Friday's Findings

Good mornin' Ladies of Grace! I love the Lord!! I've got a lot to say today, and I'm probably gonna be rambling, so just get ready. The first thing I want to say is "Bring on the SNOW!!!!" Woo Hoo! I loooove snow!!

Ok, maybe a little background before I start rambling. I don't know if it was Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, or someone else, but, in a Bible study, or book I read, someone said to pay attention if certain scriptures continue repeating themselves. Like,say, you're reading a devotional, it has that scripture, then you go to your daily Bible reading (by chance) it's the same scripture, then you're reading a book, same scripture, then you hear someone quote it. Coincidence? I don't think so!! It's a God incidence!! When that happens to me, I try to go deeply into that scripture. I meditate on it, just to see if I can apply it somehow in my life. Then I go to different Bible commentaries, then I look to see the cross-references to other scriptures. This used to happen to me quite often, but it hasn't in a while. OK, it's majorly happening now!! One of the verses is one that Brother Joe used on Wednesday, Phil. 6:6-7 "Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses every thought will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." HCSB. Ok, I'd like to quote some of the references. "Scripture commands us not to worry. Anxiety demonstrates a lack of faith. Christ promised to provide for all our needs. We must choose to believe Him and obey no matter what the circumstances might be." Encounters with God - Blackaby Bible
"Anxiety wanes and eventually disappears when we take our concerns to the God who has the power and the wisdom to take care of them, believing that He always has our best interests at heart. If we dwell on negative things, our frame of mind will soon turn sour, pessimistic, and negative. If we fill our minds with the things of God - with prayer and thanksgiving - the opposite occurs and we begin to see the world as God sees it." Charles Stanley

You're not gonna believe it, but John 15:5 came up in my devotional yesterday. So, I went deeper into that. I'm not gonna quote the verse, you should know it by now!! LOL! (Besides it's at the top of the page) "Out of our intimate relationship with God flows everything of consequence. Apart from His presence in our lives, we can don nothing of eternal significance." Encounters with God Bible
"The only way we can play a significant role in the kingdom of God is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us. While apart from Him we can do nothing, in Him we can do anything He calls us to do. Jesus does not want any of us to lead unproductive or unfocused lives. He chose us not only for salvation, but also to play a significant role in His kingdom. He wants each of us to fulfill a particular purpose." Charles Stanley. One thing I noticed about both of these was the fact that both chose to use the words consequence and significant. Wow! Think about that!

Now, I'd like to say, (Noooo, I haven't said enough already) I started reading a book "Having a Mary Spirit" by Joanna Weaver. It has been an excellent thing to read along with the study we are doing. Believe it or not, I'd like to quote something from that book. LOL! "My deepest fear is waking up twenty years from now still the same woman I am today. With the same annoying habits and petty attitudes; with the same besetting sins and false beliefs. I can't imagine anything more terrible than getting to the end of my life only to discover that God had so much more in mind for me - more freedom, more joy, more peace, more true effectiveness. And I had missed it all, simply because I refused to change."

Lord, please let us all be the clay in your amazing potters hands. Mold us into what you would have us to be! Amen!