DAY 8-9

Today, Let us ponder Cindy's thoughts.   I believe God's hand is in everything we do, in every breath we take, but at the same time, I understand sin enters in.  I'm not always the sharpest pencil in the box but I do allow God to continue to sharpen me. (p. 25)  You realize what you're doing, right?  The decision ultimately lay in my hands--stay where life was comfortable or walk into the desert...I knew God had called me into uncharted territory...(p.27)

I pondered this while reading...How would I feel if I was a pencil?

 Would it hurt to be sharpened?

 When our shavings come off what would that mean?

 I hope these questions are answered by the end of reading Days 8-9. I believe this was a revelation from God. 
The following video is from others who have also had revelations about this topic. 

Has He given you revelations about "uncharted territory?" 

Please share with us. 

 

How Will You Choose to WRITE Your Story?

 PENCIL-Putting Everything N Christ… Inspired Living

The difference between mechanical and traditional pencil is much like the difference between toxic and inspirational living. Picking up our cross daily in a fallen world is challenging, but it leads to abundant life. The lead of pencils are now made of a combination of graphite and clay and much like our earthly bodies these combined materials are soft and brittle, and easily broken.  Since these materials cannot function on their own they require some type of holder.  As we begin each day let us focus on who we allow to put a hold on our lives and decide how you will choose to WRITE your story.

Pencil Thoughts...

Hurts to be sharpened.. Less of me means more of Him=the point..
Can’t see what’s going on and have to give full control to Christ since you are trusting in His plan and His grace (through the cross).

-Eraser is pink from his blood on the cross…ready to erase any mistakes..When a pencil is not sharpened it cannot be used.

When God allows us to be sharpened (through trials) we are ridded of toxins (left-over  pencil sharpening) that we will no longer carry with us on our journey…it may not always feel good but as we allow ourselves to be sharpened we become more like Christ...when people look at us they see a wooden cross covering a fleshly body but a story of grace.

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

-Although graphite and clay by themselves can’t function, much like our fleshly bodies, when they are allowed to be shaped and molded in the shadow of the cross they are capable of beginning this beautiful story of redemption.

Romans 9:21 New International Version (NIV)

²¹ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

VS. YIELDING TO THE WORLD --REPRESENTED BY THE MECHANICAL PENCIL

-The lead is obtained on-demand “right now” just liked when we strive to obtain things before God’s allotted time. Some people call this type of pencil a “propelling pencil.”  When we choose to write our story with this pencil many time we are self-propelled...leaving God out of our lives.

-Although the lead is obtained faster by clicking once there is no more lead left  the pencil becomes useless just like when we strive and depend on ourselves and find that we get to a point where nothing is left when we are not depending on God. (When I’m out of “ME” there is nothing left…The Prodigal Son

-Although some mechanical pencils are clear and we can see how much lead is left…we may feel more in control, but at the end of the day the struggling makes us feel lifeless…

-Sometimes when we push too hard on this type of pencil and the lead cracks…useless to the writer…often times we fool ourselves.  Pushing ourselves will not be enough in a situation when God wants us to depend on Him.

-The outside of a mechanical pencil is plastic…man made…it reminds me of how we want the world to think that we are perfect, we take pills, have surgeries …but nothing can be done with our toxic flesh without God’s covering through His wooden cross.

The Will of God: DAYS 5-7

Sometimes the will of God is a little inconvenient but it's never out of the question..[the key is] learning to discern and prioritize service to Him...p. 18

You never know whose life will intertwine with yours or just how God will use you. p.18

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord

1 Corinthians 15:58 

The call we follow is not to please men, it's to please God. p.18 Over and over Paul reminds us to rejoice in the situation [we are] in. Be steadfast and courageous. (p. 19)

 

Accepting the call to serve does not promise a pat on the back...but is never in vain. God uses every seed we plant on His behalf. p.20

 

God calls us to serve, not to pick the bounty..when we plant, hoe, and work He is glorified.  If by chance we see the harvest then how fortunate are we? p. 19-20



 

Labor is gruesome, hard, and sometimes painful. But God never promised it would be easy...Once again I was broken. p.23



 

Your future [is ] in the Palm of [His] Hand. p.21  Seek His will, He wants the best for you and do not grow weary, remember that we are not broken in God's eyes.  We are lifted up, loved and held in esteem as we serve for Him and with Him. p.23

Do you ever find it challenging to do God's will?

How do you know you are in God's will?

I can't wait to hear what God is doing in each of your lives.

 

Putting on the full armor of God: Are you ready for this week? Reviewing Days 3-5

Good morning Ladies,

Since we are taking our time with each concept in order to fully understand it and since we have new members of our group that have recently joined us we will be officially covering up to day 13 this week.  Since this is not just a regular website and it is an interactive virtual bible study I encourage each of you to post at least once this week.  God has an amazing way of speaking through us to other sisters and I think this will help us to all grow from each other.

So are you ready for this week?  Let's talk about putting on the full armor of God.

Ephesians 6:11 New International Version (NIV)

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes

 

  On p.11-12 Cindy talks about how Paul "reminded us of the importance of suiting up in the full armor of God.  Covering ourselves in the protection of Christ then taking every type of prayer request before Him."

Do you cover yourself with God's armor when you start your day? 

I encourage you to "take your needs to Christ." (p.13).

When knights accept the call in the movies what happens?

Usually there is a ceremony and they get their official armor, right?

 The hardest part of our Christian walk  "is the willingness to accept the call." (p.15)  But just like a knight is dependent on his armor for protection depending on God to cover us is important.  In fact, "the gift of dependence on God [is] having every need met and growing to know Him, Trust Him, need Him."(p.15).  David's writing shows how he "could pour himself into the hands of God in such a repentant and desiring way.."(p.16).  "Nothing is more important than quenching [your] thirst for the Father." (p.17). 

So are you hungry to get that thirst met?  Are you ready to put on your armor and be dependent on Him this week? 

 

Your mission should you decide to accept it is found below.



HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

How Deep is the Love of Christ...???

Ephesians 3:18

New Living Translation And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.   Today- Please share anything from our book that has spoken to you this week.

Are we ready for the Easter season?

As we think about preparing for the Easter season, we may see many with ashes today as this is their outward mark of repentance.  Let us be reminded inwardly that the celebration of Easter is about the death of Jesus for our sins and His ressurection.  How great is the love of our God that has unfailing love for us?!  Let us thank Him today for His grace..His grace is enough for each and every day.  While we thank Him for His grace I encourage you to pray that He would "Create in [your name] a pure heart..and renew a steadfast spirit within [your name]."(Psalm 51:10)  After all, this is the season to be renewed, revived, and delivered.  Grab hold of God's promises, as this is a season for God's love to work in us and through us as He reveals His redeeming grace to the world.  Just as Jesus rose on the third day, remember the Holy Spirit is still alive in you today.

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.- Psalm 51:17

Psalm 51

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
¹⁵ Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.

¹⁸ May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

WEEK 2

Week 2

This week we will be reviewing everything from the intro to day 13.  We will continue our discussion with a question.  What do you think it means to make the "most of every opportunity.." for christian women?- Colossians 4:5(p.9)

Cindy discusses how Paul spent a lot of his life teaching others about their actions.  "Devote yourself to prayer, be watchful, be kind, encouraging.  Let your conversations be full of grace..be wise in how you act toward outsiders and make the most of every opportunity...[sharing] the love of Christ with everyone" (p.9)

She speaks about even though the prison guards were mean, "Paul loved them anyway." (p.9)

As women in general we mostly thrive on communication, it is so easy to talk about others when they offend us, are mean to us, or ignore us.  However, it is much harder to love them with a Godly love.
How does this affect you?  Do you think it is hard for christians not to gossip?

Day 1-3 Fear and Worry…Giving Your Tattered Sheets to God even when it is not convenient

Have You Ever Been Stressed? Overwhelmed? Fearful? Worried?
What is God's answer when we are faced with difficult situations?

Matthew 6:25-34
[ Do Not Worry ] “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ...

1. Psalm 111:10   The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
2. Proverbs 1:7  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
3. Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Fear- to be afraid or apprehensive

Worry- to afflict with mental distress or agitation : make anxious

When things happen in our life that are out of control it is very hard to “remember, He promises to care for us…are we not more important than the birds?”(p.8.)  As well as learning “to rejoice in Him always..”(p.10)  Cindy reminds us to “take [our] needs to Christ…[we] might just get a new set of gift wrapped sheets” (p.13).  As we move through different sheets, I am reminded that though it may be easier to get frustrated/excited/overwhelmed during different seasons the answer to my sanity lies in turning my old tattered sheets over to God so that he can launder them with His everlasting grace fabric softener and return them to me just right so that they can be used again.

1. Ephesians 5:20 Always give thanks for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ