Treasuring His Word

Psalm 94:19, 22- “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul...the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.”

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The Lord's Prayer Part 3

I decided it would take a little too long to get through the entire “Lord’s prayer” that Elizabeth Elliot has summed up so greatly in doing it step by step every day, sooo… here is the rest of it broken down.

Hallowed Be Thy Name:
"God longs for his children to be actively involved with him through prayer. Because he loves us, he gives us a part to play in hallowing his name here on earth."

Thy Kingdom Come:
"As you lay your individual prayers before God, you do so recognizing that the answer has to fit the coming of the kingdom and the holiness of his name."

Thy Will Be Done on Earth As It Is in Heaven:
"Jesus teaches us to pray for the coming of the kingdom in the only way the kingdom can possibly come: through the doing of the Father’s will. As we learn to live more intimately with him, it will become our sole object in life. In every act that accords with his will, we are also hallowing his name."

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread:
"The humble business of ordinary food necessities reminds us of our utter dependence on God. To him nothing is trivial or important, nothing small or great, for he is all and fills all in all."

Forgive Us Our Trespasses As We Forgive Those Who Trespass against Us:
"God must often delay the answer to our prayers for special guidance because we have already chosen a path of disobedience. When this happens, we must repent, which means to turn around. Go back to the point of departure. Then pray to be shown the path of God’s will."

Lead Us Not into Temptation but Deliver Us from Evil:
"Temptation is not in itself a sin. Satan uses it to cause us to sin. God’s purpose in allowing it is to test our faith, and his Word even tell us to welcome it (James 1:2-3)"

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Who Art in Heaven


Psalm 139:13-16-“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully make. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. You eyes saw my unformed substance; in you book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were not of them.”

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom,
And the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.

“The Father to whom we come is in heaven. We are on earth, where there are so many divergent pathways, such potential for choosing the wrong one. The mystery of prayer brings the finite into contact with the infinite, the temporal with the eternal, the seen with the unseen. This is a great comfort when we are asking to be shown what to do, for while we look at our own small world and the particular perplexity that brings us to the Father’s knee, our minds fogged with doubts, anxieties, and frightening pictures of what the future may hold, he can see the end form the beginning. He is like the captain on the bridge who can see what the man in the engine room cannot. The far horizons, the positions of the stars, the direction of the wind are all known to the one who is in charge. Our heavenly Father knows every inch of our earthly journeys, sees it whole, has been over the course himself, and say to us, ‘fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)’”

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 115:3-“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

The Lord’s Prayer

I’ve been reading a book titled, “God’s Guidance” by Elisabeth Elliot and she has broken down the Lord’s Prayer into deep depth and detail. I thought that a thoughtful consideration of the words in this prayer would be helpful to some.


Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom,
And the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.


“Our Father”

“When we address God we address the Creator of the Universe, the Ancient of days, the Lord of Hosts, the Mighty God. The thought of him should inspire awe and reverence. But he is also the Everlasting Father. Jesus taught his desciples to call him our Father. If we trust the Son who died for us and come to the Father aware of our need of his grace, we may take our position before him as a child, not knowing what is best for us but come asking to be shown what to do. It is merely a request, not a demand, and can be granted of refused. Surely any father would look tenderly on a child’s desire to be shown what to do. He will show him.

Our Father God is love, essential love, and therefore cannot possibly desire for his child anything but what is best.

He is all-wise and therefore knows just what that best is.
He is all-powerful and therefore can give what he wants to give.
His timing, his way of showing, and the things shown may not be at all according to the child’s expectations. But never mind. The Father will give all the help his child needs, he will take him by the hand and the child will learn.”

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 73:25-26-" Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart my fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

The Battle for Control

So here I am at the beginning of another year and I’m asking the question, “so God what do you have for me next?” I’ve found myself fighting in the war of the battle for control. I’ve been trying too hard to control my own life instead of surrendering it to God. God in His great mercy has once again convicted me of my sin and has showed me where my thoughts should be. I should be remembering that everything in my future God, in His great sovereignty has already planned for me.

“O God whose will conquers all, There in no comfort in anything apart from enjoying thee and being engaged in thy service; thou art All in all, and all enjoyments are what to me thou makest them, and no more. I am well pleased with thy will, whatever it is, or should be in all respects, and if thou bidst me decide for myself in any affair I would choose to refer all to thee, for thou art infinitely wise and cannot do amiss, as I am in danger of doing. I rejoice to think that all things are at thy disposal, and it delights me to leave them there…. I can of myself do nothing to glorify thy blessed name, but I can through grace cheerfully surrender soul and body to thee.” –Valley of Vission-

“Surrender is not the surrender of the external life, but of the will; when that is done, all is done. There are very few crises in life; the great crisis is the surrender of the will.” –Oswald Chambers-

Take all I am, Lord, and all that I cling to
You are my Savior I owe everything to
Take all the treasures that lie in my storehouse
They cannot follow when I enter Your house

Take all my cravings for vain recognition
Fleshly indulgence and worldly ambition
I want so much Lord to make You the focus
To serve You in secret and never be noticed

Take all my hunger for all that’s forbidden
Every desire and sin I keep hidden
Search me and know me I want to bring to You
A life that is holy and sanctified through You


Father as I sit before your feet I am convicted and thankful for the grace and mercy you have one again bestowed upon me . May I be someone that surrenders my entire life to you and be one that says “not my will but thine be done.”

Daily Bible Verse:

Psalm 17:5-" My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped."

Monday, January 7, 2008

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Reflections of God's Grace in 2007



As I think back and reflect on all that God has done for me in this past year I am so very grateful. I'm grateful for the friends and family that have kept me accountable, for the memories that I’ve made traveling with friends, for God convicting me of sin and for answering prayers when I had no idea what to do. God faithfulness to me this past year is too great for me to put into words. He has extended much undeserving grace and has convicted me of sin when I had no idea I was sinning.

These are just some of the events that took place in 2007.....


Father/daughter dinner


Fun Times


"New Attitude"


Missions Trip to Haiti


Missions Trip to Haiti



My surprise 18th Birthday party

"The Clash"

My parents celebrated 25 years of marriage



Gator Games

I’m thankful that another year has gone by and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for 2008!!!

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; come and behold Him, born the King of Angles, O come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.

“Let us be glad and rejoice today, because ‘He has come.’ And let us remember the annunciation of the angel, ‘Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”(Luke 2:10, 11) -Streams In The Desert-