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Hey Ladies, First let me apologize that today is TUESDAY and I am just now posting this week. Yesterday was just one of those Mondays for me that honestly never ended with work...and I do mean never ended, my Monday faded into Tuesday and here I am doing this late. So, please forgive me! I didn't bail out! Thank you to those who are so diligently studying God's Word with me. It truly is life to me. I am so thankful for it, could you imagine life without it?
Day 1 pg. 127 Personal reflection
Looking back on this today is just so timely of God. I wrote, "peace in my chaos" meaning just life the day in and out, and after yesterday, I know why:) I know all of us have our own little world of stuff going on so you can relate.
pg. 128 The prayer that is associated with the personal reflection.
I simply put Lord, I want to be pleasing to you in everything!!
Day 2 pg. 131 Which Psalm did you choose? Anything specific speak to you in the scripture passage you read?
Well, I definitely didn't choose Psalm 119 :) My choice was a toss up between Psalm 42 and Psalm 37. I ended up going with Psalm 42! This is "As the deer pants for the water so my soul longeth after thee." Love that scripture and can't help sing the song I sang as a little girl when reading it!
Day 3 pg. 133 Personal reflection
I am believing for salvation especially for two people in my life. Can I just say that I KNOW God is going to have to show up for their lives to be changed. It's kind of crazy, in my church world, I really can't see any other way. I am in amazement that people can live their life in complete abandonment of Him! I've prayed about these two people A LOT and honestly, have left it up to God! I try to be consistent, non judging, and faithful.
Day 4 pg. 135 Last question on the page, " Look back at James 4:5. What does it say that the Spirit within us does?"
I put dwells within us and I also put that He is jealous (just because I love the song!)
I also love the reference on pg. 136 Where she states, " We can't expect to turn from our idols if we have nothing to turn to." And then references God as, "I AM." I love that because I can fill in the blank...I AM whatever you need!!!
Day 5 pg. 138 Personal reflection
Burdensome to me, easy the need to keep it together!
pg. 139 The "bullet points" of God sustaining you.
Although I could have a million, I could sum it up with one,FAVOR! God has truly favored me in more situations than there is time to type, read, fill up this whole blog!
We're getting near the end ladies, I hope No other Gods is breathing life into you! Much Love!!!!!!
Day 5 pg.
Day 1 p. 127-On this particular day as I pondered this question, I felt needed close, deep friendship. Later in the week, it was so sweet to hear God tell me in His Word “I am with you.”
ReplyDeletep. 128- Lord, I ask for greater faith, stronger belief. For my eyes to be fixed on You alone, not looking to other people or things.
Day 2 p. 131- I chose Psalm 116. The day before, I went to the dr. for a follow-up visit on an ultrasound I had done the prior week after a month of feeling very ill, experiencing severe pelvic pain and passing out. The OB-GYN told me I had a hemorrhagic ovarian cyst that ruptured into my abdominal cavity. And that my left ovary appears “neoplastic,” with an abnormally large growth. He put me back on birth control pills and will do another ultrasound in June to see if the pills reduce the growth, meaning it’s benign. But if it grows larger, surgery will be necessary. The weight of his news hit me the next morning as I did my Bible study. But Psalm 116 was so reassuring to me. God hears me and He can bring rest to my soul, even in distress.
Day 3- I have no idea what God’s plan is for my body. He knows the details, He knows what will happen at that next appointment. But I feel like He’s asking me not to focus on the next ultrasound results. He is asking me to look at the next 3 months. Am I going to live those months in full faith, relying on Him alone for peace and strength? And I feel like He wants me to see that HE IS the provision, not just want He can do or give me.
Day 4 p. 135- my Bible says “jealously desires.” I like that!
Day 5 p. 138- The statement “idols as being burdensome for people who already weary” was profound to me. And it made me think of Jesus saying “Come to me all who are weary…for My yoke is easy and My load is light.” I know I’m always left wanting and unsatisfied when I turn to other things than Jesus. And I can work myself weary being a people-pleaser, with less than pleasant results sometimes!
p. 139-I listed several:
- God gave me the desire from a very young age to be at church, even though my parents did not go. I asked them to take me. (Thank you Nancy for making me appreciate this!)
- He took me back after my college years of outright rebellion and sinful living.
- He has been so patient with me, always calling me to Himself as I’ve chased after my idols.
- He has given me a few wonderful godly girlfriends.
- He gave me children in His good timing, not mine. If He had gone by my timetable and plans, I would just now be having them, and that probably would not have worked based on my health issues now.
DAY 1 PG 127: I am hungry and thirsty to have a deeper, stronger faith in God. God has been showing me lately that I am not convinced that He can change certain things/people.
ReplyDeletePG 128: Dear Lord, Thank you for your promise that all things are possible with You! Thank you for showing me today in Hebrews 12:2 that having a deeper faith is simple, all I have to do is ask, b/c You are the author and perfector of my faith! AMEN!!
DAY 2: I chose Psalm 37 because I was needing wisdom about having lunch with a girl I've been friends with for 23 years who is not a christian and has a lot of ISSUES...in fact I had not seen her in 2 yrs b/c she used me as an aliby to her husband when she was unfaithful to him. After that I would not speak to her for a long time, then I found out she had been through a double masectomy during the time I was not speaking to her. I forgave her and I thought that I should not turn my back on her, since I am the only "Jesus in her life." This Psalm as well as the sermon I heard at church Wed night, gave me encouragement/wisdom to share with this friend. The scripture yesterday on increasing my faith was also right on time for this situation!
DAY 3: Lord, give me the faith of Abraham, I know that all things are possible with you.
DAY 4: I have to share how once again God orchestrated this study to be exactly when I needed it...I have been struggling for 2 years about whether to still be a friend to the girl I mentioned earlier that was unfaithful to her husband and though her physical affair has ended and she is still with her husband, she still speaks to this other man on the phone about once a month!
Unfortunatly, I did Day 4 the day after my lunch with her. But, y'all those verses about being friends with the world and how we would have to leave this world to avoid evil all together, and I Cor 5:9-10 spoke diretly to not being friends with the sexually immoral and "with such a man do not even eat." Uh-oh! ...she was complaining at LUNCH that she can never catch a break from all her trials...this study has given me the boldness I need to tell her why...she is never going to catch a break until she stops even the phone calls with the other man. Not to mention asking God to be her savior! So my question to y'all is the wording in v.11 "you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral" I know I am getting knit-picky but does this apply since she does not claim to be a christian? I just hate to turn my back on her as long as I am trying to share with her and not letting her influence me, you know? And now to actually answer the question for this day..."envies intensly" So cool to know he loves us that much, that the creator of everything, takes the time to have an intense emotional response over our actions...WOW!
DAY 5: Yes, the Gods have been burdensome...they leave me feeling I have wasted precious time that I can never get back! Time that would have been much better spent investing in my relationship with the one true GOD. Or in the precious relationships of my family that He has given me.
p 139: God blessed me by allowing me to be born into a family of believers who encouraged me to go to church and know Jesus! When I get frustrated with this friend who i have shared about, I think, Nancy what would you be like if your mother was an invalid to alcholism and your father was an adulterer...thankfully I never had to overcome those odds, but it helps me to be less judgemental of my friend, to realize what she is up against. But ALL things are possible with God!
Nancy: I think it's talking about people who say they are christians and continue to do those things. Plus you aren't condoning what she's doing or spending all your time with her so that you are influenced by her or giving the impression to others that you are like her. You are just being a listening ear because she doesn't have anyone else and preparing the way to minister to her. I'm proud of you!
ReplyDeletePage 127: I need confidence and deliverance from my fears and doubts about myself. I was reading a novel the other day and it happened to be about a woman who was sort of a rural untrained nurse and her brother said to her "you have helped so many people here, you just need to have confidence that you'll know what to do and that God will show you when you don't." I need more confidence in myself and in God.
Page 128: Dear Lord, help me to feel the fullness of your love and provision. Let me be content in you in with the life you have given me.
Day 2: Haha, me and Nancy always choose the same one. I chose Psalm 37 too. I liked v 5 "Commit everything you do to the Lord and He will help you." V 23&24 jumped out at me too 23 "The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; 24 though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand."
Day 3; Lord give me the strength that I need for each day at work. Help me to remember that you have me in this place for a reason and that your plans are greater than my plans
Day 4: He Jealously longs for us and gives us more and more strength to stand against evil
Day 5: The worry, regret, fears etc from putting so much stock in "my gods" is a huge, exhausting burden. I'm so thankful that He can carry it for me!
Pg 139: God has brought me through a big move to a new place at the height of awkward adolescence (I was 14), a year long sickness at 15, wild rebellious years, a bad relationship that broke down my self esteem, the trials of nursing school and starting my career. All the while never letting me forget that He was near and bringing me back to Him as an adult. I was blessed to be born into the same great family as Nancy (even though I had a big sister that liked to torture me:) and now He has given me a wonderful christian husband that loves me in a way I didn't think was possible!