Something to ponder...

I have often commented that I wish God would just talk to me in audible terms. How awesome it would be to hear His voice! My Bible study from the book to the right prompted me to ask what I would want to hear from God. Would it be directional words for my life or instructional words for affirmation of my faith walk and ministry calling? Would it be relational words of His grace and forgiveness for my failures and short comings? What would I want the first words from God to be on my ears?

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." ~Matthew 3:16-18

Friends...after reading this and no matter how much the other stuff I listed is important to me nothing could be more important than hearing these relational words "This is my daughter, whom I love; with her I am well pleased."

How about you?

My friend Elaine (http://peaceforthejourney.blogspot.com/) introduced me to this book "Anonymous: Jesus' Hidden Years and Yours" by Alicia Britt Chole. The chapters are short enough that it works well with my quiet time each morning as I like to read a devotional of sorts and then follow it by scripture. Yesterday, chapter 8 in this book "A Delayed Destiny", penetrated my heart to the point that it will not leave my thoughts. This book can be "deep" and it challenges you to think. I feel lead to share from it and pray it will also impact someone out in boggy land.

Many of you are on a God-mission and yet the future is not yet clear. That is where I am also. You have heard God say "go" and yet when you look for the right direction, it still is not as clear as you like. Sometimes there's silence when you call out and listen for His voice. Sometimes you feel as if you are in a dry spell, hidden from fulfilling what He has placed in your heart. Alicia Britt Chole written words (quoted in green) have challenged me to ponder this more.

Imagine Jesus, with God's divine power and calling breathing and bursting within him, waking up each morning, turning to Father God in prayer and asking, "are we there yet?"

My friend, replace Jesus name with your own and re-read that statement. Is His divine power breathing and bursting within you? Did you ever think you would want to speak those words "are we there yet" after hearing them as a parent so many times? Yet, what does that say about our heart when we pray those words---I say yes--- I am willing to be made willing---transform me Lord.

Alicia's book looks at the anonymous years of Christ between His childhood and when He came back to scripture as a young man of 30. She stated:

A God-size mission pulsated in His heart, but He was not free to explain it, proclaim it, to actively pursue it.

There is a God-size mission in all of us. As we sometimes feel frustrated that it may not be moving as quickly towards your hearts goal as you think, God's timing is vital. Jesus was there during those anonymous years, being groomed and equipped for His purpose, God's meaasage of love and grace, and the same is true for us. So then should not our prayer be "Lord, you have placed a God-size mission in my heart and living this calling out is pulsating through the core of my being. Equip me to understand your will, to proclaim your work in my life, and to freely pursue this calling."?

Do you feel your calling, your dream is being delayed? This time of silence, of being "hidden" can be discouraging when in reality it should not. I have to ask what influences you in achieving your calling? I tend to allow the thoughts of others to influence me from stepping forward. What may keep you hidden from the work of God? Do you feel unqualified, not good enough, not wise enough?

"What does it build in us? What grows in the underestimated gap between God's calling and others' perceptions, between our true capabilities and our current realities?"

I challenge you to explore this with your God for it is between you and Him.

If you are living in a period on what Alicia refers to as "anonymous years", a time of being hidden from what you feel God has called you to do, be encouraged by her next statement...

"But in the anonymous seasons we must hold tightly to the truth that no doubt strengthened Jesus throughout His hidden years: Father God is neither care-less nor cause-less with how He spends our lives. When He calls a soul simultaneously to greatness and obscurity, the fruit-if we wait for it-can change the world."

Living in truth...real truth of who we are in Christ, not who we are in ourselves. That is our calling before we even venture to fulfill anything else, such as this God-size mission we have pulsating in our heart. For my own spiritual journey, this is not a coincidence that the next blog Bible study hosted by Lelia (http://leliachealey.blogspot.com/) with Lisa Whittle's new book "Behind Those Eyes" is to start in a few weeks. It's a God thing...again!!

A delayed destiny or a time of equipping? It's both and it just part of walking in faith. I pray these words I have shared from my quiet time has stirred your own thoughts within your God-size calling and life mission.

In Him~Pamela (MrsJoeB)

What Happens When Women Walk in Faith Blog Bible Study, Chapter 14 & 15

Welcome to my thoughts on this most inspiring book we are studying What Happens when Women Walk in Faith by Lysa TerKeurst. Our host Lelia has more insight and you will find the other bloggers who are in this study at her site. It is such a rich experience to read everyones take from the chapters . Take the time to explore this study with us.
This study has come at a perfect time in the life of my husband and I-that's no coincidence-its a God thing! I love those God things! I can tell you as we have heeded God's promptings on our life to step out of our comfort zone and into His plan, some of which is still a bit unknown at the moment. We have both received such rich blessings and confirmation from within the chapters of this book. The chapters are broken down into phases: Phase one:Leaving, Phase two: Famine, Phase three: Believing, Phase four: Death and Phase Five: Resurrection. This week we are addressing two more chapters in the phases of Death as you walk in faith and that is right were Joe and I are in this journey. Again...not a coincidence...a God thing!!
As one walks in faith, leaving behind the past,sometimes walking in a desert, finding their way to their future, believing and trusting God in everything, the death of self , of old ways, of old desires is necessary. It's painful. It results in being broken. It results in loss. Yet...there is a future-the resurrection phase and I am anxious to get there!! Every thing in the dark blue/green is quoted from Lysa. Here are my thoughts on these two chapters....

Chapter14:Pressing Through the Pain

Can one experience death without some form of pain? I can not imagine so. But God does call us to press on and to depend on Him. As Lysa wrote, in this phase we are "Learning to depend on God, asking for His provision, and then remembering to look for His ready answer" (pp.141). Whether it is the loss of someone you love, or a loss of something in your life such as a job, we are called to trust God. He will carry us through. As a nurse I have seen death experienced in many ways. I have walked "through the valley of the shadow of death" with many souls. There is a lot to be said about the family who knows God and releases their loved one to Him. They experience pain but the whole process is so different than the family which experiences the death of a loved one that does not know Him. It s called hope. It is called eternity. As we walk in faith and leave behind what He has called us away from, our grief can be the same-one of hope for the eternal.

Lysa also wrote "my greatest secret desire must always be for more of God in my life" (pp.142). Sweet words fitting to our heart. In the good, in the bad, in the big, in the little, we have to crave more of Him in our life. Been there? Are you there now? Yes Lord!! It is in praising Him and seeking Him that we feed this desire.

Chapter 15: God Isn't Surprised by Death

This faith walk phase of death came for me in brokenness. Brokenness from my choices, not Gods. Yet He proves Himself faithful despite that. I love what Lysa wrote: "Brokenness is what must happen before God can put the pieces back in the way He can shine through the best" (pp.151). It is in brokenness that we are able to step out of our thinking and set aside our goals to allow God's perspective to take over.

I know if I am honest here, when I am living of my "self" or my "flesh" I am very good at manipulating my circumstances to meet my wants. Shamefully and painfully I have paid the price too. "God is good. He is more interested in developing our character to match our calling than in manipulating our circumstances to make us happy" (pp.150). Did you you catch that? Read it again...it's not about our circumstances but about developing our character. I am not the same person I was last year or ten years ago or twenty years ago. That is the beauty of God's grace...He grows us out of us!

Brokenness is such a beautiful thing. I cherish the insight Lysa gave us in the beatitudes of Matthew 5: 3-10 in relationship to brokenness. I know most of you have read this but for anyone who does not have this book to follow along, I quote from page 152 and pray your heart will also be enlighten in this walk of faith you are in:

Blessed are the poor in spirit...the broken people.

Blessed are those who morn...broken to the point of great weeping.

Blessed are the meek...weeping to the point of being humbled past worldly things.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...humbled and desiring to be filled with God alone.

Blessed are the merciful...filled with God and able to overflow mercy to others.

Blessed are the pure in heart...freely extending mercy and living with a "yes" heart for God.

Blessed are the peacemakers...saying yes to God and bringing His peace everywhere they go.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness...so certain in His peace that even when they face hardships, they trust and confidently walk with God no matter what.

In my quiet time this morning I read from Beth Moore's "Breaking Free Day-by-Day" and I find it fitting as consider walking in faith in the death phase:

"We must walk with Christ step-by-step through this journey for the sake of protection, power, and the unparalleled passion that results from it. None of these three things will be realities in our lives any other way. The enemy will be defeated. Believe it. Act on it".

I desire to live in brokenness. It is such a beautiful thing!!

In Him~Pamela (MrsJoeB)

Power of a Praying Wife, Week Two

Last week I listed five areas for you to pray for your husband from Stormie Omartian's book as shown here. Even though these areas may bot be of concern for your husband at this time, they are area's we should pray over our husbands to protect him from a future failure in this area As Stormie stated, praying for your husband is a way to love on him. He doesn't have to know you are doing this but I bet it will make a difference in how you do love him. It may even change your heart towards him. Even if your marriage is great, it may just make it greater!!

How did you do praying for your husband with the first week's listing? I must admit that I was not as faithful about it as I wanted to be in this. Last week I had to go to the hospital for work every day and my schedule was out of whack so to speak. I prayed the items but if I didn't write them down, I wasn't reminded to to continue to pray throughout the day for that area in my husbands life. I'm sorry Joe.
Let's try a new week....remember, everything in the deep rose is quoted from the book. Though I cannot quote everything, I do recommend you to read these chapters from Stormie's book.

Day one: His Mind
Here's a tough question for you: how well can you get into the mind of your husband? How familiar are you with his mind, the things he thinks about, struggles with even? You know how easy it is for us to live in the lies satan plants in our mind, what about the lies he plants in our husbands minds? The two most powerful weapons against the attack of lies upon your husband's mind are the Word of God and praise. As a wife we can pray power over our husbands life by praying scripture over him and by offering him praises daily!

Lord, I pray for your protection on my husbands mind. Shield him from the lies of the enemy. Help him to clearly discern between your voice and any other, and teach him how to take captive every thought (2 Corinthians 10:5). May he thirst for Your word and hunger for Your truth so that he can recognize wrong thinking (Mark 12:30). Remind him that He has the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). May your peace which surpasses all understanding guard his heart and mind through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6,7). And finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—let him think about such things (Philippians 4:8).

Day two: His Fears
I know I have spent too much waisted time with the "what ifs". How about our husbands? What do they fear? My husband is now without a job. Though we have such great peace about this, he has verbalized in round about ways his "what ifs" What if we can't pay the bills? What if this dream job doesn't work out? What if I can't provide for my family? Fears are very real in a person's life and as a wife we are called by God to support our husband in his fears-not to build on that fear but to help him find comfort, security and love that will draw him away from the fear. The only kind of fear we are suppose to have is the fear of the Lord. Let us remember that the Lord is our our light and our salvation, He is our strength, of whom shall we be afraid?(Psalm 27:1)

Lord, may Your Word penetrate every fiber of his being, convincing him that Your love for him if far greater than anything he faces and nothing can separate him from it. Teach him Your way, O Lord. Help him to walk in your truth. Unite his heart to fear Your name (Psalm. 86:11). May Your Spirit rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2).

Day three: His Purpose
This has really hit home with us-my husband's purpose. After attending She Speaks and confirming that I needed to release my husband (and myself) to live in God's purpose and not my own, life has changed! When he discovers that purpose, and is doing what he was created to do, becoming what he was created to be, he will find fulfillment. This is what I want for my husband. God has called us to a purpose and we are to seek it daily (2 Timothy 1:9). As we seek God's purpose, He will open doors to what we are called to do. God is calling us to support our husband in living out his God-ordained purpose. Our purpose will fit in with whatever our husband's calling is, it will not be in conflict with it. So as you pray this day for your husband to live his purpose, also seek God's will in your own purpose. Does it compliment your husbands purpose? Does it hinder his purpose?

Lord, I pray that (husband's name) will clearly hear the call You have on his life. Help him to realize who he is in Christ and give his certainty that he was created for a high purpose. Enable him to walk worthy of his calling and become the man of God You made him to be (2 Thessalonians 1:11). Strike down discouragement so that it will not defeat him. Lift his eyes above the circumstances of the moment so he can see the purpose for which You created him. I pray for my husband that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give him a Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that he may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of his heart may be enlightened in order that he may know the hope to which he has been called by You, that he will experience the riches of Your glorious inheritance for Your saints, and that he will experience your incomparably great power for his faith (Ephesians 1:17-19).

Day four: His Choices
Every day we are living in choices. We make choices based on needs or what feels good for the moment. Sometimes these choices are right and sometimes we learn our choices were not such a good one. My husband and I have learned in the few short years we have been married to listen to each other. On several occasions one of us has said "I don't have a peace about this one" and we have backed off from it to find out later that was the best choice we could have made. God is the only one who can give true discernment. He can give us wisdom when we ask for it. Wisdom brings success (Ecclesiastes 10:10), and it enables us to learn from experience (Proverbs 15:31). There is great value in praying for wisdom for our husband and for ourselves so we work better together as a team in choices.

Lord, fill my husband with the fear of the Lord and give him wisdom for every decision he makes. May he reverence You and Your ways and seek to know Your Truth. Give him discernment to make decisions based on your revelation. Help him to make godly choices and keep him from doing anything foolish. I pray he will listen to godly counsel and not be a man who is unteachable (Proverbs 1:5)

Day Five: His Health
I cannot even imagine life without my husband. I feel cheated that we have married later in life and I will not have the many years together that some couples will have. My husband and I are not "health-conscious people". We have tried working out together, we have tried to limit our diet intake, but we are far from being phyically healthy. We won't be running any marathons this year but I pray that God will show me how I can be healthier for my husband and my family so I can be with him longer. I pray for a healthy marriage and as long as we both get on our knees together each morning to pray to our God of grace, I know we have a really good chance! Some of you may have husbands with health issues and Stormie reminds us in this chapter to pray for your husband's health but leave it in God's hands.

Lord, I pray for my husbands health and pray you will make every part of his body function the way you designed it to. Strengthen his body to successfully indure his workload, and when he sleeps may he wake up completely rested. I also pray for a healthy marriage and that I will do my part in this role as his wife.

These are some great areas to pray on for our husbands this week. May you (and he) be blessed as you seek to love on your husband in this way!

In Him~Pamela

ENTRUSTED

This week I have been at a hospital orientation for that new position I am taking to help our income while my husband is looking for a new job. I am not use to these M-F hours. I have been busy in the evenings with family and church events that I haven't had time to blog-hop...sigh...
I was tired this morning and feeling rushed so I skipped my quiet time...I knew better. I don't usually do this. Spending time in God's word is a necessity for me. I can read a good Christian book, listen to a good Christian music CD but nothing is like getting in the Bible. But God was there just the same...
I listened to one of the CD's that I had ordered from the She Speaks conference on the way in to the hospital and on the way home. God spoke to me. Since we only had a half a day at the hospital when I came home I open Lysa TerKeurst blog site (http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/) and there He was again...speaking to me. I had put Him on the back burner yet He proved Himself to be faithful even when I am not. I was humbled. I read the scripture Lysa gave us and He was there even more. Without stealing from Lysa's blog, she referenced 2 Tim 1:12 (NLT): "...for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return."

You see, I am trouble that as Joe and I grow deeper in God and model this for our kids, they only seem to pull away from Him. We are walking the talk..why do they push God away? Every morning Joe and I get on our knees before we leave the house and pray together. Every morning I pray that He will capture the heart of our girls. Though I don't want to be impatient, this verse has encouraged me to persevere for I know the One whom I trust and I know He will guard what I have entrusted to him-our girls. I then read all of 2 Timothy chapter one and there was so much more of Him talking to me!! I am ashamed I waiting until this afternoon but maybe it was His timing too.

I then look 2 Timothy 1:12 up in The Message version and God really awed me (verses 11-12):

"This is the Message I've been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It's also the cause of all this trouble I'm in. But I have no regrets. I couldn't be more sure of my ground—the One I've trusted in can take care of what he's trusted me to do right to the end."

Yes Lord, you have called me, you have set me apart. As unqualified as I want to be, He is calling me and my husband in ministry to serve hurting people because we have been there (the "trouble"). I do not have any regrets, not now, because of this. I can trust in Him to the end. This past Sunday, God brought two more people into our adult Sunday school class. Two hurting people. We are called. He has qualified us through our life. Every Thursday evening we work with hurting teenagers. We are called, He has qualified us because of what we have endured from our own bad choices. Our church is making changes that may result in losing members (building a new building) but He has called the church to do this and He will take care of us in this process. We must persevere through the pain, loss, and re-growth

I pushed my time with God aside this morning, He was still there and He "wow'd" me. I didn't deserve this confirmation but I am so full of joy. It's a God thing.

In Him~Pamela (MrsJoeB)

What Happens When Women Walk in Faith: Chapter 12 & 13

I am happy you stopped by today! We are in Chapter 12 &13 of our blog Bible study hosted by Lelia (http://leliachealey.blogspot.com/) with Lysa Terkeurst's book "What Happens When Women Walk n Faith". She has broken this walk up into phases: Leaving, Famine, Believing, Death and Resurrection. We are leaving the Believing phase and have entered reading the first chapter related to the the death phase. At first I was hesitant entering this phases. It seems I am living and breathing each one of these chapters as I read them. HOWEVER, I have embraced these chapters and I hold a sense of excitement for what lies ahead!!

Chapter 12: Learning to Lead

Boy does my heart and mind echo Lysa's words "I am not ________ enough!" when it comes to leading because I am not. I am not wise enough spiritually. I am not worthy enough. I am not righteous enough. I am not qualified...or am I? Hummm...if I look back, not at my past sins but at what God has taken me from and where God has taken me...through Him I am qualified for whatever He has called me to. Even to lead.

"When you experience God working through you despite your human shortcomings, your confidence in Him and His abilities will grow more than ever before. God rarely uses people who look perfect, He uses imperfect people"

No doubt there...look at the characters in the Bible...Paul, David, Rahab, Moses (just to name a few)...what encouragement indeed!! But I still feel inadequate. So what did Lysa call this? "Stiffed neck".
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?
To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.~Deuteronomy 10:12-16

So we are called to cut away anything that holds us back from our calling, that makes us "stiffed neck" or un-submissive to God's will.

"My reactions let me know whether or not my beliefs in God and His ability to shape and mold me is real. . . Nothing will make God so real to you as seeing Him change your character."

It is in changing our character that God will be able to use us to be leaders for His glory. Though I am not qualified in my eyes, I am willing to walk this journey of faith and see what God has in store.

Chapter 13 Death Does Not Mean Defeat

In order to move forward in faith we have to leave something. I am happy to have left some things behind. Some things I have left behind or have had to give up has been very painful to me yet if I put my spiritual glasses on, these "death" have been worth it in the end. This death has not been a defeat but a growth process with blessings to boot!

"The very things that feel like death are really a birth of something so much better"

For once, death is not so bad. As I look back I can claim Lysa's words:

"The Lord was bigger than the immovable and stronger than the unstoppable"

Death is victory...

"This is not your defeat; this is your valley in the shadow of the mountain your soul longs to climb-a mountain of greater faith and closer intimacy with God than you ever thought possible."

That's worth it isn't it? "Closer intimacy with God than you ever thought possible". Ladies I have seen the impossible work through my life. I welcome the death of my past and embrace the His plans for my future!! We are secure because...

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

~Psalm 16:8-11

What an awesome book! What a blessing these chapters have been in my life. I pray they are a blessing to you also!!

In Him~Pamela (MrsJoeB)

The Power of a Praying Wife: Week One

A few months ago my husband and I returned from our church leadership retreat. I felt burdened to pray for my husband more following that weekend, that we as the wives of our church leadership team should pray for our husbands more. I pray for Joe daily but I felt God saying "you need to pray for him in a deeper way". I purchased this book "The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian a few weeks ago (everything bolded in the deep red is from this book. I am only taking but a small part from her chapters. I recommend adding this book to your library!). As I read the beginning, I felt as if it was written for women who may be struggling in their marriage. It has hard to read some of the words coming from a failed marriage and now living in a dream marriage. However, the deeper I read into this book, the more I knew that the key areas of a man's life as identified in these chapters and the "power tools" of scripture Stormie gives us will indeed make stronger even the best marriages-such as the one I live in (thank you God!). So, for my married friends, I feel a need to post this.


Each week I will post for you a topic a day to pray for your husband. Don't just pray it once. Pray it all throughout your day. Write it on a 3X5 card and place it where you will see it frequently and be reminded to pray for him. Then pray all of them over the weekend as a review. If you have time, journal your thoughts on each topic. Your husband doesn't need to know what you are praying...this can be between you and God but keep your eyes open for blessings and answered prayers in these areas. As we all know and have come to learn, some answers do not come immediately so be patient. Persevere in this love act of praying for your man. As you do so, you will notice your own heart change and if you thought you couldn't love him more than you do...you will! So here we go...


Day one: His Wife

His wife? You? Why? Because as Stormie puts it "One of the greatest gifts you can give your husband is your own wholeness. The most effective tool in transforming him may be your own transformation". Before you approach God asking Him to change your husbands imperfections and possible irritating habits, you must first ask God to change you, to change your heart towards your husband if it is not where God would have it and to reveal any sin you might have in your life, especially in regards to your husband. OUCH! "Our goal must not be to get our husbands to do what we want, but rather to release them to God so He can get them to do what He wants." So how might you pray today? Taken from Stormie's prayer and Galatians 5:23 & 23:

Lord, help me to be a good wife. I fully realize that I don't have what it takes to be one without Your help. Take my selfishness, impatience, and irritability and turn them into kindness, long-suffering, and the willingness to bear all things. Take my old emotional habits, mindsets, automatic reactions, rude assumptions, and self-protective stance, and make me patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. take the hardness of my heart and break down the walls with Your battering ram of revelation. Give me a new heart and work in me Your love, peace, and joy. I am not able to rise above who I am at this moment. Only You can transform me."

Day Two: His Work

If there is one thing our husbands need when it comes to work it's the the ability to find balance. Some of you have husbands who are over achievers and may never be home as they climb the ladder of success. Others may find their husbands unemployed and are dealing with the emotional and financial baggage that comes with that. From Stormie's prayer and the books of Romans and Psalm, today lets pray:

Lord, I pray You would bless the work of my husbands hands. May his labor bring not only favor, success, and prosperity, but great fulfillment as well...

Give him strength, faith, and a vision for the future...

Look over his work and may he bring You into every aspect of it...

and show me what I can do to encourage him.

May he not be lagging in diligence [but] fervent in spirit, serving the Lord (Rom. 12:11). Let him be like a tree planted by the streams of Your living water, which brings forth fruit in due season. May he never wither under pressure, but grow strong and prosper (Ps. 1:3)

Day Three: His Finances

Money has a powerful grip in the making of a man-it can effect his view, his mood, and his overall well-being. We need to help our husbands in this area by praying that God will help him and you to get a grip on God's will for your life in the way of finances. this in turn can prevent a few sour moments in your marriage. As Stormie stated "Your prayers will certainly help protect your husband from unnecessary struggle and loss." This day we pray....

Lord, help us both to be good stewards of all that You give us, and walk in total agreement as to how it is to be dispersed...show me how I can help our finances and not decrease them unwisely. Help us to remember that all we have belongs to you, and to be grateful for it. I pray that my husband will not be anxious about finances, but will seek Your kingdom first, knowing that as he does, we will have all we need (Luke 12:31). For through you Lord, are all my supplies and needs met according to Your riches (Phil 4:19).

Day Four: His Sexuality & His Affections

We are hitting a top priority here in our man's life. Stormie stated "There is probably no more important means of fulfillment for a man, and no area where he is more vulnerable". Sexual immorality is very much alive and well. Pornography and all the other temptations that they face, sometimes on a daily basis, has ruined many marriages. Praying for the safety of our marriage and the protection of our intimacy is necessary...

Lord, bless my husband's sexuality and make it an area of great fulfilment for him. Protect us from apathy, disappointment, criticism, busyness, unforgiveness, deadness, or disinterest. I pray that we make time for one another, communicate our true feelings openly, an remain sensitive to what each other needs. May our relationship be continually new and alive. Make it all that You created it to be. May we glorify God in our body and in our spirit, which is Yours Lord (I cor. 6:20). Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being (I Cor. 10:24).

Day Five: His Temptations

The temptations I mentioned earlier deserve a full day. Temptation comes in all forms. Whether big (such as a sexual temptation) or small (taking home something from the office that is not his), it is a sin of the same value in God's eyes. We are tempted daily and and we need Godly strength to walk righteously. Today we pray for our husbands righteousness...

"Lord, I pray that you would strengthen my husband to resist any temptation that comes his way. Make him strong where he is weak. Help him to rise above anything that erects itself a stronghold in his life. May he say, "I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it will not cling to to me (Ps. 101:3). I pray that my husband will not be broken down by the power of evil, but raised up by the power of God. Establish a wall of protection around him. Fill him with your Spirit and flush out all that is not of You. Help him to take charge over his own spirit and have self-control to resist anything and anyone who becomes a lure.

May we pray with a heart sincere for loving our husbands more, not changing them. I hope this series will be a blessing to you, your husband and to our marriages. I would love to hear how this goes for you is you decide to try this prayer walk of love for our husbands!

In Him~MrsJoeB

Extreme Makeover

I have always enjoyed watching "Extreme Makeover" on Sunday nights. Paul is my favorite person on the show but Ty Pennington is quite a character. Throughout the season's I have sensed him noticing the "spiritual". The other day at work I noticed a guidepost laying on the desk with his picture. I took a few minutes to read his story and his acknowledgment of God's presence in his life. He even stated that after the families shout "move that bus" and see their dream home the camera's are shut off and they spend time thanking God for the blessing they have received. Why do they turn the camera's off???

Extreme make-over’s whether it is our home or yard, our bodies, our marriage, or even our families seem to be prevalent in our society. The transformation we watch is all good but the reality is that these make-over’s tends to only be on the outward appearance of something. They have a tendency to be temporary. I hear one family refinanced their multi-million dollar home the extreme makeover team built and now have filed bankruptcy. Sadly, it doesn't always last.

In time even the best of an outward make-over will show use and wear and may not hold up in the extremes. In truth, the house is only as good as its structure, a body will quickly regain lost fat if a diet plan is ended, and a marriage or family is only as good as the effort that is put into its success. Where do we set our expectation in these things? How can one measure self-worth in a world that changes before the last trend even has a chance to grow old?
A true extreme makeover begins with the spiritual. It is what God is calling us to in the 21st century. So many religions and faith based populations have saturated this world with more self-help, self improvements guarantees that even the Christian women of today has to use caution in this process as we may only experience a temporary makeover. Outward appearances do not always reflect the inner making of the heart and the principles in which we choose for this make-over are vital to our success in it. Let’s examine the process that is taken for an extreme internal make-over:

The first step in any make-over is to identify those areas in need of improvement. Just as the house might be too small, the body too heavy, or the marriage that has grown dull, spiritually one needs to identify when there is a void in their life, an emptiness, an offense that keeps us from being what we have been called to. We are to identify the inward need for God to be in our life, in every aspect of it. We have to be able to admit that we are a sinner in need of the saving grace only offered through Christ.

The second step is to remove the offensive, to take off the old so the new can be added. Spiritually, we are to remove our self, our pride or ego, our personal wants and desires. We are required to release our suffering and shame of what we have been. Habits and attitudes have to be stripped away and replaced by the new actions of forgiveness, grace and love. We have to let go of who we have been, releasing our inner self and allowing for a clean slate that God can take over.

The third step is the actual remodeling phase, the transformation phase. It begins with the heart and the mind. As new walls are built in a house, so to a new mind and heart is to be built in the Christian women. Seeking God daily in Bible study, scripture memorization, and spiritual readings will help us not only to learn more of Him but to be able to recognize Him in our life. We will literally be transformed into His imagine but it requires obedience, radical obedience. You learn to seek God in all things, the good and the bad, and you delight in His presence.

I said this in a blog posting before and I'll say it again, it is not about how many Christian activities I am involved in but it is about being involved in what God has called me to. It is not about having a faithful quiet time each morning but about my heart during that time and how much of me I am giving Him not only in that time but throughout the remainder of the day. It is living in the words of Lamentations 3:22-24:

"The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him"

It’s about purifying my heart and mind so that I allow more of Him in my life!
In this makeover, this transformation of our inner self, we learn to rest in the delight of walking with God-it is what we were designed for. Though we may have known God since childhood, He will become more real to us then He ever has been. We are forgiven and living in grace. I have said this before and I feel led to say it again...using our past, our sufferings, for God's glory may be painful but maybe one soul will avoid the same sins we have experienced. Maybe one soul will come to know Christ. That is what it is all about. Maybe one soul will be called to obedience and experience an extreme eternal make-over.

"The stones that had caused me to stumble in life were the very ones that were also building my character and my destiny"

A spiritual make-over is not just a one time procedure, a one time event. It is the continuous transformation of the body, mind, and spirit with the goal of loving God more passionately. Falling in love with Jesus is a daily process and it is what He calls us to.

In Him~Pamela (MrsJoeB)

What Happens When Women Walk in Faith Blog Bible Study: Chapter 10&11

This journey of reading through Lysa TerKeurst's book "What Happens When Women Walk in Faith" has been so inspiring. Each chapter has effected the here and now of the journey my husband and I now walk. The book is broke up into sections (phases) and each section contains four chapters. Lysa identified one's walk of faith in phases: leaving, famine, believing, death and resurrection. This walk of faith does require going through each of these phases and I had never seen it this way before. But of course, I thought I had been walking in faith in my past and in reality, I haven't. Our two chapters this week are in the believing phase of this study. Be sure to go to Lelia's blog site, our host for this Bible study, for insight from more bloggers involved. It is so uplifting to see everyones thoughts and revelations!
I have found in this new walk of faith that I have indeed had to leave behind the past. I have had to step outside my comfort zone, and I have had to be willing to go towards the unknown and the unseen. In the unknown and the unseen I have experienced dry spells, emptiness, resulting in a famine phase of seeking and searching God's will for my life. In doing so, I have capture a peace that can only come from God. My faith has grown, my dependence on God has become secure. There have been road blocks (chapter 10) but with each road block my relationship with God has become more full (chapter 11).

"We must continue to grow and embrace God's plan for the life we've been given. We don't grow by changing the adverse circumstances. We grow by embracing God's plan for the circumstances and allowing Him to have His full way in us. Allow Him to work out kinks and imperfections in the core of your soul. Let Him help you find a perspective beyond your own. Only then can you find incredible peace in the storms of life." (pp.98)

Joe and I are choosing to walk in faith towards what we feel God has called us to. It involves releasing jobs that give us financial security to allow us to live in the passion God has placed in our hearts. Though there is uncertainty there is peace. Though we have hit resistance in that what we are doing is not "good" for the family and our financial security we still have this incredible peace. God will provide. God will take care of us and our needs. We will not shriek away from any of our financical responsibilities but choose to live differently now.

"In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” ~Jeremiah 29:12-14 (NLT)
We have been living in captivity of our past sins and in jobs that have prevented us from being all that God has called us to be. We have begun a new walk of faith ad have actively sought God with all our heart, mind, and soul and we are beginning to see amazing things happen in our lives. We are coming home to God and serving Him like never before.

"Take your eyes off the problem (loss of job, finances, past sins) and focus on the good and loving God who has great plans for you (we are Lord). Watch for God to rain down more than you could ever even thought to ask for. (OK Lord, I'm asking but only for Your glory). He will restore what has been taken from you in His perfect way (indeed Lord, the process has started and we thank you for your redemptive grace, restoration and spiritual blessings you have just begun to give us!)." (pp.101)

Where we have come from has a purpose. Though we have failed in our walk of faith in the past, it is now being used to serve God in a new and better way because it is all about glorifying him and not ourselves.

"To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me." ~Psalm 25:1-2

Over and over what others have meant as harm, God has turned into good. We are so thankful for His provision and protection! My heart is open to God in all things. My husbands heart is open to God in all things. We are seeing and hearing Him. We are experiencing Him. It is worth enduring all the others negative things that we face!

"Though I may fall short in many areas of my life, I will not close my heart to God. I will rejoice in really believing Him. The purpose of this phase will then be fulfilled when I know He is too real to deny. In every circumstance I face, I know God makes a way, not because life is always hunky-dory but because I've chosen to experience Him too many times to live any other way." (pp. 111)

Amen Lysa-you have written the words that speak my heart at this very moment!! Thank you for following God in this.

Ladies...it is only in believing that we can fully experience Christ richness in and for our life. This morning in my quiet time, God gave me the following verses to remind me of what my faith will produce:

"But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. " ~2 Corinthians 2:14-15

May your faith, your trust, your belief that God is be reflected in your life as the sweet aroma of Christ to others!!


In Him~Pamela (MrsJoeB)

It was bitter-sweet...

This weekend I had a class reunion. It was bitter-sweet. Its been 27 years since my graduation. I attended a very strict independent Baptist school and church during my high school years. Religion and God was about following rules. I left those days on a negative note, in fact, I walked away from God and religion for 10 years.

It was odd being back amongst these people from my past. Again, bitter-sweet. I took a camera but didn't end up using it. Though I am not bitter, the bitterness of the evening was because of the disconnect I felt there, the sweetness of the evening was because of the reacquainting I had with old friends. I was feeling a bit discouraged that there wasn't a re-connect (except with Suzy). I wanted to be able to share how far I had come spiritually yet it didn't happen.

In my scripture reading this morning, God reminded me that the only thing that would fill that void is He himself. My relationship with Christ is the one that counts. While old friends will fade, relationships be forgotten, past mistakes unforgiven, I am thankful God is not like that. He gave me two pieces of Scripture to comfort me and to encourage me as I continue to walk in faith...

"So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It's as sound as the day you first heard it from me. Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us."

~2 Timothy 1:13-14

Life has changed us and taken us in so many different and exciting directions. Though we may have lost the value of each other in our lives that we once had when we were growing up, life goes on. We need to continue to walk in faith and love for Christ by living in His word. I had to guard the grace He has given me and call on the Holy Spirit not to allow any of the negatives from my past or the disconnect I felt to bring me down.

"I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people...

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

~Hebrews 8:10b & 12

My prayer today is that as I continue my walk of faith I will continue to put the laws of my faith, God's word, to my mind and heart. Though like most teenagers, I may have made a few poor choices when I was growing up, I am thankful that my God is forgiving and does not remember my past. I am so amazed 27 years have gone by...I am more amazed that my relationship with God is about the intimacy we now share and it is more than just rules.

Today we took a picture of the family for the little boy we adopted through Compassion International when I was at the She Speaks conference. We all wore yellow since it is his favorite color. I haven't shared too many pictures of my family in the past but the girls are too beautiful not to show off...

My husband and I are the two chubby people in the middle (we both about died looking at this picture. Do we really have this much weight on? It's got to be that camera!). The girls are (left to right) Sarah-Kelsey-Caitlin-Emma-Olivia (Libby). Of course that's our black lab Rufus front and center. I am so so thankful for all I have journeyed through in life because I now have this beautiful family to cherish!!

GIVE-A-WAY TIME!!!!

I promised you a book in my give-a-way. I do not have a fancy way to do this so I put all the entries in a bowl as pictured below, prayed for God to bless just the right person with this book and had Sarah and Libby help me out in drawing a name:

Congratulations Rebecca (Tiggerdaisy)! Send me your mailing address (in.his.grace@live.com). I hope you are blessed!!

In His Graces~Pamela

His Spirit is upon me...

If you haven't entered my give-a-way-check out my preveious blog entry!!

I am taking a different approach to our Bible study of Lysa Terkeurst book "WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WOMEN WALK IN FAITH" by reflecting on my weekend as it goes with the two chapters we read for this week.....

This past weekend was to be a very busy weekend. I was scheduled to attend a simulcast of Beth Moore's conference and then leave on Sunday after church for a spiritual retreat for faith community nurses. It didn't work out as planned.

On the Friday of Beth's conference, the five other women from my church who were going started to back out. Everyone was so busy. I was in the shower getting ready for the event feeling guilty for going in the first place...you see, it was my husbands birthday and though he said he didn't care about me being gone, I was feeling bad not celebrating it with him. I was praying in that shower and I said "God, if I get one more call I'm taking it means you want me to stay home with my husband". Twenty minutes later the call came. My heart was just sick to be missing Beth Moore but I had such peace all the same. I share the evening with my birthday boy.

The retreat I was scheduled to go to was a multi-denominational conference for Faith Community Nurse (parish nurse) coordinators. I didn't pack for this retreat in St. Louis until after church Sunday. I'm not usually a procrastinator. I wasn't wanting to go but the conference was funded for me as a coordinator of this type of program so I needed to go. I drove down listening to some old tapes from the P31 tape ministry (they ended that a couple of years ago...what a shame as it has been such a blessing to me). I spent the drive time in prayer, preparing my heart to hear and my eyes to see God. My heart and attitude started to change in not wanting to be there.

God more than rewarded me at this conference, considering the loss I felt missing Beth's. Though I missed my husband and family so much, God was everywhere. Over and over He gave me confirmation in the career changes my husband and I are making. My spirit was again stirred to confront my passions and to live within them as that is where He will use me the most. I didn't walk out of a session without having my heart stirred or my dreams confirmed.

The keynote speaker would read at the beginning of each of her sessions from a little book called "Simply Surrender" a book containing the written thoughts of a French Carmelite nun, Therese of Lisieux (1873-1879). I'm afraid I am not very familiar with the catholic church history and their saints as I am with their religious practice but there was something about this young girl that amazed me as I listened to her reflective thoughts written so long ago.

This young girl desired to be a saint but knew in her own merit she could not measure up to this. But she also had enough faith to know that God would not inspire a wish that could not be pursued. At her very young age she realized it was in trusting in Him and Him alone that what God laid on her heart could be reality in her life. It did became reality for her, however, not until after her life ended at the age of 24. The catholic church later made her a saint after finding her writings which reflected her spiritual heart, her spiritual maturity and deep but child-like love for God. Does not the bible reference this type of love as honoring to God?

Do we dare seek to be saint in this age? Isn't that only associated with history? I had to ask myself why do I not see my spirituality in that way, to desire to be a saint. Will I fall short? Oh you bet! On my own merit, I have already fallen off the "to be considered" list. But on God's merit, He has the power to take me above and beyond my own simple visions for my life. He stirred my heart this weekend and as with this young nun, I can only live through His power and by His grace. I must walk this path of radical obedience if I want to fulfill the dream and passion He has laid on my heart.

New doors of opportunity are opening for me to live in this passion God has given me. At the conference I was able to sit, pray, and reflect on my ministry goals and the realization came to me that these were my life goals. From the life of Florence Nightingale, the pioneer of nursing, (we walk through her life at this retreat) I have been inspired towards these goals:

1. To be like Christ (does this not require us to reach for that saint status?)

2. To fulfill my sense of calling from God

3. To integrate the study of theology more into my spiritual disciplines.

4. To be open to others to connect by showing a genuine interest in others, to listen

5. To model spiritual discipline

6. To surround myself with spiritual people and to collaborate with them in ministry

7. To be more familiar with other faith traditions

8. To empower others towards a life with Christ

9. To communicate God's message

10. To advocate for others spiritually

Too many goals? Maybe. But if I am going to thrive to reach to be more than I can even imagine, even aspire to be a saint, I think these goals might help me get there! It's believing and embracing God's plan for my life as Lysa talked about in Chapter 8&9 of this book. This summer has been amazing as I look at how God is moving in my life as I walk in faith. ..seeking to hear and see Him in all things...choosing to honor Him with today and tomorrow.

In Him~Pamela (MrsJoeB)

Don't forget my "give-a-way"!! It's posted below!!