JUST MY THOUGHTS

seasons of change

2011-11-12T08:31:00.000-08:00

Well we are about to embark on a new journey or new chapter in our life and it scares the death out of me. I have to keep reminding myself that this is God's plan and and all will work out. My husband took a new job and we will have to move to a new town where we will not know anyone. We will be leaving our church that we made a home in because it is the first and only church that ever made me feel that way, it deeply saddens me. So please pray for us over the next few months that this will all work out as it is God's will.

On that note we are trying to get ready for the holidays Thanksgiving and Christmas, as i have to remind myself for this is God's plan for me and after everything he endured for me alone is so worth all of this. His ultimate sacrifice for us was he gave his life for our sins, He was beaten, crucified, buried and then arose again for our sins. So on that note why am i so scared of making this change, God was never scared or worried about what was going to happen to him so therefore why should a worry. I should look at this as he is giving me an opportunity to spread my wings and to help spread his word to people. I am to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ because there are so many people out there that don't know who he is. So God has a plan for me in this.

I hope everyone enjoys this holiday season and may God bless you all

lissa

the miracle that proves God DOES exist

2011-03-04T06:27:00.000-08:00

On sunday we had a miracle performed by God himself and so i just have to share................

As we walked out of the church doors on Sunday and got headed down the interstate to pick up my grand kids the cell started to ring and it was my best friend calling to tell me the fire department is at our house and that my back yard was on fire flames were high all i could think was that my house was going to burn down please Jesus don't let that happen.............we prayed and prayed and everyone at church prayed by the time we got home which almost 45 min later the fire chief says "I'm not sure i can explain to you why your house is still standing my response was DUH it was a God thing." the fire stopped at one point at the side of the house and moved to the back yard came up the back side of our house where there is smoke damage and jumped over a propane tank by our back door and shifted to another part of the yard instead of my house.......It was as if
God were standing right there directing it which way to go. Our neighbor was burning in their back yard and left the fire unattended and the wind picked up and began to blow our way............ by the time it was all over and i had calmed down my only response to these kids well grown kids known as my neighbors was " if you guys don't believe in God just step back here in my back yard and ill prove to you that he does exist and why he exist.............Needless to say they are going to church on Sunday..................

Moral of this story is my faith in God is so much stronger than before and i cant waite to start sharing the world of the gospel...........anyone who reads this and isnt quite sure that God exist feel free to email me and we can chat i can prove to you that he does and what it takes to be saved and become a child of God............http://lissalynn2006@aol.com

In his hands

lissalynn

The cost of sin

2010-05-05T05:54:00.000-07:00

How many of us have lied just a tiny bit to cut corners? Maybe to get a child into an amusement park at a discounted price? The cashier gave me too much change back but it was her fault she doesn't know how to count, or how about lying about a child's age to get a free meal or a discounted meal. Whatever the case may be because there are many to pick from and I'm sure that at one time in our life we have ALL been guilty of this sin.

What makes this sin any more different that any other sin or less of the sin of murder? Sin is sin no matter what the sin is. Sin is serious-all sin. We tend to categorize into more and less tolerable categories. The truth is all sins lead to death; all sin is abominable in God's sight. And for all our sin, even the littlest lie or tiniest cover-up, Jesus died. Sin actually made us enemies with God. He is perfect in all His ways; sin can not exist in his presence. So we in our sinful state, we are eternally separated from Him. But God made a way for us to come to him, through the sacrifice of His perfect, sinless Son. " He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2Corinthians5:21)". Therefor because of the great price that God paid to put our sin to death, we live in gratitude for the debt He has paid on our behalf. We are to obey Him, not out of fear or compulsion, but as a response to the astounding love, grace, mercy HE the God almighty has freely given to us.

Dear Jesus, thank you for paying the price for our sins. Help us to live in the light of the sacrifices You made out of love for us. Forgive us for where we have failed you. Thank you for our salvation. Thank you for paying the ultimate price for us. In you sweet precious name we pray
Amen!

lissalynn

wow and wow again!

2010-03-15T13:36:00.001-07:00

update

2010-02-19T09:32:00.000-08:00

OK here goes sorry that it has been awhile but God is doing lots of great things in my life and leaves me little time to blog about everything.

I'm doing a great bible study of Revelation by Beth Moore is has opened my mind and heart about the book of Revelation.

I am also getting ready for our GIRLS NIGHT OUT sponsored by our churchhttp://www.tbclongview.org/ or you can join us on facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=77224710834

I am also getting ready to attend women of faith conference in Shreveport lahttp://womenoffaith.com/

Thank you to my sister in Christ athttp://abidingbranch.blogspot.com/ I will be attending feminarhttp://www.belchercenter.com/opencms/opencms/feminar.html next weekend
for my birthday present from her.

So see i have a very busy schedule that i love very much in glorifying my Lord and Savior because its all about him.

IN HIS HANDS,

project 365

2010-01-13T08:39:00.001-08:00

Ok here goes week two of http://thebowyers.blogspot.com/2009/12/day-365end-of-project.html

I am no professional at this these are just some random pictures of things that mean something to me.

this first one is my table clothe and yes its a favorite even if it is not christmas any more.

2. this is one of my projects that i need to do. I got it 3 months ago and yet to put a picture one in it.

picture3.........is a picture of my tv as i i sit and watch my soaps everyday and my question is why do they call them soaps? I see no soaps on this picture do you. I know save this for another post on another day lol.

picture 4 my sweet baby boy max tryn to give his mama sum sugars.

picture 5 yes that is max again sittin perty he is.

ok picture 6 i hope this works out right lol is max again lookn at his mam and would you look at the feet on him. hes about 12 weeks old.

http://thebowyers.blogspot.com/2009/12/day-365end-of-project.html

random dozen

2010-01-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

1. When was the last time you craved a food--what was it, and did you cave?

Last night and it was chocolate.......no i didn't cave only because i don't have any.

2. M & M's or Skittles?

M&M's of course because the chocolate it melts in your mouth.

3. Have you ever read the Bible completely through?

No cant say that I have.

4. How long does it take you to really wake up in the morning?

Umm honestly about 5 minutes after i get out of bed, that isn't before I get my first cigarette(yes i know nasty habit) and my first cup of coffee

5. Have you ever been on a cruise? If not, would you like to?

No i have never been on a cruise and yes I would love to but never really able to afford it.

6. Who is your favorite actress?

Sandra Bullock not sure if that is correct spelling

7. ____ is something that I will just never understand.

People who do not use there common sense.

8. How much of a technology junkie are you?

I am a big junkie i like all the new gadgets and just simply have to have them for some unknown reason.

9. Do you enjoy selecting greeting cards for people, or is it more of a cultural "have to" for you?

I enjoy picking out certain greeting cards for certain people. I believe there is one special card for every person.

10. When was the last time you got a new style/haircut?

Just a few weeks ago well right before Christmas. I absolutely love it too!

11. What do you enjoy shopping for most?

Well it is more like a who i love to shop for my daughter and my grand kids more than anything

12. What's the last thing you think of before you leave the house?

Tell my animals i will see them later when i get back home.

12. What's the last thing you think of before you leave the house?

Loving Well

2010-01-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

It is hard to find the words sometimes to describe an impact that was made on my life just a few months ago at a ladies retreat at http://www.allasoranch.com/ in Hawkins, Texas. I learned a few things that I would like to share.

The four kinds of people that we have or come across in our lifetime are:

1. Joy-- people who make it easy for us to love them and to be around them

2. Testy-- People who test our ability to love

3. Foe-- the person we almost hate, an enemy to our soul

4. Far-- the stranger

The four confessions of love that we learned about:

1. God is the only perfect love. 1john 4:18

2. Nothing can separate us from God's perfect love Romans 8:38-39

3. God poors his perfect love into our imperfect heart Romans 5:5

4. Accessed, I can love anyone through anything. Philippians 4:16

We can never love well until we love ourselves well. God measures maturity by how well we love. God will not give to us what won't pass through us. We will not love until we feel well loved. Perfect love is a mature love. Restoration is by the will of God. Reconciliation may not be. Some relationships should not be reconciled. Loving with God's love lets us love others with insight. Never love blindly. Always remember" WE LOVE BECAUSE HE LOVED US FIRST."

"So here is what i want you to do when you gather for worship, each of you be prepared with something that will be useful to all; sing a him, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight." 1 Corinthians14:

In GOD'S Hands

2010

2010-01-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

I guess it would be safe to say i have missed the world of blogging and one of my new years resolutions is to find more time to write.

My walk with the lord has gotten even stronger this past year. I have joined the womens ministry team at our church and our calendar is full of things to do this year . Feel free to check our new websitehttp://www.tbclongview.org/ and also feel free to join us on facebook as wellhttp://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/group.php?gid=77224710834.

So check back soon as I will be writing away hopefully.

In God's Hands

PROJECT 365

2010-01-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

Friday, January 8, 2010
Project 365 Week 1 of 2010

Hello all!! A big thank you to Sara at Make Music from Your Heart to the Lord for creating and hosting this wonderful blog meme.

http://thebowyers.blogspot.com/

days 1-8 my precious, sweet baby cats that are saying mama is taking our picture.

random dozen

2010-01-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 06, 2010
It's the Official First Random Dozen of 2010

Labels: Random Dozen

Wednesday, January 06, 2010
It's the Official First Random Dozen of 2010

Labels: Random Dozen

1. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being a cranky-baby-hissy-fitter, how much of a complainer are you?

on a scale of 1-10 I would say about a 7 because I'm very picky when it comes to my food if it isn't the way i ordered it i will send it back and if yet it comes back again not right i will really throw a fit. (i know i am ashamed of myself)

2. When someone else is talking, do you listen, or are you thinking about what you're going to say in response?

I am great listener my friends will all agree with it as well. Then if my opinion is asked i will give it.

3. I just deleted 1062 messages from my email account. Do you have any plans for a clean sweep this month--of anything?

Most definitely i will clean sweep my cabinets "out with the old and in with the new" is my motto

4. Tell us about your perfume. Was it a gift? What does it remind you of? Do you have a signature scent?

I know this sounds cheesy but i love the new brittany spears perfume that is called curious and it just fits my personality to a tee so to speak lol.

5. What is your best organizing tip for the new year?

If you don't need it give it to someone who does

6. What is your favorite comic strip?

Garfield, HE is the cat that has the best life in the world. lol

7. Do you sleep with a fluffy or flat pillow?

Fluffy. Cold side only, please.

8. What color is your kitchen? Why did you choose that color?
I haven't painted our kitchen yet because I'm still waiting for that perfect color to pop at me so to speak. i love coffee and mocha as well as coffee cups.

9. What’s the most interesting bumper sticker you’v seen?
Hard to answer this I'm not really a bumper sticker reader. maybe made in usa?

10. Do you prefer an expensive writing tool or whatever is lying around? (Are you a Montblanc or a Papermate?)

Papermate. Just like this one and not because I'm cheap but because of the way it fits my hand and how smooth it is on the outside and how smoothly it writes.

11. What chore doesn’t feel like a chore – you just enjoy it (at least most of the time)?

cooking is definitely a chore i love so well

12. If your parents often repeated themselves, what is something one of them said more than once?

Don't go outside with a wet head you will catch a cold.
As a child my parents often found out things i had done during the day before i could get home. I always asked how did you know what i did? Response being "a little birdie told me." I hated that.

busy season

2009-12-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

OK for those of you who follow my blog here is the latest update on me. I have recently joined our womens ministry team at church and have been so busy preparing for our annual event FESTIVAL OF TABLES. I will post some picture afterwards of all the beautiful tables our ladies are decorating. I am also looking forward to our guest speaker ANNIE MACRAE she is an awesome speaker as well as talented singer.

This is just a busy season for me and with 6 grandkids who keep my running its hard to find time to just sit down and write. I miss this dearly. It helps to keep me sane lol.

So for now i will close and will write more later when i can post the beautiful pictures.

new birthday

2009-07-31T10:28:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning at church my spiritual warfare finally ended Satan could no longer stop me. i went forward during the invitation and gave my life to my savior Jesus Christ. I accepted him in my heart and was baptised Sunday night before everyone at the church. i feel so free now. I feel as if I'm a new person all the bad every sin i ever had has been washed away. My old self died and was buried and a came out of the water a brand new me. I cant wait to see what God has in store for me now. I know that its something very powerful and wonderful.

spiritual warfare

2009-07-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Until now i never really understood what spiritual warfare really meant nor did i understand it but now this is my theory.

I am at this point in my life that i want to rededicate my life to serving Jesus. I have not been living the way i should nor doing what i know in my heart is right. I have decided to make that change and live the way that God would want me to live and to follow his ways and his path as well. I want to be baptised so that i can wash away all the old wounds and scars and the old me and bring in the new me. Let me take a step backwards for just a minute and explain things a little. I was raised a Catholic so i have been baptised and confirmed and went to a catholic school, but for reason of my own i decided that being catholic wasn't for me, i will not go into details because i don't criticise any ones religious beliefs it just wasn't for me. I believe things differently now then i did back then. Some now would say I'm a southern baptist.
I have been attending church faithfully for about a year going to Sunday school and joined the church choir. I have learned many things by attending church and from close friends their at church and reading my bible that has made me question my salvation. I keep asking my self have i truly been saved? i know that i have said the prayer and excepted Christ into my heart as my savior but does that truly make me a saved christian? well i know that i am a christian by all means but i still have the longing for something. Theres just something missing out of my life something that is not yet been completed.

Our preacher at church every Sunday morning gives an invitation and some of the words he says feels as if he is talking directly to me even though his back is too me because being in the choir we sit behind him. I just know and feel as if he is talking to me. But these words play over and over in my head like a recording that just wont stop. " are there people out there that know in the heart of hearts that they haven't been living the God would want you too then I'm talking to you come right now to the altar and i will turn off my mic and meet you there." I so want to run down that isle and scream to the top of my lungs me! me! me! oh dear Jesus that is me and i want to serve you . I want to rededicate my life to serving you Jesus in every way possible. i Know that i haven't been doing right but i have changed all that and I'm doing the right thing and making it right by you. I want to be baptised and submerged under water and wash away all the old wounds and scars and bring in my new life with Jesus and walk his path. I want to share with everyone what i have learned about Jesus and what he can do for them. But as i sit there listening to him I feel as if someone has dropped a million tons of bricks in my lap holding me down and then i hear this voice telling me, not today lissa not ever those people will laugh at you and ridicule you. those people don't care about you they are not your friends. God doesn't want you. those people don't want you here at their church, and by the time the voices quit the invitation is over and yet once again I've missed my chance to do what i have been wanting to do for so long now.

I have learned just this morning from my sweet sister rachel this is the true meaning of spiritual warfare. I have two powers fighting each other for my soul. This makes me feel so honored and special because i know that God loves me enough to continue that battle with Satan. I know that God will win he has so much more strength than Satan could ever think about having. Yet i ask myself when will this spiritual tug of war end? I want those bricks to be lifted off my lap and run down that isle and say me me me i want to serve my Jesus now and forever.

This my dear friend is the spiritual warfare I'm encountering in my life as of right now. My true christian friends please pray for me that this battle will be over soon so that i too can start my new life with Jesus and start to serve him.

Philippians 4-9

rejoice in the lord, for he is near. Do NOT be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer petition, with thanksgiving present you request to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Finlay brother whatever is true and knowledgeable, whatever is right and pure, what ever is lovely and admirable- anything that is excellent or praiseworthy- think about these things. Whatever you have learned and received from me or seen in me- put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

sincerely yours
lissa

WEEK LONG JOURNEY

2009-05-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

papaw helping with the track
Ok I know it has been awhile since i have written but i have had my two oldest grandsons since saturday and they are an absolute handful and blessing at the same time. I love the one on one time i get with them but that saying boys will be boys is so true. They are either fighting, playing so loud you can hear absolutely nothing, screaming at top of their lungs brother did it, mamaw he did it, mamaw i am hungry, mamaw can i have a snack. mamaw i dont want to take a nap, mamaw moma lets me jump on the couch, i think your getting the picture. i love them deeply but is it saturday yet? I thought id share some pictures with you guys so here goes.

my new baby

2009-04-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

This is the new addition to our family name is gracie...................she is 4 weeks old and she looks like her daddy. just wanted to share the picure with you all.

thanks and have a great weekend

NEW FRIENDS

2009-04-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Since becoming a christian i have found many new friends that i can actually say are my friends not acquaintances. i absolutely love some of the women i go to church with. I belong to Trinity Baptist Church in Lakeport, TX. I am a part of the choir and i absolutely love our women's ministry and the women in. I attended a girls night out back in march the i wrote about in an earlier post where the holy spirit moved through me that night. I then had realised that i hadn't let go of some of the anger i still had bottled up inside. My friend gave me some scriptures to look up and study and i wanted to share them with you as well.

Psalms 139
God is all-seeing-all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere present. God does know us. God is with us,and his greatest gift is to allow us to know him. He has examined are hearts and knows everything about us. He knows what we are going to say before we say it. He knows our every thought. Yet we don't have the knowledge to understand why he is ALWAYS, Always there with us WE got for a walk and guess what he is there following behind us. He created us to be very complex individuals and he knows us inside and out. He is always there to protect us. HE is there even if we stumble and fall he once again is there to help lift us back up.

Isaiah 41:10
Don't be afraid, for I am with you.
Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen and help you.
I will hold you with my victorious right hand.

John 14:1-4
Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
There is more than enough room in my Fathers home. If this were not so,would I. not have told you that i am going to prepare a place for you?
When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.

So i feel like whenever i am scared and not knowing why i am even alive I now know that God had a place for me, and when its ready he will take me home and not before.
When i am scared of the darkness i know that God is there to make me unscared.

Thank you lord for the wonderful friends i have made that help me to walk in your path.

Myspace Layouts

the book Daisy chain

2009-04-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

oh my gosh is all i can say, if you haven't Read this book you should put it on your list of things to do because its wonderful. i started reading it and just couldn't put it down. I'm so ready for the next one and then finally the third one. its about love and family secrets and abuse and God all wrapped up into one book. its rated as christian. its advertised on my blog because its by far one of the best books i have read in a long time. i put Mary right up there with Beth Moore shes just so breath taking. once again its called daisy chain by Mary E. DeMuth. i know that Hastings and books a million in Longview Texas both have it Hastings had to order for me and it was so worth the wait.

much love to all
have a blessed day
lissalynn

a cracked egg

2009-04-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well, Easter is coming & there is talk around here about dying eggs soon. Fina posted something this morning about her being a cracked egg and that too got me to thinking............hmmm...when I think about a carton of eggs at the store - we open the carton to see if there are any cracked or broken eggs, because that is what we don't want . We don't want to buy a carton of eggs with a cracked egg or two in it. We look at that carton to make sure all the eggs appear perfect on the outside & then that is the carton we will accept -- kind of like how we pick & choose our friends or the people in our lives.WOW!! In the carnal life there are those that look at the people in this same way.The judge them by their flesh! - unforgiving of a crack or a flaw. Aren't we glad that God can see past our cracks, flaws & that he protects us when we are broken. I am thankful that my friends (who are also Christ minded) can do this too. They look past my cracks, my flaws...I am a cracked egg but yet accepted! Thank you to all my friends!

this was written by a friend sherri we will call her and it really got me to thinking as well we (most of us) pick our friends this way like we pick our eggs. if they are cracked or botched just a little bit we want no part of them and this is so wrong. Thank GOD he didn't pick us that away, because we are all sinners and we are all cracked is someway form or fashion. There is not one of us perfect except for God himself. The glory of it all is he doesn't even expect us to be perfect. He loves us for all of our cracks, all of our flaws. I think we should all look at the bigger picture(think outside the box) and really evaluate how we pick and choose our Friends ask yourself would GOD want us to pick this way and we all know what the answer would be.

SO lets be kind to our neighbors and friends because remember as Christians we all have cracks in our eggs and we aren't flawless or we wouldn't be Christians now would we?

Have a blesses day
lissalynn2006

Myspace 2.0 layouts

BEAUTIFUL WORDS

2009-04-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

part two

2009-03-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Surrender to God - Why it's the Superior ChoiceSo, what's the point of surrendering to God? If we've already blown it so badly, what's the point of choosing God's way now? After all, the Bible tells us that the world we live in is lost and perishing. This is where the good news comes in! Because God loves His creation, He hasn't cast us from paradise forever. He continues to give us a choice. The world around us may be suffering the results of sin, but each person -- you, I and everyone we encounter -- still has the opportunity to choose to obey God. As long as we have breath, we have that choice.
Surrender to God - What are You Clinging To?Look back for a moment at the story of Adam and Eve. If they had surrendered to God, rather than listening to the serpent (whom we recognize today as the devil, the angel Lucifer described in Isaiah 14, who had fallen victim to his own pride) and their own desires, it's possible our world would not be suffering the consequences. Clearly then, what God desires for us is far better than any momentary gain-but we can only know that victory if we surrender our desires, our "rights" to God. What is it that you desire today? What "right" are you clinging to, even though deep down inside you know you'd be better off if you gave it up? Do you think that voice, deep down inside, could be God giving you the same choice He gave Adam and Eve? God loved you and me so much that He willingly took on human flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ, to choose obedience and surrender for us. As our living example, Christ first surrendered His divinity in order to give us a flesh and blood God we could relate to (John 3), then He surrendered His right to be God when the devil tempted Him in the desert (Matthew 4), and finally He surrendered His right to life itself when He took upon His flesh -- His perfect sinless body --all the penalty for every human refusal to yield. Because of Him, all you and I need to do today is to place our faith in Him and obey the Word of God.
Surrender to God - A Daily ChoiceSurrender to God, obey His commands for your life, and you can know the life of abundance that He came to offer. Hold on to your rights, to what you think you own or should have, and you may be happy with a possession or two for awhile; you may even have some temporary relief from stress or longing. But what of the end result? It can be hard to think that far ahead when we are tempted by a momentary longing, but as any dieter knows, longings for what is perishing are always momentary. If we ride them out, by choosing obedience, we find that the desire is gradually defeated. Victory through Christ is within our grasp, if we choose to surrender to God whatever has a stranglehold on us. Obey Him, even if you don't really want to right now, and discover the genuine, eternal satisfaction that can only come from surrendering to God. Like me, you may find that surrendering "wants" and "rights" is difficult to do. When I want ice cream, I really want it! But as a lifelong dieter, I also know that if I don't surrender my wants, the long term result is something I do not desire. God has designed our world so that spiritual principles are often mirrored in the physical, if we are willing to see them there. If you are, and if you'll desire God's ways above your own, simply ask Him to show you when you are being tempted by your own desires. Unlike receiving the gift of salvation, which is ours the moment we ask Christ into our hearts, surrender to God is a choice we must make with every breath. Do a few deep breathing exercises right now-god's way in, my way out. You may not be happy about it right now, but in the bigger picture of life, you'll be glad you chose to surrender to God.

How to surrender to God and what it means

2009-03-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

Surrender to God - What's the Phrase Really Mean?Surrender to God - it's a term you may have heard, but what does it mean, exactly? Surrender is not a word often associated with positive actions. After all, "surrender in the name of the law" usually means trouble for someone. And we know that when one side surrenders to another in battle, it's a sign they've given up any hope for victory.
Surrender to God - If I Do That, What Am I Giving Up?If we surrender to God, what are we giving up? Does it mean, as it does for the enemy in battle, to give up on victory in our lives? Is God holding a gun to our heads and forcing us to give Him everything we have, like a bandit or mugger might do? To be sure, there are those who are willing to portray God in that way, especially where self-gain is involved. But when we come to know the true character and nature of God, we quickly discover how false that image is. Surrender means to yield ownership, to relinquish control over what we consider ours: our property, our time, our "rights." When we surrender to God, we are simply acknowledging that what we "own" actually belongs to Him. He is the giver of all good things. We are responsible to care for what God has given us, as stewards of His property, but by surrendering to God, we admit that He is ultimately in control of everything, including our present circumstances. Surrendering to God helps us to let go of whatever has been holding us back from God's best for our lives. By surrendering to God, we let go of whatever has kept us from wanting God's ways first.
Surrender to God - A Choice for Adam & EveIn the beginning, God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and gave them everything they needed. All that was good to eat was available and attainable for them. All, that is, except one tree - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Enter the serpent, the one we now recognize as Satan. Sly and deceptive in all his ways, the serpent's first move was to question the word of God, when he suggested to Eve, "Did God really say that you couldn't eat from that tree?" As we all know, suggesting that forbidden fruit may not be forbidden after all is almost the same as license. Only the wise will question the potential result of giving in to temptation. What if Adam and Eve had been wise enough to see the deception? What if they had recognized the choice that was being put before them, and rather than doubting God's Word, they had chosen instead to obey God? What if they had realized God was to be obeyed, even if His command didn't seem to make perfect sense to them? But note that God did not say to Adam and Eve, "you can't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." Rather, we read in Genesis 2:16-17: And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." [emphasis ours]
Surrender to God - A Choice for All of UsAdam and Eve were given a choice to surrender to God when He said, "you shall not" as opposed to "you cannot." The fruit of this tree is not something we're likely to find in the produce section of our supermarket, but rather it represented the alternative God offered. Should Adam and Eve trust and obey Him for a greater reward down the road, or should they give in to the momentary desires of their hearts? Had they chosen to surrender the longings of their hearts to God, it's possible that we may all be living eternally on a perfect earth, right here and now. Tragically, Adam and Eve did not choose that path. And because of that first act of disobedience, our hearts have become more and more prone to selfishness with each generation. (Consider the evidence presented in chapter 4 of Genesis - when Cain, the very first human born to a woman, murdered his own brother. How quickly the corruption occurred!) Before you decide to blame every problem throughout history on Adam and Eve, though, it's important to consider that we are all given the same choice they were given. It's just that they were the first ones to blow it.

How to use serenity prayer in our daily life

2009-03-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

Serenity Prayer: What are the words?The Serenity Prayer goes like this -- God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time;Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with HimForever in the next. Amen.
Serenity Prayer: What does it mean?This beautiful prayer was written by a man named Reinhold Niebuhr in 1943. The words have special meaning to those who are often “looking for peace” at a time of turmoil, despair, or uncertainty in their lives. This prayer has become closely associated with 12 Step programs, offering strength and calm in pursuit of a more stable life. First, through uttering these words, we are acknowledging God’s existence and recognizing that He is truly the only one who can bring us inner peace regardless of chaotic circumstances. His wonderful presence in our lives brings ‘serenity’ that can be found nowhere else. There is a Bible verse that says the peace of God is beyond all human understanding. “His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Until we allow the ‘peace of God’ to enter into our mind, heart, and soul, we will never experience that ultimate peace that defies the most severe circumstances in life. The prayer goes on to speak of accepting, courage, and wisdom. It all comes down to asking and allowing God to give us these things. In other words, it is surrendering to Him. The second part reminds us that our trust needs to be in God to work things out and recognizing that we usually don’t have any real control over hardships in this sinful world or the actions of others. Trust Him and live one day at a time, enjoying each moment.
Serenity Prayer: How do I put this into practice?Perseverance and successes aren’t born out of good times. They are born out of trials. 1 Peter 4:12 says “. . .don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.” The Bible tells us that we will go through trials and going through them makes us stronger. In our times of weakness, we learn to rely on God’s strength and He takes great delight when we trust in Him. We all desire to be needed and wanted; God wants this from us as well. He wants for us to turn to Him and trust Him. Be encouraged -- Christ Jesus is faithful; we can rest on Him, trusting Him always for the outcome. We don’t always understand the “why” of things that happen and we don’t always need to. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” And in Hebrew 13:5, God says He will never leave us or forsake us. Never is long time. . .He is always there for us if we come to Him. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I carry is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). In these Scriptures, we can see the relevance of the last phrase in the Serenity Prayer. If we surrender to Him, we can be supremely happy in Him, in this life and forever after.

Myspace 2.0 layouts

accepted without exception

2009-03-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

Accept one another as the messiah accepted you.
Romans15:

God never requires us to become acceptable before accepts us.
Acceptance means we are honest about our need for healing.
We should listen Without condemning. Extend a helping hand, we should accept each other because Jesus showed us the way. He saw the ugly and embarrassing corners of our hearts and loved us anyways.

Something I learned while completing my twelve step program for N/A that i thought went with this theory was that in Alcoholics Anonymous it has a great lesson for anyone who want to understand what a healthy relationship is. None one puts on shows. Everyone cheers you on when you have a good week, and everyone hurts WITH you when you fall. We are all on this journey of life together as one.

They (like as God does) accept you unconditionally, with all our nasty habits and all. They do not judge you as God tell us we should not Judge others.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can;and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next.Amen.
-
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways acknowledge him,and he will direct your paths.
Proverbs 3, 5-6

beautiful jewlery

2009-03-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

You must stop by here blog and check out her beautiful jewlery.............

http://simplysweethome.blogspot.com/2009/03/lavender-cottage-jewelry-giveaway.html