First in Everything

"That in everything He might have first place." (Colossians 1:18)

I'm going to begin with a radical statement: You will never experience the fullness of joy that you were created to know until Jesus Christ has first place in every area of your life.


Now hang onto that for a minute. First place.

* First in your home.
* First in your choices for entertainment.
* First in the way you use your money.
* First in your career.
* First in your thoughts.
* First in your decisions.
* First in your marriage.
* First in your singleness.
* First in your relationships.
* First in your dreams for the future.

Say it now: "I will never experience the fullness of joy that I was created to know until I put Jesus Christ first in every area of my life."

I think a lot of people would intellectually subscribe to that statement, but I wonder how many of us would truly embrace it in a way that affects our behavior? Doing so doesn't come easily.

Colossians 1:16 says, "All things were created through Him and for Him." Through Christ and for Christ. Some people have a hard time with that. They're like, "I can handle the fact that He created the universe, but I have a hard time with Him creating the universe for Himself. Who does He think He is? His glory? His pleasure? His purpose? Is that ever prideful! How self-centered can you get?!" Listen. The amazing thing is not that Jesus Christ created us for Himself. The amazing thing is that He cares at all. The amazing thing is that He has chosen in His incredible grace to love us, to dwell with us, to forgive us? The list goes on.

Think about your life. Think about His persistent love. Think about how faithfully He pursues you in spite of yourself. The next time you sin, reject or ignore Him, how amazing is it that He just doesn't walk away and say, "Forget you!" We are here to bring Him glory and to make Him known. He is our purpose and we find our greatest joy when He is at the center of our lives.

We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

The Measure Of The Family

"Says the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people." (Jeremiah 31:1)

WE ARE FAMILY...

When someone rises to a high position in world leadership and influence, the first information the world wants to know is,"What is the family history?"

Upon reading just a few of the volumes of biographies of well~known people, we will quickly sense that indeed the family ~ the home and the individuals in it ~ or the lack of family ~ greatly influences the actions and life~changing decisions of adults and young people. It makes them who they are, and, in turn, the family molds and shapes future generations.

Name the person or persons who have shaped our world in art or music, politics or science. Look beyond those persons to the families and homes that molded them.

We cannot fully measure the effect of the family, any family. Like the wake of a ship that leaves an unending ripple in an enormous sea, a family influence can extent far beyond our sight or knowledge.

How can you and I measure the influence upon us of the families that lived before our time? Our ancestors? Or even those who are not in direct line, but whose lives affected those who were?

Something to think about...God Bless You and Your Family!

Give Time To Quietness

"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)

The fight that we have been called to is not an easy fight. we are touching the very center of the enemy's power and kingdom, and he hates us intensely and fights hard against us. Without being disciplined soldiers, utterly out~and~out and uncompromising, men and women of prayer...we have no chance of winning in this fight. These battles belong to the Lord, He wants to fight them for us and through us.

To do so we first and most important, must give MUCH time to quietness. We have to get our help directly from our God. We are here to help, not to be helped, and we must learn to walk with God alone and feed on His Word so as to be nourished.

Don't only read and pray, LISTEN. "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

Don't evade the slightest whisper of guidance that comes. May God make you very sensitive, and very obedient.

Fill up the crevices of time with the things that matter most. This will cost something, but it is worth it! "Seek ye My face, My heart said unto thee, Thy face Lord, will I seek." Psalm 27:8)

All this will be, if you walk with Him as with a visible Companion, from dawn through all the hours until you go to sleep at night. And your nights will be holy, too, for He is watching over your sleep as your mother watched over it when you were a tiny child.

"He will give His angels charge over you." (Psalm 91:11)

Restoration

Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock. (Jer. 31:10)



Restoration is the reason Jesus came to earth. He came not only to redeem us from the fall ~ as essential and wonderful as that was. Redemption was just the first step in God’s ultimate plan for us. Redemption was not the end but only a recovery program, incorporated to return us to God’s large purposes, which He planned from the beginning. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us. (Luke 1:69) Salvation is an all-inclusive term. It means “to deliver, protect, heal, preserve, make whole.” In other words, “restore.”

God wants to make us whole, that is why Jesus suffered and died! Jesus, the Creator of the universe, died to restore that which He created, and He bore more than just our sins. He suffered death that we might experience peace, healing, and a sense of purpose or destiny, all of which are necessary for wholeness. Restoration is at the heart of the gospel because it expresses the very heart of the Father.

I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. (Phil. 4:11)

Paul, denied of every comfort, wrote those words in his dungeon. A story is told of a king who went into his garden one morning and found everything withered and dying. He asked the oak that stood near the gate what the trouble was. He found it was sick of life and determined to die because it was not tall and beautiful like the pine.

The pine was all out of heart because it could not bear grapes like the vine. The vine was going to throw it’s life away because it could not stand erect and have as fine fruit as the peach tree, and so on all through the garden.

Coming to a heart’s~ease, he found it’s bright face lifted as cheery, as ever. Well, heart’s~ease, I’m glad amidst all this discouragement, to find one brave little flower. You do not seem to be the least disheartened. No, I am not of much account, but I thought that if you wanted an oak, or a pine, or a peach tree, or a lilac, you would of planted one; but as I knew you wanted a heart’s~ease, I am determined to be the best little heart’s~ease that I can.

They who are God’s without reserve, are in every state content; for they will only want His wills, and desire to do for Him whatever He desires them to do; they strip themselves of everything, and in this nakedness find all things restored an hundredfold.

Here am I Lord, restore me I pray.

A Mother's Heart

What can I give you my child, my baby, so small and fragile? Only your love and care, mother, for a mother’s love conquers all.

What can I do for you now my child, now that you are in school? Make sure I learn my lessons, mother, for I’d rather be nobody’s fool!

What can I give as a gift, my child, now that you are to be married? Give me support and advice, mother, but allow me to live my own life.

How can I help you the most, my child, now that your a parent? Share love, laughter and wisdom, mother, tell them what it means to be free.

What can I give you of mine my child, now that I’m old, to show you I care? Only a kiss, with your blessing, mother, and the memories of good times we shared.

I wish I had given you more, my child, but our time here on earth is too short. You taught me all of life is a gift, mother, and the things we prize most are not bought.

Her greatest achievement in life… her five children, loving and raising us like she did. A mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom.

It’s been five years since my mother passed on. I still want to buy a card for her,write a special note, sign it, seal it, and send it, but, heaven doesn’t have a post office.

Being a mother and grandmother, I still miss my mom very much. I miss our talks. I learned so much from her as I listened and watched her. I miss the stories she shared about her growing up years, riding horses, swimming, cooking with her mother. Oh how I miss her cooking, and boy could she cook, she loved to cook for everyone! And the smell of her fresh hot cinnamon rolls filled the whole house. I miss her hugs, her cheery laughter, her sense of humor, her love.

When I look around my house, I see her in many places. Pictures in different rooms, when I’m looking through my cookbook, I see her hand writing on cards and the pages. Oh how precious now! I see her when I make my coffee in the mornings…it use to be her coffee maker. I see her when I curl up on the couch wrapped up in a quilt she made by hand.

When I look at these things it reminds me of the love and comfort God gave me through my mom, Marlene.

On Mother’s Day, I will be at my son and daughter-in-laws. She is fixing me and her mother dinner. To spend the afternoon with the child I love, his wife and my grand~children will bless my heart greatly.

This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:27

Resting In God's Love

PaPa God has me in a "be still" and "seek ME" season...to refresh myself, heart, mind and soul in Him so I can effectively go out and refresh and restore others in Him and His love. He is bringing restoration in our family situations...that is very exciting for us!! Generations will sing of His praise, He will be exalted forever more!!

I will not forget all His benefits!

I was driving to my sisters yesterday and asked PaPa God how long He wants me to “be still?”...His response; “you draw near to Me, seek My face, and watch Me work on your behalf. I don't want you getting in my way.” WOW!!

Like in Gen. 15, God's Covenant with Abraham, He wants me to prepare a sacrifice Myself) and bring it to Him (which is me, letting go of busyness and sitting at His feet).

Like Martha, I sometimes get so busy "doing" that I can't be what He wants us to be, therefore keeping me from effectively "doing" what He wants us to do. It is very hard for me to "be still," there's work to be done. But now I am sitting at His feet. I don’t want to be so busy striving to please Him that I won’t be able to relax enough to just sit back and enjoy the relationship with Him.

Martha made that mistake spending all her time treating Jesus as a guest when what He wanted her to do was relax and simply be with Him.
(Luke 10:38-42)

“For I know the thoughts I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace not evil, to give me a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11)

Still Small Voice

Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted above the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10)

How hard is it for you to be still? I know it is very difficult for me to. But that is what my Father has me doing...being still for a season. I am thankful that He wants to have a relationship with me and that He wants to guide me in life. And part of that relationship involves my being able to "listen" to Him.

Like Elijah, in the depths of our fear or despair, we too may think at times that we are the only one serving God.

The sooner we focus on Him and His power, the quicker we'll see relief from our fears and self~pity. Both the clashing cymbals of our failures and the loud trumpeting of our successes can drown out God's still small voice.

The time has come for me to quiet my heart to "listen" to Him as I meditate on His Word. To tune into His voice I must tune out the world's noise.

God didn't speak to Elijah in a mighty wind, and earthquake, or a fire. He spoke to him in a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:12-18)

We can miss the still small voice if we are always going after the emotional stirring and the dramatic signs. We need to train our spirit to discern His voice.

Keep listening for the "still small voice" if you are weary on life's road ~ the Lord will make your heart rejoice if you will let Him take your load.

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as easles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.' (Isaiah 40:31)

Any great work of art takes time to be perfected in the hands of the master artist.

My Father's Love For Me

Wow, it’s so awesome when spending time with PaPa God, how He reveals His love and His promises to me!!

Restoration…He is not only restoring my son and my relationship, but He is restoring His and my relationship, drawing me closer to Him in order that I He can lavish His Father love on me!! WOW, how can it get any better?

Today PaPa showed me that I am His “happy thought,” even when I sin. Even when I sin He still loves me and He longs to be the One I run to for comfort and forgiveness. He is love and His perfect love casts out all fear. (1John 4:18) He has a heart of compassion, not one of wrath and judgment.

Forgive me PaPa for believing that You are angry with me…it’s hard to accept Your love and forgiveness at times because of my guilt and shame, and because I never had an earthly fathers love. When I feel ashamed or guilty, I often run and hide as Adam did in the Garden of Eden. Thank You that You are giving me a new image of You!

I thank You that Jesus came to demonstrate who You are and what You are like. I turn to Jesus whose purpose it was to show us the You, our Father. Jesus is the image of the invisible God and the exact representation of God’s nature. (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:4) HE IS LOVE!! And because God is love, everything He does is out of love for us. I don’t have to perform for Him or live a life of perfection in order to gain His approval. How awesome is that?

When I have an accurate understanding of His nature, I don’t possess an unhealthy fear of Him, I don’t have to jump through hoops to earn His love. The religion of fear WILL NOT have a hold on me, even when I sin, I can still crawl up into my Father’s lap and seek His love and forgiveness.

Because I have so many misconceptions about my PaPa, I sometimes don’t truly feel at home in His presence if my house doesn’t smell just right…(you know, like how we act when family and good friends are sitting around after eating a “pot of bean soup” vs. how we would act if we have our pastor or business acquaintances and their family around) You get the picture J

I pray for a visitation from Him, but what I really want is a habitation with me.
He doesn’t want to be come into my life as a guest, when I’m on my best behavior around Him until He leave…He wants to be Someone who I can share a “pot of bean soup” with.

I don’t want to be so busy striving to please Him that I won’t be able to relax enough to just sit back and enjoy the relationship with Him.

Martha made that mistake spending all her time treating Jesus as a guest when what He wanted her to do was relax and simply be with Him.
(Luke 10:38-42)

Thank You PaPa that my relationship with You isn’t based on what I do, but what Jesus has done for me! I am the person I am because of the image of Father God I have. (John 5:19; 8:38)

He wants to be my “happy though” in the times of distress, fear, and failure and He wants me to understand that!
“For I know the thoughts I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace not evil, to give me a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11)

Thank You PaPa for the many Scriptures that demonstrate how, in Christ I am His “happy thought.”
I WILL allow the Holy Spirit to begin to transform my image of Father into that of a loving Daddy who longs to care for me!

I thank PaPa that You loves me with an everlasting love. Thank You that I’ve never not been loved by You. (Jer. 31:3)
* You love me so much that You gave Your only Son to die for me so I might know Your love.
(John 3:16)
* You love me so much that You want to express Your love and affection to me. (Jer. 16:27)
* Nothing can separate me (not even my faults) from Your love for me. (Romans 8:38-39)
* You love me just as much as You love Your Son Jesus. (John 17:23) Even when I sin, You love me and ask me to sit beside You. (Eph. 2:4-6)
* You want me to overflow with Your love. (Eph. 3:19)
* Even when I’m wounded, You see me as beautiful and take pleasure in me. (Ps. 149:4)
* Your thoughts toward me are always good and filled with hope for me. (Jer. 29:11)
* My love for Him fills Him with ecstasy and joy. (Song of Solomon 4:10)
* He will never leave me, He wants to meet all my needs. (Luke 15:31)
* He made His home with me. (John 14:23)
* He is not ashamed to be my Father. (Heb. 11:16)
* He has forgiven my iniquities (bad secret thoughts) and remembers my sin no more. (Jer. 31:34)
* He has put all my sin under His feet and cast them into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19)
* He redeemed me and has forgiven all my sin. (Col. 1:13-14)
* He forgave and cleansed me from all my sin. (1 John 1:9)
* I’m called a child of Father God. (John 1:12) Glory to God!
* He sees me just as if I had never sinned. (Romans 5:1)
* I belong to my loving Father, not to the world. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
* In His love I am complete! (Col. 2:10)
* In His love I am free forever from condemnation. (Romans 8:1-2)
* You are always for me and not against me. (Romans 8:31)
* Troubles don’t separate me from Your love. (Romans 8:35)
* In His love I am hidden from sin. (Col. 3:3)
* In His love I find grace and mercy. (Heb. 4:16)
* His perfect love for me displaces my fears. (1 John 4:18)
* The evil one has no right to touch me while I’m in His arms. (1 John 5:18)
* He wants to hold and comfort me when I am afraid. (Isaiah 66:12-13)
* He doesn’t judge me. (John 5:22) Jesus came to save me from my sin, not to judge or condemn me for it. (John 4:47)

WOW!! And it keeps coming upon me!

* I am a witness of Your love to the world. (Acts 1:8)
* I am a minister of Your restoring love. (2 Cor. 5:18)
* I am an ambassador of Your love to the world. (2 Cor. 5:20)
* I can do all things in Your love. (Phil. 4:13)
* Jesus isn’t ashamed of me. (Heb. 2:11)
* I am filled with Your power, love and a sound mind. (2Tim. 1:7)

I want to THANK my PaPa God for His love for me…it truly is deeper than I can ever think or imagine!!

In My Father's Hands

At age four my father died while reading my brother and I a story. Mom remarried and divorced years later. We went to church on Sunday’s but I can’t say that the family “lived” a godly live or that I really learned how to believe, or trust in God. I prayed all the time though.

I got pregnant at age sixteen, married the father. He was 18, became a drunk and abuser both physically and mentally, almost killing me. The marriage only lasted two years.

I was a single mother, not divorced. Having lived with a man, I became pregnant again but had a miscarriage. The doctors never give me a DNC. I didn’t know that then and I begin to have many health issues and surgeries over the next seven years.
Doctors who did the surgeries never said anything about me having a miscarriage??

When I was twenty-four, God brought a lady into my life, I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. God brought a man into my life and we married three years later.

I was still very sick, blacking out quite often. A friend told me about a good doctor. I went through an exploratory surgery and found out that I had been carrying that miscarriage for seven years! It was almost gangrene inside me. The doctors said it was a miracle I was alive. I ended up having a complete hysterectomy at age twenty-nine.

Ten years later I applied for a job at a school, having to go through a complete physical, they discovered I had hepatitis C from a blood transfusion I received when I had the hysterectomy. That meant liver biopsies, the hepatitis shots, and blood work every six months to keep a check on my liver enzymes.

After the biopsy the doctors wanted to treat me with the Interferon treatments. I refused saying I will fix it with the help of God and change in my diet. They told me that it was impossible to repair my liver. I said there is NOTHING impossible with God.

In 2003 God healed my liver!! Today there is no sign of liver damage or the hepatitis after having another biopsy!

To God be all the glory, honor, and praise with much thanksgiving!

As I look back on my life, I KNOW God had me in the palm of His hand. He has done and continues doing many great and mighty things in and through my life.

Apart from Him we can do nothing! (John 15:5). BUT…with God ALL THINGS are possible! (Matthew 19:26).

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).

Lessons On Life

When problems come our way, we should always have the proper perspective and realize that there is a season for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) and sooner than later the problems will be resolved and joy will be restored. It should not be thought of as an odd thing to have troubles because the Bible says man is of few days and many troubles, but we should always remember that God supplies the answers...even in the midst of the problems, He will give us His perfect peace.
(Job 14:1; Isaiah 26:3-4; Romans 8:28; Psalm 106:1-5)

Never think about giving up simply because you are going through hard times. Take comfort in the fact that God is with you because you trust in Him and He will make a way where there seems to be no way. Continue on the journey that He has you on and you will see in the end how He worked all things together for your good. He is ever merciful and loving and wishes for you to stand upon His solid ground. Trust Him with your life.

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in the summer and the youngest in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe wht they had seen. The first son said the tree was ugly, bent and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them, he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.
He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer and the fulfillment of your fall.

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Don't judge life by one difficult season. Endure. Stay steadfast. continue on to the end and fulfill the pland God has for your life.

Author Unknown

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications. The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him and I am helped, therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him. The Lord is their strength, He is the saving strength of His anointed. (Psalm 28:6-80)

For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the owrld, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are. (1 Corinthians 1:26-28)

My Journey To Embracing The Father's Love

See the way He holds the stars in His hands. See the way He holds my heart.

God is a lover looking for a lover, so He fashioned me. God is a lover looking for a lover, so He formed my heart.

You see, I never got to experience a father's love through a loving relationship. My father passed away when I was four years old.
Throughout my life I felt rejected by step fathers, boy friends, and an abusive husband, so it has been a struggle for me to really and truly receive and embrace my Heavenly Father's love for me. I seemed to have closed my heart to a father's love so I wouldn't feel the pain that throbbed in my soul.

I don't have any problem expressing His love to others, but receiving His love for myself has been a difficult road.

My mind has to be renewed by the Holy Spirit so I can truly say as John did; "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:16)

Am I aware that Father God takes delight in me and that He thinks good thoughts about me all the time? (Jeremiah 29:11) Do I realize that He feels nothing but perfect love when He thinks about me? Love thinks no evil. (1 Corinthians 13:5)

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

I grew up believing that I needed to "do" certain things and act certain ways in order to receive. So I always seemed to keep myself busy "doing." I have been priding myself on "my" self-sufficiency and "my" dependence, which is so completely contrary to the nature Father God wants me to have.

We seem to have put the Great Commission before the Great Commandment.

It is so amazing how God works in ones life when we stop to really listen to His still small voice.

He is now calling me on a journey to experience and embrace His love in an intimate way.

Intimacy (in-to-me-see)...He is digging deep within me to remove what needs removed in order for me to have that intimacy with Him.

Deep. Transparent. Winsome. Intimate...such is the message about the heart of God the Father.
It is not just a teaching, but an inpartational revelation of the foundation of Christianity. Acceptance and identity through KNOWING the Father's love.

Uncommon love is the Father's gift to me in Christ. He has dealt with my past and He owns my future. His love has the power to unlock healing and restoration like the world has never seen!

I am loved not for what I can do, but simply for who I am in Christ.

* I am a new creature in Christ (1Cor. 5:17)
* I am His glory (Colossians 1:27; Isaiah 43:7)
* I am hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)
* I am a partaker of His Divine Nature (2Peter 1:4)
* I am not I, but He is in me (Galatians 2:20)
* I am reconciled, holy, blameless, irreproachable in His sight Colossians 1:21-22)
* I am complete in Him (Colossians 2:9-10)

Now hope does not dissappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:5)

Fear and Faith...fear is a four letter word. I remember when I was a child, if I said a bad word momma threathened to wash my mouth out with soap (it did happen a few times).

Well, faith is like the soap. I'm talking about faith in Father God's unconditional, unlimited, unwavering, perfect love for us.

1 John 4:18 teaches that understanding God's love will deliver us from our fears.

Fear prevents progress, faith will propel me to "do it afraid" if I have to. Just because Scripture tells me to "fear not" doesn't mean I won't feel fear. God just wants me to know that He is with me. He will lead and guide me, so I can put my confidence~or faith~in Him!

His love is perfect, I am not~and I don't have to be. He isn't going to love me any more or less. Yes, I want to keep growing in my faith, but it's good to know that God loves me right where I am! That thought just boosts my faith!! It makes me feel like I can do whatever is before me to do.

Yes, I am going to feel afraid now and then. That is when I am going to need to trust in the love my Father has for me. I can turn my focus to His presence with and in me and know He will lead me through any situation. I have no need to be proud of what I think I can do, nor insecure about what I think I can't do.

It's the perfect love of God~not perfect me~that will make the difference in my "doing."

When fear challenges faith, faith wins every time! HAVE FAITH IN FATHER GOD!

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)