Join Me On the Journey

Journaling is a powerful tool to help you make lasting change in your life. There are many types of journals, but I think that the most important is what I call the quiet time journal.

I recommend that you keep your quiet time journal in a 3-ring notebook. You will have different sections in your quiet time journal and these sections will grow at different rates. Ideally, you should have tabs, but they are certainly optional. I have also found the using a 5½ X 8½ 3-ring binder works better for me. It is easier to handle because it’s closer in size to my Bible.

You will find the need for several different sections. Some of the sections in your quiet time journal, or notebook would include but not be limited to:

1. Prayer
2. Bible reading and Bible study
3. Application

How many times have you been asked to pray for someone? You soberly promise that you will pray. You have every intention of praying; and then you forget all about it. Later, when you see that person, they thank you for praying for them, and you feel badly. Having a prayer section in your quiet time journal helps keep that from happening.

The prayer section can be as simple as a list you jot down in random order. Make certain that you write down the date you add the request to your list. (I haven’t always been very good at this and I always regret it later!) Also, it’s fun to highlight your prayer request when it is answered and jot down the date of the answer as well.

The prayer section of my quiet time journal is subdivided into several sections. I have a section for my husband and myself; a section for each child; a section for my extended family; and a section for friends. You will probably find that you will have different sections. Just start somewhere and you can expand or change it as needed.

The Bible is God’s love letter to you. We all know the benefits of reading and studying the Bible.

However, reading the Old Testament is difficult for most of us. I recommend reading through the OT chronologically as it helps you to acquire an overview of the history. There are many chronological reading plans online.

I recommend using one of the modern translations when reading through the Old Testament. The modern translations are more like a story and it really helps you to get more out of your Bible reading. There was a time in my life when I would only read from King James Version, but now I use many different translations and use the KJV as my gold standard.

Something else that is interesting is a Harmony of the Gospels. Google it; there are great resources. It is enlightening to see the different perspectives of the same event.

Another great resource is the One Year Bible. This Bible breaks your daily Bible reading into an Old Testament reading; a reading from the New Testament; a passage from Psalms; and one or two verses from Proverbs. There are also several different translations of the One Year Bible.

Pick some kind of Bible reading plan—even a devotional book. There is no rule that says that you have to read the Bible cover to cover. Honestly, few people do. It takes a lot of discipline. Pray about it and ask God to give you the desire and discipline to read the Bible through.

There is a difference between Bible reading and Bible study. I was truly set free when I finally realized that. Bible reading is best done on a regular basis; for example, consistently reading three chapters per day. Bible study should be done when you have a chunk of time—at least 30 to 45 minutes or more.

Again, there are many different ways to study the Bible. Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods: Twelve Ways You Can Unlock God’s Word by Rick Warren is a wonderful book that introduces you to different Bible study methods. I have really enjoyed learning each different method and I highly recommend the book.

The last area that I would like to touch on is application: application of your prayer and application of your Bible reading and study. This is the part of your quiet time where you listen to your Heavenly Father and ask Him what He wants you to work on in your life.

There are numerous ways to make application in your quiet time. Focus on a verse that speaks to you during your Bible reading. Ask God to help you apply the verse. Listen for God’s gentle correction during your prayer time. Allow Him to reveal those areas of your life that you are trying to hide from Him and from others. Confession truly is good for the soul.

There are several systems that serve to pull all the above aspects together. One of the “oldies but goodies” is ACTS. In fact, I couldn’t find the original source of this system online. The acronym ACTS stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. There are many online sources to explain this system. Becky Tirabassi also has a complete quiet time system which you can read about in her book Let Prayer Change Your Life.

It is okay to pick and choose areas to focus on. There are seasons in your life and it is okay to focus on different aspects of your spiritual life during different seasons.

In the same token, it is not necessary to do the same thing every day. You can concentrate on different disciplines on different days of the week. You may have some days that you have more time, for example, on the week end. Your schedule may be more flexible on different days of the week. You may also break up your quiet time throughout the day if this works better for you. The important thing is to have your quiet time regularly.

Your quiet time journal is a personal record of your spiritual journey. Keeping this journal will help you to focus and it will also afford you the ability to look back and see how far you have come. I promise you it will become a priceless tool in your journey toward obedience and consistency.

Recommended Reading:

Let Prayer Change Your Life by Becky Tirabassi

Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods: Twelve Ways You Can Unlock God’s Word by Rick Warren

Popularity: 90%

Do you ever think about the fact that God experiences grief?

There are numerous references to God experiencing grief starting in Genesis. Here are just a few.

The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Gen 6:6

How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! Psa 78:40

In the New Testament, we find Jesus was grieved over men’s actions many times.

After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Mark 3:5

Grief is defined as “pain inflicted because of loss.” We all know what greif feels like. If you can feel grief, God can feel grief. After all, you are created in His image.

Stop to think what it was like for God. He created the heaven and the earth and planted a lush garden for Adam and Eve to live in. The climate was perfect. There was an unlimited food supply. All their needs were met. And, to top it off, God Himself came down to talk with them in the cool of the evening.

We don’t know how long they were in the garden before they sinned, but when they did, just imagine the grief that God must have felt.

And today, when we despise the gift of His Son, how much must that grieve him?

This post was recently posted at Faith Lifts and I have re-posted it here for your convenience.

Popularity: 12%

You have most likely heard the saying, “Confession is good for the soul.”

One of the things that I am focusing on in my life is keeping a short account with God; admitting to God, and more importantly myself, that I sin…regularly.

So, what is sin? If you’re like me, you have heard the definition that sin is “missing the mark.” It’s a term used in shooting. In other words, you shoot for something and you don’t hit the bullseye.

There are also sins of omission…things we don’t do.

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. James 4:17 (KJV)

This means that I always have plenty to confess.

But, rather than just tell you that confession is important, I would like to show you how to practically implement a time of confession into your quiet time.

Sometime during your quiet time, turn your heart inward and ask God to show you what  in your life you need to confess. My favorite passage that speaks specifically to this is Psalm 139:23-24.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (KJV)

I like this passage because it talks about knowing my heart and my thoughts. Heart here is another word for soul, which includes mind, emotions, will, and conscience. And that’s where you want God to be at work…in your mind (thought-life), your emotions, your will, your conscience. Actions follow beliefs. If you submit your thoughts to God and allow Him to work in your thought-life, your actions will change.

When your ask for God’s revelation, take a moment to listen.  Things will begin to come to mind; things you need to do; things you need to stop doing; attitudes you need to change; people to whom you need to make amends. God will speak to your heart; write down what He says.

God is so faithful and He honors your efforts to change.  If you are faithful to ask, He will reveal areas of your life that need change.

God Bless You on Your Journey!

Popularity: 11%

One of the reasons I started writing here was to share with other women about change and how to accomplish change. That is one purpose for writing to you and I strive to keep that in mind as I write.

In order to accomplish lasting change, you must define three things:

1. where you are now
2. where you want to be
3. how you plan to get there

Now, this may sound like I’m telling you to just make up your mind where you want to go and get there no matter what. It may sound as if I’m telling you to forge ahead without seeking God for direction.

Well, I am making some assumptions here.

First of all, I’m assuming that you are a Christian. If you don’t have a relationship with God, the Bible teaches that you can have a relationship with Him by simply acknowledging that Christ died for you to provide for that relationship. There’s nothing magical about it. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” If you want a relationship with God, call on Him and He’s there.

Secondly, I’m assuming that you have a desire to fulfill God’s will for your life. Most of us don’t see a huge, instantaneous change in our lives when we make a decision for Christ. The change occurs gradually over time. But, eventually, most of us reach the point where we think, “I need to figure out what God really wants me to do with my life!” It can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

The Bible is replete with references that reassure you God wants to direct your life. Two of my favorites are:

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Prov 3:5-6 (KJV)

Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Ps 37:4-5 (KJV)

Now, when I was a younger Christian, I used to think “He shall give thee the desires of thine heart” meant, “He will give you every little thing your heart desires!” But, I came to realize that passage meant that God would place in my heart the desires that He has for my life…He will make me desire what He wants for me. So, if I’m following Him, I can trust that the things that I want to do are desires that He has placed there.

In other words, if you’re thinking, “If I follow God, He’s going to make me go to the deepest darkest place in Africa and be a missionary and eat worms for dinner,” God doesn’t do that. If you follow God, and He asks you to go to the deepest darkest place in Africa, it will be something that burns in your heart…something you cannot deny.

So, now you are a Christian. You are following God and yet you still feel that you’re not fulfilling the call God has on your life.

First of all, if you don’t have the habit of journaling, I would encourage you to take it up. I suppose there are people who can do these things in their heads, but I’ve never met one. When you read biographies of those who have done exploits for the Lord, you’ll find they kept journals…they wrote it down. There is something powerful about writing down your thoughts, dreams, concerns, and fears.

Start with where you are.

• What has happened in your life until this point?
• How have you reacted?
• How can you use what has happened to benefit others?
• Are you married or single?
• Are you a parent to young children, teen-agers, older children, or all of the above?
• Are you part of a ministry outside your home?
• Do you work outside the home?
• What do you like?
• What do you do well?
• What things “come naturally”?

Look at where you want to be.

• What have you “always wanted to do”?
• If money were no object, how would you live your life differently?
• If you knew you only had a year to live, how would you spend that year?
• What are the things only I can do? (be a mother to my children, for example)

Tomorrow, Lord willing, we’ll look at getting from where you are to where you want to be.

I would encourage you to take a few minutes to figure out where you are. It will take some time, but before you can get to where you want to go, you must know where you are.

God Bless You on Your Journey!

Popularity: 11%

Do you know that God has a picture of you in His wallet?

Well, He would if He had a wallet.

You see, God loves you so much that if He carried a wallet, He would have your picture there. He would take it out whenever He met someone and brag on you.

You are on His mind every moment…of every day…of every week…of every year of your life.

The Bible says that you are “the apple of His eye.” (Deut 32:10; Zech 2:8)

Following are highlights from Psalm 139. I would encourage you to read this passage yourself sometime today. (These verses are paraphrased from the New Living Translation.)

God formed you in your mother’s womb. (v. 13)

He has examined your heart and knows everything about you…everything…down to the most minute detail. (v. 1) Matt 10:30 tells us, “…the very hairs of [your] head are all numbered.” (KJV)

He knows every thought you think…before you think it. (v. 2)

He knows everything you’re going to say…before you even say it! (v. 4) And He still loves you!

God goes before you and He follows behind you. (v. 5) He knows when you sit down and when you stand up. (v. 2) God charts your path, tells you when you need to stop and rest, and knows precisely where you are at every moment of the journey. (v. 3)

He records every day of your life in His book. (v. 16)

God’s thoughts about you are innumerable! (v. 17)

There are so many verses describing how much God loves you, but God’s love for you can be summed up in this one verse:

…God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom 5:8 (KJV)

Before you ever even thought about God, He thought about you and loved you.

And when you accept Christ as your Savior, the Bible says that God adopts you as His child.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Rom 8:15-17 (KJV)

I encourage you to stop for just a few moments today and think about God’s love for you.

Popularity: 5%

Did you know that there is only one thing in this life that you can control? Do you know what it is?

It’s that person you look at in the mirror every morning.

You cannot control world events. You cannot control the weather. You cannot control your hubby…or your kids…or your dear mother-in-law.

But…you can control your reactions to all those things. You can control what hours you are awake and how you use your time while you’re awake. You can control how you take care of yourself: whether you exercise, eat right, get enough sleep (unless, of course, you have a little one deciding this point for you). You can control the things you read, the things you see, the things you think about and focus upon.

So often in my life, I have found myself railing against those things I cannot change. This, as I’m sure you know, is incredibly exhausting and unproductive.

If you’re tired and bogged down, I encourage you to take a few moments to examine your life and assess whether you may be struggling to control things that you really cannot change.

“How do I do this?” you may ask. Well, it’s really not as hard as it may seem. All you need is a pen, a piece of paper (or your journal) and several minutes of uninterrupted time. If you work outside the home, take a few minutes during your lunch break. If you’re a full-time mommy, take blanket outside and sit on the ground while they’re playing near by.

Write at the top of the page: “What is REALLY bugging me about my life right now?”

Then, just begin to write. Don’t censer yourself; just write whatever comes to your mind. Give yourself a good amount of time; at least twenty to thirty minutes of continuous writing. The longer you allow yourself to write, the more effective you’ll find this exercise.

Now, some of you are so conditioned not to complain, this may be a hard exercise for you. If you have a hard time starting, begin by just simply writing, “I don’t know what to write…This is a stupid exercise…There’s nothing wrong with my life…Everything is wrong with my life, where do I start…I never did like that Tamera…” Whatever comes to your mind, just write. Don’t worry about your handwriting or punctuation. This is called stream of consciousness writing. There’s no mystery about it. It is simply writing down every word that comes to your mind as you’re thinking about a specific topic…like “What’s REALLY bugging me about my life right now?”

This is a powerful exercise and if you take the time to do it, you will discover powerful truths concerning how you’re truly feeling about some of the different aspects of your life.

So, I challenge you to “just do it.” It is so easy to read something like this and think, “I bet that would be interesting,” and then go on about your busy life. Put it on your “To Do” list. Purpose to fit it into your schedule some time in the next few days. Don’t put if off.

(This is a reposting from a couple of months ago, but it’s been on my mind again. I encourage you to perform this exercise intermittently. It really helps me to refocus.)

Popularity: 9%

How can I know God?

This is an age-old questions, isn’t it. On the one hand, most of us would probably say that we know about God, but do we really know God?

How do you get to know someone?

Well, one of the best ways to learn about someone is to spend time with them. However, it’s not that easy with God because it’s not like you can physically sit down with Him and have a two-way conversation across the dinner table; or with the two of you sitting in an easy chair in the front room; or even walking side-by-side down a country road enjoying the scenery.
(read the rest of the article…)

Popularity: 4%

Sometimes, I think of my heart (or soul) like a huge house with many rooms. There is a beautiful sitting room where I allow company to come when they visit. Only the best furniture is there and the most beautiful decorations. That room is always kept clean and dusted. It’s where I put on “my best face” and it’s very formal. When people are only allowed in this area of my heart, they don’t know the real me.

Next is the main living area. I’m much less formal there. That’s where I let my family and friends come. It’s a little more lived in. People who are allowed in this area see more of the real me, my thoughts, my hopes, my dreams, my attitudes. They see how I really live, but they only see what I allow them to see.

There are, however, some rooms that are closed up and dark; full of clutter, cobwebs, and dust; the windows covered with heavy drapes so that no light comes in. Those are the areas of old baggage, bad attitudes, and hurt. No one is allowed in those areas of my house. I don’t even go there very often.

But…

God goes in there. I don’t like to think about it, but He’s there. He’s everywhere at all times. And, He beckons me to come in with Him and clean those rooms out.

The first thing He does is open the drapes to let the light come it. Then, I truly see the disarray. I find old reminders of hurts from the past and they have to be grieved over and healing received.

It’s hard work. Sometimes it’s scary, and sometimes it is painful.

But, when it is finished…it is worth it.

Popularity: 5%

This morning, I was reading the book of I Samuel and there was a verse that really struck me.

Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. I Sam 3:1b (NLT)

I got to thinking that “those days” are these days…present day in our lives. We’re not hearing from God. Messages from the Lord are very rare, and visions are quite uncommon. Why is that?

I believe there are two reasons: we don’t give God the time to speak and we don’t get quiet enough to hear Him speak.

First of all, many of us do not give God the time. It takes time to get to know someone…even God. Knowing God is like knowing another person here on earth. How do you get to know your husband or know your friend? You spend time with them. Time listening. If you have a friend and whenever you get together, you only talk and never listen, how long do you think that friendship is going to last?

Think of your relationship with God as more like a friendship and think about how your friends would feel if you treated them like you treat God. That can be an eye-opening experience. (Of course, our relationship with God is different because God isn’t fickle. He will “never leave you, or forsake you.” (Heb 13:5) But, it is helpful to think of our relationship with God in these terms sometimes.)

Secondly, we have so much noise in our lives. Who among us takes the time to truly sit in quiet with God on a regular basis? Even during our quiet time, we have the radio on or praise music on. Now, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t listen to praise music. That can be a vital part of our quiet time, but I am saying that there is a benefit to “quiet” during our “quiet time.”

And, during the day, how much quiet is there in your life? Do you have the TV on? the radio on? your iPod stuck in your ears? your kids running pell-mell through the house? Can you take a few moments and turn everything off? It takes practice to hear the voice of God.

When Elijah wanted to hear the voice of God, do you remember what happened?

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. I Kings 19:11-12 (NLT)

I want to encourage you that it doesn’t take long for you to receive the blessing of hearing from God. He is so happy when we begin talking and listening to Him an a regular basis.I can say that I have had a regular quiet time for several months now. (It was about time, considering that I have been a Christian since I was a small child!) I cannot even begin to list the blessings that I have received in the last months as I have begun to learn to listen to God. He is so faithful.

Won’t you begin to take the time and get quiet before God? I promise that you too can hear His voice.

Popularity: 4%

I wonder…Did God miss me when I wandered so far away all those years? Did He grieve when there were times that I didn’t thank Him for the life He had given me and I didn’t ask Him what would be the best next step in my life? I wonder, did He miss me when there were triumphs in my life that I didn’t share with Him? I wonder, did He grieve when, in the lowest times of my life, I didn’t call out to Him for help?

As I share each and every day with my children, I think sometimes about how God feels. I see my children discover new things and connect ideas. What is the absolute first thing that they do? “MOMMY! Clarissa’s having kittens!!!!” “Mommy, why are the guineas fighting?” Mommy, what does outdistance mean?” “MOMMY, Sophia fell out of the tree!”

Every day, a thousand times a day, my children come to me with their pains, their frustrations, their questions, their triumphs…sometimes just for reassurance. Yes, it’s overwhelming sometimes, but mostly, it is just precious.

And every day, my children tell me in so many ways how much they love me. I’m a very touchy-feely, verbal person. (Sanguine ) Two of the four children are like me in that respect, and several times a day, they will spontaneously say, “Mommy, I love you!” I never get tired of hearing it.

I think God must be like that, too. He must never get tired of hearing that I love Him. He must really want me to share every little thing in my life with Him.

Today, I have asked forgiveness for all the time I spent shutting God out of my life and I made a new commitment to include Him in every aspect of my life. Won’t you Join Me On the Journey?

Popularity: 5%