Prayer for our churches

James MacDonald says “There are astounding statistics that six thousand churches close their doors every year, thirty-five hundred Americans leave the church every day and only fifteen percent of churches are growing annually,” says MacDonald.

How scary!!

I told you in yesterday's post about a little church I came upon while I was out and about taking pictures. Today it hit me that little church is abandoned. No one goes in on Sunday morning and opens it doors, turns up the heat, turns on all the lights and gets ready for the worshipers to show up. The choir doesn't sing, the offering is not taken, and the pastor doesn't stand in the pulpit and bring the message. This is one church of the six thousand churches that close their doors every year.

In our Bible Study Made for Community with Love God Greatly, you can check it out here, we are talking about being in Community with God, and with others and in one of ours weeks we are talking about being in Community with our local church. We are called to be in Community. My heart is burdened for this church and the thousands of churches around the world that are closing their doors.

Please join me in prayer for these churches. Please pray for the pastors that lead these churches, and pray for those that go to these churches. Pray that their/our hearts will be on fire and want to be worshiping with other believers.

Be Still....

When God says Be still... 

I am a list person. I like to check things off of my list. I am someone who likes to know all the details of what is going to happen. If  we are invited to an event, I want to know what time to be there, what (if any) type of food will be served, I want to know how to dress and what others will be wearing. I am a control freak.  

We are at a time where God is saying "Be still" (Psalm 46:10) and it is hard for me. I trust God completely, I'm not worried about what will happen, but I want to know what is going to happen. I want to know the next 5 steps and when we have completed those 5 steps what the next 5 will be. 

I went out on a drive today to take pictures of the snow and I came upon this little church that was rundown and what I saw at the time as a great photo op I now see as God telling me slow down, rest in me, allow me to work out all the details. God says in his word, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 Everything works for our good and God's Glory!! 

I only need to be still. I need to pray, I need to be in his word, and I need to be listening to what he is telling me. 

The modern day marriage

"Wives, submit to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." Ephesians 23-25

My girls like this particular show on T.V. about an animal that has a blog. I've actually had to stop them from watching it because of the message that it portrays. The show itself is not bad. It's about an animal that talks and only the children can hear, and then he writes a blog telling about his families adventures. The problem I have with the show is the fact that the husband, who on the show is a child psychologist, is made out to be a complete idiot. He doesn't have the respect of his wife, his children, or sometimes even his patients.

 I want to show my children what a biblical marriage looks like. Biblically I am called to submit to my husband, not make him look like a baboon in front of our children, or our friends. 

One of the things I see all too often is a wife belittling or talking about her husband negatively to him in front of people, or to her girlfriends. Ladies, this can ruin a marriage! If your husband feels disrespected then you're going to not feel loved. If you haven't read Love and Respect I suggest you do. 

I have been guilty of this. I have been guilty of correcting my husband in front of others, I have been guilty of saying, "You are being stupid," now let me tell you I was joking at the time, but I could see the look on my husband's face when I said it, and it broke me. Words are so strong, the old saying "Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is WRONG! Words do hurt, and we are called to be Christ-like, we are called in   Philippians 2 v5 We our told "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus" Do you think Christ would belittle someone or talk bad about someone? Absolutely not! Neither should we! 

Do something for your husband this week, Just Because! Something you know that he will like. 

Scripture to pray over your husband:

Ephesians 4:1-2

Ephesians 5: 25-29

Proverbs 22:29

Psalm 46:1

Proverbs 11:3

1 Corinthians 10:13

Proverbs 28:27

Luke 16:13

Jeremiah 29:11

Choosing Him All Over Again: Book Review

Choosing Him All Over Again
                A Story of Romance and Redemption

I wonder how many of us, if we were being honest, would say I dreamed about what it would be like to be married to someone else. What if I would have married Mr. tall, dark, and handsome, not short, chubby and balding? What if I would have married a lawyer instead of a pastor?

Juana Mikels seemed to have it all, a handsome hubby, a fantastic job, a dream home they built together, but Juana felt something was missing from her marriage and that her husband was not who she was supposed to be married to.

One October night leaving her husband, Juana set out on an adventure that she thought would take her to finding her "Mr. Right" and it did but not the "Mr. Right" you might think. She found Jesus.

Her road back to redemption in her marriage was not an easy one, there was rejection from her husband, and heartache but Juana did not give up on God, and what he could do in her marriage, and because of that there was restoration in her marriage and her husband would later come to the Lord, and they have raised 4 beautiful children in a Christian home.

I don't want to give all of the book away, but I tell you that you need to add this book to your 2015 reading list!!

You can purchase the book here

Enjoy!!

Measuring Up

One of my goals for 2015 is remembering Who's I am and Who I am in Christ. I tend to measure my worth by what other people think/say, how many likes or comments on facebook, instagram etc. 

Gods says that I am...

* I am a Child of God
John 1:12 (ESV) But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

* I am a branch of the true vine, and a conduit of Christ's life. 
John 15:1,5 (ESV) “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser." 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

* I am a friend of Jesus
John 15:15  (ESV) No longer do I call you servants,[a] for the servant[b] does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

*As a Child of God, I am a fellow heir with Christ
Romans 8:17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

To live an effective Christian life you need to know and believe who you are in Christ. 
Understanding your identity in Christ is crucial to your success. 
I choose to believe what God says about me! 


Be blessed!