WORD OF GOD SPEAK: LIFE

Today's been a big day for a few "transformed moms"! God is weaving many blessings in the lives of Mandy and Cristi. They love Him! They desire to follow His Word. They know that He is the source of LIFE! In fact, they know that Jesus is who He claims to be when He says: "I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE and no one comes to the Father except by Me."
.

• This morning at 1:48 a.m. Mandy gave birth to baby "Libby". Although Libby was due next week, she came fast and surprised us all.


• Cristi and her family left the DC area this morning for their new home in Little Rock. Their travels got them as far as Tennessee tonight.

Here is "Libby" today wearing a little cap that Cristi crocheted for Mandy's future daughter.

.

.
God puts His children together just the way He wants to. He orchestrated eternal connections between the 3 of us in amazing ways. It's how our Heavenly Daddy does things.
.
Here are Cristi and Mandy a year ago with Lauren, in Lauren's hospital bed, as she awaits (for the 7th month in a row) for a heart transplant.
.

.
My niece, Vanessa, who was a good friend and neighbor of Cristi's in Virginia connected Cristi and I when Cristi came to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) with Lauren in January of 2009. I tried to make weekly or more than weekly visits to them over about an 8 month period. Our church family ministered in special ways to Lauren and her mama.
.
As Cristi and her husband, Tim, and I would visit, we made many Oklahoma and military connections. Tim had grown up in Oklahoma. They both had gone to college at Oklahoma Christian. My husband, Steve had grown up in Oklahoma not too far from where Tim had. Steve's brother had been the youth minister where Tim went to church. We knew people who they had gone to college with.... small world.
.
Then, one day I brought Mandy with me to visit. Immediate connection: Paragould, Arkansas! Tim's parents had moved to that area where Mandy had grown up... small world.

It was a year ago this past Wedneday, July 28, that Lauren received her new strong heart. Recently, she returned to Philadelphia for her almost one year check-up. Afterwards, there was a reunion at Don Pablo's when Lauren and Maggie (Libby's big sister) enjoyed each others company while their moms and dads did, too..

.

.

Below is a picture of Lauren and mommy not too long after that special day a year ago. This week, Cristi has updated her blog with thoughts about that time and the past year. Inspirational!

.

http://throughthecalmandthroughthestorm.blogspot.com/

.

WORD OF GOD SPEAK... HEALTHY? HAPPY? HUMMINGBIRD?

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY

.

Our memory verses for the month tell us that God's word is many things. Yesterday's post was an activity in putting the verses and their powerful words to memory. Today, let's look at the value of God's Word in our life for HEALTH and HAPPINESS. It is transforming!

.

1. Living - The Bible has been referred to as God's manual for life. For christians who have God's Spirit living inside of us... it is Spirit food... it is The Bread of Life... it is Living Bread.... I understand the concept of bread a little better now by the kind of bread our family now eats. We have learned that eating too much bread is not good for us unless we eat "living bread" or "sprouted bread". That is why we eat Ezekiel bread which is made from sprouts. It makes us feel so much better than if we're eating that other stuff. It's definitely kinder to our bodies. In a similar way the true and living bread, God's Word, brings Life to us!


2. Active - Ezekiel bread is the nourishment or fuel that my body needs to keep me going. The Word of God fulfills that same role within our souls and spirits.


3. Penetrates - Ezekiel bread gets down into the cell level of our bodies to bring nourishment. The Word of God is designed to work on us down in our spiritual DNA.


4. Divides - Much like a skilled surgeon who goes into the body to cut for the purpose of healing, the Word of God seperates the good from the bad inside of us as it works on healing our souls and spirits.


5. Judges - We see that the Word of God feeds and nourishes us as well as doing spiritual surgery on us. Yet, that is not all it does. It is able to determine WHAT ARE THE THOUGHTS AND ATTITUDES OF OUR HEARTS? The Word of God discerns whether we are having "heart trouble" or not. How's our post surgery regime coming? Have we followed doctors orders to lead our lives the way He planned? His Word can help make that determination.

.

As we look at these 5 words from Hebrews 4:12, let's stop and look a little more at the phrase:

.

• "...it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart..."

.

The Word of God is to our souls and spirits like the mirror we look in every morning is to our physical bodies. The mirror helps us see if we get our hair straight. It makes sure we don't have tootpaste on our face. It aids us in checking out that new outfit and if it is going to work for today.

.

The Word of God checks our spiritual hearts. It gives us a reality check of how well we've been following the manual for a healthy and happy spiritual life. Oh, and that brings me back to the Sermon on the Mount and the Be-attitudes. The Word of God (The Bible) records the words of the Word of God (Jesus) on how we are to live this healthy and happy christian life in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. We've been discussing them over the past two weeks. Here are all nine:

• Happy is the one who is poor in spirit...
• Happy is the one who mourns...
• Happy is the one who is meek...
• Happy is the one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness...
• Happy is the one who is merciful...
• Happy is the one who is pure in heart...
• Happy is the one who is a peacemanker...
• Happy is the one who is persecuted for righteousness sake...
• Happy is the one who rejoices no matter what...
  

.

Be careful!!! Don't look at this as another list of to do's! Another job! The thoughts and attitudes of your heart, even about scripture are so important. You've now looked in the mirror. Now ask God to help you fix it!

.

Start today with new thoughts and attitudes about letting the Word of God speak to you. As you head into your day, think about it this way... you have two choices... you can be like the vulture or you can be like a hummingbird... they both live in the same desert... yet they go about their lives totally opposite...

.

• Vultures see decaying and rotting meat because that is what they are looking for
• Hummingbirds ignore the putrid flesh of dead animals and look for sweet nectar in the flowers of cacti
• Vultures live on what was
• Hummingbirds live on what is
• Both birds find what they seek.
  

.

Are you HEALTHY?

Are you HAPPY?

Are you a HUMMINGBIRD?

.

WORD OF GOD SPEAK... LIVE... ACT... PENETRATE... DIVIDE... JUDGE... SEE...

WOMEN IN THE WORD WEDNESDAY

.

Hebrews 4:12-13 .
"For the word of God is

• living and
• active . Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
• penetrates even to
• dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it
• judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
• Nothing in all of creation is hidden from God's sight.
• Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account."

.
The end of the month is close at hand. We have not spent a lot of time practicing our monthly memory verses. Join me now, on this post, in doing that. Then, in the next few days we can come back here to practice.

.
4 the Word of God is...
.
.
L
.
A
.
P
.
.
.
.
Living
.

Active

.

Penetrates

.
I pray that when you are on your LAPtop that you are spending time in God's Word as you let it be Living, Active, and Penetrating in and to your spiritual heart.


. "For the word of God is

L _____________and

.

A _________. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it

.

P __________ even to...

.

.

Hebrews 4:12-13
.
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to ...

.

.

.

D ividing...

Hebrews 4:12-13
.
"For the word of God is

L __________ and

.

A __________. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it

.

P __________ even to

.

D __________ soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it

.

.

J udges...

Hebrews 4:12-13
.
"For the word of God is

L _______ and

.

A ________ . Sharper than any double-edged sword, it

.

P _________ even to

.

D___________ soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it

.

J ___________ the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. .

.

Nothing in all of creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is
uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account."

.

N othing...

.

Hebrews 4:12-13
.
Nothing in all of creation is hidden from God's sight...

.

N _________ in all of creation is hidden from God's _______.

.

N __________________

.

Hebrews 4:12-13
.

Nothing in all of creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is
uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account."

.

.

E verything...

.

.
E___________ is uncovered and laid bare before the ______ ___ _____ to whom we must give an account."

.

.

E _______________!!!!

.

.

Hebrews 4:12-13
.
"For the word of God is
living and active.

Sharper than any double-edged sword,

it penetrates even to
dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;

it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. .
Nothing in all of creation is hidden from God's sight.

Everything isuncovered and laid bare

before the eyes of Him

to whom we must give an account."

WORD OF GOD SPEAK - GOD'S PERSPECTIVE

.
It's basic! Steve talked about it in his sermon on Sunday. I shared about in on my post yesterday. When I get in the Word so that it can become alive and active in my life, I gain God's perspective on things. The perspective I have in life makes a huge difference. I choose God's glasses! Thank You, God!
.
.

It is dangerous when a person
begins to look at God
through the glasses (lens) of life.
.
We must look at life
through the glasses (lens) of God.

.

WORD OF GOD SPEAK...GOD CHASER...

.

MEDITATION MONDAY

.
Yesterday was a little different after our morning services. People stood around and talked about the sermon. There were tears... there were words like "I have never thought of this before"...
.
As our congregation reads through the Bible in a year, Steve's lesson was steeped in where some of the reading had been this past week: Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes and it's talk about the meaninglessness of life was a difficult read for him. Our family has been through some very tough roads over the years and last week was one of those. Yet, God took Steve on a journey that would be right where he needed to be... to use it to meet the needs of our church family yesterday.
.
God does that! He meets needs! He challenges and convicts! His Word is alive and active. When we read it, stand in it, soak it up, and let it work, we are forever changed.
.
Although I cannot do Steve's lesson justice, here is my summary:
.
Ecclesiastes 1:14 -

• "All things are meaningless and a chasing after the wind..."
  

.

ARE YOU A WIND CHASER? (A wind chaser is someone who trusts in anything other than God).

.

1. Do you chase after pleasure? Eccl. 2:1



2. Do you chase after laughter? Eccl. 2:2



3. Do you chase after wine or any addictive substance? Eccl. 2:3



4. Do you chase after work, projects, or things you can make with your hands? Eccl. 2:4-6



5. Do you chase after possessions... (ownership)? Eccl. 2:7



6. Do you chase after music, money, or sex? Eccl. 2:8



7. Do you chase after accomplishments or personal gain? Eccl. 2:9



8. Do you chase after relationships? 1 Kings 11:1-10

.

RESULT: Solomon hated life because wind chasing does not satisfy!

.

LIFE CHANGING CONCEPTS:

It is dangerous when a person

begins to look at God

through the glasses (lens) of life.

.

We must look at life

through the glasses (lens) of God.

ARE YOU A GOD CHASER? (A God chaser is someone who wants to know God more... intimately... and trust in Him and only Him).
.

1. Do you actively seek God? Matthew 6:33-34
2. Do you find God? Acts 17:24-31
3. Do you fear God? (fearing God includes pursuing holiness)
4. Do you obey God? Eccl. 12:13
5. Do you love God? Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Mark 12:30-31
6. Do you pant for God? Psalms 42:1-2
7. Do you intimately pursue God? Psalms 42:1-2

.

LIFE CHANGING CONCEPTS:

.

Blessed are those who

hunger and thirst for righteousness

for they will be satisfied.

Matthew 5:6

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,

and all these things

will be given to you as well.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6: 33-34
.

Chase God!

Chase The Word!

.

WORD OF GOD SPEAK

SUNDAY IN THE SON
.

‎1...2...3...4...

1. I take myself off the throne as I recognize that is where God is... BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT...
2. I call sin, sin and have sorrow and compassion for myself / others who are in it's grip... BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN....
3. I begin to understand that I can't do this on my own, I need to submit to someone who can get me to my destination... I give God the reins... BLESSED ARE THE MEEK...
4. I'm hungry / thirsty to learn more... BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTOUSNESS, FOR THEY SHALL BE SATISFIED!!!

There are a whole lot of 1,2,3,4's in this life!!!!

That one's really important!!!

.

.

.

"Word Of God Speak"
as sung by Mercy Me
.
1
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say
.
[CHORUS]
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak
.
2
I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music,
beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet
hear Your voice
.
[REPEAT CHORUS 2x]
.
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
.
.
.

You may want to pause the Playlist above before viewing this video:

WHAT FAITH IN JESUS CAN DO...HUNGRY????

KETCHUP AND MUSTARD SATURDAY

Catch Up and Must Do

CATCH UP:

.

Want to be happy? Want to be blessed? Then, put Jesus' words from His sermon on the mount in your heart and seek to live them daily! We began discussing them a few days ago and have now discussed the first 3 Be-attitudes:

• Blessed are the poor in spirit...
• Blessed are those who mourn...
• Blessed are the meek...
• If you missed those posts, you can scroll back to Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday of this week or you can link to this really awesome previous post :0) on the first three Be-attitudes: http://momstransformed.blogspot.com/2009/01/you-are-my-king-love-so-amazing.html
  

MUST DO 1:

.

Want to be happy? Want to be blessed? Do you crave it? The fourth Be-attitude reminds us how important it is to be hungry for God's word / precepts in a desire to live within His righteousness.

• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.

.

MUST DO #2:

Little Lauren is having a very hard time taking off her shirt at night. It would really make her happy if she could do it! She would be blessed and so would her mommy and daddy! I told her daddy and mommy that Ms. Patti would post something here for her to watch. She needs to know that it will still take a lot of practice just like living the Be-attitudes will take us a lot of practice!