Better Days Ahead

I'm a 45 year old woman who is on an adventure to discover the purpose in all the trials and tribulations I have gone through. As I'm trying to discover what James says, "Consider it nothing but joy my bretheren when you go through many trials, that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.
I have two wonderful children and lost my husband Rob on April 19, 2014. I live in my father and step mother's home and was taking care of my step mother until she passed just recently on March 22nd. My father works away and is hardly even here. My 24 year old son who was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder moved back with us last year, but seems to be not suffering delusions currently. My 15 year old daughter was in and out of behavioral health programs last year and failed 7th grade. We had quite a fight with the school who took us to truancy court for her absences. We now have more peace because she is home schooling online with a self-pace school. I am currently questioning what I should do to support my family, but wasn't able to due to caring for my sick stepmother. I have a dream to one day be self-employed. I just feel I need to get through the hurdles that seem to keep me back. So That is what this blog is about. I'm trying to find out what fears and mindsets keep me bound and keep me from pursuing my dreams. I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Dare to Take Your Place

 
by  Kenneth Copeland 
 
– Titus 3:4,6-7
A covenant of grace. That's what you and I have with Almighty God. If you could truly grasp the significance of that, you'd never be the same again.


What exactly is a covenant of grace? It's a relationship of favor that gives you access to someone else's power.

An illustration of a covenant of grace is the covenant the old Sicilian "family" members have with the "godfather" of the "family."

In that group, a weak person might come in and ask the Don for a favor. The Don would say, "I will grant this favor and I will ask a favor of you, and when that time comes, I will collect it."

Once that was said, the weak person would become excited. Suddenly he knew he would no longer have this problem because anyone who tried to rough him up would now have to face the godfather, the one with all the power. Suddenly, that little guy's attitude would change. He would leave the presence of the head of the family in the full assurance that he didn't have a thing to worry about. He was no longer small and powerless in his own mind. He had gained favor (grace) with the powerful.

He'd walk out thinking, "Everything is handled. All I have to do now is whatever the Don asks me to do--and the Don knows I don't have anything, so whatever he asks me to do, he'll provide the wherewithal to do it."

That's grace. God's willingness to enter into blood covenant with you and give you everything He has in exchange for everything you have.

He took your sin to give you His righteousness. He took your sickness to give you His health. He took your poverty in order to meet all your needs according to His riches in glory. Whenever He asks you to do something, He provides everything you need to carry it out.

The great Jehovah, God of heaven and earth, is your Father God. Can you understand that? If you're under the blood of Jesus, you've been made a covenant child of the most powerful being in the universe.

Dare to take your place in the family!

Scripture Reading: Luke 4:14-21

Monday, December 13, 2010

Don't Panic

by Gloria Copeland 
 
– Proverbs 16:3
       Right now you may be on the edge of a major decision... about to make a change in your job or your church or your personal life. You know you need divine guidance. And you're hoping desperately to hear from the Lord. If that's your situation, don't panic. Being led by the Lord isn't some complicated process that only the spiritual "pros" can master. I found that out years ago when I was a new believer. I wanted to live in a way that was pleasing to God, but I didn't know how to make decisions that were in line with His will.

Then one day as I was studying The Amplified Bible, I came across Proverbs 16:3. Immediately, I latched onto this verse and began to use it in my life--and I can tell you now from experience, it works!

It will work for you too if you'll do what it says. Roll your works over on God, commit your ways to Him, trust them wholly to Him. He'll start adjusting your thoughts to be like His until, at some point, you'll just know the right thing to do. Of course, faith is involved. One of the requirements is trust, and you won't be able to do that without feeding on God's Word. Then as you practice rolling your works upon the Lord and trusting Him, you become more confident in your ability to hear. Start now with whatever problem is bothering you. Pray and trust God with it. In other words, believe you receive when you pray. Stop worrying and begin believing.

Learn to live this way and it doesn't matter whether you've been a Christian 30 minutes or 30 years, your plans shall be established and succeed!

Scripture Reading: Psalm 37:1-7

Friday, December 10, 2010

Walk in obedience to the Lord

Psalm 128

A song of ascents. 1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
   who walk in obedience to him.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
   blessings and prosperity will be yours.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
   within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
   around your table.
4 Yes, this will be the blessing
   for the man who fears the LORD.
 5 May the LORD bless you from Zion;
   may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
   all the days of your life.
6 May you live to see your children’s children—
   peace be on Israel.

Lord I do desire to walk in obedience to you.  My heart cries out to you you know that we don't have enough in the natural to meet our needs.  I'm praying for our needs to be met and that we have seed to sow.  You say in your word that you do provide seed for the sower.  Help me also to sow good seed in what I think and say to and about people. Let me not be a people pleas er, but pleasing to you oh Lord.  I know that others do things that they shouldn't and tell you you can too, but you aren't of this world.  We don't have to live like the world, stealing and thinking oh everyone else does. Even stealing a grape from the grocery store. A christian is judged more severely than the world for doing the same as it does.  Let me not be conformed to this world but let me be transformed my the renewing of my mind.  Holy Spirit convict me when I am doing as the world does.  Help me give me the courage to stand up for you even though it is going against the crowd.  Help me to remember to say Father forgive them for they know not what they do when they ridicule me.  Someone once told me as they handed me a devotional booklet oh I'm gonna make you Holy and not tell anyone.  That was wrong only God can make us Holy and He doesn't want us to keep Him a secret.  Well have a blessed day!  May the Lord bless and keep you.

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Get the Two Together

by Kenneth Copeland
 
 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
– Colossians 2:6-7
Established in the faith and abounding with thanksgiving. These days it seems that's a rare combination.

A lot of people have been taught faith over the last several years, and a lot of people have been taught to abound with thanksgiving. But it's been hard to set the two together. Faith folks want to confess the Word all the time, but they don't praise God very much. And those who like to praise God just want to jump and shout and dance and have a good time in the Lord. You can't get them to get very serious about the Word.

Success comes from combining the two.


So, do it! Put them together in your life. When you run into a challenge, don't just stand around grim-faced and white-knuckled holding onto your faith. Raise your hands high and praise. Start thanking God in the midst of what's happening around you. Keep thanking Him for the answer until it comes.

Instead of just standing on the Word, let the joy of the Lord enable you to dance around on it a little. It will get you where you're going a whole lot faster...and both you and God will have a much better time on the way.
Scripture Reading: Colossians 2:1-10


Sunday, December 05, 2010

What Riches Were Meant to Do

by Kenneth Copeland 
              Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is   good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.– Ephesians 4:28

It always amazes me when I preach about prosperity and someone comes up to me and says, "I don't need much prosperity. I'm a simple person with a simple life. So I just ask God for enough to meet my needs."

They think that's humility, but it's not. It's selfishness! They don't realize it, but they're actually saying, "All I care about is meeting my own needs. I have no ambition to help meet anyone else's."

They could ask God for a million dollars, take out just enough to meet their needs, and give the rest away. But that doesn't even occur to them because when it comes to money, they've been brainwashed by a world that says if you have it, you've got to keep it.

That philosophy has hindered the ministry of Jesus Christ on the earth today. It has caused preachers to set aside their calling and get secular jobs just to survive. It's handicapped churches and stunted the growth of ministries that could have reached thousands more for the Lord.

It takes money to preach the gospel. Jesus Himself knew that, and contrary to what some people think, His ministry was not a poor one. He had so much money coming in and going out through His ministry that He had to appoint a treasurer. His name was Judas.

But Jesus didn't store up that money for Himself. He gave it to meet the needs of those around Him. He had such a reputation for giving that on the night of that last Passover when Judas left so abruptly, the disciples assumed that Jesus had sent him out to give to the poor.

Can you imagine how much and how often Jesus must have given to the poor for the disciples to make that assumption?

Jesus never built a worldly empire for Himself. But that doesn't mean He was poor. It means He was the greatest giver who ever walked the face of this earth, and it's time we started following in His footsteps.

Don't turn down the wealth God wants to give you just because you don't "need" it. Dare to accept it, then pass it along to those who do. Stop working for a living and start working for a "giving." Discover for yourself what riches were really meant to do.
Scripture Reading: Luke 12:15-31

My prayer is that the Lord provide me seed to sow into the kingdom.  I pray not to just meet my needs but also to meet the needs of the building of the Kingdom.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Don't Play Dead

by Gloria Copeland (Kenneth Copeland Ministries)

– Matthew 11:12

The Amplified Bible says, "A share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion."

I want you to get violent today. Yes, violent, determined, zealous. I want you to get so committed to the things of God that you'll withstand any attempt to take them away from you. Too many believers these days are like the Israelites. They're wandering around in a wilderness of defeat because there's an enemy in the Promised Land. They're being robbed of their rightful inheritance because they're afraid to fight him. They keep hoping that somehow they'll find a way in without using force. But they won't! You have to make demands where Satan and his associates are concerned.


When God sent the Israelites into Canaan, He said, "Send the armed men to go before you." They were to go up armed--ready for the fight. He knew they'd have to fight to take the land. He never promised them that they wouldn't. What He promised them was they'd win every time. The same is true for you. You can't just lie down and play dead when you're dealing with the devil. He's not going to let go of any area of your life--of your health or your finances or anything else--without a fight. He's not going to give it up unless you force him.

Quit sitting there in the wilderness. Quit sitting there while the devil steals the blessings of God out from under you. You have God's permission and His power and His ability to take the land. Get violent enough to do something about it...today!

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 31:1-8

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+31%3A1-8&version=NIV

This was along with a Praise Jam I went to last night was inspiring.  I haven't been fighting.  I think I've been just standing there letting the devil get his punches in and I just am taking it.  I need to fight.  But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [this is that which I impart to them as their justification], says the Lord (Isaiah 54:17).  Scripture will get me through.  I need to stop being so lazy and confess out of my mouth.  I need to get up earlier and confess.  I need to stop making excuses.  I think I need to tell my son to only come during day.  I need my morning with the Lord.  I am praying about another job I might be offered.  I hope they don't count me out because I said to start off with I couldn't work 7 days.  I don't even know what all the job entails, but I do know it will be an early morning shift.  If the money is the same I'm making at McDonald's I will take it.  I will give my notice and quit McDonalds  I am so unhappy there.  I know they won't want me to leave, but it is taking a toll on my body.  To be standing on my feet for 6 hours straight and sometimes getting a 15 min break.  I know I'm carrying a lot of extra weight.  I need to get back to the doctors and see if I can somehow get into Virtua's.  Well I believe it is a start.  Trouble don't last always.

Saturday, October 09, 2010

Finding Contentment

Today I have been resting and listening to music via YouTube.  I love YouTube.  God gives me a song in my heart and I just search it and play it.  I was thinking on Philippians 4:13 Amp. "I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me (I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me: I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency)"  I am only sufficient through Christ who strengthens me.  I cannot do it in my own strength.  I trade His dying on the cross for my sin, my shame, my sickness.  By His stripes I am healed.  When do we fall short?  When we don't spend time basking in God's presence.  We are empty and need to be filled.  We all have that God shaped hole inside that only God can fill.  We can't fill it with chocolate, brownies, smoking, drinking or even sex.  God is the only one who can complete us.  The person in that movie with Tom Cruise got it wrong.  They were saying another person completed them.  We can't complete each other.  My spouse isn't my better half.  We are complete as we spend time in God's word and walking out our own souls salvation with fear and trembling.  God does and can equip us to do what we have to do.  We need times of quiet with God.  We need to be refreshed and renewed.  Spending time with loved ones is great, but we need to seek our creator.  He has the answers to how to treat our spouse how our attitude should be toward our family and co-workers.  I will be still and know you are God.  You have all my loved ones in your hand.  I was singing this song with my daughter this week right before we got some bad news that a loved one was in the hospital.  We had just mentioned their name in the song.  I found myself comforted in knowing God has the whole world in His hands.  I don't need to control things I can't.  It is great to just be and not have to feel like I have to have all the answers.  God has the healing he has our answers.  We need to tell our souls to be still.  We need to command ourselves not to be shaken, fearful for our God is more than the whole world against us.  God is love and His perfect love casts out all fear.  Goodnight and God bless!!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Be Courageous

I was having devotionals and this was what I read.  I really wanted to share.  It is awesome how God knows what you need.  It was written by Gloria Copeland from Kenneth Copeland Ministries.  I'm off to the salt mines and praying the Lord will give me strength and courage.  I am having conflicts with a co-worker and I pray the Lord can give me courage to talk to her.  I pray He gives me the opportunity and words to say.  Have a blessed Day!

Gloria Copeland
– Joshua 1:7

Living a life of faith takes courage. Most people don't realize it, but it does! It takes courage to stand up in the face of sickness and declare you're healed by the stripes of Jesus. It takes courage to believe for prosperity and put your last dime in the offering plate when poverty is staring you in the face. There are going to be some days when you'd rather pull the covers over your head and hide than take another faith stand against the devil. But you can't. Because the battle of faith isn't fought once and then forgotten. If you want to keep living in victory, you have to fight it again and again.


There's no way around it. Of course, some of God's people still try to find one. The Israelites, for example. They thought their battles should be over when they crossed the Red Sea. So when they heard reports of giants living in the Promised Land, they decided they couldn't face the fight. Their courage failed them. So they took a 40-year detour through the wilderness.

But you know what? They still couldn't avoid that fight. When the time came for the next generation to enter the Promised Land, the giants were still there!


This time, however, they found the courage to face them. Where did they find it? In the Word of God.

Their leader, Joshua, had obeyed the instruction of the Lord and kept that Word on his mind and in his heart day and night. He'd meditated on it and let it constantly remind him that God was on their side.

If you're going to fight the good fight of faith to the finish, you'll have to do just like Joshua did. You'll have to continually draw courage from the Word of God. So make up your mind to do it. Get into that Word and let it change you from a coward to an overcomer. Then march into battle and slay the giants in your land.

Scripture Reading: Joshua 1

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

His Mercies are new every morning

I have been fighting hoplessness in my situation.  My husband and I are fighting discouragement.  He has been told they need to replace both his hips and do carple tunnel surgery and this will be a year December.  He has slowly become depressed and somedays bearly gets out of bed.  It reminds me of that commercial that says depression hurts everyone.  I fight every day to hold my head up and not allow myself to sink.  There is hope in Jesus Christ.  I have been holding onto Isaiah 30:18  "And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you.  For the Lord is a God of justice.  Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!  My bible is an amplified and it only reads this way in this translation.  I also love the translation of John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you: My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled]."  I have quoted that last part to myself before and I can do it again.  Robin stop allowing yourself to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled you can minister to people.  I sometimes become fearful when it comes to standing before people and interceeding in prayer.  I come against the spirit of fear.  I can quote and walk in Isaiah 61 This scripture when I quote it to myself becomes activing and energizes me to minister.  I don't look to myself or my ability I only look to Jesus the author and finisher of my faith.  Well had a great uplifting prayer night.  I was more energized after leaving but now I'm becoming weary.  I have hope and pray I can be a help to another on my journey.  Well until next blog God Loves you and so do I.

Monday, September 13, 2010

7 Steps of Wisdom

Step 1 - Stop
Step 2 - Wait
Step 3 - Pray
Step 4 - Search the Scriptures
Step 5 - Ask for Wise Counsel
Step 6 - Make a Decision
Step 7 - Create a Plan
 
I am on a journey to do these 7 steps. I am seeking how to stop and overcome not completing stuff.  I start a project and do not complete.  I start a weightloss plan and do not finish.  I starting reading books and don't finish.  I intend to get up and devote an hour to prayer and am not consistent. I will stick to a plan and ask wise counsel to keep me accountable.  I also know that I have been tempted in ways I know are wrong to give up and give into somethings that are temporary.  They don't give you lasting joy they just complicate the situation.  I want to start making money from home.  I dream of staying home and taking care of my apartment.  I desire to have freedom to minister to people and not be in a hurry.  I feel trapped in a job I hate.  More later as I must go do the daily grind.

God bless until this evening.  How does one balance everything?