Poem~ "Love Like Him"

Good afternoon my readers; I hope you all had a blessed Christmas  and  lets remember just because December 25^th has come  and gone, we still need to keep the True meaning Jesus  in the forefront of our thoughts throughout the year.

  Few nights ago, I did not sleep well. I was in a lot of pain, and I could not fall asleep. I started to have some anxious thoughts and my mind kept racing, with all the things I needed to do the next day. Unable to sleep I got up and read my bible, which I so often do when im unable to fall asleep. The thoughts came to me for this poem and I just had to share with all of you, mind you, I wrote this at 3am, but some of my best poetry has come out of the strangest times and during some of my toughest struggles ive gone through

  Everyone has their style of writing, and writers know what their style is, when I write my poetry, I like to sometimes do a story form, so this is what this poem is, the circumstances that are talked about in the poem are not in reference to me, I was just giving some examples. So without further a due, here is what the Holy Spirit brought to my mind a few nights ago, I pray you are encouraged.

                                                                     “Love Like Him”

  Long ago a prophesy was told that a baby boy would be born to save human kind and this prophesy unfolded just as God had planned it to be. For it, all was part of his divine plan, for Gods son to come as a babe in the manger. a king size bed so baby Jesus could lay his precious head, He came to save the lost and change hearts, then lay down his life, the ultimate sacrifice so all that love him can abide with him in Heavens eternal glory one day!

When God created man, he created us each unique, created in love and created in His image. Part of Gods plan was that when his son came to earth, he would become man and feel and cry and understand through human eyes, so when he says he understands, he truly does in every form.

So this is my prayer I hope this may be yours as well. Show me Jesus exactly what you desire of me, show me Lord to love like YOU! Love like you….Lord I want nothing more than to love like you!

On her commute to work, she was so tired, she saw while driving out of the corner of her eye, a dear friend, she hadn’t seen in awhile, standing waiting for the bus, she felt a pull, she felt a tug at her heart, she felt the Holy Spirit speak and this is what HE said to her… this friend needs you now, so she pulled to the side of the road and got out, she walked up to her friend, it was then the tears begun… all she needed  was a moment… she needed love,, she asked for prayer, so then and there, we bowed our heads..God had me there, in this moment for such a time as this!

Lord I want to love like you… love as you do…. We can get so busy, wrapped up in ourselves, we forget to practice what we preach, what does God desire of us? We are so wrapped up in Holiday plans; the business of the season comes over us like a very rushing wind, that try to take our eyes off Him! The very reason why we believe! Trying to find the perfect gift for everyone on our list, we do not always see the opportunities that are right in front of our eyes. That moment we can be Jesus to someone in need!

 The  next door neighbor, we’ve been friends for some times, just told me that her husband walked out on her and the kids, I felt the Lord speak again, this is the moment you can be a testimony of Me .. Show her love, so without a second thought I went to her door and knocked on it. When she opened it, I invited her to Christmas dinner her and the kids, took them in; gave them a meal and more so the
love that no one can steal, love that never fades, love that does not change, showed her Jesus that day!

Learning to love like Him, it may be messy, or out of our comfort zone, might be a bit scary to step out there on your own, leading by example, as we follow His lead! For this is what being the hands and feet of Jesus looks like to them.

To the homeless woman or man you pass by to the widow at church who sits in the back pew by herself. We need to seek the face of Jesus and ask where he wants to lead us! To open our eyes and have what breaks his heart, break ours, the broken, the lost and the hurt, the best way we can share the love of a Savior is through the love we share, how do we represent what Christ stands for, are we willing to go beyond our door? We need to be a light to this desolate broken and dark world. Are you doing your part or do you turn away and close your eyes to that pass you by? To the many missed opportunities, we so often pass by!

Being A City on the Hill

  Are you trying to live a Life that mirrors Christ? What view do you think the world has of us as Christians? Do we walk what we preach and how do we go about this? These are important questions every believer needs to be asking themselves. Are we forgetting the most important 2 commands that God gave us” “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and your all mind and all your soul and love your neighbor as yourself” Have we missed what being A Christ follower is; the very foundation and basics of Christianity. Others should know we are Christians by our love. We should stand out from the world! (Be in the World, but not of the world)

  The Bible talks about us being the Salt and the light in Matthew 5:13-16 it says”

  “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world, a town built on a hill cannot be hidden, neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven.”

  This world is a dark place, but we as believers aren’t suppose to just sit back and expect others to take the lead and share the gospel, we are all missionaries, in some form, we are his disciples and we are told to go out and make other disciples. How can we do this when we can’t shop love to others? How can we do what God has called us to do when the world sees us no different, when we don’t stand by what we believe in our actions and they don’t see Jesus in our words we speak, in how we interact in our daily lives, in what we post on social media, what example are we showing to those who are lost? to the broken and the hurting.

   We are suppose to be the hands and feet of Jesus, but so many times we get caught up in the worlds desires, our own selfish motives or even knowledge, we think that that’s how we will reach others with Christ and like it says in the scriptures in 1 Corinthians 13;1-3 which talks about having gifts of knowledge , but if you don’t have love then you are nothing! God is love and if we don’t have that component, that vital important piece then we are nothing without it!

  As Christians we represent Christ, the church, for the church is Gods People,, but if we are quarrelsome and living a life that we know is not what Christ requires of us, what representation are we giving the world of Jesus Christ. We need to be real with people, we need to get our hands dirty and be involved in their lives and genuinely show them we care about them, about their pain, their loss, their joys and their life, showing LOVE how simple it is, but so many forget what that means!

   I for one know I have things I need to work on, I’m still a work in progress, but my desire is to show the love of Jesus to others, I want to share with them my life, build that relationships, friendship with those I come in contact with, pray for those opportunities for me to share the gospel and those times will present themselves, but we need to do this in a way of love, otherwise we’ve missed the mark the whole point! So let’s strive to live a life that mirrors Christ and that means living a life of Love, before the knowledge.

In the Waiting Room,In the Valley,Trusting God~

    Good evening readers. I hope you all are doing well this   chilly evening, stay warm and know that you always being prayed for.  Tonight’s blog entry I wanted to write for quite some time now because it talks about what my husband and I are learning in our Marriage together and in our Spiritual walk at this time in our lives  .Tonight’s topic is called    “In The Waiting Room”

   I recall a couple of years ago my husband had to have day surgery on his ankle, nothing  serious, but he had a bad bone spur  that was making it difficult to walk around  it was really starting to cause him a lot of pain. After I kissed him they wheeled him into surgery and then I sat down in the waiting area and I waited…I waited anxiously to hear how the procedure had gone. My mom was waiting with me, if I recall it was about 2 hours from the time the procedure started, to when they brought him to recovery and then I was called in to see him finally. I knew he was in good hands, I knew the doctors knew what they were doing, but I was still a little nervous if I’m honest.  The waiting time that was the hardest part, just not knowing, having to trust that he would come through and his ankle would be better.

Many times in our lives, we may feel like we are in a waiting room. We Wait on God to answer, to come through, to guide us in what direction. We seek his face, we read his Word, we come before him in prayer and then its silent, silence and we wait. I know it can be a scary place to be, not knowing how God will provide, you know HE will, He has in the past,  but you ask yourself, how will this situation work out, fear  creeps in you start asking  the what ifs?

  Then there are times when the waiting is a lot harder, because we feel that we have been praying the same prayer and it may feel like were no closer to answer than before. The days may be long and the nights may be very dark we find ourselves on our knees crying out to God. The waiting room is dark and quiet we wait for the news, many times circumstance out of our control He says wait be still and know IAM God!

 Sometimes all around us I is chaos, but somehow in the midst of that trial we feel PEACE that drenches our spirits. God sometimes allows us into troubled waters not to drown us, but to cleanse us and bring us back to him or give us new perspective and help us grow.

This is where my husband and I are right now were in that waiting room, we have to let go of  our fears and be still before God and listen for that still small voice that a whisper not a loud shout. We do not know how things will turn out, but we know He will provide all things in his time! In this time, we seek his face and we pray without ceasing.

Its in the valleys, prison cells, and the deserts that God raises up warriors of faith. Are you in the waiting room right now in your life? Read Psalm 46 1:3, 7.

Our God is sovereign! His timing is perfect! Were not waiting for him to show up in our situation, he is already there, we are holding onto the plan he is now working out in our lives! WOW what a concept to think about and reflect on while you are in your waiting room. Makes me think of the song praise you in this storm, no matter what we go through HE is always there, sometimes he is the God of the 11^th hour, but he will give us the strength to wait and part of our faith trusting He will bring us through one way or another!

The Importance of Prayer for Our Husbands

    As I lay awake last night, unable to fall back to sleep, I found myself praying. I started to pray over my husband, but this is nothing new. As Christian wives, we should be earnestly praying for Our spouses. Are you being the Godly wives that were called to be? This really has been weighing heavy on my heart, ive been doing a lot of quiet time  asking God to reveal to me how can I encourage other woman to see the importance of this and make it a habit, and something they desire to do to help their husband grow in his walk with Christ.

   There are many aspects of being a Godly wife.  The blog entry I want to focus on praying for your husband, why, how. Prayer in marriage is a beautiful thing; it’s the foundation that holds us to each other. There is nothing like praying with your spouse it’s a God thing. It adds such a element to the relationship that wouldn’t be there if you don’t make prayer a priority. Many times ive found myself, on my knees praying on don s behalf, Praying for strength, for peace, for wisdom and encouragement.

   In today’s society, so many men are leaving God, the church, and their families. The role that men are given as husbands and fathers is a huge significant role, they are also called to lead the home and set the example. So many temptations and responsibilities are put on them. We as wives need to be fervently praying for the man we love, we were created to be his helpmate, someone to stand by and encourage him to be all that God has called him to be.

  Prayer is a powerful tool; it can soften hearts, and transform lives. So many marriages are falling apart, wives need to step up and do what God has called us to do. If we are commanded to pray for our enemies, even more we should be praying for the man that God has joined us with in a union before him.

  My question to you is this. Are you on your knees praying, praying that He grows and matures in his walk? That he put on the full armor of God daily to fight off the evil one. Are you praying for your marriage to stay strong? Are you praying that you are a joyful wife, when he feels down and discouraged are you able to encourage him and lift him up? Are you praying to be compassionate, to go out of your way to make things easier for him? Are you praying that God keeps you humble? Are you praying that you can be a forgiving wife? Are you praying that he can have the wisdom to raise your children the way the scriptures instruct him to do so? Are you praying that He has guidance in his fiances ?in his relationship with his family?

   There is nothing like the power of a wife that prays over her husband every day! Let God use you to speak to your husband’s heart, to break bad habits, to break down barriers, to raise him up to be the man of Honor, the man that God has ordained him to be. You will be surprised at what takes places in his heart, in yours and in your marriage.

    Pray scripture over him, Ask him what can I pray specifically for you? Here are some scriptures that touch upon prayer in marriage and the importance of prayer. Ephesians 4;2, Ephesians 5;25-29,Proverbs 22;29, Psalm 46;1.Luke 16;13~ those are just a couple to get you started , but don’t put off tomorrow what you can start today. Start a new chapter in your marriage. make it a daily habit praying over your husband and watch the Transformation, in his heart and in your marriage, the closeness and the unity, God knew what he was doing when he said prayer is powerful and the beauty of it shared with your spouse, for your spouse can’t even be put into words! Praying for them is part of our way to encourage them to be Men of courage and honor and be the MAN that god has called each of them to be!

The Importance of Encouragment~

    Who doesn’t like getting an encouraging card in the mail? Or a unexpected phone call from a old friend, to check in and see how you’re doing, not for any special reason, just because they care about YOU! We all  like hearing  words of encouragement, words that speak life and hope into the dark corners of our lives .Are we all called to encourage one another, or is that just a spiritual gift that some are given and others do not. Well let us look to see what the scriptures say before we go any further into this topic.

 Lets first look at Hebrews 10:23-25 and read that passage together.{ESV} Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works not neglecting to meet together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another all the more so as you see the day drawing near.

   Love completes a familiar triad with faith and hope, they all 3 interlock with one another. Christ is love and we are created in his image to show the love of Christ, so when we show love to others, by encouraging them, we are giving them the Hope that we in turn have received from Jesus.

  Therefore, when you encourage others, you are being an image of Christ to them.  When others look at us they should be able to see Christ in us. In our actions, and our words that we speak .Encouragement is not just for those with a spiritual gift, encouragement is more than just saying” job well done, or you will get through this, that’s part of the picture , but not the entire picture, like Hebrews  points out that as Christian brothers and sisters  we encourage one another in our spiritual walk, spurring  each other on to grow and mature in our faith.

   My mom has set the example of what being a encourager is. always reaching out to the hurting to the broken and the lonely, she has set  a example for me to follow and I thank her for that, she has instilled in me the value of the spoken word, how it edifies and uplifts a crushed and broken spirit, Even times when she has been going through her own pain, emotionally or physically, she reaches out without hesitation to offer words of encouragement. God has given me a gift of encouragement, and a heart to reach hurting people; I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus, sharing the hope that I have to those who feel hopeless!

Over the years, ive met a lot of encouragers, my best friend jean is another one who always reaches out with such heartfelt love and compassion to those in her life and even those she does not know.

There have been times though that ive had conversations with some Christian friends and they said to me” I don’t have the gift that you do more so and so does, I can’t encourage others, I told them its not  something we are asked to do.

 ITS  a COMMAND in  God’s  word for every Christ follower to do: we all have someone in our lives that we can take under our wing or reach out to and encourage them. pray and ask Jesus for his eyes, his perspective to see the lost and hurting people ask  for opportunities to share Gods love in tangible ways and God will show you.  He  will open doors for you to speak love into others lives.

   Here is a quote I found that talks about encouragement.”Instead of giving myself reasons why i  can’t  give give myself reasons why  I can” In today’s  society so many are wrapped up in their own life, their own struggles and cant step out long enough to feel another’s pain, but isn’t that what we are told to do, we are suppose to show the world LOVE and part of love is putting aside our own agenda and getting our hands dirty and coming alongside the hurting and crying with them and  rejoicing with them as the scriptures tell us to do.

 Encouragement is vital to the Christian faith, striving to be Christ like is not always easy, but its part of taking up our cross and following him in his footsteps, going where he goes, reaching those who he reaches. A good example of a encourager in the bible is Barnabus, his name means encourager, lets follow in his footsteps. In fallen, broken, and sinful world as we live in, we need Godly people to speak truth into our lives, into the areas where we need to mature and grow.

   It’s not easy walking this journey called life, but when we have brothers and sisters in Christ who are investing  in us , praying on our behalf, holding us accountable and letting us know when we do a good job, and lovingly giving us constructive criticism, and  being a shoulder to cry on when the trails come, that’s what true encouragement is.

  Not being afraid to get involved in their life, its not just giving a pat answer, or dishing out a bunch of scriptures and advice, it’s part of it, but its listening, its praying with them its writing a letter or email to someone and taking the time to invest in words that speak genuine love. At times we may feel like Jesus does not hear our prayers and we may feel alone, but sometimes the way God speaks is through others, through their prayers over us, through edifying words to speak love and truth and hope to us.

  We are all different with different gifts and yes, some may have a gift for writing words that speak deeply, but all it takes is a short note to say im thinking about you and lifting you and your circumstances up before our Lord, could be a phone call or even a short talk over a cup of coffee. Let God use you, be open to the  fact he may want to take you out of your comfort zone and watch how he blesses you, when you are willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus!

  Remember every weakness you have is a opportunity for God to show his strength in your life, and then in turn you can use that struggle to help others on this journey.