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LBY – Gentleness

Fighting God? I loved what Beth had to say on the first page of this week’s study on gentleness: “Meekness or gentleness is the power and strength created from submitting to God’s will. Gentleness is responsibility with power.”

Ha – how many times do I cross my arms and pat my foot (actually I am doing it right now in my life). I don’t want to walk the path He has put in front of me!!!! Yes, He has to fight me every step of the way. BUT I want to submit to His will, because He knows where I can serve Him best. This part of my life is truly ‘living beyond myself’. “…to endure pain and suffering in the will of God (was) is far better than to risk ease outside His faithful hands.” I couldn’t agree more with Beth on that.

Looking at the life of Peter and Paul, I have nothing to fear to submit to the will of God. He saw them through! He was faithful to give them strength and gentleness. It always comes back to His faithfulness, doesn’t it? I liked that Beth shared the story about the knot in her daughter’s hair. That is a great picture to think about when God is getting our knots out of our life; cleaning the junk that is not helpful being His hands and feet.
What a great treasure Beth shared on day two:

“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.” ~ Titus 3:1-2

Looking at the life of John the Baptist once again was incredible. What a man of faith! I would like to be as humble as he was. He emptied himself and let God be God. What a great way to be the hands and feet of the King of kings, the Lord of lords.
“Lord, continue to help me pour out all the junk in my life, guide me to be filled with your Holy Spirit every single morning and night, or how many times I need to pour out each day – In Jesus’ name – Amen”.

Continue reading “LBY – Gentleness”

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LBY Study 8 – Faithfulness

Isn’t Beth amazing how she ALWAYS puts the focus back on God? I have been there so many times saying: ‘Look at me ~ see what I can do!’. I only can do things for a short while until I break down because I am out of steam.

I love what Beth is telling us about faithfulness in the beginng of study eight: “But if we learn to trust in His faithfulness, we of all persons may be most blessed”. And she goes on to say: “The faithfulness of the believer is his belief in God’s believability!” – Right on, Beth! I always say too that His faithfulness is amazing, even when I am faithless and run around like a chicken without a head.

Just look at the faithfulness God has displayed in sending us the Gate to Heaven! He promised and He ‘delievered’! All our sins are nailed to the cross – forever and ever! So why can’t we just trust/believe in the small, daily stuff? I don’t know. But I have to say, over the last couple of months I have really giving everything over to Him. He knows what He is doing. If He tells me to wait – I know that something better is around the corner. Although waiting is sometimes really hard and my fingers show that I want to take over (I pick on my thumbs when I am nervous).

So, the only thing God is asking us to do is have faith: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”. (Heb 11:6) – Another great point Beth touches on: “Do you believe what God does or who He is?” Very powerful, don’t you think? One is fueled by sight, the other one is fueled by His faithfulness! You see, everything is a God ‘thing’. I want to be that woman who seeks His heart and not just His miracles or how He answers my prayers.

So, how do we attain such faith that is fueled by His faithfulness? To stay in His Word. To apply His Word to our daily life. If we read the Bible on a regular basis, we find that God has been faithful throughout history. We are so blessed to have the Bible, don’t you think? We have it right there in front of us, in black and white. If I memorize Bible verses, I have them handy when I struggle; if it is at home, at work or just going somewhere. His Word calms me down. I find His strength to see me through. Yeah – He is that faithfull. Always there for me, no matter what. We are ready to stand against attacks of the evil one. We can share that wisdom we find in His Word with others.

Isn’t it great that we have His Spirit living in us? To rely on His faithfulness for the rest of this life until we see Him face-to-face?

Lord, help me to increase my faith by staying in your Word. Help me to find time to drink in your promises and see your faithfulness at every turn in life. No matter what comes my way, I am trusting you to see me through the valley of shadows until eternity. I pray this in the presious name of my Lord and Savior, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Addie Heather* Carol
M Rach Jeana
Jenn Amanda MamaB
GiBee Boomama Maria
Blair Heather Nancy
Janna Flipflop Robin
Sherry Patricia Tara
Lauren HolyMama! Faith
Christy Eph2810 Karin
Leann Rachel Janice

This is a list of the women participating in the study and the links to their blogs.
New postings on the study will be published for the next ten weeks, between
Friday 8pm – Saturday 8am. Please feel free to visit each of us and comment.
Everyone is welcome to participate in this discussion as we seek to
live beyond ourselves. May God bless you richly from the hearing of
His Word.
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LBY Study – Week Seven

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~ Eph 2:10 (NIV)

I thank Beth for day 4 of this week’s study. God used her teachable spirit to teach me a couple of things I wasn’t aware of. Or I had forgotten and His gentle, good Spirit reminded me that kindness and goodness go hand-in-hand or as Beth puts it: “The qualities of kindness and goodness differ in their employment in the believer but they ‘pair up’ to make us both shrewd and innocent.”

As some of you know, I am working again in the “world”. After 6 years working in a ‘protected’ environment at a church, going back out in the ‘real world’ (as my Sweetheart likes to refer to), has been really hard for me. Not that I don’t like it – I had asked God that He will use me again to be a witness to His grace and love toward all man. But it is a huge ‘adjustment’. It is a tough world out there, and the language – oh my…

God has saved us from eternal damnation to 1) spend eternity with Him and 2) to do GOOD works. As you noticed, He first saved us because of His love for us, His kindness (chrestotes), His grace to do good works, not the other way around. Beth puts it much more eloquent that I could ever do: “He’s driving home this crucial point: we have not been saved by our works – we have been saved for His works!” (emphasis mine).

So why did I bring up my new job? Because here I have the chance to let His kindness and light shine through me; I am His vessel. I have to let Him lead me to do good (being shrewd as a snake), and do it with kindness. Not easy, I tell you! But you know what? I don’t want to just ‘look attractive on Sundays’. I want to show the world that there is a better life after salvation and not a ‘restricted’ life. It hurts me when people are bitter, because life is not ‘going’ their way. When life doesn’t ‘treat’ them right. No, I am not saying that ‘life is going my way’ all the time, but I do have His strength to see me through. What better gift to pass on to a hurting world? There is none! Everything else is just a temporary ‘fix’.

So, here I am taking to heart His commission for the next several weeks (and I am glad to be His hands and feet :smile:):

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.~ Matthew 10:16 (NIV)

Living in His grace (and really trying to life beyond myself with His help) ~ Eph2810 🙂

Addie Heather* Carol
M Rach Jeana
Jenn Amanda MamaB
GiBee Boomama Maria
Blair Heather Nancy
Janna Flipflop Robin
Sherry Patricia Tara
Lauren HolyMama! Faith
Christy Eph2810 Karin
Leann Rachel Janice

This is a list of the women participating in the study and the links to their blogs. New postings on the study will be published for the next
ten weeks, between Friday 8pm – Saturday 8am. Please feel free to visit each of us and comment. Everyone is welcome to participate in this discussion as we seek to live beyond ourselves. May God bless you richly from the hearing of His Word.
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LBY Week 6 – Patience

Oh my. I have to say that I struggle a little bit with Beth’s connection of patience and forgiveness. I don’t have a problem with the connection of patience and endurance, or with patience and mercy. But forgiveness? Maybe I just don’t get it.

I was pondering today about the situations when I get impatient. With others and myself. Yeah, I have a huge problem being impatient with myself. Strange thing? I don’t know. Is there no such thing as being impatient with oneself?

You know when I get impatient with others? When I have to deal with incompetence. How can I forgive or not forgive, if people don’t display competence. You know what I mean? When I call someone to get something resolved and they send me around in circles, because they don’t know what they are talking about. Can you help me out? Does this really have to do with forgiveness? Okay, I am not saying that I know EVERYTHING, but I try to learn enough to know what I am talking about or do a decent job. Yes, I can display mercy toward incompetent people. So, mercy = forgiveness? I told you that I am missing something here.

As I mentioned above, I sure have a huge issue with not being patient with myself. So, does this mean I am harboring some unforgiveness in my heart? I told you. I don’t get the connection at all. Help me out – please. I am poking on this issue totally in the dark.

Maybe this part of my morning devotion will help me to get the connection:

“Don’t get impatient with others. Remember how God dealt with you – with patience and with gentleness…”
(excerpt taken from “My Utmost For His Highest” by Oswald Chambers)…

Have a blessed weekend ~ Living in His Grace ~ Eph2810

Addie Heather* Carol
M Rach Jeana
Jenn Amanda MamaB
GiBee Boomama Maria
Blair Heather Nancy
Janna Flipflop Robin
Sherry Patricia Tara
Lauren HolyMama! Faith
Christy Eph2810 Karin
Leann Rachel Janice

This is a list of the women participating in the study and the links to their blogs.
New postings on the study will be published for the next ten weeks, between
Friday 8pm – Saturday 8am. Please feel free to visit each of us and comment.
Everyone is welcome to participate in this discussion as we seek to live beyond
ourselves. May God bless you richly from the
hearing of His Word.