Monday, August 11, 2014

Blogs That Inspire - Glimpses of Heaven


Early every morning I wake up in a haze.  My tired hands grab for my phone to see what time it is.  Instinctively, I open my Inbox to see the emails I received during the night.  After I peruse the contents, I open the ones that put my mind in the right mentality for the day.  Many of these blog posts are treasures from various bloggers around the world.  They are treasures, because they’re from other sisters walking closely with God who experience real problems.  These posts always inspire me and lead me into my quiet time with the Lord. 

Blogs Inspire Me - They Usher Me into the Presence of the Lord! 




I like to say they are my little glimpses into Heaven.  I get to see how God’s will is being done on Earth as it is in Heaven. 

Years ago we didn’t have the speed of the Internet to communicate the wonders of God.  Now, we get to “meet” other sisters-loved-by-God all around the world with the click of a button.  Connecting with other women via the Internet is great fun here on Earth.  BUT, what I really look forward to is the day we have continued conversations, sitting side by side in Heaven!


Some of my favorite blogs include (there are too many to list):

Living Proof Blog:  http://blog.lproof.org/

Jennifer Dukes Lee:  http://jenniferdukeslee.com/


The Mom Initiative:  http://www.themominitiative.com/


Ann Voskamp’s Blog – A Holy Experience:  http://www.aholyexperience.com/

Lizz Curtis Higgs’ Blog:  http://www.lizcurtishiggs.com/blog/
 
And…I am absolutely LOVING all of YOUR blogs posts on the ‘Link Up’ last week on #The Loft!!

 

Why and how did these blogs make it on my list?  There are several appealing factors:

*They tell a good story

*They are REAL and show how God turns ashes (real life!!) into beauty

*They point to Jesus

*They are applicable to my life

*They have useful information and resources

*They are aesthetically pleasing to the eye

 
Do you have a favorite blog?  Leave me a comment - I'd love to hear what inspires you!
 

Have a wonderful week and God Bless *YOU*~Break of Dawn

 

#The Loft



http://arabahjoy.com/loft/

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Day 5 of the 30-Day {PRAISE} Challenge


 

 This will be the last {PRAISE} Challenge that is posted.  If you’d like to continue, you’ll need to purchase “The 30-Day Praise Challenge” by Becky Harling on Amazon or ChristianBook.  Enjoy to today’s Praise Challenge:  http://www.praise.com/devotions/day-5-30-day-praise-challenge

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Monday, July 28, 2014

Day 3 of the 30-Day {PRAISE] Challenge


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Here is the link for today’s {PRAISE] Challenge:  http://www.praise.com/devotions/day-3-30-day-praise-challenge

 

My weekend was busy and exhausting – interesting that Day 2’s message was all about being tired and getting strength from God – and this week is full with appointments.  I will recap at a later date.  Until then, God Bless and happy praising!  Break of Dawn

Friday, July 25, 2014

Day 2 - 30 Day {PRAISE} Challenge


For those of you who want to get right to work, here is today’s challenge:  http://www.praise.com/devotions/day-2-30-day-praise-challenge

 

So how did yesterday’s challenge go for you?  The whole day centered on WISDOM.  Needing wisdom resonated with me!!  How about you?  There are so many questions swarming around my life right now.  I’m feeling the crunch of time against me and, being a planner who likes to know what’s ahead, I’m wringing my hands because I still don’t have the answers I need.  Yesterday reminded me that I don’t have to do anything other than seek God and praise Him that HE is the source of all knowledge and wisdom.   Even though I still fell into old habits of worrying instead of praising, yesterday was sweet for me.
On July 23rd, I was going through my Beth Moore Bible Study, “Children of the Day”.  In my lesson, I read something I had never come across before.  Jesus was talking to Paul on the road to Damascus and He told him, “It’s hard for you to kick against the goads.”  (Acts26:14)

Excerpt from “Children of the Day”, page 142

“In the many instances where the proverb occurs in Greek literature, it always has the meaning of resisting one’s destiny or fighting the will of the gods.  That meaning fit Paul’s situation.  In persecuting Christ, Paul was fighting the will of the One who had set him apart from birth (Gal. 1:15).  Like a beast of burden kicking against his master’s goads, he would only find the blows more severe with each successive kick.  He was fighting the will of God (Acts 5:39).  It was a futile task.
“We kick against the goads too when we resist our God-ordained destinies.  The more we ignore His will for our works, the more discontented and out of sorts we’ll be.”

Bang!  The epiphany came!!  For several years, my soul has been unsettled.  I have been out of sorts, knowing something was off.  I look back and see God’s voice and how we didn’t obey His will for our lives.  There were at least two specific instances I know we turned the wrong way.  Now as our daughter struggles with severe anxiety and insomnia [again…] I can’t help feeling that the “the blows [are] more severe”.  God certainly isn’t punishing us, but He’s allowing these circumstances to put us back on the right course. 

Yearning for more, yesterday I reflected back on the last three years like a scientist looking under a microscope.  In 2011, I did Beth Moore’s “Esther” Bible study.  “Esther” was all about one’s destiny and being created for such a time as this.  I remember continuously thinking throughout that Bible study what our destiny was and what God was prompting us to do.  The answers were clear in 2011, but we didn’t obey.  In 2012, we prayed fervently for answers and asked God to speak through our counselor.  God used her to give us an answer and… we didn’t obey.  The year of 2013 was one of just maintaining, but 2014 has brought back a wrestling in my soul I can’t ignore. 

Becky encouraged us in the Journal portion of yesterday’s challenge to think about specific areas we needed wisdom. I did just that and then prayed fervently throughout the day for wisdom.  Last night, God gave me a sacred echo in my Bible study time with my husband, just in case I had forgotten what He told me the day before. 
Excerpt from Max Lucado's, "Grace", Bible study in Session 1:
“Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.  It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 26:14).

There it was again! Two times in two days I read something I had never read before.  God lovingly pointed out just what I needed to know.  I knew what I knew deep in my heart as the Spirit spoke to me.  My family and I have been kicking against the goads.  It’s time to repent and ask God for the courage to get back on course. 

Thank you, Jesus, that YOU are the source and giver of all knowledge and wisdom!
 
 

 

Even though yesterday went fairly well, I found myself falling back into old habits.  Instead of praising, I would wrestle thoughts in my mind to plan and figure things out on my own.  Old habits don’t die easy.  Practice makes perfect.  Thankfully God doesn’t expect perfection – He just wants more of you and me.  The fact that we’re on this 30-Day Praise Challenge shows we want more of Him.  Seek Him and you will find Him.  I’m seeking and I’m finding!

I’d love to hear how God used Day 1 to bless you.  Please, post a comment, a prayer request, or anything God lays on your heart.  Have a wonderful weekend and God Bless YOU!  Break of Dawn
 
In an effort to invite more people on our challenge and because I need to nail down Days 1 and 2, I’ll hold off posting another challenge until Monday.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Give Him {PRAISE}


Life has been hard again.  My momma-heart breaks. 

 

You see, my sweet daughter has suffered with intense anxiety and insomnia for six of her tender nine years of life.  A traumatic experience jolted her into an almost two-year nightmare of severe sleeping issues, separation anxiety and worrying.  When we were at our end, we finally took her to counseling.  The counselor pointed out an issue in our family dynamics and, within a month, our preschooler was sleeping.  We were blessed with a couple years of rest until we plummeted back to the sleepless jail.  And that's the way it's been for six years now.  Times of sleep and low anxiety and worrying.  Lows of no sleep, heightened anxiety and worrying. 

 

As of April this year, we spiraled back down into that pit.  Now, our little girl spends her nights trying to fall asleep.  She takes warm baths and listens to a Christian meditation CD before retreating to her bed.  When sleep evades her, she has her sleeping kit packed full with her Bible, photo albums, her devotion book, a coloring book, a sketch pad and her journal.  Most nights she lays on the couch or in the living room watching one, two, maybe even three movies.  Eventually she falls asleep sometime between midnight-three in the morning.  This situation BREAKS-MY-HEART!  But, then I'm reminded Someone else's heart is breaking, too...

 

My little girl needs healing.  I need healing.  We all are in a process of healing.  Healing from past hurts and bad choices.  Healing from the stresses of life.  Jesus understands.  He allows these trials to uproot anything in our hearts that interfere with our relationship with Him.  When we're safe enough to deal with these inhibitors, He brings them to the surface and helps us conquer them.  Because, we're not created for a life of chains, but a life of {FREEDOM}. 

 

So, when we've done everything we know to do - pray, bless our kids with Scripture, take them to counseling, have others pray for them, pray against strongholds, and the list goes on and on - we stop doing and we rest in Him.  We {PRAISE} our Sovereign God that He's in control! 
 
Give Him {PRAISE}!

 



Will you join me in a 30-Day Praise Challenge?  For the next 30 Days, I will use Becky Harling’s “The 30-Day Praise Challenge” book to guide me in my journey.  You can purchase her book at Amazon or Christian Book.


Please, let me know how God uses this journey to work in your life.  I will do the same.  God Bless, Break of Dawn

 

 

30-Day Praise Challenge:  Day 1