Weeds

This week I decided to weed that front yard of mine. Once they begin the take over, the grass dies. I have put in a ton of work on the yard. We have an HOA and they do not allow any type of discord in the yards. During these last two years that front yard has had more attention than it deserves. It couldn't be much larger than 400 sq feet.

First I tore the grass out and put in turf. I thought my troubles were over until I discovered that the turf was summer grass. It did as designed and died when winter came. So I did winter grass seed. Then I got busy and you guessed it. The winter grass died for summer. I did not mow it right away so it once again did the natural thing. It smothered the new growth form the turf that lived underneath. To top it off, ants came to live in that dead mess. Those ants were so thick they made the earth move. I had what looked like a fire burned yard with ants and weeds. See what I mean? I killed the ants (actually I believe they are just hiding somewhere waiting for my nice new grass.) and for the last five days I have weeded that thing. Remember, it is July in Arizona. Victory is at hand, however, for now that yard is weeded, bug free, covered in seed and fertilized. Pray it grows. We have monsoons now but if that sun hits it too hard it can die again.

The reason I write this saga to you is because of what I learned while weeding that yard, as the sweat dripped from my body. The weeds resemble evil roots in our life that keep us from enjoying the abundant life Christ died to give us. Things like bad habits, sorrow or grief from the past, shame from childhood, victimization and abuse. The wrong coping devices we used to survive that past life, then, still paralyzes us for today. I noticed that the weed root attached to the grass root making it harder to pull up. Even though the old grass root was being choked out by the weed it still attached deep. When the old grass root was dead the weed was a breeze to pull up, so was the old grass root.

You see, we need to release the old grass root, those things from the past we hang on to as if we need them to survive. Those old coping devices are unhealthy so are the recordings of the past that tell us stuff that no longer applies. They may have been a reality yesterday but today they are a lie. The truth is that we are new creations in Christ and we have a new life in Him. Once we let go of and release the past and place our lives into his hands we can site and pull out the weeds that choke and steal our new life. That weed has no power if it can not attach to the old memory. Pull it out, get every last bit of that root out and throw it away.

Christ's Image verses

Phil 2:27 He shows mercy

Prov 16:5 His not proud

Psm 34:16 He is against evil and intends to remove the memory of evil from the earth

His Image .

Romans 3:29

I listened to Charles Stanley yesterday. Though many wonderful things were said and a great plan laid out on how to live the Christian life, the most important thing I got was this phrase from Romans 8:28. be conformed to the image(likeness) of His son (Christ).

I know we all have heard this from the beginning. We all try to attain this as well. Of course this cannot be attained without the power of the Holy Spirit. We all know this too. This is the new thought, though, that came to me. Why fight it? If this is his goal and it is, then this is God's will, His total, perfect will for our lives. We look, search and wonder about our gifts, our place or our role in life. Well, here it is, To be conformed to His image. The end. Why continue to stumble along in selfish immaturity doing what we want, when we want, how we want or making sure we have done everything, seen everything or experienced everything when we can stop, listen and seek to be like Him.

I've decided to make a list of bible verse of His image when God shows me His image. How about you? I do believe the lists will be slightly different for each of us beause each of us is at different stages of growth. (Thank you Lord for not throwing everything at me at once in the 'lets conform Donna' today.) So this is my plan for our blog. I will continue with the psalms 34 list and do it by verse but I will also start the endless list of verses that reveal the image of Christ to us .

Christ's Image

Psalms 34:6 He hears the cry of the poor.

Psalms 34:14 He does not speak evil or lies.

Psalms 34: 15 His eyes are on His children and he listens to our cry

Psalm 34: 1-5

You know how stressful the world is and how we get into fear, worry and anxiety at the drop of a hat? We all experience this and fight it off often. I usually seek to solve it daily with the Word and prayer as I allow myself to just relax and trust in the one who knows the game plan and who has us all in the palm of His hand.

During one of those daily readings I asked to hear something that would help for that particular day. I opened the Word to Psalms 34. You know one of those things you do. Just flip the book open and read. I've always loved this passage but today, in answer to my prayer, I decided to spend time drinking in all its meaning. Thus I bring it to you. Let's spend time on this one and maybe memorize portions. Notice how much peace, love and confidence it produces. God in this passage gives clear promises and instruction.

I will extol the Lord at all times, His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord, let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord and He answered me, He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame.

So, take a moment with me now. Let's praise Him, glorify His name and boast in Him even in our afflictions. He is with us. He will deliver us and we will experience His radiance within us.

Favor

Prov 14:9b; 2 Cor12:9

God's Favor, Wow! Do we realize what's being said in this phrase? Yet the scriptures tell us at every turn we have God's favor. I think we miss this fact and have trouble believing this truth because we all experience tragedy, sickness, troubles and so much stress in our busy lives. We just need to take time out and sit at his feet a while. Take a break now and then and let his favor pour over us. What a change we would experience in every day life.

Who are these favored people? Who are these people who experience supernatural power, during times of trouble and supernatural strength when life over whelms them? Those who know that His strength is made complete when they are weak. Those who know that He has made His dwelling place within their hearts. Those who know Him as Lord (boss) and Savior(the one who paid their debt of sin). NO it is not Oprah's new world religion. Our God, Our Savior has a name, has a plan, has a home waiting for us, has redeemed us from sin with His own blood (death on the cross), has been raised from the dead and lives in those who repent and ask Him into their lives.

May you know you are part of the redeemed. May you understand that this gives you favor with God. May you know this day that you are called the righteous, holy, saints, the children of God. May you know this day how much he loves and accepts you and always will. Who is the person. What is His name?

Jesus the Christ

His Touch

Lord many the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight.

It is not what a man eats the defiles him but the words that he speaks, for words

come from the heart.

I have not written much this month because like everyone I got too busy. I even got too busy to read the bible much or take time to worship, or allow my heart to connect. Oh.. I would read a devotional or check out a verse or make a stab at trying to put those pure nuggets of gold in my heart and that little bit helps but the real meat the real connections comes when I sit still, listen to His voice. His mercy's are new every morning and the word He speaks each day of my life is a treasure. Why waste breath without connecting to the King of the Universe

Thank you Lord....He got my attention as I was driving to the gym (a new thing lately to keep alive). The man on the radio, in a very kind slow voice, like a grandfather would speak, talked about the words of our mouth. How these words can build up, encourage and deliver others into to presence of God. How they can help us all see life as God intended. Positive words of faith and discipline that eliminate the presence of the negatives we are surrounded by daily. His words immediately placed me into God presence and for a brief moment I experienced Gods heart and touch. There is nothing in life like His touch and nothing in life is worth missing that presence.

So today, if you have not taken a moment to connect to the King of the universe and let His presence carry you away to peace, stop what ever it is that keeps you so busy and let His touch free you.

Indescribable

1 Cor. 1:18,19; Gal 2:20

We always go into Christian Book stores on vacation. This year was no exception. My husband found a video called Indescribable by Louie Giglio. You must get it and enjoy the indescribable universe and how it glorifies our God. The message? The Cross.

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written " I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

We can tell others about all the things God has done for us but the only thing we can ever say that has power to bring someone into salvation is the message of the cross. In other words, until a person understands that he or she has messed up, sinned, made mistakes in the sight of God, our creator, the boss of the universe and that this creator through love died for those sins; (taken the punishment, paid the debt) they do not get it. They miss what life is all about.

Life is about surrendering our lives to this creator, our God. Life is accepting his forgiveness which involves admitting fault , confession of sin, repentance and letting him live his life through us. Life is about him and what he wants not about us and what we want. Once we surrender to His will and stop trying to get everything we think we want, life is never dull, never unsatisfying never empty. It has meaning, direction, fulfillment because the one who created us knows what we need and satisfies us with Himself. It turns out that He is all we need to be happy and enjoy life. He is the answer, the treasure.

For it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me and the life I now live I live by faith in him who gave himself for me.

Check out the video. It puts things into perspective.

A Prayer

Ephesians 1:17-23

I have pray this passage often for my family because scripture says to pray according to God's will. Since scripture passages are God's will for our lives, we can know the prayer is answered. There is much depth in this small passage. Thus I've placed questions to encourage research.

A Clue

The answers are personal and deal with our admiration, worship and awe of God. They relate to knowing him in a way that results in eternal life from now through eternity.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints and His incomparable great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the Church, which is His body the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.

• What is wisdom and revelation?
• Know Him better, why?
• Eyes enlightened, how?
• What hope, what calling?
• What glorious inheritance?
• What power?
• What age to come?