I'm so Full, I'm Overflowing...

Last night was a great time of worship, Bible Study and Fellowship at Thursday Night Amplified... I can't really describe how my heart feels after singing a few songs of praise and worship, but it starts to pound and I just feel full... Have you ever felt that way? Just full of the spirit... I'd love to share it with everyone I encounter because it is what brings me peace and joy. Thank you, God, for filling me with your spirit.. For hearing my prayers and for loving me...
Last night we talked about compromising our faith... How just little steps away from God's righteous path can lead us to destruction... The only way we can know how to live a righteous and pleasing life is to read the instructions left to us in the Bible... It is our owners manual for life.... It is our guide... It is the heart of God... If you want to live a life of joy and peace and walk in wisdom, do what the Word of God says to do... It works...
Have a great day...

A Season of Reaping what we've Sown

I have been studying the life of Solomon and yesterday my spirit was pricked about how faithful God is to reward those who sow a seed of faithfulness... David was said to be a man after God's own heart, and his whole 40 years as King, there was war... Solomon, on the other hand, started off as a man of integrity, but wound up following after his own sense of power and prestige and lost his focus on God, but he had peace in his whole 40 years as King... God was rewarding David's years of faithfulness, and he will also reward us for our faithfulness. If you'd like to know what happened to Solomon after all his years of sowing for himself, take a look in 1 Kings 11... What seeds are you planting today that will generate a harvest of reaping tomorrow... It's the law of God... You reap what you sow... Are you sowing good seed or bad seed?....

Getting Carried Away

I'm still figuring out where this new feeling of compassion is coming from for the brokenhearted... I know in the past when I've felt a little depressed or sad, I knew I could call on the Holy Spirit to comfort me... I remember the poem called Footprints... Do you? It was about how when things were going good in a person's life there were two sets of footprints on the sand, but when things were tough, there was only one set of footprints.. The walker asked God why that was and God's response was, "I was carrying you!" (or something close to that)

We do not have to beg the sun for light, and we don't have to beg the Holy Spirit for comfort either. He is comfort... We simply have to separate ourselves from anything that separates us from Him... We have to pray that when we go through difficult times, He will give us a greater sense of His comfort in it.

Is there some sin that is separating you from receiving the comfort of God? Ask Him to reveal it to you and have the courage to turn from that sin today. This is not about feeling better, it's about knowing our savior is there, carrying us through the difficulty and wanting to be a comfort to us... And then, because we do this, we do feel better...
I feel better already!
Lea Anne

Comfort the Brokenhearted

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. Isaiah 61:1

I am definitely being stretched by God here... I am not one to be very sensitive to other people and I'm usually a very "tell it like it is" person. After my heart was broken last Wednesday night, I've been re-evaluating my purpose for the moment... I feel like I've been called to reach out to hurting people... I have to call upon the Lord for the strength and ability to do this, because it doesn't come naturally... I do know the voice of the Lord and I will just have to submit to it.... I pray I can offer a little comfort to someone today... I pray you too, will see someone in need today...

Noticing the Needs of Others

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5

Last night I had the privilege of going to supper and prayer meeting at church. I did what I normally do and I stopped to say Hello to my friends or slowed down to speak to people on the way to my table. It was a good time to fellowship around the table with my church family... However, right before the prayer meeting started, I noticed a guy that was sitting at a table all by himself, and I couldn't help but notice he was crying... I just asked him to join our table and he did, but he was still crying... This was a little uncomfortable because being the fixer that I am, I just wanted to fix whatever was wrong with him, and be comfortable again... That didn't happen right away. We had the devotional and went into the prayer time and as we all prayed out loud, when it was his turn, he just said, "God, just be with me." His prayer was interrupted as the pastor called the group back into corporate prayer, but I couldn't just leave it there.
After the prayer time was over, I just asked him, How can I pray for you right now?
He was able to open up somewhat, and I can't say that I even offered a solution to his problems, but I did pray for him, and I'm still praying for him...
His whole burden was that he wanted to be around family... He just needed to be with his brother...
We can't always depend on our family, or our friends and loved ones to be there for us when we just need to be comforted... But we do have an advocate for us in Jesus Christ. Tell God all about your needs and everything that is in your heart. Don't worry, He won't be surprised or shocked. He already knows. He is just waiting to hear it from you.
Although we are the hands and feet of Jesus and if we look for opportunities to hug someone or sit with someone who is lonely, and just be there for someone, that may be what gets them through another day...Only God will relieve him of his burden...But we can notice and pray... Look to ONLY God today to relieve you of your burden...
Notice someone today.

A Prayer that Moves Mountains...

So Jesus said to them..."For assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

What prayer would you like to boldly pray in faith and see answered? What would you like to see accomplished in your life, or in the life of someone you know, that would take a prayer of great faith? Ask God to take that seed you have and grow it into a giant tree of faith so you can see these things come to pass.

Is there someone in your life that needs Jesus? Pray that you can be so bold to talk to them about your Lord and Savior... He is who everyone needs to overcome an addiction or a dependency on something that has a stronghold on them... It is only Jesus that can help... Once we start being Jesus to our lost friends and loved ones, they will want to know more about him... Start being Jesus to them today.

If you are in a situation that requires GREAT FAITH... Pray that God will give you an opportunity to trust him a little more than you do today... Our faith grows as we see answered prayer... Write down something you want to see happen today and then pray for it...

You have not because you ask not....James 4:2

Ask for it...

I love you guys (and girls;-)

Behavior Modification Day Number 2

You may be asking what am I trying to modify about my behavior?

I went to a Women's Conference on Thursday and was able to attend a seminar called "Light My Fire" which was a seminar for "Big Girls"... Did you know that it is totally legal to flirt, date, and seduce your husband? I know that as a married woman I have the right to do that, but I don't always take advantage of that right... So I decided that I would not only start trying to be a little more pleasant towards Dana, but I would try to be a little more pleasant looking... Does the picture at the top remind you of any one? Unfortunately, that's me, at home... UUGGHH!!

It's not that we don't have a great marriage, but whose marriage couldn't stand a little more intentional effort poured into it? I am going to do a little work on myself, because one of the things the speaker mentioned was about how we present ourselves to our husbands... It's like we put on our best clothes, do our hair and makeup, and put our best face forward for everyone else, but when we get home we look or dress like something the cat dragged in... She also mentioned how we should maintain our nails... both fingers and feet!!! This is where I drop the ball big time and never get a manicure or pedicure... I always thought I was being frugal in not spending the money... I never looked at it as a way to entice my husband? Do men notice things like that?

How beautiful are your sandaled feet...how beautiful you are and how pleasing... (Song of Songs 7..)

And one more thing she mentioned, we should have a fragrance about us that will remind our husbands of us... and I don't think "bacon grease" is the fragrance we should shoot for... Although this is quite tantalizing...

Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out...(Song of Songs 1:3)

One other thing she spoke about was speaking a word of encouragement into our husbands... Telling them how handsome they were, or how strong they were, and she used scripture to emphasis the need to do this as well...

My lover is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand. His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven. His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted like jewels. His cheeks are like beds of spice yielding perfume, his lips... his arms... his body... his legs... his appearance... his mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my lover, this my friend... (Song of Songs 5...)

Well, I always like to share when something I've heard or read has touched me in a way that makes me WANT to be a better person, and this was something that I've actually already started to implement... I'm on DAY 2... I'll let you know how it turns out...