Scripture for Memory and Mediation #16

1 John 3:1 NIV

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

I just love this verse. It has always made me feel so precious when I read it, almost like a princess. I'm honestly not the princess type, but this verse makes me feel that way.

Our Father, Heavenly Father, loves each one of us so much that His desire is to lavish His love on us. Lavish meaning, abundant, profuse, generous, excessive. Synonyms: extravagant, liberal, shower, heap on, unsparing, magnanimous. Are you starting to feel it? He wants to shower His love on us excessively, extravagantly.

I used the phrase above indicating that this was His desire, but in fact this scripture says, "He HAS lavished His love on us." He has already and continues to lavish His love on us. Sometimes we just get so wrapped up in our world, our problems (and granted many of the problems people experience are tragic and heart-breaking), our busyness, and even ourselves, that we tragically miss seeing this lavish love. Our pain has calloused our hearts, our busyness has swept right passed it, ourselves have been all-consuming and didn't allow room for Him.

I'm encouraging you today to stop where you are and focus on His love that He is lavishing on you...His love in the gift of salvation, in the spiritually abundant life He wants to give you, in those relationships of those close to you, in nature, in your needs being met, in the precious gift of the indwelling presence of Holy Spirit. I could go on and on and on...but I hope you get the point.

He has and is lavishly pouring His love on you and on me. Sometimes, we just have to take the time to refocus-stop focusing on the negatives and even legitimate pain, and focus on Him. I speak/write from experience.

I hope you begin to feel like a princess (or prince, if any guys are reading this) today as you recognize the extravagant love that has been lavished on you.

He is our true Treasure

Trina's Snippets

My friend, Lisa Shaw, has prompted me to read a book I’ve long had, but have never read until now. This will be one of my life-time favorites

The Pursuit of God
A. W. Tozer

“The man who has
God for his treasure has all things in One.
Many ordinary treasures may be
denied him,
or if he is allowed to have them,
the enjoyment of them will
be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness.
Or if he
must see them go,
one after one,
he will scarcely feel a sense of loss,
for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction,
all
pleasure,
all delight.
Whatever he may lose he has actually lost
nothing,
For he now has it all in One,
and he has it purely,
legitimately, and forever.”

“…in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing.”

*"Snippets"--clips, morsels, fragments from something I've read recently...something that has ministered to me or someone else.
They are meant to encourage, challenge, or cause us to ponder.
They may even cause you to run to the nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of the book they are snipped from.

If you forward "Snippets" to anyone, please send it in its entirety, not deleting the original source or author.

If you are on the "Snippet" email list and wish to be removed, please email me.
If you would like to be added to the Snippet list, just email me at the below address.
krodgers5@suddenlink.net
Snippets birthed May 10, 2003

Scripture for Memory and Mediation #15

Psalm 57:2 NIV

“I cry out to God Most High,

to God, who fulfills His purpose for me.”

Just the Word I needed.

I've been going through somewhat of a funk lately.

Hate to admit it, but it's true.

I needed to be reminded, as God does most every day, that He does, indeed, have His purposes for my life and
He will fulfill them.

Speak, Lord, in Your perfect timing for Your servant listens with great anticipation. I surrender All to Jesus, I surrender ALL.

Scripture for Memory and Mediation #14

Psalm 63:3-4 NIV

"Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.
I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift of up hands."

Post coming....

Snippet, Our Conscience

Trina's Snippets
Esther, It’s Tough Being a Woman
Beth Moore

“We’ve each been hurt by someone, but no one on earth has hurt us more than those who seem callous to it.
We’re acquainted with trying to deal with the wrongdoing of another while they go on with life, oblivious to our pain.
We fight an urge to corner them in a public place and scream, ‘Don’t you get it?’ If they won’t judge themselves, the fleshly part of us would gladly enlist a group to help us judge them.

The situation becomes even more complicated when you sense that the very person who helped your life to fall apart wonders why you can’t get it together.
There’s nothing quite like someone who hurt you judging you for being hurt.

Now take the scenario I just described a step further.
Imagine how we’d feel about the person appearing more than unconcerned.
What if the person were smug and insidious enough to celebrate our harm?
One of the hardest facts of life to accept is that some people are not sorry for the anguish they’ve caused.
The most twisted among them might even be glad.

…Let’s learn to be thankful every time we feel sorry for even our smallest offense toward someone.
God designed conviction to be uncomfortable so that we’d hurry to repentance and find relief and restoration. Feeling is a good thing, Beloved.
Nothing is more frightening than a seared conscience.”

*"Snippets"--clips, morsels, fragments from something I've read recently...something that has ministered to me or someone else.
They are meant to encourage, challenge, or cause us to ponder.
They may even cause you to run to the nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of the book they are snipped from.

If you forward "Snippets" to anyone, please send it in its entirety, not deleting the original source or author.

If you are on the "Snippet" email list and wish to be removed, please email me.
If you would like to be added to the Snippet list, just email me at the below address.
krodgers5@suddenlink.net
Snippets birthed May 10, 2003

Scripture for Memory and Mediation #13

Psalm 16:11 "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy."

"You will show me the path of life..."
Who doesn't want to know the "path of life" as set out by God? Wouldn't we all love to see the path of our life? Our Father has made that path know to us in part through His Word. In Psalms He reminds us that His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Rarely has He given me long-term details, but He does guide me and show me the way bit by bit as I seek His heart on the matters of my life and as I obey Him in the step I'm on. Of course, there are times when I'd like the light to shine a little farther down the path and show me what's ahead, but there is an element of faith involved in trusting Him, in trusting His love for me in what's ahead and trusting that He's provided all I need for the next steps. He has always proven to be faithful in His love and plan for me and those I love.

"In Your presence is fullness of joy."
My Father's Word tells me that joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit, His Spirit that lives in and through me. He also tells me that my joy in Him is my strength in this life.

So what is joy? My Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus says this of joy, "pleasure; extreme gladness. Delight, elation, ecstacy, rapture, bliss, happiness, enjoyment, glee, treasure."

Let me interject these in the scripture, "In Your presence is fullness of

[pleasure,
extreme gladness,
delight,
elation,
ecstacy,
rapture,
bliss,
happiness,
enjoyment,
glee,
treasure]."

Are these not two incredibly encouraging and stimulating promises from our Father, to show us the path of life and to fill us with the fullness of joy in His presence?

Can I encourage you to get away and spend some time devoted solely for you and Your Father to be alone. That may be in your prayer closet, a garden, the mountains, your car, a park, a room with the door closed, whereever you can find that time to simply sit at His feet as Mary did.

Worship Him,
Love Him,
Enjoy Him.

I pray that as you spend this time in His presence without the distractions of your world that you cling to His promise to receive the fullness of His joy.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust Him and He will do this." Psalm 37:4 - 5

Your True Identity

I read this piece of encouragement today from Joyce Meyer:

"Each one of us is a rare, one-of-a-kind person, with a God-given destiny to fulfill-a unique call that only we can carry out. But in order to reach our full potential and truly succeed in life, we must learn to accept ourselves for who we are.

The foundation for success is knowing who we are in Christ. This is our true identity. This understanding comes through learning what God says about us in his Word and then getting our mind and mouth in agreement with it. As you and I begin to think and speak the things that God says about us instead of focusing on our weaknesses [or the lies the enemy whispers in our ears through our subconscious minds or through the words of others], we will find the freedom to be ourselves and be the best we can be in all areas of our lives."

And They Will Become One Flesh

My facebook post today:

"31 years ago today I married the love of my life~our love only grows sweeter with time. It's worth it to work through and push through those earlier years when two flesh clash and clang together in their efforts to become one. It is soooo worth it! To God be the Glory!"

God tells us in Genesis 2:21-24,

"But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man and he brought her to the man. The man
said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man. For this reason a man [and woman] will leave his [her] father and mother and be united to his [her] wife [husband] and they will become one flesh."

I believe that as we marry and are united with our life mate the process of becoming one flesh is begun. It's spiritual. It's physical. It's mental. It's emotional. Becoming one flesh is a lifetime of learning to love your mate more than yourself and living that love out in a vast array of ways. It can be a hard beginning, two distinctly different human beings learning to let go of our own selfish selves in an expression of love for another person. That doesn't mean we lose our individuality, but allow room for the other into our being. In the process we become fuller and richer individuals. It is ultimately a beautiful gift and process designed by the LORD God. It is also a process that is facilitated, enabled, and empower by the LORD God as we submit to Him.

When Kerry and I were married, I was given this poem by one of my grandmothers.

Take a lump of clay.
Wet it, pat it.
Make a statue of you
and make a statue of me.
Then shatter them,
clatter them,
add some water
and break them
and mold them
into a statue of you
and a statue of me.
Then in mine, there are bits of you
And in you there are bits of me.
Nothing ever shall keep us apart.

She added, "If you don't understand it now, keep it and in later years it might mean more to you. I hope you two will be happy. I know you are both wonderful people, both of you will have to work at making a good life together. Married life is not a one sided thing, but as you go through life and as you grow older life should grow better. I have high hopes for you."

She was right =)

From Amanda Jackson (Beth Moore's daughter)

Link to post by Amanda Jackson (Beth Moore's daughter).
http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/2009/06/burning-down-house.html

Scripture for Memory and Mediation #12

Psalm 62:8 NIV
"Trust in Him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."

There are times in our lives when we are surrounded by a great host of friends and family. Some of those are so precious and allow us the latitude in friendship to pour out our hearts to them. There are times that that's what we need because it's like a relief valve and the stresses, pain, and pressures are released in being able to share our heart with someone who cares.

Other times we are alone or at least it seems that way. In these times, the stresses, pain, and pressures expand within us so much that we think we are going to burst for lack of being able to release them.

As children of God and Christ followers we know that He is there and cherishes His children pouring out our hearts to Him so that He may pour out His heart to us. But often, we forget that because we need or want someone in the flesh to help us through.

When God had me "stumble" onto this Word, I stood back and spiritually shook my head at myself. He invites us to pour out of our hearts to Him. He is the ultimate friend and listener and really He is THE ONE WITH THE ANSWERS; He is our refuge. I'm just now reminded of the old hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". I am a great lover of Contemporary Christian music and also Praise and Worship music, but having grown up in church the lyrics of the foundational hymns seem to always come to mind to remind me of the truths I've know all my life.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Lyrics: Joseph M. Scriven

"What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In his arms he'll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there."

Excuse me now, I think Jesus and I have an overdue appointment.

Mondays~
New day, new week, new beginnings, new opportunities.
"This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it!"
Psalm 118:24

Scripture for Memory and Mediation #11

Psalm 25:10-11 NIV

"All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of His covenant. For the sake of Your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great."

"All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of His covenant."

Loving and Faithful...what a precious gift we have received in our God. When life is a challenge, when hopes are dashed, when questions go unanswered...Our God remains Loving and Faithful. Hold on to it, cling to it, stand on it. Even when you may not feel it or see it in your circumstances...it remains true. He sees and knows the beginning from the end and He, in His sovereignty and in His love for you, sees the big picture and will work all things out for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28).

"For the sake of Your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great."

Because His grace flows so generously, I too often forget how great even my "smaller" sins are against His holiness and purity. I understand that God doesn't see sin in degrees, but in our human minds we see the consequences of our sin in degrees. But my sins, whatever they are, are set against the backdrop of His holiness and purity not against my concept of sin.

Picture this:

In the beginning a canvas covered with these-the holiness and purity of Almighty God; not a flaw or impurity in it. Then...SPLASH across this pristine canvas our sins...anger, envy, coveteousness, bitterness, lies, laziness, neglect of His temple...careless, hateful, or judgmental words, self-focus, prayerlessness, grumbling, idolatry, ungratefulness, waster of God given time...and so much more.Do our sins not stand out in glaring contrast-ugly and painful? Now picture Jesus stepping into the scene and draping the ugliness with a red cloth symbolizing His blood sacrifice covering our sin.

Precious Jesus, THANK YOU!

The Power of Your Words

Trina's Snippets
The Power of Your Words
Robert Morris

“Psalm 100 gives us clear instructions for coming into the presence of God. We’re told to come into His presence with singing, to enter His gates with thanksgiving, to come into His courts with praise. Singing, thanksgiving, and praise---all these actions are expressed through words.
The reason satan doesn’t want you to be vocal in your praise to God is because he knows that those kinds of words connect you to God in awesome ways. The simple truth is that the only people who experience the full glory and joy of God’s presence are thankful people.
Satan will do everything he can to discourage you from expressing gratitude and praise. Frankly, he wants you to be a grumbler. Why? Because grumbling is an expression of unbelief and ingratitude (two big ways to short-circuit God’s power in your life.) Praise on the other hand, is an expression of faith and gratitude

“Snippets”—clips, morsels, fragments from something I’ve read
recently…something that has ministered to me or someone else. They are meant to encourage, challenge, or cause us to ponder. They may even cause you to run to the nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of the book they are snipped from.

If you forward “Snippets” to anyone, please send it in its entirety, not deleting the ‘original source of author’”.

Scripture for Memory and Mediation #10

Matthew 12: 34-35
"For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him."

Our words reveal much about us.

I heard a lady say that our words and actions come from the premeditations of our heart and mind. I like that phrase. What are we allowing our minds to think? We have the power to control our thoughts and, therefore, we can control our words. I believe this because Jesus continues as He tells us in Matthew 12:36 "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken." We would not be accountable if we did not have the ability to choose and take control of our thoughts and words.

If our words are not revealing the good of God stored in us, what are we thinking about? I have been trying very hard to monitor my thoughts. When I realize a string of thoughts are marinating in my mind that are not inspired by God, but inspired by the enemy or inspired by my flesh, I am trying to intentionally take them captive, putting a halt to them. I'm finding that it's not nearly as hard as you would think.

When Jesus said that our words reveal the overflow of our heart, He is speaking of all our words. Words spoken to someone, about someone, to ourselves, or about ourselves. There's enough in that last line to bleed into another post, but it will have to wait.

Again, Lord, May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be pleasing [exceedingly pleasing] in your sight O Lord, my ROCK and my REDEEMER. Psalm 19:14

Father, I thank You for Your correction and direction in my life. I thank You that You love me enough to send Your Spirit to reveal to me anything, everything in my life that is not pleasing to You-"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way, everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24

Scripture for Memory and Meditation #9

Psalm 26: 3-4
"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.
Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the ROCK eternal.”

Sometimes there are just seasons of pain, worry, turmoil, fear, or unrest in our lives. I am going through one of those presently. Some issues have been brought to me that have unsettled my spirit.

In my past, I would have prayed, fretted, prayed and fretted. As I've journey along with my LORD, I have hopefully matured in my faith and over the many years I've walked with Him, I pray more than fret. PRAISE GOD. I am crying out to God in faith, hope, and trust...IN HIM.

Last night when another situation was brought to my watchman spirit, I rushed to the Father and have been standing in my trust of Him every moment. When the enemy tries to come in and shake me, I am running to the LORD, the LORD, who is the ROCK eternal.

Snippet: True Brokenness

Trina's Snippets
Brokenness, The Heart God Revives
Nancy Leigh DeMoss

“TRUE BROKENNESS:
Brokenness is not a feeling or an emotion. Rather, it requires a choice, an act of the will. Further, this choice is not primarily a onetime experience, though there may be profound and life-changing spiritual turning points in our lives. True brokenness is an ongoing, constant way of life. True brokenness is a lifestyle--a moment-by-moment lifestyle of agreeing with God about the true condition of my heart and life-not as everyone else thinks it is but as He knows it to be.

“Brokenness is the shattering of my self-will—the absolute surrender of my will to the will of God. It is saying, ‘Yes, Lord!’—no resistance—no chafing, no stubbornness—simply submitting myself to His direction and will in my life.

“Contrite is one word that is used in the Old Testament to speak of brokenness. That word suggests something that is crushed into small particles or ground into powder, as a rock is pulverized. What is it that God wants to pulverize in us? It is not our spirit He wants to break, nor is it our essential personhood. He wants to break our self-will.

“When we speak of a horse being ‘broken’, we don’t mean that someone physically breaks its legs; we mean that the horse’s will has been broken—that it is now compliant and submissive to the wishes of its rider. In the same sense, true brokenness is the breaking of my self-will, so that the life and spirit of the Lord Jesus may be released through me. It is my humble and obedient response to the conviction of God’s Word and His Holy Spirit.

“Brokenness is the stripping of self-reliance and independence from God. The broken person has no confidence in his own righteousness or his own works, but he is cast in total dependence upon the grace of God working in and through him.

“Brokenness is the softening of the soil of my heart—it is the breaking up of any clods of resistance that could keep the seed from penetrating and taking root. I believe one of the reasons many pastors faithfully preach the Word week after week and see so little fruit in the lives of their listeners is that the soil in many of our hearts has become so hard and fallow that the seed cannot penetrate. Believers with broken, contrite hearts are receptive and responsive to the Word.

“As wax or clay must be soft and pliable in order to be molded by the artist’s hand, so the broken, contrite heart is easily molded by the hand of God and does not harden itself against the circumstances God chooses to mold it in.”

“You and I will never meet God in revival until we first meet Him in brokenness. Our families will never be whole until husbands and wives, moms and dads, and young people have been broken. Our churches will never be the vibrant witness God intended them to be in the world until their members-pastors and laypeople alike-have experienced true brokenness.”

“Snippets”—clips, morsels, fragments from something

I’ve read recently…something that has ministered to

me or someone else. They are meant to encourage,

challenge, or cause us to ponder. They may even
cause you to run to the nearest bookstore and

pick up a copy of the book they are snipped from.

If you forward “Snippets” to anyone,

please send it in its entirety, not
deleting the ‘original source of author’”.

I Choose, He Enables and Empowers

God has been teaching me this big lesson lately.

I MUST CHOOSE AND
THEN HE ENABLES AND EMPOWERS ME.

So many times I feel defeated in my walk with Christ and wonder why the power of the Holy Spirit is not evident. Recently He spoke to me that I must make the choices (freewill) and then He will empower and enable me through the Holy Spirit to walk it out.

Sounds simple. =)

Scripture for Memory and Meditation #8

2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Just a brief moment to post concerning scripture number 8.

I do believe that satan, my enemy, uses my thoughts to cause more havoc, defeat, and destruction in my life. First the thought then the actions follow. Proverbs 23:7 says, "As a man thinketh (KJV) in his heart, so is he."

To take our thoughts captive requires a conscious, deliberate, purposed action. I want my thoughts to be pleasing to my Father (Psalms 19:14), I want my thoughts to be true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8), and I want my thoughts to be of victory and life through Jesus not defeat (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Father, help me to recognize and be aware of the weak places in my armor where satan attacks my thoughts and in that awareness and in my choice to be obedient to you, help me to take every thought captive. All to Your glory and my freedom and victory!

Scripture for Memory and Meditation #7

Colossians 3:12 NIV
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."

Every morning we get up, wash our face, shower, "put on our makeup", "put on our clothes" and begin our day. Have you ever considered how much time we spend doing our makeup, hair, clothes, jewelry etc. so that we look good? For various reasons we sometimes have to go through this routine more than once a day. We put a lot of effort into clothing ourselves and there's nothing wrong with wanting to look your best.

However, God wants us to also clothe ourselves with the things that are of lasting value, things of true worth-

compassion
kindness
humility
gentleness
and patience

When these things drape our lives, we are moving outside ourselves and touching the lives that cross our paths each day. We are bringing God pleasure. Can you imagine for a minute what it means to bring God pleasure?

At the end of our lives, or even at the end of the day, will people remember the outfit we were wearing or will they remember that we had compassion for others, were kind to those around us, that we were sacrificially humble instead of selfish, arrogant and proud, or that we were gentle and patient when it was hard? Will they wonder were we bought our stylish clothes or will they wonder about the God that makes this difference in our lives? I hope the latter.

Each morning as we "put our outer trappings on to look our best" why don't we start a new habit of praying through our morning routine...

Brush my teeth and and pray for God to give me a spirit of compassion and to
notice those in need.

Comb my hair and pray for God to comb
kindness into the way I treat others.

Wash my face and ask God to wash away every trace of selfishness or arrogance from my life and instead fill me with a humble heart.

While gently putting on my jewelry, ask God to help me to be gentle rather than harsh or demanding.

As I put my clothes on pray for God to weave patience into the testings and
irritations that come into my day.

And why do we do all of this? Because we are God's CHOSEN people and we are holy and dearly loved by Almighty God, Creator of all things, The King of Kings.

Vacations

Kerry and I were so blessed to be able to go on an Alaskan cruise in 2006 and then in 2008 we spent over a week in Yellowstone and the Tetons in Wyoming. When our boys were young and at home vacations usually consisted of Six Flags over Texas, Texas Ranger baseball games (we all love baseball!) and various other amusement parks, sports events, and zoos. We'd go camping on the Guadalupe River in Central Texas or Lake LBJ in the Hill Country region of Texas. (Texas is a big state with a lot of different regions). Living in West Texas always made trips to the mountains at Ruidoso, New Mexico convenient.

We were overwhelmed with God's handiwork in Alaska and Yellowstone. Both trips were incredibly special times for us to share together and just be a couple again. One of our great desires is that we not wait until we retire to travel. Too many people wait and then they never get to do these things.

So here's the pupose of this post:

Where have you been that you'd recommend our going in the next year or so? Is the area of the country you live in a place we might like to visit? Would you please give me some details about where to go and what to do so I can start planning another trip. We absolutely love nature. I can take a bazillon =) photographs of God's beauty on earth. (Thank God, literally, for digital photography. My film bill was outrageous.) Kerry loves history so we've really thought about a trip back East . Maybe Virginia or Pennsylvania. But you may suggest a place we've never even thought of.

So please, give me some input. I'd be most appreciative!