Faith walk

My Bible study this year has been on Genesis and slowly we’ve been unraveling the deep layers of Abraham’s faith; and his faith was indeed deep. 

Sarah was old, Abraham was older. Both were past child bearing age. Abraham was 75 when the Lord promised him a son. He was 100 when he and Sarah got Isaac. A 25 year wait!!! The in-between years of waiting could not have been easy. But I am ever so glad that their faith and most of all God’s grace prevailed because now we have a story about what persistent faith can do; and about what sweet laughter is to be had in the end when we trust in God’s timing.

The biggest lesson here apart from the fact that the Lord means what He says and does what He says He will do; is that in trusting in Him, even when all circumstances rebel against the possibility of the promise given; even when the whole world tells you otherwise; When He finally fulfills His promise, you will be like Sarah; you will LAUGH. God’s promises fulfilled are ever so sweet.

So if you’ve been waiting on a promise from the Lord, I urge you to hang on just a while longer.

Refined

 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see~Hebrews 11:1

 

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ~ Romans 10:17

Start the day RIGHT

My post today is excerpts from some of the Facebook pages I follow. I like starting off my day with positive words. Don't you? - Refined.

If you’re not where you want to be, don’t get discouraged. I urge you to stay focused on your dreams and let God lead you to your purpose so that you can walk into your destiny!~ T.D Jakes

Don’t take God’s favor for granted. You may not understand it or deserve it, but He is the source of all good things in your life.~ Joel Osteen

God wants you to speak victory and nothing else!~Dianna Hobbs

Someone is waiting on you to fail. While they wait on you, determine that you will wait on the Lord. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)~Alabaster Woman Ministries

The best place to be right now is in the right season as ordained by God. When you accept your right-now-season, you'll release the pressure to be in another one, therefore living the scripture that says, "in whatever state I am in I will be content" (Phili 4:11).~ Dr. Michelle Johnson

Often, I find blog posts that I like; that say whats on my mind. I love reading Holley Gerth's blog. Today's post is straight from her wall. See original post here. 

No matter what you get up to in 2013, I pray that this year would be a year of growth for you. I hope once you're done reading the post below, you'll purposefully choose to step out of your comfort zone and GROW!~ Refined 

Whatever You Do, Choose Growth

By Holley 

The snow skims the top of the trees and drifts over the last of the leaves. It’s quiet and looks like not much is happening. But I know that those trees are already growing. They’ll look dormant for the winter but deep down below new life is coming.

I look up from my coffee and say to my husband, “There are really only two choices in life, aren’t there? Growth or decay.”

It’s a deep statement for a Saturday morning but I can’t shake it. Every where I look I see it.

Growth or decay.

Life or death.

It’s always been this way. All the way back in ancient Israel God encouraged His people, “Choose life that you may live.”

And choosing life always means choosing growth too.

We’re funny creatures. We want to be safe, secure, to avoid risk. When we do so, we believe that we’re preserving our lives. But we’re not. We’re actually choosing death.To not grow is to die. There is no middle ground.

Now I don’t mean taking foolish risks. What I mean is saying “yes” to God and moving forward with Him no matter what.

Through the pain.

Through the success.

Through the struggles.

Through the victories.

Whatever you do, choose growth.

And here’s the thing: like those trees, growth is not always big and flashy. It can happen quietly, almost invisibly. But it must happen.

And there’s more good news: Growth doesn’t require perfection. In fact, it cannot coexist with it. You will fail and fall and learn and get back up again. Because that’s how you grow.

I don’t know where you are today, what circumstances you’re facing, what this New Year will hold for you.

But I’m begging you, cheering for you, quietly whispering to you, “Please choose life that you may live.”

The best part of all? The responsibility for growth ultimately lies with God.

God makes things grow. {1 Cor. 3:7}

So you don’t have to make growth happen. Your role is surrender and then obedience. When you embrace those, you can’t help but grow.

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

Psalm 1:3

Make 2013 a year of growth.

A year of life.

Of truly living.

God sized dreams

I think often about the women in the Bible... A bit more often about the ones who seem to be an 'unlikely' fit for righteous living... the ones whose stories make me sit up and think and most often marvel, that God maybe, just maybe placed those stories there for me to find.

I understand why Hagar ran away (Genesis 16), because I often run away too. And I am amazed that God went after her and found her. Saw her not where she should have been but in her present circumstance. Saw her for what she was. I cling to her words and I know from experience that 'He is the God who sees me' (Gen 16:13)

I understand Rahab's desperation to be free of her old life. I can imagine her hearing about God and wondering if such a Holy God could have anything to do with someone like her. I can understand her longing (Joshua 2-6). I am excited that God is a rewarder of faith and that nothing in my past can keep me from moving forward with God.

My list of unlikely women is long- there's Ruth who was from the wrong 'people'. How could she even begin to imagine that someone like her could be grafted to God's people. Yet like Rahab, her name has a place in the lineage of my Savior. Have I told you about Tamar? Or Bathsheba?

There's the Samaritan woman- Oh my goodness! And Mary Magdalene. And each of these, God saw. Not their circumstances or their past. He saw their faith. These extraordinary women all had one thing in common- A God sized dream.A faith so big, that their past could not hold them from their destiny. A dream so big, that it moved them forward beyond their circumstances and ushered them right into the Lord's presence and their destiny. And He saw them.

I am encouraged that this faith that fills my heart to near busting; this God sized dream I have; to be all that God created me to be; to live fearlessly; to mother my son and help him become the man God created him to be, is not in vain. This God sized dream, inside of me, sometimes unspoken yet fervently prayed and hoped for, is heard by the One who sees and hears me.

God sees me and that's enough of an assurance that I need to keep dreaming my God sized dream and in a little while, it will all come true.

So if you're like me, if you're an unlikely person with a faith in God that propels you forward; If you're holding a God sized dream in your heart, hold on...because in just a little while, He's bringing you out.

Let the praise begin!

Refined.

Ref: God sized dreams series by Holley Gerth

Release

Pray This…

Prayer of Release

I know the One in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. 2 Timothy 1:12 NLT

Heavenly Father, I release to You the burdens that I have been carrying, burdens that You never intended for me to carry. I cast all my cares upon You–all my worries, all my fears. You have told me not be anxious about anything, but rather to bring everything to You in prayer with thankfulness.

Father, calm my restless spirit, quiet my anxious heart, still my troubling thoughts with the assurance that You are in control. I let go of my grip upon the things I have been hanging onto, with opened hands I come to You. I release to Your will all that I am trying to manipulate; I release to Your authority all that I am trying to control; I release to Your timing all that I have been striving to make happen.

I thank You for Your promise to sustain me, preserve me, and guard all that I have entrusted to Your keeping. Protect my heart and mind with Your peace, the peace that passes all understanding. Father, may Your will be done in my life, in Your time, and in Your way.

Scriptures: Psalm 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7, Philippians 4:6, Matthew 6, Isaiah 26:3, Luke 11:2

Taken from http://www.meetmeinthemeadow.com by Roy Lessin

2013...and here we go again...

2013 is here and I find that I am much the same and yet so different.
2012 seemed to fly and I must say I will not miss it.

I took a deep breath as the year turned in to 2013 and I am so full of hope...

That I will be unshackled from those things (and people) that held me back...
That this year some prayers will be answered....
That the choices I make will be good...
That I will reap from investments made...

This year I feel like I am poised for flight.
Like a butterfly waiting for the perfect sunrise and just a gust of wind.
This year feels like... (deep breath)...

2013..here we go !



Refined.

Walking when shoes pinch

On occasion I have found a pair of shoes that looks good and matches one of my handbags but after walking for a while, they start to pinch and my elegant walk changes into a hobble. Walk a few steps, hobble, remove shoe, rub one foot over the other, remove other shoe, repeat process, walk on...and on and on... Now no one needs to tell me that by the time I get to my destination my feet won't be thanking me or that for days afterwards I will only be able to put on open flats. Don't even start on the unbecoming cones that then develop afterwards.

Life pinches on occasion. My choices cause me to hobble and if I don't have the good sense to take off those shoes there and then then I'll be paying for it for a long time. I'll say- 'but they look so good', but that doesn't change the fact that if that pair wasn't made for walking it will pinch.

If you have a comfortable pair of pumps that fit your feet like a gloves, chances are that you'll wear them everyday and within a short time, you'll wear them thin, they'll be needing repair or will have to be put out of circulation.  So how do I as a woman yearning for the things of God find the perfect balance?

Yesterday there was a beautiful post borrowed from Dr. Michelle on Alabaster Woman titled Step away from mess. Mess is much like shoes that pinch. It may look good but will damage the wearer's feet.

Today I am asking the Lord to continue refining me and showing me what's in my life that needs to be tossed in the bin and I am so sure that as I step away from mess, I'll be making space for the good things my heavenly daddy wants to give me.

Be blessed.

Refined.