A New SEASON - Will You Still Follow?

I haven't been 'blogging' much in the past few months because God has called me to a new season with Him that demands my time in other places and with other people. I continually pray for my blog sisters [and brothers, like Kurt] by name from my prayer list and I also stay in touch with many of you. We have become true friends and have developed relationships that otherwise would never have been - had not we met in Cyberspace!

I say all of that to bring you to the reason for my post today.

Early this morning when I turned on my laptop, I saw a blog post title in an email that intrigued me. So I jumped on that blog and read the short post where God truly had a Word for me.

That is not the point of this post however. Stay with me here.......

As I prepared to make a comment I knew I had to 'sign-in' first - so the fastest way I knew was to jump on my own blog - it signs me in automatically. So, that's what I did.

Here's where this post began....

When I opened my own blog I noticed that my 'followers' list had decreased by one. This had happened a few weeks ago too. Down two, hum........ but this wasn't ever something I pursued [getting followers I mean] in fact for a long time the Lord would not allow me to have a button for followers. I don't do Facebook so my followers were always limited. I know that since I have not visited blogs lately, nor posted much in recent weeks, [this being my first post of the New Year] I even understood why someone would stop being a follower. I thought to myself at that moment, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away."

But then......... John 6:66 flooded my mind:

After Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand ~ After Jesus Walks on the Water ~ After He declares to be the Bread of Life .....we come to the end of John chapter 6 and find this:

John 6:53-69 [SELECTED] NIV 1984

53 Jesus said to them,

“I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

60 On hearing it, many of His disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
61 Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”
6:66 From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to Whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” [emphasis added]

I weep whenever I read that passage. Last spring I taught a Bible study on the Words of Jesus and we camped here for one long session. Can you imagine the hurt in His voice when He said,

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve - those who were His closet followers.

Those who left could not understand this difficult portion of the blood and guts of the Sacrifice He was going to have to pay. He tried to explain it but they didn't get it. Instead of trusting Him more, they deserted Him instead.

Friends, we are capable of the same thing if we do not stay as close to Him as we can. Intimacy with Jesus, means intimacy with The Father [for us]. That's not something I'm willing to give up! Jesus calls us [in these last days] to some very hard stuff... hard sufferings, difficult sacrifices, yet our lives are to be LIVING SACRIFICES according to:

Romans 12:1-2

Living Sacrifices to God

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. [emphasis added]

Let's never give up following the King of kings, even in the hard seasons of life! May the reading of God's Holy Word [His TRUTH] fill your hearts and minds this beautiful cloudy, or sunny, or snowy day wherever you are! I love you all!

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Choosing JOY, Stephanie

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PS: The post title that spoke to me was written by Kelly over at Titus 2 in Action, called: Faith Like Noah. I hope you read that too! Maybe God has a Word for you as well! Be Blessed!

In Darkness Or In Light

This Little Light of mine - I'm gonna let it Shine!

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Happy New Year!

I'm looking for Jesus' in the Clouds to return as Coming King

~ how about you?

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Choosing JOY, Stephanie

THE INHERITANCE

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed I have a beautiful inheritance.
~Psalm 16:6 ESV~

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We learned that God has made us heiresses - and co-heirs with Christ. We learned that our lives are never left to chance.

We learned that we have an inheritance that consists of
PRESENCE
PEOPLE
PROPERTY
As New Testament believers we are priests - and like the Levites
in the OT - our property is the PRESENCE of God Himself.
We inherit PEOPLE - those whom God places around us
in community who share our inheritance or will be blessed by it.
Our PROPERTY is His Presence - but it is also the process of
Christ redeeming our pasts, our life experiences and
our spiritual gifts
in the intimacy with God that we embrace.

We learned that we have a 'field'! Many of us were excited to embrace
that concept of being 'stewards over' our earthly properties - and learning
that we are to 'harvest' those fields to the very edges
with other believers who have the same fields assigned to them.
We are to work together for kingdom purposes - not separately.

We learned that fully inheriting what God has promised us

demands enduring faith and patience while in complete

OBEDIENCE

to what God has called us to be and do.

The Kingdom of God is within us now

but we will inherit a kingdom that will ultimately

be lived out in eternity with Christ as King.

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1 Peter 1:3-7

Praise to God for a Living Hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

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Choosing JOY in being Heiresses,

Stephanie

and those who studied hard this round: Dawn, Joan, Jane, Pat, Linda, Kathy, Tracie, Leeann, Mary, [Me], Donna, Cheryl, Sheryl, Linda, Chris, Bonnie, Annette, Donna, Stephanie, Lynne.

PS: We missed those of you who could not make it to the dinner: Shirley, Tiara, Gail, and Claire.

THY WORD

Psalm 119 The Message
a paraphrase [selected verses]

1-6 You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.

You're blessed when you follow His directions, doing your best to find Him. That's right—you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road He set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now You expect us to live it.

Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course You set;

17-18 Be generous with me and I'll live a full life; not for a minute will I take my eyes off Your road. Open my eyes so I can see what You show me of Your miracle-wonders. I'm a stranger in these parts; give me clear directions. My soul is starved and hungry, ravenous!— insatiable for Your nourishing commands.

41-48 Let Your love, God, shape my life with salvation, exactly as You promised; Then I'll be able to stand up to mockery because I trusted Your Word. Don't ever deprive me of truth, not ever— Your commandments are what I depend on.

Oh, I'll guard with my life what You've revealed to me, guard it now, guard it ever; and I'll stride freely through wide open spaces as I look for Your truth and Your wisdom; then I'll tell the world what I find, speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed. I cherish Your commandments—oh, how I love them!— relishing every fragment of Your counsel.

129-136 Every word You give me is a miracle word— how could I help but obey? Break open Your words, let the light shine out, let ordinary people see the meaning. Mouth open and panting, I wanted Your commands more than anything. Turn my way, look kindly on me, as You always do to those who personally love You. Steady my steps with Your Word of promise so nothing malign gets the better of me. Rescue me from the grip of bad men and women so I can live life Your way. Smile on me, Your servant; teach me the right way to live. I cry rivers of tears because nobody's living by Your book!

169-176 Let my cry come right into Your presence, God; provide me with the insight that comes only from Your Word. Give my request Your personal attention, rescue me on the terms of Your promise. Let praise cascade off my lips; after all, You've taught me the truth about life! And let Your promises ring from my tongue; every order You've given is right.

Put Your hand out and steady me since I've chosen to live by Your counsel. I'm homesick, God, for Your salvation; I love it when You show Yourself! Invigorate my soul so I can praise You well, use Your decrees to put iron in my soul. And should I wander off like a lost sheep—seek me! I'll recognize the sound of Your voice. [emphasis added]

I love the TRUTH of God's Word, even when I might write it out in my own paraphrase giving understanding to how God wants me to receive it! Nothing watered down here - just a joy to devour the meal He has prepared in this Psalm all about His Word. Let God's Word speak to you today - not matter how He brings it across your path. Let's walk the journey together - in unity rather than division, loving each other rather than condemning. May His TRUTH give you understanding, JOY, peace, and... an ability to follow hard after Him.

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Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

PRINCESS WARRIOR

GUEST POST
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The Princess Warrior
by D.J. Hughes © 2010

One of my daughter’s favorite movies is “The Princess Diaries.” In the film, an average American teen discovers that she is the heir to a royal throne – a kingdom currently being ruled by a long-lost relative. Beneath her frizzy hair and clunky glasses, this young girl is really a princess, complete with castle and crown.

The movie was a major box-office success as it struck a chord with nearly every girl’s secret wish: to be a princess. So what does it mean to be a princess?

Simply put, a princess is someone born to prominent parents. And the perks of being a princess are palatial. Besides expensive clothes and designer purses, a princess typically doesn’t have to work very hard at anything – except being pretty – and even that probably comes easily. And that’s to say nothing of the inherent fairy-tale love story wherein a prince rescues the fair maiden from some mild form of distress – such as taking a seriously long nap – as in the case of Sleeping Beauty.

Being a princess – what’s not to love? It’s easy luxury. But on this earth, it’s reserved exclusively for the elite. Thankfully, such an elite status does not exist in God’s Kingdom, for Jesus spoke of His Father’s open invitation. Everyone, rich or poor, are invited to dine at His heavenly banquet (Luke 14:15-24).

In Scripture, anyone who has surrendered her life to Christ is a daughter of the King. Thus, by virtue of His Kingship and our adoption, then we too can call ourselves a princess in a very real, spiritual sense. We are joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).

Despite this truth, the word princess bears such pansy-like connotations that I am reluctant to consider myself one. I much prefer the metaphor of spiritual warrior to that of spiritual princess. I would rather see myself as strong and capable and independent. Yet, this desire for self-sufficiency can, if taken to an extreme, become a stumbling block. As a follower of Christ, I must beware of falling prey to the kind of secular mindset that says I can be the master of my own domain – that I can, with enough hard work, control my own destiny.

This way of thinking negates the cross. No matter how self-sufficient any of us become in our own estimation, we will always need a Savior.

Our need to be rescued is a very real one. But it is a deeply spiritual need. The enemy knows this, so he tries to distort our desires and then deceive us into believing that another person could be the solution to our innermost problem; hence, that a man could rescue a hapless princess or a damsel in distress. But only God can rescue, redeem, and restore. This is why Jesus came.

But when Jesus came to this earth the first time, He did not meet the standard expectations of a King. Rather, He rode a donkey and washed people’s feet. The Son of
Man came, not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

(Matthew 28:20). Likewise, if we are born again, then our true calling as the King’s daughter is to serve. Being a servant, though, hardly resembles our idea of royalty.

For instance, even when a young Esther was suddenly catapulted to earthly princess status, her purpose lay beyond the posh and pampered lifestyle of the palace. She was called to serve her people – even at the risk of her own life.

Many of us today may not feel like a princess. We can look around us and see lots of other people enjoying fancier homes and more elaborate lifestyles. In some ways, being a princess today is a little like the awkward girl in the Disney movie – out of place and very much alone – lost and unsure in this world about who we are. But when we surrender our lives to Christ, He lavishes his great mercy upon us. He removes every stain and wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27). He exchanges our ashes for his beauty (Isaiah 61:4). Instead of designer clothes, we receive a garment of praise – instead of a tiara, a crown of life.

As members of this sisterhood of princesses, we must represent a Kingdom altogether different than the one Hollywood typically portrays. We must clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12). And instead of being waited upon, we must serve with the same attitude of Christ, who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness (Philippians 2:6-7).

Taking the very nature of a servant. That is the call.

But one day the trumpet will sound. Scripture promises that Jesus will come again, only this time He will be riding on a white horse (Revelation 19:11). And when He does, his followers will return with Him (Revelation 17:14), which means that being a princess and a warrior is not mutually exclusive; rather, in Christ, they are one and the same.

The End

D.J. Hughes is a daughter of the King. She grew up attending church, but when she was an awkward teenage girl herself, she met Christ in a very personal way. On a mountaintop at summer camp, the Word challenged her to know God deeply, and not be content with just about knowing information about Him. Today, she devotes her time to serving the people that God has placed in her life: her husband and three kids, her friends and church family, and those in her community. One of the ways she feels called to serve the Body of Christ is through writing and teaching the truths of God’s Word. You may reach her at: www.thequietquill.blogspot.com

DISCIPLINE IS LOVE = Part 4

DISCIPLINE IS LOVE = Part 4
Wrap-Up
by Stephanie K. Brower © 2010

Respect [for God’s and the parent’s authority] is developed through discipline. Take time to properly discipline your children. Properly, meaning: with thought, with action, at the time when the problem occurs. It may not always be easy. It might even be embarrassing, but the closer you bring the discipline action to the time of the incident, the better. Your authority as the parent and your follow-through, is key for the child to know that the boundaries you have set in advance – hold!

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Please join me for my final post at Titus 2 In Action, hosted by Sonya Thompson.

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Choosing JOY, Stephanie

Thank Heaven for Little Girls?

Right around the time I found out last June, that my son and daughter-in-law were expecting their third child, God had this waiting for me. The doctors are fairly sure that the little one she is carrying is a girl!

Being 'Mom-Mom' to 7 boys and 1 girl has been a treasure. It's hard to imagine how you can love each one as if they were the only one - but you just do! I am blessed beyond measure with each one! And it is my job to pray for them to become 'mightly warriors for God's kingdom purposes'! I have a feeling that this next little girl will join the others as a 'strong warrior' in her own right!

My precious ones are Justin, Ethan, Collin / Drew, Tessa, Braden / Jyden, Malachi, #9 Baby Girl?

And to think I also have 8 more in heaven ~ waiting there to meet! My husband is blessed to care for them now. He will be gone 4 years this month! Having grandchildren helps me to keep going ~ and to keep his precious memory alive!

Praise God for the miracles He has done in our family! The Lord is forever faithful!

Psalm 22
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before Him,
28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and He rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve Him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim His righteousness
to a people yet unborn— for He has done it.

Choosing GREAT JOY,
Stephanie