AMLW Chap 8 Show UP

Today we are studying Chapter 8 of a million little ways  by Emily P. Freeman.

The chapter outlines how and why we need to show up in order to make our art. There is no formula for living life with Christ only:

Showing up, 

           Trusting, 

                       and Believing (p. 129).

This really resonated with me. How often are we looking for that magic formula or "right way" of living in order to reap the benefits of the Christian life?? When, what we really should be doing is just simply: Showing up....

I can't help but pull apart words and phrases. As I write I see images and words move around in different ways than they were intended.

In this way I see showing up as showing UP. I see it as more than just being dressed and ready to go but being

                              ALL there, 

representing the Father and looking UP ready for whatever He has for me.

Can you see it? Are you representing God with your art? or are you keeping it to yourself.

Emily points to 8 statements we use to hide our art.

1. I'm not cut out for this - this steals our art by thinking this is our own doing and in our own strength. Remedy - it is God's doing so use God's strength.
2. someone else can do it better - yes, someone probably can, this attitude is a courage stealer. Remember God has called you and no one can do it better than you with His guidance
3. people might not like it - this topic is so big that Emily focused on it for a whole chapter (6) and basically there will always be critics. Acknowledge it and move on. Listen to what/who matters and assess it based on the critics intention - to hurt or to help.
4. I have nothing to offer - yes, yes, you do
5. I hate my calling - another great quote came out of this bullet, putting to rest the greener grass theory. "There are no greener grasses, only different lawns" (p.140).
6. It's a waste of time - God doesn't waste time only we do
7. It's too much work - it takes work, a lot of time MORE work, to ignore or try to quite a Spirit-filled work within you.
8. Who do you think you are? - the only remedy to this is to know who you are. Even if it means posting signs to remind yourself that you are chosen, holy, beloved. Made in the image of the one True God. Allow this to sink in when doubt sets in.

But, the most encouraging quote came at the end of Ch 7 on page 144:

"Lack of movement isn't because of fear or sin or lack of belief.
Sometimes it's simply God asking us to wait"

Maybe you've addressed all those statements and still no progress where you feel your art is. Don't give up. Keep making your art and wait with God. Ultimate beauty is well-timed!

Blessings, sweet sisters.

AMLW Desire Chapter 3

Back to our amazing book study on a million little ways...

During this chapter we were asked to look within. The sometimes scarey area that holds the buried, the forgotten, the lost....we are to look within, uncover all that slush, move it out of the way and search for that which God set in the fragile orb -- our soul.

These are the things C. S. Lewis called the "first things." (p.41) The first things we see and feel before the rational/logical self edits them out to make room for it's own 

                                         SAFE, EASY second things....

But, what does it actually look like to think of God's glory as a 'first thing.' Today I take a step back and, rather than try to figure out what my "thing" is I want to just bask in His Presence.   

To think about His glory and the fact that I, a mere sinful human is even a speck of dust amid the luminous blaze that is the I AM.

I resist the urge to put in an image of hands raised as this would include me in the blaze. I want to just sit back and bask in the light, the warmth, the connection...

Desire has been redeemed in Christ. My soul desire has purpose and a need to connect to its Creator...

In the video Emily uses the signing symbol for connected often. It is the thumb and finger touching on each hand and together. 

When you try to draw it out (like I did in my notes) it takes on a look of infinity.

That's when my heart leap and I felt the kiss of God.

I am connected with God, souls intertwined, infinite....

true desire is born out of death, of knowing I no longer live, but Christ lives in me..

The Trinity is 

                          the beginning of always

To die with Christ is the beginning of my always....eternal life. 

Living that desire is true life, connected, intertwined, infinite....

AMLW Chapter 2 Reflect

Now we are knee deep in a million little ways  and I am in awe of how God is working on my heart through this book.
Let's take art for example:  visual art is so obvious: singer, sculptor, painter...easy to identify.
But what we're looking for is the 'soul-art' (p.19) the art that is practically invisible because it is so NOT obvious.
We make art with our lives (p.21) says Emily Freeman. 

Every smile, every hug, every load of laundry - soul-art.

I REFLECT about what I know:

I was created by a Creative God

          in His image

               He spoke creation into existence

                       He breathed life, literally, into man

                                            His Spirit lives inside the believer, 

connecting

created to Creator.

So I DWELL on this:

what is the difference between this creative art and this soul art....

and I am given the conclusion of YHWH - yes, just that, His breath.

The difference between the two are His breath. 

Can creative art be Soul art? Absolutely.

But it is not turned into SOUL ART until it touches HIS BREATH and

 LIFE. is. BREATHED. into. it.

Paintings are painted, books are written, dances are danced, 

            dinner is made, laundry is folded, a smile is given,

      

                                   a child is born.

All is art when connected to the Breath of GOD.

Created by the Creator, 

reflected by His image (me & you) through the Holy Spirit,               making VISIBLE the invisible 

               by connecting Spirit to SPIRIT 

                      all to the Glory of 

 ONE. Awesome. God.

So now I LIVE it:

I dig deep to find the art, the God-breath I've been given, by the Creator. 

That is my plan: to find His plan, wait for Him to breathe on it, and 

Spirits-united make His ART.

Reflect.  Dwell.   Live.

Feel free to share your comments with me and while you're at it go out and make some art!

Thank you for stopping by. If you would like to join in the study pick up a copy of a million little ways and join us over at (in)courage the link is on the side bar. 

Have a blessed day and

made to crave week 2

Made to Crave has been great. I love the FREE webcasts!

Word of encouragement this week--

Determination!

Thank you, Lysa for giving us so much to look forward to.
For setting realistic goals and helping us achieve them!

Don't miss next week's web cast
Mondays at 8:00 pm EST

www.madetocrave.org

Made to Crave starts tonight!

Hop on over to Lysa TerKeurst's Made to Crave site tonight for the premier web-cast of her new book Made to Crave.
Be there

8:00 EST

Thoughts

Based on Chapter 5 of Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst

Thought for the Day: "We were made for more! More than this failure … more than this cycle … more than being ruled by our taste buds, body image, rationalizations, and guilt. We were made for victory. Sometimes we just have to find our way to that truth."

You were made for more too. God loves you and has a plan for you. Find that inner craving and act on it. Crave good, crave God. Crave to glorify Him in all you do.


To those who hurt - you are made for more.

Ephesians 1:18–19 says: “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which [God] has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

Craving more Self-control??

Happy New Year!

I can't tell you how much I've learned from Lysa TerKeurst. She has a new book out that is called Made to Crave and it is an amazing new approach to the age old problem of weight loss.

Don't get me wrong this is not a "diet book." This is a new approach to the way you think about your body. Lysa will be blessing us with FREE webcasts on Monday night from 8:00 - 8:45 EST. So, if you're on-line stop by Lysa TerKeurst. I just can wait for this - it's really quite monumental!

I actually held off starting this book because I thought it would be a chore- but it's not. It addresses all our issues in a biblical way! Right from Eve's apple issue to my lack of personal self-control for food.

God has really blessed us with this study - I hope every one will at least give it a look....

Many blessing in the new year!!


You can sign up to receive more information at Lysa's blog or at the Made to Crave site. Give it a try and get involved!

The road to self-control starts here:)

Small group recommendation

This is a must read:




Preorder your book today!

If it's anything like her last book ---it'll be a keeper!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Day 4 - TOP 10 Be On GUARD!

Are you living---

Day 1 - Godly vs. Gaudy

Day 2 - The Great Closet Clean-Out

Day 3 - The Great MIND Clean-Out






Romans 12:1,2 gives us sure guidelines to what should enter our bodies...









1 "...by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Here are 10 things you can fix right now that will increase modesty in your walk today-I could blog a week on each of these.....

1. Guard your wallet. When it comes to purchases watch out for excessive purchases of makeup, hair products, etc. Who are you impressing??




2. Guard your mirror. Would you wear that outfit at the gates of Heaven? Would you wear that wedding dress to be married to Jesus?




3. Guard your coffee table. Throw out any magazines whose main focus is on celebrities, gossip, sex, or all-about-me articles.




4. Guard your TV. Turn off TV shows you would not watch if Jesus was sitting next to you (because He is).




5. Guard your personal reading time. Toss all fantasy and romance novels, even Christian ones that motivate you to daydream and covet another's life.




6. Guard your computer. Stop visiting and Delete any Internet sites in your favorites that are not godly or promote ungodly behavior.




7. Guard your relationships. Stop building relationships on-line and off-line that take you away from your family duties. It's fine to comment or discuss with a nice group or on blogs or join a pray group, but it should not provide an 'escape' from your daily life or encourage ungodly behavior like gossip, nagging spouses, or coveting.




8. Guard your thoughts. That means staying busy! Idle hands definitely the devil's tool.




9. Guard your mouth. Watch what you say. That doesn't just mean gossip, it means foul language and ungodly topics, laughing at jokes made in poor humor, and forwarding ungodly e-mails to un-believing friends.




10. Guard your heart. That means renewing your mind constantly and without ceasing. This can only be accomplished on way - by being IN THE WORD every day!
    
    
    An immodest mind shows a heart willing to flirt with the world.

Without careful discernment you will not be alert to effects the world has on you. One area is hard enough to maintain, as godly women we need to maintain ALL of them (and that of our young'uns).

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 reminds us of some very important things:



19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Who are you honoring??

Thanks for stopping by. I hope today's message has been encouraging to you. Please feel free to comment and tell me how God has been working in your life and if you have found new changes to gain modesty.

Waiting at the door---Elizabeth


A little something extra....

Trouble with math??
Here's a simple trick for learning the 9's times table:

9 times table tricks

Modesty - Check Please!

As spring unfolds and as summer draws nearer, families around the nation are turning their thoughts to sunnier days, warmer temperatures and spending more time outdoors. For some values-minded parents however, generally parents of tweens and teens and particularly of girls, a sense of uneasiness is taking hold as they consider the types of clothing they will allow their kids to wear this summer that actually fit their description of modesty. Anticipation of arguments to come can lead these parents to a full-blown sense of anxiety.

But, psssst… let me whisper so that your kids won’t hear… modesty has made a comeback in our culture and this year it’s likely to make a parent’s job at least a bit easier.

Read the article in full at Modesty Makes a Comeback

We are to present ourselves as godly women
not gaudy women!

“A chaste, pure woman can draw others to the Savior (1 Peter 3:1-2). As women we can either choose to highlight our female body by wearing teasing or revealing clothes or we can choose to draw attention to our soul and to our Lord.”

--Wanda Kennedy Sanseri, God's Priceless Woman: A Bible Course for All Ages

Read my full article on this at Proverbs31 Wisdom

Thanks for stopping by please see my other blog at:

Proverbs31 Cooking

Pure or Dirty - What's on Your Mind??

Titus 2:4-5 tells us:



4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

HAGNOS defined:

Found in the New Testament:

1 time - Chaste (1 Peter 3:2 "when they see the purity and reverence of your lives")

1 time - Free from sin (1 Tim 5:22 "Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. ")

1 time - Innocent (2 Cor. 7:11"See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be pure in this matter.")

5 times - Pure (2 Cor 11:2 "For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin";

Phil 4:8 " Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things";

Titus 2:5 (above);

James 3:17 "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy";

1John 3:3 "And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."

I would like to encourage everyone to read and meditate on these. Notice these versus are not all about women. Plenty of the information is about all Believers.

Return to: Proverbs31 Wisdom


Please visit while you're here:

Proverbs31 Cooking

The Journey continues...

I am still taking those deep breaths but today Focus on the Family sent me a wonderful message about praying together. They included a whole series on couples who pray together. Here is this week's site. If you scroll down to the bottom you will see a link to Print the whole series.

FOF When Two Pray

These articles are written by Stormie Ormartian Writer of 'The Power of the Praying....'Series

Her books have been a huge encouragement to so many. If you haven't read any of her books get a feel for her style through these articles and if you like what you read you can order one of her books. If you do it through my link I can better afford to keep blogging - Thanks!

This February we were blessed to attend the simulcast of FOF's Marriage Conference. What a great day that was!!
Let's all include FOF in our prayers. Dr. Dobson meets much opposition and he faces it all with such grace. Thanks FOF!

Stop by the Coffee House for some great Christian videos!
and
Friday Fun Night for a super Pizza Recipe that can be started in your bread machine!

Finally, don't forget to pick up your Free Stuff at:



Only on Fridays - only at TOS!

How modest is your heart?

Have you prayed for someone today?

Proverbs 23:7

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he...

Modesty, as with all behavior, begins in the heart.

Wesley's notes state:

So is he - You are not to judge of him by his words, but by the constant temper of his mind.

Wow, what's the temper of your mind? Are you sincere in your heart? Or are you just a bunch of words.

Let's not start judging others until we examine our own thoughts. I have met many a "Christian" who was dressed modestly but couldn't wait to "bare-it-all" to me through gossip and judgement of others.

If you see something in someone you think needs changing- pray for that person. Don't shame or embarrass them. Jesus had many opportunities to embarrass and shame those who came to Him. He has reasons to shame us every day! But instead of embarrassing the "guilty party," He shows us where the true guilt lies - in our own flesh.

Think of the adulteress woman who was to be stoned in John 8, He quickly gave forgiveness to her and shamed the scribes and Pharisees who condemned her.

Let's all take note of that.

There are many warnings of this line of thought -

"Let him without sin cast the first stone," (John 8:7)

"Take the plank out of your own eye first," (Matt 7:5) and

Prov 3:7"Do not be wise in your own opinions."

What ever you want to change, start in your thoughts. Whatever you think needs changing in another start with prayer for her.

This will give you time to think and pray and consider what you are doing with love as your primary motivation.

While you're dressing your body modestly, do the same with your mind.

Keep your thoughts pure, keep them under control, and you will develop a heart to match it.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found this post useful and may God richly bless you today:)