A Fool For Christ
We are fools for Christ. But you are so wise in Christ! We are weak. But you are so strong! You are honored. But we are looked down on! Up to this very hour we are hungry and thirsty. We are dressed in rags. We are being treated badly. We have no homes. We work hard with our own hands. When others call down a curse on us, we bless them. When we are attacked, we put up with it.
I Corinthians 4:10-12 (NIRV)
This month I took the challenge of "blog like crazy" for 30 day and I cant think of anything better to do than to boast in the Lord. Today we are to blog about our intentions for this month. My intentions for the Month of November is to focus on the greatness of God. Sometimes I become distracted by people and I become discouraged. I forget in the darkness of the night what the Lord has taught me in the day about His dependability. This is when I become like Peter and begin to sink, no not on water but on land. I sink into invisible quick sand, which is of my own creation. Because I start listening to the lies of the enemy. He is a powerful foe and the enemy of our souls and but he is no match for the Lover of our souls. God went to great lengths to redeem me and no one can snatch me from His hand.
A good friend of mine once talked about how she allowed people in her life to treat her unkindly, then she said an amazing thing happened in her life: "they made the mistake and let me find out that Jesus loved me." Yes that is what transforms lives, it is only the love of Jesus that can perform a true heart transplant. It changed Isaiah in the year that King Uzziah died, It changed Joseph when he was in a foreign land and it change Paul on the road to Damascus. It changed me also and that is why I get so restless and frustrated in this world. I have to remind myself that I am restless and frustrated here because I long for heaven. He will come soon but in the mean time, I must live as an ambassador for Christ. I must live in such a way that people long for the God I serve. I want the passion that I have for the Lord to cause others to want to follow me to my real home.
So for 30 day I will blog like I am crazy for Jesus. I can and I will do this for Jesus. You see, I am ashamed to say that there was a time in my life that I was crazy for so many things and for so many people, but I am so proud to say that I am a fool for Christ. Hallelujah What A Savior.
God is creating a beautiful tapestry within our lives, though at times the thread of the tapestry appears to be unraveling. The tapestry cannot be seen with the naked eye, so to give us hope, God has given us glimpses of His grace.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
This Is All That I Have To Offer
I Thessalonians 4:16-18
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Today we buried my oldest sister Margie and I am hurting. Almost two weeks ago I was with her at the hospital when her doctor told her that he was going to let her go home on Valentine's Day and five days later she was dead. I'm hurting. There was five of us and now there are four. My oldest sister is gone and I am hurting. Over the past few years my sister and I had become very close. I could confide in her and she in me, but that will not occur any more because now she is gone.
In the funeral procession today, my oldest brother Willie told everyone now that Margie is gone, that they would have to look to me. What can I offer? Nothing other than the Greatest Gift that has been offered to mankind. That is the Person of Jesus Christ.
One day while talking to Margie. I asked her if she were to stand before God and He asked her why should He let her into His Heaven, what would she say to Him and she told me that she would tell Him "because I asked Jesus to forgive me of all of my sins and I asked Him to save me". My sister told me that she trusted in Christ. If this is the case, I am not to sorrow like those who have no hope, as someone told me recently "I am to trust that Jesus is faithful to keep what my sister had entrusted to Him". Hallejah what a Savior!
If any of my love ones or anyone else for that matter were to looked to me, the only thing that I have to offer them is Jesus Christ. I pray that they will take hold of this and run with it, but if they do not I will not be deterred. Because Jesus is my refuge. I am no fool. As I look around there are a lot of my love ones who have died and I do believe that they loved me but they are no longer here, but Jesus have always been by my side and He promised me that He would never leave me nor forsake me and He is faithful to keep His promises. So love ones, Run to Him! Run to Him! Run to Him! It is Christ alone who can bear your grief, show you grace and extend to you mercy.
Lately I have been wearing the word mercy out. When I feel the darkness trying to consume me, I cry "Jesus have mercy on me", and He does. Jesus did not choose to raise my sister from the dead like he did Lazarus or the widow of Nain's son but He said to me in her death "Gladys my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness." What will I do? I shall likewise be like Paul and say "I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." I am hurting and weak but Jesus is strengthening me daily.
In the car today I whispered "Jesus I Love You". He loves me too. Even So, Come Quickly Lord Jesus. And this is all that I have to offer.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Today we buried my oldest sister Margie and I am hurting. Almost two weeks ago I was with her at the hospital when her doctor told her that he was going to let her go home on Valentine's Day and five days later she was dead. I'm hurting. There was five of us and now there are four. My oldest sister is gone and I am hurting. Over the past few years my sister and I had become very close. I could confide in her and she in me, but that will not occur any more because now she is gone.
In the funeral procession today, my oldest brother Willie told everyone now that Margie is gone, that they would have to look to me. What can I offer? Nothing other than the Greatest Gift that has been offered to mankind. That is the Person of Jesus Christ.
One day while talking to Margie. I asked her if she were to stand before God and He asked her why should He let her into His Heaven, what would she say to Him and she told me that she would tell Him "because I asked Jesus to forgive me of all of my sins and I asked Him to save me". My sister told me that she trusted in Christ. If this is the case, I am not to sorrow like those who have no hope, as someone told me recently "I am to trust that Jesus is faithful to keep what my sister had entrusted to Him". Hallejah what a Savior!
If any of my love ones or anyone else for that matter were to looked to me, the only thing that I have to offer them is Jesus Christ. I pray that they will take hold of this and run with it, but if they do not I will not be deterred. Because Jesus is my refuge. I am no fool. As I look around there are a lot of my love ones who have died and I do believe that they loved me but they are no longer here, but Jesus have always been by my side and He promised me that He would never leave me nor forsake me and He is faithful to keep His promises. So love ones, Run to Him! Run to Him! Run to Him! It is Christ alone who can bear your grief, show you grace and extend to you mercy.
Lately I have been wearing the word mercy out. When I feel the darkness trying to consume me, I cry "Jesus have mercy on me", and He does. Jesus did not choose to raise my sister from the dead like he did Lazarus or the widow of Nain's son but He said to me in her death "Gladys my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness." What will I do? I shall likewise be like Paul and say "I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." I am hurting and weak but Jesus is strengthening me daily.
In the car today I whispered "Jesus I Love You". He loves me too. Even So, Come Quickly Lord Jesus. And this is all that I have to offer.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Inside Outside
"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7)
I have been really silent about my weight loss. Because at first I thought it was going to be another failure. I have never been a slim girl. I was just blessed with a small waist and small chest which helped me not look as large. That all was wonderful in my younger years but as everyone knows as we age we tend to put on weight. The first time I put on weight was in 2005. I was tired of carrying the weight around so in February of 2008 I started working out about 4 hours a day 6 days a week. I ate whatever I wanted but managed to go from about a size 16 to a size 4 and from 200lbs to 145lbs in about 6 months. But working out had pretty much become my idol and I planned my days around my workout schedule. So I really didn't have much of a life. I also had plenty of time to follow this difficult regimen because at the time I was unemployed. Well August of 2008 I started a job and had a hard time keeping up with my strenuous workout schedule and by the middle of 2009 all my weight had came back plus more. And by 2011 I was weighing in at 216lbs and I was wearing sizes 18 and 20. My blood pressure was sky high, my childhood asthma was back, I was very depressed, my anxiety was out of control, I hated looking in the mirror, and food had become an idol in my life. Where in the past I use to plan my life around working out I would now plan my life around my next meal. I was very depressed and felt a void in my life. So this past Christmas 2011 I happened across the YouVersion App on my iPhone. I would read and listen to the Word of God on a daily and I begin to feel that void start to fade away. I started hungering for more so I started back attending church, listening to only gospel and praise & worship music, listening to Christian pastors, reading Christian books, and having regular daily email chats with other brothers and sisters in Christ. This all led to me recommitting my life to Christ. I begin to reevaluate unhealthy relationships and letting go of many habitual sins and strongholds in my life. I temporarily deactivated my Face Book page and I really took some time to fall in love with Jesus. When Christmas came around I ordered myself a Christian book called Thin Within: A Grace-Oriented Approach to Lasting Weight Loss. I had this book years ago but never made it through the first week because it really gets to the root of things and at that point in my life I was weak in my faith and I wasn't emotionally or spiritually ready to deal with those issues. But years later I was finally at the point where I was ready to deal with my junk and baggage. Around the same time my Mama was trying to find a way that she could lose weight and happened across this free online program called Lord's Table which is very similar to Thin Within but more in depth and it last longer. I loved them both so I decided to do both programs since they were so similar. And believe it or not I begin to drop weight not from dieting or tons of exercising. Just by building a healthy relationship with the Lord and eating only when hungry and pushing away from the table when my stomach was comfortably full. I still have my days when I relapse and eat past my comfort level but that's the good thing about God's Grace he forgives me when I stumble. I also have a wonderful Lord's Table mentor who is with me every step up the way and prays for me and my journey on a daily. My Mama and I are each other accountability partners and we are very tough on each other but we also build one another up when we mess up. When people mention my weight loss my response is always "God is allowing the changes He is making on the inside of me to show on the outside." I get many confused looks when I say this but I can't take credit for any of the weight loss all glory goes to God. ~Naturally Reecee
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Why Do I Love Jesus
"We love because he first loved us." (I John 4:19)
The love that I feel for Jesus is indescribable. I remember the first time that He entered my life. I had never experienced anything like His love before. I could run to Him and confide in Him any time, day or night and I never doubted for a moment that He would betray my trust, because that is not in His character. Come next month He will have proven Himself to be faithful to me for 26 years. Who would have thought that I would be one of the chosen few.
I remember when I was in high school, I doubted that Jesus even existed and I even went so far as to say that I bordered on the line of an agnostic or an atheist , but Jesus look who loves you now. When my mama used to listen to gospel music, I would be so embarrassed and then to top it off, when the gospel music would end at 11:00 am, she would turn the radio off, because she said " We are not listening to the devil's music in my house". I thought that she was being old fashioned but now I guess I am old fashioned too, because the only music that I thirst for is music that sing the praises of Jesus.
The love that I have for the Lord is not a honeymoon type of love but it is a settled love. I love looking at the clouds because it reminds me of Him. When it rains I look forward to seeing a rainbow because it reminds me of his promise, never to destroy mankind with a flood again. I love to read the bible because it is a love letter to me and it is a mystery to the ones who do not love him. More recently I fell in love with Jesus even more, because I started seeing a change in my daughter that only Jesus could have done and it was genuine.
I told her about a bible study that I was doing by Setting Captives Free called the Lord's Table. She told me that she would do it with me and instantly she was changed in the presence of a Holy God. She is constantly reminding me of what I taught her as a child and how thankful she is for the sound doctrine that she was taught. I cherish these things and they bring me to tears. At any given moment I become "happy". That is what the older people when I was younger would call joy for the Lord.
I feel like David when he asked God " what is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you care for him?" (Ps: 8:4). God is faithful. None of my labor is in vain. I was like Catherine Booth of the Salvation Army, because I too said said "Lord I will not stand before you without my children". The Lord wanted me to pray for my children and he is so faithful, His word never comes back to Him void. I am leaving a legacy behind and this is what I prayed for years ago. I always told my children that I never desired for them to be rich or famous but I wanted them to do great things for the Lord. Not that I wanted them to be a Billy Graham or a John Calvin, but to me any Christian who submit to the Lord, has done great things for Him and this was and is my desire
God is honoring me because I honored Him. I am in love with Jesus. I love Jesus because He is faithful. I love Jesus because He is Omnipotent, I love Jesus because He is the Savior, I love Jesus because He prays for me, I love Jesus because He did not leave me as an orphan, I love Jesus because He is coming back for me, I love Jesus because He allows my deceased love ones to be in His presence, but most of all the reason that I love Jesus is because He first loved me. It was His love that wooed me unto Him and it was His love that caused me to love Him in return and it is His love that is keeping me. Hallelujah, what a Savior.
The love that I feel for Jesus is indescribable. I remember the first time that He entered my life. I had never experienced anything like His love before. I could run to Him and confide in Him any time, day or night and I never doubted for a moment that He would betray my trust, because that is not in His character. Come next month He will have proven Himself to be faithful to me for 26 years. Who would have thought that I would be one of the chosen few.
I remember when I was in high school, I doubted that Jesus even existed and I even went so far as to say that I bordered on the line of an agnostic or an atheist , but Jesus look who loves you now. When my mama used to listen to gospel music, I would be so embarrassed and then to top it off, when the gospel music would end at 11:00 am, she would turn the radio off, because she said " We are not listening to the devil's music in my house". I thought that she was being old fashioned but now I guess I am old fashioned too, because the only music that I thirst for is music that sing the praises of Jesus.
The love that I have for the Lord is not a honeymoon type of love but it is a settled love. I love looking at the clouds because it reminds me of Him. When it rains I look forward to seeing a rainbow because it reminds me of his promise, never to destroy mankind with a flood again. I love to read the bible because it is a love letter to me and it is a mystery to the ones who do not love him. More recently I fell in love with Jesus even more, because I started seeing a change in my daughter that only Jesus could have done and it was genuine.
I told her about a bible study that I was doing by Setting Captives Free called the Lord's Table. She told me that she would do it with me and instantly she was changed in the presence of a Holy God. She is constantly reminding me of what I taught her as a child and how thankful she is for the sound doctrine that she was taught. I cherish these things and they bring me to tears. At any given moment I become "happy". That is what the older people when I was younger would call joy for the Lord.
I feel like David when he asked God " what is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you care for him?" (Ps: 8:4). God is faithful. None of my labor is in vain. I was like Catherine Booth of the Salvation Army, because I too said said "Lord I will not stand before you without my children". The Lord wanted me to pray for my children and he is so faithful, His word never comes back to Him void. I am leaving a legacy behind and this is what I prayed for years ago. I always told my children that I never desired for them to be rich or famous but I wanted them to do great things for the Lord. Not that I wanted them to be a Billy Graham or a John Calvin, but to me any Christian who submit to the Lord, has done great things for Him and this was and is my desire
God is honoring me because I honored Him. I am in love with Jesus. I love Jesus because He is faithful. I love Jesus because He is Omnipotent, I love Jesus because He is the Savior, I love Jesus because He prays for me, I love Jesus because He did not leave me as an orphan, I love Jesus because He is coming back for me, I love Jesus because He allows my deceased love ones to be in His presence, but most of all the reason that I love Jesus is because He first loved me. It was His love that wooed me unto Him and it was His love that caused me to love Him in return and it is His love that is keeping me. Hallelujah, what a Savior.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)