Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Fightin' the Flesh

Photo by Crazy B

You know you shouldn't watch that movie.
You know you shouldn't dwell on those thoughts.
You know you shouldn't listen to that song.
You know you shouldn't daydream so long.
You know you shouldn't go to that website.
You know you shouldn't look twice at that handsome man {I repeat: Don't.make.eye contact.}
You know you shouldn't post that on Facebook or hit "like" on that status.
You know you shouldn't send that email.
You know you shouldn't drink that.
You know you shouldn't lose your temper.
You know you shouldn't abandon your beliefs to "fit in".

Time and again you shouldn't, but answering the flesh you did.


"And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."  Galatians 5:24

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Use To

Art by Pepperbunbun

I use to really resent my Ex for cheating...
leaving me to raise our daughter on my own
And then I realized 
That I have a stronger bond with her than the parent not at home
And of course, God's been with me all along
So I haven't done this alone 

I use to be so sad 
Then get so mad
That my Ex's cheating ways caused our separation...
And then God directed my mind to  a revelation:
HE delivered me from a loveless relationship.
No longer bound by lies
I'm free to walk in the way of the wise

I use to be so envious 
That my Ex had moved on
But God in His infinite wisdom
Showed me in the book of Psalm
Not to be jealous of those who do wrong

Now 4 years later...
Striving to follow my Saviour
There's still much to get use to,
But Thank God
I don't do the things I use to.


*Psalm reference can be found in Psalm 37:1

Friday, January 25, 2013

Word for 2013: Fearless


For as long as I can remember I've always been afraid of something.  The dark, horror movies, flying over ocean waters, and public speaking are just a few things I have a fear of.  Growing up I never really gave much thought to my fears. Never wondered why they were there and never tried to overcome them---I only tried to avoid them.  Of course avoidance is just an act of buying time.  It doesn't cure anything but instead provides a temporary sense of relief that another fearful experience has been dodged. 

Well this just isn't good enough for a child of God. 

From studying scriptures I've found that fear is spiritual and it is NOT from God. 
"For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 
2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

Unlike my younger years, today I consider the effects of fear in my life and I see it as a crazy debilitating state to be in.  I realize that Fear lives in the same neighborhood as Worry, and Worry is actually next door neighbors to Doubt, and they both happen to live on Confusion Avenue.  They make quite a faithless community, don't cha think?
Well, I'm sick of having a residency there.  I don't make annual resolutions but I am declaring going forward to live out a more fearless life.  That's my word for 2013 (and really the rest of my life).   Now I know fears will come up, but to be controlled by them and allow them to replace God's gifts of power, love, and a sound mind is what I'm not having.  I also know that Satan and his henchmen will constantly try to rehash lies and pull my mind back to the old community of thoughts (described above) that leave no room for truth. And I can't give all the credit to Satan, yes I have a role in my own distress.  In the mind we can create a heaven or hell for ourselves. I've got to work at keeping my mind filled with things that are true and good and continue to capture thoughts making them obedient to Christ. 
So just what is my grand plan for living out a fearless lifeBeing more specific in my prayers and utilizing  SCRIPTURE.   Reading them, writing them, memorizing them, praying over them, and reciting them out loud on all occasions.

Fearless Scriptures I feed on:
"For God hath not given us a spirit of fear but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind"
2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

"Let not your hearts be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." John 14:1

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 ESV

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me..." Psalm 23:4 ESV

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  Philippians 4:6 ESV

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 ESV

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

I made this decision a few weeks ago and I'm just now blogging about it.  God has been very true to his promise to never leave or forsake, to never let me be snatched out of his hands. My church family has rallied around me in prayers and continue to send me encouraging emails.  In striving to strengthen my walk, God has used me and given me opportunities to share his Word with best friends, family members, coworkers, and sometimes total strangers, which all enriches my faith as well (Romans 1:11-12). 
Trust and believe that Word of God is "alive and active" (Hebrews 4:12) and it is helping me to live out a fearless life one breath at a time.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Gotta Lotta Catching Up To Do!



Whoa!  The title says it all.  I stepped away from blogging for a minute to collect my thoughts and gear up for my new position in Kindergarten.  Well I'm happy to come back and collect some awards.  A few weeks ago the lovely Martina of Amazingly Blessed nominated me for a Liebster award and just today the thoughtful Shaina of the Shaina Renae blog nominated me AGAIN for a Liebster award.  First of all a Liebster award is awarded to bloggers with less than 200 followers.  Secondly, I don't know if I can accept this award twice, but I will go ahead and answer the questions as the rules require.  Thanks again to these lovely ladies for recognizing this humble little blog, please do check out their blogs as well. Good reads for sure!



The Rules:
  • Share 11 facts about myself
  • Answer 11 questions from the blogger that nominated you
  • Nominate 11 other bloggers for the award
  • Create 11 questions for nominees to answer
  • Link back to the person who nominated you (so I'll be linking back to Shania AND Martina)

Now, to follow the rules...

11 Facts about Me 
  1. I am the youngest of 4 (I have 2 older brothers and 1 older sister)
  2. I am obsessed with smells and thrive on scented candles, body sprays, and breath mints
  3. I smoked for nearly 8 years and LOVED it
  4. I have a heart murmur (yeah, I don't smoke anymore...)
  5. I love people with accents (British, African, Southern twang--the thicker the Better!)
  6. I gave NATURAL birth to my daughter with NO drugs (I chose a helluva time to just say "No")
  7. I was kidnapped as an infant (sometimes I wonder if I'm in the right family... :)
  8. I am a HUGE Jack Johnson fan
  9. Growing up I NEVER thought about being a teacher
  10. I do not have cable (who needs it when you got Hulu and Netflix???)
  11. For McDonald's breakfast I always order: a medium coffee with 4 creams in it and 2 packets of Splenda on the side  
Martina's  Question's for Me:
1.) Who inspires you?  Wow, this is a really great question.  I am inspired by all sorts of people.  People who face their fears or seek after their dreams and actively promote good in the world are sources of inspiration.  Of course the ultimate One who inspires me is Christ Jesus. His selfless ways of living, his intense obedience and steadfast commitment to the Father are things I desperately want to practice and internalize. 
2.) What is your favorite candy? Hmm, this is tough to answer because I am a sweet.tooth.bandit, but I've realized that I can sit and devour a few rolls of Smarties and just about anything chocolate.
3.) Who is your celebrity crush?  Can't believe I'm admitting this but...Prince Harry.  Next question...
4.) How many children would you like to have?  The one I have now is good, but I would like a son
5.) Why do you blog?  I've always loved to write.  As a child I wrote stories and plays and I've kept journals for years.  I've always wondered if the reflections I held were pondered by anyone else and so I decided to share and hopefully inspire some reflective thinking.  If people connect to what I say, or are encouraged by my words, or begin to consider their walk with Christ then my blogging purposes are achieved. 
6.) Bath & Body Works or Victoria Secret?  Hmm, love fragrances from both but I tend to shop at B&BW more
7.) Favorite Movie?  Really tough question because I really don't have just one. 
8.) Healthy Eater or Junkie?  I try to balance between both...
9.) What are you thankful for?   God's patience
10.) What month is your birthday?   November!  Scorpio bay-bee!! (Not that I believe in that stuff...ahem, I am a Christian)
11.) Do you love Jesus? Why?  Yes I love Jesus Christ because He is worthy and He first loved me.


Shaina's Questions for Me:
1.) What would be your dream vacation?  Hawaii
2.) What was your favorite moment from 2012?  Completing my masters work. When I hit "send" to submit my final assignment it was some of the sweetest relief I'd ever felt
3.) Favorite song?  Tree by the River by Iron & Wine (I'm a little bit of a hippie...)
4.) What's your favorite thing about blogging?  Hmm, see my answer to question #5 above
5.) What's your favorite TV Show (currently airing)? Not really a TV junkie, but I do get excited about watching the TODAY show in the morning.  They seem to have so much fun working together!
6.) Dog or cat person? Definitely CATS!
7.) How many siblings (if any) do you have?  See fact #1 about me above
8.) How would you describe your personal style (fashion wise). Hmm, nothing tacky. Gotta involve either one or a few: black leggings, a dress, or heels, a nice blouse and a cardigan never hurt
9.) What are you currently reading? My Bible, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, and lots of teacher stuff
10.) If you could describe your blog in one word, what would it be?  Hmm...Substance (it has it)
11.)  What is your dream job?  If I'd had my way, I would be living in Hollywood trying to make a movie or two :)-

Drum roll please for My Liebster Nominees:
1. A Beautiful Mess
2. http://readteachlove.blogspot.com/
3. Forever Changed
4. One Year to A Quarter Life Crisis
5. Blessed To Be A Blessing
6. Captivated by Love
7. Blogging While Single And Over 30
8. Hello, Goodmorning Sunshine
9. Jane Caroline  (I'll be honest, I have no idea if she has 200 or more followers because it is not listed,  but I think she has a great website and I want people to know about it!)
10. The Tom Girl
11. Rachel.E.Cakes

Questions for my Nominees:

1. What is your favorite bible verse or quote?
2. Are you what you wanted to be when your grow up?
3. What is your favorite joke?
4. Ever had your heart broken? If so, how old were you?
5. What was your favorite childhood toy or game?
6. Would you like to be buried or cremated? (I know, kind of morbid...)
7. When was the last time you volunteered?
8. What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
9. How did you come up with the name for your blog?
10. Finish this sentence: I wish I could stop_________
11. Who haven't you told about your blog?


*Disclaimer: Whew!! This blog post took me about a total of 3 hours.  I didn't realize how many blogs I follow that have over 200 followers so it took some time to highlight ones with less than 200. Plus couldn't renominate ones who chose me. Then, not to mention a 6-year old beckoning  "Hey, watch this!" at every part of SpongeBob. So just a warning, accepting the Liebster award could take some time. LOL :)


Thursday, January 10, 2013

Memory Lapse




Photo by Lucy-art

It’s the remembering I have trouble with

Remembering and holding onto God’s truth

So easily lies crowd in and I give into fear

Then I no longer remember, because

I have traded truth for lies

Learning that I have to keep truth

At the forefront

KEEP remembering the truth



“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.” 
--Deuteronomy 11:1