Called out ...

I just finished typing what I thought would be today's post, but with the hit of a wrong key and the blink of an eye my post was gone (no auto-draft, no save, no nothing). So I had to sit up and take notice of what the Lord wanted to say to me. First of all I was so excited about something I wanted to share with you that I decided to type it first then get my Bible to see what scripture would go with it. UH, that's not the way it works!!! It's God first, then me :) How many times do I try to do things on my own, only to go to God to fix it? Well, this morning He has called me out on that. So I stopped blogging and read my devotion and prayed. The Lord has lead me to the following verses from Galatians 5:16-26 'Walking in the Spirit'. So this is straight from the Lord.

"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."

Hello, did you see the part about "selfish ambitions"?? yes, that would be me this morning. I know most people probably don't enjoy reading scripture that calls you out on your sin, but that's to bad. We are all sinners and thanks be to God we can be saved by Jesus grace. He stands at the door of your heart knocking and waiting for you to invite Him in. Only He can cleanse you from all the above sins and give you forgiveness and peace. Do you know Him today? He won't turn you away, no matter what you've done.

God bless you and the reading of His word.

As I walked around my yard and took these pictures I was amazed at how such a delicate flower could break through the cold, hard ground. Realistically it doesn't seem possible. I mean if I were to go back outside right now and try to push a stick in the ground I would have a difficult time. Tell me then, how it is that a flower stem that is not as sturdy as a stick,can push through that ground and not even damage the delicate frame of the flower? It's simple really; that's what the Lord created it to do. It's a God thing. He brings those daffodil's through the dirt and then makes a way for them to pop up perfectly. Each yellow flower proceeds to bloom in all it's glory in spite of the hard ground or surrounding thorns. The Lord has a purpose for daffodils and in their fragile and seemingly weak state they are able to overcome the odds around them and burst through the ground. It reminds me of a saying that I hear often these days; If God brings you to it, he'll bring you through it. Why do we worry or concern ourselves with anything? If our great Lord is making a way for the daffodil, don't we know he'll make a way for us?

Luke 12:26-28 says

"If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?
"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
"But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!

Oh to be of little faith... I pray that the Lord will be with you today in all that you are going through. Have faith ... if He has a plan and a purpose for the daffodil, oh what a plan and purpose He must have for you.

Go be a blessing ...

It's a new day

I have noticed over the past few weeks that my quiet time has changed. Instead of just reading scripture then reading from my devotion book; I am now singing to the Lord. Yes, right there at my kitchen table with no music, no words, no pre-planning ... a song will come to mind and I will sing praise to the Lord. It is really a cool and awesome spontaneous happening. This morning after reading from my Charles Stanley "In Touch" www.intouch.org devotion booklet I flipped back a page and was reading an article they had written about Paul Baloche (he is a influential worship music writer). He said that he tells those that he teaches song writing, "think of it as singing your prayers and you'll end up with songs that are more honest, more inspired." One of his songs "Open the eyes of my heart Lord" started out as a prayer that he used to sing. I know that song and after reading his story I just started singing it to the Lord. The words go like this: "Open the eyes of my heart Lord, open the eyes of my heart. I want to see you, I want to see you." I thought how true!! I do want to "see" the Lord. I do want to know Him more. I do want to praise Him. I do want to serve Him. So I just closed my eyes at the table and sang praise to the Lord. Then He tugged at my heart to come share it with you. My Bible reading today came from Romans 3:23 -24 you can go to the link above and read it if you'd like. The main idea of it is this, we ALL have sinned, but Jesus came to save us (the sinners that we are). If you have not ever prayed to ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to be your Lord, what are you waiting on? He loves you, just as you are. Do you forget that He created you? He wants a relationship with you. He stands at the door and knocks and is ready to come in ... YOU have to invite Him. He didn't suffer a terrible, painful death on the cross for nothing; He did it for YOU and Me. Praise God for his free gift of Salvation. If you'd like to pray to ask Jesus into your heart it is very easy. You could pray this simple prayer:

Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that you died on the cross in my place, paying the sin-debt I owed, and then you rose from the dead. I receive you Jesus as my personal Savior and surrender control of my life to you. Please show me how to live for you and walk with you. Thank you Lord for your loving grace and salvation. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer I'd like to know, welcome to the family :-) what an awesome day!! Email me at susanbneal@gmail.com so I can celebrate with you and share in knowing that you are a child of the king and we'll live forever.

Happy Valentine's Day --late

I hope you all had a great Valentine's weekend. My Chris brought me a dozen long stemmed roses, a box of chocolate and the most perfect Valentine card. He is the Man !!! He gave Olivia one long stemmed pink rose, a box of chocolate that says, "You Rock" and a perfect card for a daughter from daddy. He is the Man!! We also took our mom's and my grandmother candy and roses. A weekend of love. Chris wasn't left out of the gift loop, he got a new coffee mug, candy, home-made cards and plenty of hugs and kisses. An extra treat was snow to enjoy over the Valentine weekend. Me and Olivia made 3 snow people ... what fun!! Even though we saw my mom and gave her gifts we didn't get to take any pictures. So I only have pictures from Chris's mom's house and our trip to the nursing home. Granny is still wearing those dark glasses because she just had cataract surgery last week. She can see much better now; which is a huge praise. Keep praying for her healing. Thanks. Have a blessed day.

God's grace

Romans 5:1-2 "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

the grace in which we stand ... those are powerful words to me. God's grace is given freely to all who will accept, to all who will believe. You do not earn it; it is a gift. Jesus died on the cross to pay our sin debt because He loves us. Do you know him today? He won't turn you away? My Jesus, sweet Jesus. Accept his free gift today.

Romans 5:3-5 continues on with more encouragement: "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Excerpts from Charles Stanley Intouch.org devotional reading



Continue to pray for baby Anna Grace as she is having heart surgery at this very moment. She is in Charleston having the Norwood procedure. Pray for her and for the doctors. Pray for her mom and dad as this has to be their most difficult day ever. Pray for complete healing and miracles beyond miracles ... to God be the glory.

prayer request

With all the hype of facebook I really don't know if anyone reads this blog. Nonetheless I still write on occasion as I feel the desire. Right now my heart wants to ask you to pray for the heart of one very precious little girl, Anna Grace. She is brand new in this world and is going to have major surgery tomorrow (the Norwood - I believe is the name). I know another child that I asked you all to pray for named Charlotte who also had the same surgery and she is past her first birthday :-) Emma Kate's picture is on the front page of my blog and she is also a "heart baby" who is past her first birthday. I say that because right now is crucial to my friends and their baby. I am sure that the parents are all torn inside as they trust the Lord and then wait for the results ... Please pray for Anna Grace and for Brian and Tina her parents. Pray for their extended family taking care of Anna Grace's big brother, Z. Pray for the doctor's to have wisdom. Pray for God to be glorified through all. Thank you for reading. If you'd like to find out updates you can go straight to Anna Grace's parents web site : .www.baasheepbaa.blogspot.com/

Also if you feel led and want to let them know that you are praying for them I am sure the encouraging words will help during this most trying time. thank you. God bless you.

surgery 6:00 a.m. Monday January 4th, 2010

thoughts

Oh what to write??? Naturally writing about the end of the year and the start of a new year would be a suitable topic considering it is the last day of 2009

Top 10 events of 2009

#1. Homeschooling Olivia (5th grade)

#2. Chris went to Thailand on a mission trip

#3. My grandmother was put in a nursing home

#4. Chris had a good deer season.

#5. Olivia turned 10 (two digits now)

#6. Chris killed a bobcat

#7. Olivia is 3 inches taller than me.

#8. I found out I have high triglycerides

#9. I joined facebook

#10. I turned 40 in December

My New Year's Resolution is to do what Psalm 141:3 " Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips." I want to be the woman Christ created me to be! He knows my strengths and weaknesses and I pray that He will guide my every word and every step. I want many things for myself ... to be thinner, to be healthier, to be smarter ... but why? for my own glory??? oh to be so vain ... I pray to be all He wants me to be and nothing more.

Love and prayers are sent your way because you are my brother or sister in Christ and I care about you. Happy New Year to you and your family from all of us. May the Lord bless your life with joy. Seek Him and you will find Him, for He is already there waiting on YOU.

Merry Christmas with love

Hello sweet readers, if I have any left ??? I want to wish you a Merry Christmas from my heart. I have been extremely busy lately, so much so that I can't believe I am even writing this right now. My schedule has been filled to overflowing and I am exhausted like never before. I am also blessed like never before. This year has seen many changes for our family. I have started homeschooling my sweet 5th grader :) what a new and challenging life style we have. She is two inches taller than me, but still my innocent little girl. She gave up the notion of Santa last year, but we still have fun with Christmas. I love that she is into dolls and likes to play Barbie and American Girl and other little girl things. She is in her second year of piano and plays it like she was born to play it ( I am not bragging, it's true). I am very proud of her talent and thank the Lord for giving her such ability. She is an excellent artist and draws in wonderful dimensions ( I am jealous :) Life is good. Chris is still working at the same computer company and got a promotion to Vice President of Technical Development. He is so smart :) He still enjoys hunting deer in the winter and fishing the rest of the year. I am happy taking care of him and Olivia.

Life is good. The Lord has blessed us with a great family and many wonderful friends. I pray peace for you this Christmas. I am not writing all that I would like to write, because time and energy fail me. Soon ... I hope to ...

Merry Christmas

Prayer request

Dear friends,

Please pray for two, sweet little girls today 12/15 and tomorrow 12/16. One little girl needs to be protected from an abusive situation from her father of all people and today is a critical day. The other little girl needs to be protected from her mother of all people and tomorrow is her court date. I know both of these families and the children involved. I wrote a letter to the court on behalf of one of these girls (at the request of a family member). For their privacy that's all I will say. Just pray that the Lord will intervene and that the court system won't make another mistake that could cause more harm to these precious girls. Thank you for praying.

Will write more later ...

We who believe

With Christmas all the buzz these days I can't help, but think of the lost. You know half the population who will celebrate Christmas. What does it mean to them? I find it so interesting that people who blatantly deny Christ celebrate Christmas. What gives ??? What's the point for them? Could it be that "we who believe" have bought into the commercialism so much that we aren't doing a good job of sharing the true meaning of Christmas with non-believers ? Are we all just going through the motions? Non believers put up Christmas trees and decorations. They go to Christmas plays, Christmas parties and even sing Christmas songs. They Christmas shop and give Christmas gifts. What's the deal? What is Christmas really about anyway? What does Christmas mean to you?

Christ-mas is Christ's birthday, PERIOD...... It is the day our Lord and Savior was born. Jesus Christ came down from heaven as a babe to this earth to show us how to live. To teach us, to deliver us, to love us and ultimately to die for our sins (MINE and YOURS). Yes, we are all sinners. He was sinless. He took the shame of all I have done and will do so I can be made holy, so I can one day enter into the presence of Almighty God. So I can live FOREVER in heaven. People He is REAL. Hell is real. Heaven is real. He is there right now preparing a place for me and all who believe.

Luke 2:10-12 "Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

The Bible tells us in John 3:16 -17 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."

Romans 5:8-9 "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him."

Matthew 13:41-42 "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." This is a biblical picture of hell.

John 14: 1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. "

We who believe need to start telling others what we believe. We need to let them know WHY we celebrate Christmas and what it really means. What does it mean to you?

Early Light Devotional - In Touch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley 2009

Early Light Devotional - In Touch Ministries - Dr. Charles Stanley 2009

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