Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Your 100 Day Prayer ~ A Book Review

About the Author:
John I Snyder is a pastor, author and conference speaker. He is the founder of Community321.com, an online faith community.

About the Book:
This wonderful book is about taking your specific needs to God in prayer. This devotional type book has everything you need to have deep, focused prayer for your need. Everyday begins with a scripture, a short, easy to read devotion, and a prayer. There is even a place to record your progress and answers to your prayers.

My Thoughts:
I found this book very helpful, it helped to keep my prayer focused on my need at hand, as well as encouraged me through the devotionals. Using this book made my prayer time more meaningful, I was able to keep on track, record my progress and reflect on my prayer from beginning to pray until the answers came.

Favorite Quote:
When we wake up every morning and say, " Today, Lord, with your help, I'm going to put you first and seek your perfect will in everything I do," We'll find worry slowly beginning to fade as we stare down every situation,with trust in God's providence and goodwill.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Lessons From the Wilderness

The wilderness could be such a draining experience, but it is also a time for learning and self reflection. Through all of these ups and downs I have been learning a few things. The question that has been on my mind is... Is this world worth going to hell for? My answer is NO ! So my solution is to walk away and that is what I am going to do. My soul and the souls of my family are way too important to risk on a world that will one day soon be destroyed. The next thing I have found myself doing is storing treasures up here on earth. I have been cleaning out my home for the last few days and I realized I have a lot of nice things, but we don't enjoy them because I was afraid the kids would break them or mess them up. I realized that I can't take these things with me when I go, so instead of storing up earthly treasures and keeping them safe, I am going to focus on storing up Heavenly treasure that will last forever. Another thing I have learned is that until you learn the lesson that God is trying to teach you, you will stay in the wilderness until you do. My pastor shared a passage that really struck home with me last night. I could never understand why the world works the way it does sometimes and bitterness began to set in, but in 2 Thessalonians 2: 10-11 says And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. I want my prosperity to come from God because my life reflects His glory. From this I choose to love the truth, to love the Word of my God and to burn it into my heart and mind. To obey Him and to live according to His Word no matter what the cost. This wilderness experience has been hard, and it is not over, but the wisdom I have gained and lessons I am learning have made it all worth it.

Isaiah 41:10 
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not desmayed; for I am thy God: I will Strengthen thee: yea, I will help thee: yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Jordan River

This is an actual picture of the Jordan River, I know this may not be the exact spot that Jesus was baptized at, but just to see this picture makes my heart leap.  I look at this picture and imagine my Savior standing in this river being baptized, to see the place that many years ago my God robed in flesh walked and imprinted His footprints in that soil. I know it may sound funny, but to see a real life picture of the Jordan River made my Jesus more real to me. No one will ever know what Jesus has done for me, the deep love I feel for him. I struggle day to day as everyone else, but I never want to walk my life's path alone without my God again.

Matthew 3:13-167(KJV)
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.