Some morning thoughts......

We do not carry our own light.....we carry God’s light....and as His presence grows within us, we begin to radiate His light.

This is not a difficult process on our part....nor is it something that requires a precise combination of intellect, emotional reaction or willpower. Instead.....it is simple.....and as we live righteously before Him, the light we carry impacts everything around us.

God’s light within us affects our neighbors, coworkers and others we come in contact with.

Acts 17:26 says that God determines where we will be born and when we will live. This means that we are where we are for a reason.

Everywhere we set our feet, we are bringing the light of God to that place.

Because of that......when we move to a city, country, state, area or province....the enemy cannot continue on his normal course. He must react to our presence .

Creation longs for God and His presence and whatever would reveal a true statement of His nature.

His Spirit came into us and made us alive! His light drove the darkness from us, and everywhere we go, we are revelations of His freedom! We don’t have to struggle and strive and try to achieve some heightened level of “power” in order to impact our environment......we are doing it now, simply because we belong to Him.

The light of God we carry is a very powerful thing, and its effect on us and the world around us is consistently more than we expect or imagine.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
— Ephesians 5:8

Going Deeper With God's Word

I have been learning a new way to study God's Word.   It is called Charting.   The basics of it is to observe, interpret, apply and communicate.   The method really suites me.   It actually could work for anyone because you use the gifts God gives you to read and apply what God is telling you through His Word.

You start out by picking a selection in the Bible.  We were given the book of Philippians.  First you pray.   I think it would be good to pray for wisdom and discernment.   Of course, I did not do that.  My prayer was....God...you know I do not know what I am doing!   He was faithful to read between the lines of my prayer ....as in.... He knew my heart....that I wanted to go deeper and learn.    Here is a bit of a break down of the method.

• Pray and then read....then read it again several more times.  I didn't do that either.  I read it through once....just being honest. 
• When you finish the readings  you start taking notes to interpret your thoughts and observations.   You could do it any way it comes to you.  Word notes, pictures, little charts or arrows or however best explains your interpretation.  You begin building your chart this way.  
• Once you get all your notes you have to decide how you want to apply what you have discovered.   You can structure it like a chart with columns and titles; create a journal of your findings; draw pictures with annotations, create a skit or play or however you feel you can best describe what the Lord is showing you about what you have read.  
• Once you build  your chart you will find you will want to share it with others.  

Here are a few pictures that will help explain.....

This tells you what you are looking for 

 

This gives you an idea of what it might look like.  

They suggest a file folder but that is open to interpretation.  

This is one our teacher Fran Roseberry did.  She does 

beautiful calligraphy. 

This is the inside portion of her chart.  You can see how

she has divided it up and used markers and words to emphasize

her interpretation.    One look and you see a well organized overview.

  It invites you in.  

My rough draft as I began to try and put to paper all my thoughts.  

 

Inside my rough draft.   I penciled in using Fran's outline and 

the chart diagram but wasn't at all sure what I was doing. 

 

 Front of my final chart.
I still did not know what I was doing and frankly
did not see anyone who had one like mine.  I felt like a duck
out of water when we shared.  However...I am not sure I could
have done it any other way and felt ownership of it.  Many commented
on my interpretation and took pictures ....so I felt a bit better but I guess
I am saying this to emphasize....do  what you feel led to do...

After a lot of thought I decided I needed
color and to use what I do when I teach my card classes.     
I used a computer and printer with text boxes for my wording.
The print was better than my handwriting and
I liked it best.  I heat embossed the angel using
a stamp image and stamp for the curls.   It fits on
top of a file folder and adhered with two way tape.

This is the middle of the chart.   I rearranged it a bit from the example
given because it worked best for me.  You wouldn't necessarily have to
even lay it out this way.  You could write like a journal with pictures or
charts or diagrams....  Again I matted it and used a bit of gold pigment
ink because I got into the old feel of it.  haha...

This is the back...  You use scriptures that really speak to
you.   All of this played into things that were going on in my life.
I discovered that  God took what I was reading and let it play itself out in my
everyday life for weeks!   It was the Word in action.   It all became
very personal.   The notes I took from my readings seemed to fit perfectly with
what was being played out everyday.  God does not waste anything!

There is a great deal more to learning about this great way to go deeper into God's Word but this gives an overview.   If you think you would be interested  let me know or comment.   This is the kind of study you cannot wait to share!   I am going to see if I can figure out a way to upload the whole pdf. file that has all the study helps....  

Mercy me

Mercy me….

I woke up thinking about Grace and Mercy and how awesome God is to give it to us.  Ever since I made the commitment to study His Word in the Charting class I could see doors opening.   I wanted to write about it but wasn’t sure how to get started…. Well….this morning I noticed a post from a friend on my Come to my kitchen Facebook page …and looked it up…  She says John 1:16 pretty much says it all for her…….  

“And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

Then I received a call from a very dear friend with an invitation to study and pray.  Just the medicine I need….good friends, prayer and fellowship.   HIS Grace and Mercy at work…because I need just that!

  ...Eph 2:3-5 ( NIV) Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.

A good way to understand the meaning of mercy is to see how it relates to grace….

Mercy--not getting what you do deserve …or punishment that is withheld.

Grace--getting what you don't deserve  or….unmerited favor.

  Mercy is like a judge finding you guilty, but then withholding any punishment. Grace is getting something you could never have imagined which is an inexplicable gift.

  Heb 4:16   Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with fullest confidence, that we may receive mercy for our failures and grace to help in the hour of need.

     

Come to My Kitchen

Come to My Kitchen

Eat~ Pray ~Talk

Just about the time I think I have this great idea….I discover it wasn’t mine at all…  I guess that is what happens when we turn each day over to our Wonderful Counselor….Mighty God.  

 Realizing I needed to do something about my  mood, I attended a class taught by our pastor's wife on Charting God's Word, as a way to study more deeply scripture.  The idea of  interpreting each book the way it spoke to me as I prayed,  read and wrote about  it,  was exciting.  My mind was a whirlwind of ideas and I could hardly wait to share it with my friends.    I asked over a very dear sister in the Lord to have brunch with me because not only did I want to share what I learned with her but I knew I needed to talk and I knew she would listen…  She came because I asked her….bless her… and we ate, prayed and talked for 7 hours!!  It was glorious… 

This is what I wrote:

 Come to My Kitchen to eat, pray and talk. 

My day has started in the most amazing way!   Let me give a little background.  Yesterday my friend came over for brunch...the most notable of that  being my good coffee and her jelly doughnuts.   While we were sharing a scripture popped in her head about what I was saying.  It was Psalms 103:1-5. 

I immediately wrote it down on a memo and stored it in my iPhone to refer back to when I wrote in my journal about our day.    I mentioned to her that the stress I had been going through made me feel like I was aging. (a nice way of saying that it made me feel old). I also said I wasn't feeling much joy and peace the last seven months though I knew that it was a temporary product of grieving after my dad's passing.  

We ate, talked, shared, read God's Word, prayed, laughed, cried and had chill bumps from 10am-5pm.  Basically we had a mini retreat.  lol!  She came because I said I needed her to.  

We both made apologies for taking up so much time but I don't think either of us was really sorry. 

This morning..... I got a text from my cousin.
"Psalm 103:1-5.   Thinking of you and praying you have a joyous day."

My first thoughts were... How sweet of her.  The Lord sure knows I need joy.  As I reread it I noticed she included a scripture so I looked it up and noticed the reference to eagles.  I remembered yesterday my friend's  scripture said something about eagles.  The Lord must be saying something about eagles!   So I pulled up my memo and .... Omgosh....it is exactly the same scripture!!  Let me add that these two precious women do not know each other!  They do know our Living Lord though!!  Can you say .... One in the Spirit!!!   I am one big chill bump!   The message is humbling.  HE crowns me with steadfast love and mercy.  Wow.  HE heals me and forgives me  and redeems me and oh yeah.... Renews my youth like the eagle's.  HE doesn't miss a thing!   Praise be HIS HOLY NAME!   (so maybe I still should research about eagles. J   

It never ceases to be amazing when God talks in a personal way and He cares about our smallest concerns.  He sure knows how to lift my faith and as the scripture says.... Lifts me out of the pit.  oh yeah.....and it is raining ..... No need to water the yard!!! And it is COOL today!!  

So.... HE addresses my feeling old.... Saves my sorry soul....lifts me from the pit of depression.... heals my broken heart....crowns me in His Love (major chill bumps going on right now)  crowns me in His mercy.  ( sniff). And even waters my yard and knows I go around saying I am hot all the time!  If all that didn't feel so awesome I would just crawl under the bed and feel ashamed I ever felt anything but content and happy from HIS wondrous provision and love....sigh.... 

It has indeed been a blessed and joyous day! 

 

Psalm 103:1-5  English Standard Version (ESV)

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Of David.

103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's

 God is talking to me….in a very personal way….and I am finally paying attention!  That started when I begin to study His Word again in the Charting class.    Writing is a very good way for me to….express myself…    Out of my little yesterday post it occurred to me I could produce My Kitchen…and all that it stands for…         So I am calling this    Come to My Kitchen….   to talk about God's Word, share and offer prayers and Christian encouragement.

I love this kind of weather…rainy and cool ….in July/ August!!  Gasp!  I am baking bread…my favorite… Challah…  and homemade Chicken soup.     Christ is our truly daily bread and nourishes and heals our soul…just like homemade chicken soup….  Have a blessed day and check back often!