SPIRITUAL SUNDAY. . .Our Weakness, His Strength

I don't know where to start, but I will try. God is using so many people, situations, devotions and scripture to speak to my heart.
I am going through a health issue that is making my flesh very tired and weak.
Friday's JOURNEY devotion was truly perfect for me.
I am learning how to be secure in God's love. I am meditating on hundreds of scripture verses that tell us about God's strength, power and victory. . .
and then I am hit with something at work that can make me feel very insecure.
Today, just before my daughter arrives, I am spending solitude time in her room, "doing Chapter 9" of Beth Moore's book, So Long, Insecurity,
A Time and Place to Heal (a personal prayer time).

Okay, now to choose my top 5 scripture passages out of about 600 that tell us about the Lord's Strength, Power and Victory.

Psalm 73:26NIV
My flesh and my heart may fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

I John 4:3-4NIV
This is love for God; to obey his commands, and his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Isaiah 40:28-31NIV
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles,
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 41:10NIV
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Proverbs 31:25NIV
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

Kalyn is home, now! Yay!

To join Spiritual Sundays go here! You will be sooo blessed! Thank you so much, Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays! I pray God's blessings on all of you!

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I almost missed posting on Thursday again, but I am making it this time! yea!

My heart and mind are flooding with more than 5 things that I am thankful for!

What to share tonight. . .

I am thankful that. . .

1. God answers prayers and heals us in more ways than one!
2. God's Word is full of encouraging scripture!
3. God created the seasons!
4. Spring Break means getting some needed rest, relaxation and great family time!
5. Our daughter has chosen to come home for Spring Break!

I am joining with Greg C. over at Greg's General Store today for Thankful Thursday, and also Laurie at Women Taking a Stand.



What are you thankful for? To see more thankful Thursday posts please click HERE

TO TELL THE TRUTH TUESDAY

Well, I got a couple of you to reply to me last week, and I have something that is bugging me now, so I'm going to do this again.

I had said on my response to Beth Moore's question last week of what my 2 most primary roots of my struggle with insecurity are. . .

fear of rejection and disposition.

I listened to chapter 6 again in the car and realized that Beth said we all have a pride problem, and I could relate to everything she said about

PRIDE.

It even seems that Pride might be the cause of my fear of rejection.
I can be a very humble person, but I am owning my Pride Problem, too!

SPIRITUAL SUNDAY. . .So Long, Insecurity Book Discussion Assignment Week 4. . .Strength, Power, Victory!

It is still Sunday. I am getting this posted today.

First, I want to share this link with you, to Beth Moore's Living Proof Ministries blog post from yesterday when she asked us to share scripture verses that have at least one of these words:

strength, power, victory.

She gave us that challenge as we are in the middle of discussing her book, So Long, Insecurity, and we are at the point where a lot of us are saying,

"This is sooooo hard."

The only reason that I have whizzed through the book, is because I bought the audio set and listened to Beth read it to me on my way to and from work.

Good Saturday Morning, Sweet Things!

This is her addition to the post tonight.
***It's Sunday evening and you just passed 500 comments on this post. YOU DID IT, GIRLS! Honestly, this is the most exhilarating thing I've ever seen. As you know, we've posted Scriptures many times, especially through our 2009 SSMT, but this is the first time we've had a theme like this. These verses will stand a woman to her feet and put a shout of praise on her tongue. Let's remember this spot, Siestas, so we can return to it many times. As my grandmother used to say, "It'll cure what ails ya." Memorize the date of the post - 3/6/10 - and turn back to it any time you need Christ to fill your sweet soul with an extra measure of divine strength. Thank you so, so much for your participation here.

All of the verses that are being shared are amazing.

These are the ones that my son came up with immediately when I asked him, and they are both perfect for me right now!

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.Psalm 73:26NIV

This is love for God: to obey his commands, And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.I John 4:3-4NIV

http://www.livingproofministries.blogspot.com/2010/03/so-long-insecurity-week-four.html

1. What part of Chapter 7 hit home with you most and why?

Insecurity can confine us.

I want to have real friendships and talk to people, but sometimes, when I try, I do say the wrong thing, so then I'm just always afraid I will, or just don't know how to make conversation.

2. (If you're choosing only two, please include this one.) Based on your journey so far in chapters 1-8, list your own personal top three reasons why it's time to deal with your insecurity. (We're not looking for right answers. We're looking for YOUR answers. Don't copy off your fellow sojourners' papers on this one. Grin.) So that you don't get your numbers confused here, list your 3 reasons under A.B.&C.

A. I want to live the Abundant life that God planned for me.

B. I want to Be a servant for God, giving Him glory and minister to others.

C. I want to Cultivate friendships.

D. I DON'T want to pass on insecurity to my children, students, children, youth, college students at church, anyone!

3. Based on Chapter 8, briefly describe a recent trigger of insecurity and whether or not it got a rise out of you.

4. Also based on Chapter 8, what does dignity mean to you?

I may come back and edit this, but for right now, I'm saying,

Dignity means clothing yourself with the strength God gives you daily.

To join the other bloggers who have posted for Spiritual Sundays, please click HERE

Thank you so much, Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays for us!

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I always look forward to Thursday's to join others in Thankful Thursdays. I usually do post on Thursday. Here it is, 2 weeks in a row that I am posting this on Friday. Like Karen, and probably all who join in on TT, I try to practice Gratitude everyday.

I am always thankful for my very loving husband, our children, daughter in-law, granddaughter, parents and all of our family. I am always thankful for how God provides for us.

This week, I am especially thankful for:

1. baseball season

2. the Journey devotional

3. Beth Moore, everything that she has ever written and taught, currently

So Long, Insecurity, and that she read it herself for the audio set.

4. I won a different Beth Moore audio set from Longmeadow Mama!

5. Scripture verses that tell us. . .

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man(woman) hods it in check.

Proverbs 29:11

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.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4: 29,32NIV

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.

Isaiah 26:3-4NIV

To see what others are thankful for today, join Laurie at Women Taking a Stand and Greg at
Greg’s General Store.

Pursuing LOVE. . .It is not Rude.

I am so glad that I was able to read 3 wonderful posts this morning that asked,

"Are you rude or courteous?"

I know that we can't be both rude and courteous at the exact same time, but I know that I am rude at times and that I am a genuinely courteous and caring person. I am always "working on" trying to not react rudely.

I am very compassionate and sensitive, but am also sometimes defensive. I am always taking this to the Lord and trying to do better, and I think that maybe I am finally getting a little better. Being in His word really helps a lot.

Dear Lord,

I praise You for how you speak to me and work in my life.

I repent of any time that I am ever rude, disrespectful or defensive to anyone.

I acknowledge that You can help me overcome this and become a more considerate, courteous person.

Dear Lord, I thank you for my family, co-workers, students and friends. I pray that you will be with all of them today. I pray especially for the student that I have on my prayer list today, and for the meeting that we are having with his Mom today. I pray that we will all be courteous to each other. I also pray for another teacher who is having a meeting with the mom of a student that she wants to refer for testing. I pray that Your will be done in all situations.

Dear Lord, I pray for myself that You will be with me in all that I say and do today. Dear Lord, please help be to be courteous to all.

Dear Lord, please equip me to do the things you would have me do today.

I thank You again for Your presence in my life. I thank You for other Christian bloggers that I can learn from and I pray for them.

In Your Name I Pray

I Corinthians 13:4-8NIV

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of worngs. Love does not delight in eveil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Please join us in the Pursuit of LOVE over at Marsha's Musings

"To Tell the Truth Tuesday"

I wanted to try this post to see if anyone will join me in sharing how we're doing on our commitments for the year.

I'm not doing really great on any of the goals that I made for the year. . .
Reading the Bible through and
Speaking in a Kind voice, but I'm am still working on both of those, and on all of my goals for the year. http://sandys-scriptureandprayer.blogspot.com/2009/12/goals-for-2010.html

What I am succeeding at is:

continuing in my practice of memorizing scripture, (began last year, and continuing)

getting up earlier to have my Quiet Time (done before, but had not been doing it this year, so began last week, observing Lent for the first time)

Starting my day in God's word helps me and all around me to have a much better day
and attitude!
I really love that Beth Moore sparked a fire that is continuing to burn in so many of us for scripture memory.
So, how are you doing?