Priorites

The last episode of So You Think You Can Dance had me glued to my screen. My eyes wouldn't blink, no, they couldn't blink.  The moister was caught and lost somewhere and prevented me from understanding anything from the outside world.  All I saw was the movement and all I remember was the music.  I was captivated. 
Once the episode ended, I turned off my computer screen, and looked around my room. I had laundry to put away, keys to hang, files to organize, and my Bible to read! It sat there waiting for my time of Bible Study and Devotion.  But as I picked up, I realized my priority.  It was first myself and then God. 
I could have focused on Christ before I focused on my own entertainment desires.  As a society, we seem to run towards entertainment items such as video games, tvs, computers, and the addictive facebook before we stretch our hand out towards the Word of God. The average American spends over 8 hours within a 24 hour period watching television.  The amount of time we spend being filled with the world is astounding.

     Check out this article( http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia012010nr.cfm)

I'm not saying that once and awhile sitting down and enjoying a tv show is wrong.  But I am asking you, and myself, how do we order our lives?  Entertainment should be last and Christ should be first.
"Mindless Toys" have quickly become a god within our society! Exodus 20:3.1 Corinthians 8:5
The Lord has commanded us to share the good news of Christ.  Mark 16:15.  This week, think and pray about giving up one or two hours you normally would spend on entertainment, and go out and minister to someone. Head off to a coffee shop, the store, the mall, the park, where ever the Lord places you, and tell someone about Jesus Christ! Make sure you always have your Bible handy. That is your armor! Be prepared and read often.  I know my hour of watching So You Can Think You Can Dance wasn't time well spent when I could have been doing other more productive things. Remember that! Our time is short.  We are not promised tomorrow. Matthew 6:25

Much Love,
L. J. Christian

Just The Thought Corner~

The Lord has promised me a few things in my life. As humans, we constantly wonder if those things will come to play now or tomorrow or maybe the next day. Tonight, the Lord reminded me of Paul. He knew he was suppose to be in Rome, but was held 13 years before that path was opened by the Lord. 13 years is a long time to wait, but remember friends, the Lord's best plan is worth the wait.

Scriptures During Times of Comfort

When you are in a need of a quick refresher when the World seems to discourage you, run to the Word of God.  To start you off, here is a list of scriptures you might want to bookmark.

I am accepted/worthy: Romans 15:7, Psalm 139
I am never alone: Hebrews 13:5; Romans 8:38,39
Safety in God: Psalms 4:8
I am suffering: Matthew 5:10-12
I am victorious: 2 Cor 2:14
I am protected/ safe: Psalm 32:7
I am lavishly loved: John 15:9;Romans 8:38,39;Eph 2:4,5:1: 1 John 3:1
I have God's power. I am indwelt with the Holy Spirit: Acts 1:8; Eph 1:19, 3:16; Romans 8:9-11
I have been created for good works/ God knows my way: Psalm 37:23, 138:8; John 10:10; Eph 2:10
I have direct access to God as a believer: Eph 2:6; 1 Peter 2:5

When I need  to remember how mighty, how good, and gracious my Heavenly Father truly is, I run to the scriptures! I know within times of troubles it seems as though we are alone, but He will never leave us, nor forsake us( Deuteronomy 31: 6- "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”)

Continue to pray for the victims, families, and everyone else involved in the horrible Aurora Theater shooting.  The staff at Pardon Writers for Christ continue to pray that the Lord will do mighty things in Aurora for His glory, to comfort those who are broken, and that the Lord will bring peace to those who can't find rest during this dark time.

Much love,
L.J. Christian

This is a Time to Worship Him.

Lately, I have been thinking about worship! Basically, what is worship?  May see it as praise, song, and maybe a little bit of dance.  Now, I'm not suggesting you break out into some sort of Soulja Boy dance.  Even though the word "soul" is in it, doesn't mean it will be a form of worship.

But think about it.  What is worship? It really isn't just the first 30 minutes of church where the guitarist comes up and you sing a couple of songs.  Of course that 30 minutes is a form of worship, but what I am talking about is going past that. {Psalms 150: 3-6 }I'm talking about going past that stage of singing Halleluiah to actually living it.
According to Romans 12:1-2, we are a living sacrifice to God:

{ "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."}

Our lives need to be a form of worship.  When you are at the grocery store, spending time with your friends, going for lunch, heading to work, talking to a stranger, have it all be a form of worship.  This means your life reflects Christ in your life.

Usually when you follow Christ, others can see it.  So as a form of worship, have your speech, your actions, and your life be as though He was right before you, because He is! 
As you quickly realize that our lives are to be a living and holy sacrifice to Him, our tongues will speak sweeter and our lives will reflect of Him to the world.  
Remember, Christians aren't perfect.  According to the Bible, we have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God! Romans 3:23. We are not perfect.  Only Jesus was ever perfect! So, when you fall,when your life isn't a living sacrifice or a form of worship, realize that the Lord does forgive.  But just because He forgives, it doesn't mean we can continue to do so. John 8:3-11. Like a good daughter or son, we know that our parent knows best.  He does. Living for Him isn't just the only form of worship, but many ways we set ourselves before such an incredible God. When you do, you will fall more and more in love with Him!


Rejoice in the Lord, again I say rejoice! Rejoice with your voice, with your body, and with your life!  
Rejoice in Him, my friends,
L. J. Christian

 

“I want to make the simple minded wise”

Proverbs 1: 2-4 The Living Bible

 “He wrote them to teach his people how to live- how to act in every circumstance, for he wanted them to be understanding, just and fair in everything they did. “ I want to make the simple-minded wise!” he said.  “I want to warn young men about some problems they will face.” ”

 

When I was 17 years old, I started college.  I was a determined young woman who had a dream.  I was going to start at a community college for a couple of semesters, and then transfer out of state to a Baptist college to receive a degree in Youth Ministry and Psychology. I was going to get married at 18, finish college at age 20, and then begin a life of splendor at age 21.   I never did go to that fancy school and major in Youth Ministry or Psychology.  Well, at age 18, I was not married.  At age 20, I didn’t graduate college.  When my 21^st birthday rolled around, I was no where near a life of what I thought was splendor.  Those were my determinations, and my plans.  I was a simple-minded person who needed wisdom.

            Through it all, the Lord makes us stronger and wiser.  His ways are filled with riches, even though we can’t see them right away. 

            Romans 9:4 states, “God has given you so much, but still you will not listen to him.  He took you as his own special, chosen people and led you along with a bright cloud of glory and told you how very much he wanted to bless you.  He gave you his rules for daily life so you would know what he wanted you to do. He let you worship him, and gave you mighty promise.”

            No matter your goals in life, be it family, career, or college, the Lord has given you the path to walk to make it towards His plans for you.  The Word of God is your guide book! Use it, because you will need it for the rest of your life.  It isn’t hard sometimes.  Believe me, I know.  In the end, it become worth it. 

I love how much God loves to practice the art of English. He has used Metaphors, Hypothesis, Social perspective, Editing, Assessment, Drafting, Looping, and lots of Punctuation to mold me into the person I am today.  And the desires of my heart have not been forgotten because the deepest desires have been placed there by Christ alone.  He is might to give me the man of my dreams, put my through every college course I may ever have to take, and provide me with every ministry He desires for me to be apart of.  Life isn’t always filled with  what we think splendor looks like.  The splendor that never ends is the beauty of His Creation!

Life is a journey worth walking through with Jesus Christ.  But don’t be discouraged when something doesn’t go as planned.  These trials and troubles make it clear how you can’t plan your life without Christ by your side.   Remember Romans 8:28. 

 

Word of Wisdom for The Week:  “Falling is hard, but knowing who is there to lift you up, makes the scrapes a little less painful.”

 

Dios le bendiga,

 

L. J. Christian

What is this Love thing?

Crazy, Stupid Love
Love, Actually
Love and Other Drugs
Love Story
P.S. I Love You
Love is a Four Letter Word
Do a Google search and there’s about a million and a half movies with this word in the title. What word is that?? LOVE. Now, I have to ask myself a question: What the heck is love anyway? Hollywood gives us many situations in which a character will do anything for their earthly love and many hearts are broken in the process. The characters fall out of love then go through the ringer trying to get love back or just move on to the next “love” of their lives. Tons of drama happens then we get a sweet love song at the end and assume they are happy for the rest of their lives and nothing else will ever go wrong.

Why should we want to put our entire lives and more importantly our hearts into someone or something that will probably let us down eventually? After the credits roll…

Well, I have found a true love. God’s love…Everlasting love! God, who LOVES me so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to be nailed to a tree so I could be forgiven of everything I have ever and will ever do wrong. So I can spend an eternity Loving Him! God will never make me jump through rings of fire to get to Him and love Him. He will never cheat on me or break my heart, even if I break His. Even if I stumble and let other things get in the way of my relationship with Him, He will never leave me or forsake me. I am in Love with Jesus Christ and I am after His own heart! It’s this love that makes my world spin. It makes my heart feel better. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I think about this love.

You know what the best part is? I can share this love! See, this Love is so big, I cannot just keep it to myself. I want everyone to experience God’s love and they can! Let Jesus Christ into your heart and feel the same way. God loves all of us and wants this type of relationship with all. Pray and talk to Him. When you fall in love, you want to make the other person proud of you and happy. Live your life to glorify Him and all the Love He gives. We are not saved by works, but by grace alone! This love goes two ways. He loves us, so he gave his Son and offers us eternal life. We love Him, so we need to live our lives for Him. Forgetting all our worldly pleasures and setting our eyes on Jesus. When you accept Him, you become a new creation. He transforms hearts and begins to heal the wounds already there. He wants you to open up to Him and in the communication aspect, treat it like you would an earthly relationship. Tell Him everything. He will listen! Spend time with Him! Get to know Him! Fall in True Love!

Okay, now as a side note, it may have come across as though I do not believe in love on Earth. Do not get me wrong. I do! I personally have not found my partner yet but I know it is possible. Finding the man who will be my other half and walk as one with God….  But I do know that he HAS to love God more than he could ever love me. Jesus is my number One and I want my husband to feel the same. I don’t want to get in the way of his walk and I ask the same of him. He needs to be a man of courage and lead our family in the teachings of God.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Exodus 13:15 In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.

---Harmony