The Spirit of Constancy

We know salvation is more than escaping hell. It is God's intention to conform us to his image that is, give us his characteristics. And one facet of his character is constancy - he never changes.

For us this means we do not get time off from doing what we know is right or from living the truth of his Word. We forgive in order to be forgiven, continuous,  we love as he loves, we worship and honor God because of who he is...there is no end to any of this.

I am saddened because I can be somewhat of a rollercoaster and there are days when being a Christian is harder than others. Fortunately,  he has already anticipated my weakness and makes available his unfailing strength.

Lord, today we ask you to take us beyond our strength and cause us to truly live our lives "for your Name's sake." Loving, serving, everything we do because that is what you ask of us. Amen.

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Practicing Peace

Weekly Word from the Wisdom Walk comes to us today courtesy of Sis.Marvalee Waite.
Just a reminder to self.
I enter into 2020 with this objective I am going to trust God in spite of. Saying that and doing it is not always easy. Today I am reminding myself of God’s perfect peace in this situation.
Nothing ever spins out of his control. Peace and worry are mutually exclusive. Worry throttles your confidence, chokes your perspectives, and suffocates your spirit. It robs you of the peace that comes from knowing the God who can handle anything, and through whom all things are possible. The reason we worry so much is because we engage in exactly the opposite behavior to that which brings peace. Worry is like a no confidence vote in God. You may not intend it that way, but every time you give in to worry, in essence, you’re saying: “I don’t believe God can or will handle this for me. I’m not sure I can trust Him in this matter, so I will just have to carry this situation and take care of this problem myself.” God is either the object of your trust or just a part time helper you call on when you can’t handle things on your own.
God never changes.
##myquiettimereflection##

Politically Correct

Weekly Word from the Wisdom Walk
Hello Everyone, hope your fast is fulfilling both your spiritual and physical needs. The following was first posted January 14th, 2014. In addition to those prayer suggestions please remember Australia, Iraq and Iran, the families of those lost in the recent air disaster, and the Ukraine as they demand answers.
Would you consider adding a few more prayer foci to your Daniel Fast? Try these for example: persecuted Christians in Korea, Syria (top offenders) and the middle eastern countries, refugee situation in the Sudan, survivors in the Philippines, and us, here at home. Don't forget the country of your birth if you are an American by choice. lets practice the J-O-Y method of prayer. Jesus - worship, O-thers, and then Y-ou.
Love in Christ. #Daniel #Fast, #prayforamerica, #philippinesurvivors, #persecutedchurch, #prayforsudan,#prayforkorea, #prayforsyria,#prayforindia

Fasting with Purpose

Weekly Word from the Wisdom Walk
We are drawn to people either because of the image they portray or who we imagine them to be. The esteem would soon fade if we were to discover they are flawed as we are, often in the very same places.
Jesus loves us as we are. He is under no illusions,  has no false hopes, and will never change his mind. As we enter into this season of fasting and prayer and spending time in the Word, we are not doing it so Jesus will love us more. We set ourselves apart and quiet our spirits before him so we may know him and be responsive to the Holy Spirit. It is our love that will grow as his glorious image becomes more evident in us.
If you are starting your fast tomorrow at sundown here are a few reminders:
Establish your purpose before you start - for what are you Fasting?
Set a beginning and end date
Establish your dietary parameters (don't make it up as you go)
It's not about the food or what one is allowed to eat while on a Daniel Fast. Keep it simple and follow the plan
Make time for prayer and study/reading the Word
Journal or jot down your new insights as the LORD opens your eyes
Strive for changes that will last beyond 21, 30, 40 days or however long your consecration period happens to be. May the grace of God be upon us as seek him.
Here's a repost from Susan Gregory:



http://www.daniel-fast.com/blog/

Happy New Year!
As always, January means setting the pace  spiritually and physically through the practice of fasting and prayer. Please follow my Facebook posts as I share resources daily. Blessings!

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Dreaming Small for Big Diet Wins

As the holiday season slowly draws to a close, some of us are thinking about all the food boo-boos of the past few weeks. But before we rush into January with arm loads of good intentions, let's formulate a realistic plan. Think of our diet reorientation as a ladder and we are obviously starting at the bottom rung on week one. Goals should be SMALL to begin with. They should also be specigic and measurable, or we should know when we have achieved the objective. 2nd  week add another small goal to the first week's goal and stick with both for week two. Repeat this pattern over the succeeding weeks .

Why do we need to dream small initially? Building in small wins provide encouragement to continue. And by working incrementally, we allow ourselves time to adjust to the change in eating pattern. Once again we are setting the stage to increase the chances of success.

January is also when many of us think about fasting for 21 or 30 days. Without a doubt there are many physical and spiritual benefits. Please stay tuned in January as I talk about this subject and provide resources for our journey into faith and fitness.

May the LORD bless you, and keep you, make his face shine upon you ... today and all through the coming year.

PS. Today I walked in the rain (with my umbrella) so there is no sunrise to share. But guess what, the Presence of the LORD was every bit as real. Hmmm, there's a message in that. 

Memories of Christmases Past

Weekly Word from the Wisdom Walk

Yesterday I did not feel like I had anything specific to say so I held off posting. While Mom and I were out shopping, we started talking about Christmas memories. This morning, without knowing about yesterday's conversation, my husband, pulled out a list he had made and started talking about memories of Christmas.
So here are a few things. To some this will be new but a few will doubtless identify.
We remember Christmas as the time for road work - clearing the drains and cutting back the trees. This meant quick cash for those who would have had very little Christmas money otherwise. It meant weeding the yard, whitewashing the house, the gate, and everything that can possibly hold " white lime." It meant filling the mattress with new grass,  music everywhere, radio competitions for various prizes, doing the walkabout and eating at the neighbors (not allowed at other times). Its the Christmas breeze, sweet-potato pudding, duck-bread, grandmarket, johncanoo dancers, blossoming sugarcane fields (called cane flags) and the absence of fear as we simply had a great time.

We missed nothing because of not knowing we  should have had more. Most of us had no idea we were poor! Truth be told,  then, we were a lot closer to peace on earth and goodwill to all men/ people than we are today.  Christmas Sunday we would show up to church in our finery, the new clothes we received as Christmas gifts. How far we have come!

 As many of us celebrate our abundance and the excitement of giving and receiving, let's also remember our past with a deep sense of gratitude. Most of all,  let us treasure the Greatest Gift: Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!