Then Sings My Soul Saturday

"As much as we complain about it, we are drawn to hurry. it makes us feel important. It keeps the adrenaline pumping. It means we don't have to look too closely at the heart of life".......John Ortberg

Ouch!! I know that I can be guilty of this!! So much to do, so little time!! When am I going to do this? What am I going to that? Lists made of all the "important" things that I need to do.

Where is our solitude? Where is our quiet time with God? When are we going to slow down and celebrate God's joy in our lives--our everyday life?

Yet the news about Him spread all the more, so that the crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed......Luke 5:15-16

With this video, I'm inviting you to take 4 minutes of your busy day in order to slow down and celebrate the heart of your life--The Great I AM.

Please be sure to visit Amy at Signs, Miracles and Wonders for more participants of Then Sings My Soul Saturday!!

Beth

He Knows My Name

What an awesome reminder of the truth that God knows and loves each of us as His unique creations! Be blessed as you listen.

HisFireFly

Thankful Thursday

I'm joining with Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey for "Thankful Thursday". All you need to do is list 5 things that are you are thankful for during the past week. Surely, we all have at least 5 things that we are thankful for! Just click on the picture above and you can see who is participating and read all of their thankfuls, too!

Here are my 5 thankfuls for this week:

• I was ill last weekend. While lying in bed on Sunday morning, feeling like a load of bricks had been dropped on me, I rolled over and looked out my window. There was the most beautiful sunrise I have seen in a long time. All colors--orange, red, yellow, purple and a little blue just peeking through. I am thankful for seeing that sunrise. I was feeling lousy, and this lifted my spirits beyond belief.

• I was leaving work one day last week when a flock of geese came flying overhead--honking noisily. They were completely out of their usual "V" formation. I stood and watched as they maneuvered themselves into position--with one flying at the head, all the rest falling in behind in their typical formation of a "V". And I marveled at this--how do they know who gets to lead and who is next and who is at the tail end? Or do they take turns? I am thankful that I was in just the right place at the right time to see another of God's great creations, how He has created them to know exactly what to do, when to fly south, and the formation in which they are to fly.
  

• I am thankful for my Small Group--my very close spiritual family. We had a time off during December and had our first meeting of the year on Monday evening. It was wonderful to be together again after this break--the renewing of each others' spirits by being with one another and studying God's Word and His plans and purposes for each of us.

• I am so thankful that my son is beginning to realize his potential in his life and has made the decision to return to school. YEAH!! GO, ANDREW!! I'm so proud of you!!! God is working in his life whether he realizes this or not.

• I am thankful for the hope that I have in my life. Everyday I see others with no hope--feeling discouraged, downtrodden, beaten. My hope lies in Jesus Christ, and there I will stay. Lord, please use me however You wish to show others the hope that lies in You.

And there you have it--my 5 thankfuls for this week--although there are many more!!

Please visit Sonya and see what we all are thankful for this week. I know that everyone can find at least 5 things that they are thankful for--great or small. Maybe you'd like to join in with us and share them!!

Beth

Weekly Memory Verse

Last week our memory verse was Psalm 30:5:

For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.

We were to memorize this verse, then come back next week and comment on how God spoke to you through this verse and then move on to a new verse.

So, I will share with you how God has spoken to me through this verse:

I know that I have done, said and even thought things that have made God angry with me. I know that I can go to Him for forgiveness and repent of these things--asking Him for help in battling particularly my thought processes that will sometimes lead me to say things that I really do not mean.

In going to God for forgiveness and beseeching Him for help with whatever issues I am facing, He then smiles upon me. He is always there for me, always--forever and ever--for my lifetime. And His anger has turned to joy in my coming to Him.

I cry in my sin--tears of sorrow, tears of self blame. I also cry when I truly have something mournful occur in my life. But, God is there to comfort me, to lead me onward, to help me see the way.

And then there is rejoicing--not only in myself--but in God and all of Heaven joining in! For the lost has once again been found.

I don't know about you, but every time I miss the mark, I feel as though I have let God down--once again. I feel as though I have stumbled and fell, slipped off my rock of Salvation for just a brief time. And then I have the feeling of being lost.

Where do I turn? Where do I go? What direction am I to take?

Turn to God. He always has the best answer. He will guide and direct me to the straight and narrow once again.

What are your thoughts on this verse? I really would like to read what you have thought about this week while memorizing this verse.

Next week's verse is:

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature....Galatians 5:16

Beth

Laced With Grace

The team at "Laced with Grace" is starting the new year with a wonderful giveaway. This is one that I think we all could use in our day to day lives.

They are offering Tara Barthel's Peacemaking Church Women's Study: "Living the Gospel in Relationships."

This includes a DVD set as well as study guides filled with peacemaking principles on responding to conflict biblically. I think we could all use this!

Stop by Laced for Grace and see how you can enter to win this wonderful study.

Beth

Internet Cafe Chat

It's time to begin another new year with the Internet Cafe Chat. And here is Kim's question to start 2009:

What is the most important truth/lesson you feel God taught you in 2008? How will that truth change your life in 2009?

I read this question earlier this morning, and then spent some time in prayer and thought before answering. God has taught me a lot of truths regarding Himself this year, a lot of lessons--some of them through some rather painful pruning.

As I prayed, the answer that God gave me is that I am worthy, valuable, unconditionally loved by Him, and that my identity is in Jesus.

The enemy knows my weaknesses all too well. I have been feeling tired, drained, worn out and just plain exhausted for well over 2 months. What a better time to plan an attack--when your defenses are down and you are vulnerable?

Those old tapes began playing in my head because satan always begins in my thought processes. The tapes that said, "You are nothing, you will never do anything right, you will never succeed enough to please me, you must do _________(fill in the blank of the many things I was expected to do in my life) in order for me to love you" and the list could go on and on.

I have replaced those old tapes with video images of God--through His Word. I know that I am a true daughter of the King, and He loves me, cares for me, I am valuable to Him. Why? Just because I am HIS CHILD, a child that HE created out of love. He loved me first without me even knowing Him. How can I not return that love?

With a friend's help, we have personalized many verses to help me through these times of self-doubt, and I would like to share some of them with you:

John 1:12 BETH is God's daughter.

But Beth received Him, and to Beth He gave the right to become God's daughter, because Beth believes in His name.

John 15:5 BETH is a part of the true vine, and a channel of Christ's life.

I am the vine. Beth is a branch. If Beth remains in Me, and I in her, she will bear much fruit, for apart from Me, Beth can do nothing.

Rom. 8:17 BETH is a joint heir with Christ, she shares Christ's inheritance with Him.

And if a daughter, then an heir; an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ; if indeed Beth suffers with Him, that Beth may also be glorified with Him.

Col. 2:6-7 BETH is firmly rooted in Christ and she is being built up and established in Him.

As Beth received Christ Jesus, her Lord, she must walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, even as Beth was taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.

Col. 2:10 BETH has been made complete in Christ.

And in Him, Beth is made complete, who is the head of all principality and power

John 15:16 BETH has been chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit.

Beth didn't choose Me, but I chose Beth, and appointed her, that she should go and bear fruit, and that her fruit should remain; that whatever Beth will ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to her.

Titus 3:5 BETH is washed and renewed by the Holy Spirit.

Not by works of righteousness, which Beth did herself, but according to His mercy, He saved Beth, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.

Eph. 1:7-8 BETH has been redeemed and forgiven and BETH is a recipient of His rich grace.

In Him Beth has her redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of Beth's trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He made to abound toward Beth in all wisdom and prudence.

Eph. 4:32 BETH has been forgiven in Christ.

And Beth is to be kind to others, tenderhearted, forgiving others, just as God also in Christ forgave Beth.

There are many more--these are just some of the verses that we have personalized to help me through these times of old tape playing.

This year I have learned through the study of God's Word, applying His Word directly to myself, that I am indeed worthy, valuable, loved, chosen by God and forgiven by Him.

In this coming year, I intend to review these and many more verses, immersing myself in God's word and completely erase those old tapes--never to hear them again.

Stop by the Internet Cafe Chat and see others' responses for what is their most valuable lesson this year. In fact, why don't you join in and share? I'd love to read your response.

Beth

Living and Learning

Marsha at Marsha's Musings is hosting a chronological Bible reading. I had made a commitment to myself to read the entire Bible through this year, something that I have started and stopped in the past.

This reading will be of the Bible in the order of which events occurred. I don't own a chronological Bible, so I'll be jumping around a bit. If you'd like to join in, visit Marsha where she has the readings listed for each day. Be sure to leave her a comment if you're joining her.

As an update on the Weekly Memory Verse--how are those that decided to participate doing? Do you have the verse from Monday committed to your memory yet?

My thoughts on this: I have the verse committed to my memory. When Monday rolls around, I'll be posting on how God has spoken to me through this verse. I would really appreciate it if each of you would do the same in a comment and perhaps on your own blog also.

Then, we'll be given a new verse to memorize, study and hear God's voice speaking to us.

Hopefully, by Monday I'll be able to figure out Mr. Linky, and we can all link up together.

Now, I'm off to read my assignment for today!! I really hope you'll be joining in with both of these ventures. This is a wonderful way to start the new year--steeping ourselves in God's Word.

Beth