Sitting Down With God

At Church on Sunday, my pastor spoke something over our congregation that has stuck with me this week.  He said, " At some point in your life you just say: "I'm Done." "  You wake up one morning and all the stress of your life is on your shoulders, your worries, your inadequacies, your weaknesses, and as you lay in your bed you think "God, I am done."  I am done with all of these things.  I have tried life on my own and here I am at your feet broken, bruised, and shattered by life and I am just done. I needed to hear those words.  I needed to hear that I am not the only one that is struggling in my walk.  I needed to hear that even someone in ministry wakes up and has said He is done with the negative things in life.  It showed me that we as Christians are not perfect, but that we are loved by a perfect God.

                It has been almost a year since I have written on here. I apologize for the lengthy silence. However, in that silence I have learned and grown so much. God has been working in me and through me on so many levels. I have had the opportunity to have a real heart check and to come against seemingly impossible situations. I have come to the conclusion that My God is a God of more than enough and that he is steadfastly holding me to Him, even when I am on the verge of letting myself go.                 It is amazing to see how high you can lift yourself up. I lifted myself to pretty high heights and the devil had no problem knocking me down a peg or two.  I thought I was so strong in my faith. I found myself thinking more highly of myself than I should have. God doesn’t like ugly and he had a few lessons for me to learn. He also had a very big bles...

                    Life doesn’t always go the way you plan.   More often than not, it will go the complete opposite.   I have come to the realization that in those first few minutes of disappointment, I have opportunity for change.             I think back on all the times I would get angry and upset because I didn’t get my way.   The temper tantrums and the attitudes of entitlement I have had.   How do I know why things have changed?   That last minute change in direction for your day could save your life.           God’s plan for us will always outweigh any plans we could ever imagine for ourselves. I encourage you in those moments when life’s little disappointments are getting you down, for you to look up and be patient.   Change is coming! and it starts with...

God loves you.  Those three words can change a life. The past few weeks have been busy.  I found myself putting God last in a lot of ways and it came to a point that He really got my attention.  I made the decision to take a break from some things to be able to really rest in God.  I wanted to be able to come to all of you and share what He has been speaking to me.             Over and over again, it is “I love you.”  It is: I love you even though you mess up.  I love you even though you are imperfect.  I love you even when you think that you are unworthy of any love, from anywhere.  I LOVE YOU! 

       I was asleep and my Spirit woke me up.  I heard in my mind, "Love is the ultimate deposit."  What do I mean by that?  Love is the best gift you can give anyone.  When you deposit true, Christ-like love into someone's life, you are sowing a seed that will be very fruitful.  Not only will you receive back blessings in your life, but you have now opened up someone else's life for them to sow love and be blessed.

         I have come to accept that sometimes life is not going to go the way I want it to.  There will be days when all the best made plans will not come to fruition and that disappointment will come.  It has made me realize that the Father has a bigger plan laid out for me.  I might not understand the why's and the what-for's, but in the end it will all work out.     When life's disappointments seem to keep on coming.  Stand firm in your faith and know that God is God.  Not sometimes, but all of the time.  The mountains that we climb will not always be mountains.  The tears that we cry will not create a lake.  And each time we are broken-hearted we have a Saviour that is ready to comfort us.     Don't give up and Don't give in.  Time's are changing and it only looks bad right now. Keep pressing forward and you will see the light at the end of the dark tunnel you are trave...

T herefore, receiving, as we now do, a kingdom which cannot be shaken,  let us cherish thankfulness so that we may ever offer to God an acceptable service, with godly reverence and awe.  Hebrews 12:28 (Root in WEY NIV) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  Psalms 100:4 (KJV WBS) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  In every circumstance of life be thankful;  for this is God's will in Christ Jesus respecting you.  1 Thessalonians 5:18(WEY) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.   2 Corinthians 4:15(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV NIV) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God....

Dear Readers,                 I have had an enlightening experience.  Yesterday, I was in my car driving and our Christian radio station was interviewing a man named, Kyle Idleman.  Now, Kyle is a pastor of a church and an author of a new book.  The book is called Not a Fan.  He posed a question yesterday, which rocked me to my core.                 He was asking me, and everyone listening, Are you a fan of Jesus or are you a follower?  A fan comes to church.  They love Jesus.  But, when Jesus starts interfering in their lives they back off.  A follower of Jesus Christ will lay down everything they have and are, to do what he calls them to do.  I had to ask myself, Am I a fan or a follower?

Alright, I finished up the notes.  This session is very short, and as I said before there are more verses to choose from and I hope that in your own personal study you find more.  Please feel free to share with me what you received from the study.  What is God telling you in your own personal study?  The notes included with the scripture are from my own personal revelation and from the Life Applicaton Bible-NIV version. Our group is going to start the first session of Fear of the Lord DVD series by John Bevere.  As we watch them, I will keep everyone updated.  God Bless!! Love in Christ, Kristine

Here is Part 2 of my notes on Fear.  I hope you enjoy them.  There are hundreds of scriptures to choose from.  Add to the list!!! Prayers for your day, Kristine!!

I am about to start a Bible Study at my home, and it is my turn to pick the subject.  So in the next few weeks, we will be talking about fear;  the spirit of fear, Fear of God, and just plain being afraid in our day to day life.  I thought that maybe ya'll would be interested in my notes for your own personal study.  So here is the first sessions notes.  I hope that you find them comforting and encouraging.  God Bless!

Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him, if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear. You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by. Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning. You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor. But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; their hope will become a dying gasp. --Job 11:13-20 Hope. One four letter word that has so much emotion and feeling. I have been doing a bible study in Psalms the last few days, and as I was reading the notes that go with the verses, something took hold of me. The note said that we should look at our problems in the light of God's power...

I am probably the most impatient person I know.   I have this annoying habit of wanting everything done the way I want it, when I want it and most often, that is “Right Now!”   I have prayed and prayed on this and still I catch myself falling back into Ms. Impatience and Frustration.   Does anyone know someone like that? (Wink, wink)

Thought Questions: *What is prayer? *Why do I pray? *How do I pray? *When do I pray?                     Recently, I have had several situations occur that have brought the four above questions to my mind.   Every day we come across people in our lives that need our intercession.   You know we don’t just pray for ourselves.   But, even when we are praying for our own personal needs the above questions really matter.           What is prayer ?   The American Tract Society Bible Dictionary defines prayer as being, “ the offering of the emotions and desires of the soul to God, in the name and through the mediation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ .”   Isn’t that beautiful? The offering of the emotions and desires of our souls to God.   I don’t know about you, but I know my soul desires many things.   Some good, some...

“Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.” Deuteronomy 4:22             It is very easy to become overwhelmed and anxious in the world today.   If it is not one thing it is another.   Every person has something that they can be worried about.   Each and every one of us has a problem that seems to jump out at us from an unseen adversary.   We take one step forward and something comes up and knocks us fifteen steps backwards.   At times, it feels like we make efforts that never see fruition because there is always a stumbling block in our way.             I am here to tell you that the battle is not your own.   No matter what is getting you down, no matter what is bringing you to the breaking point, God is in control.   He is fighting for us even when we feel no one is there but us.

Drawing: “Falling Down the Stairs to Save Time” by Sam Brown   www.explodingdog.com                   What is a friendship?   If you define friendship, it is the state of being friends; friendly relation, or attachment to a person or between persons; affection arising from mutual esteem and good will; amnity; Kindly aid, help, assistance , unity, conformity, harmony , etc.   I bolded the last three words because when you are around someone for long periods of time you become close with one another.   You don’t find many people just spending time with people that they have nothing in common with.   Don’t get me wrong, all of us have friends that are complete opposites of us, but there is some common ground that unites us.           The reason I am bringing this up is because of two things on my heart.   The first, being the popul...

                                 I have hardly slept in the last few weeks.   It seems that each day that my discontentment is growing.   I seem to find fault with everything being done around me and even more in myself.   If I look at it biblically, I have no reason to be discontented.   I have food, I have clothing, I have shelter, and I have a job that pays most of my bills.   I have so much that others would be happy to have and yet, I still feel as if something is missing.                 Contentment is defined as being free from care because of satisfaction with what is already one’s own.   It also is defined as being at rest.   It is the ability to make easy in any situation.   I have tried to figure out what has m...

            I got off of work this morning at six a.m.   I have been wrestling with sleep for the last few days.   Physically, I should be so tired that I fall into oblivion as soon as my head hits the pillow.   But, the last few days, I have hardly slept.   If anyone works graveyard shifts they know that this is not a good thing.   Being awake all day, without sleep, equals a bad night at work.   (And a not so great mood at home either)             A week ago we had a prophet come in to speak at our church.   He talked about his beliefs of insomnia.   He said that he felt that when people can’t sleep it is because we don’t spend the time with God that we should and He waits until He can talk to us.   Here we are trying to relax and get some sleep and God wants to have a conversation.   I have experienced insomnia my whole life,...

1 www.FathersLoveLetter.com Father's Love Letter used by permission Father Heart Communications Copyright 1999-2010 The words you are about to read are true. They will change your life if you let them, for they come from the very heart of God. He loves you, and He is the Father you have been looking for all your life. This is His love letter to you. My Child, You may not know me, but I know everything about you. [Psalm 139:1] I know when you sit down and when you rise up. [Psalm 139:2] I am familiar with all your ways. [ Psalm 139:3] Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. [ Matthew 10:29-31] For you were made in my image. [ Genesis 1:27] In me you live and move and have your being. [ Acts 17:28] For you are my offspring. [ Acts 17:28] I knew you even before you were conceived. [ Jeremiah 1:4-5] I chose you when I planned creation. [ Ephesians 1:11-12] You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. [ Psalm 139:15-16] I determined the exact time of you...

             " But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life."                                                                         1 Corinthians 8:6 (NLT) 1.)     God is our source 2.)   He provides for us 3.)   We should be dependent on Him I was talking with a coworker the other day and as I was listening to her a question popped up in my mind.   “Is God my source or my back-up plan?”...