Thursday, April 17, 2014
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
God is still there even when we don't feel His presence. His presence is always near. He promises never to leave or forsake His children. How can we feel so close to Him at times and yet at other times, doubt His existence? I will never understand emotions. They can trick us so easily. We can "feel" unloved, unworthy, and unimportant but the TRUTH is, we all have a purpose. Sometimes that purpose is unclear and our minds get clouded with fear, insecurity and uncertainty. I've learned that during these times, God is ever so present and carries us through. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see. I walk blindly by faith at times. Even when I have no idea where God is leading me in my life, I will trust Him. His ways are higher than my ways, His burden is easy and His yoke is light. He knows best and I will follow Him whereve He leads.
Steady My Heart
As I reflect on the last week of Christ's life, I am reminded to think about how I react when things don't go my way. How do I respond? Do I give up in dissapointment or despair? How would I have reacted if I were in the Disciples shoes? Would I have continued to believe that Jesus was the Savior? The Messiah? The One who had promised to bring change for His followers? It sure didn't seem like He was conquering through His suffering, beating and gruesome death? Would I have discounted every miracle I'd seen or would it have made me more determined to serve Him? I hope that I would have been committed to give my life for His cause despite the events leading up to His death.
When life happens and circumstances seem to be hopeless, as I've experienced so many times, I'm reminded that God never has forsaken me and He promises that He never will. I cling tighter to His side during the times of pain and dissapointment. It's almost as if I'm more distant when things are going good or smoothly. I honestly cherish the moments in my life that I am desperate for Him. My most precious days are the ones that I am completely basking in His arms for HOPE and STRENGTH. The Word says He is close to the brokenhearted and I know this to be true. I've fallen in love with Him more through trials and suffering.Those are the sweetest memories and most cherished moments as I look back.
The journey of my relationship with God has been so worth anything I've had to go through because He has grown my character and allowed my heart to be more compassionate. I desire a heart like His. He has brought that into reality. I see His children at times through His eyes and my heart breaks. I desire to bring HOPE to all who are hurting. Until we walk through struggles, we can't know His strength. His strength is perfect when mine is gone. He carries us through despite our desires to fall in to the pit of despair.
Spending some time with the Lord this morning He spoke through my devotional to remind me that I'm still in training. He is molding me continually in His likeness. This requires my trust in Him no matter what is going on around me. TRUST. I've asked for His wisdom and guidance for so long and He has surely allowed me to learn plenty thus far. Wisdom is not gained easily. It requires a desire to endure and persevere even through the roughest storm.
Character building is a continual process. He is the instructer and I am His student. He as the teacher is training me in steadiness. Steadiness. Steady my heart. I find that it is not always easy to stay steady when lives are falling apart. When we see all around us the ones we love suffering with Cancer, families destroyed through divorce, tragic deaths and a world full of evil people that have no regard for others. It is easy to question Him. It is easy to ask "why" God? Why do you let your children suffer?
I dug deeper into the meaning of "Steadiness". It is defined as: Unfaltering, firm in position, STABLE, not easily upset or disturbed. Constant in feeling, principle, purpose or attatchment. Once I understand the meaning of this "steadiness", I get the fact that to test my steadiness,He must bring opportunity to see whether I will falter in my faith or remain solid and steady. I have in the past been angry with God and questioned His love for me especially with the death of my mother. I questioned if He loved me so much why would He allow the most important person in my life to leave me at such a young age when I needed her the most. I was looking through hurting eyes at my needs but forgetting her suffering and sickness. She was sick and had been through so much. It was her prayer to live long enough to see her children grown. God honored her prayers and after my brother turned 18 and started college, she passed. God was faithful to her request. She suffered un-selfishly for so many years because she loved us and wanted to be with us as long as possible. She showed me sacrificial love in a way that I've never experienced before. She gave her life to be my mother. God taught me so much through my mother's faith. She was such a real, living testimony of love and mercy in my life. She loved me unconditionally and whole heartedly. She loved my brother and I more than her own life. She chose to suffer to give us life! How could I be so selfish and wish she could have stayed here on earth to continue in pain and illness. It did take me many years to see this truth. So, I didn't quite pass the "steadiness" test that time.
Another example of my path to steadiness is suffering through depression. I hurt so deeply. There was no HOPE in my life. I was in the deepest, darkest hole and could not see a way out. I honestly didn't see any light in my life. I have never felt such deep, endless hours of pain. Every waking moment was painfully dreadful. I longed to just give up and tried to do just that. I constantly asked God to take away my suffering. I begged Him continually. I cried out to Him desperately. I sought Him
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Through the Fire
I haven't written here in quite a long time. It has been a challenge just to be able to sit down and gather my thoughts. The past few years have been really difficult due to major health problems. I suffered from chronic neck pain as a result of discs herniated, bulging, arthritis and bone spurs. This was causing numbness, tingling and not much feeling in my arms and legs. I feel like I lost the past two years of living my life because of the pain and suffering. Even though I was in severe pain, I continued to work and survived only by coming home and going to bed. The pain got to be unbearable and after seeing 5 Neurologists (one being the "best surgeon in Texas")I was told by 3 of them that I would be crippled if they did surgery on me. The surgeon also told me that it was inevitable that I would eventually have to have surgery at some point because in time, the bones would decay and compress the spinal cord to the point that I couldn't walk. This news was very devastating. "I'm only 45 years old", I thought at the time. "I don't want to be in a wheelchair. I'm soon to be a grandma". I struggled with my situation and prayed continuously that God could help me find healing through some physician or therapy that could help me. A friend of mine gave me a phone number of a clinic/hospital in Dallas and I researched the place online. I didn't want to see another doctor simply for the fact that I didn't want to be disapointed again. I eventually sent all of my records, MRI's and Myelograms that had been done since 2006 to the clinic for evaluation. I corresponded with the surgical director and they required one more MRI. It was 2 years later that I finally made the call to see about scheduling an appointment for consultation. I did the MRI and was on my way to see Dr. Rimlawi in December of 2013.
Dr. Rimlawi gave me such great news. He said that I would be able to have surgery to replace my discs and I was scheduled for the procedure just 2 weeks later. I was a little nervous about the surgery as is expected, but for the first time in 10 years, I had HOPE of relief and a bright future. Chronic pain is very depressing and takes a toll on your emotions. I had suffered for so long and missed out on so much time the past few years. I had done physical therapy, steroid injections,exercises,used NSAID's and muscle relaxers, TENS unit and very rarely had taken pain meds. At this time, my quality of life was not great. Dr. Rimlawi was my only hope for relief. I also got confirmation that he was the one to trust when I saw a plack hanging in his office. He was awarded an honor for his charitable giving by performing surgery on children around the world with spinal problems. I felt that God was in the midst of this so strongly. So, I made the plans to be in Dallas on December 16, 2013 for neck fusion(x3)surgery.
The morning of surgery, honestly I was very nervous and scared. Even though I trusted him with my life, I was very aprehensive. I prayed and knew God had me in His hands and I was ok with whatever the outcome. I had peace that if I did or didn't survive the surgery, God was in control. After signing all of the consent forms and meeting the anesthesiologist, I was taken to the operating room. Dr. Rimlawi made a 7 cm incision in the front of my neck. After carefully moving my muscles and spinal cord aside, he removed my discs, replaced them with 3 bigger cadavar (dead human) bones and used my own bone marrow (stem cells) taken from my left hip to fill the space between discs. He also placed a titanium plate with screws to fuse my discs together. It was a very intense procedure and stayed overnight in the surgery center. I went home the following day.
The pain was intense the first few weeks and I couldn't sleep much even though I should have been out due to the pain meds, muslce relaxers and other meds they had given me. I had to wear a brace and was very limited on activity. I caught the flu and had a sinus infection 2 weeks after surgery. This was very miserable. I also struggled with extremely high blood pressures and allergic reactions to the narcotic pain meds. I don't tolerate medication well at all. They gave me medications that were too strong and after a couple of weeks of being extremely sick, hyper (more than usual) and "crazee", I started only using Tylenol. Strangely enough, Tylenol caused me more problems than it was worth. I was admitted to the ER 3 times before they could get my blood pressure regulated. My blood pressure was continually high which could cause a heart attack or stroke. After tests were run, I was told that I had a small stroke (TIA) and was monitored on the cardiac floor for 24 hours but eventually went home with just a small dose of blood pressure medication. The hardest part of all of this craziness is that I had no care taker with me at all times. I'm alone, single with no husband. But, God has given me dear friends that have been there to help. My daughter Kourtney has also done her best to be available. My other two girls have busy lives but have tried to help as well. Funny thing is when you go through a crisis like this in life, you find out who really cares. Some people just don't want to deal with your crisis and they are quick to let you know. The real friends stick by your side and I know who I can really count on! Thank you Shelly, Crystal, Todd, John, Andrea and Brian, Terry, Erica, Nicole and Yolanda! You've been there to hear my crying, venting and helped me get the correct medical attention that I needed. I also have a very strong support group of prayer warriors. They have prayed for me continually and I know that God has heard every word. He has given me the strength to get up day after day. At times, I wanted to give up but He carried me through the roughest days. It has been one of the hardest trials I've ever faced. But, healing takes time. I've asked God to heal me from the inside out and I know He is doing it. Sometimes the pain is unbearable but offering it up to Him is the best medicine. He heals. He also uses physicians and medication but He deserves the full credit. Not anyone else!
So, I'm almost 2 months out from the surgery and am doing pretty well considering. I'm slowly having decreased pain as long as I don't over do it. Recovery isn't easy especially when it comes to a major surgery like I have just recently had. I'm trying to eat healthy, exercise a bit and use this time off for myself to grow spiritually and to heal my body both physically and emotionally. I know He has a future for me and I'm seeking His direction in every aspect of my life. I am weak, but He is strong. I need His strength more than I've ever needed it before. I feel His hands on me and I know that I will one day look back and remember all that He's brought me through.
I'm in the process of writing my story and hope to publish it some day. I began this journey in my life a few years ago. I had actually written the rough draft but my computer was stolen when traveling home from Brazil in 2010. I've got a lot of experiences to share and by sharing, I hope to encourage other women. Please pray for me and "Shirley's HOPE" as I begin this new adventure of ministry. I'm open to whatever God has for me whether it be in ministry by service, writing, speaking or in my music. I am just waiting on the open doors. If you are interested in partnering with me in prayer or donating financially to the ministry, please don't hesitate to message me on FaceBook or email at shirley_prince@hotmail.com. You can also text or call me at (325) 374-6023. Your donations are tax deductible. I will provide your receipt.
So, I'm back in the writing mode and looking forward to all that God has in store! If you are willing to walk this journey with me, I thank you. I hope to bring God glory and honor. Let this adventure begin...
Saturday, December 24, 2011
CHRISTmas Eve
As I sit here drinking my coffee this morning, I am thinking about Mary and Joseph...they had been traveling for so long and Mary on a donkey! How fun was that? On this the eve of the most important birth of all time so many years ago, do you think they had any idea how much their lives were going to change? Not only because their new baby was about to be on the scene but because He was the Son of God, the Savior of the nations, the KING of Kings...wow! My heart is full just imagining the night of our dear Savior's birth...I really doubt it was SILENT but it was SACRED! Stop and think about that night...Christmas Eve...what a joyous occasion to celebrate!
My EVERYTHING was born in a manger...the beginning of it all. The reason He came. It had to start with His birth. No other child would be more worthy of WORSHIP and ADORATION in all of time. He is the CHRIST child...the ALPHA and OMEGA. He is TRUTH...the only WAY to the FATHER. The only way to restore seperation from the CREATOR. HOLY God. This birth was the beginning of SALVATION for man! SALVATION: eternal life, freedom, deliverence, healing, wholeness, restoration...nothing broken, nothing missing! With His birth, we have everything we need to experience HEAVEN on EARTH! We can walk in this KINGDOM and have PEACE on EARTH!
May you all have a blessed CHRISTmas and experience the birth of the dear Lord Jesus for yourself. Find Him, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger!
LOVE and PEACE, GOODWILL to men!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
His Power in Me
Today was a tough day! I felt completely overwhelmed with life. I was feeling such a presence of stress in my mind...I felt anger and irritation for no real reason. I recognized that I had some "funk" all over me. I prayerfully struggled all morning. In the hustle and bustle of taking care of pregnant mommy's, giving numerous flu shots, annual exams, and all of the other daily routine duties of my job in a busy OB/GYN practice, the Lord was speaking to me. Even though I didn't want to give in to the emotions I was experiencing,I truly wanted to get in the floor and throw a crying, screaming "hissy" fit, like some bratty toddler.
I stopped for lunch and after taking a few minutes to visit with some fellow co-workers, I finally began to recognize that I was under an attack! I began to talk about the power of Christ that I have because of His living in me. I am as Christ! I am filled by His Holy Spirit. The word says "for I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live but Christ lives in me" Gal 2:20. If I believe the Word, I know that I have all power and authority because Christ lives in me! I AM AS CHRIST!!!! In Acts 1, we read "But YOU will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes on you". If we have a relationship with Jesus Christ and He is the Lord of our life, His Holy Spirit has come upon us! That truth is empowering in itself! So, if you are a Christ follower, you need to know that you have His power. Greater is He that is in me!!! We walk in His power! WE WALK IN HIS POWER!!! We walk in His power!!! I'm sorry if you think I'm just repeating myself, but I have to let these words sink deep into my spirit! I have to say it over and over again until I truly believe it and accept the truth. I want it to burn into my mind and spirit to where there is no doubt or unbelief. For the enemy is continually reminding me of my humanness and flesh. However, if i know this truth beyond a shadow of a doubt, then I can fight against all strongholds and tactics the enemy uses to keep me down. He is not going to win this battle. I hope you know with confidence that WE ARE OVERCOMERS! We have already OVERCOME by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
I came to the realization the other day that if I was a soldier and facing a battle on the battlefield, I would try to learn as much as possible about my enemy before the time came to fight. I am the daughter of a retired Navy Seal, who was trained in many different areas but in talking and listening to Dad's stories, one thing I've gathered is that he studied and gained every bit of top secret information about his Vietnamese enemy before his battalion attempted to go up against them. He knew every dirty trick, every secret tactic that had been used and he was always trying to be one step ahead of the Viet Kong. This applies to our battle that we fight against Satan and all of his demons. We have to first of all know that this spiritual realm is a reality. We have to know that our enemy exists. We have to recognize him for what he is. He comes to "steal, kill and destroy" and if we aren't aware of that we can't even begin to fight. He is always about like a "roaring lion". He is our biggest ENEMY. He wants to destroy family's, friendships, churches, etc. With that being said we have a mighty army fighting this battle with us! God's army! We are equipped with so many weapons. In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 we know "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have DIVINE power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take CAPTIVE every thought to make it obedient to Christ." What is a stronghold? A stronghold is defined as "an area dominated by a particular group". What does this mean for us as believers? A stronghold can be disguised as many different things. We allow fear, our past, other's opinions of us and lies to become areas in our minds that are strongholds. We allow the negative thoughts to consume our minds. We listen to the voice in our minds reminding us of all of the negative things and we ponder it and obsess in it all throughout our days. The enemy loves to keep us wrought up in confusion and self hatred in our minds. He does this in silence! He tortures us with our own thoughts, but only if we allow it. We have to combat his tricks.
We need to learn to keep every thought captive. We need to demolish all of these strongholds that the enemy has thrown at us. We have a spirit of POWER, not of fear and as a child of the Most High God, we walk in His TRUTH. He says that when we become a child in His Kingdom, the old has passed away and the new has come. We are a new creation in Christ! If we have repented and asked God for His forgiveness,and accepted Him as Lord of our life, we have no guilt, no shame, no condemnation. For there is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ!
The Word tells us to renew our mind. How do we renew our mind? The scripture tells us to ask and we shall receive! God is offering us everything we need to fight the battle that rages against us. The first and most important way to renew your mind is to spend time in the Word. If you struggle with not knowing where to read, find a book of devotionals or get involved in a bible study or teaching where you are required to study the Word. It takes discipline but isn't this the most important thing we can fill our time with? Turn off that TV, shut your laptop, sit quietly down with the Lord. Ask Him to come and help you be more hungry for Him. He will! He is desiring a deep, intimate relationship with you. He longs to spend time with you, loving you and teaching you His ways.
Secondly, spend time quietly listening to Him. Prayer time has become the time that we sit and ask God to fix everything to bless us and to make everything better. We come before Him with our long lists of things He needs to do for us. What about letting Him show us what we need to do for Him? Let Him fill you with His love,strength and power. Just come and be still in His presence. He will begin to renew your mind, to turn your thoughts around...to help you take the focus of your life off of "YOU" and put it on Him. Until we focus on Him, we will never find peace. We can't find happiness in our self or anyone else. He is the only path to a life of joy. We need to fall in love with Him. That comes from spending time alone with Him, getting to know Him. Finding out what His heart looks like. How are we to know Him unless we make Him our best friend, our lover, our Father, our Lord? His greatest desire is to have an intimate relationship with you!
Thirdly, get involved in a fellowship of believer's. Find others who love Jesus and spend time with them. Worship and studying the word in a corporate setting is food for your soul. We are all in this together. None of us have completely figured it out and we are all continually growing in our walk with Jesus. We are all human and have our faults. One of the biggest arguments against attending church is that "that church is full of hypocrites" and yes, that is correct. Where else would hypocrites need to be? We are all guilty of being human and we will never be completely without sin...we can only strive to become more like Christ on a day to day basis. We have to put our eyes on God, not on man. He calls us to holiness...to be set apart. We are His chosen ones. We need to find out what that looks like for us. We need to learn how to be like Christ. That's where the corporate body comes in. We need each other for accountability and encouragement. We really do need each other! We are family. We are the family of God. Brother's and sister's to help us get through this life. What good is an army of one? There is strength in numbers!
In all of that being said, I hope you find encouragement in my words. I long for all of you to have the deep, intimate relationship with Jesus that He offers. My heart's desire is to use my gifts, talents and experiences to help others. If you need encouragement, prayer, or just someone to listen, please find a friend,family member, teacher or pastor. God loves you, Beloved one!!!! He loves you more than you will ever be able to imagine! He desires you to love Him as well. He created you to love and worship Him...if you long for that, seek Him. He promises that if you seek Him, He WILL BE FOUND!
Much love and blessings,
<><
email: shirley_prince@hotmail.com
phone/text: (325) 374-6023
feel free to contact me!
I stopped for lunch and after taking a few minutes to visit with some fellow co-workers, I finally began to recognize that I was under an attack! I began to talk about the power of Christ that I have because of His living in me. I am as Christ! I am filled by His Holy Spirit. The word says "for I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live but Christ lives in me" Gal 2:20. If I believe the Word, I know that I have all power and authority because Christ lives in me! I AM AS CHRIST!!!! In Acts 1, we read "But YOU will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes on you". If we have a relationship with Jesus Christ and He is the Lord of our life, His Holy Spirit has come upon us! That truth is empowering in itself! So, if you are a Christ follower, you need to know that you have His power. Greater is He that is in me!!! We walk in His power! WE WALK IN HIS POWER!!! We walk in His power!!! I'm sorry if you think I'm just repeating myself, but I have to let these words sink deep into my spirit! I have to say it over and over again until I truly believe it and accept the truth. I want it to burn into my mind and spirit to where there is no doubt or unbelief. For the enemy is continually reminding me of my humanness and flesh. However, if i know this truth beyond a shadow of a doubt, then I can fight against all strongholds and tactics the enemy uses to keep me down. He is not going to win this battle. I hope you know with confidence that WE ARE OVERCOMERS! We have already OVERCOME by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
I came to the realization the other day that if I was a soldier and facing a battle on the battlefield, I would try to learn as much as possible about my enemy before the time came to fight. I am the daughter of a retired Navy Seal, who was trained in many different areas but in talking and listening to Dad's stories, one thing I've gathered is that he studied and gained every bit of top secret information about his Vietnamese enemy before his battalion attempted to go up against them. He knew every dirty trick, every secret tactic that had been used and he was always trying to be one step ahead of the Viet Kong. This applies to our battle that we fight against Satan and all of his demons. We have to first of all know that this spiritual realm is a reality. We have to know that our enemy exists. We have to recognize him for what he is. He comes to "steal, kill and destroy" and if we aren't aware of that we can't even begin to fight. He is always about like a "roaring lion". He is our biggest ENEMY. He wants to destroy family's, friendships, churches, etc. With that being said we have a mighty army fighting this battle with us! God's army! We are equipped with so many weapons. In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 we know "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have DIVINE power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take CAPTIVE every thought to make it obedient to Christ." What is a stronghold? A stronghold is defined as "an area dominated by a particular group". What does this mean for us as believers? A stronghold can be disguised as many different things. We allow fear, our past, other's opinions of us and lies to become areas in our minds that are strongholds. We allow the negative thoughts to consume our minds. We listen to the voice in our minds reminding us of all of the negative things and we ponder it and obsess in it all throughout our days. The enemy loves to keep us wrought up in confusion and self hatred in our minds. He does this in silence! He tortures us with our own thoughts, but only if we allow it. We have to combat his tricks.
We need to learn to keep every thought captive. We need to demolish all of these strongholds that the enemy has thrown at us. We have a spirit of POWER, not of fear and as a child of the Most High God, we walk in His TRUTH. He says that when we become a child in His Kingdom, the old has passed away and the new has come. We are a new creation in Christ! If we have repented and asked God for His forgiveness,and accepted Him as Lord of our life, we have no guilt, no shame, no condemnation. For there is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ!
The Word tells us to renew our mind. How do we renew our mind? The scripture tells us to ask and we shall receive! God is offering us everything we need to fight the battle that rages against us. The first and most important way to renew your mind is to spend time in the Word. If you struggle with not knowing where to read, find a book of devotionals or get involved in a bible study or teaching where you are required to study the Word. It takes discipline but isn't this the most important thing we can fill our time with? Turn off that TV, shut your laptop, sit quietly down with the Lord. Ask Him to come and help you be more hungry for Him. He will! He is desiring a deep, intimate relationship with you. He longs to spend time with you, loving you and teaching you His ways.
Secondly, spend time quietly listening to Him. Prayer time has become the time that we sit and ask God to fix everything to bless us and to make everything better. We come before Him with our long lists of things He needs to do for us. What about letting Him show us what we need to do for Him? Let Him fill you with His love,strength and power. Just come and be still in His presence. He will begin to renew your mind, to turn your thoughts around...to help you take the focus of your life off of "YOU" and put it on Him. Until we focus on Him, we will never find peace. We can't find happiness in our self or anyone else. He is the only path to a life of joy. We need to fall in love with Him. That comes from spending time alone with Him, getting to know Him. Finding out what His heart looks like. How are we to know Him unless we make Him our best friend, our lover, our Father, our Lord? His greatest desire is to have an intimate relationship with you!
Thirdly, get involved in a fellowship of believer's. Find others who love Jesus and spend time with them. Worship and studying the word in a corporate setting is food for your soul. We are all in this together. None of us have completely figured it out and we are all continually growing in our walk with Jesus. We are all human and have our faults. One of the biggest arguments against attending church is that "that church is full of hypocrites" and yes, that is correct. Where else would hypocrites need to be? We are all guilty of being human and we will never be completely without sin...we can only strive to become more like Christ on a day to day basis. We have to put our eyes on God, not on man. He calls us to holiness...to be set apart. We are His chosen ones. We need to find out what that looks like for us. We need to learn how to be like Christ. That's where the corporate body comes in. We need each other for accountability and encouragement. We really do need each other! We are family. We are the family of God. Brother's and sister's to help us get through this life. What good is an army of one? There is strength in numbers!
In all of that being said, I hope you find encouragement in my words. I long for all of you to have the deep, intimate relationship with Jesus that He offers. My heart's desire is to use my gifts, talents and experiences to help others. If you need encouragement, prayer, or just someone to listen, please find a friend,family member, teacher or pastor. God loves you, Beloved one!!!! He loves you more than you will ever be able to imagine! He desires you to love Him as well. He created you to love and worship Him...if you long for that, seek Him. He promises that if you seek Him, He WILL BE FOUND!
Much love and blessings,
<><
email: shirley_prince@hotmail.com
phone/text: (325) 374-6023
feel free to contact me!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Pressed Down
"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. We who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in YOU!
2 Corinthians 4:8-12
Do you feel pressed on every side? Do you feel perplexed? Do you feel abandoned? Do you feel struck down? There are days, lately that I have felt all of these things. Like me are you overwhelmed with spiritual battles that overtake you? We are human. We have emotions and sometimes our emotions get the best of us. We are tired, worn out, beaten down but as a follower of Christ, we signed up for this! In 2 Timothy 3:12 it says "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted".
I think we misunderstood something if we thought that being a Christ follower would be an easy road. He asks us to lay down our lives, to be crucified with Him so that we may LIVE. We need to turn our thinking around. We need to face our trials and tribulations as a gift to be appreciated because of the example of Christ that we can show to others as we persevere. In James, he tells us to "Consider it pure joy, my brothers (and sisters), whenever you face trials of many kids, because you know that the testing of your faith develops persevereance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". This process is part of us becoming mature Christians. Our faith is made alive by our walk down the path of life. We shine Jesus in every struggle or display our weakness and need for His strength.
God promises us HOPE and JOY even in the midst of our overwhelming circumstances. In 2nd Corinthians, verse 3 it says "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds". A little further in the same book, chapter 11 it says "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness, Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, insults, in harships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. He especially wants to attack believers who are actively living a life sold out to Christ and for His kingdom. So, if you are being dealt many obstacles in your life, it means that the enemy is trying to keep you from impacting others and you are being tested to see how you will endure. Either you will fight and press on toward the goal or you will crumble in your circumstances. One of my favorite sayings to whiney people is "put your big girl panties on and deal with it". We are never promised an easy road, in fact just the complete opposite. That is why we must gaurd our hearts and minds on a daily basis. We must put on the armor of God.
Ephesians 6:10 gives us clear instructions: "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces f evil int he heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your gruond, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the BELT of TRUTH, buckled around your waist, with the BREASTPLATE of RIGHTEOUSNESS in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the GOSPEL of PEACE. In addition to all this, take up the SHIELD of FAITH, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the HELMET of SALVATION and the SWORD of the SPIRIT, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests".
Therefore, we must prepare ourselvs for battle, every day. We must give our lives to the One who gave His for us. We must be willing to persevere in this world to continue to do the work for the Kingdom of God. Just like the 12 Disciples, and all who have sacrificed in life and even in death, we must make a choice to follow or to abandon Christ.What will you choose? Will you keep on keepin on or to let your circumstances destroy you?
He brings life where there is death, gladness when there is mourning, beauty where there were once ashes. He is the answer to all of life's questions and He can be found by you if you seek Him with all of your heart.
I choose to walk in JOY and PEACE knowing that whatever comes, I will praise and worship the King of Kings and someday, we will see Him face to face and share in His glory. It will be worth it all...just to see Him in all of His righteousness, to lay my crowns at His feet and bask in His glory...what a day that will be...FOREVER with the One who loves us more than we can imagine!
2 Corinthians 4:8-12
Do you feel pressed on every side? Do you feel perplexed? Do you feel abandoned? Do you feel struck down? There are days, lately that I have felt all of these things. Like me are you overwhelmed with spiritual battles that overtake you? We are human. We have emotions and sometimes our emotions get the best of us. We are tired, worn out, beaten down but as a follower of Christ, we signed up for this! In 2 Timothy 3:12 it says "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted".
I think we misunderstood something if we thought that being a Christ follower would be an easy road. He asks us to lay down our lives, to be crucified with Him so that we may LIVE. We need to turn our thinking around. We need to face our trials and tribulations as a gift to be appreciated because of the example of Christ that we can show to others as we persevere. In James, he tells us to "Consider it pure joy, my brothers (and sisters), whenever you face trials of many kids, because you know that the testing of your faith develops persevereance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". This process is part of us becoming mature Christians. Our faith is made alive by our walk down the path of life. We shine Jesus in every struggle or display our weakness and need for His strength.
God promises us HOPE and JOY even in the midst of our overwhelming circumstances. In 2nd Corinthians, verse 3 it says "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds". A little further in the same book, chapter 11 it says "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness, Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, insults, in harships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. He especially wants to attack believers who are actively living a life sold out to Christ and for His kingdom. So, if you are being dealt many obstacles in your life, it means that the enemy is trying to keep you from impacting others and you are being tested to see how you will endure. Either you will fight and press on toward the goal or you will crumble in your circumstances. One of my favorite sayings to whiney people is "put your big girl panties on and deal with it". We are never promised an easy road, in fact just the complete opposite. That is why we must gaurd our hearts and minds on a daily basis. We must put on the armor of God.
Ephesians 6:10 gives us clear instructions: "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces f evil int he heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your gruond, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the BELT of TRUTH, buckled around your waist, with the BREASTPLATE of RIGHTEOUSNESS in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the GOSPEL of PEACE. In addition to all this, take up the SHIELD of FAITH, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the HELMET of SALVATION and the SWORD of the SPIRIT, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests".
Therefore, we must prepare ourselvs for battle, every day. We must give our lives to the One who gave His for us. We must be willing to persevere in this world to continue to do the work for the Kingdom of God. Just like the 12 Disciples, and all who have sacrificed in life and even in death, we must make a choice to follow or to abandon Christ.What will you choose? Will you keep on keepin on or to let your circumstances destroy you?
He brings life where there is death, gladness when there is mourning, beauty where there were once ashes. He is the answer to all of life's questions and He can be found by you if you seek Him with all of your heart.
I choose to walk in JOY and PEACE knowing that whatever comes, I will praise and worship the King of Kings and someday, we will see Him face to face and share in His glory. It will be worth it all...just to see Him in all of His righteousness, to lay my crowns at His feet and bask in His glory...what a day that will be...FOREVER with the One who loves us more than we can imagine!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Believe
Today, I was pondering a thought that we so easily believe anything that we read. I began to think about the fact that we tend to believe many things that may not be true. For example, we'll read a newspaper article, a website full of information, magazine articles and many other things and take them for fact. Why is it that we read God's word and don't seem to take it to heart? We find information on the Internet and believe it is true without even questioning it but doubt God's promises in His word.
I pray for healing and wonder if He will choose to heal the person who needs His touch. I ask for His guidance and wonder if I will truly hear His voice. I pray for lost souls and broken marriages. I pray for my children's hearts to be deeply in love with Jesus. I pray for persecuted Christians. I pray for so many things...I need to experience the deep faith that He promises to me in scripture.
His word is living, active and like a two-edged sword. If we believe anything we read, it should be the Bible. It is God inspired, and God breathed. It is the bread of life. His promises are TRUE. Every word of His love letter to me should be taken to heart! Why is there any doubt?
He promises to provide for me...that I will never have to worry about food or shelter. He promises to always keep me in His arms. He will never leave me or forsake me. He promises to be found when I seek Him with all of my heart. He promises to give me all the desires of my heart if I delight myself in Him. He tells us that we are healed by His stripes. He says He has a plan for my future and for hope and not to harm me. My name is written on His heart. He speaks the truth that He will give me strength when mine is gone. He claims to work all things together for my good. He tells me how deeply and desperately He loves me. I could go on and on!
There are so many blessings that He promises to His children. His promises are true. I will cling to them and If I believe nothing else, I will believe God's word. It is the only real truth. I shall know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall set me free!
Praise the God of the universe! He is worthy to be praised. His promises are TRUE!
I pray for healing and wonder if He will choose to heal the person who needs His touch. I ask for His guidance and wonder if I will truly hear His voice. I pray for lost souls and broken marriages. I pray for my children's hearts to be deeply in love with Jesus. I pray for persecuted Christians. I pray for so many things...I need to experience the deep faith that He promises to me in scripture.
His word is living, active and like a two-edged sword. If we believe anything we read, it should be the Bible. It is God inspired, and God breathed. It is the bread of life. His promises are TRUE. Every word of His love letter to me should be taken to heart! Why is there any doubt?
He promises to provide for me...that I will never have to worry about food or shelter. He promises to always keep me in His arms. He will never leave me or forsake me. He promises to be found when I seek Him with all of my heart. He promises to give me all the desires of my heart if I delight myself in Him. He tells us that we are healed by His stripes. He says He has a plan for my future and for hope and not to harm me. My name is written on His heart. He speaks the truth that He will give me strength when mine is gone. He claims to work all things together for my good. He tells me how deeply and desperately He loves me. I could go on and on!
There are so many blessings that He promises to His children. His promises are true. I will cling to them and If I believe nothing else, I will believe God's word. It is the only real truth. I shall know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall set me free!
Praise the God of the universe! He is worthy to be praised. His promises are TRUE!
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