Today was Mothers' Day and it was wonderful, except for the fact that my poor husband has been at work since 5:00 am and will not get home until 1:00 am tomorrow. He's the General Manager of a restaurant and if you know anything about the restaurant business, Mothers' Day is the day from hell! I guess he had anxiety about it and went ahead and got up after a sleepless night and went on to work since he was dreaming about it anyway. After such a long day, I just finally spoke to him for the first time today at 10:34pm. So the poor guy, he's there before anyone else and still has to close the restaurant and then do inventory and be back at 8:00 am tomorrow after a butt kicking of a day yesterday and today. I don't know how he does it and I really hope he knows how much we love him and appreciate what he does for our family. I watched a movie called "Fireproof" on Saturday and the message was very powerful. I would recommend it to anyone who's married or in love. I'm hoping that it opened my eyes not to take my husband for granted.
Other than that, the day started out with my daughter wanting to go to my church service instead of her class. I figured since it was Mothers' Day, maybe we could spend that special time together. She loved the music, but did complain it was a little too loud....I told her that's one of the things Mommy loves about this church...I've always liked my music loud, probably why I'm a little hard of hearing, but when the band is playing, I feel like I can just sing and no one can hear me. She did pretty good for the most part, but did tell me afterwards that her class is better. Yea, because I really need this time for me.
The general message at church today was that the Devil wants our children from the time they are born and mothers who are christ followers have a strong adversary who will fight to take their children down the wrong path, unfairly, but to never give up and to always pray. It was much more meaningful when the pastor said it, but this was the jist. The pastor also read a letter to a daughter-in-law from a woman who had prayed for her ever since her son was born. I mean literally prayed that whomever her son would fall in love with one day was being guided down the right path by her parents. Now that's planning ahead, that was very touching to me. It makes since though, I think I'm gonna try adding my daughter's future husband to my prayer list. I would like her to marry a man from a good, loving family, so why not.
After church, my daughter wanted to go to McDonalds, so we did under the condition that she would come with me without an argument when I told her it was time to go. She actually walked out of McDonalds with me without kicking and screaming....Happy Mothers' Day to me! That never happens, even if I've let her play for 3 hours. Then we went shopping to get my mom a present and a card and then we picked her up later and joined my sisters and my nephew at Mi Cocina. It was a wonderful evening and my nephew, who is 20 now, wanted to pick up the check for all of us. We were all very proud of him.
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Who Is The Holy Spirit - Part 5
2 years ago
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Sunday, May 17 was incredible. The music is just unbelievable....I've never really been moved so much by music in church, but with the band playing and the incredible singers, you can't help but just feel it in your soul. The male singers are fantastic and I love singing along with them, but we have a couple of female singers that just sound like angels sent from heaven above and I can't sing along, I just have to listen in awe.
Our pastor has asked us all to follow him on Twitter. At first, I didn't really get it, but now it's kinda fun, once you figure out how to block all of the perverts who want to follow you. Porn is just really not my thing.
Worship service-John 3:16 is what we will be studying. We are going to break it down and really imbed the message in our hearts so we never forget how much God loves each and every one of us. Sometimes, when bad things happen, we tend to question God, but we forget that he loves us and is hurting for us as well. Satan causes the bad things to happen (humans are weak and Satan knows this all too well).
John 3:16-For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (This is 26 words and my pastor is using the name 26 For Life on Twitter). Follow along. We broke down the first 5 words and followed with a video that showed people such as Hitler and Osama Bin Laden....God so loved the world, not just Christians or church going people or saints, but each and every one of us. We are all his children. If you are a parent and have ever been disappointed or truly just ached down in your bones for your child, try to imagine how God feels. Satan is a strong adversary and is never going to stop trying to take our souls from our Father.
Read on to John 3:17-For God did not send his Son into the world to comdemn the world, but to save the world thru him.
Life Stage class-1Peter 4:12; Job 31:1-4; Psalms 13:1-2 (David); Habakkuk 1:2-4; Matthew 26:39; Acts 5:40-41; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (Paul); James 1:2-4
Words from my pastor: "Love talked about is easily ignored, but love demonstrated is irresistible." He also pointed out that some of us may find this next statement sacreligious, but it's not "If you want to be a good lover, imitate God", basically by giving sacrificially. God gave his one and only son, but when you break that down, Jesus was fully man and fully God, so he died up there on that cross for us as well. I'm on a journey to love better by imitating God's love for me. He had us say "God is very fond of me". I've got to learn to demonstrate Grace (unearned favor) because that's what God has given me. "Jesus came to earth not to change God's mind, but to express God's mind."
My pastor told us a love story that I'd like to remember so here goes: Jack Benny was attracted to a girl at work, but never had the courage to ask her out, so he began sending her red roses. After a couple weeks of this, she became curious and asked the florist who was sending them to her. When she found out, she called him and he then found the courage to ask her out. Every day of their courtship, honeymoon and thru decades of marriage, Jack sent her a red rose. After he died, she still kept receiving a red rose everyday, so she called the florist and told him that Jack had died and he could stop sending her flowers. He told her that Jack had made provisions before he died to send her a red rose everyday for the rest of her life!
Quotes from my Lifestages class: "Many impressive resumes will burn up on that day. Titles and degrees will go by the wayside. Only that which brings honor and glory to Jesus Christ will survive." -Michael Catt (Re: Judgement Day) "The good news has been defended and declared, but what it needs most is to be demonstrated." -Michael Catt
Initial Belief/Salvation
Belief produces faith
Faith develops convictions
Convictions influence Actions
Actions determine eternal reward
1 Corinthians 3:10-13 (3:11-And no one can ever lay any other real foundation than that one we already have-Jesus Christ)
2 Corinthians 5:6-11
John 15:5
Great Memorial Day weekend. Saturday, hung out at the lake with the family, my husband included. My daughter got to swim for the first time in the lake with my husband. Sunday, went to church and played at home. Monday, went out on the boat with my parents and went fishing. Nice relaxing holiday.
I had a great weekend. Saturday, I decided to have a girl's day with my daughter and just she and I took off to a water park. We stayed for 6 hours. I thought it was pretty cool that she was grown up enough to put my sunscreen on for me, until I saw my back. Apparently, she didn't get it all over my back, but it's kind of cute that you can see where her little hands put it, because everywhere else is burned. She made lots of friends at the pool and although they have a great toddler area, we spent about an hour in the big pool. We practiced holding her breath and going under and even jumping off the side. After that she thought she was ready for the big water slide....luckily, the sign said she had to be 48 inches tall and she's 42.
Sunday, my husband was able to go to the worship service with me before he headed off to work. I was a little upset that he didn't get to see our lead pastor or our usual lead singer, but we had a very enlightening Islamic-turned-Christian guest speaker who speaks all over the world. My husband enjoyed it. I found out that Islam teaches that Jesus is just one of many profits, even though they do believe he was a perfect man, they don't believe he is God. Scripture Focus: Matthew 16:13-24 with special focus on these-13(Jesus asked his disciples)..."Who are the people saying I am?";15 Who do you think I am; 16(who) Simon Peter answered..."The Christ, the Messiah, the Living God"; 21(why)From then on Jesus began to speak plainly to his disciples about going to Jerusalem, and what would happen to him there-that he would suffer at the hands of the Jewish leaders, that he would be killed, and that 3 days later he would be raised to life again.; 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If ANYONE wants to be a follower of mine, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who keeps his life for himself shall lose it; and anyone who loses his life for me shall find it again. 26 What profit is there if you gain the whole world and lose eternal life? Afshin Ziafat was the guest speaker. I was afraid this was a little too deep for my husband's first time at my church, but he said he'd like to go back whenever he can.
Later, my mother, sister, grandmother and great nephew came over to play with my daughter. Nice weekend.
Saturday, my daughter and I attended two of her friends' birthday parties. She had a blast seeing her friends away from school. I think we might actually all start organizing some more play dates. We have one year before they all start kindergarten and we're all trying to figure out which school everyone will be attending. I took a lot of pictures and shared with all of the moms whose email addresses I had.
Sunday, my pastor was back and we resumed our study of the break down of John 3:16. We took the words "shall not perish" and now I have a new perspective on what "hell" is and I definitely know it's a place I never want to go. My pastor pointed out that even with all of the bad things that happen in the world, we still feel God's presence and his grace thru the beauty of nature or children laughing, etcetera, but he pointed out that hell is a place that is absent of God's presence! There will be no mercy or grace (ie...cravings will never be fulfilled; gluttons will never be satisfied),ever, for all eternity! Unfortunately, this is the "default" mode that we are put here with until we turn to God and ask him to be a part of our lives thru Jesus Christ. In other words, if we don't find Jesus, we are programmed to go to "hell". "Hell is a freely chosen outcome of a lifelong effort to avoid God." That was bone-chilling to me.
We had a chance to pray with the elders and I have a great nephew who is just a precious child, but his mother has just taken off with him, after his grandparents have more or less raised him, and I just had one of the elders pray with me because I'm fearful he will have a life without Christ. I worry about him a lot.
My daughter and I only got to go to church for an hour, because we were running behind and I just feel cheated when I don't atleast get my 2 hours per week in, but fortunately, they seem to have updated the podcasts on our website, so now my husband can listen and I can listen all over again. This pastor is so brilliant (mainly because he's so down-to-earth and funny while just stating the simple facts of the Bible). He was formerly a marketing major and now I believe God has put him here to market Jesus.
Later, my husband got home from work early and I baked some bone-in chicken (his favorite way, not mine) and he actually had our daughter really enjoying chicken legs and thighs right off the bone! Milestone for us...she just thinks she doesn't like to eat Mommy's cooking, but combined with Daddy's excitement we might get this child to eat something decent yet. After dinner, we all went to the park, the nanny dog included and it was such a nice evening.
Notes from church in the final phase of the study of John 3:16, we focused on the words "BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE". My pastor is a genius because he took those few words and really opened my eyes to where I stood in this world. I have a lot to learn, but finally, I think I'm on the right path.
John 3:16 is INCLUSIVE (For God so loved the WORLD)and EXCLUSIVE (that WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM). ONLY JESUS CAN RESCUE ANY ONE OF US! 'But have ETERNAL LIFE' affirms the existence of God and affirms the reality of life after death."
FOUR STEPS OF ETERNAL LIFE:
1. "Your matter matters, but you are more than matter." Reference: Genesis 2:7 and Romans 1:21 and 24-25. (there is more to us than just a body. we have to be careful what we do with our bodies because it effects our soul)
2. "I'm a soul man." What drives us at any given moment is the condition of our soul. Reference: Deuteronomy 4:9-keep your soul diligently! 1Peter 2:11 (illegitimate sex is a war against your soul and married sex is the mingling of two souls).
3. The lights are on, but no one is home. There's a body, but the soul is dead, Godless. Reference: Ephesians 2 and Isaiah 59:2.
Dallas Willard "Renovation of the Heart" a must read per my pastor...one of his favorite authors.
4. Eternal Life is the presence of the Holy Spirit resurrecting. Reference: John 4:14; John 7:37-39
Analogy: Junk drawer is full of stuff that we can't throw away because it belongs to something somewhere, but we just don't know where or in other words...stuff that is separated from that for which it was created. Much like most of us walking around detached from the Holy Spirit and only concerned about worldly things. I need to attach myself to the word by living the word!
Lifestage class is studying the uprising. Sin creates the illusion of freedom.
Watched a Bluefish TV video with Erwin McManus and he told the story of Narcissis. He couldn't find anyone he thought was worthy to love because he couldn't find anyone he thought was as beautiful as he was. This led to his destruction when one day in the forest, he saw the most beautiful person he'd ever seen and it turned out to be his reflection in the water, so he jumped in to go after it and drowned in the meantime not able to grab hold of the reflection.
References: Luke 10:26-28; Proverbs 1:7 (Wisdom ultimately comes from God); Proverbs 10:14 (a fool won't listen long enough to learn anything); Proverbs 14:16 (pick your battles wisely); Proverbs 27:22 (acknowledge the problem-once a fool, always a fool); Proverbs 26:11-12; Phillipians 2:3-11 (One of the best descriptions of Jesus Christ)
The Fool
despises wisdom
invites ruin
hotheaded and reckless
full of folly
repeats sin
Jesus
humble
servant
obedient
became nothing
exalted
"Jesus is the AUTHOR & PERFECTOR of our faith!"
Reference: Hebrews 12:1-3; Matthew 16:26;
"You cannot follow Jesus and remain the same. The journey itself will change you forever-not only your priorities, but your passions."
Erwin McManus
Pray for God to give me a passion for something greater than myself. Very enlightening!
June 15, 2009 9:33 AM
Ah man, I am really far behind. Last week we started the study of Joseph, Jacob's son. We basically went over the pure dysfunction of his family before we get into the study. All the way back in Genesis, there was a family that began with Abraham, who was the father of Isaac, who was the father of Jacob (whose name means "deceiver"), who was the father of Joseph...along with several others, but Joseph was his favorite.
As told by my pastor, Jacob, who God later renamed Israel, fell in love with this hot jewish babe named Rachel. He makes an agreement with her father to work for him for 7 years so he could marry her, but her father was a little tricky on the wedding day and slipped him her older, homely sister, Leah. So he makes another deal with her father to work for him for another 7 years to again try and marry Rachel. He pays attention when that day comes and actually gets to marry the love of his life. It turns out that Rachel is barron and Leah is just a baby making machine which creates a little jealously between sisters/wives. Rachel offers to let him sleep with her hand maid and this makes Leah jealous, so she also offers up her hand maid....Jacob's no fool...he's like "dude, really? I must be the luckiest man alive." haha
This family is a little wacky. There is a sister named Dinah who gets raped and her brothers go and kill every man in the town where it happened. Jacob remained passive.
Reuben, one of Jacob's sons sleeps with one of his half-brother's mothers...Jacob remained passive.
(1. Emotionally disengaged fathers, foster emotionally desperate children; 2. Sin gains momentum as it travels down family lines.)
Well, Joseph didn't realize how jealous all of his brothers were that his father loved him more. He'd boasted to his brothers about some dreams he'd had that just really made them hate him more because basically he was telling them that they'd all have to bow down to him one day. The brothers went back and forth trying to decide how they could kill him and then decided not to kill him and have guilt on their hands, because after all, he was their brother, but instead, they'd sell him to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver (Jesus was also betrayed for money). The brothers killed a goat and smeared the blood on Joseph's coat and told Jacob they'd found it in the field to make him believe his favorite son was dead.
And the dysfunction shall continue....
In my Life Stage Class today we began a new study....Five Ways To Grow Your Faith.
1. Practical Teaching (exposure to practical biblical teaching)
2. Providential Relationships (ex..God put this person in my life for this reason)
3. Private Disciplines (Somebody encourages us to pray on our own and read the Bible on our own)
4. Personal Ministry (our faith grows as we serve)
5. Pivotal Circumstances (something changes in our lives to make our faith bigger...ie, having a baby, getting married, a death of a loved one, etc...)
My husband visited for the second time and there was a guest speaker again. Today, it was Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell. He was a survivor of the attack on the Pentagon on 911. His story was very moving and really made me feel like I haven't had any real problems. This guy is here for a reason because with 60% of his body covered in 3rd degree burns, and his insides were pretty much cooked too...I'll bet he'll never take another thing for granted as long as he lives. He said goodbye to his wife and 12 year old son because there is no way he should've lived, but God put all of the right people in the right place at the right time and he is alive and well appearing as normal as can be....AMAZING GRACE! He suffered tremendously as his flesh just fell off (ie, when they tried to move him they'd just touch him and things would fall off, suchas everything but the bone of his finger). He shouldn't have any limbs or eyes, yet he does. He even had to spend 4 days with maggots eating the dead flesh off of him, per the doctors instruction, and soaked in a big metal vat filled with betadyne, with no skin...he definitely has a great purpose in this life. I loved how he spoke of President George Bush visiting him and promising him that this would not go unpunished! He received a purple heart, of course...and he said all of this was so incredibly small compared to God sacrificing his one and only son, Jesus, thru brutal torture, for us! He kept relating it all back to their suffering...it definitely put a lot into perspective.
I'm so excited that our pastor will be back this Sunday. Last week we had 2 guest speakers...Ron Hall and Denver Moore, the authors of NY Times Best Seller for 71 weeks "The Same Kind of Different as Me". Very inspirational story. Will have to read the book.
I'm so far behind on my Sunday Reflections and I feel terrible about it. I've started my "service" today by volunteering in my daughter's classroom...holy smokes, that was a lot of crazy work! I guess I thought since my daughter has calmed down at age 4, other kids had too, boy was I wrong! There were some really rambunctious boys jumping on the toys and terrorizing a gecko that they found. It was very hard to make them pay attention to the lesson. And, what I feared came true-my daughter acted up for her mother-they always act worse for their own mothers. I know this because every teacher she ever had always says what a delight she is, but I guess there was a little jealousy about sharing me with all of these other children. She said it wasn't me, that it was the kids that were there today, but I guess we'll have to work on this because I'm committed to this class for 4 months out of the year....whew, God please give me guidance:)
My life stage pastor had to move back home to Kentucky. I'm very happy for him, but we'll really miss him.
We've been studying Psalm 1 in the regular worship service. Advice from my pastor today-11 Reasons to Delight in the Law of the Lord:
1. Life has meaning
2. Expresses the Character of God
3. Explains what's wrong with us and the rest of the world-SIN-we are all broken.
4. Points out to us our need for a Saviour.
5. Specifically names the Saviour who rescued us.
6. Gives us a vision for our lives on Earth.
7. Reminds us of the supernatural resources available to us.
8. Teaches us that God is at work in our lives.
9. Possible for people to be reconciled thru forgiveness.
10. Gives us hope for Eternal Life.
11. Assures us that Good will triumph over evil. (When Jesus comes back-He wins!:):):))
Additional advice from my pastor to cultivate my "taste buds" for scripture:
1. Start with the book of Mark
2. Read a Proverb every day
3. Read thru Psalms
4. Take one of the educational classes at church
5. Re-read passage all week that we talked about in the sermon
6. Don't read Leviticus, Ezekiel or Revelations...LOL
7. Don't get discouraged
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