Good morning and happy Monday! We finished up Nathan's basketball season on Saturday. Unfortunately, his team lost both games they played, but he really did a great job. Both our children really enjoy playing basketball so it's a bummer when their seasons are over but it will work out well since we will soon be starting the remodeling on our new house. Since we'll be on a one month time frame, I'm sure there won't be time for much else. I think that God just has a way of working these things out.
I woke with a song in my head that we often sing in church. "All things work together, all things work together, all things work together, work together for good. For those who love God, for who are called, called to His purpose. All things work together, all things work together, all things work together, work together for good."
This is a song pulled from Scripture. What a great way to memorize this powerful truth.
I will stand on God's promises today - will you?
Have a great day
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie
Monday, March 9, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
OUCH!!! I am learning that going to the rec center is a bad, bad thing! I've shared with you before that I enjoy walking each morning before the rest of my family rises. Lately, I've added a little jogging into my morning routine - about 1/2 and 1/2. So when we met some friends at the rec center last night, I thought - no problem! My friend, Christi and I began walking the track. I noticed her strides were much longer than mine and she could keep up a very fast pace, but of course, feeling like a professional, I suggest to her that we walk 1/2 and jog 1/2. MISTAKE! She informs me that she normally runs 2.5-3 miles at a time. Yes, I said RUN. Let's just say after about 10 laps I thought I was going to die! I asked if we could just walk - sure - but her walking is like my jogging. I couldn't let her know that she was killing me, so I continued on acting like everything was fine. My shins began to burn, my hip was hurting and I had a sharp pain shooting through my back into my tailbone. I could fake it no longer as I limped along. She suggested that maybe we should stop and take a break - hallelujah!!! I went straight home and into my bed, falling instantly asleep. Let's just say - I'm glad it's Friday!
Oh, the pain of pride!! I must get rid of this nasty habit!
Have a great day and a great weekend!
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie
Oh, the pain of pride!! I must get rid of this nasty habit!
Have a great day and a great weekend!
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie
Thursday, March 5, 2009
As I study the book of Malachi, I've noticed, each time Malachi confronts people with their sins, they come back with "how is that"? How could we be doing that?
I know many times that I have justified my sin because it's what I want to do. When I am confronted about it, my defense begins with each justification that has already went through my brain and maybe a few more I can come up with on the spot. Sometimes, I actually have convinced myself that I'm really not doing anything wrong.
It normally doesn't hit me until I have time to reflect on the confrontation or conviction from God. Then, I have a choice to make. Will I continue to do what I want, knowing that it is wrong or do I practice what I preach and confess my sin and repent.
Now, don't get me wrong - I totally understand that it is not always so cut and dried. Stopping a sin that we love so much is a very difficult thing to do.
Looking back over my life, I actually wish that I would have been confronted more by loving Christians. I wonder if I would have made the choice to stop specific sins sooner if someone had brought them to my attention. This actually gives me more strength to lovingly confront others when I see them acting against God. I would want the same for myself.
Here's the commentary from my Bible for 3:13-15 - it pretty much sums it up. "These verses describe the people's arrogant attitude toward God. When we ask, "What good does it do to serve God?" we are really asking, "What good does it do for me?" Our focus is selfish. Our real question should be, "What good does it do for God?" We must serve God just because He is God and deserves to be served."
Have a great day!
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie
I know many times that I have justified my sin because it's what I want to do. When I am confronted about it, my defense begins with each justification that has already went through my brain and maybe a few more I can come up with on the spot. Sometimes, I actually have convinced myself that I'm really not doing anything wrong.
It normally doesn't hit me until I have time to reflect on the confrontation or conviction from God. Then, I have a choice to make. Will I continue to do what I want, knowing that it is wrong or do I practice what I preach and confess my sin and repent.
Now, don't get me wrong - I totally understand that it is not always so cut and dried. Stopping a sin that we love so much is a very difficult thing to do.
Looking back over my life, I actually wish that I would have been confronted more by loving Christians. I wonder if I would have made the choice to stop specific sins sooner if someone had brought them to my attention. This actually gives me more strength to lovingly confront others when I see them acting against God. I would want the same for myself.
Here's the commentary from my Bible for 3:13-15 - it pretty much sums it up. "These verses describe the people's arrogant attitude toward God. When we ask, "What good does it do to serve God?" we are really asking, "What good does it do for me?" Our focus is selfish. Our real question should be, "What good does it do for God?" We must serve God just because He is God and deserves to be served."
Have a great day!
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Good morning my bloggy friends and happy Wednesday!! :) I'm so excited to introduce Jill Savage, speaking about her new book, "Real Moms....Real Jesus"!
Today I’d like to welcome author and speaker, Jill Savage. Jill’s recent book Real Moms…Real Jesus, just released, and I wanted to ask her about her real mom moments.
Jill, tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
Mark and I have been married 25 years and we have five children. Anne is 24 and married to our wonderful son-in-love, Matt. Evan is 21 and married to our beautiful daughter-in-love, Julie. Erica is 18 and a college student at Heartland Community College. Kolya is 15 and in the 8th grade. We adopted Kolya at the age of 9 from Russia---the God story about his adoption is included in the Real Moms…Real Jesus book. And Austin is 12 and in the 7th grade.
Tell us about your newest book Real Moms...Real Jesus?
Real Moms…Real Jesus is a book designed to help moms understand that when Jesus lived on this earth he was fully God, yet fully man. We don’t often think about the fact that he was a human being and he lived the full human experience: pain, hunger, fatigue, frustration, betrayal, disappointment. He experienced it all!
There’s one verse in the Bible about Jesus that simply says “large crowds followed him everywhere he went.” Well, isn’t that the life of a mom? Large crowds follow her to the bathroom. They follow her to the kitchen. To the grocery store. She’s in high demand! And when Jesus lived on this earth, He was in high demand, too.
Why did you want to write this book?
Most of us long for a friend who understands. Yes, we need girlfriends who understand what our life is like. But we also need to understand that we have a friend who understands in Jesus. Too many of us think of God as being distant and unable to relate to our daily struggles. But nothing could be further from the truth! He understands and he wants us to build our friendship with Him. He wants to not only be our Savior, but also our Friend.
What do you hope your readers will gain from this book?
I hope that readers will gain a new perspective about their relationship with Jesus. I also hope to weave God’s truth into the daily life of a mom.
What unique elements will the reader find in Real Moms…Real Jesus?
Each chapter looks at some character trait in Jesus’ life that can help us in our life as a mom. In between the chapters are interactive vignettes that provide brief, refreshing glimpses into our real, messy, busy lives.
There are also questions at the end of the chapter for further consideration and suggested Bible reading in the book of Matthew. If the reader chooses to pursue the suggested reading, she will have read the book of Matthew completely by the end of the book! There is also a leader’s guide in the back of the book so it can be used in a group setting.
This is a Hearts at Home book. What is Hearts at Home?
Hearts at Home is an organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home encourages moms through annual conferences, our extensive website (http://www.hearts-at-home.org), a free bi-weekly electronic newsletter, a radio program, and an entire line of books designed to meet the needs of moms all over the world!
Any closing thoughts?
I am very excited about this book! I believe that if a mom can strengthen her relationship with Jesus Christ, she will feel more equipped to be the mom she wants to be. I’m also offering an online book discussion on my blog beginning Tuesday, April 7. If you’d like to join us, you can subscribe to my blog at http://www.jillsavage.org.
I’d love to hear a reader’s thoughts after they read the book, too! You can connect to me through my blog at http://www.jillsavage.org.
Thanks, Jill, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your real mom, real Jesus moments with us.
You can purchase your own copy of Real Moms…Real Jesus by clicking http://www.amazon.com/Real-Moms-Real-Jesus-Friend-Understands/dp/0802483615/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236090668&sr=1-1
And be sure to check out Hearts at Home, their conferences for moms, and all their online resources http://www.hearts-at-home.org
Have a great day
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie :)
Today I’d like to welcome author and speaker, Jill Savage. Jill’s recent book Real Moms…Real Jesus, just released, and I wanted to ask her about her real mom moments.Jill, tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
Mark and I have been married 25 years and we have five children. Anne is 24 and married to our wonderful son-in-love, Matt. Evan is 21 and married to our beautiful daughter-in-love, Julie. Erica is 18 and a college student at Heartland Community College. Kolya is 15 and in the 8th grade. We adopted Kolya at the age of 9 from Russia---the God story about his adoption is included in the Real Moms…Real Jesus book. And Austin is 12 and in the 7th grade.
Tell us about your newest book Real Moms...Real Jesus?
Real Moms…Real Jesus is a book designed to help moms understand that when Jesus lived on this earth he was fully God, yet fully man. We don’t often think about the fact that he was a human being and he lived the full human experience: pain, hunger, fatigue, frustration, betrayal, disappointment. He experienced it all!
There’s one verse in the Bible about Jesus that simply says “large crowds followed him everywhere he went.” Well, isn’t that the life of a mom? Large crowds follow her to the bathroom. They follow her to the kitchen. To the grocery store. She’s in high demand! And when Jesus lived on this earth, He was in high demand, too.
Why did you want to write this book?
Most of us long for a friend who understands. Yes, we need girlfriends who understand what our life is like. But we also need to understand that we have a friend who understands in Jesus. Too many of us think of God as being distant and unable to relate to our daily struggles. But nothing could be further from the truth! He understands and he wants us to build our friendship with Him. He wants to not only be our Savior, but also our Friend.
What do you hope your readers will gain from this book?
I hope that readers will gain a new perspective about their relationship with Jesus. I also hope to weave God’s truth into the daily life of a mom.
What unique elements will the reader find in Real Moms…Real Jesus?
Each chapter looks at some character trait in Jesus’ life that can help us in our life as a mom. In between the chapters are interactive vignettes that provide brief, refreshing glimpses into our real, messy, busy lives.
There are also questions at the end of the chapter for further consideration and suggested Bible reading in the book of Matthew. If the reader chooses to pursue the suggested reading, she will have read the book of Matthew completely by the end of the book! There is also a leader’s guide in the back of the book so it can be used in a group setting.
This is a Hearts at Home book. What is Hearts at Home?
Hearts at Home is an organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home encourages moms through annual conferences, our extensive website (http://www.hearts-at-home.org), a free bi-weekly electronic newsletter, a radio program, and an entire line of books designed to meet the needs of moms all over the world!
Any closing thoughts?
I am very excited about this book! I believe that if a mom can strengthen her relationship with Jesus Christ, she will feel more equipped to be the mom she wants to be. I’m also offering an online book discussion on my blog beginning Tuesday, April 7. If you’d like to join us, you can subscribe to my blog at http://www.jillsavage.org.
I’d love to hear a reader’s thoughts after they read the book, too! You can connect to me through my blog at http://www.jillsavage.org.
Thanks, Jill, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your real mom, real Jesus moments with us.
You can purchase your own copy of Real Moms…Real Jesus by clicking http://www.amazon.com/Real-Moms-Real-Jesus-Friend-Understands/dp/0802483615/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236090668&sr=1-1
And be sure to check out Hearts at Home, their conferences for moms, and all their online resources http://www.hearts-at-home.org
Have a great day
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie :)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Good morning! I had another great evening at class. I continue in "Orientation for Adult Studies" where I'm learning how everything works and where everything's at. I have already been blessed by the people I'm meeting - from the instructors to the students. I picked up my books for the rest of the semester and was intimidated by the size and amount of reading that I will do in each six week class, but I continue to remind myself - God brought me here and He will bring me through. Here we go!!
Our small group is studying the book of Malachi. As I began reading yesterday, some verses jumped out at me and really made me think. Malachi 1:6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My respect?" says the Lord of Hosts to you.......
OUCH! The question cuts me like a knife.
If I say that God is the Lord of my life - why do I put my desires over His?
If I say that I am a woman of faith - why do I choose fear over faith?
If I say that I love the Lord - why do I not show that love by my thoughts, words and actions?
If I say that I put the Lord first - why do I end up there so often?
The Lord is asking us - where is My honor and respect?
It is our choice. I have no one else to blame but myself. I want to honor and respect my Lord.
Lord, give me the strength to put You where You belong in my life - at the #1 spot. Give me the fire and passion to serve You over myself. Make satan's lies clear to me and prompt me to ignore his lures. You know that my heart truly wants to bring glory and honor to you - I just tend to get in the way. In Jesus Name, Amen
May this be the prayer of our hearts each day as we love and serve God.
Have a great day
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie
Our small group is studying the book of Malachi. As I began reading yesterday, some verses jumped out at me and really made me think. Malachi 1:6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My respect?" says the Lord of Hosts to you.......
OUCH! The question cuts me like a knife.
If I say that God is the Lord of my life - why do I put my desires over His?
If I say that I am a woman of faith - why do I choose fear over faith?
If I say that I love the Lord - why do I not show that love by my thoughts, words and actions?
If I say that I put the Lord first - why do I end up there so often?
The Lord is asking us - where is My honor and respect?
It is our choice. I have no one else to blame but myself. I want to honor and respect my Lord.
Lord, give me the strength to put You where You belong in my life - at the #1 spot. Give me the fire and passion to serve You over myself. Make satan's lies clear to me and prompt me to ignore his lures. You know that my heart truly wants to bring glory and honor to you - I just tend to get in the way. In Jesus Name, Amen
May this be the prayer of our hearts each day as we love and serve God.
Have a great day
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie
Monday, March 2, 2009
Good morning and happy Monday! I'm feeling refreshed and revived after a much-needed weekend. I spent most of the day Saturday, working on relationships. I spoke in previous posts about God's prompting for me to reconcile and restore relationships that have been hurt. Through God's grace, I was able to ask forgiveness and reconcile with a person. Has the process been difficult for me? Absolutely! But has it been a total blessing? Absolutely! I am thankful for the Holy Spirit's prompting and for the strength that He gives me to obey.
Then, I worked on enhancing some already good relationships. Spending time with people that I don't get the opportunity to see very often. All times that I intentionally spend making the relationships I have, better, I am blessed.
The anger and bitterness that I've held inside is being cleansed - what an amazing feeling and what an even more amazing God we serve!!!
Hebrews 12:14-15 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it may be defiled;
Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Have a great day
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie
Then, I worked on enhancing some already good relationships. Spending time with people that I don't get the opportunity to see very often. All times that I intentionally spend making the relationships I have, better, I am blessed.
The anger and bitterness that I've held inside is being cleansed - what an amazing feeling and what an even more amazing God we serve!!!
Hebrews 12:14-15 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it may be defiled;
Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Have a great day
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie
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