4/30/10
ils sont considérés honteux
4/25/10
coucher du soleil
praise
- God is beginning to work in Hayden's life
- Big D made it safely through a double bypass surgery and is recovering well
- a friend who attempted suicide a few nights ago and shared his goodbyes via facebook was rescued in time by canadian EMS who were notified through cell phone tracking from canadian and american facebook friends.
- at least 5 social studies 4-8 teaching positions open in region 5
- beautiful, blessed and peaceful Lord's day with my children
- Z got more work
- E & J seem to be working through their marital problems
- God continue working in the lives of me and my children
- my mother actually starts going to church with us
- M's salvation
- K's salvation
- Z's struggle
- Coco's salvation
- Kat's salvation
- salvation for the parents of the kids I teach. their situations break my heart.
- a teaching job
- a husband/father
4/16/10
je me réjouis!
1 sam 2:1-10
2 And Hannah prayed and said,
For ver. 1–10, see Luke 1:46–53
">f“My heart exults in the Lord;ver. 10; Ps. 75:10; 89:17, 24; 92:10; 112:9; 148:14
">gmy strengthHebrew horn ">1 is exalted in the Lord.My mouth derides my enemies,
because Ps. 9:14; 13:5; 20:5; 35:9
">hI rejoice in your salvation.2 Ex. 15:11; Ps. 86:8; 89:6, 8
">i“There is none holy like the Lord;there is none besides you;
there is Deut. 32:30, 31
">jno rock like our God.3 Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
">kThe bows of the mighty are broken,but the feeble bind on strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
">lThe barren has borne seven, ">mbut she who has many children is forlorn. ">nThe Lord kills and brings to life;he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
">oThe Lord makes poor and makes rich; ">phe brings low and he exalts.8 Ps. 113:7, 8; [Dan. 4:17; Luke 1:52]
">qHe raises up the poor from the dust;he lifts the needy from the ash heap
">rto make them sit with princesand inherit a seat of honor.
[Job 38:4–6; Ps. 24:2; 102:25; 104:5]
">sFor the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,and on them he has set the world.
9 Ps. 121:3; Prov. 3:26; [Ps. 91:11]
">t“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
for not by might shall a man prevail.
10 Ps. 2:9
">uThe adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;ch. 7:10; Ps. 18:13; [2 Sam. 22:14]
">vagainst them he will thunder in heaven. ">wThe Lord will judge the ends of the earth;he will give strength to his king
">xand exalt the powerHebrew horn ">2 of his anointed.”11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel 2 Kgs. 21:12; Jer. 19:3 ">kat which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli See ch. 2:30–36 ">lall that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 [See ver. 12 above] ">lAnd I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, ch. 2:12, 17, 22 ">mbecause his sons were blaspheming God,Or blaspheming for themselves ">1 ch. 2:23–25 ">nand he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli [Isa. 22:14] ">othat the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. [Ruth 1:17]
">pMay God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, [2 Sam. 10:12; Job 1:21; 2:10; Ps. 39:9; Isa. 39:8] ">q“It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.”4/15/10
je suis reconnaissant
Prayer and communication with God helped, of course, but I felt very isolated. It was hurting me that I had no prospective friendships at church. God, as always, has me in mind.
A long time friend of mine returned to Christianity not long before I did. She is experiencing a similar struggle within her own church family. God has blessed us both and boy do we have a lot to talk about now!
I may not have as many friends to talk to about God as I do about the latest gossip, but that is a-ok by me! I am so grateful for the person(s) that God has brought into (or back into) my life so that we might rejoice in His glory, share our struggles, and glow in His love together. And now, our conversations are so much more REAL than they ever were before. In one evening we managed to talk for 3 hours before we realized that we'd never gotten around to talking about the camping trip we were planning (the purpose of the visit) and at no point was there that lull in conversation when someone doesn't know what to talk about next!
Praise God! I LOVE YOU JEN!
4/13/10
Je vis pour Sa gloire
1 . Writing this blog was inspired in two parts.
- I was using fb as a means to post thoughts, scriptures, my growth, etc. I don't particularly like how facebook's notes are organized and stopped several months ago.
- I have a friend whom I love very much. He motivates me in ways that I'm certain he doesn't know. One of those inspirations was his blog.
2. Topics that I have recently discussed, in varying detail.
- The process through which I came to submission before God's commands and the peace that was promised in the scriptures.
- The unworthiness of my prayers.
- The fellowship of Christians - church family
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in my Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Renewing Your Mind audio broadcasts are only archived for a few weeks backward, so click and listen soon! http://www.ligonier.org/rym/broadcasts/audio/how-pray/
If you find this blog after the link has expired, i have bulleted some of the information i found most helpful
5 things every christian needs to know
1. how to study the bible
2. prayer (this audio message)
why we should engage in disciplined prayer life. apostle paul after letter to romans 5 results of justification through faith. WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD. and we have ACCESS to God.
if you are justified, you have permission to speak to God - Something I def needed to hear/be reminded of.
2 corinthians 11 oh that you would bear with me in a little folly
mystery of the union between christ and his bride (the believer) - "the relationship of communion. prayer *is* the channel of communication between christ and his bride"
1. marriage is a gift of the self to another person. our relationship with God is a GIFT.
2. marriage produces an ultimate union
3. marriage requires communion
4. delight in each other and ability to engage in communication
prayer is a communication of love. come into prayer boldly, but in a spirit of humility. Remember who he is (perfectly holy and sovereign) and remember who we are (totally depraved). By remembering this, we are "in a proper posture and attitude of reverence and attitude"
psalm 85:10Q)">(Q) Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
R)">(R) righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12Yes,S)">(S) the LORD will give what is good,
and our landT)">(T) will yield its increase.
13U)">(U) Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way.
proverbs 3
romans 5
philliapians 4 4G)">(G)">G) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.H)">(H) The Lord is at hand; 6I)">(I) do not be anxious about anything,J)">(J) but in everything by prayer and supplicationK)">(K) with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7AndL)">(L) the peace of God,M)">(M) which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Had wonderful fellowship with Jen and her husband Sat. night. Praise God for the Christian fellowship He has blessed me with.
4/11/10
allons-y!
In the meantime, have a listen! These links will be expiring very soon.
RC Sproul discussion on Mary, mother of Jesus as used in Catholicism. *click part 1* *click part 2*
To hear the rest of this series on Roman Catholicism, copy and paste the following links
http://www.ligonier.org/rym/broadcasts/audio/scripture-and-tradition-pt1/
http://www.ligonier.org/rym/broadcasts/audio/scripture-and-tradition-pt2/
http://www.ligonier.org/rym/broadcasts/audio/papal-infallibility-pt-1/
http://www.ligonier.org/rym/broadcasts/audio/papal-infallibility-pt-2/
http://www.ligonier.org/rym/broadcasts/audio/church-and-salvation-pt-1/
http://www.ligonier.org/rym/broadcasts/audio/church-and-salvation-pt-2/
http://www.ligonier.org/rym/broadcasts/audio/sacraments-pt-1/
http://www.ligonier.org/rym/broadcasts/audio/sacraments-pt-2/
4/10/10
4/9/10
quel jour!
Without knowing (or sharing) too many personal details, I can safely say that she has encountered a serious problem in her marriage. I worry for her and her wonderful children. I worry for her husband.
I had a dream while on vacation that shook me deeply about her and her husband. I hope that is not what happened.
Their family is deep in my prayers and thoughts, I hope whomever might read this will include them in theirs as well.
est que ma bouche demande?
I don't pray enough. I don't study enough. I have so much to learn about God's Word and His plan for me. I want to do better, to be better, so that the Lord's light might shine through me. I need to pray more. Praying is the key. I'm sure of it.
My prayers lately have been for Him to remind me to pray.
I don't even know if that's what I'm "supposed" to do - pray for Him to remind me to pray? It's not like God is an alarm clock or anything. I dunno. And then I wonder if I'm even doing it "right".
I'm hoping to find some answers this weekend.
4/5/10
Je suis une rebelle
Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
I am a rebel. To my earliest memory I have rebelled. Against my mother, my teachers, rules, the government and my God. Against them all I rebelled.
In my separation from God I rebelled. When the Spirit awakened my knowledge of God's grace how could I resist the call? Even so, I eventually rebelled against His will and against His commands. When I fled from God's presence I was clearly in a full state of rebellion...clearly.
As I said, I have rebelled in every sense possible my entire life. My mother and ma grand-mère said I was strong-willed - would argue with a brick wall. They were right. "Oh, that is how it is 'supposed' to be done?" I'd ask. Then I would turn and do the exact opposite - my own way, just to "see" what would happen. I constantly tested the boundaries....beyond the "normal" behavior of children, this carried on well into my adult life.
More often than not, I found myself in predicaments that, had I followed instructions, I would have never encountered. Time and time again.
Oh the foolishness of my ways!
Proverbs 26:11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool that returns to his folly.
Boy was I an idiot! I have always known that I could not seek righteousness without submitting to God; Known it through and through. Despite that knowledge, I rejected instruction - EVERY instruction, EVERY single time. I sought my own justice, through the narrow lens of my experience. I couldn't understand why my life was so hard! Ha. Ha. Ha!
Psalm 68:16
God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
I had been wandering a desert of frustration, pain and blame for decades. My anger intensified. I found myself hating every man I had ever known: my father for leaving before I could ever meet him; my step-father(s) for their verbal and physical abuses; my first love for not figuring it out before it was too late; my ex"husband" for belittling me and not being everything I "needed" in a man; and worst of all? I hated my Heavenly Father for not protecting me from the endless hurts and disappointments.
Romans 8:7
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
How could I have hated one who has always - and will always - love me? Loved me despite my rejection of Him, despite my limitless faults, despite my defiance, despite my sin? I knowingly subjected myself to lies and half truths and somehow it was His fault? What an ignorant fool! I don't deserve His love or forgiveness and I praise Him daily for gracing me with mercy and love.
The Spirit moved me again to humble myself before the Lord and beg for His forgiveness. In my weak and miserable human mind, I just knew my independent (rebellious) nature would cause an intense spiritual struggle, unlike any I had ever faced. I prayed for peace. I prayed for help. I prayed that the Lord lift the bondage of anger and resentment that had held me for so long.
I never thought to pray for God to assist me in submitting myself fully to Him. I don't know why it didn't occur to me. Praise HIM for knowing my needs, even when I did not. What is so obvious to me now, I was oblivious to in the beginning of my renewed walk.
Proverbs 16:32-33
Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
I read scripture upon scripture telling me that I must submit to the Lord in all ways, and found myself doing just that. No argument. No hesitation. I am constantly amazed by our most Holy God. He surprises me at every turn and knows my needs long before I could imagine anticipating them. I have found myself, through Christ, passionately, willingly, humbly and completely offering myself to the Lord in ways that, a year ago, I would have found outrageous. The battle for my submission was won long before I even recognized that the war was going on!!
More good news is that even when I was not seeking the Lord, he never, ever left me. He allowed me to make those choices so that when I returned to him, I would be ready to submit fully to him. The suffering - I hesitate to even call it suffering, when compared to the pain that Christ bore for me - that I endured prepared me, molded me and shaped me for His work. The removal of my obstinate, defiant and willful nature was an easy task for him!
I'm by no means perfect, but I am filled with hope in Christ that I will someday satisfy the Lord's requirement of submission. The most Holy God has molded me into this pliable, joyfully submissive person and I live gratefully in a state of grace and forgiveness, Praise God!