OLD SELF - NEW SELF!!!

Last night at the "Beth Moore Class" that I am taking at River of Life using Beth Moore's book, "So Long Insecurities" (a book I highly recommend to everyone!), we watched part of a web cast DVD on this. She talked about the "Old Self" and how we have "Our New Self - in Christ". After all I have been born again! So why not ACT IT! I tell you God spoke to me AGAIN!!! I am sure most of you know what I am talking about. Anyway, what I wanted to share is this:

I now picture in my mind what I am doing - like responding to feelings, or even writing on this blog, etc. I ask myself: "is it my "old self" creeping up --- or is it MY NEW SELF; acting like Jesus or trying to for sure?"

Trust me this takes PRACTICE and INTENTIONAL doing by the way. I am "intentionally trying to do this"!!! I believe it won't come natural that is for certain, but it will be so worth it when it becomes A GOOD HABIT!!! After all the old self is still there - hiding in the depths because "she wants to come back - thanks to satan". BUT I have a CHOICE in the matter! Far as I'm concern she is DEAD!

I even went as far as asking Jerry when he sees something that is not pleasant or whatever he thinks it is not "Christ-Like" - he is to say "old" - that's it...that is my CLUE!!! What do you think? I asked him if I could do this for him - and he said, "we could try it to see how it goes."

God gives us so many tools to use - and if one would just look at HIS WORD - He constantly reminds us "we are born again" and "our old self is gone" - try looking them up when you get a chance. The following are the ones that I picked from Beth Moore's book lit called, "The Promise of Security" - another resource you may want to get.

Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. -- Romans 13:14

I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. -- Isaiah 41:9-10

Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that He has promised. -- Hebrews 10:35-36

Well, I JUST WANTED TO POST THIS BECAUSE I MY DEAR SISTERS WANT TO SAY "SO LONG INSECURITIES"!!!

LOVE AND PRAYERS ALWAYS, ANITA

A Day at "The Farm"

I don't have any pictures to post on the farm - I should have took my camera! Jerry, I, Jerry's brother Jeff and his wife Linda went up this past Saturday. Our mission - get wood ready for the winter for his folks!

Jerry used a chain saw and so did his brother at times to saw big chunks of wood in half. Then Linda and I would "roll them over" to the Splitter to be split. We had to lift these "heavy chunks" onto the splitter. Of course Jeff did the big big ones! There Jerry's dad would push the splitter gear and split them in pieces that we could stack. Actually Linda did all of the stacking while I threw them over to her. We did this for at least 7 hours - only taking a break for lunch.

Speaking of lunch, Jerry's Mom fixed two kinds of soup - a bean veg. one and a sauerkraut with polish sausage. Both were delicious and boy was I hungry when lunchtime came. She also served homemade buns. Then we had watermelon from their garden for dessert. Very good!!!

Then back to work. We worked until supper where his mother fixed a roast beef and a ham roast. Both were good! Also Cole slaw - and for dessert she made homemade rolls - with jelly in them - sort of like a Kolash. I had three of them!!! The wood ordeal made me so hungry.

Another highlight of the day though was petting 3 kittens - one black and white one - the other two black ones. You should have heard them purred! Oh how I wanted to bring one home with me but of course Jerry said NO because of Sam. He is right, Sam would hurt it because he is a very jealous cat.

The next day, Sunday, I could barely move. My legs were so sore and my arms too! So, Jerry and I both moved rather slow going to church. Today (Monday) I am still a little bit soar but I exercised my regular routine and I think it helped.

What a wonderful small sacrifice to make though to help out his folks for they can have wood for the winter. We are to go up again soon - hopefully by then I can forget the pain...

"Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it." -- Ezra 10:4

Oh yeah!!

A Peaceful, Thankful day!

Today has been a breath of fresh air for me! Work was "slow" finally, giving me time to get caught up on simple things. I don't know how long this will last but I tell you what I sure am enJOYing it. You know after a "week" of yuck...


I have been reading books, devotions, etc. lately on encouragement, friendship, and I tell you that they are so inspiring to me. Of course the biggest encouragement is God's Word.

ALL THIS WEEK SINCE SATURDAY - I AM REMINDED SO MUCH THAT I LOVE MY FRIENDS! I LOVE MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS - IN- CHRIST! I LOVE BEING "LOVED" - YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? So that is what I AM REALLY THANKFUL FOR PLUS:

BEING A DAUGHTER OF THE "KING", GOD ALMIGHTY!!!

ROUGH WEEK LAST WEEK BUT...

I had such a rough week last week at work. I'm still praying about "finding another job". You wouldn't believe how many tears I shed. I don't have to go into detail because I "shared" them with my SISTERS-IN-CHRIST who really did pray for me and what healing that was! They were THERE FOR ME! Of course so was OUR HEAVENLY FATHER!!! Which I am very thankful for.

Then I was reading Beth Moore's book "So Long Insecurities" and chapter 9 I believe she wrote down the prayers that I needed so bad! Yes, I said them out loud -- and YES, I HAVE BEEN RESTORED! October 17th, 2010 in fact! Of course I still have "insecurities" but what will it take to make me realize THAT GOD, JESUS, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ON MY SIDE!!! HOW CAN I GO WRONG?!!! I AM LOVED, I AM GOD'S CHILD, "what can man do to me?"

I'm still praying about moving on - and I really do need to get my resume' re-done. This my dear ones is not an easy task. I don't want to "rush" it - or jump ahead of God. I know He may want me to stay and FIGHT the GOOD FIGHT; if so, HE will GIVE ME THE STRENGTH, THE COURAGE, AND THE WAY to do this. I don't have to fret, worry, or get excited because....

SEE ABOVE.

DON'T FORGET GOD LOVES YOU!!! Thank you dear sisters for reminding me!!! (Also my husband did too - I am so blessed to be married to him)!

Check out Lisa TerKeurst

Check out Lysa TerKeurst - by the way she is going to be in Cedar Falls ON THE 30TH - I am so wanting to go - but don't want to go alone. I am going to "see if I can get someone to go with me" - it is $35. I am praying about this...in the meantime I sure am enJOYing her posts - you can subscribe to getting an e-mail from her - trust me they are GREAT! I am definetly going to buy one of her books soon. I really struggle with "self-control" so I wanted to post this on my blog to keep!!!

Self-control
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Self-control

Have you ever been in a discussion with a loved one and suddenly your blood pressure skyrockets, your nerves fray, and the worst version of you begs to come out?
Not that this ehhhhhver happens to me of course. Ahem.

Of course it happens to me. I live with other humans. But what I’m trying to better understand is this whole concept of self-control. So many times in the Bible we are told to display self-control… Proverbs 25:28, Galatians 5:23, 1 Peter 4:6, and many others.

But it’s hard to display self-control when it feels like someone else does things out of our control and yanks our emotions into a bad place. So, here’s one little tidbit I’m learning. When someone else’s actions or statements threaten to pull me into a bad place, I have a choice. I do. It may feel like I don’t have a choice. It may feel like I have to react according to my feelings, but I don’t. I have a choice.

My choice is whether or not to give them the power to control my emotions.
When I react by yelling or flying off the handle or making a snappy comment back, I basically transfer my power to that other person. When I’m void of power, I’m void of self-control. So, it seems to me if I’m going to remain self-controlled, I have to keep my power.

Now, when I say “my power,” I don’t mean something I conjure up myself. I am referring to God’s power working in me. When I react according to God’s Word, I feel that power. When I react contrary to God’s Word, I feel powerless.

Isaiah 55:10-11 is such a good reminder of how we can tap into God’s power no matter what situation we are facing:
10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Did you catch that? The answer to keeping God’s power with me and working in me to produce self-control is letting His Word get inside me. His Word seeping into my mind and my heart will accomplish things- good things- powerful things- things that help me display self-control.
So, all that to say, here’s my new tactic. When I’m facing a situation where someone is getting on the last good nerve I have, I’m going to start quoting God’s Word in the present tense. For example, if one of my sweet children starts acting NOT SO SWEET:

“In this moment I’m choosing to be self-controlled and alert. Your actions are begging me to yell and lose control. But, I realize I have an enemy and that enemy is not you. The devil is powling and roaring and looking to devour me through my own lack of control right now. But, I am God’s girl. That’s right. I am. So, I am going to humbly and quietly let God have His way in me right now. And when I do this, God will lift me and my frayed nerves up from this situation and fill me with a much better reaction than what I can give you right now. So, give me just a few minutes and then we’ll calmly talk about this.”

Girl, that’s some power right there.

And that will make you shine in so much self-control your kids- your friends- your spouse- your co-workers- won’t know what to do with you.

And that statement was just taken from one little set of verses found in 1 Peter 5: 6-8. Can you imagine what might happen if we wrote out powerful responses using God’s word on 3×5 cards and pulled them out every time we found ourselves in a situation?

I love being God’s girl. Don’t you?

Now, what are some other verses we can use?