It is much better to build people up rather than put them down. All of us desire to hear good, positive things. It really is much nicer to hear someone say "Good job" rather than "what were you thinking, you moron"? Today, I feel convicted to lift people up, and to really see their needs versus the problem, if that makes sense. There are so many people hurting today, and kind words can make such a difference in a person's day. Practice random acts of kindness, and think about what you say before you say it. None of us are better than anyone else. None of us.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Verse of the Day

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

God created His son in his image, and He also created us in His image. He then sent His son to die for us and thus a new covenent was formed. With this new covenent we are created to be like the son. It is God's desire that we learn from the life and death of Jesus. We are called to be like Christ, which means to love without condemnation, to help others without expecting something in return, to just show the love of Christ in our actions to people that we interact with. This is not always easy, and we definitely mess it up, but we need to continually strive to be like Jesus. WWJD should be a question we ask ourselves often.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Verse of the Day

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

Very late post today. I have been super busy these last few days, with no apparent ease in site. It's a good thing, though. :)

I find that on some days I do seek the Lord more than on other days. What I have discovered is that when I really take the time to seek the Lord, and really try to understand His will and really work on developing my relationship with Him, then I experience a peace about my life that is not there when I try to just do things on my own. So, I do try to dedicate each day to Him, and truly try to live each day according to His will.

Friday, July 6, 2007

Verse of the Day

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 2 Corinthians 5:14

I truly am humbled and amazed everytime I think about the love that Christ has for me. It's a love He has for all of us, and how awesome it is that He died for us. That He chose to die a shameful death on the cross (yes, at that time it was indeed a shameful death), and chose to accept the brutal punishment which was given to Him for us. So that we could be free. This is the new covenent. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We who believe have to die to ourselves daily, and truly strive to live a life pleasing to the Lord. It is amazing the love that God exhibited for us when He sent His son to die for our sins. We are so underserving of such grace and mercy, but it is a gift that was given. All we have to do is accept the gift and acknowledge the truth, and live accordingly.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Verse of the Day

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Romans 8:16

I find it exciting, exhilirating, humbling, awe inspiring and so much more to know that God truly considers me to to be his child. I know that all I have to do is pray to my Father in Heaven, and He will always be there for me. He will never leave me, nor forsake me. I just read this verse, and I truly am grateful to have that kind of love from my creator.

OT. I hope everyone had a great July 4th. I can say mine was the best I have had in years, and I saw the best fireworks display

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Verse of the Day

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13

As we celebrate the 4th of July, and the Independence and freedom that our great country allows, let us reflect on who to give thanks to. God has blessed America more than we deserve, especially today. The choices and lifestyles that people choose to live are so contrary to what He would have us do with our lives. However, we do have a wonderful country. I do thank all the men and women that have served to continue to insure the freedom that I continue to enjoy by being a citizen of the United States of America. One Nation, under God.

Now, what was Paul referring to is the freedom we have in Christ. The death of Jesus did set us free. The Bible says "whom the son sets free is free indeed". However, the freedom that we gain through truly surrendering our life is such a paradox. We truly desire to please God, and there is such freedom in loving the Lord so much that you know nothing else matters when compared to the love of Christ. With this freedom, we should truly desire to serve and love one another. I know that my life has changed for the better, and I am truly free, yet I love people and really try to see their needs. I could not imagine what I would do without the love of the Lord in my life. How empty my life would be. How trapped I would feel by the world. However, I am not trapped. I am free.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Verse of the Day

Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God". Matthew 22:29

There are instances in the Bible where people were always trying to trip Jesus up with "tough questions". Every time this happens, he always amazes the people. Despite repeated attempts to impugn His integrity and knowledge, He always had just the right answer. And His answers always referred to the word (at that time it was just the Old Testament).

I think this response summarizes all of the others. If you truly spend time reading the word and learning scriptures, and you spend time with God in prayer getting to know Him, you will gain a better understanding of the power that God has. Will we ever have the understanding that Jesus had? I know that in this lifetime we will not, but who knows what the future holds? However, this verse does exemplify the fact that Jesus wants us to spend time in the word. For me, I have to read the word daily. It's my spiritual food. I really try to learn more on a daily basis about what God is saying to me through His word. Some days I read more than others, but I almost always read something daily, and if I happen to miss a day I can really tell. I find it comforting to read this verse and know with sureity that there is Power in the Word of God.