The story turned around for His glory!

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too. When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you're just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you're going to make it, no doubt about it. We don't want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn't think we were going to make it. We felt like we'd been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he's the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he'll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing. You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation—I don't want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God's deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part. Now that the worst is over, we're pleased we can report that we've come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world—and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high. But it wasn't by any fancy footwork on our part. It was God who kept us focused on him, uncompromised. Don't try to read between the lines or look for hidden meanings in this letter. We're writing plain, unembellished truth, hoping that you'll now see the whole picture as well as you've seen some of the details. We want you to be as proud of us as we are of you when we stand together before our Master Jesus. (2 Corinthians 1:3-14 MSG)

As I was reading this portion it all stood out to me as "I've been there!" Honestly there is no new thing. Someone has been through what you went through!!! And while it might not have been God plan for you to go through that real hard event in your life, He can bring the people into your life who have "been there" and help get you through! And then after that God brings people along side you who are going through the same things you just went through so that what you learned you can share! I know that we have seem some hard times. It felt at time (like what was said in portion above) that we were not going to make it, there were times where I saw the worst and didn't think it was even possible to make it out alive (literally) but God picked us up and took our hands and brought us safely to the other side. He sent an amazing man an woman of God who were there and went through it to help us and encourage us through the storm! It wasn't easy but we made it and all glory to God because it wasn't us! It was nothing we did but everything He choose to do!
The things we went through totally made us trust in God. We were stripped of everything and had to rely on God to get us through! After going through all we did we know that God will and can bring us through everything! And we know that God will bring people in our lives who are going through the same things we did. God wants to use our story to help and love people into the kingdom of God! I see how God is going to turn it all around and make it into something good! As my pastor says, "not all things that happen in our lives is good, but God can turn it around and make it good for His glory!!!! I am ready to be used in a new way. I know that we have a special gift and story to share! God I am ready to be used by you!!!!

Yahweh

I decided to restudy the names of God. I had to study them for Bible college, and sometimes you just learn in for the class and it doesn't go deeper. I have grown in my relationship with God and I have this strong desire to really learn and take to heart the names of God. There is something about really taking to heart the names of God because they all have amazing meanings and they all can cut deep to the heart and penetrate in a different way! The original Hebrew names of God really had deep meaning and were so precious that they couldn't even say some! That is the kind of awe and amazement that I have been feeling towards what God is doing! It has been amazing how God has been working and moving and we are ready for all He has! I want a deeper relationship with God and I want to know Him even more and on a deep and personal level! So i might add in a bit of what I find here as well. It is amazing what you find and how deep you can get with God just through study and learning and by going back to the roots!
The word Yahweh or YHWH is an awesome term and one that they did not say because they did not want to be blasphemous to the name of God. I find that amazing.... why? Well, we are so casual with the term or name that we have given. We say 'god' so informal, and we say it in ways that we shouldn't. Today it is nothing for people to use the word in a way that isn't giving praise, but is more taking it in vain. "OMG" is used by everyone even by those who don't believe. It is just a common term in the world today. I have never used it this way and if I did I felt horrible. I really have tried to use it in relation to my God whom  I love. I love that they didn't even want to say it if it might be in a way that they shouldn't. They pronounce it Yahweh which might not even be how they would, but was a way they could say His name. I love this too because God is holy, and I know that we have full access to God now, but we serve a holy God and should be treated with respect and honor. There should be words we use and names we use that express our love and adoration and respect and honor. Instead of using this term usually said 'Adonai' instead which means My lord. Yahweh means He is or I am. Its an amazing thing to think on and dwell on. "HE IS". Or when God spoke about Him self "I am ". I am that I am.... What an amazing statement. He is. God is.... He is the un-created creator. He was and is and is to come, He has no beginning, He has no end. He has always been.... He is.... Yahweh...Exodus 6:2-3 is such an interesting portion. God showed himself as the almighty God, but it not yet as YHWH.   " And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them." Had to add that in I found this scripture and understood it in a totally new way. I love when God shows you new things in the Bible. No matter how many times you have read the Bible, and no matter how much you think you know the word, God will always show you new things.
I want a closer, deeper and more real relationship with God. I desire more of Him and more understanding of Him. I don't just want the knowledge I want the understanding as well. I want that closeness with Him. I desire those sweet moments with God where HE just shows up in a real way. I encourage you to dig in the Word and learn something new about God today. Let Him be your guide and teacher! Ask Him what He wants to show you!!! Yahweh. He is!

^{Genesis 3:14} God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”^[a] And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” ¹⁵ God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord,^[b] the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

blessed life of faith!

Sharing today about how good God is. I am in awe of how God is working and moving. God has been just taking my breath away and leaving me speechless. It is hard to express in words everything that I am feeling and everything that God has been doing and speaking! 

We know that God has called us and it is amazing how God is just putting everything in place. I am blown away at the things that have been happening, and I continually praise Him for just choosing to use me. It has always been my desire to be used by God. I have always loved God and God has taught me so many things through out the years. There was a song that came out a while back that I will put the link to at the bottom, but it speaks about desire, and says "My desire to be  used by You!" Its a beautiful song, and has been my prayer. What ever my life has in store, I just want to be obedient to God and His call, what ever He has in store for me, I will be obedient. 

Lately God has been speaking in amazing ways. I am in awe of all that He has done, and even just some concerns that have come up, He has calmed all fear  or worry. God is just amazing! I know that what ever He has in store for us He will make it come to pass and we will walk in the path that He is and has set up for us! 

We will continue to rest in Him and His will as He unfolds it. There is no other place that I would rather be than in the center of His will! I am standing in faith and relying on God and that is an amazing thing. I am still just blow away by Him and what He is doing. I will share more as I feel led to, but I am just taken back by the mighty God and what He is doing. "He who began a good work is faithful to complete it!" Praise God for all He is doing. It has nothing to do with me but all to do with Him. He has a plan for all of our lives, seek Him and you will find Him and His will. It is amazing to live this life of faith. I titled my blog "Blessed beyond imagination" and it is so true. If we choose to follow Him and all He has for our lives we will find that we are blessed. We might not have tons of money, we might not have everything the world has to offer, but we have so much more than that. We have the love of our heavenly Father, a hope, and a calling, and that is far more than the world would have to ever offer! We live a 'blessed life of faith' and it is an amazing life following after God fully!!!!

Deuteronomy 3:24 "O Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?

http://youtu.be/W777s4HuHOI

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A new thing.

Isaiah 43:19. "For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."
I love this verse and honestly it usually is brought back to my mind around the time God is doing something new! It is always exciting to see what God is doing and how He desires to use us! I am so excited that God has been doing great an wonderful things in our lives and in the ministry that He has for us.
This new thing that God is doing right now is leading us to a new place in ministry. A new season of serving God! My hubby has been asked numerous times to preach at other churches and other countries. Right now God is opening the doors so that we can do that and it's really exciting! Ryan will be heading to Venezuela to preach at a country wide youth camp and also doing a workshop for college age students who want to step into ministry. Then he is heading to Colombia to be at a pastors conference with our pastor and his wife. We know this is just the beginning of doors being opened and reaching the world with the saving knowledge and love of Christ!! And also raising up leaders who will also reach the world for God! God is so amazing! I look forward to updating everyone as we move into this area. We will just be obedient to God and His calling on our lives! God is amazing and He chooses to use the willing. Open your heart and say yes to what God has for you. You won't regret it. Be blessed

    Turn my eyes from worthless things,
      and give me life through your word.*
    38 Reassure me of your promise,
      made to those who fear you.

Psalm 119:37-38

We get so fixed on things of little to no value in life. When real issues come up we end up freaking out because it is REAL. The word above says to turn our eyes from worthless things. That is something we all need to learn to do. The things that are worth  nothing that keep our attention keeps us from the things that really need our attention. The things of no worth take life from us and sometimes can lead to death: spiritually or sometimes physically. We get life through the word of God! God is the only one who can give us true life, and true meaning to our lives. We need to stop focusing on the things that don't matter and think about the things that really do: eternal things matter! Are you too focused on the little things that are worth NO value and don't put enough focus on God and His will and His word? do you need to readjust your focus and look to God for help in times of trouble? 

I added verse 38 because God has some amazing promises in His word for those who love, fear and obey Him! I encourage you to look through the Bible and find those promises. Remember those things and hide them in your heart! God loves us and wants good things for us. Sometimes we just have to get through the storm to get to the calm on the other side. Maybe we just need to refocus and get our attention on HIM again! What ever it may be, God is there waiting! I want to leave you with a verse! 

"8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

Phil 4:8

wait on HIM

But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31


Sometimes we want God to move and work NOW! We have a way we think God will work and move. We think God is going to do things the way our human minds think that He will. Most times, what we think will happen doesn't  and other things do. Sometimes, God doesn't deliver immediate results and we feel like things will never go the way we want them to. Some times we need to wait on the Lord! like the verse above says! The verse above is very encouraging, because at times when we are waiting, God is renewing our strength, he is mounting us up like eagles! It says we shall run and not grow weary and walk and not faint! Going through things can be hard, and when prayers just don't seem to be answered in a time when we think they should be, waiting can be hard! Those are the times when God promises to renew our strength  to mount us up like eagles, that we will not grow weary or tired, and we shall not faint/fail. God's promises are always there for us, and we need to trust God and what He is doing more than any plan that WE may have in place for ourselves. 
We have been in many waiting places. A lot of the times we didn't know what to do, or how God was going to use certain experiences or certain hard times. We didn't at times see how the trials would work out to being anything good... But then God! Now we see what God was doing, where God was leading, and what He had in place for our lives! Now that we are seeing more of HIS plan we see how God lined everything up to get us to where we  are right now! We are right in the middle of His plan and His will, and we are blessed to know that what we went through wasn't in vain, but will be used for HIS glory! Don't worry, just wait on the Lord, and HE WILL renew your strength and get you through! The word says, "Don't be anxious about anything, but through prayer and supplication, bring your requests to God!" 

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.