Confidence from God

Growing up I struggled with insecurity and VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY, (I cannot stress that enough) low confidence. My confidence was so negative, it was scary. Because of that I acted out in many ways that I wish I wouldn’t have. Thank God I didn’t make any permanent choices, but I was contemplating them. I still have days where my self-confidence gets a little shaken but it is NOTHING compared to the way I used to feel. The change is SOLEY because of God. The more I began to read my bible the truth finally dawned on me and I realized that I was believing a lie and the lie was that I was not beautiful or important.  I could see the damage that this lie had done in every area of my life and I asked God to help me repair it. Now, it took some time, and it was not an overnight change. The biggest key to this all was that I had to have renewal of my mind. I began to intentionally focus on bible verses that spoke about how God created us ALL individually for a purpose and with a great destiny over our lives. My favorite is Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (NIV). Another is Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (NIV).

Another thing God had me do to build my confidence is something I would like to share with you. Rather than focus on outer beauty he had me focus on my inner beauty which was really a strange feeling. He asked me “Meghan, what makes you attractive?” I was very uncomfortable with the question because I didn’t view myself as beautiful and certainly not attractive… so I sat there….. and he said “WRITE” and this came out.

What makes me attractive?
□ God- you being inside of me naturally draws people to me, because they want you
□ Prayer- I can pray for everyone and I know God will strengthen them
□ Kindness- People want to be around kind people because they know they will have a low chance of      being hurt or if they do get hurt the person will apologize.
□ Genuineness- being real and honest with people. I don’t have to have all the right words or answers to    give to people, but I don’t have to pretend or be fake. I am allowed to be honest and truthful without being mean or shady. I can trust that God will cover my truth or in some instances I can just say nothing at all and rest in the fact that I have God. He is ALWAYS the truth.
□ Happiness- I have God and that makes me happy, I know that I am NEVER alone. I know that I am always taken care of.


Even as I read it now, it blows my mind that this came out of me, and my pen. It is from God and it makes me feel good. On days when I’m not as kind, or as genuine or I don’t feel full to the brim with God, I can rest in the fact in this is how he sees me. I can remind myself of this. My confidence doesn’t lie in my looks, or anything of my own doing. Instead it is in every beautiful thing he has poured into me.

Sincerely,
Meghan

God has created you for his HIGHEST purpose

Since discovering this truth for myself my life has changed for the greater. God created YOU intentionally, he is not just making people to fill up the earth. We know its quite full already :). He created you with intention to do something for him. He purposed your smile, your wit, your personality, your talents and skills all to be useful to him in some way. Maybe you are a quiet person who likes to cook and paint, guess what God can use you and those talents for his glory. In Jeremiah God says "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart". Before God sent you here to earth he knew you and he knew what he wanted to do with you. YOU have a purpose.  ASK HIM

Every year I start reading my bible over again and Genesis is my favorite book of the bible for some many reasons, but I like to give chapter breakdowns of my thoughts on each chapter as I read it. 

In Genesis chapter 1: There is creation. God created EVERYTHING out of nothing, both the heavens and the earth.

Genesis chapter 2: Man and Woman- God gave the commandment to the man 1st before woman was created. Then God says it is not good for man to be alone so he creates all of the animals and lets Adam name them. No suitable companion was found for him there so the Lord caused him to go into a deep sleep     Then he took a part of his side and closed the side up with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the part of the side.      **Woman is the only being not being crafted from dirt. We are created from creation, that's kind of beautiful. Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh** "

Lessons from Saul

Lets read and take this step by step... We are in 1st Samuel chapter 9

1There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin... 2His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land. 

I'm assuming this is what Saul looked like with his fine self...

3One day Kish’s donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, “Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys.” 4So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country ... but they couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere. 

5Finally...Saul said to his servant, “Let’s go home. By now my father will be more worried about us than about the donkeys!” 

6But the servant said, “I’ve just thought of something! There is a man of God who lives here in this town. He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true. Let’s go find him. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.”



So some would think that Saul's height and good looks would qualify him to be a king but let's look at his insides... So far we know nothing about the fact that he was a godly man but we do see that he was obedient and honorable to his earthly father and he exhausted his options in looking for the donkeys before he wanted to turn back. Also his servant is the one who suggests they go to a man of GOD to receive more guidance in finding the donkeys. Sometimes the help you receive is from people you may not expect it from and also in ways you wont expect it. Let's continue....



“But we don’t have anything to offer him,” Saul replied. “Even our food is gone, and we don’t have a thing to give him.”
8“Well,” the servant said, “I have one small silver piece. We can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens!” ... 
“All right,” Saul agreed, “let’s try it!” So they started into the town where the man of God lived.... 
14So they entered the town, and as they passed through the gates, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the place of worship. 



So now they are by chance going up this road to meet and man of God named Samuel...

15Now the Lord had told Samuel the previous day,16“About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.”
17When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, “That’s the man I told you about! He will rule my people.” 
18Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, “Can you please tell me where the seer’s house is?” 

19“I am the seer!” Samuel replied. “Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning I’ll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way. 20And don’t worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.”


Wow so Samuel hits Saul with a whopper at the end of that one...Saul came up out of obscurity, yes he was handsome and tall. He was obedient to his father and this ended up leading him on a path to become KING. He was certainly no perfect king but he never took the time to get his heart all the way right and turned to God....


Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?”

22Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and placed them at the head of the table, honoring them above the thirty special guests.

                                 

Lessons from Genesis- Reap what you sow

In the passage I read this morning, I realized that even though Jacob was the chosen one, the seed of deceit he sowed waited for him right along the way as he he journeyed through life. 

After he deceived his dad and received Esau's blessings, he also was deceived by Laban and got Leah at first instead of Rachael. As we walk through our journey in life, it's important as Christians to sow good seeds so that when it's time to reap as we journey through life, we would reap good fruits. 

Another interesting part of this story that ministered to me was the the fact that Leah who was not so loved by her husband was granted blessings and was highly favored by God. Sometimes, people may mistreat us or make us feel like we don't matter, but if we count our blessings in it, we would realize that God did not forget us and God loved us all the way. Lastly, when our blessings are delayed sometimes, we have to form the habit of thanking and praising God in that situation because he is saving the best for us. Even though Leah and every other maid had children before Rachael, when it was God's time and Rachael had a child, he was the greatest amongst all the children after all was said and done. So in all things...give thanks.

-Bible App Notes

Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder and Leah's wonderful personality made her more attractive to me. Think of how she must have felt in hearing that this man wanted to come live with them and work for free for SEVEN FULL YEARS to marry her younger, "prettier" sister. I would have felt defeated, insecure, inferior and sad for sure. Her father decides to trick Jacob and switch the brides and even after Leah entered the marriage Jacob still really didn't like her and offered himself to work SEVEN MORE YEARS to get his true love.... her sister. She must have felt like crap, for real and probably forgotten by God. This is not true, we are never forgotten and God hears our cries. God blessed her with many children and she got the chance to be part of the line of the savior! She is the mother of the tribe of Judah.

We don't know what either of them looked like but chances are the possibly looked  similar because they were sisters but it was all a matter of Jacob's tastes. Like Solange and Beyonce', they are both beautiful but one may like the other more. I prefer the funkiness of Solange but some may like the fun elegance of Bey.Vanessa and Angela Simmons are a great example too. 

-- Be strong. Be kind. Be confident--

Meghan

What would you say to God?

-Paige Alex

If God came to you and asked you to do something, what excuse would you tell him?

 • “I’ve never done that before.”

 • “I’m too old (or too young).”

 • “I’m going to face opposition.” 

• “The forecast looks rainy.”

When God asks us to do something it’s never at a good time. Why? Because it’s HIS time, not ours. He sees the big picture. We only see our picture. God knows the forecasts for centuries to come. We only see the clouds today.

When God asked Noah to build an ark, he had plenty of excuses to say “no.”

 • “I’ve never built an ark before.” 

• “I’m 500 years old.”

 • “The people around me are evil.” 

• “How am I going to manage a floating zoo?” 

Despite the excuses, “Noah did everything God commanded him” (verse 22). If Noah hadn’t, he’d be sunk…and so would we. What’s your reason for saying “no” to God? Whatever it is, it won’t hold water for very long.

-- Be strong. Be kind. Be confident--

Meghan

The books of the BIBLE

Consider the themes of the sixty-six books:

In Genesis, He is the Creator God.
In Exodus, He is the Redeemer.
In Leviticus, He is your sanctification.
In Numbers, He is your guide.
In Deuteronomy, He is your teacher.
In Joshua, He is the mighty conqueror.
In Judges, He gives victory over enemies.
In Ruth, He is your kinsman, your lover, your redeemer.
In I Samuel, he is the root of Jesse;
In 2 Samuel, He is the Son of David.
In 1 Kings and 2 Kings, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords
In 1st and 2nd Chronicles, He is your intercessor and High Priest.
In Ezra, He is your temple, your house of worship.
In Nehemiah, He is your mighty wall, protecting you from your enemies.
In Esther, He stands in the gap to deliver you from your enemies.
In Job, He is the arbitrator who not only understands your struggles, but has the power to do something about them.
In Psalms, He is your song-and your reason to sing.
In Proverbs, He is your wisdom, helping you make sense of life and live it successfully.
In Ecclesiastes, He is your purpose, delivering you from vanity.
In the Song of Solomon, He is your lover, your Rose of Sharon.
In Isaiah, He is the mighty counselor, the prince of peace, the everlasting father, and more. In Jeremiah, He is your balm of Gilead, the soothing salve for your sin-sick soul.
In Lamentations, He is the ever-faithful one upon whom you can depend.
In Ezekiel, He is your wheel in the middle of a wheel-the one who assures that dry, dead bones will come alive again.
In Daniel, He is the ancient of days, the everlasting God who never runs out of time.
In Hosea, He is your faithful lover, always beckoning you to come back-even when you have abandoned Him.
In Joel, He is your refuge, keeping you safe in times of trouble.
In Amos, He is the husbandman, the one you can depend on to stay by your side.
In Obadiah, He is Lord of the Kingdom.
In Jonah, He is your salvation, bringing you back within His will.
In Micah, He is judge of the nation.
In Nahum, He is the jealous God.
In Habakkuk, He is the Holy One.
In Zephaniah, He is the witness.
In Haggai, He overthrows the enemies
In Zechariah, He is Lord of Hosts.
In Malachi, He is the messenger God.

In Matthew, He is king of the Jews.
In Mark, He is the servant.
In Luke, He is the Son of Man, feeling what you feel.
In John, He is the Son of God.
In Acts, He is Saviour of the world.
In Romans, He is the righteousness of God.
In I Corinthians, He is the rock that followed Israel.
In II Corinthians, He is the triumphant one, giving victory.
In Galatians, He is your liberty; He sets you free.
In Ephesians, He is head of the Church.
In Philippians, He is your joy.
In Colossians, He is your completeness.
In I Thessalonians, He is your hope.
In II Thessalonians, He is your patience and discipline.
In I Timothy, He is your faith.
In II Timothy, He is your stability.
In Titus, He is the truth.
In Philemon, He is your benefactor.
In Hebrews, He is your perfection.
In James, He is the power behind your faith.
In I Peter, He is your example.
In II Peter, He is your purity.
In I John, He is your life.
In II John, He is your pattern.
In III John, He is your motivation.
In Jude, He is the foundation of your faith.
In the Revelation, He is your coming King.

Proverbs 28:19 - Get your bread!

Soooo I was reading my word last night and as usual asking the Lord to reveal to me the things he wants me to garner from his word. Currently I'm in Ezekiel but this verse popped up. Ill give it you in two versions:

NIV
He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

ESV
Whoever works his land will have pleanty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.


I PREFER the ESV so I'll go with that :) but anyways BAM this verse hit me hard! Let's dissect it a little....

WHOEVER (me and you) works his land (works his talents, what he is tasked with, what he is given etc.) will have plenty of bread (success, money, something to show for your hard work etc., this is subjective)

So this verse is talking about me really working my land. Now obviously I'm no farmer so my land must be something else right. What is your land? Without getting too personal, my land is preparing for the next level in my life. (There are about 3-5 specific things within this preparation that I need to be doing) This is my current "job" from the Lord. I know it deserves almost all of my daily attention and most of my free time as well but I have been straight up neglecting it. THERE IS NO EXCUSE EITHER. I don't have a job right now.... so I have ample time for the more important work which is tending to my "land". By neglecting I'm talking about playing computer games, sleeping late, talking on the phone, thinking about other things etc... Stuff I know good and well will not help me accomplish my goal or tend to my land.  This is sad but I needed another wake up call. I needed to be reminded of what's at stake.

THE VERSE lays it out plain and simple.... If I take care of my "land", I will have lots of bread (success)
Do I not want the bread? HECK YES I WANT IT, In my case I know exactly what my bread will be!
So why wont I do what needs to be done? Fear, uncertainty, laziness etc. The same ole excuses I have given before. No these are no longer acceptable. I must do the work if I want my bread!!

What's the rest of the verse.... BUT he who follows WORTHLESS pursuits will have plenty of POVERTY.... so this is what I'm trading my bread for.... POVERTY or being without. I have to remember that this is the choice I make. There is no middle ground, when I follow worthless pursuits it will end in poverty. It is a very clear equation.

Very Sobering

31 Days of Prayer for your husband or future husband

31 Days of Prayer for Your Future Husband


1.To become a holy man, mature and growing in the Lord.
2. For contentment.
3.To take every thought captive, and not be conformed to the world’s thinking and to think scripturally.
4.To seek God with all his heart and grow in dependance on Him.
5.That he would be ever captivated by my love
6.To be a man of courage and boldness.
7. For wisdom to lead his family physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
8. To look at the plank in his own eye before seeing other’s sawdust.
9. To be a called man, not driven, with well thought-through and prayed-through goals in life
10.To be a man of prayer, guarding his heart and mind, putting into practice what he has heard, seen and learned.
11.To stand firm against the wiles of the devil and resist Satan in all circumstances.
12. To strive after the Christian ideal, and partake of the deeper truths of the gospel.
13.Not to depend on his circumstances for happiness but on God alone.
14.That he would enter victoriously into spiritual warfare.
15.To have God’s strength in the midst of his busy schedule.
16.To have a burden to see lost people saved.
17. To be kept from strange women.
18. To have godly companions.
19. That his self image might be a reflection of the Lord’s thoughts toward him.
20. That he might not be deceived into unbelief, sin or bitterness.
21. To learn to love as God commanded.
22. That the fruit of the Spirit might be exhibited more and more in his life.
23. To grow in humility.
24. To grow daily in Godly character.
25. To keep a clear conscience.
26. The Lord might protect him.
27. To learn to manage his time well.
28. The Lord would put a song in his heart.
29. To have a holy fear of God.
30. To have a desire to minister to others.
31. That I would be the best helpmate and encourager for him.

P.S. I read this book and it was FANTASTIC! These prayers didn't come from here but it is still a good resource :)