WHEN A MARRIAGE IS FAILING...

APRIL 29th READING

WELCOME... if you click on the date above it will bring up the Bible and verses for today's reading. This is easy and convenient. My devotion's come from practical, relevant life stories that match the real and raw places of my own life. God has challenged me and taught me some very powerful lessons. My daily devotion's stem from a portion of the days reading. Take the time to read the bible verses and then refer to my devotion to see how the bible came to life in my neck of the woods!



Happy Reading!

King Solomon, in today's reading was a wise King who forgot the First, principle of wisdom.
 I pondered the story of King Solomon as I watched the Royal wedding today. I then pondered my wedding day and realized a few important truths.

 For a smart guy, King Solomon sure ended up doing some dumb things.
 By the end of his reign, this brilliant king somehow forgot the first principle of wisdom: "THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM" Psalm 111:10

Only wisdom energized by a vibrant walk with God makes Godly leaders.... husbands and wives.

 The enemy wants to distract us from our royal calling and we will see in the rest of our reading in 1 Kings how the King Solomon spiraled downward.

Solomon however has used his life of mistakes to bring us wisdom on skillful living. The book of Proverbs often refers to the "path" or the "way". It provides a Godly goal and a means to reach the goal. May today challenge you to ponder your path as we learn from King Solomons dumb mistakes.


Solomon addresses the problem of sexual immorality in Proverbs chapter 7. He turned from wisdom at one time and followed after his own folly.




How often do we turn from what we know is right and folly after our flesh desires?




When we follow hard after those desires we give no thought to the path of life and the consequences will be dreadfully real.


I have experienced the sting in my life from a broken marriage. My hope was gone and my heart was sick.

 My husband and I did not value the treasure of Gods promises early in our royal wedding, leaving us in a world of pain. However, God knew my personal deepest hurts and heard my cries. I came to the end of my rope and knew I needed to learn how to depend on God. I am grateful for the people the Lord had divinely placed in my life for that exact season.

King Solomon teaches us that:
The person that enters into an adulterous relationship has allowed the eyes and mind to to become obsessed with a lustful portrait. The individual man or woman makes a choice to put themselves willingly in the way of temptation. In Proverbs chapter 7 you will see a graphic portrait of what I believe Solomon experienced. He gave graphic illustrations of the seductress. The woman chose to dress provocatively, she used flattering speech and was outside her home hanging around in the wrong places.


It takes two people to fall into the trap of an adulterous relationship.
 We need to be careful not to end up being the seductress. We often think that would never happen BUT...
 when our emotions are restless and unfulfilled we can easily choose the wrong path.
I have witnessed close friends that fell in the trap of loneliness and restlessness and when emotions are not guarded they can tug us down the wrong route.

 We need Gods wisdom when we struggle and He will give us the right perspective and tackle our inner conflict.


As individuals we need personally make sure we are in the right places to protect our marriages. Sometimes our " night out" takes us to local towns with great restaurants however, the twilight of the evening can put things in our path that could eventually "cost" us. We need to be wise  and protect our heart from turning and straying down wrong paths. I have witnessed the flirt of  eye contact and how that dangerous lure ended up destroying a family.

Often couples blame each other for cheating but we need to learn to ponder our personal paths. My husband and I did not walk the best path early in our marriage. We did not bond in a way God royally planned.
 When two people are not united in the royal truth of Gods wisdom someone will end up getting hurt. Our marriage today only survives because Gods word burns in both our hearts, helping us to remember wise choices and love each other with a royal pure heart!

I want to pause a second and speak a word of encouragement to the marriages or individuals hurting. Please hang on and turn to God for help and wisdom. My husband and I went down a wicked path so I do not take the sentence lightly that I wrote above about us both going to church and being united in Gods truth together. Listen friends, living a Godly life was not reality for me at one time, but I chose to change and persevere. God took over and His power showed up in amazing ways. So please believe big, it takes one person in the relationship to take a stand and believe for change. Regardless, you will see the power of God by your personal choice to stand strong, seek God and choose wisdom. Some days God may just show up to comfort and hold you in your pain and reveal His power by settling your sick heart. I can vividly remember God holding me while I was crying on my bed one night. Friends He is so very real.

God is good and His mercy, grace and wisdom is now a must for my family.
 Everyday we all make mistakes and often more wrong choices then good. But God is always waiting to teach us wisdom and help us make the right moves in the game of life. We may loose some games but in those loosing times we gain through the experience. We accept correction, change and then grow.

Sweet Blessings and Happy Royal Wedding Day!
Heather Baxter

MOMENTUM ALWAYS HAS A DIRECTION

April 28th READING

Without MOMENTUM, even the simplest tasks can seem insurmountable. But with momentum on your side, the future looks bright, obstacles appear small, and trouble seems temporary.

 With enough MOMENTUM nearly any kind of change is possible!

MOMENTUM a capacity for progressive development and the power to increase at an ever growing pace.
                           DRIVE, THRUST, FORCE... PUSH

I believe so much in the power of momentum. It takes a leader to create momentum. Followers to catch it. And managers are able to continue it once it has begun. BUT CREATING, it requires someone who can motivate others, not one who needs to be motivated.

This morning I over heard MISS Lady Ga Ga state on TV that " Self Worship is the "NEW" pop religion and this will bring you more faith, hope and force in the future."


I totally disagree with her momentum....Her NEW world hit song titled "Judas" was brought to vision because she realized so many people felt a loss of self.
 Judas was a character in the bible that loss his true self and ultimately ended his life by committing suicide. His overall problem was not lack of SELF WORSHIP...
 Self momentum steered Judas in the wrong direction. He lost his true vision and mission when  he began to manage his momentum the wrong way! Self focus will always drive us to a DEAD END.

Momentum always has a direction.

 How do we keep WINNING? What makes it possible  for us to keep the momentum going?

 The answer is not WHAT, but WHO.

 It takes a leader to sustain momentum. A Good and perfect leader. When we begin to Self focus and lead ourselves we cling to our PERSONAL DEMONS.....

MOMENTUM comes from JeSuS ChRiSt.

 He will carry us with force and power in the direction of our DESTINY.

 Jesus will steer us away from our personal demons.

 Our vision and mission should line up when we place high value in HIS leadership.
 Only through Him can we move forward in  power and wisdom, that will WIN us 
 credibility.

We are born and created to move in His momentum.

Remember to click on the daily reading above and you will visit a king named Solomon in 1 Kings chapter 3. We can learn from his example in today's passages. Solomon displayed a good amount of wisdom by asking God  how to lead the people of Israel. God not only answered his request, but also gave him MOMENTUM to demonstrate his wisdom and knowledge as a leader.

Remember, it takes a leader to create momentum and followers catch it. And managers are able to continue it once it has begun.
 In the weeks ahead HB ministries will be creating a whole NEW website which will motivate the impact of your momentum. We are creating forward progress and I thank those involved to create change for the better challenge!
The goal behind Hbministries is to impact personal lives. If you've got momentum in Christ, you and your people will be able to accomplish things you NEVER thought possible.

 God wants you to increase at an ever-growing pace!

As a leader, you must make a choice, without momentum on your side, your future growth is not so bright! Looking forward to growing with you in the spring season.

Blessings friends,
Heather Baxter

Do Something

As I was doing my Bible reading for today, there were two passages that really stood out. Usually, I try to pick one scripture and write from it, but I couldn’t decide today. I just couldn’t pick one over the other. So, I decided to double up!

Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success. 2 Samuel 23:5 (NLT)

I like this scripture, there is something comforting and reassuring about it and I sure needed to hear from Him! We are getting back into the race of everyday life today. My kids have been off of school for the last 10 days, for Spring Break. We didn’t go anywhere wonderful or exciting, but we sure took advantage of the sleeping in and the lack of scheduled activities. We enjoyed movies, spontaneous “field trips” and quality family time. I will confess that I have been experiencing a touch of depression at the thought of leaving the cocoon of home to enter the fast paced world. I am dreading the running around from school to school and activity to activity. I am dreading the homework, paperwork and scheduling that I have avoided in the last week.
I read this scripture today though and it gave me reassurance that I am not alone. He chose me. It reminded me that God is concerned with every detail of my life. He knows that I am struggling to keep my head up and to support my family with the best that I have. I am human, not the superwoman that I would like to be. But, when I turn to Him and rely on Him to supply the things I do not possess on my own, I can become more! Joyce Meyer says, “let Him add the super to your human”. That, is the only way to become better and accomplish all that He has in store for today. It means turning to Him and confessing that I can not do it alone. When I try through my own power, I feel the pressure, stress and struggle. It is only through relying totally on Him that I can make it.

As if I didn’t already have enough pressure this morning, I read Luke 19:26 (NLT), to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

God has blessed me and my family abundantly. I am so grateful to him for all that He has provided and for all that we have avoided thanks to His mercy. On days like today, when I feel like running back to bed and pulling the covers back over my head, I cannot. I want to use everything He has given to me and I want to use it wisely. I don’t want to waste any of my gifts, talents or time.

I will not be successful every day. But that is ok. The scripture says, those who do nothing. So, I am going to turn to Him for strength and wisdom and then I am going to try my best, with what He has given today.

Father God, I need you right in this moment. I do not possess the strength or wisdom to make it through this day. I need you. Please give me everything that I need to be successful according to Your Word. I want to shine Your light in a dark world, but I cannot do it alone. Please fill me with Your love, grace and mercy so that I can pass them along to everyone I am in contact with today. Thank you for sending Your Son Jesus so that I would have a perfect example! I want to be more like Him today and less like me. Amen.

IT IS GOOD

                                                                   GOOD FRIDAY

I will not be posting the regular daily reading today.
Please meditate on  ISAIAH 53.

Today we recognize the day Jesus was crucified and died on a wooden cross to save humanity (me) from ultimate death because of sin. What makes it good Friday is that the story does not end here...

" Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer. and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his (seed) and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied." Isaiah 53:10

Jesus experienced hard times, the road to the cross was no small matter. We need to believe that when we also go through sufferings the result will be GOOD. Jesus endured the cross because he seen the outcome in our individual lives and was satisfied. 

The pain was crushing but the outcome was Good.

GOOD FRIDAY

To endure means to outlast the the devil and stay steadfast as you carry your cross, your circumstance. Stay focused as you let the trial do whatever its going to do in your life but you must know that God will take that bad thing and turn it to GOOD.

Allow your GOOD FRIDAY to be a reminder of the pain and hurt we come passed but remember the Passion of Christ was about the resurrection! We will all experience a Resurrection in our circumstances IF we love God and really desire his will for our lives. Please trust him this good Friday and allow his GOOD PLANS to take effect in your life.

Blessings
Heather

OH HAPPY DAY!

APRIL 21 READING

The moment you realize your life had been SAVED FOR A PURPOSE things change and your Easter celebration takes on new meaning!

The song that my son Benjamin will sing for you posted below was featured in the movie "SECRETARIAT" about a horse that was the triple crown winner in 1973, despite everyones disbelief. If you have not seen this movie I would love to suggest it for your relaxing time over Easter! The best movie next to Soul Surfer.

God has a HAPPY DAY despite all your disbelief.

 Remember this Easter that "ONE IS GOD'S CREATIVE POWER," we are all Gods creation and He gives you STRENGTH and POWER to rise above the impossible.

                   THE CROWN OF THORNS BECOMES YOUR TRIPLE CROWN WINNER


By grace through faith in Jesus Christ we turn our lives over to the redemptive power and its like winning the triple crown.

OH HAPPY DAY...ponder the words of the song as we approach Easter...When Jesus washed...my sins away, He taught me how to watch, fight and pray and live rejoicing everyday!

Blessings Today friends!
visit HBMINISTIRES in YOU TUBE today and you will find many other teachings and songs from Benjamin.
Enjoy the video.... and have a HAPPY DAY!

MY EASTER BEST

                                                                                                                           
             
APRIL 20th READING

Through the terrible consequences, She found her way back to a relationship with God that made it possible for her to continue to serve Him.

We too can find our way back.

REALIZATION... the first step in finding our way back home.

In our reading today, I zoomed into Luke 15:22-31.  A story of a son who got lost willfully and engaged in a reckless lifestyle which squandered his entire inheritance with his father.

"But when he came to himself" Luke 15:17
The realization of all his wrongdoings is why he considered returning. The weight of his sin began to squeeze life out of him and no other suffering could compare. Guilt and pain left him feeling lost.

           JESUS FOCUSED ON THE LOST

The boy arised and planned to tell his father...
he has sinned  and felt no longer worthy to be call his son.
While making his way home, when he was still a great far off, His father saw him and HAD COMPASSION, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
 Jesus looks passed our sin, guilt and shame and focuses only on the lost returning!  

The father ran out to him because his excitement was so great over the return of His son. The son was forgiven and accepted back into the home.

The father said in Luke 15:22 "Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet, let us eat and be merry for my son was dead and now is alive again, he was lost and is found, and they began to be marry."

The First Easter Celebration....Putting on our best clothes, eating yummy food and celebrating the Resurrection of what was once lost.

Easter clothes, food, friends, family  take on a whole new meaning when we celebrate what Jesus did for our lives!
Bust out the dresses, shoes, suits and rings. Prepare the best of food its time to celebrate and be marry!
                                            
                                                BRING OUT THE BEST  
                                       Luke16:22                                                   

                                                                     
 PAPA WILL NOT LET AN EASTER GO BY WITHOUT A PICTURE OF THE KIDS IN THE SAME SPOT!

Make memories and celebrate with your best!

Blessings
Heather







                                                              

                                                  

SLOPPY WORSHIP

                                                             
                APRIL 19th READING

The Simple act of gratitude immediately aligns itself with the will of God, this alignment allows God to use me in whatever way He wants to.....

ALIGNMENT=bringing something into proper position.The act of adjusting or aligning parts of a device to be in relation with each other.

 We have fallen into sloppy worship... Last night as a family we decided to take our car(our lives) into the shop and have the tires realigned. Our worship and devotions need to be adjusted and brought into a better position. God wants to steer us in the directions of His dreams.

Last night as we sat around our EASTER BASKET we fellowshiped over the meaning of true worship. My kids each read some scriptures about worship and gratitude.
This week we have decided as a family to incorporate a better understanding of gratitude and give God our BEST for what He has done and is doing in our lives!
We reflected on what our busy weeks usually look like and discovered a quick prayer over each meal, ministry schedules, sports, church, hobbies and more have created a pull in a direction that has allowed us to not give God our best in WORSHIP as a family. 

Taking time to read the bible as a family is essential.

 We know what that means as a family but we have been pulled off the road. My son asked last night "What does it really mean to be created in God's image?" and "How does that really look?"

Sloppy worship will affect the true image

 "I have been CRUCIFIED with Christ and I no longer live, but CHRIST lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

I told my son that God wants to take our messed up lives and bring it into alignment with HIS dreams!

Our incredible Pastor reminded us this past Sunday that God has a perfect plan for us. He has created an image for our lives and when we choose to obey and worship with gratitude we activate the image and plans.

Our image without Christ looks likes this:

GUILT and HIDING
    CONFLICT and BLAME
         PAIN and DIFFICULTY
              JEALOUSY and HATRED
                   ABUSE and MURDER
                        LOSS OF INNOCENCE

Sin has created the illusion and torn the image to pieces.


The Fall of mankind, the fall of our heavenly image.


              THE CROSS OF JESUS, a week of reflection

In today's reading David went and sat before the Lord and prayed...2 Samuel 7:18.

      A heart that DeSIrED alignment & TrUe WoRshIP

Like David, I pray to sit before God this week and thank Him for His greatness.

1.How insignificant we are in comparison to the    
  greatness of God

2. God makes promises for our lives and will carry
    them to completion.

3. "For you know your servant, o Lord" God knows
     the very core of our lives.

4. God calls us out of darkness and into His 
    marvelous light to be covered by His mercy.

I began to tell Ben this is what being created in the image of Christ looks like...

Called out of our dark tombs, dead and crawling out of the shell of self and into the light of His grace, living by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Oh Lord, sloppy worship is not what you deserve

May our hearts sit before God this week, a simple act of gratitude is alignment and allows God to move in your life.

WHEN YOU COUNT THE COST

Daily Reading for April 18, 2011
                                                                               

Planning before we START is the FIRST step in PLANNING success!

I tend to begin things with a very passive attitude, never much of a thinker on the details that may be needed to finish without running out.

           RUNNING out of what?

 PATIENCE, FINANCES, IDEAS, LOVE,  self CONTROL, ESTEEM, CONSISTENCY, FAITH, GENTLENESS, JOY, GOODNESS, PEACE and TEMPERANCE...

Recently my husband and I stepped out to facilitate a fairly large class called "Managing Pressure in your marriage." This Sunday we sat together at the kitchen table to review our notes and pray together. First, thanking God for what He has repaired in our marriage and for the marriages embarking on this 6 week journey.

Together, we came across a verse that had us evaluating our life and pressures.

This same verse, came my way this morning in the Daily Reading  for Monday.
If you are joining for the first time I encourage you to click on the date at the top of this post and read through the Word of God for today.
 Then I welcome you to read my very real and practical post for that day and discover a truth in the days reading that either messed with my center core, left me feeling strong or kept me standing!

That's what this is all about.... READING, PonDERing, INSpIRING,  TEaCHing  and ChANGing!

What is God saying this snowy Monday morning? What do I need to separate and understand?

A PLAN is your BLUEPRINT for SUCCESS.
A PLAN tells you where to focus.
 A PLAN takes practice, time and patience.

Luke 14:28-32
DON'T BEGIN until you COUNT the COST, for who would begin building without first calculating the cost to see if there is ENOUGH money to finish?
Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before RUNNING OUT of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, "There the person who started building and COULDN'T AFFORD TO FINISH IT."

So many times I have set out on life's journeys unprepared and without calculations. Falling flat on my heart more times than once, leaving me crushed and broken inside.
 Over the past failures and years,  I  have CHANGED and decided to build a journey that will last.

Sitting Down and counting the cost calculating what I have and need to... FINISH IT.

FINISH WHAT?

THE MARRIAGE
PARENTING
DREAMS
RELATIONSHIPS
THE JOB

I want to FINISH STRONG and MUST consider the COST INVOLVED.

When you count the cost, you will sit and PLAN AHEAD.

Decisions determine our DESTINY and play a key role in how we handles the pressures we face each day!

Yet, few ever receive formal training in "How to make good decisions."

May I share a new calculation that has changed our lives and something I often speak on at conferences.

A PLAN, my husband and I try to live out by example, some days better then others but still a PLAN.

4 practices will make for good decisions and planning that will help you finish in all areas of life.


1. Pray for Guidance (Proverbs 3:5-7)

2. Honestly Evaluate your options (Luke 14:28-32) Today's bible verse!

3. SEEK wise counsel (Proverbs 12:15; 13:20; 15;22)

4. Decide which of your choices is the wisest, and commit your decisions together to God.

MOVING DAYS, TRANSITIONS TIMES,
      CHANGING OF SEASONS,
 Leave me a bit lost, DISORIENTATED.......

But a PLAN PLANTED will FUNCTION in this PLACE.

A PLAN MAY SEEM RIDICULOUS BUT RECONFIGURES EVERYTHING.

Dare to live fully right where you are...DESIRE to sit down and count the COST and FINISH STRONG.

Everything in life has a PRICE TAG and we will pay.

May this Monday bring a Motion to your plans.

EASTER GARDEN IN A BASKET

                                                                            
CLICK this link for the EASTER GARDEN, the pictures from Ann's site will draw you in!

MEET ANN VOSKAMP her site is called a Holy Experience. She is a homeschooling mother of 7, dedicated writer. She is very talented and moving. She will pull you in...


 Ann is one of THE BEST WRITERS that I know and enjoy every single word that touches my heart. I will be doing the EASTER GARDEN with my family starting tomorrow. We will be gathering all our supplies today!
 I encourage you to visit her journals and sit back and let her words speak into your life!
It will be a HOLY EXPERIENCE, I promise that!

Have a great weekend and Let me know if you make the EASTER GARDEN....lets share pictures!

FREE FRIDAY "FORGIVENESS"

APRIL 15 CLICK FOR DAILY READING

                                                                                     

Today in LUKE 13:3 it states to REPENT (change your mind) or you will be lost and parish eternally.
Did you know that if we have unforgiveness we have SIN. God wants us to REPENT so we will not be lost forever eternally.

As EASTER approaches we can feel the passion of FORGIVENESS through the life of Christ. If we have been hurt tremendously, forgiveness does not come easily... yet it is required. I pray the material provide today will help you during this Holy week and may you experience the FREEDOM with FORGIVENESS!

HAPPY FRIDAY, Today I was reading JOYCE MYERS blog and came across her post on 6 "FREE" principles to walk in forgiveness!
 I loved this for our FREE FRIDAY!
Joyce is one of my favorite bible teachers and I learn so much from her. She is a spinach and carrots teacher, if you want the dessert gospel she may be hard to relate with!

Enjoy Today's Post...

If someone has hurt you, don't spend the next 10 years of your life hurting yourself by hanging on to that offense. Most likely, that other person isn't even thinking about you, while you dwell on the incident for years. That only hurts one person—you.




You see, when you forgive someone, you are helping yourself.



To help you understand the importance of forgiveness, here are six ways to detect unforgiveness in your own heart. Once exposed, you'll be one step closer to your personal promotion from God.



1) Unforgiveness always keeps score.



In Luke 15:29, the elder brother of the prodigal son said, "Look! These many years I have served you." Peter wanted to know how many times he had to forgive someone. Unforgiveness is always looking at the score. But 1 Corinthians 13:5 says, Love takes no account…. It doesn't count up the evil done to it.



Back in the early days of our marriage, when Dave and I were fussing and fuming at each other, I would bring up stuff that happened years before and Dave would say, "Where do you keep all that stuff?" Well, I had a place, and it was all in there eating at me. And every new thing Dave did wrong would get added to this list, and it kept growing until it became a bitter giant in my heart.



2) Unforgiveness always boasts of its own record.



In Luke 15:29, the older brother of the prodigal son says "These many years I have never done wrong." Judgment always says that I always do good and others do bad. An unforgiving spirit keeps us from God's best for us.



3) Unforgiveness always complains.



"You never do anything for me." Ever catch yourself thinking that about someone? This attitude only sees what others aren't doing and doesn't see what they are doing. God's Word clearly shows that we're not supposed to complain. And if you're continuously using your mouth to complain about some incident of offense, you won't get past it. Don't waste time by complaining.



4) Unforgiveness has a martyr syndrome.



"I do all the work." Workaholics are particularly susceptible to this one. Sometimes people who work all the time and don't know how to enjoy their life get jealous when other people are enjoying life. Is there someone who aggravates you when you see them having a good time? If yes, you could have unforgiveness toward them.



5) Unforgiveness always alienates, divides and separates.



When the kids are acting up, we say "my husband's kids" or maybe something like, "What are you going to do about your son?" Those are divisive statements. Maybe you have a coworker who you stay away from as much as possible or a sibling you don't talk to much…why do you separate yourself from them? Maybe you need to forgive that person.



6) Unforgiveness is always envious and jealous when angry at someone who gets blessed.



If someone who has hurt you gets a blessing, it grates on you…at least it did for me until I learned how to forgive. Forgiveness is a decision—not a feeling.



When you pray for people who have hurt you, it's a choice. But there's healing in that for you. Bless and do not curse them means to speak well and not evil of them when that person is not around. And be good to them in various ways as wisdom allows.



Improve Your Life I want to encourage you today to make a decision to start living a lifestyle of forgiveness and refuse to be offended.



A forgiving lifestyle helps you become more like Christ. As you learn the importance of forgiveness and begin to practice forgiving others, your heart will heal from bitterness, and your personal growth will lead you to the promotions God has planned for you.

MY JESUS IN 5 DAYS

                                                                      
PLEASE ENJOY THESE WORDS OF WISDOM FROM http://lysaterkeurst.com/
I read her blog this morning before starting my daily reading and knew from the second I read that it was worthy to share today! Personally, I sat down and worked through all 5 days in one hour~


Thursday, Apr 14


My Jesus in 5 days

If you are here visiting from my P31 devotion, welcome! As promised here is a simple but powerful journey to take with Jesus over the next five days.



Leave me a comment below letting me know you are committing to take this journey and I will personally pray for you this weekend and throughout next week.



Day 1:



Prayer: Jesus I want to see you.



“Blessed are the pure in heart, they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8)



Thought: Remember a pure heart doesn’t mean a perfect person. If your pure intention is to see God, you will. While I can’t see the Lord’s physical form, I can see evidence of His activity all around me.



Activity: Ask God to open your eyes to the many things in your life that speak to His presence. Look for and record evidence of God around you. Today, start a thankful journal listing the many things around you for which you are thankful. It’s amazing, the more we recognize even the smallest things as gifts from God, the more we start to realize how present He is in our lives.



Day 2:



Prayer: Jesus I want to hear you.



“He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears and I have not been rebellious. (Isaiah50: 4b-5).



Thought: While I’ve never heard God’s audible voice, I do feel Him speaking to me. The best way I’ve found to start hearing the Lord’s whispers in my heart is by getting into His word and letting His word get into me. The more Scripture I memorize the more clearly I hear Him. Ask God to waken you in the morning so you can read the Bible first thing… before checking voicemail, email, and facebook… check in with God’s lifegiving truths.



Activity: Commit this week to not open your computer or turn on your cell phone before you’ve spent a few minutes reading the Bible, praying, and asking God to help you hear Him.



Day 3:



Prayer: Jesus I want to know you.



“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Ephesians 1:17.



Thought: I love the words, “I keep asking.” Persistence and consistency are key in our walk with the Lord. Ask the Lord many times today to give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know Him better. Make knowing Him the focal point of every prayer today… more than anything else you are asking for right now.



Activity: Write this verse on a card and carry it with you. Make a point to pray this verse out loud at least once during every hour you are awake today. Remember when you pray the word of God, you pray the will of God. God wants you to know Him better. Think about the difference this made in your day as you fall asleep tonight.



Day 4:



Prayer: Jesus I want to follow hard after you.





“Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” (Psalm 86:11)



Thought: Is there something dividing your heart and distracting you from seeing, hearing and knowing God more? Pray a courageous prayer. Ask God what is one distraction you could distance yourself from today to more fully embrace an awareness of Him? Is it facebook? Eating unhealthy foods? Soda? Needing attention from another person? A material possession? Whatever it is, spend a day fasting from your distraction.



Activity: Each time you think of what you’ve given up, use that as a trigger to pray Psalm 86:11.



Day 5:



Prayer: Jesus I say yes before I even know what your request will be today.



“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” (Phillipians 2:4-5)



Thought: The more we know God, the more we want to say yes to Him. The more we say yes to Him the more we realize there are divine opportunities to participate in His activity all around us. As we participate in loving others like Jesus does, our attitude becomes more and more like Jesus.



Activity: Today let’s be other’s focused. Let’s ask God for opportunities to honor Him by looking to the interest of others. Let other people in line ahead of us. Let the conversations be about the other person. Make our focus giving rather than receiving.



Click on the word comments below and let me know what you are thinking! I took my number 2 pencil and began to talk with God through these questions. You will be amazed at what happens, I dare you to try!

Blessings,
Heather

WHATS DONE IN "SECRET" WILL BE REVEALED!

APRIL 13th READING click here!

Enjoy todays upclose and personal Daily 10minute Devo!

I will share a scripture in LUKE 12 that will radically help you uncover secrets and allow truth to be revealed in all relationships and within your personal life.
Take a journey with me as I speak to you from my daughters room and share a verse that is often prayed as I sit on her bed.
Have a great day and remember "What is done in SECRET will be revealed"

Spring Cleaning

I spent some time yesterday doing some spring cleaning. I emptied the mudroom closet and vacuumed away the piles of dirt leftover from the winter. I cleaned out the shoe racks and got rid of the ones that no longer fit or were too far gone to do us any good. I am no where near being finished, but it was a good start and I am happy with what I accomplished.

Reading about Saul today made me think of spring cleaning. Saul was holding on to some feelings and issues that he desperately needed to get rid of.

Disobedience to God and jealousy are a bad mix! Saul is a great example for us of what not to do! In 1 Samuel 16:14, we learn that Saul has upset and disobeyed God so much, that God removes His Spirit and gives Saul an evil spirit instead. This passage surprised me. After doing some searching, however, I found in the MacArthur Bible Commentary, that “evil spirits are subject to God’s control and operate only within divinely determined boundaries” (i.e. Job). At this point in his life, Saul is not seeking God in anyway. He is without God’s leadership and has no desire to return to God or repent of his disobedience. Saul knows that the Lord is with David, and jealousy quickly becomes his constant companion.

In 1 Samuel 19:6 Saul makes an oath that “David will not be put to death”. However, David experiences more success and only three verses later (1 Samuel 19:9-10) we learn that Saul can not control the evil inside of him. He is completely blinded and driven by his jealousy, rage and anger. Saul becomes intent on harming David.

It is sometimes difficult to see past those feelings. We see others gaining success around us, perhaps it is something we wanted or think we deserve. It is so easy to be blinded by anger and jealousy. We sometimes find ourselves saying, thinking or doing things we never thought possible. We often want to hold on to these feelings, thinking we somehow deserve the right to be angry or hurt. When we find ourselves in the midst of these bad feelings, the best thing we can do is surrender to God.

At our house, we call these bad feelings “yucky-puckies”. (This term is not my own, it is based on a message that my Aunt told me about.) As soon as we recognize the yucky-puckies in someone, we will call it to their attention. When these dark moods creep in, they will quickly multiply and take over causing turmoil and drama in their midst. The yucky feelings can quickly spread to other family members, friends, or anyone else around. They are happy to hang around and will stay as long as the atmosphere is favorable for them.

As soon as we recognize their presence, we tell them to go. Sometimes we talk about what caused the bad feelings to start. We talk about why they go against what God wants us to do or who He wants us to be. Then we say, “GO”. It takes some conviction and it can be fun chasing them away. We have found the best way to keep them away is praise and worship. Those pesky puckies won’t stick around to hear the sweetest name on earth!

I’m going to look within myself today and see if the temple needs a little spring cleaning. You never know where a little yucky-puckie might be hiding!

Father, thank you for Your Word and for giving me such good examples of how to live my life. Please search my heart today and show me where there are evil feelings hiding within me. I want to get rid of everything that is against you and anything that keeps me from becoming more like Jesus. Amen.


Blessings,

A FATHERS VICTORY

APRIL 11th READING
               

                                                                                                                                  
Sunday afternoon my husband had a friend from his work coming to purchase a Go Cart for his 2 young boys ages 3 and 7. This man, a father is still striving for  daily VICTORY in his life after a life shattering incident. He left me with a bit of advice yesterday as we chatted under the warmth of the first spring warm sun.

"Do not take one bit of life for granted"

HIS STORY:
A beautiful evening two years ago while relaxing on the deck with his wife, his BEST FRIEND after the kids where tucked into bed, she fell over from an instant aneurysm and died.

 In one second his life changed forever

 He is striving to raise these two boys the best he can. I listened as he shared how his days go as he gets them up and ready for school everyday and dropped off at daycare bright and early so he can get to work by 7am. If a child is sick, he leaves work. He went on to say that he has forgot many times the extra snow clothes bag that needed to be sent to school so they could participate in outdoor recess.

Macaroni and Cheese and corn dogs are a favorite for dinner as everyone settles in for the evening before starting another day all over again. He told me it has been so hard and on some days he felt like giving up but knew that he had to face this giant and get through one day at a time.

 I watched his kids running around my house in the warm sun, I really felt for this man and his this big  giant that was tossed in his life. He has an everyday battle raising 2 very young children, working full time and still grieving the loss of his best friend.
 Work keeps him traveling and brings him to Michigan for long periods at a time. He still lives in beautiful COLORADO SPRINGS in the glorious mountains and will be making a trip back home over spring break. I appreciated hearing how close the boys and him have become as they travel for his work in his big truck and  just do life together. Keeping Sunday mornings "special" as they pick a restaurant for eggs and bacon.

 Not the life at all that they signed up for.

"It has been so hard but I have to keep going" he stated several times.

I was reminded of him this morning when I read the popular story of David and Goliath in Luke 17.
He is faced daily with a huge giant, however, the  deep passion in his heart for VICTORY  keeps him growing strong.

I pondered most of the night about this mans relationship with God. I want to know what that looks like. I asked my husband if they have had conversations on the job. I cannot imagine victory without God. It would be such a struggle and labor that could end up paralyzing in the end.

"Oh, dear Jesus bless this man today and give us more opportunities to love on him so that he may experience YOU more in this battle over his big giant."  This has become my prayer all night.

Jesus wants to help his perspective, offer new methods, fresh conviction, pure motives, a crisp vision, blessed experiences and a strong attitude. Victory is only fun when Jesus is in the mix offering everyday strategies for success.

I wonder today how this father is facing his giant?  When I  was preparing lunches and handing out kisses this morning my heart was with those two young boys and father.
 I know that if I had a life that was interrupted with a giant that big, I  would not be able to take two steps forward without my Jesus.
 Jesus becomes so real in a life full of giants. Just as David experienced the power of God over Goliath, we can experience Gods will and power over our specific giants.

The Lord wants to deliver us and work wonders that keep us marveling over the victory and no longer the giant.

What does your Goliath look like? I have a few and I know that my GOD IS BIGGER and mighty in power, with His help VICTORY is possible and everybody wins!

May God open your hearts to rise above your Goliath so that your perspective, methods, convictions, motives, visions and attitudes will be renewed!

Blessings,
Heather

SUCCESS IN LIFE BUT NOT AS A PARENT!

APRIL 6th READING

                                                                   
                                                             
One of my greatest mentors taught me that life should be measured in three categories. First God, Second husband and family, third job, goals, dreams and ministry. When we fail to properly live life in this order we will eventually spiral downward into entanglements that crush our credibility, jobs, families and eventually our life.

I sit on this rainy day next to the most incredible man. My husband Dan. We together experienced life's entanglements. A crushed marriage, selfish personal pursuits which spiraled into emptiness and a family failing because we chose not to live our life on Gods original vision. Only with making the choice to put God first, can one maintain direction and keep motives pure. If God is absent in the equation you will, like us experience crucial errors in all areas of life.

I can remember like it was today the feeling of failure that engulfed my whole life. The goals and dreams that we set out to accomplish together  left us empty, tired and angry with life and each other.

Now that I sit back and reflect on the past I can see the problem clearly. It was all about our "OWN" personal desires, then family and NO GOD... except on Easter and Christmas.
 I remember my husbands mom, Chris inviting us to church every weekend we visited her up north. I thought she was such a pain with her constant faith and encouragement.

 Little did I know...

Today's reading  in 1 samual 4-6  which you can read if you click on the date at the top of this page was about a leader named ELI. Eli had success in his personal life as a priest but NOT as a parent.
Eli's failure to lead His family eventually led to his downfall as a leader. Eli was an amazing leader in Israel but he FAILED to discipline and teach his two sons and ended up rearing spiritual rebels. Even though Eli was a priest (a Godly leader) he got caught up in his personal work and missed the opportunity to lead his own family.

Eli was so busy teaching, leading and inspiring those around him that he ignored his own kids.
 Eli assumed his kids would just "get it" just because they lived in the house of the Lord. Eli's children became full of rebellion and tempted by sin. All along Eli was preoccupied with his own work.

How often do we get so tied up in our personal life that we forget that we are leading those around us. When we become entangled with self we forget about the important people God placed in our life.

Why would Eli have such a hard time balancing since he did the work of the Lord? Why did Eli have success as a Godly leader but not as a parent? Do you ever feel like you have success in your personal life but not with your children or within your marriage?

I can identify with Eli very much because my job is teaching, leading and inspiring others to experience God in their lives. I can testify and stress that doing Gods work does not  make it an automatic  "good place" or a "ticket for a good life" for your children.

 Without my personal time with God,  I miss what I need to lead my children for that day.

 God brings balance to all the areas. We can have all the success in our personal lives and expereince the success of others but if we do not lead our own household, we lack the qualifications to lead beyond the home.

REMEMBER IT'S GOD FIRST then FAMILY then PERSONAL WORK, DREAMS and GOALS.

How does the above order play out in your life? Do you place more emphasis in one certain area? Have you omitted one of these important areas? Do you feel entangled with failure and loss of balance?

Good leaders don't settle for less than excellence. They do not just set goals. they set standards that raise the bar for everyone. Our standards will begin with our spiritual life and relationship with God.

Can we honestly admit we've all been there?  A place of misplaced priorities...But, we can also agree together that we don't have to stay there.

Take a good look at how you order your life and ask God to help you prioritise, so that you may experience success in all areas of life.

Blessings,
Heather

Give Your Heart to God

I like the story of Hannah. She seems so real to me. She was a woman with a desire for children. My husband and I dealt with infertility for a little bit before getting pregnant the first time. Perhaps that is why I can identify with Hannah so easily.

She had a desire in her heart and she took it to God. I imagine there are times in all of our lives where we go to God and make deals similar to Hannah. “God if you give me [insert desire here], then I will [insert pledge here]. The admirable thing about Hannah is that she actually followed through on her word. Once Samuel was at least three, Hannah took him to the house of the Lord to be dedicated to His service and to live there.

I have trouble wrapping my head around this part. Hannah gave up the child that she had desired for so long. I can’t imagine letting go in that way. However, maybe Hannah knew that this was the best choice for her son.

I once heard Lisa Terkurst from Proverbs 31 describing the first time her teenage son, new driver license in hand, pulled out of the driveway with the rest of her children in the car. She said, “I watched as the entire contents of my heart left, wrapped in a little piece of metal”. She knew that there was nothing she could do in that moment to protect her children. She was at a crossroads. She could worry for the next 20 years or she could give each of her children over to God. At that moment, she got down on her knees and surrendered to the only One who could truly do anything. She realized that worrying would not add a single moment to their lives. She knew that God had a plan and that it was her job to do the best with the time and talent she was given. She put her trust in Him completely.

I compare the two stories and realize they are not that different. Lisa did not physically drop her children off at the temple like Hannah, but both of these women put their heart into the hands of the One who is worthy of trust.

So what does this mean to us?

Perhaps you are thinking that this doesn’t really apply to you. Maybe you are a single woman without children. Maybe you are a mom with an empty nest. Maybe it is not people that you need to place in His hands, maybe it is a situation.

What are you holding on to that would be much better in His hands?

Give it to Him.

He can be trusted!

Have you made deals in the past and not kept your word?

Give it to Him.

He will forgive!

Father God, you are so worthy of my praise and my trust. I confess that I hold on to things much longer than I should. Today, I want to give you [your situation]. I know it is better in Your hands than in mine. I trust You completely with my heart. I know that You are always good and always loving. Thank you for sharing Your most precious and only Son with me and for saving me even when I did not deserve it. I love you with all my heart, Amen.

COMMITMENT PRECEDES RESOURCES

APRIL 4th READING

                                                                     


I cannot tell you how many times in which I have all the desire needed to move forward with great God dreams but the resources LACK! 

My heart is full of energy and excitement and then I step out and hit a wall because of resources or lack of wisdom in a certain area! This can be frustrating, my human wisdom thought that if I had the money I could hire someone to help move the God visions forward and pay others for their area of wisdom. This is not Gods wisdom and His ways are so much higher! I understand all this but a little of "MY FLESH" took over this morning!


I found myself full of doubt this morning, wanting to GIVE UP on some things. DO you ever just want to throw the towel in and move on. Even with the help of others I am still running into problems. I said this morning WHY GOD? WHY?


BUT then GOD said....I turned to my daily reading which landed me in the book of Ruth.  A women of COMMITMENT! Her commitment moved her to so many open doors. She had a FIRM COMMITMENT REGARDLESS OF HER RESOURCES.
 I was so impressed with Gods love and ability to speak to my doubt immediately this morning because of my commitment to reading the daily WORD.


Today I choose to remain COMMITTED even when I go through periods of doubt. I know that God will provide resources and the circumstances of HIS timing will pull together what He intends.
In RUTH 1: 1-25 I reminds me that COMMITMENT PRECEDES RESOURCES.


While EVERY leader needs financial and human resources to reach his or her goals, commitment should always precede these resources. When a leader demonstrates commitment to the mission and goals of the organization, the resource WILL FOLLOW!


In the very first chapter of the book that bears her name, RUTH chooses to stay with Naomi, her mother-in-law, even after she looses her husband. She did not know it, but her commitment would lead her to all kinds of OPENED DOORS. Ruth finds work during difficult time, makes friends in a foreign land, and eventually gains a new husband, Boaz. Most impressively, GOD INCLUDES HER- a Moabite adopted into the family of Israel- in the line of Christ. The child she bore became part of the lineage of the Messiah!


  THE KEY?... COMMITMENT!


Until a leader commits, a hesitancy lingers. But the moment that leader commits, then GOD moves and a whole stream of events begins to flow. All manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings, materials, persons and material assistance --Which no one cold ever dream up--begin to occur.


This all starts to happen the moment you COMMIT!


Today I will commit and disregard my skill level in certain areas. I will RECOMMIT even though I was committed. Certain things remain with  hiccups and faults BUT I will RE COMMIT  again and be reminded of RUTH'S example.


God has a plan and He will lead us to all kinds of open doors. JUST STAY COMMITTED!


Blessings,
Heather                                                                                                                            

FREE FRIDAY/ DATING CONTRACTS and LESSON

April 1st Reading


TODAY'S FREE FRIDAY.....I have the BEST resource for families wanting to handle the guy/girl relationships with the best wisdom! We need to not protect as our children and young teens from the hidden traps. This material will provide you with wisdom and allow you to be an experienced guide identifying warning signs or "SPARKS" that start forest fires!

SPARKS lead to physical passion and the goal today is to give you free wisdom to formulate GODLY standards for guy/girl relationships that will guide them in the furture.

SMOKEY BEARS SLOGAN, "ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES"

SPARKS can grow and turn into forest fires that damage you and others. I have a few close friends that I love to pieces that have been affected by young teen pregnancies. A spark that lead to a big forest fire. These families handled a very hard situation  with grace, mercy, love and wisdom.

YES fires do happen to what I consider the "best" of families.

I spent time with these moms during the initial FIRE and it was hot and overwhelming. The tears, sweat and pain are very real.

In our family we have used this material twice. My son and daughter both have had the initial devotion or we say (The serious talk from smokey bear) and then they sign a contract. I have a copy of the contract we use avaialable also. We update this contract when they mature and more freedom is permitted. If they break the contract things are removed from their lives. It has been working WONDERFULLY...SO FAR!

Our goal as a family is to enforce Godly standards to control unwanted behavior in a clear and effective way. Our contract communicates and provides clear communication for our family. It clearly outlines unwanted behavior, family values while keeping tension and arguments to a minimum. Our ultimate goal is to bring God glory thru our lives. When we sign a contract we aggree upon in UNITY what has been communicated. I can only hope that this helps us keep running smoothly with our aim to bring God the Glory. But remember our children will begin to make choices and our effective communication may help them in the future.

Listed below you will find 2 documents that will help you in the ever present dilemma of TEEN DATING and even MIDDLE SCHOOL drama! I hope it blesses you!


CONTRACT
1. To keep communicating about our family values on dating, relationships and physical contact.
     DEFINE FAMILY VALUES BELOW

      Example: BEN AT AGE 11 6^th GRADE NO DATING or GOING OUT also limited time on computer
      and cell phone. (these will change in the future and be updated, create your own guidelines for your  
      family.)
　
2.I agree that traps are hidden from me and I will RESPECT that my parents want to be my guide
   to identify warning signs.
　　
3. I understand that I have to reach a maturity level before I am granted the privilege of dating.
   Responsible, trustworthy, shows respect for others, displays self-control, and WILLINGLY
   FOLLOWS GUIDELINES SET BY PARENTS.
　　
4. I will protect my body 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20, Flee from immorality 1 Corinthians 6:18.
    I understand my parents want my pre teen years to be a time of learning how to think through
    things and make WISE decisions.
　
5.I will try with only the help of the HOLY SPIRIT to honor and obey my parents to do what is
  right, This is honoring and pleasing to God.
　
6. I BELIEVE God has a huge plan for my life! And The enemy is out to get me on my trail.
    BUT I CHOOSE to do what is right even when it is hard or uncool.　
　
    We love you (name) _________ and Together we ask God to help us obey this contract
   
    ALL SIGN BELOW AND COME INTO AGREEMENT
　
    ____________________________
    ____________________________
    _____________________________
　
FOREST FIRES

1. What is Smokey Bears slogan?
“Only YOU can prevent forest fires” This is the same with sparks in guy/gir relationships. These sparks   
  can grow and turn into fires that damage you and others. It will be your responsibility to NOT light the     sparks that can start forest fires in your relationships.

2. When a match is lit to a piece of paper, does it remain a spark? 
    (NO, it becomes a flame)

3. What happens when a piece of firewood is soaked in gasoline and touched with a burning piece of paper?
    It would not get smaller and go out. It would catch the wood on fire and become a Bigger fire.

4. What would happen if you took the burning log outside to an area of dry grass, leaves Or twigs? It would 
     create a forst fire.


　
　
　
GUY/GIRL RELATIONSHIPS


GOAL: To help our children formulate GODLY standards to
guy/girl relationships that will guide them in the future.
MEMORY VERSE: Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love ands peace, along with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22
FAMILY LESSONOur children need to understand the connection between sparks that start forest fires and sparks that lead to physical passion.
Enforcing mature Godly standards to control unwanted behavior in a clear effective way. This is what is expected, once a contract is signed it is agreed upon in unity by both parties. This will help us all keep running smoothly with our aim to bring God all the Glory~
　
*Provides structure for the family
*clearly outlines unwanted behavior
*family values
*reduce tension and arguments
*bring God glory thru our lives
　
I respect that my parents LOVE me and want to keep me safe and on TRACK with Gods plan for my life. With this in mind, we all agree together on: