Tag Archives: inspiration

Continue to work on it

Posted on April 4, 2012 by | 11 Comments

Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

Approximately  18 years ago we purchased the property where we are now living.   At first it was just a piece of land.  In time, our home was built, then an extension.  Next came some upgrades  like our  BBQ area.    We now find ourselves building an office/meeting room.

As I began to meditate on the progress we have made, I realize it has not been easy nor has it been fast.  It has taken work.  We have saved money, worked extra,  gone without, prayed,  and many things on and around our home/property have been built ourselves.

Did you know that walking with the Lord is just about the same? When we purchased our piece of land, there was nothing on it except  a few fruit trees. When you begin walking out your faith, there will be many things that you will not have spiritually speaking, but in time you will have them.

The beginning years of my Christian walk, I always admired and looked up to those that could pray eloquently,  knew the scriptures well and  flowed in spiritual gifts.  My land at the time had only a few fruit trees, nothing more.

In time I began to develop my land.  The spiritual gifts began to flourish, I grew in  confidence, boldness, and yes, I could pray like those I looked up to in times past. There were also instances where I had to remove things that were not needed nor beneficial to me.

Am I done? Not by a long shot. Just as  our home  continues to undergo changes, upgrades and cleaning,  so does my spiritual house.

Are you just starting your walk in the Lord? Have hope, because the Lord  wants to develop your land with spiritual gifts, boldness, courage, love, faith, hope, grace and eloquence.   He wants to give you additions and upgrades.

There is just one thing we need to do, and that is to work on it and ask for the gifts you desire to flow in by faith, and He will meet your every need.

May you be richly blessed as you develop your land.

→ 11 Comments

Posted in Christianity, Devotionals, faith, inspiration, Jesus, Ministry, salvation

Tagged , , , , , ,

The Real World

Posted on March 14, 2012 by | 5 Comments

Luke 10:2  Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Yesterday I had to run some errands, and since I am without a car I had to resort  to using the bus and taxi service.  It has been some time since I have used public transportation, and this experience turned out to be an eye opener.

In using this service,  I found a group of people who are happy, talkative, helpful and grumpy.   I enjoyed talking to ladies that are  mothers, grandmothers and a few gentlemen complaining about the high price of food.

In coming back home at the last bus stop, a lady began telling me her woes as a domestic maid, sending her small salary back home to Nicaragua to help care for her aging father, and her desire to be with him in his last days.

ENCOURAGE
I had my chance.  I encouraged  her in the Lord and  let her know that her sacrifice will not go unnoticed.  She responded well, and we instantly became  friends, even if it were for a few short  minutes.

I realized that the harvest is ripe and had to think;   Who am I reaching in the real world?  Do I just minister to those that know the Lord, or am I active in bringing people into his Kingdom?

While I am not an evangelist, a few short words of encouragement can bring hope and comfort to the hurting and lost, and maybe into His kingdom.

I do know this.  I will continue to look for opportunities to share faith, hope and love, while using the public transport system and when I am not.

May you be richly blessed this day.

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Christianity, Costa Rica, Devotionals, faith, inspiration, Jesus, salvation

Tagged , , , ,

Geologist Top Ten

Posted on March 7, 2012 by | 4 Comments

Many of you know that my husband is a geologist.  A career that he is passionate about, especially when it comes to God’s creation.

I recently asked him what were the top ten things every geologist needs, and here is the list he gave me.

  1. Rock hammer
  2. Map
  3. Compass
  4. G.P.S
  5. Rite in the rain- (books that you can write in while it’s raining)
  6. Day pack – granola bars, snacks, etc..
  7. boots,  preferably snake proof
  8. vest
  9. water bottle
  10. Knife, or in his case a sharp machete

As he gave me this list, I saw the similarities that we need as believers.  Here is what I found:

  1. Jesus is our Rock
  2. Jesus has our life mapped out
  3. He will guide us while on our map
  4. G.P.S.  – we will know if we are in His perfect will
  5. Journal- we should spend time journaling with the Lord, under any circumstance, even when it’s raining on our life!
  6. Be nourished with the word of God
  7. Our feet our shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace and we trample on serpents and scorpions
  8. Breastplate of righteousness
  9. Be filled with the spirit
  10. We have the sword of the spirit

When my husband is packing for field work, he does not need to make a list of the things he needs, it comes natural to him.

It’s the same for me.  When I have my quiet time with the Lord, I don’t need a list of things needed, it comes natural!  I have my  Bible, notepad and music handy, and then I retreat to a quiet place to hear His voice.

What things do you use when coming to the Lord?  Perhaps we can add to the list and learn from each other.

May you be richly blessed this day.

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Christianity, Devotionals, faith, Geology, gifts of the spirit, inspiration, Jesus

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Where are you?

Posted on January 17, 2012 by | 4 Comments

Genesis 3:9-10 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

In Genesis Chapter 2, we read how the Lord God planted a garden called Eden.  In that garden there were many trees that were pleasant to eat, such as the  The Tree of Life. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was also in the garden that God planted.  Later,  God took man and placed him  in the Garden of Eden to tend and to keep it.  There was only one directive the Lord gave him. He was to  eat of every tree including the Tree of Life, but to abstain from eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

We all  know how the story went.  Adam and Eve sinned by eating  the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Their eyes were opened  and they realized that they were naked.  Because of their sin, God took them out of the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.  Genesis 3:23

You may ask yourself, why did God ask Adam where he was?  Doesn’t God know everything? Of course God knows everything, but sometimes it’s those moments that we need to hear for ourselves and answer the question, where am I? 

Where Are You?

I have had to ask myself that question.  Where am I, what is it that I am to do next?  I have accomplished certain thing in my life, so where do I go from here? What areas in my life need improving?  What are my weak areas? Where am I with my goals and aspirations?  Where am I in hearing His voice clearly for guidance, and  am I  listening?

While Adam and Eve sinned by eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, we still have the Tree of Life at our disposal, and that tree being  Jesus.

Perhaps we have failed with our goals, aspirations, and maybe life just got the better of us and we let some people down.  But guess what, we are no longer under the law, for the letter kills but the spirit brings life.

While we may not know exactly where we are, God does know.  He knows that you have a hope and a future, and that He loves you so much that He sent His Son to be a ransom for our sin, and we can continue to partake of the Tree of Life fully, to establish and prosper us.  

Now that  you know where you are, walk forward with the confidence in the Lord to your next goal or aspiration.

May you be richly blessed this day.

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Christianity, Devotionals, faith, Jesus, Tree of Life

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

New Years Resolution

Posted on January 1, 2012 by | 4 Comments

Now that we are in they New Year, many have made some type of resolution that  will probably fade off by February.   While I have made mine in the past, I can tell you that I have rarely kept them.   

As a believer, I have learned that trying something on my own strength does not work for me.    Instead, I have to trust the Holy Spirit to help me with what  I want to accomplish.

As I was making a mental list of goals and what I want to fulfill this year, I was surprised to see that I had already begun.  

Here is a partial list:

Pray more.     I have two journals for my prayer time.   One is my regular journal where I write out my prayers, petitions for myself and others, and write what I hear the Lord say. My second journal is my dream journal.  Since I  dream often, I found that I needed a separate notebook for my dreams.   At one point I had both prayer and dream journal in one notebook, but that did not work out.    Having them separate makes it easier when I need to look something up.

I enjoy  praying for people. I find great joy in hearing that their requests  have been answered, the ministries are growing, lives are being touched, and healings are taking place.   

Bible reading.   I read from the Old and New Testament, and  I also read a chapter of Proverbs a day. While reading, I ask for wisdom, insight and revelation.   

Write – A few years ago I began strong with the desire to write, during the course of life it was lost, and now the Lord has given it back to me.  I plan to write what He has called me to write. 

The believer wants to read the Bible more, pray more, hear the voice of the Lord, fellowship, be involved in church, but  these  are not possible on our own effort.   It takes the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us.  We know we need to do these things, and I have learned that to accomplish these tasks I had to ask for one thing.  Desire.

When we feel obligated to do something, then the passion is no longer there.  If I feel obligated to read my Bible, then what I read is not helping me much.  But if I have a desire to read, then the words become alive. 

Ask the Lord to give you a desire to fulfill your dreams, goals and to give you passion.  Doing it on your own strength may lead to failure, but with the help of the Holy Spirit you are destined to be fruitful.

May you have a blessed and wonderful New Year, and may this coming year draw you closer to the Lord.

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Christianity, Devotionals, inspiration, Jesus, Religion

Tagged , , , , ,

He Has Supplied

Posted on December 17, 2011 by | 3 Comments

Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

The verse above is one of the most common verses used when one is going through financial hardship.  It’s a wonderful promise found in the Bible, and one that I have prayed often.

December for us has always been a slow month in regards to work.  My husband’s consulting work comes to a low, and since my work is seasonal I don’t always have clients in December.

As I was getting ready to pray  my usual  for the Lord to supply this Christmas season, I had a different revelation of what Christmas is about.

Jesus has supplied our need upon His birth, death and resurrection.   He emptied himself on the cross, and we beheld His Glory.  That was all I needed to know, He took care of everything! 

I then began to thank the Lord for what we do have,  and not worry about sending out my banana bread again as gifts!  I began to praise Him for what He has accomplished on the cross, why we celebrate Christmas and joy just filled my heart.  

Wise men came from the East to worship Jesus, they traveled far and brought him gifts of gold, Frankincense and Myrh.

  • Gold  is symbolic of His divinity God in the flesh.
  • Frankincense is a symbol of holiness and righteousness. The gift of frankincense to the Jesus  was symbolic of His willingness to become a sacrifice, wholly giving Himself up.  
  • Myrrh symbolizes bitterness, suffering, and affliction. The baby Jesus would grow to suffer greatly as a man and would pay the ultimate price when He gave His life on the cross for all who would believe in Him.

Jesus provided everything for us starting with His birth, His voluntary death and more importantly, His divine resurrection.  May we truly reflect what Christ has accomplished for us this Christmas season, and not worry about what we don’t have, but come to realize that we have already received the greatest gift of all, Jesus.

May you be richly blessed and abide in His presence.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Christianity, christmas, Devotionals, inspiration, Jesus

Tagged , , , ,

Abundance in Times of Famine

Posted on November 17, 2011 by | 3 Comments

 

In times of famine, you will have an abundance.

The Lord woke me up with those words a few days ago, it was about 4:30 a.m.  As I jumped out of bed, at first I was happy that I would have an abundance and began praying and praising the Lord.  But the more I thought about what I heard,  I realized that perhaps we are nearing  a time of famine, and maybe we are to do something about it.

I was then reminded about the story of Joseph, how the Lord gave him the interpretation of the dream Pharaoh had regarding the seven fine looking and fat cows, and another seven  ugly looking and gaunt cows.  Pharoah then  had a second dream  with seven heads of grain, plump and good,  and seven thin heads of grain that devoured the seven plump and good grains.  See Genesis 41.

The interpretation the Lord gave Joseph was that there would be seven years of abundance,  and seven years of famine.

In those first seven years, Joseph,  now appointed as Pharaohs right hand man, stored up enough grain in preparation for the famine that lied ahead.  When the famine hit, Egypt had enough grain stored for the people.

The end result:  Egypt did not suffer the consequence  which affected the other lands,  because they heeded the warning the Lord had given them through Joseph.

In all of this, are we to prepare for  a time of famine, or is the Lord giving me another message?  I believe we are to prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. It’s no secret that the economy worldwide is in shambles, held up artificially and could collapse at any time.  If  and when that happens, what comes next?   For me it would be hard to imagine since I have never experienced a depression, war or famine in my lifetime.

What I do know is that there will be famine, and it’s supported Biblically.  Like Joseph, we can prepare and store, seek His wisdom and guidance, and trust in Jesus.

May you be richly blessed this day.

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Christianity, inspiration, Jesus, Prophecy, revelation

Tagged , , , , ,