Author Archives: christartist

The First 100 days – day 38 – Love?

What is love?

1 Cor 13 says love is

  • patient
  • kind
  • does not envy
  • does not boast]
  • is not proud
  • is not rude
  • is not self seeking
  • is not easily angered
  • keeps no record of wrongs
  • does not delight in evil
  • rejoices in the truth
  • always protects
  • always trusts
  • always hopes
  • always perseveres
  • never fails

The fruit of the Spirit are:

  • love
  • joy
  • peace
  • patience
  • kindness
  • goodness
  • faithfulness
  • gentleness
  • self-control

I’ve been thinking about ‘love’ for a while, and in a conversation on a thread I wrote these thoughts:

“The thing is, the love is no better than the sinner that professes it. I know I don’t love 1 Cor 13…shoot, I’m still working on ‘love is kind’….and to expect that my partner is less human, as in more divine than I am is  to have WAY too high of expectations. I don’t know about ya’ll, but my husband married a sinner, and I married one too. We’re still workin’ our way out of the past things that have got to be taken care of so we can move forward to more wonderful…we had divorce papers on the table 5 months before our 25th anniversary. It AINT easy…but my commitment wasn’t to Jim…my commitment was to God – and as long as HE says stay…my faith is held in the balance. KWIM?”
“It is so much easier to love when you are ‘in love’….those feelings make things easier…but also blind us sometimes! It’s the long haul work that deepens the relationship. Just this weekend, Jim decided to be less than divine…and you know what? I responded in a very less than divine manner! But after 32 years, we KNOW we are going to work through it…so it is safe to have hurt feelings, angry feelings, disappointed feelings…because LOVE is no longer a feeling..it’s a state of being that governs everything else.”

There is that ‘love’ that one feels when one is attracted to the other person, and doesn’t see any faults, because all they can see is the positive.  It could be the beginning of love, it could also be the fruit of lust.  My point is, it’s a FEELING.

The day one get’s saved, there is this feeling of exultation, deliverance from death and resurrected into life!  It’s a wonderful feeling! Walking and talking with God all along life’s narrow way!

Then a trial comes along.  And God doesn’t feel so close by. And it hurts.  Life just happened.  And now, this is the work of working out your own salvation with fear and trembling!  This is the exercise program of our faith – when we don’t ‘feel’ it, when we want to quit because it’s too hard – when everything around us is dark and stormy, and obviously God is busy on the other side of the planet!

THAT IS WHEN FAITH AND COMMITMENT ADD UP TO LOVE.

We love because HE FIRST LOVED US.  When did He first love us? while we were yet sinners.  Job didn’t ‘feel’ God was near.  And Job was not happy that God would not hear his prayer for death!  And in the middle of that dark valley of the shadow of death – God spoke.  His rod and His staff straightened Job out, and then comforted him.

Job loved God before this trial.  And the trial had to be tough enough to refine Job.  And afterward, Job loved God more.  Job never denied God, nor cursed God, but Job struggled with the trial.

In marriage, there are trials.  And it’s in these trials that you work out your OWN marriage with fear and trembling.  You may feel that the other person has abandoned you.  You may want to abandon the other person.  You may even want to kill the marriage with divorce at times.  This is that dark valley of the shadow of death, where REAL marriages are made.  When feelings have NOTHING to do with REALITY.  This is where you practice 1 Cor 13, and this is where fruit is proven.

I don’t always feel saved – but I KNOW that I am.

I don’t always feel loved – but I know I am by God, and I know that my human counterpart tries to love me, as much as I try to love him.  I KNOW that we have chosen love.

We don’t have a choice.  Not if we intend to stay on God’s good side!

We are commanded to love.

WE ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE.

love one another…..

we love because he first loved

freely recieved freely give

love the church

love your neighbor

love your enemies

greater love hath no man but that he lay down his life for his friends

LOVE  is NOT  a feeling.  LOVE IS A STATE OF BEING. LOVE IS A WAY OF LIFE. GOD IS LOVE – and God is NOT a feeling.

And when the first reaction to anything is love, then 1 Cor 13 and Gal 5 will follow in kind.

The first fruit of the Spirit mentioned is LOVE.  And love has a huge definition.  If we just work on being love – all the fruit will flow and life will be a little more like heaven in our hearts.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or ‘like’ me! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

  1. 100 days of moving challenge – day 39 – fighting cats and dog
  2. 100 days challenge- blog – check
  3. 25 verses in 52 weeks – Ps 15:1-2
  4. 90 days Bible Reading – Job
  5. 50 days T-Tapp – check – OIP/HF, AL
  6. 30 days – T-Tapp January Jumpstart- day 12

The First 100 days – day 37 – ADHD Bible Reading

Hi.
My name is Christi.
I have ADHD.
(Hi Christi!)

I get distracted. Even when I read my Bible.
I don’t get distracted when I read a fiction book.
I think this is the work of the devil.
Nevertheless, it is what it is, and I need tools to help me ‘read’ my Bible.

Are ‘tools’ acceptable to God, or do I need to be puritanically religious about sitting down and reading and studying and notating MY Bible? Well, when Timothy was having some issues, Paul wrote this: Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities. (1Tim 5:23)
If that isn’t enough, God thought it was good enough to be put into the Bible!!! Now, I’m NOT talking about drinking wine instead of water!

I have been doing Bible in 90 days, and I have had some difficulties. I am committed, therefore, I have looked for some tools.

First, Speed! the Bible in 90 days website has some tools. Of course, these are for reading through the Bible in 90 days.  As for benefiting someone with ADHD…it is a faster way to get through all the begats and such. It moves faster, more at the speed of an ADHD brain!

Second, for ADHD persons, there is a need for multiple sensory experiences for things to hold our attention, and to stick in our brains. Here are some multi sensory tools that I have used, or have just found:

VISUAL – obviously the Bible reading is visual, but black letters on white paper is not very stimulating.

  • Christian Cinema has Matthew, Acts, and John on DVD.
  • For children(young and old) there are picture Bibles – such as The Beginners Bible, The Picture Bible, The Comic Book Bible, The Children’s Illustrated Bible.
  • For adults, there is this really neat Bible – The Archeological Study Bible. It adds details that keep this ADHD person from mentally straying!

AUDITORY – Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God…

KINETIC OR TACTILE – Touch it…..

  • Write out the Bible Verses.  Have a journal, or a flip chart, such as the one Beth Moore offers.
  • Coloring charts – yes, even for adults. PapaJan has free ones. Another site, Coloring.ws, has some pages with scriptures.
  • Kay Arthur’s Inductive Study Method, which my husband calls me coloring my Bible.

And here’s two more that I have just started to incorporate:

SCENT – a candle burning that stimulates memory.

  • Ps 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee [as] incense; [and] the lifting up of my hands [as] the evening sacrifice.

TASTE – I have a personal communion time – with a small piece of bread, and a small amount of grape juice.

  • 1 Cor 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

Taste and Scent are strong memory encoders.

For me, the key is to have various opportunities and tools that will flood me with the Word of God.  I hope this helps anyone with a tendency to be distracted as they read the Word of God!

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or ‘like’ me! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

  1. 100 days of moving challenge – day 38 -Sick
  2. 100 days challenge- blog – check
  3. 25 verses in 52 weeks – Ps 15:1-2
  4. 90 days Bible Reading – Ecclesiastes
  5. 50 days T-Tapp – check – SICK
  6. 30 days – T-Tapp January Jumpstart- SICK

The First 100 Days – day 36 – Empty

Abandoned
like a newborn baby thrown in the dumpster

Attacked
like ravenous sharks at the smell of my blood

Broken
like a window with a rock thrown through it

Crushed
Like garbage gathered in a disposal

Deceived
like a black widow’s mate

Drowned
like helpless in a 20 foot hurricane surge

Empty
Like a clear night sky without any stars.

Forsaken
Like Jesus the night before the cross

Ground
like a pill into a powder

hungered
like a child that has to search a trash heap for some food.

Ignored
like the elephant in the tiny room

Pressed down
like apple scraps pressed for cider

Splintered
like boards at a karate studio

Struck
like a baseball heading out of the park

Stung
like being blanketed in a bee hive

Shattered
Like a thin crystal vase thrown against a brick wall

Pain, in every cell of your body crying out for emotional understanding and safety, and getting the opposite.
Parts that cannot take much more pain crying out for explanation, but only getting blamed.
Why are the sick blamed for their illnesses?
Why are the disabled blamed for their weakness?
Why are the protectors protecting those that need no protecting?
When does love come?
Hosea knows.
Job knows.
Someday, the child will know, too.
But who will stand up for the child?
Who can see past the lies, and set themselves aside and love the child?

Deuteronomy 27:19 – Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow.

Psalm 41:1 – Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.

Proverbs 31:8-9 – Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Matthew 25:35-36.40 – For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. . . I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

Is asking for help when stumbling narcissistic?
Is asking for water when thirsty narcissistic?
Is asking for safety when threatened narcissistic?
Is asking for help for healing narcissistic?

Narcissism –noun

  1. inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity.  an exceptional interest in or admiration for oneself, esp one’s physical appearance.
  2. Psychoanalysis . erotic gratification derived from admiration of one’s own physical or mental attributes, being a normal condition at the infantile level of personality development.  sexual satisfaction derived from contemplation of one’s own physical or mental endowments

The First 100 days – day 35 – Hurry Up!

I’m almost to the 2 month count down for going to Germany.
Before I go to Germany, I have to have this apartment packed up to move into our RV.
Before we move into our RV,

Anna's Paintings 1

Triptich for Anna

I have to finish the painting I’m working on for Anna.

There is so much to be done to finish these paintings….there is so much to be done to pack for Germany….there is so much to be done to pack up(or rather, pack down) and move into an RV.

I feel like I am hearing this song over and over and over and over…hurry up,

Anna's Painting 2

The Triptich Separated

can’t waste time, hurry up, can’t waste time….racing with the clock!

I’ve written about racing, being in a race, how I’d love to do a triathlon race again(sprint….not iron man)…and how I’d love to be in better shape than I am.

But a new racing is hitting the fan…my heart.  Tachycardia is a BAD thing.  But anxiety is even worse.

Phil 4:6 NLT Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Matt 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

I am excited about going to Germany.  Me And Gabe

I am excited about moving into the RV full time.

I am excited to see Anna’s face when she gets these paintings.

I’m nervous, a bit, about flying for 10 hours with a service dog…I’m a bit nervous about downsizing for the RV….I’m a bit nervous about completing Anna’s paintings so that I can stand to see them hanging in her house.

Why should I take no thought, not worry, not be anxious?  Because I have a promise:

Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Is 41:13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee: FEAR NOT, I WILL HELP THEE!

And there is this basic promise:

Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us?

So, with all my excitement, and with the short time, and with all that I have to do….my focus needs to be on this:

Matt 6:33-34 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.

What can I do more than what I am able to do?  If I do all that I am able to do, then that is good enough.  Getting caught up in the hurry up mentality will only make me too sick to enjoy ANY of the new things that are coming down our path.

And just in case those three things aren’t enough in the next two months, I also have to plan our three week vacation, starting one week after I get home(and that week is our move out/into week!).

“If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.” ~ Martin Luther
“Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees.” ~Corrie ten Boom
There are more quotes about prayer at Christian Prayer Quotations

Prayer, a prayer time, prayer focus.  My dear daughter reminded me today that the way I taught them to pray was to wake up saying “Good Morning Lord, thank you for this day…..” and to go to bed saying, “……good night, Lord, thank you for this day.” The point being, never stop in between.

Prayer combats the sin of worry…because faith displaces fear.

May we each be blessed today with what God puts before us to do…and to do that as unto the Lord.

Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or ‘like’ me! Or follow me with the RSS feed.



  1. 100 days of moving challenge – day 35 – walk on treadmill
  2. 100 days challenge- blog – check
  3. 25 verses in 52 weeks – Ps 15:1-2
  4. 90 days Bible Reading – 2 Chronicles 11-
  5. 50 days T-Tapp – check – SATI, OIP/HF, AL
  6. 30 days – T-Tapp January Jumpstart- day 9

Guest Blogger – What Do You do When the Pillar Moved, and You Didn’t?

My dear friend Phyllis Sather has written a beautiful blog about realizing that you missed the moving of the pillar.

“What would have happened if the children of Israel had one day decided not to get up and follow that pillar when it began to move?”

What pillar? The Pillar of the Lord, that was before the Israelites.  When it stayed, they were to stay put.  When it moved, they were to pick up and follow.

Ex 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Here’s Phyllis’ blog “What do You do When You Discover the Pillar Moved, and You Didn’t?”

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

The First 100 days – day 34 – ADHD Praying part three

Hi.
My name is Christi.
I am ADHD. ( Hi Christi!)

I sat down to do this blog at 8AM. It is now 11AM. I got distracted with

gmail(there could be prayer requests that I need to know about),

facebook( I need to stay aware of my friends),

chat(I have a really good friend to chat to, and I miss her when I don’t),

school alumni site(there’s a reunion coming and I have to get the news out).

I even have skype on, just in case my daughter, and grandson decide to jump in and say HI!

And my phone is it’s own computer!

Here’s the rushing of an ADHD mind:

  1. I chatted with a friend about doing some art for her,
  2. and I sent her some of my art photos –
  3. and my art photo files are so messed up…
  4. I need to organize them.
  5. So, I’m in my photo files, and my reunion/alumni site,
  6. so I decide to upload my Sr photo for my profile pic on the alumni site…
  7. and all the photos are really mixed up.
  8. I gotta organize this photo file system!
  9. While I’m at it, I’ll send these OLD photos of my graduation to the web guy for the reunion site…
  10. but I should try to improve them with some editing.
  11. Pull up the editing program, and I try to figure out what the best way to do this would be.
  12. Then, I give up on the editing, and just send him the pile raw…let him deal with it…
  13. Oh yeah, the reunion website guy just might help me with my word press issues…but how much does he cost?
  14. The other guy I was going to use just upped his fees from $1,000 to $2500 for what I wanted done…and, well, I don’t have $2500 for a web blog that is just my thoughts about the Bible…not selling anything yet!
  15. Oh, wait…here’s my friend on chat…and she has sent me a special gift…but it hasn’t come in the mail,
  16. so I check my gmail,
  17. my fb message and
  18. started to check my phone message to see if I sent her the right address…yep, she has the right address….

I need to write this blog!

And I have been everywhere but ‘here’.  I’m thankful that I got my musical praying done earlier…and now, I need to share my additional praying techniques. Maybe I need to pray for some blog focus techniques!
ADHD is a gift, but it’s a gift that one must control.  Self Control.

And sometimes we need tools to help us learn Self Control.

Prayer Tools

Various Prayer Tools

In addition to being ADHD, distracted at prayer time, I am also fat…I tend to fail at self control with food.  Self Control bleeds into every area of our lives.  So, just like tools to help with better eating…self control for praying  can include some extra aids to enhance focus.  It’s obvious that I need a lot of help in this area, and I have collected a lot of tools! And this isn’t even all of them!

Stormie Omartian has put out many many good books about prayer. She even has a blog with prayers that you can pray – just read a loud…and there you have it…a focused prayer!  I have several of her books, one being ‘The Prayer that Changes Everything – the hidden power of praising God”. The pages are prayer cards, they come out, and you can carry them around!

Beth Moore has written a book about Praying God’s Word. “Learn to tear down the strongholds in your life with the power of God’s word.”  That is the cards that go with that Bible Study, in the photo.

Sylvia Gunter, of The Father’s Business has made it her calling to teach people to pray God’s word.  Her Prayer Portions and Prayer Essentials Guides are HUGE compilations of praying God’s word.  The smaller For the Family is an excellent guide to focus your prayer life.

Psalms was the prayer book and the Praise book for the Jews.  It’s still a great tool to focus prayer…but I’m never quite sure what to do when David has me praying for God to kill all my enemies.  So, I get distracted!

The Catholic church and the Anglican/Episcopalian church has had a prayer book almost from the beginning.  In this prayer book there are wondrous prayers, such as the Nicene Creed, and the Apostle’s Creed.

Of course, we do have the greatest example of having a planned prayer given to us by Christ, Himself.

Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

Luke 11:2-4 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread.  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

There are many tools available to help someone focus in their prayer life.  I have only mentioned the ones that I have used.  Whatever path an ADHD person uses to focus on God, it is good, and will be blessed because God honors those that seek Him.

Here is a blessing that I put together, to remember what I want to pray over my friends and family. And here, I will pray it over those that read this blog…

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. …The Prince of Peace… Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Numb6:24-26; Phil 4:7; Is 9:6; Phil 1:6; Rom 8:38-39

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or ‘like’ me! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

  1. 100 days of moving challenge – day 34 – walk on treadmill
  2. 100 days challenge- blog – check
  3. 25 verses in 52 weeks – Ps 15:1-2
  4. 90 days Bible Reading – 2 Chronicles 11-
  5. 50 days T-Tapp – check – MORE, OIP/HF, AL
  6. 30 days – T-Tapp January Jumpstart- day 6

The First 100 days – day 33 – ADHD prayer part duex

I have confessed to having difficulty focusing on praying.

I shared some guest insights in my blog Day 28 – ADHD Prayer.

This morning, this is how I prayed. Click on the first two for my preparation songs:

Kirk Franklin – Brighter Day

Ron Kenoly- Ancient of Days

Rachel Lampa – Live for You

That gets me into a great place for prayer….
Then I focus on dedicating my heart to the Lord:

And then, to really get me going for the day, I love this song:


Steven Curtis Chapman – Dive
Uploaded by EMI_Music. – Watch more music videos, in HD!

I have included YOUTube links to these songs…please consider going to the musicians and supporting them as ministers of Christ.

These are some of my songs….and I do have others, but my point is that singing a song, paying attention to the lyrics…PAYING ATTENTION TO THE LYRICS SO YOU ARE PRAYING…can help a person focus their prayers.

Often times, an ADHD person like me needs multiple senses to be grabbed…which is why I have included two youtube videos.  Watching the lyrics, seeing the photography, listening with your ears, and singing with your mouth all come together for a  more focused prayer time.

I hope this is a blessing to you…it is to me.  When I start my day with Godly songs that turn my heart towards Jesus, it sets a foundation for the rest of the day.  And that foundation is Jesus!

Join me – with my life verse:
Ps 63:7 – Because YOU have been my help, I will sing beneath the shadow of YOUR wings!

In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi

  1. 100 days of moving challenge – day 32 – found a place to walk
  2. 100 days challenge- blog – check
  3. 25 verses in 52 weeks – Ps 15:1-2
  4. 90 days Bible Reading -2 Chronicles
  5. 50 days T-Tapp – check – T-Tapp Workout with Kirsten
  6. 30 days – T-Tapp January Jumpstart- day 7

February 1 Memory Verse

MY verse 3 of Beth Moore’s challenge to memorize 25 verses in 2011.

Psalm 15:1-2

  1. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle?who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
  2. He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh truth in his heart.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE abiding verses.

Ps 91:1

  • He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Ps 61

  • 4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
  • 7 He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, [which] may preserve him.

John 15

  • 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
  • 5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
  • 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
  • 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

So, for these two weeks, I’m ‘abiding’ in the first two verse of Ps 15.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

The First 100 days – day 32 – short thoughts

Zachias was a wee little man, a wee little man was he,
He climbed up in a sycamore tree, the Lord he wanted to see.
Jesus said “Zachias, you come down from there,
for I’m going to your house today, for I’m going to your house today.”

Zachias was short.

Zachias was a tax collector.

Zachias was hated.

But Jesus saw his heart.

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

The shortest verse of the Bible is the most heart wrenching:

John 11:35 Jesus wept.

The Shortest chapter is Ps 117

Ps 117:1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

Ps 117:2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD [endureth] for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

The Shortest book(by words) is 3John. Here are two of my favorite verses:

3John 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

3John 11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

I am short.

I am hated by some.

But Jesus sees my heart.

He knows me from my mother’s womb – Ps 139:13.

Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

And He has chosen me!

1 Pet 2:9 But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

And what’s really cool is that this applies to tall people, too!  So, today, I may not have to climb any trees (Thank you Jesus), but I am going to watch for Jesus’ hand in my day, and I pray that He and the Father with the Holy Ghost will come and abide with me all the days of my life! How about you?

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

author note: the comment button is after sharing buttons, I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or follow me with the RSS feed.

  1. 100 days of moving challenge – day 32 – find a place to walk
  2. 100 days challenge- blog – check
  3. 90 days Bible Reading – 2 Kings headed to 1 Chronicles
  4. 50 days T-Tapp – check – MORE, OIP/HF, AL
  5. 30 days – T-Tapp January Jumpstart- day 6

The First 100 days – day 31 – Represent

Christians divorcing and then claiming that they are acting as Christians, so why isn’t God giving them peace with their children?

The divorce rate among Christians is the same as non believers.

Christians protesting at funerals that God is happy with deaths of soldiers side by side with Christians saying God is love.

Christians dressing like Beyonce’, Madonna, or any other ‘American Idol’ type person – and then wondering why nobody takes them serious when they talk about holiness.

Christians going bankrupt because they cannot afford the great and wonderful church that GOD WAS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE FOR THEM.

Christians speeding down the road with the little fish on the back of their vehicles almost flying off.  What a witness to the officer that pulls them over.

I have an old book – IN HIS STEPS, by Charles M Sheldon.

The popularity of this book started the WWJD movement.  Of course, sometimes, it’s an embarrassment to see what folks with WWJD jewelry are doing, as they are ambassadors for Christ.  Sometimes I wonder if the WWJD crowd ever read the book.

Here’s the intro:

What would happen if members of your local church pledged for an entire year not to do anything without first asking, what would Jesus do?  An intriguing question, and the very one that motivated Charles Monroe Sheldon to write his Christian classic, In His Steps.

For some, following in Jesus’ steps caused misunderstanding and suffering: for all it meant an entire dedication of money, talent, and life’s work, rewarded by immeasurable peace and joy.

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

1Peter then goes on to describe HOW Jesus walked.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

“The church was the first in the city.  It had the best choir.  It had a membership composed of the leading people, representatives of the wealth, society and intelligence of Raymond.”

I am weary with being invited to churches that have the best choir, the most people, the best youth ministry and Sunday School (so you never have to deal with your children while you worship).

I want a church that embraces the Word of God.  I want a church that asks “What would Jesus Do?” and they can KNOW what Jesus DID because they KNOW the Word of God.

The church we thought we would attend has had several things come up this year.

  1. 3 million dollar expansion project…even though God has repeatedly closed doors.  So, everyone give give give!
  2. Peace Peace when there is no peace.  Preaching about peace being Jews and Palestinians living together with no borders, America with no borders between Canada or Mexico.  People with nothing to divide them….that is Peace.
  3. The first love in Revelations 2 is love of people.  It wasn’t return to your first love – the joy of your salvation.
  4. Youth program was watching movies like Transformers to teach Biblical principles.

The people are wonderful.  The people love the Lord.  But where does this lead?

  1. Owing a huge debt, when the present building could be paid off.
  2. Forgetting that we are a peculiar people, set apart to God – there is a difference between Christians and the world. And true Peace comes from being at peace with God – salvation, which sets a person at odds with everyone.
  3. God is love of everyone..forgetting that God is the Just Judge, and He will call each man into account.  God’s love is a tough love…not a fluffy good ol’ boy love.
  4. Children are to be nurtured in the admonition of the Lord…the need to learn the ways of God from His word FIRST, not secular movies and tv shows.

Matt 7:13-14KJV Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Matt 7:13-14 NLT “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.”

ONLY THE NARROW GATE – SMALL, NARROW, FEW!!!

Broad is the gate that leads to…..apōleia

  1. destroying, utter destruction; a) of vessels
  2. a perishing, ruin, destruction; a) of money; b) the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell

The wide way is EASY!  The path with Christ leads to persecution –

John 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

And we are to have a DIFFERENT RESPONSE when the fight comes:

Matthew 5:10 Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This is the key – persecuted for righteousness sake.

John 15:21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

The only way to be persecuted for Jesus’ name sake, is to be walking LIKE JESUS.

What would Jesus do when He was depressed? We know he went to the garden and prayed!

What would Jesus do when verbally attacked? We know that he held his tongue.

What would Jesus do if the congregation got to big?  He got in a boat…he sent them away….they all created home churches.

What would Jesus Do about paying taxes?  he paid them…supernaturally.

What would Jesus Do in a divorce situation?  Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit are what a family is supposed to represent…they are one, and they cannot be divided.

John 10:30 I and [my] Father are one.

Luke 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

He REPRESENTED THE GODHEAD!!!

And it’s by being ONE with the FATHER, SPIRIT AND SON, that we can truly learn to walk in Christ’s steps as HE walked with God:

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Mark 1:12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.

And this is how we are to REPRESENT CHRIST obeying His Father, and being filled of the Holy Spirit:

Rom 8:14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

How did Jesus walk?  What did Jesus Do? He fulfilled this:

Eph 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Eph 5:24-25 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

We have No excuses:

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.

Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Moses pleased God – and he was the one that wrote the first five books of the Bible!

David pleased God – and he was the one that wrote most of the Psalms.

Peter, John and Paul pleased God – and they wrote most of the New Testament.

They DID NOT HAVE THE WORD TO TEACH THEM THE PATH! But, we do.

The rest of Romans 1 describes our country, and unfortunately, much of our ‘Christian’ identity.

WARNING WARNING WARNING!

Acts 28:26 ” ‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

Acts 28:27 “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'”

Rom 11:8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.”

2 Tim 4:3-4 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

2 Thes 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2 Thes 2:11-12 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Jesus NEVER took pleasure in unrighteousness.

I confess, I do.  Movies that do not represent Godly values.  Doing things that are not the best for my body, or not doing things that ARE the best for my body.  Gossip.  Selfishness.  Complaining. Nagging. Worrying. Laughing at jokes.

If I didn’t take some sort of pleasure in them I would quit doing them, right? As Dr. Phil would say “How’s that working for ya?”

It’s time to rise up and be the Christian that God defined….in His WORD made flesh.  That is What Jesus Did Do.  So, if we study what Jesus did do, in the whole Bible(Old and New) – we will have the answers ready for What Would Jesus Do, when we ask.  But the real question is, does anyone REALLY  want to do what Jesus Did?

And yet, that is the NARROW GATE, that is the NARROW WAY.

Matt 7:14 NIV But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

BE FOREWARNED BY THE 5 FOOLISH VIRGINS! We must keep our oil full until the Bridegroom comes…or we may hear:

Matt 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Matt 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Many…MANY…..

Matt 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Matt 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Here is God’s promise:

Is 42: 5 – 6 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

Is 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, [and] them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Is 42:8-9 I [am] the LORD: that [is] my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.  Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

God has a plan, and God will bring it to pass.  And we have a responsibility:

2 Chron 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

This promise is addressed to God’s children, called by God’s name.  Who more responsible than those that go by the name of Christ?

We are not without help…God gives us many promises of His help…the point is, we must do as Jesus did…and turn towards Our Father, and focus on the WORD of God, so that we can know how to walk as Jesus walked.

Is 50:7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

Four commandments have to deal with our relationship with God.

One commandment deals with our relationship with our parents.

Five commandments deal with our relationship with others.

God has a lot to say about our relationship with Him…because He is a jealous God!

God, through Jesus, told us that blaspheming the Holy Spirit is without forgiveness…so, God is not happy with anything that blasphemes His name.  He will not shame us, and we should try to live so that we do not shame His name.

Phil 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Phil 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Phil 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

We have been given everything we need to walk IN HIS STEPS.  It is my prayer that every decision I make, I will begin with What Would Jesus Do? What Did Jesus Do?  And then to say YES, LORD, and walk in that path, no matter how narrow or straight.

We need to make sure our ears are open, our eyes are open, and our hearts and minds are discerning God’s way.  I pray each person that reads this will KNOW that Jesus is Lord of their life, and that they hear His voice, and follow Him.  I KNOW that MY redeemer liveth – do you?

Thanks for joining me in this journey,

In His hands and under His wings,

~Christi

Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

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