I just want to share with you folks that I absolutely love Jeremy Camp...He is blessed with God-given talent and uses it to glorify the Lord! So, that being said, I have a link I am posting, if anyone else is interested in him and would like a ringtone of his music! Check it out! Love ya'll!
6.30.2007
6.28.2007
taking risks...
OK, so I am taking a step out of Psalms and into Genesis for this blog. I went to see Evan Almighty tonight, and, I have heard the story of Noah a million times growing up you know? I don't want to make the assumption that everybody has heard the story so, to let you know, the story of Noah begins in Genesis 6. Now, also, I want to say that the story of Noah and Evan Almighty contain MANY differences and don't really compare as far as accuracy goes, but the movie WAS indeed entertaining, funny, and kid friendly.
So, as I was watching this movie there was one major thing that stuck out to me. As, I have heard the story of Noah and the ark, I don't think this has ever stuck out as much as it did during the movie. The thing that stuck out is the fact that Noah really did sacrifice sooo much for the Lord. I don't mean physical things though there was physical sacrifice for sure, but he sacrificed his reputation. Now, you may find yourself thinking, yeah well he is Noah and that makes him better than me and therefore it was easy for him. That is simply not true. In fact, Noah was no saint. He made mistakes. For example, he got drunk and embarrassed himself in front of his sons.
Well, while watching the movie, which of course is set in modern times, it brings to light the fact that we ALL face pressure to live up to what our families and peers want for us. When God calls us to be different, which HE most definitely does, we find it hard to give up thinking about what others will think about us and doing it for Him who created us and controls us. We also may think that we are just not good enough to serve the Creator of the universe, after all that is a pretty big responsibility.
Think about the condition of things at the time God asked Noah to build the ark. God found favor with NO OTHER PERSON ON EARTH at the time. Now, I honestly am not sure if I could live up to that standard. If EVERYBODY I knew was living in paganism and "wickedness" I cannot say that I wouldn't conform. Noah stood out and remained faithful to the Lord and what He was asking of him.
I guess what it all boils down to for me is that we ALL make mistakes and are human, God recognizes that. BUT we need to be growing in our faith and walk with the Lord and become willing to take more risks for Him as we grow.
I am asking myself what risks I am willing to take right now...and I am praying about how I can get to the point that Noah did, at which point I would give it ALL up for HIM.
So, as I was watching this movie there was one major thing that stuck out to me. As, I have heard the story of Noah and the ark, I don't think this has ever stuck out as much as it did during the movie. The thing that stuck out is the fact that Noah really did sacrifice sooo much for the Lord. I don't mean physical things though there was physical sacrifice for sure, but he sacrificed his reputation. Now, you may find yourself thinking, yeah well he is Noah and that makes him better than me and therefore it was easy for him. That is simply not true. In fact, Noah was no saint. He made mistakes. For example, he got drunk and embarrassed himself in front of his sons.
Well, while watching the movie, which of course is set in modern times, it brings to light the fact that we ALL face pressure to live up to what our families and peers want for us. When God calls us to be different, which HE most definitely does, we find it hard to give up thinking about what others will think about us and doing it for Him who created us and controls us. We also may think that we are just not good enough to serve the Creator of the universe, after all that is a pretty big responsibility.
Think about the condition of things at the time God asked Noah to build the ark. God found favor with NO OTHER PERSON ON EARTH at the time. Now, I honestly am not sure if I could live up to that standard. If EVERYBODY I knew was living in paganism and "wickedness" I cannot say that I wouldn't conform. Noah stood out and remained faithful to the Lord and what He was asking of him.
I guess what it all boils down to for me is that we ALL make mistakes and are human, God recognizes that. BUT we need to be growing in our faith and walk with the Lord and become willing to take more risks for Him as we grow.
I am asking myself what risks I am willing to take right now...and I am praying about how I can get to the point that Noah did, at which point I would give it ALL up for HIM.
6.26.2007
Forgiveness
"Happy are the person whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned. Happy is the person whom the Lord does not find guilty and in whom there is nothing false. When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep inside me. I moaned all day long. Day and night you punished me. My strength was gone as in the summer heat. Then I confessed my sins to you and I didn't hide my guilt. I said, 'I will confess my sins to the Lord,' and you forgave my guilt. For this reason, all who obey you should pray while they still can. When troubles rise like a flood, they will not reach them. You are my hiding place. You protect me from my troubles and fill me with songs of savation. The Lord says, 'I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guide you and watch over you. So don't be like a horse or donkey, that doesn't understand. They must be led with bits and reigns, or they will not come near you. Wicked people have many troubles, nut the Lord's love surrounds those who trust him. Good people, rejoice and be happy in the Lord. Sing, all you whose hearts are right." Psalm 32:1-11 (NCV)
Many times when I sin I try to hide from God...the reasons can vary but for the most part it boils down to shame. I am ashamed of what I have done and hide because my faith isn't strong enough to realize He will continue to love me even though I have committed such sin. When I have tried to hide my sin I fall deeper into sin and into a pit of darkness. The situation tends to get worse rather than improving when I try to hide things.
When I humble myself and admit that I was wrong, and ask for forgiveness, He has always been right there waiting and accepts me into His arms once again! He forgives me and continues to lead me in the way I should go. He wants me to learn from the mistake(s) I made so that I don't repeat it. I also believe that we are able to use these mistakes we have made in helping others who might struggle with the same things in life.
When I try to hide and suffer the consequences of shame, my self image suffers. I don't see myself as Jesus sees me. There are MANY who experience this.
"To say 'I believe in Jesus' is not enough. You must be willing to acknowledge Him as the most important person in your life. You must be willing to say, 'I will do what He wants me to do above all else and above any demands that others place upon me.' If you will make that decision, I have great news for you--I can promise you a very psitive self-image. When Jesus is the most important in your life, you will soon come to define yourself in the same way Jesus defines you. You will begin to think of yourself as He thinks of you. And there is more good news: Jesus thinks you're great! He thinks you're terrific. He really does." --Tony Campolo
When I accept His forgiveness, I stand before Jesus "clothed in righteousness." PRAISE THE LORD!!!
Many times when I sin I try to hide from God...the reasons can vary but for the most part it boils down to shame. I am ashamed of what I have done and hide because my faith isn't strong enough to realize He will continue to love me even though I have committed such sin. When I have tried to hide my sin I fall deeper into sin and into a pit of darkness. The situation tends to get worse rather than improving when I try to hide things.
When I humble myself and admit that I was wrong, and ask for forgiveness, He has always been right there waiting and accepts me into His arms once again! He forgives me and continues to lead me in the way I should go. He wants me to learn from the mistake(s) I made so that I don't repeat it. I also believe that we are able to use these mistakes we have made in helping others who might struggle with the same things in life.
When I try to hide and suffer the consequences of shame, my self image suffers. I don't see myself as Jesus sees me. There are MANY who experience this.
"To say 'I believe in Jesus' is not enough. You must be willing to acknowledge Him as the most important person in your life. You must be willing to say, 'I will do what He wants me to do above all else and above any demands that others place upon me.' If you will make that decision, I have great news for you--I can promise you a very psitive self-image. When Jesus is the most important in your life, you will soon come to define yourself in the same way Jesus defines you. You will begin to think of yourself as He thinks of you. And there is more good news: Jesus thinks you're great! He thinks you're terrific. He really does." --Tony Campolo
When I accept His forgiveness, I stand before Jesus "clothed in righteousness." PRAISE THE LORD!!!
6.21.2007
Forgetful
I am so often forgetful. I forget Who it is that I serve and I doubt. I doubt so many things that I know He could control if I would just allow Him to. Then sometimes I realize that I have been sinful, yet again and I am filled with shame. He doesn't want me to remain there...He wants me to be free from the boundaries that sin places on me and my relationship with Him.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green pastures. He leads me to calm water. He gives me new strength. He leads me on paths that are right for the good of his name. Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid, because you are with me. Your rod and your walking stick comfort me. You prepare a meal for me in front of my enemies. You pour your oil on my head; you fill my cup to overflowing. Surely your goodness and love will be with me all of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever." Psalms 23:1-6 (NCV)
God IS like a shepherd to us! When I stray, He comes to find me. When I am in need of a drink, he leads me to a spring. When I am hungry, He provides food. When I am in danger, He protects me from the enemy.
I AM like a sheep. I wonder away from Him and need His protection and guidance. I need to be found and pursued and provided for.
God cares for His people much like a shepherd cares for His sheep. We can trust that He will provide for us much more than a shepherd would a sheep. Praise the Lord! He cares for each one of us individually! This means that we don't have to worry about anything! (Easier said than done right?
I will be the first to admit that I am not good at trusting Him ALL the time. I struggle more with consistency in trusting Him than any other aspect of my relationship with Him. I often feel that I am not worthy of being saved and that others are better than myself and therefore they deserve Him more than I do.
That simply is NOT true! It limits the power of the cross when I feel this way! He does not place levels on sin. I feel like some of the things I have done have been so ugly that I CAN'T be saved...BUT...it is me that places the level on the sin I have committed. The truth is that any sin, whether it is a little white lie, adultery, murder, or whatever it might be, it still nailed Jesus to the cross.
When I am having a hard time with the situation I am in, it is often easy to get bogged down in the "why me?" attitude and to take my eyes off of Him. This is wrong as well! We should be able to withstand any suffering placed on us with the attitude of Jesus. That way glory will be brought to Him through our suffering! In verse 3 it says that "He will lead me on paths that are right for the GOOD OF HIS NAME!!!"
That is all for now! PEACE!
"The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green pastures. He leads me to calm water. He gives me new strength. He leads me on paths that are right for the good of his name. Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid, because you are with me. Your rod and your walking stick comfort me. You prepare a meal for me in front of my enemies. You pour your oil on my head; you fill my cup to overflowing. Surely your goodness and love will be with me all of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever." Psalms 23:1-6 (NCV)
God IS like a shepherd to us! When I stray, He comes to find me. When I am in need of a drink, he leads me to a spring. When I am hungry, He provides food. When I am in danger, He protects me from the enemy.
I AM like a sheep. I wonder away from Him and need His protection and guidance. I need to be found and pursued and provided for.
God cares for His people much like a shepherd cares for His sheep. We can trust that He will provide for us much more than a shepherd would a sheep. Praise the Lord! He cares for each one of us individually! This means that we don't have to worry about anything! (Easier said than done right?
I will be the first to admit that I am not good at trusting Him ALL the time. I struggle more with consistency in trusting Him than any other aspect of my relationship with Him. I often feel that I am not worthy of being saved and that others are better than myself and therefore they deserve Him more than I do.
That simply is NOT true! It limits the power of the cross when I feel this way! He does not place levels on sin. I feel like some of the things I have done have been so ugly that I CAN'T be saved...BUT...it is me that places the level on the sin I have committed. The truth is that any sin, whether it is a little white lie, adultery, murder, or whatever it might be, it still nailed Jesus to the cross.
When I am having a hard time with the situation I am in, it is often easy to get bogged down in the "why me?" attitude and to take my eyes off of Him. This is wrong as well! We should be able to withstand any suffering placed on us with the attitude of Jesus. That way glory will be brought to Him through our suffering! In verse 3 it says that "He will lead me on paths that are right for the GOOD OF HIS NAME!!!"
That is all for now! PEACE!
6.19.2007
Psalms 2
OK, so I am doing a study on Psalms...so, you will have to bear with my blogs as I share what I am experiencing the study! HA! I guess if you don't want to read them though you don't have to!
So, here it goes...
"Protect me God, because I trust in you. I said to the LORD ,'You are my LORD. Every good thing I have comes from you.'
As for the Godly people in the world, they are the wonderful ones I enjoy. But those who turn to idols will have much pain. I will not offer blood to those idols or even speak their names.
No, the Lord is all I need. He takes care of me. My share in life has been pleasant; my part has been beautiful.
I praise the LORD because He advises me. Even at night, I feel His leading. I keep the Lord before me always. Because He is close by my side, I will not be hurt. So I rejoice and I am glad. Even my body has hope, because you will not leave me in the grave. You will not let your holy one rot.
You will teach me how to live a holy life. Being with you will fill me with joy; at your right hand I will find pleasure forever."
Psalm 16:1-11 (NCV)
So, what does Amber think about this?
Well, I see that trusting God is huge in this passage. As I think about trusting God I have thought about people that I know and want to be like because of their faith in God. And there are many people that I admire for their willingness to trust and step out in faith to go around the world and that is what I myself want to do. But recently I have seen an example of somebody who would absolutely love to be in that position however she has chosen to trust God to use her within her family. She has taken what she wants out of the equation and trusts God to use her where she is. I think that by trusting Him, what God wants for her and what she wants have kind of combined and become one in the same. That is amazing to me and I hope to be there one day!
Also, when we trust God, He will not fail us and He knows what we need before we know that we need it. In my life I notice, when I trust Him, that He has protected me not only physically, but He has protected my heart as well. When I have taken things into my own hands my heart and physical well being have been put into jeopardy. When I trust, He surrounds me with people that I can lean on and love and be loved by. And when He provides such protection and support, it helps me to trust Him more fully.
Also, in thinking about the lack of trust in God that I sometimes have and the fear that strikes...I realize that distrust puts a barrier between my God and me. When I am not fully trusting Him that means that there is a barrier there preventing the trust from taking place and I have put it there. God doesn't put those barriers there...
Lastly we shouldn't fear because "He's been there before. He knows how these shows end. He knows that the worst fear the foe can throw is only a mirage. And He wants us to listen to His voice and Trust Him." --Max Lucado
There are times that fear is going to strike, "there are times when we need a pair of strong arms. You need to know that the arms of God are there." --Max Lucado
So, here it goes...
"Protect me God, because I trust in you. I said to the LORD ,'You are my LORD. Every good thing I have comes from you.'
As for the Godly people in the world, they are the wonderful ones I enjoy. But those who turn to idols will have much pain. I will not offer blood to those idols or even speak their names.
No, the Lord is all I need. He takes care of me. My share in life has been pleasant; my part has been beautiful.
I praise the LORD because He advises me. Even at night, I feel His leading. I keep the Lord before me always. Because He is close by my side, I will not be hurt. So I rejoice and I am glad. Even my body has hope, because you will not leave me in the grave. You will not let your holy one rot.
You will teach me how to live a holy life. Being with you will fill me with joy; at your right hand I will find pleasure forever."
Psalm 16:1-11 (NCV)
So, what does Amber think about this?
Well, I see that trusting God is huge in this passage. As I think about trusting God I have thought about people that I know and want to be like because of their faith in God. And there are many people that I admire for their willingness to trust and step out in faith to go around the world and that is what I myself want to do. But recently I have seen an example of somebody who would absolutely love to be in that position however she has chosen to trust God to use her within her family. She has taken what she wants out of the equation and trusts God to use her where she is. I think that by trusting Him, what God wants for her and what she wants have kind of combined and become one in the same. That is amazing to me and I hope to be there one day!
Also, when we trust God, He will not fail us and He knows what we need before we know that we need it. In my life I notice, when I trust Him, that He has protected me not only physically, but He has protected my heart as well. When I have taken things into my own hands my heart and physical well being have been put into jeopardy. When I trust, He surrounds me with people that I can lean on and love and be loved by. And when He provides such protection and support, it helps me to trust Him more fully.
Also, in thinking about the lack of trust in God that I sometimes have and the fear that strikes...I realize that distrust puts a barrier between my God and me. When I am not fully trusting Him that means that there is a barrier there preventing the trust from taking place and I have put it there. God doesn't put those barriers there...
Lastly we shouldn't fear because "He's been there before. He knows how these shows end. He knows that the worst fear the foe can throw is only a mirage. And He wants us to listen to His voice and Trust Him." --Max Lucado
There are times that fear is going to strike, "there are times when we need a pair of strong arms. You need to know that the arms of God are there." --Max Lucado
6.18.2007
Psalms
"Happy are those who don't listen to the wicked, who don't go where sinners go, who don't do what evil people do. They love the Lord's teachings, and they think about those teachings day and night. They are strong like a tree planted by a river. The tree produces fruit in season, and its leaves don't die. Everything they do will succeed. But wicked people are not like that. THey are like chaff that the wind blows away. So the wicked will not escape God's punishment. Sinners will not worship with God's people. This is because the Lord takes care of His people, but the wicked will be detroyed."
Psalm 1:1-6 (NCV)
This passage means several things to me. I personally have been so wrong in my thinking that I should see how close to the line I can get while remaining "holy". That has been completely wrong! I need to strive to be as holy as possible and to be truly set apart for the Lord so that He is truly able to shine through me!
I want to learn what the Lord has said in His Word and I want it to be written upon my heart so that I am "strong like a tree planted by a river." I want to produce fruit that will glorify my God who gave everything up for me!
The fact that I could be considered wicked if I do not submit to His will for my life truly freaks me out...because not only will I not escape punishment...I will be destroyed. That has ETERNAL implications...I cannot imagine, and it sends shivers through my body to imagine eternity without the presence of my Creator. Whether we recognize God here on earth or not, the fact of the matter is that He is present here. We cannot comprehend what it would be like without him.
Praise the Lord for His presence and grace!
Psalm 1:1-6 (NCV)
This passage means several things to me. I personally have been so wrong in my thinking that I should see how close to the line I can get while remaining "holy". That has been completely wrong! I need to strive to be as holy as possible and to be truly set apart for the Lord so that He is truly able to shine through me!
I want to learn what the Lord has said in His Word and I want it to be written upon my heart so that I am "strong like a tree planted by a river." I want to produce fruit that will glorify my God who gave everything up for me!
The fact that I could be considered wicked if I do not submit to His will for my life truly freaks me out...because not only will I not escape punishment...I will be destroyed. That has ETERNAL implications...I cannot imagine, and it sends shivers through my body to imagine eternity without the presence of my Creator. Whether we recognize God here on earth or not, the fact of the matter is that He is present here. We cannot comprehend what it would be like without him.
Praise the Lord for His presence and grace!
Due to high demand...
Due to a high demand...I have created a blog...Believe it or not Steve Grill you are not the first to suggest it but when you did, I made the decision to just do it. I post on myspace and facebook as well but it is probably much easier for people not already plugged into those sights to check in here to see what I have to say. Starting off, I just want to let you all know that I have loved writing from an early age. I use journaling a lot as an outlet and throughout junior high, high school and college, my teachers/professors were very complimenting of my writing. So, I just pray that the Lord can use it for whatever purpose He has for it! I love to do it and hope that His glory can come from it...I can't promise, daily, or even weekly posts. I write as the Lord leads and will do my best in keeping this updated AT LEAST weekly... Thanks for all of the encouragement and I hope this is useful! Living day by day for Jesus.... Amber
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