You Are For Me

So faithful, so constant and so true So powerful in all You do You fill me, You see me You know my every move You love for me to sing to You I know that You are for me, I know that You are for me I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness And I know that You have come now even if to write upon my heart To remind me who You are So patient, so gracious, so merciful and true So wonderful in all You do You fill me, You see me You know my every move You love for me to sing to You Lord, I know that You are for me, I know that You are for me I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness And I know that You have come now even if to write upon my heart To remind me Lord, I know that You are for me, I know that You are for me I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness And I know that You have come now even if to write upon my heart To remind me who You are To remind me I know that You are for me, I know that You are for me I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness And I know that You have come now even if to write upon my heart To remind me who You Are

Music Video:

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbSMfL5LuSo

What Does Quiet Time Look Like?

Having a quiet time is like many other activities you might do in life. To be successful, it helps to have a plan.

The Bible says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5).

So what does a daily quiet time look like?

First, be quiet before the Lord. The Bible calls it waiting on God. You start by simply sitting down and shutting up. As you do this, you’ll find yourself revving your engine down and calming yourself. 

Second, pray briefly. Start off with a short opening prayer. Ask God to open your mind and guide you. Ask him to cleanse your mind.

Read a portion of Scripture slowly. This is where your conversation with God begins. He starts speaking to you through his Word, and then you speak back to him through prayer. Read the Bible slowly. Don’t try to read too quickly or too much. The more slowly you read Scripture, the more you’re forced to think about what you’re reading.

Meditate on the Word. Spend some time chewing on what God is saying. Chew on the Word like cows chew on cud. Ponder and wrestle with it in your mind. There are lots of great methods for meditating on the Word. You can find specific ideas on how to meditate on the Bible in my book Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods.

Write down what you discover. When God speaks to you through his Word, care enough about what he is saying to write it down. Writing enables us to remember what God has said to us and record our discoveries.

Pray again. Be quiet. Ask God to show you his Word. Talk to God about what he has said to you. Tell him what you’re thinking about what he is saying. Talk to him about anything else that’s on your mind.
There’s not just one way to have a quiet time, but following a plan similar to this can get you started on a rewarding devotional journey.

Talk About It

• Have you ever thought about your quiet time as an intimate conversation with God?

• What distractions do you need to eliminate in order to “be quiet”?

R. Warren

Finding the Time & Place for Quiet Time

The time you spend with God is the most important part of your day.

When and Where you meet him is important. Consistency matters in both cases.

Mark 1:35 says that “very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed”.

Just because Jesus got up early to pray doesn’t mean you have to.

The key is this:  Give God the best part of your day. It's the time of day you’re the freshest - morning, afternoon or night.

Most importantly, give God the best part of your day and schedule your quiet time into your day like you would any appointment.

Start slowly. If you’ve never had a quiet time before, start with five minutes. Start small and let it grow gradually. Eventually, plan for 15 minutes each day. Who doesn’t have 15 minutes?

Find a special place to meet with God. Jesus had a special place to meet with the Father.

Luke 22:39 says, “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him”.  It was Jesus’ usual habit to go to the Mount of Olives. He had a regular place where he went and prayed.

What kind of place should you look for as your “regular place”?  It should be:

• Secluded:  Look for a place where you can be alone, where it’s quiet, and where you won’t be interrupted.  A place where you can pray aloud.
• Consistent:  Make it the same place every day.

Talk About It

• Take time now to identify your “when” and “where” for your quiet time.
• Share it with a close friend who will hold you accountable.
• What are the parts of your day to which you can give attention.  Put your quiet time at the top of that list.

- R. Warren

Who Can Help You

"I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope."

Have you figured out yet, that you are your own worst enemy?  It’s your own reactions, your own fears, your own inadequacies that cause you to act in foolish ways. I know that’s true for me.

I need to be saved from myself because there are things I don’t like about me, things I wish I had done differently, things I’d like to change. But I can’t change them, not on my own power. . 

You may be saying, “I can change.” I hate to say this, but you can’t.

In January, you’re going to make a list of New Year’s resolutions. By the end of January, that list will be in the dumpster. Why? Because you can’t change on your own; you need God’s power. You need a Savior. 

God never wastes energy. He doesn’t waste effort on things that are unnecessary. In other words, if you didn’t need a Savior, he wouldn’t have sent one. 

If you are honest about it, sometimes you feel like your life is out of control. That’s a common feeling. Welcome to the human race! 

The apostle Paul felt that way 2,000 years ago. He says in the Bible: “I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there one who can do anything for me? The answer is Jesus can and does” (Romans 7:24-25 MSG).

You may be looking for salvation in the wrong places; that’s why you’re frustrated.

You’re looking for that one thing that’s going to give you fulfillment and meaning and peace in life.  Some of us think that if we could just get married, get a certain job or promotion, attain a certain level of wealth, possession and status in life, have a baby, they grow up and graduate — things would be great.  You’re looking in the wrong places. 

A lot of people are looking for salvation in a self-help book. They’re looking for it in therapy or in a fad or diet. They’re looking for it in a vacation: “If I could just escape to Tahiti, everything would be great.” The problem is that if you go to Tahiti, you’re taking you with you.

The answer is not in a place, program or a pill. The answer is a person: Jesus. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life is never going to make sense.

How would your life change if you fully accepted your dependence upon Jesus?
What would a “fully accepting” faith look like?

- J. Walker

Are You Wise or Foolish?

We know the “three-wish stories” occur in almost every culture, all have similar theme.

A benefactor appears and offers to grant three wishes to an unsuspecting beneficiary. The stories so often suggest we all want something we cannot get on our own.

There’s even a “wish story” in the Bible. It happened one night when the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?” 1 kings 3:5

Solomon could have asked for riches, honor, fame, or power.  But he asked for none of these things. He requested “an understanding heart” or a “hearing heart".  A humble heart to listen and learn.

The young, inexperienced king, weighed down with the responsibilities of ruling a vast nation, needed the Lord’s wisdom to govern well.

Am I that wise? If God asked what He could do for me, what would I ask for? 

Would I ask for health, wealth, youth, power, or prestige?
Or would I ask for wisdom, holiness, and love?

Would I be wise or foolish?

Suppose God asked you what He could give to you. What would you ask for?

God’s wisdom is given to those who humbly ask Him for it.

- ODB

 

Eagle & Storm

Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching?

The eagle will fly to a high spot and wait for the winds to come. When it hits, it sets its wings so the wind will pick it up and lift it above. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.

The eagle doesn't escape the storm. It simply uses its wings to lift it higher.

God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above it.

It's not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it's how we handle them.

Just A Though

I think one of the things that most people miss is, to look for the good in people. 

You could have 10 good things but as soon as you make 1 mistake, that's all they see.

What happened to forgiveness/second chance?

The good news and the good thing about Life is,  it goes on.

Have a great day :-)

- Charo