Changing my Life - I am Hungry!

What if my first response was to worship Him?
What if? my very first response/reaction. was to worship Him!?

Ever thought about it?
What if my soul responded/reacted first instead of my flesh?

Hm. I think my life would change. I want it to change.
Maybe it is changing.

I am enjoying participating in the Daniel Bible Study on Wednesday nights and also in the Living Worship study on Sunday nights. Each unique and different, yet each, so very similar. Living Worship by John Randall Dennis is said to be "A Biblical Guide to making Worship real in your life." Hm...sounds interesting. I mean, who doesn't want to be real in their worship? What? You mean there are some people that aren't real in their worship? Oh my...
The Minister of Music is leading this class and will be out of town this weekend and has asked me to lead the class. I am honored and completely relying on the Lord to guide me through it. It's an incredible book. This week we study David and Jehoshaphat, last week we studied Job and Isaiah. It's been a roller coaster ride and I am enjoying all the Lord is saying to me.
He is using much of the Daniel Bible Study to speak to me just as equally in part with this Living Worship book. My mind is completely expanding...and so that brings me to my questions above.

Last week as we were going through the lesson Sunday night about worship, one of the questions asked was what do we do when a "circumstance" comes our way...we freak out, we lash out at God, we say 'Why ME?', we question Him on His way, His purpose, Him in general. Some times it takes a while to get over it. Some times people never do. I answered that I would like to think that my lashing out gets shorter and shorter each time. I honestly meant that. I came home that night with the question of "What if my first response was not to lash out, but to worship?"
As I was going along in the Daniel study, Beth Moore wrote something in Day 3 or 4 that struck me..."God is no less on His throne just because chaos happens in the world" (my paraphrase). Oh. Wow. It occured to me that God is no less on His throne right now than He was two days ago when one of my very good friends told me that someone else had entered their marriage and as much as it pains the two of them right now, they are going to seek counseling and move forward...TOGETHER. God is no less on His throne right now than He was on September 11, 2001. Does that strike a cord in you? God will be no less on His throne five days from now should tragedy strike you, your family, your friends, whomever.
He's GOD.
He is GOD.

God is changing my life. I believe it's impossible to read the Bible and it NOT change your life. I am absorbing all I can about my LORD because I am hungry. I am truly hungry for Him.
Oh Lord, you have shown me Your glory and at times I have been unwilling to accept it or to take and eat of it. But Lord, I am hungry now. It's not too late to be hungry or to be filled by Him.

In Jesus-
Karen

Closer to 100...

This post will be numbered as my 95th post! I can't really believe it!! I thought about doing a 101 in 1001* for my 101st post, but I honestly don't think I can come up with some specifics things that I want to do. Is that sad? I think I am afraid of failure. They would have to be God-inspired things and I don't know what He's going to have me do in the next 3 minutes, yet alone the next 3 years. I have some things on my heart that I would like to accomplish, and more importantly some things I want the Lord to accomplish in my life, but not some things I want to post to the whole world about. That's just my thoughts.

So, how is everyone? I tell you what...everyone is in a time of needing prayer right now. Do you feel that way? I sent out a prayer request to some of my dearest and closest friends and I got at least 6 emails back for them asking for prayer for their family and their needs. I had one friend of mine who commented at although we don't see each other often (she lives on the other side of the big city), we can still email each other and share our prayer concerns and trust that each other is lifting our family up to the Lord. That, my friends, is what I call, true friendship. I think the Lord is honored by that kind of friendship and I am even more honored that the Lord chose those women and I to be friends. It has been a true blessing.

If you are looking for a daily devotional online, you should check out Laced with Grace. The ladies on this website are incredible women of God and only want to give you the opportunity to allow God's word to transform your mind. Check them out!

Have a great Thursday!

Karen

*If you want to know more about 101 in 1001, you can Google it and you will find all sorts of people who have done a list and how it originated.

Tags: 101 in 1001, Devotional, Prayer

Pacified no longer...

Gone are the days of David having a paci. (Hallelujah!) We started the journey Friday night, after talking about it for weeks. It just seemed like time. Time for him to let go...he was getting away from being so interested in it anyway, so, it was time for him...and for us to suck it up and do it. As he went to bed Friday night, we didn't allow him to have it. He cried a little and wanted to cuddle more, but none the less, he went to bed. He was however up at the crack of dawn, 5:00. Jeremy and I were half asleep, and decided to let him cry and see if he goes back to sleep. He did (another Hallelujah) and got up at the normal time, 6:30. He is used to getting up that early on weekdays for school, so that wasn't a big deal...although, I can't say that I wouldn't love an hour more on the weekends! :)
He did great Saturday as we were out and about and napped with no paci. Saturday night was okay, a little more crying, but still no asking for the actual paci...Sunday the same during the day, but let me tell you...by Sunday night, I was ready to give it back to him! He just would not/could not settle down. Jeremy made me stick to my guns and for that, I am grateful.
He did great on Monday at school and tonight (Tues) he was the model child...crying for the normal five minutes. Ahhh...I must say, we are relieved. It's all about re-training. I have told my girl friends, if I would have known it would be about re-training him to fall asleep on his own, I would have taken that thing away months ago. We first taught him how to do that as soon as he could sleep through the night...what, at the 6 week mark!!! I have said (in a delusional moment) that I will not give the next child a paci...guess you all will have to wait a while to see if that really happens.
On the spiritual note...is that not one of the greatest images of the Father and us? How many times does God ask us to give up stuff and we don't, or we give it up just a little, and then take it back??? I knew that when I had David the Lord would teach me so much about how He views and loves us...that is so right.
I pray that I would not be pacified with something but always striving to gain more knowledge, tell more people, and live a life dedicated to Him.
So, what's a good image that the Father is showing you?