The Honest Truth about my Life

Friends, family, and strangers,

Recently the Lord Jesus Christ has done a big work in my life and I wanted to share what He has done with the world. He has called me to be bold when I am just a weak young woman in need of so much grace and mercy. The Father has supplied that every second of my life thus far and I know He will continue to for the rest of my life and through eternity. He has delivered me from a few different addictions. I am still blown away at God’s goodness and mercy towards me.

For about 1 year from March 2014 until March 2015 I had been very depressed. I had never been so depressed before. Sad feelings and mixed emotions had happened many times for me in my 23 years of life. But this was nothing like those fleeting,  sad feelings I had had before when I was a child, teenager, and young woman.

                    I felt downcast like it says in Psalm 42:5, “Why are you cast down O my soul, and why are you at turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.” The depression came in slowly like a mist or fog. I could see that I started to get angry at other people. I started to become dissatisfied with my life.

I became dissatisfied with my relationships with my family and friends. At first I knew why, but I did not want to admit it. I was depressed because I was not living my life. I would sit for hours looking at social media websites. Since I was not active anymore I was dissatisfied with my life.

                    I used to sing, bike, jog, go on walks, have dinner with friends, go to social gatherings. I did not want to do any of these activities anymore. The reason for this was I felt useless because the social media made me feel like a failure. This was one of the many lies I started to believe. When I believed them, I lost sight of my purpose in life.

I turned to youtube videos to get a people “fix” since I was not socializing with my friends and family like I had used to do. Any of you who know me in real life know that I am an extrovert so isolating yourself by yourself day after day is tiring, feels hopeless, and feels lonely.

                  My purpose in life is to glorify God and enjoy being in a real relationship with Him.  I knew running away from this important relationship was wrong. The social media addiction took up all the time I used to spend with Jesus and actual people. But I kept pushing the addiction aside until I could not deal with it on my own any longer.

 The addiction was to social media. This addiction led to constantly checking my Facebook account, Instagram account, pinterest, text messages, and email. All of these social media platforms controlled my life. I could not get anything done that I was responsible for in a timely manner.

 I even became angry at my parents and sister pretty easily and even other people I was not related to. I was so impatient most of the time because the social media was instant and my life was not instant like I wanted. Getting angry is fine as long as we do not sin because of the anger. As it says in God’s Word in the book of Ephesians chapter 4 verse 26, another. “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” These angry outbursts happened daily. It did not help that I had a smart phone so I could check these applications 24/7 at the touch of a button.

The smartphone had become a way for me to escape from my life. It was a way for me to isolate myself from the world around me and not deal with my sin issues immediately. The social media was a distraction and a way to be complacent from my sin.

The reason I wanted to escape my life through social media was because I knew what God wanted me to do with my life and I did not want to follow through with it. He had told me I am an artist. I am a singer, songwriter, pianist, vocalist, love to draw and paint art, and write words. I wanted to run away from my identity in Christ. I feared what other people would think if I proclaimed Jesus Christ through my life. The book of Proverbs chapter 29:25 spoke loud and clear to me. “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”

I did not want to be a “city on a hill” as I am called to be as a follower of Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I did not want to stand out from the American(western) culture/crowd. I was afraid that if I stepped out in faith in Jesus Christ and shared my talents with others that I would get hurt.

 My life is actually really blessed by God and I started to forget this fact/truth while I wasted hours upon hours of my precious time on social media. It became so bad that it started to control my eating habits, sleep habits, friendships, and family relationships. Most of all, to my horror, my time with Jesus in prayer and reading His love letter to me disappeared altogether.  

I had let my emotions control me instead of the Truth. The reason these hours on social media were dangerous for me and leading to so much sin was because I was not daily refreshing myself in God’s Word, the Bible. I was desperate for water as it says in Psalm 42:1-2, “As the Deer pants for the flowing streams, so my soul pants for you O my God,  my soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

 I now have learned that if I do not read the Bible daily I forget that this earth is not my home; I have a home with my Heavenly Father in heaven. The things of this world have distracted me so many days and they still do to some extent. The social media addiction was a big worldly distraction for me. Now God is teaching me how to use social media as a tool again instead of a distraction from Jesus.

Another sin issue I have dealt with my whole life has been social anxiety. As I mentioned towards the beginning of this letter, I feared man more than God. Sometimes, my fear of what others may be thinking of me has gotten so bad in the past that I have frozen in terror. I did not know what to do because I was so scared that I would become paralyzed in fear. I know now this is from the enemy Satan.

 I still deal with fear, but now I know how to deal with it. Whenever I start to fear what others may think I can think instead, “ What does God think?” That always calms me down. It gives me peace and assurance that fear is normal, but I don’t have to stay fearful. The book of Psalm chapter 27 verse 1 has been a comfort. “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Whenever I would see a picture of another young woman I would wish I was her. I was dissatisfied with my appearance even though God says a lot about who I am in His Word. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” This verse is from the book of Psalms Chapter 139 verse 14.

Remember you are beautiful; Jesus loves you with an everlasting and unwavering love that can never ever be taken away from you. Look to the Lord Jesus and He will tell you great and marvelous things you do not know. He wants to speak to you.

The only way I was able to come out of the pit of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and social media addiction was through the Word of God. Before I let myself give into the lies and believe the lies Satan was feeding me I loved the Word of God because I believed it was the Truth. Now that I have been delivered from depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and social media addiction, I love the Bible again! I love life again! I love God again! He never let go of me even when I turned away and had tried to run away from Him. Jesus purused me like no one ever has. He relentlessly in love with me so much so that He took my penalty for my sin. He bore it all on His shoulders on the cross! But it did not stop there. He did not stay in the grave! He rose again on the 3rd day of being in the ground from the grave! He won over sin and death and now He is seated at the right hand of God interceding for His people the Church.

The Word of God (the Bible) proves true always! While I was in the midst of depression, anxiety, and social media addiction, the Word of God was telling me the Truth about myself, who I am, who I will become, and the world around me. It was the anchor that I needed, because it told me I was beautiful when my feelings told me I was not.

It was the anchor that I needed that told me you are gloriously loved by a Man who died for you! It was the anchor that told me you are going to be ok! Even if you were to die right now you would fall into the arms of a Savior who is the Perfect Father, Lover, Friend and Husband. It told me that when I was afraid I could put my trust and hope in God because He never changes.

So I would encourage you, look to Jesus. I looked to the world for all the answers to life. It gave me lies. When I look to Jesus Christ my personal Savior I have found the Truth about myself, my life, and the world around me. God tells us in the book of John chapter 14 verse 6, “Jesus said, “ I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through me.”

When I heard those words I knew it was true even while I was still enslaved to the addiction of social media. Now I can say without any doubts that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the life and now I have access to the wonderful, merciful, Holy and loving Father of the universe through Jesus Christ. I can talk to the Lord my Father anytime, anywhere.

It’s so comforting and freeing because now I have confessed my sins to the Lord and Jesus has been faithful and just to cleanse me of my sin and unrighteousness.  

Jesus put on His shoulders all of my sin and died a gruesome death for my sin. It’s like when you are in a courtroom and you are guilty of a crime. I am guilty of so many crimes;  lying, stealing, envy, cursing, suicidal thoughts and addiction to social media, not trusting God, pride, envy, coveting, laziness, lust, and worry.

 The Judge who is the Father said, “Rebecca there is a man here who wants to pay in full your penalty of death. He wants to die for you in your place.” When the Father who is the Judge told me that, even while in the midst of my addiction to social media, I knew I was beautiful and fully loved. I knew it was the Truth, that Jesus died for me.

He died for you as well. He loves you that much to die a painful, gruesome, horrible death because He wants you to be His child. He wants to wrap His loving arms around you right now and when you see Him in person someday.

 If you have some time, I would encourage you to read your Bible. The book of John is the best place to start because it’s all about Jesus, the God who died for you,  for your sins and loves you more than any other person ever could. Your family loves you, friends love you, I love you, but Jesus Christ loves you WAY more!!! ☺

Some thoughts to consider,
#1 Jesus loves you perfectly.
#2 There is nothing that can separate you from this love.
#3 Because of this love Jesus calls us to turn away from any addictions in our lives that separate us from Him.
#4 Separating ourselves from any addiction is hard.
#5 It’s not impossible to turn away from an addiction because with God all things are possible! :)
#6 If you can read The gospel of John it is a great place to start reading.
#7 We sin each day, but God’s grace covers our sins. If you sin it’s not the end of the world. It’s just another opportunity for Christ to shape you. Its another opportunity for you to look to Jesus for help and turn away from your sin.

Gods Faithfulness when we are doubting

Hi all!

I know its been forever since I have written here. God has been teaching me a lot and I have been growing in my faith despite some doubting on my part that God would use little old me for his purposes. My church is going out on the streets tonight to share the Gospel and all day I have been nervous and doubting God can use me to share His message of salvation. He always does, but today I have been sad that I am doubtful of the Big God we serve. These songs put me back into a joyful mood and made me realize how big and amazing God is again. If we can use people like David and Esther and Mary and Hannah and Moses for his purposes he can use little old me. I may not see the fruit of my labors now but Lord willing someone later in life will give their lives to the Lord because our group decided to talk to them about Jesus.

So give these songs a listen and I hope these songs give you a glimpse of our Great and Mighty God.

How Deep the Fathers Love for Us

My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness

Behold Our God

Love in Christ,
Rebecca

Glorifying God Through Song

Hi everyone!

photo copyright Lindsey Weberg Photography 2012

I am honored to have been asked to write about my journey as a musician and follower of Christ and how the two of those things mesh together. Go have a look at my guest post over at the Delight blog.

God bless!
Rebecca

God Is Good All The Time

Hey ladies and gents,

The Lord just inspired me and told me I need to say what He has been doing in my life. Even when I can't see Him working God is still good. 

My 2010 graduation with other friends graduating the same time.

Back in 2010 when I graduated from High School I never thought I would be where I am at. I was worried about the future and anxious all the time. 

 I remember worrying anytime I would go out the door of my own home. I would always think of all the things that could go wrong or just might by chance happened. I was an anxious, worried person and very vocal about that with my words. I also was very negative and pessimistic about everything.

2009, My sister Bethany and I at the art museum.

 God by His amazing, seriously His amazing, amazing grace has shown me in this new year of 2013 I don't have to worry. God has got my back as a friend has always told me. 

2012 with friends a local garden.

  So I want to impress and implore you ladies to not worry about the future! Do not worry! I was enslaved to worry and anxiety and pessimism. It ran my life and therefore I was a very negative and un-joyful person. So please repent of your negativity and be joyful, because Christ for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross! WOW! Did you catch that, for the JOY that was set before He ENDURED the cross. It hit me this year that Jesus joyfully submitted to the Father God by dying on our behalf! So God has been teaching me to kill the god of negativity, the god of anxiety, and the god of worry that was definitely competing with Christs Lordship in my life. 

 In 2012, I was much happier, but still worried about every little thing. Now I have experienced freedom in Christ knowing I do not have to be enslaved to fear anymore. I am a servant of Jesus, not a slave to sin. I always was a servant of Christ ever since He saved me at age 7, but I was struggling with the sin of worry so much. I still do struggle with worry each day, but now I am just so much more joyful because I know God holds my life and each circumstance, each thing I come across to do in His hands. Worry does not have to be my life, Jesus is.

 I am not perfect everyone! I have not figured it all out. I cannot do anything, not even blinking my eyes or walking around without God helping me. So daily I am trying to live with Jesus, beside Jesus, for Jesus.Its tough so many times, so many moments are wasted, so many moments are painful emotionally, spiritually, or mentally. But I know God is God and as it says in Exodus 14:14, " The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still!" 

  God will continually fight for us ladies! He is never gonna lose! Jesus Christ has the victory over sin and death. You cannot conquer those sins areas that are tough for you to overcome alone. Jesus Christ has already conquered them, you just gotta let Him conquer them each second, each moment, and each day of your life.

  I decided to take a swing dancing class and go dancing more often this year of 2013. Its something I had always wanted to do, but I was so much of a worrier I had never tried it on my own before. Now I have taken two lindy hop classes and love it. But my confidence is not in my body, my mind, or my image. My confidence is in Jesus Christ the Lord of the universe. In Him alone I give the glory.

 Seriously ladies, Jesus has changed my life and he continues to do so! My prayer is that He would do the same daily in each of your lives as well. God is real, even when you can't hear Him speak through His WORD clearly to you about something you struggle with or you doubt His goodness or sovereign plan for your life. He is still God, He is the same yesterday, today, and for the rest of our lives. Isn't that amazing? He is never gonna change, even when our emotions do. He is always going to be steadfast in Love, Justice, being faithful, and being the Truth.

Besides reading the Bible, two books that have changed my way of thinking about life are A Woman's Wisdom:How the Book of Proverbs Speaks To Everything by Lydia Brownback and Overcoming, Fear, and Anxiety by Elyse Fitzpatrick.

 Do any of you struggle with worry, fear of man or the future, or anxiety? Its ok if you do because I think everyone does to some extent. God just happened to show me that I don't need to worry anymore because He has got my back always and He has your back too ladies.

In Christ with love,
Rebecca

Leaving a Legacy

 

Click on the button to go to Angie's blog Leaving a Legacy.

Click on the button to go to Angie's blog about childbirth and see her book called Redeeming Childbirth. Its on my to read list. :)

 

 Hi Ladies, 

No matter what season of life you are in, single, married, young or old you need to listen to this interview with Angie. It was definitely an eye opener, helping me to realize each moment counts. What kind of legacy am I leaving? Is it a legacy that will point others to my Savior Jesus Christ? Does the clothing I wear, the things I talk about, the plans I make glorify my Father in heaven? These are all you might say tough questions, but they are important ones we must think about as believers in Christ.


Angie blogs over at Redeeming Childbirth and Leaving A Legacy and I am so glad my sister Bethany and my friend Jennifer introduced this lady to me.  So definitely check out both of her blogs and if you don't have time for that at least listen to her interview while you make breakfast or fold the laundry. :) Thats what I did today. 

God bless,
Rebecca Ann

Your worth is in the fact that you are His!

I saw this photo on google+ this morning.

 I had to share my thoughts as a response to what this tumbler picture is saying. We don't have worth because we are in a relationship with another human. We have worth because we are children of the Living God!

  I am sharing this to state that you can never put your whole being into a relationship with another person. You will never find true fulfillment in a relationship with a person. The only way to have worth and acceptance is to be washed in the blood of Jesus and have a relationship with the God of the universe. It breaks my heart that girls just like me are trying to find fulfillment and acceptance from a relationship instead of in Christ alone. I tried to find fulfillment in relationships too, but it was empty and cold and dark and my identity felt blurred as a teen. The Lord drew me to His side and showed me my identity is that I am His child and daughter. He wants to have a relationship with me all the time even when I mess up. He does not push me away when I say a harsh word, don't have the "perfect" clothes, and fail to call on Him when I need him. Jesus Christ is perfect, He loves with an unconditional love. A love that is steadfast even when my love for Him is not steadfast. So ladies please look to your Savior who did save you by dying on the cross.

  Don't look to another person to be that savior, they can't, its impossible. No matter all the movies and stories you have heard of the prince who saves the girl. No human being can save you from your sin, only the Lord of the Universe is perfect and has saved you.

  By no means am I perfect, I mess every day in my thoughts, words, actions, and deeds! I don't have this whole being single thing totally figured out or anything either. I am just trying in my oh so not perfect way to live moment by moment with Christ. Look to Him, The Lord God who formed you in your mothers womb before the world was made. The Lord Jesus chose you to be His.

God bless,
Rebecca

Long Time No Talk

Hi My Dear Readers!

I know I have not posted a blog update in forever (or so it seems!)! Thank you to Alison for asking how I was and thanks for sharing your thankfulness for my blog too. :) I was encouraged and touched by the fact that you noticed I had not posted and missed the posts. Also Vicki you left a comment too on my last post and asked how I was doing. Vicki, in April when I posted about that skirt, if I were to respond now my response would be so different. I am not negative and a pessimist like I used to be, God has been making me into a new creation more and more. He has been sanctifying me and drawing me to His side over these past 4-ish months. God is so so good!!!

I am not going to promise I will be posting more frequently now. I have made promises on this blog before and not followed through, so I will not be making promises I can't keep. The goal I would like to set for myself would be to do at least 2-4 blog posts a month about different subjects I have been learning about. Whether that is a book review, my thoughts on the Bible and what I am learning from God's Word, tutorials for how to take care of curly hair, tutorials for healthy skin care, pictures of what my family and I are up to, etc. I want to be more intentional about what I post and that those posts would be well thought out and build others up in the Lord.

An update about my life, my family has been attending one church now since November 2012, so its been 8 months and I have felt God's peace that this is where I am supposed to be. I praise God He has given me peace about this church, because I was so resistant about this being His will for me right now. I never thought I would go to a church that is as large as the one we are attending. 1,000s of people attend this church, so yes its a mega church. But, every Sunday I have been growing spiritually through the worship of our Lord through hearing from His Word and worshiping Him. I look forward to church, where as, when we were church hunting, it was a dread some days. Thank you to those in my life and through the internet who prayed for my family and I! The Lord indeed has done wondrous deeds in my life, a good church is just one of those wondrous things He has done! God is so so good to us all, no matter what we are going through. My life by far is not perfect, because of my sin, I fall short, but as a friend said the other day," The moment we sin we are already forgiven by Jesus!" WOW! The moment I sin God already forgave me?! Thats just amazing and I just can't comprehend how far His mercies are to us each day.

These verses says what I was amazed about perfectly,

"19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." -Romans 5:19-21

 

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6

 "Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and all that is within me,

bless his holy name!

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits,

3 who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

5 who satisfies you with good

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The Lord works righteousness

and justice for all who are oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,

his acts to the people of Israel.

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9 He will not always chide,

nor will he keep his anger forever.

10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

13 As a father shows compassion to his children,

so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

14 For he knows our frame;

he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

and its place knows it no more.

17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,

and his righteousness to children's children,

18 to those who keep his covenant

and remember to do his commandments.

19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,

and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,

you mighty ones who do his word,

obeying the voice of his word!

21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,

his ministers, who do his will!

22 Bless the Lord, all his works,

in all places of his dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!"- Psalm 103

" I waited patiently for the Lord;

he inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up from the pit of destruction,

out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock,

making my steps secure.

He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear,

and put their trust in the Lord.

Blessed is the man who makes

the Lord his trust,

who does not turn to the proud,

to those who go astray after a lie!

You have multiplied, O Lord my God,

your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;

none can compare with you!

I will proclaim and tell of them,

yet they are more than can be told."- Psalm 40:1-5

(All Scripture is from the ESV Bible)

There are so many more verses and things I could say about the AMAZING God we serve. He is just so big and its been amazing me so much how He is over all He has made and it outside of time and space. My dad and others have always told me, "Rebecca God is so big, He is outside of our comprehension of time." All the more reason for me to be in awe and fear Him!

Have any of you been learning about a certain aspect about God recently or have a favorite verse you have been pondering lately? Or maybe you have some to praise God for? A wondrous deed God has done in your life?Just leave it in a comment below or feel free to email me at ra.stricker@gmail.com

God bless and love in Christ!

Rebecca

November is fleeting

Hey ya'll! Yes side pony tails are totally in style again! not! haha :) Yeah so that is how I wear my hair when I go to bed, I thought it was too 90's to not share. :) Yes I am a 90's child.

My boys!I  love them.

The thanksgiving feast with friends was too much fun and we were so blessed to spend it with fellow believers in Christ despite not having a church home right now.

The whole group after we stuffed ourselves, no I guess I should say ate our fill. :) We sang hymns to the Lord, played a fun game, and had great conversation. It was a lovely evening and afternoon.

Happy thanksgiving late ya'll and don't forget God is good in abundance and plenty and in times of hardship as well. Praise God for His steadfast faithfulness to us.

God bless,
Rebecca

He knows the future

photo source

I saw this on facebook today and just had to share. Praise the Lord He knows the plans he has for us even when we don't! I have exams coming up December 7th, we are church hunting again, Thanksgiving is gone and Christmas is approaching. Sometimes I just want to sit down and cry my eyes out or fret about the future, but I know God has it under control and I need not worry. Ladies comment below how the Lord is keeping you sane amidst the chaos! He is keeping me sane because of His WORD and friends and family pointing me to Him.

God bless!
Rebecca

Listen for His Still Small Voice

I am loving this youtube channel called Scripture lullabies, but remember to subscribe to their new channel too called called ClothedbyGrace. I have been so blessed by their Scripture filled songs. I thought you all would too!

I think this song echos Psalm 37 very well too, which I have been trying to etch on my heart lately.


"Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.
The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.
The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;
their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.
Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.
But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
when he delights in his way;
though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the LORD upholds his hand.
I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.
Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
For the LORD loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever.
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.
The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
The LORD will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
Wait for the LORD and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.
Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him."
(Psalm 37 ESV)

Help me O Lord God to listen to your voice! No matter how many distractions surround, may you surround my thoughts even more!

Praise the Lord!
Rebecca

Faith

photo source

I listened to an awesome sermon by Mark Driscoll on faith yesterday. Take a listen here. 

God bless,

Rebecca

I Can Do All Things Through Christ

I love this song! I recently found this lovely groups youtube channel and I am being blessed by their Scripture based music.

Now I believe this verse in the Bible has been twisted a lot for people to use to give ground for life styles that do not please God. I believe we need to look at the verse in context and not out of context. I don't think we should say, Lord I know I can do everything through you so help me to be able to get into a relationship with "Jack" so I can be happy. No no no! Lets have a look at the whole chapter 4 of Philippians to see what Paul is talking about here exactly by saying, " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."


"I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit."

(Philippians 4:2-23 ESV)

He is talking about the church at Philipi here and is exhorting them to realize that they can rejoice in any and all circumstances just like he has. He rejoiced when he had little and much and realized that in any life circumstance he could still rejoice ,because of Jesus Christ. So he saying here that in any circumstance he can do whatever the Lord would have him to do through Christ who gives him strength. So no I don't think God would give you strength to kill someone or commit adultery  because those two things are contrary to Gods commandments to His children to turn away from evil and do good.

Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated! I love discussions too on how you interpret the verses or what God has shown you as you do all things through Him. Comment away! :)

God bless,
Rebecca

The Steadfast Love of the Lord Never Ceases

I was reading Psalm 40 and when I read again how the love of the Lord is steadfast and never ceases I wanted to listen to that in a song. I youtubed it and this song came up. I love it! Thank you Lord for your faithfulness and steadfast love Lord!


I waited patiently for the LORD;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD.
Blessed is the man who makes
the LORD his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.
In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering
you have not required.
Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.”
I have told the glad news of deliverance
in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
as you know, O LORD.
I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
from the great congregation.
As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain
your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
ever preserve me!
For evils have encompassed me
beyond number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
my heart fails me.
Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me!
O LORD, make haste to help me!
Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who delight in my hurt!
Let those be appalled because of their shame
who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”
But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, “Great is the LORD!”
As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!
(Psalm 40 ESV)


Today when I went to the dentist I had a very interesting conversation with my dentist. She is catholic, which I did not realize, I thought she was an atheist.  She asked why she had not seen me for a while, I told her it was because my Grandpa had passed and our family had a lot of schedule changes with the funeral and all that. She understood, but she was surprised when I told her," I am so blessed that He was a christian and loved the Lord, so I will see him again in heaven." The dentist said, " Oh yes I believe I will see my loved ones in heaven too." Then she told me something like, " But I don't believe that just us Christians are going to heaven, I believe my friends won't be damned if they are not Christians  I believe there is a separate heaven for them and if they are a good person they are going to heaven and not hell." I was really surprised, but at the same time not surprised she believed that good people can get into heaven. The problem with that is we all are not good people, we are sinners. I told her," I believe that even us Christians are not good people, we are sinners. Its only because Jesus saved us we can be in heaven." Then she said, " Sure, but I still think my friends even if they believe something different will be in heaven."

It truly was an enlightening conversation. I pray that I was a witness, as I don't believe I am a good person, its only because Jesus lives in me now that I am saved by His blood that I have even a drop of good in me.

Any thoughts on this? What would you have said to my dentist? I could not say much to her, as she had her hands in my mouth half the time. ;)

God bless,
Rebecca