Waiting, but think I require more patience

I feel a calling in my heart to serve God more. To make better use of my time witnessing, sharing, writing, giving, and/or volunteering. To be involved in something great with other Christians, united…for Christ. This inside of me is so strong that I fear I am drowning out the direction He is wanting me to take with the thoughts racing in my head.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever had a deep passion within your heart to do something but just didn’t know what direction to take or how to get there gracefully?

My heart tells me that God will open the right door for me, and I BELIEVE that 100%. I also need to be honest and say waiting is hard because this feeling is pulling and tugging and has been for a while now.

Share with me a time you felt God’s calling in your life to lead, serve, witness, minister to women, move, take a new job, start a family, give financially, etc….but you weren’t sure how to start. Or how you had to wait for Him to lead you there and not let the noises drown Him out.

Leave you answer in the comment section below.

June Giveaways and Sites

Who doesn’t love to get stuff for free?

I know it isn’t June yet, but I got a little excited about these giveaways that I wanted to proceed with sharing them since the deadlines occur prior to the end of June. Besides, it’s close enough to June.

From Christianbook.com

Nel Whatmore Set

Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years

Ahava SkinCare

Keep coming back to check for more giveaway posts this month.

Too Comfortable

We should not gravitate towards what WE find comfortable in our relationship with Christ. God’s word does not change, has not changed and will not change. His promises and consequences remain true throughout our time on earth. Yes, God is a loving God but He is also a jealous God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. The same God who hated all sin still hates all sin. We must not get too comfortable that we conform to a “religion” that highlights what we want to believe and shadows what we don’t want to face as truth.

I pray I never become too comfortable in my relationship with God that:

I stop growing

I slowly become like the world

I focus on the churchy aspect of Christianity

I forget to share the consequences of a life lived without a true relationship with Christ as I witness

I pray I never become too comfortable in my relationship with God that:

I expect to receive and not give

I get caught up in the drive and not the focus

I make it about me and not about Him

I wont be challenged to go farther and deeper

I start to compare my walk with Him to other believers walk

I am afraid that we pick and choose bible verses to read, share and use as a witness that make us feel safe politically and socially. Ones that won’t offend.  As Christians we are called to warn unbelievers of the consequences of living a life separate from God. And we are to hold accountable our brothers and sisters in Christ if we see they are conforming to a misleading philosophy.

Be careful not to let anyone rob you of this faith through a shallow and misleading philosophy. Such a person follows human traditions and the world’s way of doing things rather than following Christ. Colossians 2:8 (God’s Word Translation)

Unwind

Proverbs 12:25 “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” (ESV)

We all need to relax and unwind from time to time. So tell me, What is your favorite flavor of coffee and/or your favorite book of all time?

Leave your answer in the comments section below.

Awe and Wonder

I awoke to a gorgeous day. The sun shining brighter than I have seen in a while, plants dark green in color, birds singing their joyful songs, flowers and berries in bloom.

Even my pets seemed to feel that peace was a gift today. They have been extremely lazy and I have found it quite adorable. They have just “plopped down” wherever their lazy feet could no longer carry them.

Inspired by God’s creations, I grabbed my camera and set off on an adventure. I wanted to capture the peace, beauty, and unique art that we so often miss.

My Beloved Pets Taking it Easy

My Nature Walk

Thanks for letting me share these photos with you. I had to limit the number I displayed on here as I took over 100 pictures today. But, these are some of the highlights.

God is awesome, isn’t He? He is so worthy of praise!

Trusting through Patience

Psalm 40:1 “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry.(NIV)

I don’t know about you, but patience is not that easy for me. We all have seasons where we are required to wait on the Lord. Wait for an anticipated pregnancy, wait for a job, wait for a raise, wait for healing, wait for a way out.

During our season of waiting, we cry out to the Lord and feel as though He is not hearing us because it seems His response is taking longer than WE planned for it to take. However, God is always faithful. He will provide and hear our cry. He will answer our prayer one way or another. And when that time comes, it will be at “just the right time.”

To wait patiently requires trust. Trusting God’s word and His promise that He will provide an answer. Trusting that which is asked for in prayer, believing; it will be given. (Matthew 21:22)

And when God does answer prayer, in whatever way He sees fit, it will bring with it more blessing than we could have ever imagined. So while waiting; trust His word and have patience, knowing in the end His outcome will supersede our plans.

Bad News and Good News

Well, I wanted to start a site where I could connect with women of all ages and races coming together with one common goal; to glorify Christ. A place where we could share what God is doing in our lives.

I began www.allforChrist.ning.com several months ago and it has been a great place to meet new women. I have really enjoyed the conversations, pictures, videos and blogs we all shared.

Unfortunately, Ning is setting the site up where members must pay. It is just not within my budget to do so at this time. So, I have asked all the ladies from Ning to come on over to Seeking Peace and sign up.

I feel in a way that this is better because it eliminates having too many sites to make sure are running properly and being updated. So this site will remain what it has always been and will have more added.

I want women to sign up and feel free to discuss, ask questions, share and get to know one another. I will still allow blog posts from others and will approve them and have a “featured blogger for the day” section. So please ladies, still feel free to share. My contact information for questions or blog submissions is butterflyblue1116@yahoo.com

If you were not a previous member of allforChrist that doesn’t mean you can’t join us now. Please sign up and we’ll get started! The Ning site will be deleted the first of July. If you are a previous member…WELCOME and thanks for coming over.

To begin our process and start sharing..please leave a comment on the following so we can get to know one another and new members. Thanks, Welcome, and God Bless!

“God’s creations appease all senses. Besides touch… smell is an amazing gift. It can evoke memories, brighten our day, and calm us down. What is your favorite scent?”

Giveaways

I.LOVE.BLOGS!
I.LOVE.CHRISTIAN.BLOGS!
I.LOVE.GIVEAWAYS!

There are some great giveaways on Christian blogs and websites this month that I want to share with you all. Simply follow the links below and enter to win some fabulous pure, clean, Christian items! (Sorry-for some reason I am having trouble linking the websites-so copy and paste them into your web browser)
Once you have done that, if you happen to win anything...make sure to hit me back here on this post in the comments section! Have fun!

Book Giveaway

http://andrealschultz.blogspot.com/2010/05/present-perfect-finding-god-in-now-by.html

CD Giveaway

http://www.ktfproductions.com/productions/television/christian-music-videos/cd_giveaway.html

Book Giveaway

http://myheartbelongs2books.blogspot.com/2010/04/gods-truth-revealed-by-kathy-howard.html

Perfume
http://wahmblog.info/2010/05/07/valerieeddygiveaway

Enjoy!!!

Getting There

It happened. I am kind of surprised that it waited as long as it did. 2010 so far has been a year for me that will NEVER be forgotten! Since the first of the year, it has been one thing after the next; stress, pain, heartache, frustration, sickness, doubt and worry. Today, my limit was reached.

AND
I
HAD
A
BREAKDOWN

I locked myself in my room, laid my head on my pillow and cried and screamed…then cried and screamed some more. I couldn’t breathe, my eyes were almost swollen shut, I had to stick my head in the freezer to calm down. It was just that bad. After 45 minutes of tantrum…I remembered to ask God for help. I was so far gone that I didn’t even think to pray. How crazy is that?

When I could finally talk about how overloaded I was, something hit me. A voice said to me, (besides the bad and ugly circumstances) Rachel, I am giving you what you asked me for. You don’t get to choose how you receive it, but My ways are better than yours.

You see, I have been praying for God to teach me how to be a better Christian, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, granddaughter, niece and friend. I guess I figured I was just supposed to wake up one day and be all of those things. I guess I was not thinking that how we deal with circumstances and the fact we have to face trial is what makes us stronger and gives us character. It is how we are shaped. And trials are what teach us to lean solely on God and allow Him to mold us into what we need to become. To allow Him to make us stronger through the hard and difficult times so that when we come out on the other side, we are more mature in our faith and our character.

“To be a better Christian”: God has shown me that this world will turn against you in a split second. That you cannot rely on man to save you or bring you perfect peace and safety. The only one you can trust wholeheartedly is God. The only one you can consistently rely on to make the impossible, possible…is God.

“To be a better Wife”: My husband has been such a good spouse that it has made me want to be a better wife. He has been right beside me, loving and supporting me, through all we have been through with one another and with family. It has strengthened my desire to be the biblical and Godly wife I am to be, because he has set such an example.

“Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Granddaughter, and Niece”: With the surgeries, sicknesses, and heartaches my family has faced recently, I have been called to be there for my family in ways I never had to be before. I have needed to grow up fast. Old relationships have been restored. New relationships have grown. Current relationships have strengthened. I have learned to lean on my family for support and they have learned that they can lean on me. These relationships have enriched and blessed my life. They have helped me to grow and mature as a woman over the last year.

“To be a better friend”: I have been able to be there for a few friends in the midst of deep trouble. I have been a person they have turned to for help and prayer. I have cried, shared, and prayed with these women. In turn, I have gained everlasting bonds with beautiful Christian ladies.

It never would have occurred to me in the midst of my breakdown today that over the past 5 months, my prayers were being answered. When I began to calm down and listened to the voice in my spirit, I realized I was being shaped into the woman I desired to be. God has a way of His own to shape and mold us. We ask Him for things, and sometimes we don’t receive it. That is honestly because God knows it is not good for us. However, there are times we do receive it…just not as we expected we would. Even though this road and this journey has been long and hard; and although there is still more to come, I am thankful for it.

These trials have allowed me to be able to trust, rely, lean and count on God and those closest to me in my life. It did not come the way I thought…all packaged neatly with a beautiful ribbon. However, “…My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord” Isaiah 55:6 (King James)

And thank God for that! Because if it were up to me, I would have never gotten around to beginning the process of being the woman I want to be. God had to lead me through it to take me there. And best of all, I am still not complete. I want to keep growing in Him.

My Prayer

Lord-I can’t understand why someone would not need you in their life. It is incomprehensible to me how anyone can walk their day to day life without you near to them. You provide peace through fear. You give love to cancel out hatred. You set the example of a life to lead; a life that is good. You provide a heart that heals.
As a Christian, the path I am to take is for my benefit. I see that helping others not only blesses you and them…but also, me. I understand that sharing you with others is necessary to plant seeds. I know that following your commandments not only honors you, but helps me.
When I fail, you pick me up. When I am afraid, you bring security. When I am hurt, you give peace. When I am tired; rest. You show me right from wrong. It is ingrained within me to hate evil and love good. The peace that comes from that knowledge cannot be described in words.
Teach me how to show others, You! Give me a heart that thirsts to know you more. Give me knowledge to separate the world’s views from your views. For I know that it is within gaining your understanding of this life, that the next to come depends on my trust and faith in you. Keep me humbled and not proud or boastful when it comes to my relationship with you. Never let me get too far removed from your hand that I slip away. Lead me closer each day to you and your safe haven. Teach me to give you constant honor and glory; to lead a selfless life…putting you first and others second.
Thank you for allowing me to grow up in an environment where I can distinguish in my adult life the gift you afforded me as a child. The gift of a Christian home, the freedom to worship, and the knowledge that I can never do anything that you won’t forgive me of when I ask.
I love you and your beautiful spirit. Again, help me to lead others to know what joy there is with you. To see this world has nothing for us that compares to the majesty of Heaven.
In Jesus Name!

HA! HA! HA!

Would you like a prescription for free medicine?

Yes, you heard me right.

I know where you can receive the best medicine at no expense to you. The bible is filled with information on any topic you can imagine. So it isn’t surprising that God shows us where we can receive an amazing antidote to our problems and health concerns.

Proverbs 17:22 (NLV) A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a persons strength.

Laughter!

We have all heard the sayings:
“Laughter is good for the soul”
“Laughter is the best medicine”

But how good?

According to Webmd.com and several interviewed researchers, laughter and exercise are similar. William Fry stated that it took him ten minutes on a treadmill for his heart rate to reach the same level after only one minute of hearty laughter.
Wow! Talk about a great way to burn fat. But research also shows there are other benefits from laughter.

• better sleep(which helps improve the immune system)
• reduced anxiety
• lowered risks of heart attacks
• natural energy (can stop buying energy drinks)
• pain reduction

But when you really think about laughter, there are some other amazing benefits. Whenever I am talking with a girlfriend and we begin to crack-up over something the other said I immediately feel lighthearted.

When I find myself laughing with my husband, I feel connected to him in a different and very healthy way. Most times it leads to inside jokes that only we know the meaning behind that we use during stressful times or even in public; just to get a kick out of others reactions.

Laughing with my family brings a sense of closeness. Whether it is sharing stories from our past or laughing at someone (99.99% of the time, me) at the dinner table, there is a connection there that can only come with family.

No matter who we are laughing with, a bond is shared between us at that very moment; happiness, a sense of freedom, no inhibitions, and pure joy. Even lasting memories are created.

God always knows what is best for us. He knows that a heavy and negative spirit is not good for our soul, mind or even body. Just as a grieving person looks forward to that first laugh after a loss, it is engrained within us to seek out happiness.

So call up your girlfriend, or turn off the tube and snuggle with your hubby, or get the family together. Start talking and sharing. But above all…just laugh! It’s good for you.