HEART: Psalm 51:17

"Have you ever seen a woman who steadfastly minds her own business? Who diligently protects the 'hidden person of the heart' (I Peter 3:4); she guards the sacred secrets of her soul. She exudes a peaceful, unwavering gentleness of spirit. Whether she is naturally quiet or has a vibrant personality, she does NOT allow her emotions to lead her actions. She is busy about her FATHER'S work; she finds her delight IN Him instead of in the dramatic human sagas that may swirl about her. Such a woman is truly a delight - both to those around her and to the HEART of her GOD!"

This is something that the Lord has been working on my heart about.  This is what I SO desire to be.  The quote is not mine, I am not sure who wrote it, but a true beauty for the Lord, that is for sure.  I have been slow to post this because of how convicting it has been to me since the moment I read it.  And the thoughts that swirl in this head of mine are ferocious!  I am not here yet.  I have not arrived.  I daily strive, seek Him, to be like this woman.  It is hard work!  So, this is the desire of my heart! To STEADFASTLY mind my own business.  DILIGENTLY protect my heart, the very being of who I am. To exude (display strongly and openly, and steadily), a peaceful, unwavering (unshakeable) gentleness (considerate or kindly disposition, amiable, tender, not harsh or severe) of spirit! To NOT allow my emotions to lead my actions, but may my actions be of THEE SPIRIT!  Busy about my FATHER’s work! To find DELIGHT (great pleasure or enjoyment) in HIM, Jesus Christ, not mankind!  Lord, may how I live and act, may this be a delight to those around me…loving to love, and exude more of YOU!  And most importantly…to bring GREAT delight to YOU!!!!  I want to be ALL about my Father’s business!! 

Oh Father, do this work in and through me!  You get the glory!!

Psalm 51:17

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite HEART, O God, You will not despise!"

Girl's Weekend!!

Girls weekend is almost here!  That can only mean a few things!!  When you get three gals together in a cabin in the mountains, with their dogs, some meals planned out, and snow shoes strapped on to the truck, memories are going to be made!  We look forward to building the relationships the Lord has blessed us with and getting out of town for a few days! 

Expectations are as follow:

HAVE FUN

CHAT IT UP

SNOW SHOE ADVENTURES

RELAX TOGETHER

LAUGH (OFTEN & HARD)
MOVIE WATCHING

COOKING TOGETHER

GAMES

BOOK READING

WORSHIP THE KING

And well, I can’t tell you everything!  You have to be there to experience ALL of it! J

P.S. NO, this is NOT a picture of where we are going...but its mountains!  :)

Try, Try Again...

(wipe the sweat off your brow, and resolve to trust God!)

2014 has started and with it, resolutions.  The word can mean so many things, and yes, I am one that more or less sets ‘goals’ for the year.  This year is no different.  I have been thinking about and praying about what the Lord would like to have me do this year.  Well, I made them, wrote them out and shared them with my dear sister.  They are reasonable, yet the Lord wasn’t done working on my heart in regards to what I need to work on this year. 

Today I sat down to read a Christian magazine and one of the articles was on ‘resolutions’.  Yep.  I wanted to skip right over it and keep going, but for some reason the Lord caught my eye with a question at the top of the page and quite frankly, I didn’t understand the question.  So, into the article I went.  Well, the Lord had greater things to show me, and I am SO excited to share what the Lord taught me today!

                In the short article the author said how many times we resolve to try harder.   We start strong the first week or so.  We can do it, we try hard.  However, soon, the trying hard doesn’t work.  The will power is dying, and we throw in the towel.  So, he says:

“This year, I want to try hard, but I want to try hard at the right thing.  I want to try hard at that which God prizes in His people. (the heart)  I’m going to try hard to BELIEVE. 

                We often make the mistake of thinking that resolutions are about willpower.  Though certainly that’s a big part of it, the truth is that every decision we make is, at some level, driven and maintained by FAITH.  What we believe will in the end determine what we do.  Think about it again in terms of a diet.

                In the case of losing 20 pounds, instead of just trying harder to eat right and go to the gym, I’m going to focus my primary effort elsewhere.  I’m going to attack the ROOT of the issue at the FAITH level.  Instead of focusing my effort on the weight, I’m going to try hard to believe that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.  I’m going to try hard to believe that God will empower me to honor Him with my body.  I’m going to try hard to believe that He’s my substance – not another bag of chips.

                There’s a HUGE difference.  One is centered on sweat; the other is centered on faith.  One lifts up the power of humanity; the other lifts up the power of God.  One is about me; the other is about the gospel.  Perhaps we shouldn’t be asking, “Why can’t I try HARD enough to accomplish the things I have resolved to do?”  Maybe we should instead be asking what we should be trying hard to BELIEVE about God and His works in our lives.  Perhaps it’s that belief – that faith – that can result in the change we need.

                In 2014, resolve to try hard, but to try hard at the RIGHT thing.  FAITH is the center of all things – even trying harder.”  - Michael Kelley (emphasis mine)

                When I read this, my heart started to twinge.  It started to nod.  And it moved from my heart to my head!  Yes, Yes, YES!!!  This is it.  It is NOT about me.  Not in the least.  This is about my heart, in faith and obedience, trusting and obeying the Lord.  It is about my desiring to BE ALL for the Lord, BELIEVING He can and will do a powerful change in my life, which is even obeying Him in what I put in my mouth.  It goes with the verse, ‘Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial!’  The Lord doesn’t need me to follow the rules of a diet and exercise plan to a ‘T’.  Yes, that would produce results, for sure, it is a given, but the Lord doesn’t need another fat or skinny person living life by rules.  HE has set me free.  All He asks is that I obey Him in that freedom.  So, my resolution has changed, and if I follow this resolution, the results will far outweigh the results of which I was hoping for!  For my resolution is to fall so completely in love with the Lord in a new way, I can’t put a morsel in my mouth without it giving glory and honor to the One I love so dearly.  I am turning this battle back over to the Lord, and may HE work in MY heart, it can’t but grow, and grow in a good, righteous, pure way. 

                So, I challenge you, with your ‘resolutions’, resolve to try harder at the RIGHT things.  For when we resolve to love the Lord more, change WILL happen!!

                Lord, I ask You to go before me.  I want to BE all YOU want me to be.  Life is a heart issue, and I want a clean heart , obedient and focused on YOU.  I love You Lord, and I pray this pray for my brothers and sisters who make ‘resolutions’ too.

“God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.  RESTORE to me the JOY of Your salvation and SUSTAIN me with a WILLING spirit!!”    

Psalm 51:10-12

Theme Verse for 2014

Romans 12:9-12

 Let love (an intense feeling of deep affection) be genuine (authentic, actual, true), abhor (regard with disgust and hatred, detesting) what is evil (wicked, immoral, bad, sinful, wrong, corrupt).  Hold fast (remain tightly secure) to what is good (that which is morally right; righteousness).  LOVE (an intense feeling of deep affection) one another (person other than self, undiscriminating) with brotherly affections.  Out-do (to do MORE or better than) one another in showing honor (high respect; esteem; regard with great reverence).  Do not be slothful (lazy, sluggish, lethargic) in zeal (intense enthusiasm for), be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice (feel and show great joy or delight) in hope (expectation), be patient (accept and tolerate without annoyance) in tribulation (great trouble or suffering), be constant (occurring continuously over period of time, around the clock) in prayer (a request; a reverent petition to God).

Grow Deep...

Psalm 57:7 meets Psalm 1:3 Dip your heart in the stream of LIVING water, and let it's roots grow deep in it!

CHRISTMAS...

This is the precious little face that just found out Aunt Becky sent a present for him, and it is under the tree!!!  Oh, this is the face of one of the many JOYS of the season!  I just wish I could be THREE places at once!  My baby sister, neice and nephews...all so precious to me...i can't describe the love I have for them!!
Merry Christmas family!!!

Lord Change me!

Oh how the Lord is good!  I was in a mood to stay to myself today.  Which can be a good thing for others at times too, but the Lord was working on me all the way to church! “Today, I need you, my child, to reach out.  Look beyond your selfish self and bless someone.  Keep your eyes open, and be ready.”  I heard what the Lord said to me, but I was not yet in agreement.  I talked with a friend on the phone all the way to church and was still in the mind set to be a monk.  A loner.  By myself. Alone. Un-social. Well, I walk into church and sure enough, the Lord started!  I dear friend of mine said, “Oh what it must be like to be Becky and be able to bless so many just by walking in a room.”  I responded to her.  ‘Oh, if only you knew this heart of mine!  It is ugly and I really just want to be all by myself, but the Lord won’t let me, and I have to get over it!’  She gave me a hug and we both plodded on, to get over ourselves.  However, I kept fighting the Lord! I delivered some goodies to the sound booth workers, and as I stood there, alone I figured I would sit right there, alone, in the balcony!  I can worship the Lord right there.  Ahh, no, I forgot a bulletin.  I need that for the sermon to take notes.  And as I thought to myself go get one and come back up…the Lord said it again, “Go, and get over yourself…NOW!”  So, I grabbed my purse and bible and headed back down the stairs.  I was greeted by one of my favorite ushers, received my bulletin and headed in the sanctuary!  I found a seat near the back, and soon my second ‘parents’ joined me.  It was a blessing to sit with ‘family’, it was what I needed.  The worship was honoring to the Lord, and I still didn’t know what was about to hit me!  The sermon was great, and a convicting message on DOING for the Lord!  My faith does.  Which is NOT: alone, by myself, solitude, selfish.  It is for others.  WOW!  Ya, convicting.  Well, after the service as I was chatting with friends, a co-worker, whom I have been praying for was walking in the center aisle!  I excused myself and hurried after him.  PRAISE the Lord he was at service!!  GO God!!  Then…after saying hello to him, I chatted with another girlfriend.  Well, as the Lord’s timing would have it…this girlfriend asked if I knew Brittany.  I said yes, and she continued on sharing with me that Brittany had spoken with some key people regarding baptism, and it sounded like today was the day!!  (Oh the Lord was beginning to get through this hard heart!)  I hurried around looking for the right people to ask and get in touch with; I wanted to be there for Brittany!!  She has talked about baptism for a few weeks now!  Finally after here and there, I headed back stage!  Just as they were walking onto stage, I dropped my purse right there and rushed after her!  Just in time…she was climbing into the tank!  Oh, down she went and up again!  PRAISE the Lord!!  She came out; dripping wet and I hugged her as we headed to the changing room. Virginia and I prayed with her and she changed out of her wet clothing.  She was overwhelmed.  Tears of nervousness with tears of joy!  She said to me, teary eyed, “I didn’t even go all the way under.”  I said, “Brittany, that doesn’t matter!  YOU obeyed the Lord!  You did what HE asked you to do!”  To which she replied, “Yes, I have been wanting to, but in the right timing, today I just felt was right.  I did it because the Lord said to, not because anyone MADE me, or that I had to, but because the Lord asked me to!  I asked the Lord to become my Savior when I was little, but this is what I needed to do, to proclaim to everyone I am a follower!  And, there were three million people out there!”  Oh, Brittany!  She is a gem, a treasure, obeying what the Lord is asking of her, her heart is growing and it is SO beautiful!  We chatted some more, before saying goodbye.

Lord, this is what you NEEDED me for today!  YOU had a plan!  And I was selfish, I almost missed the blessings!!  To see Randy AT church, to be able to pray with and encourage Brittany as she just proclaimed the best decision in her life…YOU AMAZE me Lord!  I am sorry for the heart, the ugliness that I possess!  Thank you for working out the details, and HUMBLING me to be able to experience the blessings YOU had in store all along!  And as the sermon questioned: ‘Am I in the center of God’s will?’ Father, the answer to that is YES, but the deeper question for me is…am I living IN it to the fullest ability?  The answer to that…was NO!  I need to grasp, embrace, to take hold of ALL You have handed me! It is an honor and a privilege to do what YOU ask!  Why am I so selfish?!  Continue to mold this heart.  Refine it to PURE gold.  Remove the ugly ‘Becky’ parts.  Make me to reflect more of YOU! 

Thank you for the reminder today, and the blessings that came from it!!  YOU are worth more than I can be or give, but thank YOU for never giving up on me!!  I LOVE YOU LORD, with ALL of me!