I love in depth conversations with great young women and men of God. They are the people who inspire me, who encourage me, and who a lot of times put me back on the right track. But what amazes me the most is how God takes a conversation and sparks new thought.
What I have discovered is how enslaved humans are to this world. Not only those of the world but the Christians that also reside here as well. We humans LOVE pleasure. Is it merely nature? Yes. Can we overcome this sin? Yes. Do we realize how deep we are into the pleasures of this world? If you look at the church today that would be a no. Even I can say I am guilty. I am guilty of giving in to the Starbucks everyday, that cute shirt or pair of shoes every weekend I visit the mall, the over endulgence on the lusts that corrupt my heart. And I didn't even realize it until recently. Now, I know I am not the only one but I am publicly stating it. There is a problem.
The first step to recovery is to admit our weakness.
The second is to do something about it.
The third is to overcome it.
This can all be done with the help of Christ, but we must first realize the state and condition our heart is in.
What is your earthly pleasure or even your weakness?
Ladies, Is it that guy who keeps popping back into your life even though you know he is wrong for you? He wears you down so you give in then he starts feeding off of you like a parasite. Eating the life out of you, tearing you down, destroying what God has so preciously made. Same thing with guys concerning girls. A wise friend told me, do not return to old sin. It is like a dog returning to its vomit and eating it. How many times do we do that? That gross sin that captures us when we least expect it and for some of us.. we knowingly run back in that vomit and willingly devour it.
Same thing with the world... We know we don't need that cute shirt.. but we indulge anyway. We know we don't need that Starbucks everyday when really we can't afford it everyday but we do it anyways... We have to be the most glamorous on stage at church or the best dressed for everyone to dote on us. Is that really who we want to be?
I think not.
Christ tells us to die to our flesh daily. The only way to die to that flesh is to starve it. We must not give in the worlds standards, but to dive into the standards of which we are called by God to live .
How do we do that? Limit ourselves to what the world is constantly ranting and raving we need. The latest fashion tips. "Affordable ways to be glamorous." The world is constantly pulling us in and we give in. Unfortuneately that leads to slavery. Slaves of this world, but we are called to be slaves to the cause of Christ. Slavery for the cause of Christ reaps eternal awards. Slavery to the world leads to temporal satisfaction and a yucky death.
I want to live as Christ live. Simplistic yet a huge transforming statement. His life. His obedience to the Father. And ultimately, His love.
I am attending shop-aloic classes. What step do you need to take to die to your flesh?
Titus 2:11-14 (NIV)
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "NO" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope- the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. "
Let this be of a word of hope and encouragment.
Blessings and peace be upon you.
-Ava
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart"....
All of us who are Christians have heard the Bible verse "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding." But I want to bring focus to the first part of this Scripture.
What does it mean to trust?
Wesbter defines it elegantly with this statement: "assured reliance on character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something."
I have a dilema I guess you could say. Tonight I went to a young adults Bible Study where the speaker I guess you could say was a bit amateur. Though I respect his efforts, his theology and accuracy of Scripture was a bit off. He suggested that if we merely trust in the Lord everything will be hunky dorey.. just trust and go on will life, and you will survive. Now do not be mistaken, there are parts of truths to those statements, BUT there is a bit more depth and insight to what trusting in the Lord truly means.
I will use a human to human relationship as an example. Now... let's say we truly trust in someone. We have a close , close relationship with that person. That means we confide in that person, that we communicate with that person on a daily basis, and there is an in depth confidence and commitment to that person. Now, I am not neccesarily meaning intimate guy and girl stuff... This could be family, friendships, etc.
Now for the thought of the day: Do we have that kind of trust in the Lord? Doesn't that trust mean we have a huge amount of prayer time in our lives? At least it should be a huge amount? To confide and rely on means to communicate with that person. Isn't that what Jesus did? He trusted in the Father completely because there was constant communication. Could our trust in the Lord as Christians be a bit flawed. Without a huge prayer life, I would say yes. There is power in prayer. Prayer renews, uplifts, prepares, and allows us to grow closer to the Father. We are communicating with Him intimately everytime we pray. Our perspective is changed by prayer. Strength is given through prayer. Prayer allows us to trust in the Father even more when we begin to see those prayers being answered. Prayer is a life fulfilled in Christ.
When is the last time we got in our prayer closets? When is the last time we got on our faces and cried out before God as Christ did in the Garden of Gethsemane? There is power in prayer. It becomes so extremely easy to be consumed with the routine and busyness of life. That is what the Enemy wants... He want us to think that oh... I will be okay... I can say my night time prayers before bed.
But it isn't okay, we need to realize what the reality of the fulfilling life in Christ, and act upon it.
Pray without ceasing and gain strength, new perspective, healing, renewal, but ultimately, receive the life fulfilled in Christ through a fervant life of prayer. When we come to that point, that is when we will be able to fully TRUST in the Father without fear and without doubt.
Blessings
-Ava
What does it mean to trust?
Wesbter defines it elegantly with this statement: "assured reliance on character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something."
I have a dilema I guess you could say. Tonight I went to a young adults Bible Study where the speaker I guess you could say was a bit amateur. Though I respect his efforts, his theology and accuracy of Scripture was a bit off. He suggested that if we merely trust in the Lord everything will be hunky dorey.. just trust and go on will life, and you will survive. Now do not be mistaken, there are parts of truths to those statements, BUT there is a bit more depth and insight to what trusting in the Lord truly means.
I will use a human to human relationship as an example. Now... let's say we truly trust in someone. We have a close , close relationship with that person. That means we confide in that person, that we communicate with that person on a daily basis, and there is an in depth confidence and commitment to that person. Now, I am not neccesarily meaning intimate guy and girl stuff... This could be family, friendships, etc.
Now for the thought of the day: Do we have that kind of trust in the Lord? Doesn't that trust mean we have a huge amount of prayer time in our lives? At least it should be a huge amount? To confide and rely on means to communicate with that person. Isn't that what Jesus did? He trusted in the Father completely because there was constant communication. Could our trust in the Lord as Christians be a bit flawed. Without a huge prayer life, I would say yes. There is power in prayer. Prayer renews, uplifts, prepares, and allows us to grow closer to the Father. We are communicating with Him intimately everytime we pray. Our perspective is changed by prayer. Strength is given through prayer. Prayer allows us to trust in the Father even more when we begin to see those prayers being answered. Prayer is a life fulfilled in Christ.
When is the last time we got in our prayer closets? When is the last time we got on our faces and cried out before God as Christ did in the Garden of Gethsemane? There is power in prayer. It becomes so extremely easy to be consumed with the routine and busyness of life. That is what the Enemy wants... He want us to think that oh... I will be okay... I can say my night time prayers before bed.
But it isn't okay, we need to realize what the reality of the fulfilling life in Christ, and act upon it.
Pray without ceasing and gain strength, new perspective, healing, renewal, but ultimately, receive the life fulfilled in Christ through a fervant life of prayer. When we come to that point, that is when we will be able to fully TRUST in the Father without fear and without doubt.
Blessings
-Ava
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The Ultimate Collision.....
"I like it in the city where two worlds collide. You get the people and the government.. everybody taking different sides"
-Adele
So I am not your typical "southern girl." I do not love sweet tea, do not enjoy country music as much as others, and DO NOT, let me repeat, DO NOT and probably never will celebrate Mule Days.
My sister on the other hand absolutely adores this lifestyle. She jams down the road to the latest Dierks Bently song, enjoys her extra large sweet tea, attends Mule Days proudly, and dates the typical farm boy.
I suppose now I will get to my point. Today was the day that two worlds collided with one another. My sister went with me to church, we enjoyed our breakfast at Starbucks, and sang along to the Lakewood Church Cd. We cried together and laughed together, just really had a good time.
Here comes the "in return" part of the deal. I did something that this" big-city girl at heart" has never done before. I went fourwheeling at a farm. And not only did I fourwheel but I did this "southern thang" in the mud. CRAZY.
Yes, this shocking event did occur. And here comes the confession from the ultimate city girl, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. (with the exception of getting really muddy) The beautiful scenery, the fresh hair, screaming my head off at the thought of falling off this so-called 4-wheeler, but most of all the marvelous collision with my beloved sister. I am thankful to the Almighty of how He has transformed a broken relationship to a insepearable bond. It is truly something amazing. Even more so than the fresh smell of coffee, the feel of new clothes, or spending the day by the pool. God is truly awesome and I can say I look forward to the soon coming trips to the farm with my best friend, my sister.
Blessings
-Ava
-Adele
So I am not your typical "southern girl." I do not love sweet tea, do not enjoy country music as much as others, and DO NOT, let me repeat, DO NOT and probably never will celebrate Mule Days.
My sister on the other hand absolutely adores this lifestyle. She jams down the road to the latest Dierks Bently song, enjoys her extra large sweet tea, attends Mule Days proudly, and dates the typical farm boy.
I suppose now I will get to my point. Today was the day that two worlds collided with one another. My sister went with me to church, we enjoyed our breakfast at Starbucks, and sang along to the Lakewood Church Cd. We cried together and laughed together, just really had a good time.
Here comes the "in return" part of the deal. I did something that this" big-city girl at heart" has never done before. I went fourwheeling at a farm. And not only did I fourwheel but I did this "southern thang" in the mud. CRAZY.
Yes, this shocking event did occur. And here comes the confession from the ultimate city girl, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. (with the exception of getting really muddy) The beautiful scenery, the fresh hair, screaming my head off at the thought of falling off this so-called 4-wheeler, but most of all the marvelous collision with my beloved sister. I am thankful to the Almighty of how He has transformed a broken relationship to a insepearable bond. It is truly something amazing. Even more so than the fresh smell of coffee, the feel of new clothes, or spending the day by the pool. God is truly awesome and I can say I look forward to the soon coming trips to the farm with my best friend, my sister.
Blessings
-Ava
Friday, June 5, 2009
One can never expect the unexpected....
So I started off my day with being late to work, a crappy cup of coffee, and a load of files to scan.
Though it started off to a rough start, it progressed as the day went on. I had a lovely lunch with my father at Arthur's, an awesome diet pepsi, and amusing co-workers who made my day brighter.
Well after that, I spoke with a friend who mentioned the tent revival on 421... I was like hmmm.. maybe I will join you. So after contemplating til the last minute (literally) I decided to go.
We walked in and this horrible feeling of uneasiness overcame me. (it only got worse) This "preacher" was bashing churches, taking Scripture out of context, and claiming to be a "prophet." Needless to say... we left before I threw a Bible with the correct contents in his face.
As the evening went on, I decided to take a long drive and find some food. I drove all around Dunn, Erwin, and Benson and just contemplated on life and such.... I went and saw Ty at McDonald's then made my way home...
When I finally decided to stay at home, I did what I always do.... check the myspace and facebook.
As I was texting some friends, I heard a knock on the door. I was like" OH, Tyrik must be coming to see me since we planned to go bowling." So I walked to the door, simutaneously opened the door and turned the light on and.... It def. was not Tyrik. It was this black man with all black on, stuttering, asking me things, trying to get into my house. I FREAAKKED.... (on the inside)
I quickly closed and locked the door, and franticly cried out for Dad to see what was going on. He quickly got some clothes on, got the gun, went out there, and started talking to this man.
I called the police... but hung up because I thought the Dadd had it under control. The police called me back and asked me what was going on... I explained...and they told me that the man I described matched the description of another call in for an armed robbery. I FREEAKKKEDD! (and cried)
I broke down... All of the "what if's" were running through my brain... Plus I had just watched the top 10 mysterious murders on WE.. (Did not make me feel better).
I called the cops and and they told me they had finally caught the man.... He ended up being a crack head who went door to door bumming money off people. Bad part... the man who committed the armed robbery is still out there.
What I learned from all of this.....
1) ALWAYS lock your doors.
2.) ALWAYS turn the light on and see who it is BEFORE you open the door.
3.) Keep MASE attached to the hip
4.)Don't freak out and call the police. STAY CALM (I surprisingly did a good job of this)
5.)Most importantly, pray to Jesus and pray in the Spirit to cast that evil -being away.
One can never expect the unexpected.....
Though it started off to a rough start, it progressed as the day went on. I had a lovely lunch with my father at Arthur's, an awesome diet pepsi, and amusing co-workers who made my day brighter.
Well after that, I spoke with a friend who mentioned the tent revival on 421... I was like hmmm.. maybe I will join you. So after contemplating til the last minute (literally) I decided to go.
We walked in and this horrible feeling of uneasiness overcame me. (it only got worse) This "preacher" was bashing churches, taking Scripture out of context, and claiming to be a "prophet." Needless to say... we left before I threw a Bible with the correct contents in his face.
As the evening went on, I decided to take a long drive and find some food. I drove all around Dunn, Erwin, and Benson and just contemplated on life and such.... I went and saw Ty at McDonald's then made my way home...
When I finally decided to stay at home, I did what I always do.... check the myspace and facebook.
As I was texting some friends, I heard a knock on the door. I was like" OH, Tyrik must be coming to see me since we planned to go bowling." So I walked to the door, simutaneously opened the door and turned the light on and.... It def. was not Tyrik. It was this black man with all black on, stuttering, asking me things, trying to get into my house. I FREAAKKED.... (on the inside)
I quickly closed and locked the door, and franticly cried out for Dad to see what was going on. He quickly got some clothes on, got the gun, went out there, and started talking to this man.
I called the police... but hung up because I thought the Dadd had it under control. The police called me back and asked me what was going on... I explained...and they told me that the man I described matched the description of another call in for an armed robbery. I FREEAKKKEDD! (and cried)
I broke down... All of the "what if's" were running through my brain... Plus I had just watched the top 10 mysterious murders on WE.. (Did not make me feel better).
I called the cops and and they told me they had finally caught the man.... He ended up being a crack head who went door to door bumming money off people. Bad part... the man who committed the armed robbery is still out there.
What I learned from all of this.....
1) ALWAYS lock your doors.
2.) ALWAYS turn the light on and see who it is BEFORE you open the door.
3.) Keep MASE attached to the hip
4.)Don't freak out and call the police. STAY CALM (I surprisingly did a good job of this)
5.)Most importantly, pray to Jesus and pray in the Spirit to cast that evil -being away.
One can never expect the unexpected.....
Thursday, June 4, 2009
New Perspective.
So as I was pondering on love and the fact that I have been waiting on love for almost a year now, a new perspective came to mind. Isn't it odd how one becomes so desperate for another, how the majority of humanity can not be content alone? It indeed would be classified as something odd, or just really human. :)
Then I thought of how God has someone specifically made for each individual ( one that has not been called to cellabassy)and if we would just be patient that individual would come our way in God's perfect timing.
I had the perfect image come to mind, we are waiting and as we wait that perfect person is waiting and wondering wow God has someone special for me and on the "GOD PERFECT DAY" that young man comes up to the young woman and says... " You are the one I have been waiting for..."(because it should be the guy(who is a young MAN) in persuit of his future wifey) Now tell me... is that not something worth waiting for???? I would say that it is.....
Now you may be thinking as you read this... that is so absurd... I beg to differ... If it is God's way than I do whole-heartedly believe that it can be that perfect. There may be some bumps along the way... but all things for good for those who love and obey
the Father's will. That is Scripture therefore that is promise and all of God's promises are PERFECT because He alone is perfect. So with that I do believe things can be aligned perfectly according to His will.
:)
Anywhoo,
time to work out.
Thank for the Lord for His perfect promises and for the grace He gives when flesh alone gets in the way with what He wants do in our lives
Then I thought of how God has someone specifically made for each individual ( one that has not been called to cellabassy)and if we would just be patient that individual would come our way in God's perfect timing.
I had the perfect image come to mind, we are waiting and as we wait that perfect person is waiting and wondering wow God has someone special for me and on the "GOD PERFECT DAY" that young man comes up to the young woman and says... " You are the one I have been waiting for..."(because it should be the guy(who is a young MAN) in persuit of his future wifey) Now tell me... is that not something worth waiting for???? I would say that it is.....
Now you may be thinking as you read this... that is so absurd... I beg to differ... If it is God's way than I do whole-heartedly believe that it can be that perfect. There may be some bumps along the way... but all things for good for those who love and obey
:)
Anywhoo,
time to work out.
Thank for the Lord for His perfect promises and for the grace He gives when flesh alone gets in the way with what He wants do in our lives
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
How deep are your roots?
Tonight has yet again been one of those sleepless nights. Too much caffine I suppose.
I always seek after God to bring revelation through His word. Tonight I came across Psalms 1.
This short 6 stanza verse speaks of the man who delights in the law of the Lord. For the one who delights in the law and word of the Lord is like a tree beside a river. This tree is ready in season and out of season, he does not whither or brush away with the wind.
As I read this, this question arose in the depths of my heart, "How deep are your roots?" How firmly am I rooted in my relationship with Christ? Do I whither away in hardship... am I easily blown away in the winds of hardship and tribulation? As this question sunk into the depths of my heart, I asked the Father to reveal to me what I personally needed to make me rooted in my walk with Him. Ofcourse when we ask such a thing, we do receive.
As I continued to pray and seek for answers in God's word, I opened my Bible to Matthew 15:13: "Every plant that my Father has not planted will be rooted up.." In this passage Jesus was referring to the Pharisees and their hypocrisy of traditionalism. Are we as Christians rooted in our relationship with Christ or are we much like the Pharisees sticking with the traditionalism of the church. Do rules and works plague our lives or does the love of the Father in our daily relationship with Him flourish our lives?
I have found that those who are truly God's children can be rest assured that if we have a daily relationship with him we will never blow away with the wind. Those roots are grasping deeper and deeper into the soil as we draw closer to Him. So simple yet so profound is that truth.
I often find myself in constant worry of being on the right path with God. Though I seek after Him daily and His peace reaffirms everything spoken, I find my flesh battling. These verses though in depth and insight are verses that bring clarification to the heart, soul, and spirit.
Thank the Lord for His living word and the promises that flow.
Prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father,
How blessed I am to know that I am your child. How amazing it is to know that your unconditional love and mercy abounds so heavily in my life. Lord, I ask you to give me courage and strength to make it through the difficult times. I ask that my roots will deepen in my walk with You and not ascend into the storms that lurk in a world full of uncertainity. I pray for those who need strength and comfort from you Lord. Send your Holy Spirit to bring forth peace into their lives. Lord, I love and adore you. Thank you for everything you are and what you do in each and everyone of you children's lives.
In your precious Son's Holy Name,
Amen.
I always seek after God to bring revelation through His word. Tonight I came across Psalms 1.
This short 6 stanza verse speaks of the man who delights in the law of the Lord. For the one who delights in the law and word of the Lord is like a tree beside a river. This tree is ready in season and out of season, he does not whither or brush away with the wind.
As I read this, this question arose in the depths of my heart, "How deep are your roots?" How firmly am I rooted in my relationship with Christ? Do I whither away in hardship... am I easily blown away in the winds of hardship and tribulation? As this question sunk into the depths of my heart, I asked the Father to reveal to me what I personally needed to make me rooted in my walk with Him. Ofcourse when we ask such a thing, we do receive.
As I continued to pray and seek for answers in God's word, I opened my Bible to Matthew 15:13: "Every plant that my Father has not planted will be rooted up.." In this passage Jesus was referring to the Pharisees and their hypocrisy of traditionalism. Are we as Christians rooted in our relationship with Christ or are we much like the Pharisees sticking with the traditionalism of the church. Do rules and works plague our lives or does the love of the Father in our daily relationship with Him flourish our lives?
I have found that those who are truly God's children can be rest assured that if we have a daily relationship with him we will never blow away with the wind. Those roots are grasping deeper and deeper into the soil as we draw closer to Him. So simple yet so profound is that truth.
I often find myself in constant worry of being on the right path with God. Though I seek after Him daily and His peace reaffirms everything spoken, I find my flesh battling. These verses though in depth and insight are verses that bring clarification to the heart, soul, and spirit.
Thank the Lord for His living word and the promises that flow.
Prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father,
How blessed I am to know that I am your child. How amazing it is to know that your unconditional love and mercy abounds so heavily in my life. Lord, I ask you to give me courage and strength to make it through the difficult times. I ask that my roots will deepen in my walk with You and not ascend into the storms that lurk in a world full of uncertainity. I pray for those who need strength and comfort from you Lord. Send your Holy Spirit to bring forth peace into their lives. Lord, I love and adore you. Thank you for everything you are and what you do in each and everyone of you children's lives.
In your precious Son's Holy Name,
Amen.
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