I Believe In God With All My Heart, Because I Feel God With All My Heart

I would like to write about the Book of Jeremiah. For some reason this Book in the Bible has caught my heart this week. First off, Jeremiah was older when God began talking to him. But when Jeremiah DID start listening to the Lord...it was "Bible-Writing Worthy" . If you know what I'm talking about?!?!?! Here is some of my favorite verses... 

Jeremiah 1:5-8 ,The Message

This is what God said:

5 “Before I shaped you in the womb,
    I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
    I had holy plans for you:
A prophet to the nations—    that’s what I had in mind for you.”

-That verse is proof God knew how He was going to individually create every single nook and cranny of you before you were born. God also created us with a purpose. Jeremiah's purpose was to be a prophet. Do you know what your purpose is? 
The only way we find our purpose is through a close relationship with God. And how do you get that? You ask? It starts with Salvation. Just like I wrote in my previous Blog...
 http://li2w.blogspot.com/2016/09/2-sides-to-being-born.html
From there the "mustard seed" has been planted and you get in the Word, pray, find a good church that does an invitation every single service, and forgive yourself of your past (that is the most important!)

6 But I said, “Hold it, Master God! Look at me.
    I don’t know anything. I’m only a boy!”

-Typical response, wouldn't you say???? I think mine have been, "Are you sure God?", "Do I really have to?" and "I'm not worthy". That is just the devil seeing an opening to do his work. It's so important at those times to concentrate on The Holy Spirit. Ask The Holy Spirit to "fill up the place around you and calm your heart". He will, right then and there. That is what Faith is. And God giving you the calmness is Grace. 

7-8 God told me, “Don’t say, ‘I’m only a boy.’
    I’ll tell you where to go and you’ll go there.
I’ll tell you what to say and you’ll say it.
    Don’t be afraid of a soul.
I’ll be right there, looking after you.”
    God’s Decree.

-I don't know about you, but when I read, “Don’t say, ‘I’m only a boy.’ I tend to cringe. The one person you don't want to make mad is God, and it sounded like Jeremiah made Him a bit testy. But God didn't get mad, He gave Jeremiah encouragement and love. That is what God Is. He is Love, Encouragement, and any other positive word you can think of. 

    God comforts us in verses 7-8 by telling us we don't have to be anxious about anything. God is talking to Jeremiah, but really, the Bible is for all of us to learn and live by.  Do you all understand that? This story is about Jeremiah, but God does this for everyone that is Saved and who believes in Him. 

    It is my belief that people tend not to believe in God because it's a control thing. I think people correlate God with control. But in all reality, God is just the opposite. He gave us the gift of "Free Will". He understands that we only control ourselves. And still loves us anyway.
    But when we decide to let go of the control, and hand our hearts over to Jesus, God's Grace is like falling on a gurney when you're absolutely exhausted.  Jesus will carry us through any hard times or traumatic events, and make those devastating times "doable". He says, "Don’t be afraid of a soul. I’ll be right there, looking after you.” I believe that with all my heart, because I have felt that with all my heart.
   I love these next verses..."hand-delivered" 

9-10 God reached out, touched my mouth, and said,
    “Look! I’ve just put my words in your mouth—hand-delivered!
See what I’ve done? I’ve given you a job to do
    among nations and governments—a red-letter day!
Your job is to pull up and tear down,
    take apart and demolish,
And then start over,
    building and planting.”

-This is when I think that God is a funny guy. When God reaches out and touches Jeremiah's lips and then says His words where, "Hand-Delivered". That's funny! I love the fact that (I like to think) My God has a sense of humor, or has given me one. Ha Ha! The "Red-Letter Day"   means a holiday. That's how I'm going to read it. A celebration! Jeremiah has his purpose. And finally knows it! Praise Jesus!

    

There are so many reasons to want to turn our lives over to God. He makes life livable. God never lets you forget your purpose, and everyone has a purpose. 



Thank you to all the Missionaries out there preaching God's word and getting people saved. Combine that with God's gift of Salvation... and you get God's Grace. Praise Jesus! 

In Jesus's Name, Amen 

#MakingGodEasy

2-Sides To Being Born?!?!?!

I would like to explain what it means to be "Born Again". It's my understanding that some people get the meaning of "Being Saved" and "Born Again" all mixed up.  That's ok, I get it.  It's our job to get God's Message out about Salvation to the world. Our purpose to help people to be choose to be"Born Again". But first let me explain what "Born Again" means in the most simple of terms. So first, let's ask God to open our heart's to understand this message please & thank you. In Jesus's Name, Amen.

If you have been following and reading my Blogs then you know that I constantly talk about how there's  ALWAYS 2-sides to everything. If there is a front then there's a back, if there is a heads then there's a tails, same with up and down, & so on. But what some people don't know is that we have an
inside and an outside. And I don't mean "skin and bones" and "stomach and heart". Yes, DUH! We have internal organs and external organs. What I'm talking about is our inside and outside is our: body and soul. The body and the soul are each other's 2-sides...and we all have them.

Have you ever had a person who picked on you or hurt you in some way? Have you caught yourself saying how that person was "ugly on the inside" even though they might be beautiful on the outside? Well, yes that person IS probably ugly on the inside. Their soul is damaged. Maybe there is some anger the mind has not let go of. Or maybe that person doesn't know Jesus yet? Those people that need the most love and prayer.

Unfortunately, for their victims, that may be the last thing in the world they want to do. I know that feeling personally. But when you tell God that your pain is too much and please take it, He Will. When we go through hard times, that is the time God wants us to rely on Him the most. But  unfortunately some people need someone to blame and they blame God instead of asking God to help with the pain. They yell and blame for God the pain instead of asking God to help them get through it. I can testify that so far in my life God has not let me down, and I don't expect He Will.

I'm going to break down the phrase "Born Again". Let's start with the word "Born". "Born" is also 2-sided, like up and down. The First side of "Born" is our body being born out of the womb. Very scientific, no one can argue with it, it's a fact. Babies are born from their mother's womb.

The Second side of "Born" is when we choose for our inner body (soul) to be born of Jesus. This is what it means to be a "Child of God". With making that choice, you are choosing to live your eternal life in Heaven with God the Father.  This mean your "soul" gets "Born Again". And I'm telling you right now... you will feel so much better. Life is so much easier with Jesus! There is no other feeling like Jesus!  When we choose and declare out loud that, "Jesus is the Son of God,   Jesus was the only person born of a Virgin,  He came down to earth to be our Sacrifice.  When Jesus died He took away our sins when He died on the Cross." In Jesus's Name, Amen. You say that, You believe that, You are BORN AGAIN!


Moving onto the word "Again" in this context means you made a choice to be washed clean by the Blood of Jesus. When you hand over your life to Christ,  right then and there "your past does not matter, I have Taken It Away". You are washed clean by the Blood of Jesus. So in fact you are being born twice. So the word again actually means twice. You are born once by your mother (body) then you choose to be Born Again (twice) by the Blood of Jesus. Even if you have only a little belief in this theory, God hears you. He knows what the Faith of a mustard seed can do.



It's very important that we do the job that we are truly created to do while here on earth and that is to get as many people's souls "Born Again". That's It! If you want to know what your "purpose is"? Start searching for Jesus and how you can tell people around you about Him.


 All I can say is Love conquerors all.

Why Does Coming Clean Feel So Dirty?

I've seen how people pile their own crap on other people. You know what I mean, throwing our own insecurities on the people we love. Sometimes insecurities are justifiable and sometimes they're not. For example, when you're insecure about cheating, only because you're a cheater. That is what I call "throwing our own crap on other people". And unfortunately, just about everyone puts their insecurity on others. Especially couples, married or not, almost every couple does it. If you don't, God Bless you, you are either in denial or you're blessed...ignorance is bliss.

In my past Blogs I have written about Mike's huge money issues. How he's always afraid that we never have any money, and how he's always hidden money from me. His love and fear for money consumes him always. So much that it has clouded his judgement in how he brings money home. He was accepting construction side jobs for single female coworkers.  

He would work on these houses without an "accountability buddy". If you are a monogamous married couple you know what I'm talking about. It's someone to account for your actions. And to top it off, he wouldn't even ask me if I was OK with him accepting these side jobs. In his eyes it shouldn't matter because "we need money!".  He would think nothing of it. But in reality,  never should a married man be alone with any woman. It's an accountability issue.

I don't know if anything happened. He says nothing ever happened. OK, that's fine nothing happened. But he can't prove that. Just like he can't prove that something did happen. I'm going on blind trust. Until recently I just wasn't willing to do that.  Because I was the one with the secret. I was the one who couldn't be trusted. Because I was the one with the trust issue. Trust is my crap. Mike was the one hiding money. Mike has money issues. Money is his crap. Now if we could get through all this crap we'll be golden!

The truth,  I WAS untrustworthy. I had many secrets from Mike, and those secrets were slowing killing our relationship... and me. I think I always knew that, but I never had the courage to tell him. I was scared to grow up and take responsibility for my own crap.

First and always I lean on Jesus, instead of Mike, for my self acceptance. I can get through anything with Jesus, because Jesus has been with me so far. And I've survived my life thus far. Jesus will be with me forever!

_________________________________________________________________

Before I completely handed over all my shame to God, I was willing to take all my secrets to the grave. I thought that if Mike ever knew these secrets about me, he would for sure leave me and hate me forever. But that was all about me, I wasn't even giving Mike a chance. Because I thought I was dirty, even though I asked God for forgiveness, and I knew He forgave me. I don't believe I ever forgave myself until recently. Until I finally understood why Jesus died on the cross for "me" and "you". That's when I was truly free.

 When I visualize Jesus on the Cross, I  see myself taking each shameful thing about me and I lay it on Him. Then He takes it away from me. That is why He died, so we don't have to live with shame! Praise Jesus!

Mike has always been a "solid" person in my eyes. I like to tease him and call him "Perfect Mike". Because it's like he never does anything wrong. He's calm, or appears to be, and he's funny, and did I mention he's handsome. Oh yeah, he's super good looking. Mike's 6 years older than me, so I think maybe I look up to him. He happens to be a very distinguished man, and I know I'm extremely lucky. He's always ready to crack a joke, and when he does watch out because he is hilarious.

Our therapist told me when I talk I look at Mike.  Almost like I'm looking for approval. Maybe it is approval? I think I just want to make sure he hears me. I don't feel like he notices or hears me all the time. He gets lost in his head a lot. He's quiet, some call it shy. But he's a thinker.

This is what I think it's like to be Mike; he has the conversations in his head he should be having in real life. And sometimes he gets confused and thinks he actually had that conversation. Sometimes he even forgets to talk out instructions with me.  Because he just talked it out with me in his head. But that only happens if I let him think too long. Which I have learned not to do. I love this man

I hope I'm not making him sound crazy, he's not at all. He's actually very brilliant. He effortlessly convinces people to believe in themselves. He encourages people to do the right thing independently. Mike is a no-nonsense kind of guy.  He has incredible ideas and dreams and his faith in God is boundless. Mike is the one that has kept our family together, he is our strength. I believe that I'm blessed to have found my soulmate for life. He is quick to forgive and forget...Mike is my husband.

"Sister's Close"

Do you ever wonder why God puts people in our life? And then we become friends with these strangers. I mean we really bond with these people outside our family. I'm talking about  the "best friend" level kind of people. I'm lucky because I have one of these people in my life. And that makes me blessed.

Sometimes you meet these friends when you're in college or living in the suburbs. You'll be you're in your mid 20's or early 30's.  But here's the kicker...You'll have about 8-10 friends at this time but only about 1 or 2 will hang in there for your lifetime. But the good news is these are the friends that you will consider family. These best friends are true gifts from God.

My best friend is named "Lisa". (It's not but, I'm going to give her some privacy. hahaha) We have been friends since 2002. That is when her family moved about 2 houses down from us. Two of her three children were the same age as my 2 youngest children. To this day 2 of our boys are still extremely close, like brothers close. As for Lisa and I, we are "Sister's Close".

That's really nice for me because I don't talk to my sisters anymore. (which is a Blog itself) Lisa has taken my sister spot for me. It's so nice to have a friend that is willing to take on that role, and never asking anything back. She doesn't even know how much she means to me. As far as she knows she is just a someone I call "my only friend". Because she is my only friend. Lisa is truly the only person I hang out with outside of my family.

The thing that makes us so great is that we don't judge each other. We just don't. She is my first adult friendship, and it is so nice. I know secrets about her and she knows secrets about me and we just accept each other, without judgement. How many other people can say that they have friends out there like that? I am blessed.

I have seen Lisa at a very low point and she has seen me through some very low times in my life. She was by my side after my suicide attempt. And I was right next to her during her divorce. Because that is what sisters do for each other. I don't know what I would do without her in my life. She is very important to me, and she doesn't even realize it. I just hope she feels the same about me. I want to be an energy giver and not sucker.

"Lisa" if you ever read this...please know that you are so important to me and to God. You are Light and Salt! You are an inspiration and a survivor. You make me laugh all the time with you stories. You are beautiful...especially when you smile! I love you Sister! Please always remember that!