Hearing Gods Voice

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

As I am driving into work this morning I am praying, like I usually do every morning. Just enjoying a conversation with God while I am driving. I pray for my life's concerns, family, friends, pressing issues, but this particular morning I pray for a girl at my work that has been struggling and is currently living apart from her husband. They had been going down the road to divorce and she seemed happy about it, but I sensed differently, that is was all just a front to hide the fear. So I prayed for her that even though they were separated that maybe things would work out for the glory of God. After talking with this girl last week I realized that they were trying to work on their marriage again, but she didn't' know. She said they were both trying to get their lives right for God at different churches, so praying for his this morning was just to give them the strength to hear and fully understand Gods plans for their lives.

I get off the exit ramp and sit patiently to turn right onto Pelham Road. I felt the need to look over to my left and when I did my eyes fixated on the car's tag beside me. The tag had a plate outlining the tag that said "Corinthians," the actual tag read AMY 716.

The girls name is Amy, so I thought "what if God is trying to help me give her a verse to read," so I turned right, said thank you to God and hurried to work to look up the passage. I turned to 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verses 1-16 and to my surprise or Gods plotting hands, the chapter is on marriage.

I truly believe today was the first time I acted on something, followed through and found the God in the moment.

Thank you God for being a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

 

Amen

 

 

1 Corinthians 7:1-16 (New Living Translation)

1 Corinthians 7

Instruction on Marriage

 ¹ Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to live a celibate life.^[a]
2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

 ³ The husband should fulfill his wife's sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband's needs. ⁴ The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.

 ⁵ Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ I say this as a concession, not as a command. ⁷ But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. But God gives to some the gift of marriage, and to others the gift of singleness.

 ⁸ So I say to those who aren't married and to widows—it's better to stay unmarried, just as I am. ⁹ But if they can't control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It's better to marry than to burn with lust.

 ¹⁰ But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord.^[b] A wife must not leave her husband. ¹¹ But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.

 ¹² Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man^[c] has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. ¹³ And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. ¹⁴ For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband^[d] brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy. ¹⁵ (But if the husband or wife who isn't a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife^[e] is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you^[f] to live in peace.) ¹⁶ Don't you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don't you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?

Didn’t you see me Lyrics Written by: Kylie B. Davis

Another closet corrects the cry.

Future Charities of Heavens Legacy

Wonderful Story of the Image of Christ purifying us from within

Some time ago, a few ladies met to read the scriptures. While reading the third chapter of Malachi they came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse. "And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." One lady's opinion was that it was intended to convey the view of the sanctifying influence of the grace of Christ. Then she proposed to visit a silversmith and report to her friends what he said on the subject. She went accordingly and without telling the objective of her errand, begged to know the process of refining silver, which he fully described to her.

"But sir," she said, "do you sit while the work of refining is going on?" "Oh, yes madam," replied the silversmith. "I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining is exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured." The lady at once saw the beauty, and comfort too, of the expression, "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." Christ sees it needful to put His children into a furnace. His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for them. Their trials do not come at random. The very hairs of our head are all numbered.

As the lady was leaving the shop, the silversmith called her back, and said he had something further to mention: that he only knows when the process of purifying is complete by seeing his own image reflected in the silver. Beautiful example! When Christ shall see His own image in His people, His work of purifying will be accomplished.

Love Dare: Day 11, “Love Cherishes”

Love Dare: Day 11, "Love Cherishes"

"Husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies," (Ephesians 5:28)

Message:

Often times we put our focus of "cherish," into things that never seem to grow. We feel that we care about someone more than anything and there is nothing that we would not do for that certain person, but do we truly cherish them on an emotional and healhty level. Sometimes due to our own uncertanity of our self-esteem we tend to cherish in a way that is more geared towards an obsession. We tend to make that person into the person we want them to be. We as humans are only created with the world built around us here, but there is more. The Godly world of our living, the world we have yet to experience is a life worth cherishing. Cherishing our relationship with God is so important, because it creates within us a true meaning of the word cherish and the ability to love whole heartedly and openly.

Can you change someone? No, you can simply love someone as they are, but pray for them along the way. Can we wish someone were a different person? No, God made each of us with His gifted hands, according to His purpose. Can we hope for someone to have redirection in their life? Of course, that is what prayer and witnessing of Gods love is for.

Accepting your mate as they are is the ultimate first step in cherishing them. Saying your vows in front of a congregation and God merely set your future plans for God to see, how you live and fulfill those vows is up to you. Putting God at the center of your relationship and letting nothing be agreed upon, passed or acknowledged without his blessings ensures that you keep a Godly approach to your marriage. Trying to steer away from God and handle things on your own only leads you down a long, dirty and uncertain path that always u-turns to head back to God. Stay where you are with God no matter how trying or difficult it may be. The alternate route is a lot more trying and harsh, always causing more pain just to end up with I'm sorry.

When you were married you said to your spouse…"to love, honor, and cherish." Three words important enough to God to be involved in your unification as one before Him. Guys this means you as well, as in (1 Peter 3:7), "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers."

God made us as "fragile," individuals; try not to crush other spirits with bruised or harsh words. Do not disrespect another; always bear in mind the "fragile," character we all become in the midst of an argument.

Seven things weigh heavy on a marriage:

1. Be sensitve to the needs of your partner
   
2. Let your actions, as well as your words show respect
   
3. Pay attention when your spouse talks to you
   
4. Be considerate and use gentle and kind words at all times
   
5. Accept their feelings
   
6. Accept them as they are without comparing them to others
   
7. Be faithful and loyal, living up to their trust.
   

To cherish soemone is to love and honor them as much if not more than you love yourself. It is the most meaningful of the terms, in my opinion. People can love each other or care about each other without cherishign one another. If we truly cherish one another how can we have anything, but happy and everlasting marriages?

Remember that cherishing another means more than just loving more than words can say, it also means:

1. To Keep first in ones mind
   
2. To treasure another
   
3. To value deeply
   
4. To hold dear
   
5. To prize above all else
   
6. To treat with gentleness and tendercare
   
7. To esteem
   
8. To appreciate
   
9. To trust with utmost importance
   

Love your spouse just as you love yourself, believe in your spouse just as you believe in Christ and mold your future around the fact that God asked you to cherish your partner as he has cherished you. Cherish within Gods eyes, always leads to a marriage built on Gods foundation of love.

 

***DARE***

What need does your spouse have that you could meet today? Can you run an errand? Give a back rub or a foot massage? Is their housework you could help with? Choose a gesture that says, "I cherish you," and do it with a smile.

 

 

Love Dare Day 10: Love is Uncondtional

Love Dare Day 10: Love is Uncondtional

 

"Dedicated to my best friend,"

 

By definiton the word unconditional is without conditions or limitations. How many of us are so guilty of saying we love someone unconditional and then having a condition or a limitation. I will be the first to admit the "condition," part is my biggest flaw. Sometimes when the day is going good and I think about how much I love my husband I even surprise myself, but other days I do things for him just so he will do things for me. That is not "unconditional," love. That is "selfish," love. We again as humans tend to lean towards the "selfish," side more and more frequently when our walk with God is not as strong as it should be. I find my constant battle day in and day out is my "selfishness." I have to ask God to convict me daily and help me to be sincere and unconditonal in every thing I do.

We each love our spouses for our own individual reasons, some say beauty, or grace or knowledge, but think long and hard to the day that those qualities might disappear. What do you love now? What is it about the person you are in a relationship with that makes them stand out among all of the other elligble mates? What is it that makes you continue to invest your time and love with that person? Dig deep beyond physical appearances or natural beauty and really think hard to the reasons you chose the person you are with. I like to think that I chose the person I am with because God knew the areas that I was lacking would be fulfilled by my husband, or the areas that I needed the hardest work were areas my husband excelled in. God may or may not have a perfect person picked out for everyone, I do not know for sure, but I do know that if you are in a relationship and you pray whole heartedly for God to enter that relationship, and pull you together with him at the center, amazing miraculous things start happening. When you embrace God as the center of your relationship and open up to Him on a personal basis, he participates in your relationship. He makes himself visably known to each supporting member. He molds you into the person that he "purposefully," created you for. He uses your spouse or loved one to mold you into the perfect fit for each other.

In the olden days, couples had pre-arranged marriages; they didn't know or love each other. However divorce was not an option and over time with God's unveiling love, experiences, obstacles and challenges, they were united as one in love. Divorce is everywhere these days, and I am not one to judge another, but I just feel that everything can work out for the glory of God.

My best friend, married for almost ten years, battling an abusive husband who physically and mentally abused her for years, walked away. She had been gone for about 4 months and I was cheering her on the whole time about how she was amazing in strength and God would not want her to be treated like that and he was holding her up while she could not walk. She was exhausted and confused and I kept standing by her side daily encouraging and pushing her to do the "right," thing. What is the "right," thing? One night I was lying in bed and it hit me like a brick and I immediately sat up and started listening to God. God forgives all no matter what if we come to him to confess our sins, yes I understand that. God loves us all unconditonally and never walks away, yes I understood that as well. Then how was the "right," thing for my best friend to walk away from her marriage, but there is abuse God. Long story short, God was working on her husband the entire time. He left his old group of friends and started anger management. He started going to church and accepted Jesus Christ into his heart not to forgive him of his sins completely, but to show him the damage he had done to his family. He asked God to lead him and protect him as he began to realize the madness he had caused. He started putting his Godly foot in front of his sinfull foot and started making nice impressions in the ground instead of stumps. He started caring, loving, feeling and portraying unconditional love. He admitted he had a problem for the first time ever and apologized for the way he had been. Without my best friend being in the same home and just by seeing him on short occasions to exchange the children, she could see a difference. Although she has forgiven him through God and knows that God wants this to work out she is still not home yet. He has started putting his family before his own needs, his love for God before his own, and his determination in his marriage. She left the "Fireproof," movie in his truck one night really late and he watched it, he wants the "Love Dare," book now. He is living and breathing proof that God can rip the madness out of someone who just turns to him. Running from God never got us anywhere, it always lead to upset, misfourtunate feelings, miserable days and lonely nights. God only wants the best for your life and your future, he has the plan. I am happy to say that in a couple of months my best friend will be going back home to her husband with her children and they will for the first time begin a family united under God, due to his complete Grace. It took a lot for me to call my friend who was doing so awesome and tell her I thought it would be best to put the brakes on leaving and back up to forgiving. I felt led by God to tell her that if God can forgive and change him couldn't she forgive him as well. The most amazing thing was that she was thinking the thoughts inside that I was telling her from the outside, but fear was holding her back. Remember guys "fear," is purely the devil attacking the dreams and faith that you are trying to instill in God. Repeat the phrase daily, "Get thee behind me devil."

Loving unconditionally means thinking "unselfishly," and always knowing by God's grace anything is possible. God loves us uncondtionally with no strings attached, he is open and dedicated to believing in us daily. We owe it to God to be open and honest with our spouse about our love, and never for one moment doubt the amazing love that God has for us. When you are thinking "selfishly," think about God knowing he would never set a limitation on how much he loves you. Remember even if there is a door, it doesn't mean you have to walk through it. Stay on Gods side, think like God, live like God, forgive like God, and always love "unconditionally," like God.

The doors will always open when He needs them to based on your needs not your wants. If you are feeling led to walk away, know that God is not opening that door, the devil is. The choice you make to grab the handle is your own, however the devil plotted the temptation of giving up. God turns the door into a window so that the world on the outside can see the unconditonal love on the inside. Reflect only Gods love.

God Bless, Kylie Davis

***LOVE DARE***

Do something out of the ordinary today for your spouse—something that proves (to you and to them) that your love is based on your choice and nothing else. Wash her car. Clean the kitchen. Buy his favorite dessert. Fold the laundry. Demonstrate love to them for the sheer joy of being their partner in marriage

 

LOVE DARE DAY 8, “LOVE IS NOT JEALOUS,”

Love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire.

—Song of Solomon 8:6 NIV

 

Jealousy is a common struggle. If you're not careful, jealousy slithers like a viper into your heart and strikes your motivations and relationships. Yes, if you're not careful jealousy can also infect your marriage.

 

It's time to let love, humility and gratefulness destroys any jealousy that springs up in your heart. It's time to let your spouse's successes draw you closer together and give you greater opportunities to show genuine love.

 

It is so hard not to get caught up in "jealousy," because there are two definitions, first, legitimate jealousy based upon love, and second illegitimate jealousy based upon envy.

 

Taken directly from the "Love Dare," book and such a good insight, "If you don't diffuse your anger by learning to love others, you may eventually begin plotting against them." We are all guilty of wanting what another person has or does, it is so human to aim towards this type of jealousy, but when you stop and reflect on God's love for us then you start to pull away from thinking with this mind frame. God wants us ultimately to only "need him, love him, trust in him." Why would God not be jealous of us when we didn't always come to him first? The bible warns us against worshiping anyone other than God in Deuteronomy 4:24, "the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." He desires for us to only know him on a personal level.

 

A good example of the type of jealousy we should not have is in the example given in the book. A man goes golfing while the wife stays at home and tends to laundry, he comes home and is so excited about his golf score, and she doesn't care and doesn't want to discuss it because she is clearly upset. Love is not selfish and always puts others first. Take a moment to hug your spouse and tell them congrats on whatever it is that they accomplished and feel proud of for the day. If it means enough for your spouse to smile and include you in on it, then it should mean enough to you to embrace them with happiness and unselfish love,

 

It's hard, it is a daily adventure, but one worth taking or breaking of old habits.

 

 

Today's dare:

 

Determine to become your spouse's biggest fan & reject any thoughts of jealousy. To help set your heart on your spouse & focus on their achievements, take yesterday's list of negative attributes and discreetly burn it. Then share with your spouse how glad you are about a success he/she recently enjoyed.

Please pray for the Tipping Family

PLEASE PRAY IMMEDIATELY:

www.Thetippingfamily.com

www.Thetippingfamily.com

Prayer Request

Please pray that God would continue to form these tiny babies and especially pray that we make it to 28 weeks with this pregnancy. For the health and development of all the kids we really need to make it to 28 weeks which is May 4. Allen and Courtney Tipping are from Fountain Inn, South Carolina and are currently expecting sextuplets. After being married for a couple of years in Columbia, Courtney and I began to pursue starting a family. During this process we found out that Courtney has PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and were unable to ovulate. Our doctors put her on medicine to decrease the cysts and increase her chances of ovulation. After a year of being unsuccessful, August 2008 we began our first round of hormone therapy (follistim) with no avail. In October with we went for our second round of hormones and the help of IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) we conceived. Because of the fertility help that we had, we were expecting twins or possibly triplets, but never in our wildest dreams did we think we would have 6. On Saturday March 7^th, Courtney started have pre-term labor pains and Allen took her to the hospital per the doctors request, and sure enough she was in pre-term labor. Courtney was dilated to 5cm so they had to give her medication and IV's to slow the labor. Courtney will not be 28 weeks along until May 4, so please pray all six babies continue to grow in Mommy's tummy for a little while longer. They currently live in Columbia, SC and can use any help anyone can provide. You can go to the following website and sign up to assist in any way.

http://www.carecalendar.org/logon/13340

CALENDAR ID      :   13340

SECURITY CODE:   6875

Then, you can register yourself to help out with some of the following:
1. Food. Allen, Allen's parents, and Courtney's mom are all going to be in Court's room with her. So, they would love something better than cafeteria food. If you don't mind bringing food, please go to the site above and register to bring food on the date and time you can. If you want to take food to the family, go to Palmetto Health Richland and go to the 4th floor, Labor and Delivery. The family will be there. 
2. Yard work/House cleaning. We will have extra keys and can meet you at the Tipping's house if you would like to do yard work or house cleaning. You can simply fill out your date on the website. If you want to do either of these on a different day listed, simply email me at kgclements@gmail.com and we will change the day of the week on the site for you.

If you have any questions/concerns with anything concerning the Tippings, please feel free to email me (Kristi) @ kgclements@gmail.com or call me @ 864-979-9665. 

We will update you via this blog. Please, please, please pray for Courtney and the babies' health.

Blog: www.Thetippingfamily.com

 

Your Real Authentic self

Your Real Authentic self

Written By: Kylie Beth Davis

November, 2008

I want to start by asking you a question, "When is the last time you were really you." That question is one of the toughest questions I have ever had to "try," to answer. Many people would be quick to say oh about an hour ago, or right now, but are they right. "Really you," are the key words in the phrase, not someone else, not someone that somebody wants you to be, but really you. The authentic self, as some psychologist might call it. I was sitting in my counselor's office enraged and rampant about my life and the gruesome particulars that have stirred together to fabricate who I am and she stopped me. "When were you last you?" I choked up on the question, as uncomplicated as it may sound, I just could not remember. If you close your eyes and just unwind, and think of the last time you really felt like yourself, doing the things that make up who you really are, you will find more times than not that you have altered to fit someone else's "you." We are all made up of different remarkable factors, different character traits that need to be expressed. We are all giving a purpose to be here in this "part time," world, just to plant our feet in our stepping stone of faith. I have incredible faith, extremely amazing, and rely on my Savior ultimately no matter what, however it takes time to be at a place where you can sit back and say, "God take over, my life is steering off course when I drive." I did not just dream up this faith over night, I can assure you it was mixed together with obstacles and trials that had to be overcome first. The last time that I was actually myself was when I was born. The day that I was born I was exactly who God wanted me to be, my authentic self. However, over the years of learning, watching and being taught, who we are seems to be the least important factor on our list. The things that matter most to us is how other people see us. Persistently walking the path that you know is right, the path that you feel is encouraging and relying on God to carry you when you cannot walk is sometimes the most uncomfortable thing to do. Let me ask you a question, "If you close your eyes and I tell you to think of five things you have done in the past week for yourself," could you? You probably could not because our character is made up of what other people need us to do, want us to do or want us to be. We infrequently ever sit in front of the mirror and say, "how would you like to be treated today." You matter, I matter, our own individual lives matter. I was told to think of a list of ideas and goals of positive inner thoughts to redirect my "stinking thinking." Write them down, and accomplish them, think of it as your own personal "bucket list." Getting to your real authentic self ultimately means releasing yourself from controlling your own life. Let go and let God, has always been my motto. If you have a computer programmer and he writes a computer program for a company, who do you think is the first person that will get to try that computer program out and fix any kinks or bugs? The programmer, exactly, God is our programmer; he designed us inside and out and produced us. So isn't it only fair that we give God the opportunity to take a test run and set our boundaries of life. God gave everything he had so that we could be "us." If you had to make that choice, could you right now. Could you risk losing everything that "you," worked so hard for? Could you spare your freedom of speech, if someone else could not talk? Could you spare your clothing if someone was cold? We all jump up and say yes in a skinny minute; however is that the truth, would we keep something to the side so that we would still have something. We all probably would be a little greedy, but was God. No, God said take me as I am.

God is the most amazing counselor you could ever have, because he already knows you, he knows your next move and word. Look up, when you are feeling down and walk in the light instead of the dark. If you do these things, your authentic self that God created will continue to shine and your answer to the question in the beginning will always be answered with, "I am right here." God wants us to lean on him, depend on him and ask him for direction. It amazes me to no end that people are embarrassed to let God control their life. It amazes me that people walk around doubting the very person that loved them enough to give everything he had so that you and I could live. I heard a question posed to someone one day that said, "If you hate God so much and don't believe he is ultimately there for you, then why do you question him in times of need and try to remove him from everything?"

Take a moment and reflect back on your life and the plans that you have made for yourself. Were they plans that outlined your ultimate purpose or were they plans to fill the now. Our only purpose for being here in this temporary world is to seed ourselves a place for our eternity with Him. The one who gave it all! I love the phrase "let's bring God back," God never left, he never leaves. The problem with that statement is this, "you turned away." The world turns away from what is right because facing it means explaining why you are not having faith. Waiting on faith is a lot harder than taking on the task ourselves even if it means failing. I would much rather wait on God and have it take a little while to complete than to risk having failure over and over again. How many times do you drive down a "no outlet," street before you realize the only way out is the way you came in? How many times would it take you to back up and look both ways before you crossed the street? So why does it take people years and years of misery to see that God never left you, he has been holding your hand the entire time. He has been walking with you and carrying you and following you even though you have turned your cheek.

The ultimate phrase that keeps amazing faith first in your life is "God never closes a door without opening another." If you truly believe this and have no questions of doubt in your mind you will see his miraculous wonders over and over again. I also want to say one further thing, if God is trying to get your attention, turn to him, please! The hardest lesson learned is walking the opposite direction from God. Believe me when I tell you, if God wants your undivided attention he is going to get it no matter what. You will stop solid in your tracks and turn to him because at that moment I guarantee you that you will need him unconditionally. God loves you and wants you to really be you, daily.

 
 

"It's never too late to turnaround while you are here." It's never too late to say I was wrong and I am sorry, but it is much too late to be making excuses for why God is to blame for your problems when you shut him out a long time ago. Open the door, open your heart and accept that God wants you to close the door softly on your past, but open it firmly in knowing your future is safe with him.