Fasting and prayer

You are what you eat literally and spiritually! What are you letting feed you? You cant just turn on the TV and let any old thing linger in your space, time and mind. What are you putting into you ears, mind, eyes, and body? Are you sleeping around with people who shouldn't be entering your body? Are you eating bad foods? (guilty of this one) Are you watching stuff you know you shouldn't be watching? Are you listening to things you know you shouldn't? (music, people, comedians, podcast that are negative,/have a negative effect on you etc. )

This is all dangerous and we cant take it lightly. You are responsible for your spirit.

Respect your spirit enough to allow it time to download and meet God. 

Most people are concerned with the things that don't really matter and we all can get that way...but we must remeber the important things and the most important relationship you will have is with God! #getitright The kingdom of God is not for lazy people, we must get it together and GO for whatever God has for you!
Amen

eat this...

http://frugalinflorida.blogspot.com/2013/01/warmed-cheesy-onion-dip.html

The Love I want

I want that Jim & Pam Love...

minus the cake smashing :)

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

Meghan

Let God tell you who you are

Let God Tell You Who You Are by Rick Warren “Your name will no longer be Jacob .... From now on you will be called Israel.” (Genesis 32:28a NLT)

You don’t have to stay the same! In conversion, we’re given a new identity. Look at Jacob in the book of Genesis. Once Jacob confesses his manipulative behavior, God gives him a new identity. Notice that three things happen: God gives Jacob a brand new identity (Genesis 32:28).

Essentially, God says, “I know you’ve blown it. I know you’re conniving, but I see in you a prince. Beneath all your emotional hang-ups, all your insecurities, all the stuff you don’t want anybody else to know, I see a prince.” God is saying that today to many of us: “Beneath all of your sins and hang-ups, I see a princess/prince. You can be something great. You can be what I made you to be.” God blesses Jacob/Israel (Genesis 32:29). 

Deep down, we desperately want God’s blessing. If we want God’s blessing, we have to take the steps God requires of us. God gave Jacob/Israel a limp (Genesis 32:31).

Remember, when they wrestled, God dislocated Jacob’s hip. Jacob walked away with a limp, and it served as a daily reminder to depend upon God. God does his deepest work in your life when he deals with your identity — who you are and the way you see yourself.

You will always tend to act according to the way you think about yourself. So God does his deepest changes in your life by changing the way you see yourself. He says, “Let me show you how I see you.” When you see yourself the way God sees you, things are better.

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

Meghan

Lessons from Genesis- Jacob

And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." (Genesis 32:27, 28 ESV)


The story of Jacob is a story of striving... Hosea (12:3-4) would summarize Jacob's life as a life of striving...from the womb on. And it has been a striving of manipulation and deceit at every turn. Even as Jacob is about to come face to face with his manipulation (in Esau), he is still finding ways to make it work for his advantage. In other words, even in the face of his manipulation, he is refusing to come face to face with his sin. So, God (many would say this is the pre-incarnate Christ) meets with him and forces him to admit the one thing the Genesis narrative has never had him admit - that his name is Jacob. His name means deceiver and supplanter.

The Brick Bible  - http://thebrickbible.com/

And, we see it finally come out of Jacob's mouth. I...am...a....deceiver. It is in the midst of this admission that he finally asks for blessing. Instead of manipulating for blessing, he knows he has met his match in God and now asks...even begs for blessing. As a broken man, Jacob is finally blessed...as one who used to strive in manipulation, but has now striven with God and has looked only to Him for blessing. And, just for good measure to continually remind Jacob and all of Israel, God touches his hip to cause Jacob to limp as a broken man for the rest of his life.


-Jeff Lark

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

Meghan

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