"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12 NIV
This just happens to be one of my scriptures that I have memorized in 2010. Why? Because I desire joy, I desire patience and I desire faithfulness. I have hope, I honestly do have some affliction and to communicate with God I must pray.
When I looked up "hospitality" in the NIV, Romans 12:12-13 is what came up. HOW COOL IS THAT???
Just a few weeks ago there were 8 of us that were encouraged to begin or keep on showing and giving hospitality. It was a great challenge to my heart because I often have good intentions, but good isn't good enough. I have to put that to action, not just a thought. So I've returned from the conference and have begun walking that out.
Here is Romans 12:12-13 from The Message:
Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
Father, Thank You for continuing to show me creative and inventive ways to walk out "hospitality" in my journey of faith here on earth. Lord, I don't want to quit in the hard times, and I also love how You show Yourself so strong and mighty when we are cheerfully expecting. Father, I wait in expectation. You, Lord Jesus are so amazing. Amen.
With love at Higher Grounds,
Yolanda
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Listening to the chatter
This morning, I can't wait to get outside and take a jaunt up the ladder once again to peek in at the new family that is growing and maturing in my very own yard. Mr. and Mrs. Robin are parents to three young 'uns and they are taking mighty fine care of their young brood. Mrs. Robin hangs close chattering at me while I'm at a safe distance of about 6' looking upon the goodness of God and His creation. All the while Mr. Robin is out gathering food for his children. I'm telling you, for me, it takes discipline to not get any closer and to gaze upon their sweet little faces and into their little eyes.
I wonder, what kind of disciplines do you and I hold to in our journey with our Lord and Savior?
Do we truly take a peek into His word to grow and mature us? Do we listen to the "chatter" that the Holy Spirit speaks to us when we may be getting ourselves into some danger? Are we gathering food (the Word of God) to nibble and feast upon? Do we get closer and closer to God or are we staying at a safe distance?
Discipline from Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary that applies to my heart this morning:
4 : training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character
If you've spent any time near me in the physical sense, or even here at Higher Grounds you know how important it is to me to be hiding God's word upon our hearts and our minds. It truly takes discipline to do so and the rewards are amazing!
Psalm 119:11 NIV: I have hidden our word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Father, thank You for the sweetness and vitality that comes from Your word. That hiding Your word with-in me causes me to think about my words and actions and through the leading of the Holy Spirit that I would not sin against You. Thank You for the visual of Mr. and Mrs. Robin and their three sweet young 'uns. Father, I hunger for You. In the saving Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Lots of love as we walk in discipline to Higher Grounds,
Yolanda
Thursday, May 13, 2010
PRZNHIM
I sat with my journal yesterday morning thanking God as well as laying out my prayer requests. When I began to recall a conversation I had earlier in the week with a man up at the school over the lunch hour. He and I both serve as YouthFriend's and we both were waiting on our lunch buddy to show up. Later after lunch we both were walking out of the school when he said, "I should have known that was your vehicle." The tag on my vehicle reads PRZNHIM and as done so for about 10 years now. We talked then about the hope we have in Christ and what would we be with out Him?
Honestly, I'm not sure that this man knew who I was, perhaps, perhaps not? But what I came away with was the fact that he knew I loved Jesus. WOW! What a great way to testify to the Goodness of Christ. A very good reason to praise Him, but honestly, we don't need a reason to turn our hearts and minds towards Him to praise Him. We do so totally out of having our heart set on His Faithfulness and loving Him because He first loved us.
I'm not sure what you are walking through today, but if you are anything like me this might be on your list as well:
awaiting test results
dysfunctional family
un-saved family members
heart-ache for friends that have lost a loved one recently due to death
concerns for friends walking through cancer
aging parents and their health concerns
your own health concerns
Yet with that being on my heart, I am choosing to Praise Him!!!
Father, I'm grateful this morning that I am able to place my concerns at the feet of Jesus. That I can praise You because You are my God. You alone deserve my praise and that my concerns are being taken care of. Not on my time frame, but Yours. That I can praise You in the parking lot at school as well as in my home. I absolutely love and adore THEE, Lord Jesus. Amen.
PRZNHIM at Higher Grounds,
Yolanda
Honestly, I'm not sure that this man knew who I was, perhaps, perhaps not? But what I came away with was the fact that he knew I loved Jesus. WOW! What a great way to testify to the Goodness of Christ. A very good reason to praise Him, but honestly, we don't need a reason to turn our hearts and minds towards Him to praise Him. We do so totally out of having our heart set on His Faithfulness and loving Him because He first loved us.
I'm not sure what you are walking through today, but if you are anything like me this might be on your list as well:
awaiting test results
dysfunctional family
un-saved family members
heart-ache for friends that have lost a loved one recently due to death
concerns for friends walking through cancer
aging parents and their health concerns
your own health concerns
Yet with that being on my heart, I am choosing to Praise Him!!!
Father, I'm grateful this morning that I am able to place my concerns at the feet of Jesus. That I can praise You because You are my God. You alone deserve my praise and that my concerns are being taken care of. Not on my time frame, but Yours. That I can praise You in the parking lot at school as well as in my home. I absolutely love and adore THEE, Lord Jesus. Amen.
PRZNHIM at Higher Grounds,
Yolanda
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Love, love, and more love
Have you ever found yourself starting to loose that "loving" feeling? I will be honest with you, I have. Not once, not twice, but many times through out my years here on earth. Not just 20 years ago, not just 10 years ago, but as close as a few weeks ago, I've begun to "feel" like loving someone less.
This morning I was reminded, as well as reprimanded by the Holy Spirit when I read this passage: "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8 ESV
We know that God is love. We know that if Jesus Christ lives on the inside of us, that His love resides on the inside of us as well. We have no option, we are told over and over to love. And in this passage this morning I was hit afresh with the term "keep" as well as "earnestly".
Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary for earnest: characterized by or proceeding from an intense and serious state of mind. This tells me that I am to keep loving one another SERIOUSLY. I have found myself clinging to a verse that I memorized last year, Jeremiah 31:3 Msg: "God told them, 'I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!'"
Father God, thank You for continuing to teach me through Your word and circumstances. I hunger for Your love and am thankful that You will never quit loving me. That I can expect, ALWAYS, love, love and more love. Father, You reminded me this morning that I am to SERIOUSLY love others and to keep loving them. Father forgive me for those times that I've allowed my feelings and circumstances to allow my love to cool for another. I'm aware that separating myself does not mean that I am to stop loving them. Thank You Abba, in Your Son's Mighty Saving Name, Jesus Christ. Amen.
With much love,
Yolanda at Higher Grounds
This morning I was reminded, as well as reprimanded by the Holy Spirit when I read this passage: "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8 ESV
We know that God is love. We know that if Jesus Christ lives on the inside of us, that His love resides on the inside of us as well. We have no option, we are told over and over to love. And in this passage this morning I was hit afresh with the term "keep" as well as "earnestly".
Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary for earnest: characterized by or proceeding from an intense and serious state of mind. This tells me that I am to keep loving one another SERIOUSLY. I have found myself clinging to a verse that I memorized last year, Jeremiah 31:3 Msg: "God told them, 'I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!'"
Father God, thank You for continuing to teach me through Your word and circumstances. I hunger for Your love and am thankful that You will never quit loving me. That I can expect, ALWAYS, love, love and more love. Father, You reminded me this morning that I am to SERIOUSLY love others and to keep loving them. Father forgive me for those times that I've allowed my feelings and circumstances to allow my love to cool for another. I'm aware that separating myself does not mean that I am to stop loving them. Thank You Abba, in Your Son's Mighty Saving Name, Jesus Christ. Amen.
With much love,
Yolanda at Higher Grounds
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
I will return after getting the manual
Here at our household we've been having some dishwasher issues for the past several days. The problem is after each cycle, the tub is not emptying the water completely. My Man and I pulled out the "Use and Care Guide" that came with our machine but there really wasn't any real answers to trouble shoot and fix the problem on our own. So we called on a repair man. He came in this morning, spent several minutes taking things apart and searching for the real problem, to no avail. He put things back together and turned to me and said, "I'll be back in a day or two because I have to get the manual."
There is a spiritual lesson here that I firmly believe God has revealed to me. There are times that I am not emptying myself of "self" like I need to be doing. My own "tub" still has issues inside of me that is not pleasing to God. Perhaps a sharp word to a loved one, perhaps wrong thinking, perhaps _______. When that happens I'm not really bringing glory to God's Name in what ever that situation might be. I can pull out my own "Use and Care Guide" which really is about my "feelings" and "memories" instead of going to the Repair Man, Jesus Christ Himself! I also am to turn to the Manual, the Word of God, to guide me and direct me to get my eyes off of me and my feelings, emptying my "tub" of self allowing the Manual to repair me.
Father, this morning I come to You, the TRUE Repair Man of my soul. Lord, I pull out The Manual for abundant living and am digging deep into the truths that are placed strategically for me in my own time of need to bring Honor and Glory to Your Name. Why? Because I know what I am capable of as well as the fact of needing a daily service job, a time of fine tuning. Lord, I am thankful for simple visuals that You bless me with, and may I truly apply them to my life. In the loving name of Jesus, Amen.
Lovingly at Higher Grounds,
Yolanda
There is a spiritual lesson here that I firmly believe God has revealed to me. There are times that I am not emptying myself of "self" like I need to be doing. My own "tub" still has issues inside of me that is not pleasing to God. Perhaps a sharp word to a loved one, perhaps wrong thinking, perhaps _______. When that happens I'm not really bringing glory to God's Name in what ever that situation might be. I can pull out my own "Use and Care Guide" which really is about my "feelings" and "memories" instead of going to the Repair Man, Jesus Christ Himself! I also am to turn to the Manual, the Word of God, to guide me and direct me to get my eyes off of me and my feelings, emptying my "tub" of self allowing the Manual to repair me.
Father, this morning I come to You, the TRUE Repair Man of my soul. Lord, I pull out The Manual for abundant living and am digging deep into the truths that are placed strategically for me in my own time of need to bring Honor and Glory to Your Name. Why? Because I know what I am capable of as well as the fact of needing a daily service job, a time of fine tuning. Lord, I am thankful for simple visuals that You bless me with, and may I truly apply them to my life. In the loving name of Jesus, Amen.
Lovingly at Higher Grounds,
Yolanda
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