Prayer to Make my Own---and quotes

Something that I'm realizing now is how amazing God works. When I'm down and I don't want to read or pray, then I do and God shows me what I need to see and encourages me so much. Another thing that amazes me: how often I keep doing that, how often I just don't want to read or pray because I don't feel like it or I'm too tired. Yet God has proven Himself to me so many times....and yet I still continue to doubt how He works. Though He has proven Himself faithful...so advice.....just read your Bible and pray, no matter how tired or busy you are. Believe me, its worth it.




"Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
WHere there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

Oh Divine Master, grant that I may so
Much seek to be console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life."
-St. Francis of Assisi

"During the last war we were taught that, in order to obtain our objective, we had to be willing to be expendable... We know that there is only one anwer when our country demands that we share in the price of freedom - yet when the Lord Jesus asks us to pay the price for world evangeliszation, we often answer without a word. We cannot go. We say it costs too much... Missionaries constantly face expendability.
-Nate Saint, A Missionary Martyred in the Ecuadorian Jungle in 1956

"We have learned that suffering is not the worst thing in the world - disobedience to God is the worst."
- A Veitnamese Christian Pastor Imprisoned fo his faith

Thankful!

I am thankful for:
1. True friendship that I know will last a lifetime...
2. New friendships starting.....hopefully lasting!
3. True brothers in christ....the ones I can run to support and advice
4. My little Karyn*little black baby!*
5. My family...no matter how crazy they can get! I love them!
6. My quiet times with the Lord....the truly quiet ones
7. The pain and trials that God allows in my life...
8. I am so thankful for the new section of christian books in Books a millon, now i can go over there and read on my breaks from work....
9. Books...lots and lots of books where the words jump out to you!
10. Dancing.....don't know how to explain that one!
11. Clean scary movies....
12. The long drive to work....
12. my dogs...
13. Sunday sermons....here and at LU
14. Wednesday Bible studies....sweet fellowship...
15. For what God saved me out of....

Extream pain: Sudan

THis is an amazing story, all the stories are, but really there not stories, these things actually happened to these people and to these children. I don't know how people read this, but I'm hoping people can get a small idea about the passion that we as free Christians should serve and honor our Lord Jesus Christ....

I Peter 4:16 "However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name."



"Say it with us," the soldiers screamed, kicking and punching the boy's faces and abdomens. "Allah is God, and Mohammed is his prophet. Say it!"

The four young Sudanese boys cried and screamed out for their mothers but they refused to repeat the words that would mean saving their lives yet renouncing their Christianity.Their red blood began to flow across their black skin, but they would not give up their faith in Christ.
The older teenage boys looked on in horror. They had seen their Southern Sudanese familes murdered by sword-weilding Islamic fighters. Now they watched as their four young friends and relatives - the youngest only five years old - were beaten to dealth.
Already the soldiers had forced each older boy to lie over hot coals and ordered them to repeat the Muslim creed and join the Islamic faith. None of the boys would say the words despite the excruciating pain.
There were fourteen boys and thirteen girls abducted in the raid that day. The girls have never been located and were likely sold as slaves or concubines in Northern Sudan. All of the boys were totured, but none relented.
The next night the older boys escaped, still bearing the scars of the previous nights. Not one renounced his faith.

Lies and truths

I just finnished reading Not Even A Hint by Joshua Harris, and its the most amazing book! The end was wonderful and I wanted to type out some things that really stood out to me today. These are the lies and verses to contradict them, I didn't write out the verses but they are amazing verses and I will be trying to memorize these this summer. I really do recommend this book, its very upfront and honest, it may be uncomfortable for many people but its something that most young people deal with and must be confronted head on about and dealt with. SO here are the verses....

Lie: Lust is no big deal.
Truth: Job 31:11-12

Lie: A little sinful fantasizing won't hurt.
Truth: Romans 8:6
Galations 6:7-8
Romans 13:14

Lie: Taking radical action agains't sin isn't necesary
Truth: Matthew 5:29-30
2 Timothy 2:22

Lie: God won't mind a little compromise...
Truth: Colossians 3:5-6
Ephsians 5:3

Lie: Its my body, I can do what I want with it.
Truth: I Corinthians 6:18-20

Lie: I can't control my sex drive.
Truth: I Thessalonians 4:3-6

Lie: Looking at a few pornographic pictures won't effect me.
Truth: Proverbs 6:25-27
Psalm 101:3

Lie: I won't experience any consequences for indulging in my lust.
Truth: Romans 14:12
Hebrews 12:6
James 1:15

Lie: People get away with adultery
Truth: Proverbs 5:3-5
Proverbs 5:8-11

Lie: God is keeping something good from me.
Truth: Psalm 84:10-12

Lie: The pleasure lust promises is better and more real than God's pleasure.
Truth: Psalm 16:11

Lie: Fulfilling my lust will satisfy me.
Truth: Lamentations 3: 24-26
Proverbs 19:23

Lie: Too much purity will keep me from seeing and enjoying beauty.
Truth: Matthew 5:8
Psalm 11:17
Isaiah 33:17

A good quote from John Piper: "The fire of lust's pleasures must be fought with the fire of God's pleasures."

Galatians 6:7-9

Aide for Discouragement Rom. 12:1

Today has been a very trying day, and very discouraging...but i still want to remain stong in Him. Satan is going to have to try harder than what he is throwing out because I am not backing down though...I will continue to love my Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and spirt. Here are hints to my troubled spirit..

1. Cruelness and ungentlemanliness (If thats even a word) to my sister and me
2. People ridiculing my faith and passion for God
3. Wondering if a friend is walking the way they say they are...

Sooo....in light of some of these concerns and trails.....i decided to put this story i read in Extream Devotion..hope you all enjoy...


Indonesia: Pastor Hendrick Pattiwael

"The huddled inside the room while hearing the screams of fellow Christians being butchered outside. Pastor Hendrick Pattiwael and his wife were helping to lead the Indonesian youth camp, and they felt responsible for the young people in their care.

The camp has been a joyous time of spiritual growth and worship. Then they were attacked. When the radical Muslim mab suurounded the building where they hid, Pastor Pattiwael went outside. Distracting the bloodthirsty mob's attention away from his wife and the young people, the pastor was attacked while the others escaped. "Jesus, help me." They were his final words. His wife next saw him lying in a coffin. Ugly wounds crisscrossed his torso and arms. In shock and anger, Mrs' Pattwael cried out to GOd. "HOw could you let this happen? Why didn't you protect my husband?" But the Holy Spirit reminded her of her husband's words only before the attack. "If you love Jesus, but you love me or your family more, you are unworthy of Christ's kingdom." He told her that he was ready to die for Christ's kingdom. Remembering those words, she refused to become bitter. She still works with her church in Indonesia. THe advice that she would give Christians in free nations is simply this: "Seek God more earnestly, so that you can stand in the midst of more trouble."

This was amazing for me, because I needed a lift from all the worries that are already starting to surround me. I almost hate being home but this writing is a release for me....and this verse is also.. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." Romans 12:1 Thats what I need to do in the midst of all this, give myself completely to GOd, because i am all of HIs. So, I am lifted up now, and tomorrow is another day....take care....

Excellence...

I was reading in Dear Graduate and I finally finished the book but here are some quotes that really stuck out to me and I think are really worth typing out.

Excellence
"Why fight fiercely when so few seem to care? Why stand courageoulsy if it means risking ridicule, misunderstanding, or being considered a dreamer by some and a fool by others."

" Must we wait for someone else to establish our standard or to set our pace? It is my firm conviction that those who impact and reshape the world are the ones commited to living above the level of mediocrity."

" It is the difference between just getting by and soaring - that which sets apart the significant from the superficial, the lasting from the temporary."

"Excellence in physical and spiritual fervor just as much as excellence in relationships and craftsmanship. Since it is the living LOrd in the final analysis who appraises our excellence, it is He whom we must please and serve, honor and adore."



P.S. It lies before you now…
The untrod path,
The unopened door,
The mountain peak,
The broad, blue heavens.
I challenge you. Walk that path,
Open that door, climb the
Mountain heights. The sky’s the limit.
Let God be your guide
And hang tough – follow your
Dreams with determination.
And when you find yourself
Inundated with choices, don’t be afraid.
Be wise. Choose God’s way –
Choose excellence.
My prayers are with you.


Here are some verses that were really good in Not Even a Hint by Joshua Harris and also some interesting points and quotes he made.

Timothy 2:22

“Helping to guard their purity doesn’t mean avoiding them.” – talking about guys helping girls keep pure.

“And finally, we can pray for our sisters. Do you ever pray that God would help the women you know to find their satisfaction in Him? Take the time to pray that God would help them love holiness and avoid the wrong visions of femininity the world constantly offers them. Pray that God would help them to be virtuous, not seductive. Your prayers and friendship will accomplish more than you can imagine.”

Hebrews 13:4
John 3:16
I Peter 3:18
Deuteronomy 6:5
Jeremiah 17:9
2 Peter 2:19
I Thess. 4:3-6
Romans 6: 12-14
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
Hebrews 4:15
2 Corinthians 5:21
I Corinthians 7:9


“whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures you sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself.”

“..if it takes the edge off your spiritual hunger, then its sin.”

I Thessalonians 5:21-22
Ephesians 5:11
Psalm 101: 2-4

“Our enemy goes after people who have isolated themselves from other Christians.”

Ephesians 4:29

“We need other Christians to speak, sing, and sometimes shout the truths of God’s Word to us. We need others to pray for us when we’re in the midst of temptation. We need friends who will hold on to us when we’re ready to give up. We need friends who will challenge and even rebuke us when we’re indulging in sin.”

Ephesians 1:23

“An accountability relationship is one in which a Christian gives permission to another believer to look into his life for purposes of questioning, challenging, admonishing, advising, encouraging and otherwise providing input in ways that will help the individual live according to the Christian principles that they both hold.”

Peter 5:5
Hebrews10:24-25

Why I live...

I saw this on Will Lupers away message and thought it was absolutely amazing....i don't know if he wrote it or not, but it is wonderful....

The same eyes that watched the newborn sun rise into the first morning sky look piercingly into the deepest parts of my soul to see the darkest of all secrets, the worst shames, the highest hopes, the most silent shouts.

The same lips that spoke the cosmos into existence whisper love songs to my heart.

The same hands that will one day welcome me into eternity were also the same hands that were pierced with nails, willingly substituting them for my own.

THAT my friends... is why I live.

Almost there...

We are almost done with school and things are winding down and starting up all at the same time. I really want to make use of the time I will have here at home. Just sit back and catch up on breathing, writing, and start some new hobbies. I was sitting on my bed earlier today and I was thinking about how different its going to be without my girl friends and helping them get through all the boy promblems and stuff. Its going to be really weird, because my sisters don't have boy problems, maybe its time for a different arena! Well anyway, I should be studying right now, but unstead I am writing out some of the things I had in my devotions today!

I was reading in the book He that is Spiritual: "Because the "infection" of sin is always in us, we need every moment "the conquering counteration of the Spirit."

"Spirituality hinders sin, but should never hinder the friendship and confidence of sinners (Luke 15:1). Who can see the failures of others more than the one who has spiritual vision? And because of this fact, who needs more the divine power to keep from becoming critical, with all that follows with it?

"If our kind of spirituality makes Christ unattractive to others, it needs some drastic changes."

"It will not do to impersonate ideals or to imitate others. Just here is the great danger in analyzing experiences. Some are so easily induced to try to imitate someone else."

" We are never wonderful saints of whom God may justly be proud: we are His little children, immature and filled with foolishness, with whom He is endlessly patient and on whom He has been pleased to set all His infinite heart of love. He is wonderful. We are not."

" He came not to reveal Himself but to make Christ real to the heart, and through the heart, of man."

------------------------------Lewis Sperry Chaffer

Why Are We Not Told Plainly? -----My Utmost for His Highest

"He charged them that they would tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead." Mark 9:9

"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."
Galations 6:9

I cor. 15:58 and I Peter 5:8, 10----both every encouraging!

Romans 8: 35

What I have decided.....

Well, I have been wrestling with the desicion what to write here on this blog. First I thought my thoughts about the day or what I got out of my devotions but then I wasn't doing anything because my devotions were either too personal or would get misinterpreted. So, I was just reading in my devos and I came to the conclusion that my devotions are my intimate times with GOd and I don't need to write what I got out of them, BUT, I can write what I read! Because in and of itself its good again for me to re-write them out because I love meditating on what I have learned. Sooooo....yeah....I will probably write later in this tonight because I loved what I read in my Extream Devotion book and Five minutes with God devotional....