Picking Teams

At some point, we must choose. He can't help us here- we are now free to go left or right, the decision is ours. For the longest time I swayed back and forth, committing to Him and then later questioning and going my own way, never picking a team- like a really bad game of tug of war. The time comes when you must make the choice and stand tall beside it. You see, He is waiting for us to make a choice. He has left us just enough here to believe and have faith, He has left His word, the scriptures, and lastly He sent His son- there is no more that can be done. God is patient and kind, and He waits . . . may we always pick the right team, and stay forever faithful and true. many blessings.

Casting Crowns- "If We Ever Needed You":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjRQKhzWGQw&feature=related

Perfect Love

"Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone- To have a deep soul relationship with another- to be loved thoroughly, and exclusively. But God, to a Christian, says: I want you to be satisfied, fulfilled, and content with being loved by Me alone- With giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me- With having an intensely personal and unique relationship With Me alone. Discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found, Will you be capable of the best human relationship that I have planned for you.

I want you to be united with another after you are united with Me- Exclusive of anyone or anything else, Exclusive of any other desires or longings. I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, And allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing- One that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best- Please allow Me to bring it to you. You just keep watching Me, trusting Me- Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am. Keep listening and learning the things I tell you. You just wait. That's all.

Don't be anxious. Don't worry. Don't look around at the things Others have gotten or that I've given them. Don't look at the things you think you want. You just keep looking off and up to Me, Or you'll miss what I want to show you.
And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love Far more wonderful than any you would dream of. You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready, (I am working even at this moment to have both of you ready at the same time), Until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I prepared for you, You won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with me. And this is the perfect love."

-Author and original title unknown

Requests and Prayers

Like the marathon runner who first began jogging simply to lose a few pounds, but soon discovered he had a passion for it, we first approach prayer as asking God for something we want. Hopefully though, we can move beyond always making requests and simply pray because He is worthy. What He wants is a relationship with you, a daily communication. Take a moment here and there throughout the day to simply "be" with the Lord, without asking for things. After all, if we have Him, what else exactly do we think we need?

Keep Running

Just because the world tells you something is impossible, doesn't mean that it is. If someone who never ran before decides to go out and run a 5 mile race, chances are he is not going to make it. Does that mean he'll never be able to run that distance? No, but it will take training and practice and a great deal of discipline. The things God asks of you are not easy- you may fall and have to keep trying- but never give up. It's only impossible if you listen to the ones who say "it's too hard- just relax, give up, God will understand". How will you know if you never try? The Father is easily pleased, but seldom satisfied. He will be the one pushing you further, to do better, to go far beyond that which is "comfortable". Before you know it, He will have you doing things you never thought you could, and you will be glad you didn't settle for the easy way. So when the world tells you that it's not worth it to try, that you should just give up (or give in), that it's time to stop now that you are getting tired, just smile and nod . . . and keep running. There's no telling how far you'll get.

Toby Mac
"Lose My Soul" (from the album Portable Sounds, 2007):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Duj9sS-mqSo

Interesting Take on Christian Marriage (for men)

I found this in response to an article (on the internet) on dating and marriage. Wow, this lady's words really spoke to me:

"I hope you're blessed and are led to your heart's desire!
If you're a Christian Man looking for love and/or marriage then please read the following to help in your search.

Prayer: Thank You Almighty GOD for this medium of technology to communicate and I ask that You prepare this man's heart for who You would have for him. Use his natural abilities with Your Supernatural abilities to create another family for Your Kingdom. In Jesus' Mighty Name. Amen.

WISDOM: You need wisdom to know if this is your time for harvest concerning GOD's best for you. Do you expect a harvest without having planted seed? What seeds have you planted for this future wife/family you desire? What does your garden of love look like? Weeds in certain spots? One good patch meaning you only love certain people? What does your garden of trust look like? Is it gated up? What about your garden of finances? Is there a bench in that garden where someone could sit and observe how responsible or irresponsible you are? Check the "state" of yourself before you open the doors to the "visitors". Wisdom is all over GOD's Word and especially in Proverbs. Read a Proverb to coincide with the day and see how your life changes if you read, meditate and apply what you have read. If you have been planting seeds and tending to your garden of life ~ wonderful! Be expecting a harvest! If you have not then there are many tools for you to get your garden of life in order so that those seeds and/or new seeds that are planted will grow beautifully. Your harvest for anything in life and especially concerning a wife will be dependent on your commitment to nurturing your garden.

FAITH: Without faith it is impossible to please GOD! If you want to please our Magnificent Creator then you need to have faith! Don't believe there's not some female for you because of the state of the world or the dating scene. Operate in faith and continue to believe for GOD's best for you!

TRUST: Sometimes you men put on that Superman suit and feel like you need to do all these superhuman things. Again, your natural ability with GOD's Supernatural ability will allow for you to find her or you be led to one another. You don't have to waste your resources when you can be investing those resources. Be wise and trust GOD!

STUDY: Study what a woman of GOD is supposed to look, act and develop into. Read Proverbs 31, ask your Pastor, ask a Deacon, ask a mature man/woman of GOD concerning how her exterior/interior should be. Don't go thinking you will know because the enemy will deceive you by your prideful thinking. Please ask! Get counsel and study.
Think of her as a house. Is she a beautiful house on the outside with cobwebs and dirt on the inside? Is she decorated finely and clean on the inside but needs some exterior work done? Look at that house during the day, at night, when it rains, when the Sun shines and observe how it looks in different seasons, situations and adapts to different conditions. Is the house inviting? Is the house too inviting and always packed with people? Who all occupies this house? How does the landscaping look? How do her gardens look? Is the house in order if you were to be invited inside? Are there means of nourishment or are her cupboards bare? And if you were to own this house how would you maintain it? Can you afford to maintain it? Has the house been damaged? Are you willing to repair, renovate and/or rebuild? Can you envision yourself living in as well as presenting this house as your house? Count the costs of ownership.

PATIENCE: Love is patient first and foremost. If there is no patience there is no love. If this person loves you then she will be patient while you search for GOD's best. If she is GOD's best for you then she will not be angered and fully understand when you explain you are looking at other "houses" too.

PRAY: Pray GOD's Will and not your will.

REMEMBER! Marriage is to further GOD's Kingdom so that there are Godly seeds. Ask yourself are your marriage intentions for selfish desires or to seek GOD's Kingdom first.
With love, peace and for you to be blessed!~Diamond"


Simply Beautiful.

The Final Chapter

All things are possible, but not all things are beneficial. Stop telling God what you need, for He knows far better than you do what the heart longs for and what it really desires. I am constantly praying and being told, "Wait"- "no, not yet"- "you are not ready for what you ask Me for". I have absolutely no idea what the future holds now, only that terrible feeling of time getting away from me, of hands on the clock ticking away, questions asked and unanswered, a heart that longs but barely even understands the longing. Will there be time for a future for me, for a wife and family, to live an upright life? Again, "wait- all in My time", then silence. Nothing more to be said, I suppose. The plan has already been sketched in His library, of course. The problem is I want to turn quickly to the last page and see how it all ends sometimes . . . sometimes.

Bridges in Time

Just because something looks hopeless and out of reach in your life, doesn't mean that it is. Don't give up. The chasm is wide, and there is no way across that you can see, but He has planned a bridge to take you where you need to go. I believe there are specific moments in time, if you truly believe, when He can make the impossible happen. Keep pressing on, keep trusting Him, and above all keep your eyes open. When that one moment arrives, when the bridge goes out to take you to a place you never could have made it to on your own, have the courage to go across. Those bridges don't stay up for long, and eventually the time will pass. He has provided a way, but He can't make you cross it. The rest is up to you.

No Trespassing

There must be something that distinguishes us from the rest of the world. At some point, we are going to have to resist some urge we'd rather not, we are going to have to take the long path around out of respect- even when it might be quicker and easier to follow everyone else through the shortcut, tromping through the garden. Yes, we might have liked to have gone that way, but He asked us not to. "I know it looks faster, but out of respect for Me, take the other way please." Sometimes we must not ask why, but simply trust and believe.

The Smallest Requests

Some of the things He will ask you to begin cutting out of your life will seem trivial to you at first, things that you never in a million years would have imagined as being stumbling blocks, but they are. The more you listen to His voice, the harder it is to ignore. When you step back away from those things, you begin to realize what a hold they had on you. Each day a new lesson, the Great teacher is easily pleased but seldom satisfied. The learning continues . . .