Sent to me by a well-known deacon in our church!

I picked up a journal that I had forgotten that I had… I opened it up and this is what was written on the page:

God has a plan, He always does, but sometimes people/I forget and try to make their/my own imperfect plans. People can only see a little way down the road.  But He can see the whole trip.

How many times do we think that we need to help God out with his plans?  I know that I do it a lot!  It seems lately God has been telling me, everyday through different devotions and Bible verses and even on the radio, “Gena - I REALLY don’t need your help… I AM IN CONTROL!  I have a plan for Your life and if you will just let me, I will see that it happens, just the way I want it to”.

You see, when we try to take over, that means that we are not surrendering and trusting everything to God.  That’s not what He wants.  He wants EVERYTHING! He wants us to say “I give up, Lord.  I surrender.  Take everything.  I will do whatever You say. I will trust You wherever You take me.”  If we could say that, our lives would be better in every way.  God wants what is best for us.  We are the ones that come along and try to do it our way and make a mess of things!

God wants us to seek Him… in everything!  From the important issues of who am I suppose to marry and spend the rest of my life with, to helping you pass that test on Friday… He wants us to seek Him!!!  He wants us to DESIRE to seek Him!!!  He wants us to DESIRE that RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ!!!  Like Tracy said Wednesday night… it’s not about praying a prayer - it’s about living in a relationship with Jesus Christ everyday and allowing Him full control of our lives.

I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call on Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Day 3: Live Purposefully

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.-Psalm 16:11 NKJV

Life is best lived on purpose. And purpose, like everything else in the universe, begins in the heart of God. Whether you realize it or not, God has a direction in your life, a divine calling, a path along which He intends to lead you. When you welcome God into your heart and establish a genuine relationship with Him, He will begin–and He will continue–to make His purpose known.

Each morning, as the sun rises in the east, you welcome a new day, one that is filled to the brim with opportunities, with possibilities, and with God. As you contemplate God’s blessings in your own life, you should prayerfully seek His guidance for the day ahead.

Discovering God’s unfolding purpose for your life is a daily journey, a journey guided by the teachings of God’s Holy Word. As you reflect upon God’s promises and upon the meaning that those promises hold for you, ask God to lead you throughout the coming day. Let your Heavenly Father direct your steps; concentrate on what God wants you to do now, and leave the distant future in hands that are far more capable than your own: His hands.

Sometimes, God’s intentions will be clear to you; other times, God’s plan will seem uncertain at best. But even on those difficult days when you are unsure which way to turn, you must never lose sight of these overriding facts; God created you for a reason; He has important work for you to do; and He’s waiting patiently for you to do it. So why not begin today?

If you want purpose and meaning and satisfaction and fulfillment and peace and hope and joy and abundant life that lasts forever, look to Jesus.-Anne Graham Lotz

When we realize and embrace the Lord’s will for us, we will love to do it. We won’t want to do anything else. It’s a passion.-Franklin Graham

Working together with Him, we also appeal to you: “Don’t receive God’s grace in vain.” For He says: In an acceptable time, I heard you, and in the day of salvation, I helped you. Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation.-2 Corinthians 6:1-2 HOLMAN CSB

Challenges:

1. I will seek to discover God’s unfolding purpose for my life.

2. I will consult God on matters great and small.

3. I will pray about my plans for the future.

4. I will remain open to the opportunities and challenges that God places before me.

Hey girls!! I wanted to remind you about the couple of things Erin and I challenged you to do this week:
1. This coming Sunday is High Attendance-Be there!
2. Contact those moving up to our class and encourage them to be here.
3. We named 4 people we haven’t seen in awhile-contact them!
4. Sandy get some girls tomorrow night and work your Welcome Wagon magic:) HA!
We love you!! Denise

Day 2: Live Today

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.- Psalm 118:24 NIV

All of us face an insidious temptation: the temptation to “put life on hold.” We do so whenever we postpone until “tomorrow” the things that we know, deep down in our hearts, should be done today.

We know that we should celebrate life now; we know that we should cherish our loved ones now; we know that we should do our best work and pursue our highest aspirations now. yet we may become sidetracked by the inevitable demands and distractions of the 21st-century life–and we may allow another day to pass with our lives (and our dreams) in limbo. And when we do, we squander a treasure that is far more precious than gold; we squander time, and by doing so we squander life itself.

The familiar words of psalm 118 remind us that today, like every day, is a glorious gift from God. How will you use the day ahead? Will you consider this day a unique treasure, and will you conduct yourself accordingly? Or will you put off until “some day” the things that you know in your heart should be done right now? The answer should be obvious.

You live in a society that encourages you to settle yourself into an easy chair and affix your eyes to a television screen as you watch other people  follow their dreams. Don’t do it. Instead, find dreams of your own and follow them yourself…starting today. 

This indeed, the day the Lord has made–use it or lose it.

Each day, each moment is so pregnant with eternity that if we “tune in” to it, we can hardly contain the joy.- Gloria Gaither

Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.- Jim Elliot

Give you entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. -Matthew 6:34 MSG

Challenges:

1. I will consider this day–and every day–to be another opportunity to celebrate life.

2. I will treat this day as a priceless gift…and I will use my time accordingly.

3. I will take time each day to thank God for the opportunity to live joyfully and abundantly.

4. I will encourage my family and friends to join in today’s celebration of life.

Ok so remember when I first posted on here and I said that there would be devotions that we would post on here too. Well yesterday, a very good friend of mine gave me this book call Live: 31 Devotions for Celebrating Life. Basically it goes through 31 days, and each day there is a devotion, well, celebrating life. Rather than try and explain it, how about we dive right into day 1.

Live

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness- John 10:10 Holman CSB

God has given you the gift of life. How will you use that gift? Will you treat this day as a precious treasure from your Heavenly Father, or will you take the next 24 hours for granted? The answer should be obvious: Every day, including this one, comes gift-wrapped from God–your job is to unwrap that gift, to use it wisely, and to give thanks to the Giver.

As anyone past the age of 40 can attest, life is shockingly brief. Time is, indeed, and nonrenewable resource, but sometimes, we behave as if we had a thousand years to live. Instead of savoring each moment, we fall prey to the twin evils pessimism and boredom. Instead of pursuing our highest priorities, we waste large quantities of time in trivial pursuits and petty diversions. Instead of treating each day as a cause for celebration, we wander from dawn to dusk, scarcely offering a single word of praise to our Creator. And we suffer from our shortsightedness. 

Instead of sleepwalking through life, we must wake up and live in the precious present. Each waking moment holds the potential to celebrate, to serve, to share, or to love. Because we are beings with incalculable potential, each moment has incalculable value. Our challenge is to experience each day to its fullest as we seek to live in accordance with God’s plan for our lives. When we do, we experience His abundance and His peace.

Are you willing to treat this day (and every one hereafter) as a special gift to be savored and celebrated? You should-and if you seek to Live with a capital L, you most certainly will.

The man who is prepared to die is prepared to live.-Vance Havner

Life is not a problem to be solved; it is an adventure to be lived.-John Eldredge

Life is a glorious opportunity.-Billy Graham

God chose you to be his people, so I urge you now to live the life to which God called you.-Ephesians 4:1 NKJV

Here are some challenges for you:

1. I will consider my life to be a priceless gift from God.

2. I will spend time each day thanking God for His blessings.

3. I will slow down to marvel and the beauty of God’s glorious creation.

4. I will strive to make this day a cause for celebration.

………….IS AWESOME! Get ready to have your socks rocked off!

Here are some Pics of the room.