God You Are My God

Ugh, I'm having a tough day. Everything is so wonderful. Really, even the not so good stuff is wonderful!! I just need prayers. I'm being so selfish.....ok let me tell ya what is going on!

As all of you know, there is another Hurricane going toward Florida. It's supposed to hit Sunday Morning (please pray for everyone in it's path). After it hits, my husband, along with 59 other people from his company, are heading down to rebuild. Not just the company stores, but the communities the hurricane affects. So, it's a great thing that my husband wants to be a part of. He's such a kind, giving, loving man!! The problem....he'll be gone for 2 weeks to a month. I'm beyond upset. I don't know what I would do without him for that long. Just having him hear, even if he doesn't say a word while he's home, his support is just more than I need!!!!! I'm so thankful for him. So please pray that he is safe and does what God will's him to do. And please pray that I get through a lllooonnnggg time without him!!

School is kicking our bottoms. I'm already so tired. BUT I keep telling myself that it'll all be over with in a couple of years and then I'll be the teacher and not the student!!!

Tonight's sermon was so good, I took notes and thought I would share them. I'm really trying to live the way I was meant to, not the way I want to. I'm trying to be forgiving, selfless, and to pray about everything I do. It's hard, and I don't always succeed. But I'm trying!! And that is what the sermon was on, please excuse the choppiness of my notes!

Scriptures of note:

Mark 8: 22-38
2 Corinthians: 5
Matthew 7
Mark 8: 33
Deuteronomy 4-6
Mark 8: 35

The story of the blind man in Mark (Mark 8: 22-26). Jesus put his saliva on the mans eyes and he could see, but not clearly. Then Jesus put his hands on the blind mans eyes and he was able to see clearly. So why did Jesus have to lay his hands on this man twice, what went "wrong" with this miracle? Nothing!! This story is in here to show us that even though we can see, we may not be seeing clearly or the right things. You have to live the way Jesus wants us to, not the way the world says we should!

Mark 8: 27-30 is about Peter's confession to Jesus. I know I'm guilty of going through the routine of being a Christian. We pray, we go to service. But do I really live like Jesus daily? Nope. I don't. We acknowledge Jesus, but we don't understand him. We have to continue to return to scripture and make sure we read to understand the way Jesus wants us to live, not to adapt the scripture to fit our lives as we live them now.

We've all been told, if you try hard enough, if you are good enough, you can always get what you want. But what we want isn't always what Jesus wants for us.

If we give meaning to things that have no meaning (such as what type of car we drive shows how successful we are), how are we any different than people who worship false Gods? The Bible tells us over and over and over again to be aware of false Gods.

We have to keep our EGO out of the way!!

How can I help someone be redeemed instead of punishing them. We have to make sure, as Christians, we don't judge, and we teach, not punish. We have to remember how FABULOUS of a teacher Jesus was!

What if we gained everything we ever sought but lost the way Jesus wanted us to live?

WE ARE GIFTS TO THE WORLD!!!!!!

We were told a story about how the preacher's father died of a painful disease. He was always a Christian and always loved sharing the word of Jesus Christ. But our preacher said that the last years of his fathers life were the best. His disease cost him to die a slow and painful death. Yet, he never complained. He wasn't able to go to church the last few years of his life, but he spread the word through his caretakers. He knew everything about his nurses, he prayed for them, their children, their aches and pains. And yet this man NEVER complained. He was in constant pain and he never complained. He was a Christian HERO!!

Live as a sacrifice for others. Sacrifice yourself to give to others. Give, Give, Give. Wrong is done, loss happens, but give more of yourself than you have.

DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT PAIN JUST PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God doesn't promise Christians a life full of happiness, peace, ease. But he promises Christians LIFE. ETERNAL LIFE!!! God is looking for us to be faithful, even during times of illness, pain and sorrow. We have to keep our faith.

Well, that's about it. It was a great sermon!! I still have so much to learn!!

~Blessings~