A Woman's Journey Through Salvation

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that they testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 In the movie War Room, Priscilla Shirer's character Elizabeth has a moment where she has come to the end of her rope. She can feel the enemies presence surrounding her life, demands that he leave and boldly proclaims that Jesus Christ is Lord over her house, her family, and her life. At the end of this moment she says an extremely powerful line that had an impact on me as I sat there in the theater.She says, "I am so sick of you stealing my joy,  but that's changing, too.  My joy doesn't come from my friends.  It doesn't come from my job.  It doesn't even come from my husband.  My joy is found in Jesus.  And just in case you forgot,  he has already defeated you.  So go back to Hell ...

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or rude. It does not demand it's own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no records of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 This verse is well known to many people, Christian and non-Christian alike. Most of us have either heard this verse in a wedding, or if you're are married, used it as a part of your vows to each other. This verse is traditionally used as a blueprint for a strong marriage/relationship founded on Christ and the salvation we have through Him, but as I write this, I also see this as a foundation for a strong, Christ-centered friendship. What does it mean to be a friend in this fallen world? To be a friend in a fallen world is to know we are fallen too, but we have a Savior who is alive and dwells in our hearts...

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup  from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42 Do you ever have moments in your life when you become so overwhelmed that all you want to do is fall to your knees and beg for God to take the cup that He has placed in your life from you?  The verse above has so much in it, but I want to look at the word "yet". Jesus is praying on the Mount of Olives the night before His crucifixion. He asks God to take the pain He is about to endure away from Him, but then He says, "YET not my will, but your be done." He knows and understands that God's will is higher than His and knows that if this must take place then He will endure what He needs to endure. This verse stirs something and begs the question, what are we asking the Lord to take from us? It is an illness, pain, sorrow, being childless, suffering, a bad marriage, a terrible job... it could be whatever is weighing you down and bringing anxiety to you li...

" Then you will call  on me and come and pray  to me, and I will listen  to you.   You will seek  me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:12-13 I know... I'm shocked too... I left out Jeremiah 29:11. I have quoted Jeremiah 29:11 on my other blogs, more times than I can count, but this time I wanted to focus on His faithfulness in verses 12-13.  A habit I have come to know, love, and do daily is pray for my marriage and specifically my husband. Marriage is a mission field and is the hardest mission field one will have to endure. You have two imperfect people, full of sin, selfishness, and the want of doing things their own way, to now combining finances, homes, interests, families, sins, and imperfections. The Lord did not create marriage to be perfect or to take 2 imperfect people and make them perfect together. He created marriage to be a mirror image of Christ and His Church. A mirror image of His sacrifice, grace, love, pr...