Posts tagged musings

Jeremiah 17:7

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord…

The man is blessed because his source is ALWAYS God; permanent, despite changing circumstances.

In drought, he is confident because he is in God. His source is there and so he will flourish. No bad day…he is in a constant state called “Blessed.”

Goodnight. xx

You know it’s finally dawning on me: I can’t be anyone else but myself.

Love it!

Three or four weeks ago, I made 13 bookmarks- 1 went between the pages of my history book and the other 12 went into an art auction at my school.

It was a leap of faith because I hadn’t “paper-crafted” since I was nine. Today, the people that organized the auction contacted me and I found out I made twice the amount of money I expected.

Wow! 

2 Samuel 22:31 says, “This God- his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” 

I’m reminded of this verse because it was God who told me recently, “You are going to start making cards again,” even though I hadn’t even thought about making cards in a long time.

Making bookmarks was my response to God’s word and it has got me excited about crafting again.

When you doubt, Beloved, know that God sees and knows - You can trust Him. 

“This God- his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”

Today I was tempted with a bad mood…

To blame everything…

The weather, the trees, people.

But I was also reminded today that joy is a choice.

So I made that choice and kept my joy!

The joy of my Lord is my strength ♥

Saw something I had written a little while ago

I thought I should repost it.

Be blessed

♥

Hephzibah (posted on 4th Feb, 2011)

The mirror lied, every time I looked into it. All it did was show me inadequacies, inabilities…faults. It crippled me.

You see I accepted those images as truth; reality I didn’t like but was so nonetheless. I struggled every time I looked at it because the images it reflected fell very short of “beautiful.” 

 Beautiful. That meant my hair had to be a certain way; that my skin had to glow with every ray of sunshine that fell; that my mouth had to be perfectly positioned in pictures.But my features betrayed me. They always fell short - very short. I tried to make myself beautiful, tried to do all I could to measure up physically. It worked and each time I would give myself a pat on the back for a job well done. But soon the success of my efforts would wear out and I would be back again, in front of the mirror, looking and thinking, “I’m so not perfect.”
It was a draining process, having to convince myself that I was beautiful. It really was. 

The strange thing was I was Christian.

I was saved and knew what the Word of God said - that it called me Beautiful and blessed. It called me Hephzibah* - God’s Delight - and Beulah - Married. I was Hephzibah and I was Beulah - God’s Delight, married to Him. Yet, it seemed, this wasn’t enough. Every time I would look in the mirror, I would see scars - emotional and physical.
At times, I felt very different from what God had called me - like I was NOT Hephzibah. Not His Delight.

But I fought the feeling. 

 I was his delight, I told myself; I was his Chosen.
But the images from the mirror started at me, weighing me down. I fought them but it often seemed I didn’t win.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” 

Weights. For me, the mirror was one. It bore down on me, telling me all sorts of lies and most of all, keeping me from fully knowing the love of my Father, my Savior, my Jesus. But nothing can separate me from His Love…
Hephzibah. That’s what He’s chosen to call me. So I lay down past images, knowing that he has called me out to be His Delight.
I am his Delight. I am Hephzibah.
Lay down your weights.

Signed,

Hephzibah ♥


*Scripture from Hebrews 12:1& 2 and names from Isaiah 62:4.

Lately, I’ve been learning to trust in God’s grace; Learning that it’s not works (deeds) that justify but faith in what Christ did.

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be an offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21)

That’s why I’m saved. Grace. Through faith in that grace.

Most of all, I’m learning that God cares about me..me, as an individual..me, as a writer..me, as a dancer..me

Now because He cares for me, I don’t have to care for myself. 

 I recently heard someone say this: 

If it bothers you, it bothers Him [God]

So I’m taking life [as many] steps [as He wants] at a time. He loves me and so He’s got me covered. Covered.

Covered because He loves me. 

Yes, I’m covered because He loves me. 

Child of Promise.x

Jeba! 

A string of esoteric words fill my mouth as I converse with my maker.

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (Mark 16:17 -18)  

Yes! I speak with new tongues!

Two years ago, I received the gift of the Holy Spirit and began to talk in tongues. As I practiced (spoke more), I acquired more words; expanded my vocabulary. I can confidently say, I learned, and am still learning, a whole new language, one with an inexhaustible wealth of expressions. 

Why is this so important for me? Why do some Christians seem to place emphasis on speaking or praying in tongues? Why?

Because it works! And I’m a personal testimony.

As I spoke in tongues often, I noticed I was immensely strengthened; I could pray for long periods of time and it was always an amazing time.

There were ALWAYS words to speak and I knew I was praying rightly because I was praying in tune with God’s will.

Here’s spiritual backing:

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. (1 Corinthians 14:14)

Wait.

But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him ( 1 Corinthians 6:17)

Imagine the Holy Spirit praying together with us and making intercessions for us, through us: as one spirit! Boy! 

We can be SURE of great results.

So that’s one of the exciting things about praying in tongues - You’re hitting the nail on the head and you’re doing it with the Holy Spirit.

I’ve seen the results of accurate prayers. The Bible says that sometimes we don’t know exactly what to pray for but the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. 

As I prayed in tongues, I found out I was praying accurately, either by the physical result or just by a knowing in my spirit. As results come, I’m even encouraged to pray in tongues often.

It’s been an awesome time and I’ve grown a lot from praying with the Holy Ghost and seeing results. Such boldness wells up on the inside of you:

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!

I’ve grown to know the Holy Spirit more intimately and the Scriptures have become a huge treasure chest for me. More than ever, I KNOW God loves me because he has shed His love abroad [made His love real] in my heart through the Holy Spirit.

Praying in tongues, being always in line with the Word of God, has changed my life and I’m certain it’ll change yours. 

Love,

CoP ♥