Motivate Me Monday ~ Speech

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

Don't grieve God. Don't break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don't take such a gift for granted.

Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4: 29-32 (Msg.)

This is such a big one for me! Sometimes I feel like the filter I'm supposed to have between my brains and my mouth is defective, and I say the most cutting, unkind things. This week I have especially noticed that in relation to my poor hubby. It is so easy for me to snap back at him with the slightest (and sometimes no) provocation. Why is it that the people who we're supposed to love more than any other human in the entire world often end up taking the brunt of our ugly side while strangers and acquaintances only get to see our pretty side?

That's where I'm at this morning.

And I hate to brag, but as I write this post, I'm sitting in Aviano, Italy, looking out the kitchen window at a killer view of the Dolomites as the church bells ring throughout the city :) God loves me :)

Be the kind of person that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the devil looks up and says, "Oh, my, they're up!"

Motivate Me Monday ~ Thoughts on Prayer

Since we are in the midst of a series on Praying for our Husbands, and because it is a topic that has been very prevalent in my mind recently, the following thoughts really jumped out at me when I was flipping through a small devotional book at Bryce & Thelma's house this weekend:

Even though it is often difficult for us to pray when we find ourselves in the middle of great trials, that is exactly the time when we most need to pray. Every time we pray, whether it feels like it or not, we are brought into the very throne room of heaven. Jesus himself ushers our prayers into the presence of the Father, and that alone assures us that they will be heard and answered. Prayer is a matter of obedience, but it is also a matter of survival. Prayer is the lifeline of the soul, and we cannot afford to do without it.
So let us pray to the God who hears and answers. Jesus has promised he will see to it that our requests get God's personal attention.

~ Jan Draveky

God invites us to take all our concerns to him. He never qualifies those concerns as big ones or little ones. His Word says every concern of ours is a concern of his.
I have assumed his attitude toward us is one of immense care. But that doesn't mean I should toss daily trivia to him, does it? The trouble with my thinking is I don't know at what point of my "carings" to bring God into the picture. What constitutes the cutoff point between big and small?
The notion of bringing God into everything has nothing to do with trivializing him; it has to do with the privilege of partnering with him. When I include God on my wild washing-machine rides and as I mentally travel in circles with my computer and its attitude. I'm cheered by his companionship and the knowledge that I'm in partnership with him.

~ Marilyn Meberg

Praise the Lord!

Motivate Me Monday ~ Praise Habit

Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my feet, and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing
always, only, for my King;
take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from thee.

Take my silver and my gold,
not a mite would I withhold;
take my intellect, and use
every power as thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store;
take my self, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.
Words: Frances Ridley Havergal, 1874

We sang this beautiful old hymn at church yesterday morning, and I was struck at how seamlessly it fits in (especially the portion I have highlighted) with the book I'm reading in my quiet times called Praise Habit by David Crowder.


I am only through the first chapter, and I am even going to go back through and read those again, because I want to make sure that the concepts are ingrained in my head. It's an impossibly beautiful book, and I am loving Crowder's style - a lot!!!

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:

What if we were so moved by who God is, what He's done, what He will do, that praise, adoration, worship, whatever, continuously careened in our heads and pounded in our souls? What if praise were on the tip of our tongues like we were a loaded weapon in the hands of a trigger-happy meth addict and every moment might just set us off? This is what we will do for eternity. What makes us think our time on earth should be any different? What keeps it from being so?

Do you see what I mean!?!!?!

We were meant for every moment to be alive with this dynamic relating and vibrant presence of hope in finding our Maker near us . . . Grasping this does not diminish the necessity of or disciplines; it only brings to them more depth and beauty.

It' a great read, very challenging and inspiring, I would highly recommend it!

Hope you all have a great Monday!

Motivate Me Monday ~ Different

Different ~ performed by Mollye Rees and Jamie Slocum

I have had the right
To stand and fight
But it would have still been wrong
I've had the chance to prove
A hurtful truth
I had to let it go and just move on
'Cause there's a gift called grace
That's captured my life
Though the way of the world is power and pride

CHORUS:
I want to be different, Jesus
Just like You
I want to be tender with mercy
Guiding all I do
So when others talk about me
Let it be because
I am different
Let the difference be love

Let me have the kind
Of heart that shines
The light and shows you're real
And where hope is dim
And fear sets in
Will you use me Lord to help and heal
I don't want wealth or fame
To define the life I live
Oh let me be known
For what I give

CHORUS

BRIDGE:
Every day is a chance to serve You
By caring for someone else
I will make the choice to surrender
And not live for myself

CHORUS



The song really says it all for me this week! Hope you all have a motivated Monday, and a wonderful week! :)

Motivate Me Monday ~ Hypocrisy

Wow. That's a heavy word. I need to preface this by saying that I am not a great scholar, and I do not claim to have it all together especially in this area. This is just something that God has been working with me on, and when I was working on this post, this was all that filled my mind.

The 5:16 club has been studying the book of 1 John since the beginning of the month, and on our way through chapter 1, these verses stood out to me in a new way:

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

My notes on this passage looked like this: (I really like color-coding - I hope this makes sense)

Hypocrisy = ministry killler

Transperancy = forgiveness and help to move in the opposite direction

Hypocrisy hurts our reputation, but more importantly - hurts God's reputation

These may seem like "duh" observations, but I had never looked at this passage in this light.

With that in mind, Pastor Jeff spoke on the parable of the lost sheep yesterday morning, and this verse stood out to me:

7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Here, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees who were notorious for looking down their noses at people and assuming that they had it all together. And I'm gonna take a little latitude here, but I believe that Jesus had a sense of humor, well in this case a sense of irony, so I envision him saying the last part of that statement with a slight little bit of sarcasm, if you will. Jesus, being God, knew:

10 As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;

So in saying that there would even be those "who do not need to repent." He was being a bit facetious. But I bet that the Pharisees, in their hypocrisy did not even recognize their own need for repentance.

I sincerely and fervently pray that I do not think more highly of myself than I ought, and of the same token I earnestly desire to catch myself when I even begin treading in that direction.

I'm not sure if any of this was even coherent, but . . . this is where I'm at :)

Thanks for reading,

Motivate Me Monday ~ Appreciating the Word

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been reading Francine Rivers's Mark of the Lion series as part of my 101 things in 1001 days list. It is a compelling series that I would highly recommend. The series follows early Christians in Rome, Ephesus, and ultimately Germania. I have posted my detailed thoughts about each book (A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, and As Sure as the Dawn); however, one of the common themes of the three books that struck me was the characters' appreciation for Scripture.

I was very convicted about the degree to which I take my Bible for granted. Most of the early churches shared copies of only one or two epistles, and sometimes copies of the Torah. The same is true for the persecuted church of today. How many whole Bibles do you own? Between the two of s we probably have at least six or seven, and to my shame I have sometimes gone for months at a time without cracking the covers! Why is it that it takes the threat of losing something before we realize how precious it is? It is not a dusty history book or a dry fairy tale - it is truly God's love letter to us!

Be sure to check in at Sarah Mae's place for some other motivated ladies!

It's Good to Be Home!

Happy Monday everybody! Just a quick post to say howdy and let everyone know that we made it all the way to Colorado and back intact :) I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!! I will have pics and details of the trip up later this week!

Be sure to check in with Sarah Mae for Motivate Me Monday! I have some things that I want to post for this, but probably will not get it up until tomorrow; however a lot of other ladies have already posted! :)

Hope you have a fabulous final week of 2008!

Motivate Me Monday ~ Scripture Memorization

One of the things that the Lord has been laying on my heart recently is the importance of Scripture memorization. I have always been taught that memorizing Scripture is an important spiritual discipline, and growing up in church and at camp I "memorized" a lot of verses for competitions and incentives, but I am not sure that I could remember them today.

The following is an e-mail devotional from Desiring God (I signed up to get this particular devotional on a weekly basis from Crosswalk.com, and this article just happened to hit my inbox today):

Week of December 8
Why Memorize Scripture?
John Piper

First, a few testimonies: I have it third hand, that Dr. Howard Hendricks (of Dallas Seminary) once made the statement (and I paraphrase) that if it were his decision, every student graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary would be required to learn one thousand verses word perfect before they graduated.

Dallas Willard, professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California, wrote, "Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That's where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization" ("Spiritual Formation in Christ for the Whole Life and Whole Person" in Vocatio, Vol. 12, no. 2, Spring, 2001, p. 7).

Chuck Swindoll wrote, "I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture... No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified" (Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994], p. 61).

One of the reasons Martin Luther came to his great discovery in the Bible of justification by faith alone was that in his early years in the Augustinian monastery he was influenced to love Scripture by Johann Staupitz. Luther devoured the Bible in a day when people earned doctorates in theology without even reading the Bible. Luther said that his fellow professor, Andreas Karlstadt, did not even own a Bible when he earned his doctor of theology degree, nor did he until many years later (www.orlutheran.com/html/luthbibl.html). Luther knew so much of the Bible from memory that when the Lord opened his eyes to see the truth of justification in Romans 1:17, he said, "Thereupon I ran through the Scriptures from memory," in order to confirm what he had found.

So here are a few reasons why so many have viewed Scripture memorization as so essential to the Christian life.

1. Conformity to Christ
Paul wrote that "we all... beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." If we would be changed into Christ likeness we must steadily see him. This happens in the word. "The LORD revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD" (1 Samuel 3:21). Bible memorization has the effect of making our gaze on Jesus to be steadier and clearer.

2. Daily Triumph over Sin
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word... I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:9, 11). Paul said that we must "by the Spirit... put to death the [sinful] deeds of the body" (Romans 8:13). The one piece of armor used to kill is the "sword of the Spirit," which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). As sin lures the body into sinful action, we call to mind a Christ-revealing word of Scripture and slay the temptation with the superior worth and beauty of Christ over what sin offers.

3. Daily Triumph over Satan
When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness he recited Scripture from memory and put Satan to flight (Matthew 4:1-11).

4. Comfort and Counsel for People You Love
The times when people need you to give them comfort and counsel do not always coincide with the times you have your Bible handy. Not only that, the very word of God spoken spontaneously from your heart has unusual power. Proverbs 25:11 says, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." That is a beautiful way of saying, When the heart full of God's love can draw on the mind full of God's word, timely blessings flow from the mouth.

5. Communicating the Gospel to Unbelievers
Opportunities to share the gospel come when we do not have the Bible in hand. Actual verses of the Bible have their own penetrating power. And when they come from our heart, as well as from the Book, the witness is given that they are precious enough to learn. We should all be able to sum up the gospel under four main headings (1) God's holiness/law/glory; 2) man's sin/rebellion/disobedience; 3) Christ's death for sinners; 4) the free gift of life by faith. Learn a verse or two relating to each of these, and be ready in season and out of season to share them.

6. Communion with God in the Enjoyment of His Person and Ways
The way we commune with (that is, fellowship with) God is by meditating on his attributes and expressing to him our thanks and admiration and love, and seeking his help in living a life that reflects the value of these attributes. Therefore, storing texts in our minds about God helps us relate to him as he really is. For example, imagine being able to call this to mind through the day:

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8-14)

I used the word "enjoyment" intentionally when I said, "communion with God in the enjoyment of his person and ways." Most of us are emotionally crippled -- all of us really. We do not experience God in the fullness of our emotional potential. How will that change? One way is to memorize the emotional expressions of the Bible and speak them to the Lord and to each other until they become part of who we are. For example, in Psalm 103:1, we say, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!" That is not a natural expression for many people. But if we memorize this and other emotional expressions from the Bible, and say them often, asking the Lord to make the emotion real in our hearts, we can actually grow into that emotion and expression. It will become part of who we are. We will be less crippled emotionally and more able to render proper praise and thanks to God.

There are other reasons for memorizing Scripture. I hope you find them in the actual practice.

Still learning with you,

Pastor John

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: http://www.desiringgod.org/. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

I hope this article was helpful - it was definitely timely for me! I have decided that during this Christmas season, my goal is to memorize several passages of the biblical accounts of the Nativity in Matthew and Luke.

For more motivation, be sure to head over to Sarah Mae's by clicking here or on the picture at the top.

Thanks for reading, and have a great Monday!

Motivate Me Monday!

As I mentioned in this post, I have joined the ranks of the 5AM Gals!

Sarah Mae, the illustrious founder of our little group has decided to be even more illustrious (illustriouser, I don't think that's a word) and add a meme to the fabulousness :) Motiveate Me Mondays!

The 5AM Gals (or the 5:16AM Gals as we are now know, see Sarah Mae's post here) e-mail each other on a very regular basis to encourage each other and share what we have been learning and remind each other that we are praying for each other (and that we're not alone in the bleary-eyed caffeine addict club, either, lol - j/k, it really has not been that bad!) However, Sarah Mae wanted to let you all in on the motivation as well :) - You do not have to be a memeber of the 5AM Club to participate, but let me tell you what, it is well worth the investment!

This is an escerpt from my prayer journal from last week:

This morning, I was closer to 6 by the time I crawled out of bed, but I still had a faulous time in the Word. I was reading in the book of Acts, finishing the third chapter and also chapter 4, and I am madly in love with this verse:

Acts 4:13

"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

I had underlined it previously, and it struck me anew this morning. It is speaking of the Sanhedrin's reaction to Peter and John healing the crippled beggar (you remember the "walking, and leaping, and praising God" song from Sunday school). The Sanhedrin - who were actually working against the gospel message - could tell that these "ordinary men" had been with Jesus, just by the way that they spoke and acted!

I want this so badly for my life! I want the people with whom I come into contact - ESPECIALLY those who are not familiar with or opposed to the gospel message - to have no other explanation for my words an actions than that I have been with Jesus!

I am so thankful for the accountability the 5AM club has offered me, and at the risk of repeating myself, I have forever struggled with setting a specific, consistent time to spend reading the Bible and in prayer, and I think that this is exaclty what I've needed!

Thank you all for praying for me!