Tonight my family went to a high school football game. It was a great fall evening. But unfortunately, our team lost the ball game. But we still had a great time!
My family is also big Clemson football fans which lost their game last Saturday to Florida State. You win some, you lose some!
It's very sad to say but there are sore losers on every team. As believers, we must remember whose team we play on...God's team!
Clemson's rival team is the University of South Carolina. Last weekend, after the Clemson vs Florida State game, my oldest son, Jake, was sitting beside me on the couch as I was uploading a photo to Facebook. While we were waiting for it to upload, Jake was scrolling through my news feed and said, "Hey Mom, one of your Gamecock friends just made fun of one of your Clemson post." I said, "No honey, I don't think she meant it that way. Jake continued to read some of the comments under one of her posts. I had gone to use the bathroom and I heard Jake say, "But Mom, come here and read some of these post, they aren't very nice and I thought your friend was nice." Ouch!!! You see we must be careful and not let Satan rule our thoughts and influence our actions. And remember whose team we're on.
Blessings,
Dalinda
Friday, September 28, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Our Face-To-Face Opponent
God sends us trials or tests, and places life before us as a face-to-face opponent. It is through the pounding of serious conflict that He expects us to grow strong.
Stand firmly in the place where your dear Lord has put you, and do your best there.
Our life is very mysterious, but blessed are those who trust when you cannot understand. It is through pain that God gets the most out of us, for His glory and for the blessings of others.
Our Father, who seeks to perfect His saints in holiness, knows the value of the refiner's fire. For the strongest and greatest character is grown through hardship.
Oh, the burdens we lovingly bear but cannot understand! Oh, the inexpressible longings of our hearts for things we cannot comprehend!
When God sends no answer and the "the cloud remains", we must wait. We must wait when we are face-to-face with a threatening enemy, surrounded by danger and fear, or below an unstable rock. We must remember that He never keeps us at our posts without assuring us of His presence or sending us daily supplies.
God had perfect timing; never early, never late. It takes a little patience and a lot of faith. But it's always worth the wait.
God never alters the robe of righteousness to fit the man, He alters the man to fit the robe.
So trust Him and never push away the instrument He is using or you will miss the result of His work in your life.
Genuine faith is believing and declaring what God has said, stepping out on what appears to be thin air and finding solid rock beneath your feet.
Stand firmly in the place where your dear Lord has put you, and do your best there.
Our life is very mysterious, but blessed are those who trust when you cannot understand. It is through pain that God gets the most out of us, for His glory and for the blessings of others.
Our Father, who seeks to perfect His saints in holiness, knows the value of the refiner's fire. For the strongest and greatest character is grown through hardship.
Oh, the burdens we lovingly bear but cannot understand! Oh, the inexpressible longings of our hearts for things we cannot comprehend!
When God sends no answer and the "the cloud remains", we must wait. We must wait when we are face-to-face with a threatening enemy, surrounded by danger and fear, or below an unstable rock. We must remember that He never keeps us at our posts without assuring us of His presence or sending us daily supplies.
God had perfect timing; never early, never late. It takes a little patience and a lot of faith. But it's always worth the wait.
God never alters the robe of righteousness to fit the man, He alters the man to fit the robe.
So trust Him and never push away the instrument He is using or you will miss the result of His work in your life.
Genuine faith is believing and declaring what God has said, stepping out on what appears to be thin air and finding solid rock beneath your feet.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
God Will Not Protect You From That Which He Can Perfect You
Every good life has a balance of duty and bliss. We will be called upon to do things we would rather not. That's why it's called, "Taking up your cross."
Life is not wreckage to be saved out of the world but an investment to be used in the world.
I read somewhere that valleys are the most fertile place on earth and I believe this is true in our lives as well. For in the valleys of life, it is this fertile place that He speaks tenderly to us and the Holy Spirit gently goes to work cultivating our hearts.
Obstacles are those frightful things we see when we take our eyes off our goal. But God will make our obstacles in life serve His purpose.
I ran into one of those obstacles today...literally! Most of you know my optic nerve in my right eye was damaged from the optic neuritis I had back in June. Well, my peripheral vision is shot! This is the side of my body that is black and blue from running into things. Today, it was an arm of a bench. I really wish my eyeglasses would hurry up and come in. They were ordered 3 weeks ago.
Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow by conflict. - William E. Channing
If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably does not lead anywhere. - Frank A. Clark
My life is out of control! Yes, my life is out - with my control....but it is also IN control -- my life is in God's Hands, and I know that despite my current difficulties, I shall yet praise Him for His help and faithfulness, and this is truly a privileged and wonderful place to be.
Even if we confine our thinking to this life, it is true that God never touches the heart with a trial without intending to bestow a greater gift or compassionate blessing.
The person who knows how to wait has grown to an exceptional degree in God's grace.
Some believers think they must always be on the mountaintop of extraordinary joy and revelation, but this is not God's way.
No one can stay on the mountaintop of favor forever, for there are responsibilities in the valley. Christ fulfilled His life's work not in the glory but in the valley, and it was there He was truly and completely the Messiah.
Blessings,
Dalinda
Life is not wreckage to be saved out of the world but an investment to be used in the world.
I read somewhere that valleys are the most fertile place on earth and I believe this is true in our lives as well. For in the valleys of life, it is this fertile place that He speaks tenderly to us and the Holy Spirit gently goes to work cultivating our hearts.
Obstacles are those frightful things we see when we take our eyes off our goal. But God will make our obstacles in life serve His purpose.
I ran into one of those obstacles today...literally! Most of you know my optic nerve in my right eye was damaged from the optic neuritis I had back in June. Well, my peripheral vision is shot! This is the side of my body that is black and blue from running into things. Today, it was an arm of a bench. I really wish my eyeglasses would hurry up and come in. They were ordered 3 weeks ago.
Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow by conflict. - William E. Channing
If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably does not lead anywhere. - Frank A. Clark
My life is out of control! Yes, my life is out - with my control....but it is also IN control -- my life is in God's Hands, and I know that despite my current difficulties, I shall yet praise Him for His help and faithfulness, and this is truly a privileged and wonderful place to be.
Even if we confine our thinking to this life, it is true that God never touches the heart with a trial without intending to bestow a greater gift or compassionate blessing.
The person who knows how to wait has grown to an exceptional degree in God's grace.
Some believers think they must always be on the mountaintop of extraordinary joy and revelation, but this is not God's way.
No one can stay on the mountaintop of favor forever, for there are responsibilities in the valley. Christ fulfilled His life's work not in the glory but in the valley, and it was there He was truly and completely the Messiah.
Blessings,
Dalinda
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Do You Have A 'Woe Is Me' Attitude?
Our circumstances and emotions change like shifting sand. If our happiness is based on our surroundings and circumstances, sure we'll have a 'woe is me' attitude. We will feel like we are on a roller coaster ride, and we will be left with an empty heart.
Confidence isn't something we lose. It's something we forget to apply. Confidence comes from God.
The first step toward applying confidence to any situation is to trust God to handle it.
Never pray for an easier life - pray to be a stronger person! Never pray for tasks equal to your power - pray for power equal to your tasks.
The road to greater things is not marked by easy answers. We must remember that Christ will not lead us to greatness through an easy or self-indulgent life. An easy life does not lift us up but only takes us down. Heaven is always above us, and we must continually be looking toward it.
Satan loves when we feel inadequate and insecure. He’s good at getting us to believe we’re not good enough and don’t have what it takes to be used by God. But we don’t have to let him trash us the way he does – and we definitely don’t need to keep agreeing with his lies and trashing ourselves and each other. In this broken world, we have come to expect rudeness and are shocked at kindness. That is backwards thinking. We all go through hard times, but a lot of us let our trials make us bitter instead of better. We need to stop sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves as if we are the only ones hurting. Be an imitator of Christ in what seems like a Godless place. Change is only going to happen if there is change. But remember, change takes time. It is not magically built. We are to do this one brick at a time. Some days we lay more bricks than others, but our goal should be to make sure that we are working to build, not tear down. So make a decision today to go out and fight the good fight! Make a difference in the world....Tick Satan off!!!
Blessings,
Dalinda
Confidence isn't something we lose. It's something we forget to apply. Confidence comes from God.
The first step toward applying confidence to any situation is to trust God to handle it.
Never pray for an easier life - pray to be a stronger person! Never pray for tasks equal to your power - pray for power equal to your tasks.
The road to greater things is not marked by easy answers. We must remember that Christ will not lead us to greatness through an easy or self-indulgent life. An easy life does not lift us up but only takes us down. Heaven is always above us, and we must continually be looking toward it.
Satan loves when we feel inadequate and insecure. He’s good at getting us to believe we’re not good enough and don’t have what it takes to be used by God. But we don’t have to let him trash us the way he does – and we definitely don’t need to keep agreeing with his lies and trashing ourselves and each other. In this broken world, we have come to expect rudeness and are shocked at kindness. That is backwards thinking. We all go through hard times, but a lot of us let our trials make us bitter instead of better. We need to stop sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves as if we are the only ones hurting. Be an imitator of Christ in what seems like a Godless place. Change is only going to happen if there is change. But remember, change takes time. It is not magically built. We are to do this one brick at a time. Some days we lay more bricks than others, but our goal should be to make sure that we are working to build, not tear down. So make a decision today to go out and fight the good fight! Make a difference in the world....Tick Satan off!!!
Blessings,
Dalinda
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Your Words Have Power
We live in a world where one voice speaks loudly, but it's message is division, destruction, and death. The other voice is softer, but it's message is life, hope, joy, and peace.
We all have difficult people we have to deal with on a daily basis. But the most difficult person each of us has to deal with is ourself. If we are honest enough to admit it, we cause ourselves more trouble than others do.
Dealing with angry people tests our witness. People are watching. We can lose our temper as well, or we can respond calmly and with love. In the Bible, David succeeded because he turned to the One stronger and wiser than himself. We can learn from his example.
At times we need the help of a pastor or godly friend to help us see our situation clearly. In other cases, when we humbly ask God to show us the reason for our misery, he gently directs us to look in the mirror.
“Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
God's words are strong and powerful but He often chooses to speak in the softest voice. He wants us to be still so that we can clearly hear His heart.
Keep in mind that defensive people usually are acting from their subconscious and that they generally are not trying to create problems or difficulty. Defensive people often are working from a self-protective instinct and are trying to avoid others attacking them by preemptively attacking others first.
David had many faults, but he was the only person in the Bible God called "a man after my own heart." (Acts 13:22, NIV) Why? Because David depended completely on God to direct his life, including dealing with difficult people.
We can't control difficult people and we can't change them - only God can change their heart, but with God's guidance we can understand them better and find a way to cope with them.
I think we can all relate to someone in our lives who is hard to be around and makes it a struggle to respond in a Christ-like way. Dealing with difficult people not only tests our faith in God, but it also puts our witness on display.
One of the scriptures I remind myself of when I am faced with difficult people is Ephesians 6:12
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Always focus on the issue and not on the person.
It is not any one person that is our enemy, the devil and his forces are the ones we are called to battle! Remind yourself, that person is not your enemy. They may be under the influence of some of those “principalities and powers” that the scripture talks about, but the good news is: we have authority over those things! God didn’t give us authority for no reason, use it!
Hurting people, hurt people. But we are called to pray for them. It sure becomes hard to have a bad attitude towards someone you are praying for on a regular basis. One thing I have noticed, is that the more I pray for someone, the more my heart grows for them. I begin to feel God’s love and compassion for them. I also begin to earnestly desire God’s best for them (rather than vengeance). The more we pray for that person, the more we can sense their hurt and show mercy.
Hebrews 3:12-13 says, "See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelievingly heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
Which voice will you listen to today? The voice of the world or the voice of truth.
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.
Blessings,
Dalinda
We all have difficult people we have to deal with on a daily basis. But the most difficult person each of us has to deal with is ourself. If we are honest enough to admit it, we cause ourselves more trouble than others do.
Dealing with angry people tests our witness. People are watching. We can lose our temper as well, or we can respond calmly and with love. In the Bible, David succeeded because he turned to the One stronger and wiser than himself. We can learn from his example.
At times we need the help of a pastor or godly friend to help us see our situation clearly. In other cases, when we humbly ask God to show us the reason for our misery, he gently directs us to look in the mirror.
“Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
God's words are strong and powerful but He often chooses to speak in the softest voice. He wants us to be still so that we can clearly hear His heart.
Keep in mind that defensive people usually are acting from their subconscious and that they generally are not trying to create problems or difficulty. Defensive people often are working from a self-protective instinct and are trying to avoid others attacking them by preemptively attacking others first.
David had many faults, but he was the only person in the Bible God called "a man after my own heart." (Acts 13:22, NIV) Why? Because David depended completely on God to direct his life, including dealing with difficult people.
We can't control difficult people and we can't change them - only God can change their heart, but with God's guidance we can understand them better and find a way to cope with them.
I think we can all relate to someone in our lives who is hard to be around and makes it a struggle to respond in a Christ-like way. Dealing with difficult people not only tests our faith in God, but it also puts our witness on display.
One of the scriptures I remind myself of when I am faced with difficult people is Ephesians 6:12
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Always focus on the issue and not on the person.
It is not any one person that is our enemy, the devil and his forces are the ones we are called to battle! Remind yourself, that person is not your enemy. They may be under the influence of some of those “principalities and powers” that the scripture talks about, but the good news is: we have authority over those things! God didn’t give us authority for no reason, use it!
Hurting people, hurt people. But we are called to pray for them. It sure becomes hard to have a bad attitude towards someone you are praying for on a regular basis. One thing I have noticed, is that the more I pray for someone, the more my heart grows for them. I begin to feel God’s love and compassion for them. I also begin to earnestly desire God’s best for them (rather than vengeance). The more we pray for that person, the more we can sense their hurt and show mercy.
Hebrews 3:12-13 says, "See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelievingly heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
Which voice will you listen to today? The voice of the world or the voice of truth.
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.
Blessings,
Dalinda
Friday, September 21, 2012
We Love Jesus, Yes We Do, We Love Jesus, How About You?
When we follow Jesus, we will always have victory!
Getting stoked about 'Football Saturday' tomorrow! We, football fans, travel far and wide to see our teams play. We brag about our favorite team's victories. But do we brag about the One who saved our soul so we could have victory? Just think what this world would be like if we got as excited about Jesus as we do our favorite football team!...."We love Jesus, yes we do, we love Jesus, how about you?”
The above passage was my Facebook status this morning. Only one person liked it....my husband. Hmmm???
We have all been told “the truth hurts sometimes" and we will probably hear it a couple more times in our lifetime. It usually happens after we are told of some blaring sin in our life we choose to ignore. The truth tends to pierce our soul and show us our deficiencies.
If it's in your heart, it shows in your spirit....no matter who's watching. Go Jesus, Go!
Blessings,
Dalinda
Getting stoked about 'Football Saturday' tomorrow! We, football fans, travel far and wide to see our teams play. We brag about our favorite team's victories. But do we brag about the One who saved our soul so we could have victory? Just think what this world would be like if we got as excited about Jesus as we do our favorite football team!...."We love Jesus, yes we do, we love Jesus, how about you?”
The above passage was my Facebook status this morning. Only one person liked it....my husband. Hmmm???
We have all been told “the truth hurts sometimes" and we will probably hear it a couple more times in our lifetime. It usually happens after we are told of some blaring sin in our life we choose to ignore. The truth tends to pierce our soul and show us our deficiencies.
If it's in your heart, it shows in your spirit....no matter who's watching. Go Jesus, Go!
Blessings,
Dalinda
Thursday, September 20, 2012
We Are Warned About Being High-Minded
There is no limit to what God can do through you, provided you do not seek your own glory.
We are warned about being high-minded, that is, thinking more highly of ourselves than we should.
Remember in Genesis when Joseph paraded his new coat for his brothers' viewing? They in turn, stripped him of his colors and sold him into slavery. Yep, showing off tends to trip us up. Thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought means a downfall is probably up ahead.
God knew that for Joseph to grow up, he would have to live down his need to be the center of attention.
What is the central focus of your life? The Lord? Or your need to be center stage?
Uppity is a downer!
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. - 2 Corinthians 11:30
It is good to have weaknesses because God shines through them.
I will show my weaknesses, for God's glory!
Why would someone ever want to openly boast about something? Let alone boast about their weaknesses? Aren't those things you shouldn't be proud of? But boasting about weaknesses somehow reminded me of how I articulated myself in my previous blog...Well, just talking about weaknesses reminded me of that blog, and it showed me how I SHOULD be boasting about them, not being ashamed of them. The verse I just referenced really convicted me. I am at a point in my walk with Christ where I can only make it through the day if I run to Christ. It is very good, but challenging because now more than ever every step I make is in surrender. It's funny because I thought I was living like that before. I was so wrong.
In honor of 2 Corinthians 11:30, I will boast in my weakness!
My prayer is that you all could understand this about weaknesses. This passage from 2 Corinthians 12 perfectly explains our weaknesses.
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "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, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. -2 Corinthians 12: 7-10
This passage blows my mind. Have you ever sat down and thought about what God was saying to Paul when He said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." God's power is made perfect in our weakness. That means it is acceptable to be weak, because God's power is made perfect through it. That doesn't mean you shouldn't go to God and repent of your sins and ask for help with overcoming sin issues. It means that God will bring you through something where there is no way you can get through it on your own, and it will bring God glory. There are so many other things that this verse says, but I want you to think about it for yourselves. What does this mean in reference to your walk with Christ? What does this say to you? I challenge you to apply this to your life, and see where it brings you.
Yes, I have problems. Yes, I have busyness. But I wanna be Heaven-minded, not high-minded!...All for God's glory!
Blessings,
Dalinda
We are warned about being high-minded, that is, thinking more highly of ourselves than we should.
Remember in Genesis when Joseph paraded his new coat for his brothers' viewing? They in turn, stripped him of his colors and sold him into slavery. Yep, showing off tends to trip us up. Thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought means a downfall is probably up ahead.
God knew that for Joseph to grow up, he would have to live down his need to be the center of attention.
What is the central focus of your life? The Lord? Or your need to be center stage?
Uppity is a downer!
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. - 2 Corinthians 11:30
It is good to have weaknesses because God shines through them.
I will show my weaknesses, for God's glory!
Why would someone ever want to openly boast about something? Let alone boast about their weaknesses? Aren't those things you shouldn't be proud of? But boasting about weaknesses somehow reminded me of how I articulated myself in my previous blog...Well, just talking about weaknesses reminded me of that blog, and it showed me how I SHOULD be boasting about them, not being ashamed of them. The verse I just referenced really convicted me. I am at a point in my walk with Christ where I can only make it through the day if I run to Christ. It is very good, but challenging because now more than ever every step I make is in surrender. It's funny because I thought I was living like that before. I was so wrong.
In honor of 2 Corinthians 11:30, I will boast in my weakness!
My prayer is that you all could understand this about weaknesses. This passage from 2 Corinthians 12 perfectly explains our weaknesses.
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "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, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. -2 Corinthians 12: 7-10
This passage blows my mind. Have you ever sat down and thought about what God was saying to Paul when He said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." God's power is made perfect in our weakness. That means it is acceptable to be weak, because God's power is made perfect through it. That doesn't mean you shouldn't go to God and repent of your sins and ask for help with overcoming sin issues. It means that God will bring you through something where there is no way you can get through it on your own, and it will bring God glory. There are so many other things that this verse says, but I want you to think about it for yourselves. What does this mean in reference to your walk with Christ? What does this say to you? I challenge you to apply this to your life, and see where it brings you.
Yes, I have problems. Yes, I have busyness. But I wanna be Heaven-minded, not high-minded!...All for God's glory!
Blessings,
Dalinda
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