Psalm 90 - A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

This is what our guest speaker talked about in church today. And I REALLY loved that! So I thought I would share these passages with you in hopes that you learn from them as much as I learned from them.

Psalm 90

1: Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.

2: Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

3: You turn people back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, you mortals."

4: A thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

5: Yet You sweep people away in the sleep of death- they are like the new grass of the morning:

6: In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered.

7: We are consumed by Your anger and terrified by your indignation.

8: You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.

9: All our days pass away under Your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.
10: Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

11: If only we knew the power of Your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is Your due.

12: Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

13: Relent, LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on Your servants.

14: Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

15: Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.

16: May Your deeds be shown to Your servants, Your splendor to their children.

17: May the favor of the Lord, our God, rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands.

I just love how powerful this shows our God to be! He is our dwelling place, our home! Our house isn't a home until we think of it as a home. And to me, until I invite God into my house, it isn't a home. But in the first verse, it shows that God is our home! He is our dwelling place. Such a comfort to know that wherever we go, God goes with us, and that makes it a home. What an awesome God we have! What a powerful, loving Heavenly Father we have!

And while reading this, I can feel the power of God in me. I can feel His love wrapping around me. The speaker talked about how we know God's love is there because we read the Bible and read about how He loves us. But a lot of times we feel like His love is distant and that He only pops in like a distant uncle.

We know the truth of God and His love for us, but do we truly believe it? Most of us don't believe it until we experience it. When His loving arms wrap around us in a comforting embrace, only then do we truly know that our God is here and loves us, am I right?

God will seem like He isn't there sometimes. But this week, I listened to someone's testimony and an example that he gave of a time like this is a father and his baby who is learning to walk. The father steps back sometimes and waits for the child to take his first steps alone and walk into his arms. The child will fall a lot of times, but the father is always there to catch him. It's all in the process of learning. It's God giving us space to learn about following Him. And learning to trust that He will be there waiting to catch us when we fall. God never leaves us. He is always here. He's just standing back so that we can learn to take those trusting steps to Him.

Our God is a powerful God. And in times like these, we can walk towards God and feel His loving embrace again as we fall into His arms. So it works like this:

God lets go and takes a step back.

We know that God still loves us.

We take the trusting steps forward.

Sure, we fall a couple times.

But God is always here to catch us.

We just need to trust Him.

We fall into His open arms.

And we experience His love for us as He holds us in His arms.

Thank You, God, for being such a wonderful Father. Thank You for creating us and for loving us and for comforting us in our times of need. Thank You for wrapping Your arms around us and for being our Dwelling Place. And thank You, Father God, for catching us when we fall.

Amen <3

The Proverbs 31 Woman

What is one thing that is a distraction to young women? That's right. Guys. Not necessarily a good thing. Sure, it's not a bad thing, but when we start to think about guys more then God, we definitely need to reevaluate our priorities. God should always come first, no matter how hard that may be.

Here's an easier way of looking at it. God has someone planned for you. The perfect person for you. But first: You need to become the perfect woman for that man. If you didn't work hard to be that woman, what would happen?

The man wouldn't have the woman that God fully intended him to have. Not a good thing. Not cool. By focusing wholly on God at this time in your life, you can become the woman that God intends for that man. Let's take a look at the Proverbs 31 woman:

10) A wife of normal characters who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

11) Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

12) She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

13) She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

14) She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

15) She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her families and portions for her female servants.

16) She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17) She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

18) She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

19) In her hands she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20) She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

21) When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22) She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23) Her husband is respected at the city gate; where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24) She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25) She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

26) She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27) She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28) Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

29) "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

30) Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

31) Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

The Proverbs 31 woman is the woman that God wants us to be. This woman is also patient and kind. She does not envy. She does not boast. She is not proud. She is not rude. She is not self-seeking. She is not easily angered. She keeps no record of wrongs. She does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. She always protects. She always trusts. She always hopes. She always perseveres. She does not fail.

Yes, you guessed it. The main ingredient for this woman is to be love. She is the perfect, wholesome example of love. That is what you need to be. That is what I need to be.

To make it easier, you can repeat these affirmations every day. Tape it to your mirror and say it to yourself every morning when you wake up. It helps a great deal. More then you know...

I am patient.

I am kind.

I do not envy.

I do not boast.

I am not proud.

I am not rude.

I am not self-seeking.

I am not easily angered.

I keep no record of wrongs.

I do not delight in evil.

But I rejoice with the truth.

I always protect.

I always trust.

I always hope.

I always persevere.

I never fail.

Have confidence that you are all these things. And keep in mind that it's not about what you want for yourself concerning these matters of the heart. It's about what GOD wants for you. Got it? It's not about what you want, it's about what God wants for you.

He wants to give you someone. Right now, as your reading this, He could be preparing that person for you and forming that special person into the perfect person for you. It's time to jump into God's plan and start focusing on Him.

Be a woman after God's own heart.

It's time to start learning how to be that special woman.

Are you ready?

It Does Not Envy?

Jealousy. Why is it there? Why do people feel it? Why does being jealous of someone else make us so insecure about ourselves? Why does it make us feel so small? And why does it seem to eat us up inside?

Because it's something to hinder us, that's why. When we feel jealous about someone, do you notice how in some cases, it can diminish our affection for them, and sometimes, eliminate it altogether? And that is satan's plan when he plants jealous thoughts in our minds.

"Look at her style. It's so much cooler than yours."

"She's got everything. Looks, personality, a boyfriend."

"Check that out! That kids got the new iPhone and you don't even."

"Everybody likes her... Cause she's so likable. And your so dull compared to her."

"Wow... She's got the perfect body and your just fat."

"Look... A perfect, happy family. All together."

"Wow... She's always going on vacations cause she's so rich and all. And your just stuck in your hometown doing nothing."

"Your life sucks, because you have nothing, and see that person over there? Yeah, they have everything. Unlike you."

"He's done something with his life... Don't you wish you were that brave? But your not."

You've all heard those words before. Whether they were spoken aloud, or just pushed into your mind, you've heard them, and many times, you've believed them. But you shouldn't. Because God has made you the way you are supposed to be.

1. The first jealousy issue I'm going to address is looks. Why are looks so important? THEY DON'T MATTER!

"Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1st Samuel 16:7)

"Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1st Samuel 16:7)

"Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1st Samuel 16:7)

Yes, I just wrote that out three times. But that's okay, because everyone needs to know that and everyone needs to know that it's 300% TRUE! Why should we envy other people's looks? Does it really matter what we look like? No, it doesn't. We're not on earth to worry about whether or not we have perfect hair, or the perfect body. We're here to further God's kingdom.

God designed each of us in His own image.

He designed us uniquely.

He designed us perfectly.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)

We are all designed by a wonderful Creator, Who knew what He was thinking when He made us. He loves us the way we are.

He thinks we are perfect, no matter what.

He thinks we are beautiful, inside and out.

There can never be a more beautiful you. (More Beautiful You, by Johnny Diaz)

Never think that God made a mistake when He created you. God doesn't make mistakes.

All of that is true! SO TRUE!!! NEVER doubt that!!! The world will tell you things. But you know what? Just blow it over. It DOES NOT MATTER! We are not to care about what the world thinks and what they say about us. Being insecure about our looks and envying someone's looks, that weakens us. That makes us an easy target for the enemy to strike us down! BELIEVE what is written above, because it's all true! God is our creator. Everything He creates is beautiful, BECAUSE He created it.

You. Are. Beautiful.

Inside. And. Out.

2. Next is personality.

So what if she's outgoing and your not?

So what if he's all that and a bag of chips just because of how crazy he is?

So what if everything she says is the funniest thing since Star Trek waffles?

Who cares! God made you the way you are!

So what if your not the outgoing one or the crazy one or the funny one? Maybe your meant to be the shy one. The quiet one. The serious one. God made you this way.

Why does it bother you? Why?

I'm not going to answer these questions.

This is something you need to think about and come to terms to yourself.

3. And last is this:

Remember the story of Cain and Abel? Cain and Abel both give sacrifices, but Abel's is more pleasing. And then, Cain's jealousy turns to anger and hatred and he murders his own flesh and blood.

See what jealousy does?

Remember the story of King Saul? He was jealous of David because of the attention that David got when he killed Goliath. He attempted to kill David several times.

See what jealousy does?

Remember the story of Joseph? His brothers were so jealous of the attention that he got from their father, that they sold him off as a slave to passing tradesmen.

See what jealousy does?

Remember King Herod? He was jealous of baby Jesus. He was afraid that his throne would be taken from him and this new king would reign instead. He ordered all children under the age of two to be killed.

See what jealousy does?

Jealousy is a wicked thing. It doesn't belong in us. When we become jealous of someone because of something they've done or accomplished, that's not Christian. We need to ask for God's help in changing that. We need to get that jealousy out! We need to stay pure and away from jealousy!

The Tenth Commandment is: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (Exodus 20:17, Deuteronomy 5:21)

In order to do what God wants us to do, we need to get rid of jealous, completely. It should have no hold on us. It shouldn't be there. It does not belong in our lives. Ask God to rid yourself of it.

"Love is patient, love is kind. IT DOES NOT ENVY, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1st Corinthians 13:4-8)

In order to BE love, we need to be ALL of that! We can't just be some of it. We need to strive to be all of it. So strive! REJOICE with the truth! Be who God called you to be. Be who He created you to be. And love it. Love every minute of it. Love every inch of yourself. From the tip of your toe, to the last hair on your head.

Remember! God made you special! And He loves you VERY much!

Dedicated to a very special person.