Bible Book for January...

I decide to read through Isaiah this month! I've started it but haven't ever actually finished the whole book through. Im excited to do it this time!

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." 

Isaiah 1:18 KJV

Spiritual Challenges

My hearts desire this year is to grow in my walk with Christ...to know Him more and to allow Him to work through me. I decided that as I focus this new year on Him, I should have purposeful ways of putting Him first in my daily life. First things first, I decided that besides my usual night time devotions with Him, I wanted to start each day off being in His presence. I love my time with the Lord each night and wouldn't trade it for anything so in addition to that, I'll be beginning my days a half hour earlier to read a chapter of the Bible and dedicate my day to Him. Maybe have a verse or two to carry with me through my day. 

My other commitment for the new year (which is what this post is really for;)), is to challenge myself spiritually each month. I was really thinking about this the other day and made a list of monthly challenges...each one is different and some may be easier then others but they are still there to move my life to becoming less of me and more of Him. 

Here's a breakdown of my list....

January- Read through one book of the Bible. 

February- Pray for someone daily--starting with a new person each week. 

March- Cut out influences, each week being something different--things that don't set my focus on Christ. 

April- Reach out to someone new each week with a blessing of encouragement. 

May- Read and write reports (blog post!) on one of the Gospels--pretty sure it'll be John! 

June- Memorize a new passage (2-4 verses long) each week. 

July- Do a random act of kindness for a stranger once a week!

August- Read through Proverbs that month and do a daily post on each chapter.

September- Spend an extra hour in devotion every other day.

October- Study 4 women in the Bible and write something on their characters and actions. 

November- Witness to someone each week. 

December- Mystery Month!! --Can be whatever I feel led to do during that time. 

Im excited and anxious to see how the Lord will change me and hopefully those touched by some of these challenges. I hope to challenge myself more each day, but wanted a guideline to something each month to help me stay focused in the pursuit. You are welcome to come along and join me in these challenges!

I'll share in the next couple days which Bible book I decide to read this January as my first challenge! 

Blessings!

How I love Him!

Im still trying to find the correct time to do some blogging, but if you saw my room and my list of 'things to do' you would know that blogging is not the only thing I've been lacking with ;) But our days have been full with getting together products for the state fair. 

But as I knelt before my bed this evening I was just reminded of the Lord's goodness and His mercy! Oh how I love Him! He has led me to believe the things I believe, to do the things I do, and is continually leading me to becoming the person He created me to be. 

One of the things that struck me tonight is the fact that as I ask for things (tonight it was a few prayer needs of others), the Lord already knows the need, the solution and the outcome, but it is my faithfulness He desires in my prayers. I am loving being His child and His servant.

He is my Friend, my Saviour, my Rock and my Leader! I love Him very dearly and couldn't resist sharing how I love Him with you as I am overflowed with His goodness and love!

Glory be to Christ!

Modest Wardrobe #2

Hope everyone is having a blessed week!

I will be explaining what being a Godly, feminine and modest lady means to me in the next 10 Modest Wardrobe posts! I have really been studying and praying about this and my hope is that through my sharing these next several weeks that it would be a blessing and encouragement. Please at any point feel free to leave a comment expressing your own convictions, asking questions, or giving some encouragement which is always nice for everyone ;) 

This week I'll start with what I believe is the root of all that follows...
Faith of the Heart

"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his statue; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

So often when talking about modesty and femininity we quote this verse, and so often I believe we use it more as an escape to dress as we please for 'only the heart is what matters'. However since we are not speaking of the specifics of how to dress this week, we will use this verse just the way it is written!

The most important part of our walk with Christ is the secret walk that no one can see, it is easy to deceive by our actions but no one can deceive God and He knows what is within the heart. The test of all is what our life is like in secret, being a person of integrity....doing what is right even when no one is watching or listening.

"Better is the poor that walks in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool." Proverbs 19:1 

I haven't always been innocent in following Christ and having my own faith from the heart, but I have begun anew and I have found that while increasing my faith it has become my prayer to have more wisdom. I want to be close to the Lord, and I want to understand what His Will is for my life and how to follow Him in all things. I pray for the wisdom to determine what the wrongs and rights are in my everyday life, to clean out the unhealthy things within me to be holy before Him. I love the promise in James..."If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and reproaches not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5 Just while praying about writing these posts I quoted this verse and asked for wisdom, wouldn't you agree we all need more of it?

I believe it is so important to know who you are in Christ. To know where you stand before Him. To have an intimate, precious relationship with Christ. To have faith like a mustard seed and to follow the Lord with all your heart in order to keep it with all diligence.

"Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23

So though there are many more things to ponder and pray over within this "being a lady" subject, I believe this is the root of it all. The only thing I ask is that you make sure your faith of the heart is right before Christ's eyes and the rest will follow into play!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What I wore...

sorry about the quality of these pictures...
This is one of my very favorite skirts EVER, I scored it at a black friday sale last year! Im wearing it with my purple turtle neck and a new cream top I just got from a thrift store. This is a very comfy and casual outfit that I love to wear.
Activity of the day:: Cleaning house and doing some quick errands in town with Harmony!

Please feel free to pin any of my outfit pins to Pinterest, please make sure to leave my name and blog address in the caption. 
Have a blessed evening my friends!

John 14:1-3

"Let not your heart be troubled: all of you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there all of you may be also."

Warm blankets, Ice-Cream and my Bible

 A lovely, quiet evening! I was able to get to bed a little earlier then usual one evening last week and enjoyed a little ice cream and my Bible-reading before closing my eyes for the night! I am going back through the book of Mathew, I always enjoy going through the Gospel books. Where are you reading right now?

Thoughts for Tea Time

Monday, April 1st

Thought for Tea Time

Today's thought:

He held the world between His thumb and finger like a grape. And when the spike was driven through His hand, His muscles flinched with world-creating force and crimson wine dripped from His fingertips but with omnipotent resolve He neither dropped nor crushed His grape.

-John Piper

Happy Resurrection Day!

"And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shinning garments: and as they were afraid, and bowed their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the dead among the living?

He is not here, but is risen." 

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

• Refrain:
  
  Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
  How measureless and strong!
  It shall forevermore endure—
  The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Verse 3 was penciled on the wall of a narrow room in an insane asylum by a man said to have been demented. The profound lines were discovered when they laid him in his coffin.

Easter Lilies!

Well, I was working on making a crown of thorns out of small twigs but it just wasn't working out like I had hoped. So not only is our Church without a crown of thorns, but so is my blog! I was wanting to post about the crown but I see I'll have to find something else to post about!
I help with the decorations at Church and so this morning I bought some Easter lilies for Sunday's service, I fixed them up a little though!

As nice as the flowers are, I didn't like these cheap and not-so-pretty wrappers that they came in, so I switched mine to white tissue paper! I did cut a small piece of the above wrapper and layed it on the tissue before wrapping the pot, just because any water or dirt would probably ruin the tissue paper!
What do you think?...

 I think it helped to make them look a little nicer and brighter! I can't wait to set them up at Church along with the other flowers we'll have along with them! If I can, I'll post a picture next week.

Have a wonderful, Christ-centered Easter weekend and a very joyous Resurrection Sunday!

Palm Sunday

"On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of Palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord."  

John 12: 12-13

Happy St Patricks Day!

"Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.”

― St. Patrick

Thoughts For Tea Time

Monday, February 25th's

Thought for Tea Time

Today's Thought:

God's 'no' is not a rejection, 

its a redirection.