bad habits

Selfishness
Selfishness shouts, "I have been hurt! It is so unfair. I have rights!" What I am really saying is that how I feel about the hurt is more important than forgiving the hurt.

Pride
Pride cries, "Look at what they have done to me. Don't they realize who I am?" To receive or give forgiveness requires humility.

Low self-esteem
Some of us have built an entire identity around a hurt. The attention we gain from the wrong we have suffered defines who we are. It is something we cherish and refuse to relinquish for the sake of forgiveness.

Blindness
We may be blind to the fact that we have not forgiven a hurt. We have convinced ourselves that we really have forgiven the one who hurt us by going through the motions and saying the right words without really dealing with the pain. In reality, all we have done is dig a hole and bury the pain. As long as hurt is buried alive, it will keep resurrecting itself in our life, but when the hurt is dealt with and forgiveness is given, the pain is buried dead - and it stays dead.

Pain
Forgiveness is spiritual surgery. It exposes old hurts that have never completely healed. We can move, change jobs, change churches, change friends or even change families, but until we yank up the root of bitterness and cover it with forgiveness, we will live with unresolved pain.

Ignorance
Maybe we don't know how to forgive someone because are under the impression that forgiveness is an emotion or feeling. True forgiveness is a choice - a deliberate choice to release the person who has hurt us from the pain they have caused. We can stop forgiving others when God stops forgiving us.

We need to identify and eliminate the roadblocks to forgiveness so God can set us free, heal our pain and make us more like Him. Now that is a remodeling job I would welcome.

no fear in god

When we focus only on what we can see and understand or explain, we will worry. Fear and doubt will become familiar companions if we live each day against the backdrop of this broken world. Our only hope is God. And it is not enough to just know about Him. We must know Him. A personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ assures us that no matter what the world throws our way, it's all going to be okay.

Spiritual drink

There are times we need a shot of God-caffeine in our day. A spiritual espresso.

Words

Words are powerful. Words can destroy or build. We need to make the choice today - to respond in the right way to those angry words that are surely headed our way tomorrow.

Confrontation is wrapped in prayer & tied with the lovely bow of love

"Dear Heavenly Father, I'll admit that sometimes I act like Ginger (the dog) and dig for the dirt rather than caring for the person. Help love always to be my ultimate goal, and if I ever have one bit of pleasure in correcting someone, I pray that I will keep my mouth shut and worry about the dirt in my own life that needs to be cleaned up."

The shepherd

SAB: That's me.

The lamb developed such a close relationship with the shepherd, that when its leg was healed, the lamb would never again wander away from the one who had rescued it and cared for it so tenderly.

Patience

"You may be waiting for your life to just fall into place, hoping that the things you are doing will achieve balance. The opposite is true. A powerful life comes from a balanced life."

Seeking

"God, I need Your love. My life is filled with scars and wounds that can be healed by Your love alone. I celebrate the love You so freely offer. I accept the gift of Your love and thank You for its transforming power in my heart and life. I love You, Father, and celebrate Your presence and power in my life."

"I live on a beautiful lake. I can look at the lake, swim in the lake and even stand in the lake...and still die of thirst. The only way for the water to enter my system is to scoop it up and drink."

God is love

"But anyone who does not love does not know God--for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins."

i'll.. try

"God will take what the enemy means for evil and use it as the perfect setting for a miracle. You don't have to understand God to trust Him. Restoration and peace are His specialty. He will be your refuge and your strength. Right now, quietly turn to Him. He is waiting."

art gallery/bible

"This reminded me of how we sometimes read the Bible - like perusing through an art gallery and never really stopping to see what the artist intended in the great masterpieces lining the majestic walls. Like walking briskly through an art gallery, we grab the Bible and read a few verses before running out the door in the morning or closing our eyes at night.

But God's Word is a masterpiece and He speaks through every stroke of the writer's pen. Oh the treasures stored on each page just waiting to be discovered!"

All nations

"In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus tells his disciples to GO and make disciples of all nations. He didn't say, stay here and exchange knowledge with each other. He said GO and put into practice all that I have taught you."

SAB: I want to go back to the 1040 frame to do what he needs me to do.

Hong Kong is the first stop.

anyone in pain?

"The doctor prescribed a cream that she promised would work wonders on the burns. "Will it stop the pain?" I asked because they had taken my bowl of ice water away and I could not believe how much pain three little burned fingers could cause. "It won't help with the pain as much as it will help the burns heal and prevent infection, but you will need a pretty powerful painkiller for the next couple of days," she replied as she wrote a prescription and handed to me. I was surprised to see that it was the same pain medication I had once taken after major surgery. Now, I am not a doctor, but taking pain medication that affects the whole body seems like overkill and almost absurd when only three fingers are in pain. But as the hours passed, I was very thankful for each little pill.

When someone hurts, we should respond to their pain. When one of us is weak, another should be strong. Those who stumble and fall should be able to count on someone to pick them up and finish the race. Instead, we often shoot our wounded and leave them lying in the dirt to find help on their own.

Admittedly, the problem is not always that we are unwilling to help someone in pain. Sometimes we are simply blind to the fact that they exist. We overlook hurting people because we are in a hurry or maybe we just don't want to deal with the mess of a broken life.

Jesus Christ willingly left His throne in Heaven and came to Earth as a man. He felt every pain we have ever felt or will feel. He was afraid and lonely and often had no place to "lay His head." Jesus was misunderstood and slandered and then crucified to pay for our sin. It must break the heart of God when we so easily toss aside what cost Him so much, the life of His only Son, Jesus."

* "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others." - 1 Peter 4:10

The point of living

"Do not judge; and you will not be judged," Jesus taught. "Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give; and it will be given to you.

You are so worried, bothered, and distracted with the details of living that you miss the joys of life."

Stress

The Mayo Clinic once stated that the illnesses in 80 to 85% of their caseload were caused by stress. An article in a leading medical journal entitled "Is Stress the Cause of All Disease?" said that at the beginning of the century, bacteria were the leading cause of illness but today stress has replaced bacteria.
.....
We hear from so many women across the world who would give everything they have for just one minute of peace. I know the list of trials and storms is long. I honestly do not know how some people get out of bed each morning to face the trials and hard times in their life. I understand that the problems we deal with every single day can weigh us down; but I also know that every problem can be given to God. When we surrender the weight of our trials and pain to Him, we will experience peace. As we allow God to carry the weight of worry, the burden of anxiety and the penalty of every sin in our life, peace will reign and leave no room for the deadly trap of stress.

Sab: Oh my - this devotion is absolutely crazy, the entry I typed on tumblr yesterday WAS ABOUT THIS.

Storytime

It was the first anniversary of the terrorist bombing of September 11, 2001. The rubble from the World Trade Center had been cleared and the Pentagon repaired, but men and women all across America still mourned the 3,000 lives that were lost on that dark day. In my hometown, a memorial was set up on an expanse of land with a sea of twelve-inch white crosses representing the men and women who died.

Kathy and her family went to see the memorial.  Along with her seventeen-year-old daughter, Heather, Kathy took along her three-year-old niece, Taylor.  It was difficult for young Taylor to understand exactly what was going on and why so many people were sad, but she obediently walked hand-in-hand with her cousin between the tiny crosses.  At some point, little Taylor wandered away from her family.

It was reverently silent as the crowd of mourners looked at the names inscribed on the white memorials.  Some crosses were decorated with flowers, others with Teddy Bears or other memorabilia, but nothing spoke more poignantly than the silence broken by quiet sobs.  Then, as if coming directly from heaven, a small voice could be heard floating on the breeze.  Everyone turned to notice a little girl with outstretched arms twirling in circles among the crosses.

With face lifted toward the sky, she sang...

           "Jesus loves me, this I know. 
For the Bible tells me so. 
Little ones to Him belong. 
We are weak but He is strong. 
Yes, Jesus loves me. 
Yes, Jesus loves me. 
Yes, Jesus loves me. 
The Bible tells me so."
 
Time seemed to stand still as hundreds of mourners turned their attention to one small girl with a big message.  Even in the midst of pain, even with the loss of life, loss of dreams, and loss of hope... Jesus still loves us.  That love can lift the burden of despair, resurrect our dreams, and restore our hope.
In 2 Corinthians 4:6-9 Paul reminds us: "For God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Jesus loves me...this I know.

CHUCKK! must read!

Sab: Somebody posted this on the internet and I found the news as amazed as the writer.

-

NBC's series 'Chuck' is one of my favorite shows to watch every week. Zachary Levi as Chuck Bartowski is the most lovable tech-smart spy-geek (or is it geek-spy?) to hit television since Maxwell Smart of 'Get Smart,' though Chuck is far more adorable and swoon-worthy a hero. Season three of this cult favorite has Chuck slightly less bumbling, and back and forth between two gorgeous love interests, the kick-butt real spy Sara Walker and newcomer Hannah (Kristin Kreuk of 'Smallville').

The other day when I was discussing the latest post-Olympic episode with another fan friend, she asked me, "Did you know that Chuck is a Christian? A really devout one, I mean?"

Turns out, Relevant Magazine just did a major cover feature, "The Life and Faith of 'Chuck' Star Zac Levi" and Q&A with Levi on not only the show's success but his faith life. For example, here's Zac Levi on the topic of what advice he has for other aspiring actors going out for tough auditions:

"The first advice that I would give is to really spend time in prayer to make sure that this is exactly what God wants you to be doing and not just something that you really feel like you should be doing. Many times I have come home from a really devastating audition, and I'd be really thoroughly depressed because it was a role that I really was hoping for. I realized how crucial having a walk with God was because I could turn around and say, "It didn't happen, but obviously it wasn't God's will." People who don't have God in their lives only have themselves to blame. So they look back at the audition and they say, "I didn't do a good enough job." But so often it has nothing to do with how good you did in the audition; it has to do with the fact that you're a brunette and they were looking for a blonde. So, to me, the most important factor in all of the rejection was that I had a walk with God."

And on the subject of whether Hollywood is a difficult place to be a Christian:

"Absolutely. The atmosphere in Hollywood in general is very anti-conservative, very anti-Christian. The liberal segment of Hollywood, which is 80 percent of it if not more, they look at Christians as hypocrites that are false and fake. The tough part is that in many cases I can't argue with them. My job on my set, I believe, is to first just love people and gain that trust with people where they know that I really do love them and care about their well-being, so that when they are running into problems, they will hopefully, at some point, come to me and ask me, "What is your peace all about? What is your comfort all about? Where do you get your love? Where do you get your talents? And I can turn to them and say without blinking, "Jesus Christ.""

-

"It has to do with the fact that you're a brunette and they were looking for a blonde. So, to me, the most important factor in all of the rejection was that I had a walk with God"

Sab: Quote of the day. we know we are weak and we decided to believe in God because miracles has happened to our lives when we clearly know some circumstances is way beyond our control. I frequently think that I don't deserved what he has given to me. He is just being really generous that's all I can say. This entry is by far the best one in my devotion blog. May God bless everyone who read this entry, Amen.

:)

Love you all!

Open your hearts and you'll hear the angels sing!

Temptation

"I sat in a movie theater with a friend who had succumbed to sexual temptation. She had lost her husband, her family, and many of her "friends." During a preview for another movie, the film showed a woman contemplating an affair with a suave Frenchman. Martha (not her real name) spoke a bit too loudly for the moviegoers sitting in the darkened theater. "Don't do it," she cried aloud. The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. Martha was living the devastation of yielding to sexual temptation, and her audible cry was the overflow of her pain-filled heart.

I know this devotion is not for everybody. But if there is one woman out of the 200,000 or so that receive our Girlfriends in God devotions every day...just one woman who will turn away from the temptation that is knocking on her door today, then it is worth it.

Don't do it. Turn to God and allow Him to fill the emptiness in your heart today. He's waiting with open arms."

Sab: Spreading the words from Girlfriends in God :) NO OFFENSE though!

A gift

"God loves to look at us, and loves it when we will look back at Him. Even when we try to run away from our troubles... God will find us, bless us, even when we feel most alone, unsure... God will find a way to let us know that He is with us in this place, wherever we are."

- Kathleen Norris

p.s. Brought to you by:



Thankyou for the gift nicole!

Nick's Effect

Many might have heard stories about Nick Vujicic, he's absolutely a walking miracle. I'm admiring the things that God has been done to him.

http://ansblog.com/2009/12/imagine-your-life-without-limbs-no-arms-no-legs-meet-nick-vujicic/

A battlefield

"The only way to win this battle is to surrender."

Not to the problem, but to the solution. Not to the conflict, but to the resolution. In order to win in any earthly struggle or relationship battle, we must put away the weapons of our wounding words, and set aside the arsenal of our angry actions.

"Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, and be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing"

(1 Peter 3: 8-9) MSG.

devote

Why is it so easy to accept all these man-made miracles and so difficult to accept the miracles of the Bible?"

Faith is a personal issue and often demands that we give up what we can see for what we cannot see, but just because we can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't there.

- Romans 10:17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

control control and CONTROL MYSELF

Once again, today's devotion talks about SELF CONTROL. When can I learned the lesson and mange my time better? I need your help heavenly father.

Proverbs 25:28 "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control" (NIV).

You and me

Let's Pray
Father, thank You that You are my strength and my joy at a time when I feel so weak, trapped in a pit of despair. By faith, I turn to You and seek Your forgiveness for the pride that blinds me to the hope I can find in You. Please help me to see Your hand at work in my life and even when I can't, give me the power to walk by faith and not by sight.

In Jesus' name,
Amen.

- Girlfriends in God daily devotion via email

Depression

- unresolved anger can turn into depression

Depression may not be the problem you are facing, but the hard times will come and the darkness will find each one of us. At some point in life, we all will face some kind of pit. It may be a pit that we have dug with our own hands of wrong choices or it could be a pit that has been uniquely designed for us by the enemy.

decisions are the dots in life

The Holy Spirit works in and through us to connect the life dots between our heart and God's. He's the connector between our problems and God's solutions. When we go to God in prayer and ask Him to help us take the next step, or make the next decision, or choose the next response, He will faithfully lead us to the next dot with wisdom through the power of His Holy Spirit.

Invite the Holy Spirit to lead your decisions and emotions today.

good works

Ephesians 2:10 "God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing" (NCV).

When we come to God, one of our first "natural" responses is to serve Him. In fact, our service to God should be spontaneous, enthusiastic and tireless. If there is no desire to serve or we find it hard to serve, then there is something wrong in our relationship with God.

When we worship God, we will naturally serve Him and when we serve God, we are worshipping Him.

Who is the Pilot in your life?

2. Count on God for direction. When we don't know or refuse to follow God's plan, life can easily spin out of control in a whirlwind of confusion and doubt. God offers direction and guidance through His Word, through His people and through the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 32:8 "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you" (NLT).

4. Count on God for protection. God will fight for us when we are attacked. When we yield control to God and follow Him, God fights for us but when we pursue our agenda, we step out from under His umbrella of protection and into our own limited strength.

Exodus 14:13 "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still" (NIV).

"If God is your Co-Pilot, switch seats!".... Many of us have good reason to be afraid because we are sitting in the control seat of our life, trying to maneuver around every obstruction we face. Stress thrives in an atmosphere of fear and doubt when our hand is on the steering wheel of life. We need to move over, surrender all control to God and find the peace waiting in His hand.

hide and seek

In the game of life, God never hides. To the contrary, He wants to be found. He is always with us and always sees us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by the hands of One who knows everything about us. He designed us to know and to find Him.

And let's be honest, girls, whether we want to admit it or not, deep inside we all want to be known and loved.

I don't know who can love me more than you do, God.

"You know exactly where I am and what I face. Please hold me fast with Your right hand and guide each moment of my day."

Definition of love in bible

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

愛是恆久忍耐，又有恩慈；

愛是不嫉妒；愛是不自誇，不張狂，

不做害羞的事，不求自己的益處，

不輕易發怒，不計算人的惡，

不喜歡不義，只喜歡真理；

凡事包容，凡事相信，凡事盼望，凡事忍耐。

let's wait for the plan

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon 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 29:11-13 NIV).

Friendships

We all need friends. We need people in our lives that will love us where we are and help us get to a place of higher living.

Take time to consider your friendships today. Do you have any friends who sharpen you and challenge your "worthy purpose"? Who make you wiser and better? When we have a friend that sharpens and we become a friend that sharpens, our lives are enriched.

Helen Keller said it beautifully: "Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."

"Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend [to show rage or worthy purpose]" (Proverbs 27:17, AMP).

It's never easy

"Give up your rights and you will gain everything!", "Total surrender demands that we come with no agenda, no pre-set conditions - giving Him permission to bend us, break us and change us."
-
Sab: It won't make sense to the non-believers, weren't life supposed to be occupy by people ourselves? However, there are some circumstances that are way beyond our control. Take a look at the prayer content, it perfectly tells the difficulty that I'm dealing with my life this moment. What else can I do except waiting? No, nothing. No matter how badly I want to take the courses I've planned.
-

Lord, I am tired of trying to live life in my own power. Right now, I give up and surrender my life completely to You. I choose Your plan over mine. I give You permission to mold me and make me what You want me to be. I will wait before You and seek Your direction. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

-
Isaiah 64:8 "But LORD, you are our father. We are like clay, and you are the potter; your hands made us all" (NCV).

Inside out

God Himself supervised our formation. We were created in love - for love - with a specific and holy purpose in mind.

'Are you embracing the "you" God intended you to be or are you trying to be the woman you and others think you should be? You are uniquely gifted by God to serve God. Celebrate His perfect plan for your life!'

When our lives are broken, when the plan falls apart and everything seems to go wrong, we need to wait on God, knowing He created us, know us best and loves us most.

Sab: Even it's hard for me to admit, but inner beauty is much more important when i look at a person. Disgusted by the people thinks girls with HEAVY make up are pretty.

Devotion quotes begins

Sab: This blog is going to be my devotion blog. Sometimes I found some great quotes I have nowhere to save it. Definitely won't re-read the daily devotion emails, and I've been loving the design of this blog but never update like I always do in xanga, now I'm making good use of it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“God gives us struggle, so we will cast our cares on God… [and] He wants to make us see our genuine faith in Him through trials and struggles”. - Kaywhy's blog

When our lives are broken, when the plan falls apart and everything seems to go wrong, we need to wait on God, knowing He created us, knows us best and loves us most.

God undoubtedly has plan for us, but we misunderstand the character and heart of God when we assume those plans serve as a punishment or penalty for not being good enough.