little by little 2008

working on it little by little

DAILY READINGS HUM? MY MOUTH? July 5, 2008

Filed under: daily readings — stmichaelsspark @ 3:13 pm
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psalm 141:3

Post a guard at my mouth, God,
      set a watch at the door of my lips.

God was def talking to me here.  I need serious help in this department.  I let my mouth override my arse alot.  sometimes folks just make it too easy.  not as much as before but not where i need to be yet………..Gods turn!  how bout you??

numbers 23:26

 Balaam replied to Balak, “Didn’t I tell you earlier: ‘All God speaks, and only what he speaks, I speak’?”

He’s still speakin to me about my mouth!  to say what he speaks hummm? alright dad, i’m getting it….let’s move on (i’ve got many other issues you know!)

romans 8:12-17

So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!

I love this one!  It’s so easy to say we’ve been healed of our past and the things that torment us but to walk in it is totally different.  let’s all give our guilt and condemnation a burial and let God do what he wants to do in our lives! Did you know that timid also means fearful?  let’s not be fearful!  fear is not from God it is from the enemy and he is just a loser.

 

daily readings 6-24-2008 June 24, 2008

Filed under: daily readings — stmichaelsspark @ 7:10 pm
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Romans 3: 27,28

God does not respond to what WE do, we respond to what GOD does.

We need to let him set the pace.  Just because I screw up (alot) doesn’t mean he changes.  He still loves me the same and forgives me the same. (even before i do it cuz he knows me)  We don’t do a good job keeping the so called rules it’s when we follow him that the “rules” get kept.  hum? something to ponder

 

I NEEDED THIS REMINDER June 17, 2008

Filed under: daily readings — stmichaelsspark @ 4:26 pm
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Galatians 6: 1-2

Live creatively, friends.  If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself.  You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out.

This also reminded me of a t-shirt that i read once:

Be careful……..the toes you step on today might be attached to the foot that could be kickin your arse tomorrow.

 

daily readings June 13, 2008

Filed under: daily readings — stmichaelsspark @ 3:49 pm
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Galatians 5:6 (The Message)

4-6I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.

I have to tell you that I am really diggin the message version of the bible.  it speaks the way we do and is easier to understand.  i LOVE this one.  all the rules and regs again aren’t going to amount to much.  it’s our faith and how we express it by loving others.  what is that?  boy I try hard to love unconditionally but only with his grace can I.  poeple are just way too aggrevating (LOL) including myself. 

Galatians 5:14 (The Message)

13-15It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

 

so my quiestion is………what happens when you don’t love yourself?  I spent a good amount of my life not loving myself.  so he tells us to love others as we do ourselves but if we don’t love ourselves boy do we treat poeple like crap.  i def feel like this is when his true grace comes in ………. we can only love others with his love….it doesn’t come from us…………..IT IS ALL HIM, all for him

thank’s for this journey jesus……….i’m having fun!

 

 

daily readings June 12, 2008

Filed under: daily readings — stmichaelsspark @ 1:49 am
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psalm 56:12-13  (THE MESSAGE)

God, you did everything you promised, and I’m thanking you with all my heart.  You pulled me from the brink of death, my feet from the cliff-edge of doom.  Now I stroll at leisure with God in the sunlit fields of life.

this scripture hit me!  he really has done this in my life…….big time.  i need to def thank him more often.  if it wasn’t for his intervention i think i would def be in the looney bin (i might have done well there….ha ha ha)

Ecclesiastes 7:9

Don’t be quick to fly of the handle.  Anger boomerangs.  You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head.

well i am in some trouble here.  at this point i should have so many lumps that I am unrecognizable.  thank you jesus for your grace…….how bout you?

Galatians 4:17

Those heretical teachers go to great lengths to flatter you, but their motives are rotten.  They want to shut you out of the free world of God’s grace so that you will always depend on them for approval and direction, making them feel important.

I have felt this way often.  when i talk to people about my experience and my meeting with christ  i always remind them that all the rules and regs get in the way of experiencing his love and the relationship with him……….if he doesn’t want you to do something………he’ll let you know in a loving way (even while kicking your butt)  Judgement from anyone but him is way overrated.

 

daily readings June 3, 2008

Filed under: daily readings — stmichaelsspark @ 10:13 pm
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PSALM 30:5,6

5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.

6 When I felt secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”

the main verse that got me was the weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.  It just reminds me of when i went through such a horrible time with my anxiety.  i really thought i was gonna end up in the looney bin.  at the time it felt like years that i was that way but now looking back it was a blink of an eye.   god has made me feel secure and i really feel solid in him.  i’ve had some things thrown at me in the last couple of weeks and i somehow i can see the light in all of it.  my life seems like one big laugh with a few serious moments in it.  that’s ok laughter IS the best medicine!

 

a good word May 9, 2008

Filed under: daily readings — stmichaelsspark @ 7:59 pm
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so last night as i was reading i came across some old notes i had written and i was referred to Galatians 6:2-5

2Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5for each one should carry his own load. 

 definitions of the words burden and load:

burden- a load that can’t be carried alone

load-a weight we all have to carry

so i see this as God letting me know to carry my load but to participate in the carrying of each others burdens- when the load becomes too much and becomes the burden.  that’s not just for me who is totally willing to help others.  i do that already but one thing I do not do is let someone else carry my burdens and if i do i am not comfortable with it.  God has really been putting me in a place of humbleness and need.  i’m ok with that.  i know he’s working on me.  i need to allow others to help with my burden’s. 

 

scripture…. who am i fighting? May 8, 2008

Filed under: daily readings — stmichaelsspark @ 4:17 pm
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“But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem . Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out there tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” 2 Chronicles 20:17

really, who am i fighting?  myself?  society?  what i’m around?  people?  i’m seeing that it doesn’t matter.  i need to stop fighting cuz he says i don’t need to.  i’m usually fighting with myself mostly, my past, my thoughts, where do they even come from?  i think some bizarre stuff sometimes.  and example…………..last night i had a pretty busy day that ended with a softball game so i figured i had time to show up (of course late) to a corporate prayer meeting at our church.  i walk in the door and i have an almost immediate thought of someone, not a good one either( filled with jealousy, pride whatever) so God of course gives a word (a scripture) to someone there to share with the rest of us there.  I don’t even remember what scripture it was but it went something like this:    don’t be jealous, get rid of jealous thoughts and pridefullness and humble yourself (this of course is not a quote)  Well how do you like that?  i wasn’t there 5 minutes and God spoke to me.  Thanks Dad, i needed a good kick in the rear!  He is really showing himself to me and I love it. 

well i am going to position myself and let him lead.  ok so reality………….I WILL TRY TRY TRY to do this, probably will fall at times and will Jesus pick me up and i will move on.

 

Yesturday’s readings May 6, 2008

Filed under: daily readings — stmichaelsspark @ 8:44 pm
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i was reading the daily readings last night and came across this:

Joshua 1:8,9

 8This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good [b]success.

    9Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 

God really spoke to me through this.  I spend alot of my time thinking I am out there doing these things that bring crazy emotions to me that I times i feel i almost can’t bear.  duh? ! what the hell am i thinking?  it is written plain as day right there in joshua. verse 8 is telling me that i need to stay in the word, to meditate on the word and not lose it.  i will then learn to be wise and be blessed.  verse 9 tells me that he is telling me ” HEY GIRL I AM TELLING YOU!!!!!!!!listen up”  he wants me to be courageous and strong, he gives me that, i don’t do this on my own of course, he gives this to me.  i just need to receive it.  he assures me that in the times that the courage and strength is needed that he is with me wherever I go.  i can believe what he says and not be afraid or troubled in a situation or i can not believe it and be all shook up in a situation.  either way he is there.  well it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to get this.  i’ll believe and allow him to give me the strength and courage!

 

today’s reading/ my past May 1, 2008

Filed under: daily readings — stmichaelsspark @ 7:29 pm
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so i was at work today and i was getting measurments on one of our patients.  she’s 3 years old and such a cutie.  suddenly i look into this little girls eyes.  she was so full of love, innocence,  happiness.  i felt like i was looking at God.  does he look at me that way?

i also embarked into a memory. did i ever look that deep into my daughters eyes when she was that little or was i so busy trying to get through that i didn’t find the time?  i can’t remember and it saddens me.  did i see the innocence in her?  i was so young.  i was a yeller.  i yelled alot.  if i had done things different would she be different?  more confident?  this is when the enemy get’s me and i really try hard not to entertain those thoughts.  the guilt sets in.  i know that all the bad i did and yet to do has been forgiven.  christ did that for me!  the enemy though really tries hard to get me back to that place.  then i remember the scripture. 

2 Corinthians 5:17

17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

this is my warfare in this battle of my mind.  the word is truth and if what i am thinking isn’t lining up with god’s word then it’s not truth.  i cannot change my past but i can forgive myself and change my future.  well not really God does that for me!  so i begin to meditate on the scripture instead of all the times i yelled at my kids when i should have just been staring into their eyes and seeing God.  thank you father for your word, your voice, your wisdom, and most of all YOUR LOVE.  next scripture:

PSALM 34:4

“I sought the lord and he heard me.”

he knew where my mind was going and he sent me his word.  i am seeking him so i’t so much easier to hear from him now. thanks again God!  you are def my BFF for life! LOL (true though)