Holy Spirit vs. the spirit of the world

John 14:6 "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'

As Christians, we are hilarious to the world we live in.  People think we are arrogant and ridiculous-yet unsophisticated in today's world.  But according to John 3:18, "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's
one and only Son."  This verse shows that we are not arrogant, we are humble. 

We are humble because apart from God, we are condemned.  On my own, I am nothing.

The world only wants to see Jesus as a way, not the way.

Matthew 7:13, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  Most people in this world are on the wide path.  This is why people call Christians arrogant.

Most people are filled with the spirit of the world, but a few are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ is the Way.  I will not water down my beliefs.

Our only hope is Jesus-the one way.  And he is not hiding, he is open for people to find.

Like a burning building with many doors; but only one way to safety.  God has called me to stand by that door and call to the "blind" and urge them to safety and life.  Is that arrogant?

Jesus Christ is the Way.  This is not what the world wants to hear, but what the world needs to hear.

Prayer without ceasing

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Today let's focus on "pray without ceasing".  How can that be?  We breathe without ceasing, and our hearts beat without ceasing.  Our other organs work behind the scenes and we don't consciously tell them to work for us.  Can we learn to pray as naturally as we breathe?

In the morning as we wake up we can talk to our God, "OK Father...I'm awake; I'm feeling a little tired and grumpy this morning but I give this day to You and choose to praise You instead!  I praise You for Your beautiful creation, thanks for a comfortable bed and for the breakfast You have provided.  Guide my steps today and show me Your ways."  Then it is time to listen.  This on-going conversation can become a natural part of our day.

So what if I'm feeling weak in spirit and mind and can't even voice my feelings?

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.   Romans 8:26-27

Continue to pray, focusing on people in your immediate surroundings, your family and your brothers and sisters at Valleybrook needing prayer.

Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18

As we spend time praying, God has promised to show us exciting things!

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.  Jeremiah 33:3

It will be exciting to change, grow and practice "prayer without ceasing" as it starts to become as natural as breathing.

True Femininity Giveaway!

Hello friends in Christ!

My lovely fellow blogger at True Femininity is hosting another CSN store, giftcard giveaway!  Just in time for spring cleaning!  So hop on over see how to join in!

God Bless!

My future wedding...?

Even though I am far away from this day (I have no current prospects for dating, courtship, or marriage) I still like to think about how I will spend it (I am inspired by my cousin, who is getting married on Saturday-the 5th).  It's one of those things that most little girls dream of for many years.  And I would like to share some of the ideas I have for mine.

I will begin by saying that I love going camping.  My parents started camping before I was born, and I've been going camping with my family every summer since I was born.  We usually go to State Parks, and we started out in tents (this was before I can remember), but then moved to pop-up campers for many years-and now that my parents are "empty nesters" they have upgraded to a pull behind.

I also love autumn, it's my favorite season and time of year.  The colors are beautiful, and I love the cool, crisp weather.  God truly does make a beautiful home for us.

So, with these in mind, I would like to have my wedding in the fall.  Also, at the State Park where my mom works is also where I went to Vacation Bible School-summer camp through my church-they rented out the group camp.  I would like to rent that for my wedding, then there would be cabins for people to stay in, and there's a kitchen in the main building, as well as a giant fireplace inside and a big fire pit outside.

This is what I have that I would really like for my wedding.  I have some ideas about other things that I want, such as I love lilies, so I'd like to have those somehow incorporated. 

These are just some of my current musings.  Since my cousin is getting married on Saturday, I was feeling inspired.

More "Spring cleaning"

So with February winding down and Spring around the corner; I thought this would be a good time to do some "internal" spring cleaning. 

I still have some items left on my "normal" cleaning list-like vacuuming, organizing, etc.  But it is also time to take a look in the mirror and rid myself of bad habits any masks I might hide behind from time to time. 

I am watching The Biggest Loser right now online (because I have class 6-9 each Tuesday night and miss the whole thing) and I'm feeling inspired by them, I'm feeling inspired by my newest Self magazine that I just got in the mail yesterday. 

I need to work on clearing out my own mind-essentially forgiving myself of past sins.  Because I know the Father has forgiven me.  But the hardest part is forgiving myself and trying to move past the mistakes of my past.  God gave his Son for our sins, so I need to let them go myself so I can truly live for God. 

I need to realize that my friends love me for who I am-the quirky, nerdy, girlie that I am.  So I need to allow myself to open up to them-God brought them into my life for a reason.  They are just what I needed at this time in my life-especially our time on Sunday nights. 

I need to set aside more time for just Scripture and devotion.  I have not been doing that nearly as much as I know I should or want to.

But that is it for now.  I better go and get ready for work soon. 

God Bless.

Spring Cleaning!

This week I will be starting my spring cleaning; I know it's only February, but It's starting to get to me.  I also want to do this major cleaning before classes and my workload start to build up.  Because having a dirty space is distracting to me when I'm trying to concentrate on my classwork.

I've walked through my apartment with my notebook and started making a list of what I want to do in each room, starting with the kitchen, then the bathroom, living room, my bedroom, etc.  I'm going to share what I have on my list so far.  Please feel free to share any tips or other ideas you may have.  Thanks

Kitchen:
wash dishes
clean stovetop
clean wall behind stove
clean out microwave
clean and organize under sink
clean and organize under microwave (wheeled cart)
clean and organize kitchen table
clean and organize top of fridge
organize pantry
organize pots/pans cupboards
clean garbage can
clean out fridge-throw away expired and leftovers, scrub shelves, organize food
clean sink
vacuum cobwebs
sweep floor
mop floor

Bathroom:
unclog sink
scrub sink
unclog tub
scrub tub
clean toilet
vacuum vent
clean mirror and cabinet
vacuum cobwebs
sweep floor
mop floor

Living Room:
vacuum cobwebs
dust-mantle, tv, dvds, game shelves, pictures, entry table
organize sewing table
organize dvds
organize green coffee table
vacuum under couch cushions
wipe down coffee table
vacuum carpet

Bedroom:
make bed
dust-tv, wooden shelf, pictures, back of desk
laundry-towels: kitchen, bathroom, my towels
organize storage bench
organize bookshelf cupboards
organize wooden drawers
clean makeup brushes
clean under bed
vacuum under bed
vacuum carpet
clean computer keyboard

Car:
bring in stuff
organize emergency kit
clean trunk
vacuum floor

Curling attempt

So last night after I showered, I put my hair in curlers and slept with them in (since they are foam and covered in fabric). 

As of now they are still in, because I have really thick hair (I mean REALLY) thick, and my hair is still a little damp.  So I will let them dry more on their own-now that they're not pressed up against a pillow, restricting their airflow.  But I might use my hair dryer with the diffuser attachment.

I also have started making my spring cleaning list.  But I will probably start a little bit today, but I'm meeting with a "buddy" for a class assignment.  And I'm going to see Snow White with a group of work friends-because one of our friends/co-workers is in it.  So today will be relatively busy, but next week should have calmed down some so I can get lots done.