Loving God

One of my older blogs has been on my mind lately. So I thought I should tweak it a little and repost because there may be someone out there that may need it too! It has been an awesome week of feeling surrounded by God’s love. From fellowship with my church family, developing stronger ties with Christian friends, to seeing my husband transform into this amazing Spiritual leader of our household! The love I feel all around me brought me back to Matthew 22:37. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”. But what does that mean and how do we accomplish that? For years I attended church learning about God, but I am just now figuring out what it means to have a relationship with God. As I grow closer to him that verse has new meaning. When you care so much for someone, you want to know everything about them. The best way to know God is through the bible. With our best friends, or boyfriends we’ll spent countless hours talking/texting them, but we won’t spend 5 minutes in the word. Open up the bible and read and learn more about the God you should be falling in love with.  As the love continues, there is that feeling in your heart to raise up your hands and touch the God you love.  I NEVER in my old church from my childhood would raise my hands in praise.  For one, I never saw anyone else do it. And second, maybe I hadn’t started falling in Love with God yet. But as my relationship with Christ changed, I longed to reach for him. I couldn’t tell you at what point I finally succumbed, but now I find that I cannot help myself but to lift up my hands to him in Praise and worship. With eyes closed and hands lifted it is like stroking the face of the one you love. The same people we spend hours talking to, or holding their hand, we’ll spend money on. Why is it we can spend money on them but not God? What he spent on us is priceless. He gave his life, I can give my tithe. It’s a hunger that keeps growing. I’ll learn about him more(reading the bible), I’ll touch him more(raising my hands to him), and I’ll give him more(tithe). Why? Because he loves me with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind!

New Everything

Exactly a year ago today, my daughter and I started a nightly routine of devotionals before bed. She is young and calls it'bible study'. So every night before bed she reminds me it is time for 'bible study'. Tonight as she was winding down we opened up the same devotional book to January 1st. It talks about being happy and how God gives us reason to be happy all year long! The bible verse for the night is Proverbs 15:13 and her little book has it as ' A happy heart makes a face look cheerful'. My own daily devotional spoke of how God intended for us to be overwhelmed by the blessings of regular days. Gloria Gaither
Some days are hard but if we seek out our Heavenly Father he will guide us and fill our hearts with, well, 'happy'. Whatever burdens happened in 2011 is in the past. I want to let it go as I look forward to a new year. A new beginning. I want to seek God with a heart that longs for him! I want my daughter to know that a day is not done until 'bible study' has been completed. But she also needs to know that a day is not started until 'bible study' is done. As a woman of Faith, I need to live the example. My challenge to myself and other believers is this:
            1) Start out the day in prayer and bible study( even a 5minute devotional)
            2) Seek out God throughout the day/week( attend a group Bible Study)
            3) End the day with time in The Word and prayer
 A heart that is continually seeking God has no choice but to be overflowing with 'happy'. And having a happy heart sounds like an awesome way to start the year!