Jesus & Others

     God put this thought in my heart today: we're not here to serve ourselves. It's Jesus first. It's others second. There's a church song that I've taught to the kids: "Jesus and Others and You, what a wonderful way to spell joy!" If you want true joy, you have to put a few other things ahead of yourself.

     Jesus never put Himself first: His entire life was about others. Obviously, we cannot get to this level because we're not God, and we will never be perfect, but Jesus is our example.We should strive to put Him first and others before ourselves.

     Today, I could feel this ringing in my heart. It is something I need to work on, and I'm beginning to see that it isn't overnight. I'm not going to become less self-centered overnight. But if I continue to ask the Lord for His help, He is faithful and will continue to change me.

     So as you read this little piece of my heart today, be blessed and try to do something that would put someone else ahead of yourself. Maybe this quote from Oswald Chambers will help to inspire you: "Have you ever realized that you can give things to God that are of value to Him? Or are you just sitting around daydreaming about the greatness of His redemption, while neglecting all the things you could be doing for Him? I’m not referring to works which could be regarded as divine and miraculous, but ordinary, simple human things – things which would be evidence to God that you are totally surrendered to Him."

~ Abby

My God, My Shelter

I read this verse yesterday. It's actually my phone background and it just hit me when I saw it.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

The righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

Two quick thoughts: I love that it's "The name of the Lord". Sometimes, we can get so caught up in the big fancy words of a prayer when all we need to remember is the name of our God. That does not mean that we should not pray those heartfelt cries of our hearts, but remember that sometimes, all we need to say is His name. Tagging along with this is the second thought: it's a strong tower, a refuge, a stronghold. As Christians, we can run to that place and hide when we need to. He keeps us safe when we turn to him.

Remember that. God is our haven, our cave of protection, our hiding place. He is there for us to turn to when we need it.

~Abby

Christmas meditations...

merry Christmas to all!

just a few thoughts about Christmas...
family.
friends.
music.
food.
sleep.
presents.
movies.
games.

most important... the birth of JESUS.

shine His light into the world around you this season.

have a wonderful rest of 2014!

blessings
~abby

sisters.

A song & a prayer

CHRISTMAS!!! IT'S HERE!!!!! FINALLYYYY!!!!!!

Now that I got that out of the way, a post on Christmas. I wanted to share a Christmas Carol today and I couldn't pick one... then I got it. 

"Away in a Manger"

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for Heaven to live with Thee there.

It tells the Christmas story so simply, a child can understand. But it also has meaning for us older ones too, the children in heart! ;)

The third verse, especially the last line, contains a simple, yet wonderful prayer! Something we should ask on a daily basis: "Fit us for heaven, to live with Thee there."

I'm not going to talk about it because it is self-explanatory, but maybe in your own heart, ask that of the Lord today. Jesus, fit me for heaven so that I can live with You there!

November Thankfulness Challenge! Days 19-21

Hello readers! I’m going to do a little plugging and ask that you follow me here & Twitter, share the posts on your Facebook and Google+! You can also add me on Google+ and let me know you found me through the blog! Comments are always welcome… I would love to interact with you and get to know my readers better! It would be a big help to me and hopefully these posts bless you today, and in the future as well!

I promise that’s it. Here are days 19-21 of the November Thankfulness Challenge!

Day 19- I am thankful for… hope. Imagine your life without hope. You would have nothing to push you through bad days… you might as well give up. Hope in Christ saves you from that. You never have to feel that way. You will not want to give up because the hope that we have in Christ gives us that extra shove when we need it and when we do not.

Day 20- I am thankful for… my notebook. It’s spiral-bound with a picture of a girl under a tree and it is perfect for my writing ideas, words I like the sound of, quotes, pictures, and even a sketch or two. But I carry it basically everywhere and I write lists in it, things to look up, and anything other thing. It keeps me organized and sound.

Day 21- I am thankful for… prayer. I can send out a mass text and within 5-15 minutes, people are messaging me, sending love and prayers. I’ll get calls with people praying with me over the phone, asking what they should be doing. It’s just amazing! I don’t know where I would be without this important aspect of my life… lost probably.

Many Blessings!

~Abby

An Ephesians 2:19-22 Blessing

Sorry for my absence on here. Last week my grandma was rushed to the hospital for multiple things, so our household was a bit "topsy-turvy" this past week. But thank the Lord, she is at a rehab center slowly improving! But this post isn't about that. This is something I wrote recently and I felt lead to share it with all my readers.

"19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." -Ephesians 2:19-22

You are part of a family & a kingdom. The family of God. Nothing you have done can change that. What really matters is not the choices you've made, but the child of God you are. This song, "You are More", by Tenth Avenue North tells us that our decisions of the past do not define us... we have been forgiven by our Rock, by our Savior. AND, because of that, we are now part of a loving family and we are part of the Lord's kingdom What a wonderful promise this is! 

In the next section,  the Bible tells us that we, the family of God, have a foundation of the prophets, the Bible. We stand firm on the promises of God in the Scripture! The chorus of an old hymn say this: 

      

"Standing, standing, 

standing on the promises of Christ my Savior; 

standing, standing, 

I'm standing on the promises of God!" 

R. Kelso Carter

Another song says this: 

"How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, 

is laid for your faith in his excellent word! 

What more can he say than to you he hath said, 

to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?" 

"K" in Rippon's A Selection of Hymns

Isn't is marvelous that we stand on the promises of our Savior? He is our Rock, our Fortress, our Shepherd, our Lord! He is the cornerstone that we as a family of God, and as individuals, can put our trust and faith in.

The last verse says that we are being built together to be a dwelling place for God. Our bodies are a temple. We as a group are a temple of God. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, it says "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" When we are saved, we are no longer our own. We have the Almighty God living inside us, we belong to Him! 

One last song, I promise: 

"Know ye not, know ye not ye are the temple?

Know ye not, know ye not ye are the temple?

Know ye not, know ye not ye are the temple?

Ye are the temple of the Holy Ghost!"

I don't know where that's from, but I remember singing it in church years ago. What a faithful reminder that we are the temple of God! 

So my main points: 1) We are part of a family and a kingdom. We accept each other, we help each other, we love each other. 2) We are founded on Christ and the promises we find in Scripture. Trust in them. Keep them close to your hearts. 3)We are a temple! We have our Lord living inside us, helping us, loving us, teaching us.

Thank God today! Thank Him for everything that He has done for us! Thank Him for your salvation, for His love, for His promises, and for the family that you are a part of!

A rainbow, one of the promises of God.

I hope that this little thought blessed you as it did me!

Blessings, 

~Abby

God is right here...

Hey!
I haven't posted like I hoped last week! So sorry! Life gets crazy real quick...

Just something quick... I've learned this past week that distance doesn't separate us from God. He's right then when you ask Him. Isn't that awesome? Simple, yet we often find it super hard to understand. Thank God that He is patient with us!

Blessings,
~Abby

Friday's Blessing

Hiya!

This week at work has been a bit more crazy than last. The phones were a bit busier and there was more to do and learn. I’m enjoying myself though!

It’s Friday! Weekend plans! I’m hoping to hit the library tomorrow morning with my sister before going out with grandma and grandpa to lunch. Then home to straighten up the house because dad comes home from camp!!! Then, I’m going to change into my bathing suit, set up a towel outside and sit in the backyard, work on my tan and get some writing done!

That’s Saturday. I will let Sunday remain a secret... nope! Sunday, time for church!!!

Here’s a verse and song for you that have blessed me lately:

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

“Verse 1: Sweet is the promise “I will not forget thee,”
Nothing can molest or turn my soul away;
E’en though the night be dark within the valley,
Just beyond is shining an eternal day.

Refrain:
I will not forget thee or leave thee,
In My hands I’ll hold thee,
In My arms I’ll fold thee,
I will not forget thee or leave thee;
I am thy Redeemer, I will care for thee.

Verse 2: Trusting the promise “I will not forget thee,”
Onward I will go with songs of joy and love,
Though earth despise me,
Though my friends forsake me,
I shall be remembered in my home above.

Verse 3: When at the golden portals I am standing,
All my tribulations, all my sorrows past;
How sweet to hear the blessèd proclamation,
“Enter, faithful servant, welcome home at last.””

Blessings in Jesus!
Abby

A little prayer.

   Last night, while I was sitting in prayer meeting, I opened up my journal and decided to write a short, small letter to Jesus.

Dear Jesus,

Thanks.

Amen.

 

   Short & sweet that was the point. Sometimes, that's all we need to do. Try it. Just stop for 10 seconds, and say, "Thanks, Jesus."

 

   Believe me. Your day will be different.

 

Blessings!

~Abby

a lesson learned...

So a lot has been going on since my last post!

1) I have passed my Intro to World Religions test! YAY! (3 more credits!!!)
2) I have ended my college program that I was doing, not because I finished it with a degree but I felt like the Lord was leading me somewhere else. (I’ll elaborate on that more later on.)
3) Our Annual Homeschool Convention is in a week so we’ve been very busy with that but it’s going really well so far! Your prayers would be extremely appreciated!
4) I have sort of reconnected with one friend that I had lost touch with a few years ago.  I’m also trying to mend some other friendships that I have either lost, or I have drifted away from the other person. I feel like the Lord is leading me to try and reach out to these people so we’ll see how He leads.
5) I have been really using the last few weeks to grow in my spiritual walk. I’ll talk about that now and then go back to some of the other things.

I have been reading through different Psalms during the day. It’s been helping me stay calm, focused, and less stressed. I often would just get up and start my day, but now that I have been getting into the Bible more and just relying more on the promises of Jesus, I have a more gentle spirit within me. I know that it’s all due to His greatness and Holy Spirit. He has been showing me more and more how to become like Him.

When I am truly honest with myself, I know that I am not the person I should be. I know that God can make me into EXACTLY what He wants me to be. It’s very hard to surrender everything, and I mean everything to Him. I like to be in control, on top of everything, organized into binders and sections, calendars and appointments. But, I’ve been learning, slowly and painfully at times, that God doesn’t work that way. He needs to be in control of our lives. In His time, in His ways, He will do it all for good. For your good. That’s a lesson I’ve been struggling with for a long time, but it has been made so real to me that when God is in control, everything falls into place.

In regards to ending my college program, I felt that it was the right thing to do. It’s very closely related to my previous paragraphs. The organization I was working with are a wonderful group of people, first of all. They were right there to help me through things, answer all of my questions, give me great insight, etc. My personal coach was fabulous! She was always there to listen to me, help through failed tests, celebrate with me when I passed, etc. But most of all, she was there to pray with me and for me. I knew that I could trust her with a lot of my secrets and tell her many of my prayer requests. She would always make sure that I understood about my tests, everything about the program, etc. I was incredibly blessed to have her as my coach.

The main reason that I stopped that particular program before getting my degree, was that I felt that God wanted me somewhere else. I have a lot of college credits and now it’s going to be a waiting process. I have to see the options that are out there, see where God is going to lead me. It’s hard because, like I had said before, I have to entrust it ALL to Him. I am leaving my heart open to His leading, and my head open to suggestions! It will be a challenging couple of months to see how I can let Him lead, but I am very excited about what He will do with my life!

I think that’s all for now. If you made it all the way to the end, thank you for bearing with me! Please comment below!

Blessings through Jesus!
Abby

Previous postings to deleted blog :P

My blog somehow got a gadget added to it that I couldn't remove so my previous four or five posts are below. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Merry Christmas!




12/24/11 at 10:14 pm.

It's 10 o'clock on Christmas Eve. My sister is staying in my room for the night, and we're listening to Christmas songs :) I really can't stop listening to Christmas music!

We had our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service tonight at 6. We sang a lot of songs, read from Isaiah 40 and Luke 2. My favorite verse from tonight was this- "The glory of the LORD shall be revealed. And all flesh shall see it together..." What a wonderful promise! God's glory will be revealed to all! What a glorious hope that He gives to us! Thank you, Lord for all the wonderful promises You give us! Sometimes we forget that He is coming back to fulfill all of His promises. He has already given us so much- His Son, Jesus Christ, love, joy, peace, food, clothing, family, friends, and the Holy Spirit! 

Well, I shall say G'night! 
A Merry Christmas to all!

12/24/11 at 8:10 am.

It's Christmas Eve! I can't wait!

I've been up for a while tossing and turning for some reason, but now I'm up and getting ready for breakfast at my Oma's!! (That's German for grandma) I'm thinking red sweater with my black jeans. Anyway....

MY Christmas song for the day is...Andrea Bocelli- The Lord's Prayer

Beautiful song for the Day!

In Him,

Abby

12/23/11 sometimes in the evening.

So it's the day before the day before Christmas!

I love this time of year! The music, the lights, the joy, and so much more! People seem to be a little different around the holidays. Sure, most people are grouchy some are in a rush, and some are just plain unhappy. But people forget to easily what Christmas is really about. It's not just the presents, and the food, and the movies, the pictures, seeing friends and family. There was a little Baby who came to earth over 2,000 years ago. Most people even then didn't know He was here. Most thought it was another ordinary day. But what they didn't realize was that day would change the course of EVERYTHING on earth. Nothing would ever be the same again. And why? All because of a little baby, born in a stable, in Bethlehem. "And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!" So this Christmas season, let's remember who it was that came to this poor, lost world, all to save such wretches as us. The presents, lights, music, food, games and everything else is nice. But HE is the real reason for Christmas! 

In Him, 

Abby

12/22/11 sometime in the morning.

Today... 

I am coming to realize that I am not strong enough to handle everything on my own. God only can do that. He creates a plan for your life and then acts on it. That's when it's hard to follow Him. It's in these times that we learn to lean on Him more.

The song below is really how I have been able to go through this last day and a half. God's plans don't always make sens or seem right. But He knows BEST.

Strong Enough

I have a busy day, but hopefully I'll be able to post again :)

Love in Him,

Abby

12/21/11 late that night.

..............hmmmmm........ a new beginning........ 

I had another blog on here but my life has been changing a lot and I didn't post for months at a time. :/ ill be posting more on here though. Ill give a more detailed posting later but below is my song for the day :)

Our God

In  Him, Abby