Love & Life

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

As I was decorating my house for the upcoming holiday of Valentines Day, I decided to find some meaningful words to incorporate.

I have a canvas picture of the scripture verse above, from 
1 Corinthians 13:13.  I hung that, but then decided to look for a great quote to write on my Chalkboard tray, to hang next to it. 

I decided on...

As I wrote on and decorated the tray, I started thinking about both sets of words.  I pondered how love really is the center of life!  Our days and nights revolve around those that we love.  Our prayer and worship life is centered upon a God that we love.  Our healthy habits stem from our love of ourselves and our respect and love for God, who gave us our body.

As for 1 Corinthians 13:13; without love, hope might be lost, and without love, there would not be anything to have faith in; so truly, the greatest of those IS LOVE! 

The love of God, for all of creation, all people, shows, in that he has created everything to coexist, and to thrive through LOVE.

Creation is maintained through love, thrives on love, and is loyal, based on love. 

Without love, life would be unfocused; it would be dull. 

It is true, "Where there is Love, there is Life"  (Gandhi)

May you have a Blessed February, filled with LOVE! 

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If you'd like to get a "Chalkboard tray" to decorate your home, visit my website, www.mymaryandmartha.com/14120, to have one shipped directly to your home! 

Technology for Prayer?!

So often, the pace of modern life doesn't allow us to slow down enough to just feel God's love surrounding us.  We tend to run from one event to another, without even thinking; it just becomes habit.

I have been trying to make a conscious effort to intertwine Scripture, and thoughts about Faith, and prayers, more and more in the repetitive parts of my days. 

I even am voicing this blog post to my phone as I am exercising. :-)  Well, the workout started in a different way, but I'll get back to that in a minute...

We often hear such negative information about how much technology has taken over our lives.  And, in some ways I agree with that, but I want to share these GREAT ways that I have found, to utilize technology to intertwine more of God into my days. 

For about 6 months now, I have been waking up to Scripture, on my phone.  I have been daily using an App. that starts off my day, every day, with devotion & prayer. 

I have been listening to Christian radio, streamed through my laptop, throughout my whole day, and have found that whenever I feel a cranky mood coming on, all I have to do is turn up an uplifting Christian tune, and all is good!

Those 2 have been very soothing, easily accessible, ways to hear and read the Word of God a little bit throughout my whole day. 

Now, back to this workout....   Last week, I joined an email challenge titled "10 Day Prayer Zone Workout Challenge".  I didn't know much about what I was getting into, but I knew that I love and long for Prayer time, and that my body needs more exercise too!  

I began the first day of the challenge, by reading the daily email, while on the elliptical machine.  It didn't take long until I decided that I needed to download the App. that this email was discussing, the "Prayer Zone Workout" app. I did so quickly, and opened the app. to find calming music and thought provoking scripture designed to go hand-in-hand with a workout; right at my fingertips! 

Each day that I read the email and used the app. my workouts were better and better, and my connection to God in prayer, has been stronger than ever! 

Here is what the Day 3 email from Rachel Britton said about the type of Prayer that the app. promotes: 
"Our Father in heaven” is our prayer and exercise warm-up.  Focusing on who God is.

“Give us our daily bread” is our high-intensity prayer and exercise when we talk and ask God to meet our needs.

“Forgive us our debts” is our low-intensity prayer and exercise. We allow God to speak. 

“Lead us not into temptation” is our cool-down prayer and exercise when we ask God for protection as we go out into our day.

I am now on Day 7 of the challenge, and have exercised every day, and prayed at length, multiple times every day!  Amazing huh?  I mean, really....the last time that I exercised every day, was in college! 

I really wanted to share all of this information with my readers, and encourage you all to try using technology in your prayer life!  Definitely give the "Prayer Zone Workout" app. (www.prayerzoneworkout.com/app) a try! I hope you love it as much as I do! I mean, why not strengthen your relationship with God while strengthening your body, right?! 

Technology May have a bad rap for making us extreme multitaskers, but the blessing these apps have given me have shown me a new importance for modern technology!

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If you are intrigued by the workout app. that I discuss above, I encourage you to also check out Rachel Britton's book, "Prayer Zone Workout: Spiritual and Physical Exercise for the Heart"!
For more information, see www.prayerzoneworkout.com

There is only One....

There is only One......  One God that we can trust in everything.  One Lord and Savior that we can rely on.  One Spirit that is present to answer prayer. One being that knows the plan for our days; our lives.

Sometimes it takes me a long time to learn a lesson.....

There were many lessons learned in this past week, and I am so thankful to God that the answers all pointed right to Him.

Reality, gave me some tough reminders this week.  I was harshly reminded not to trust in human kind.

People in our lives will always let us down at one point or another.  I happen to be an exceptionally sensitive soul, that gets very 'rocked' by let-downs.  I allow people to get so close to my heart, so informed of my hopes and dreams, that they know all of me.....  Then, when a person that I have opened up to, disappoints me or hurts me, I end up crushed.  

This has happened to me three times, in just the past year, the most recent of which was this week....

But this time was different....  I spent hours, literally, praying, throughout the night that it happened.  I prayed for clarity, and strength, I prayed for vision.  I prayed for peace in my heart.  I prayed and prayed as I cried and cried....

And the tears and prayers were not just about what happened that night, but about all of the trials that I have faced in the past year.  These tears needed to flow, and these prayers needed to be said, over and over...

The lesson learned by me that night, finally, was that we cannot put all of our trust in another human, we should not hang all of our hopes on another human, we cannot rely fully on another human; for we will always get hurt.  I was reminded, in a very BOLD way though, that there is someone that we can trust and hope in, and rely on, etc.; and that is our wonderful, God! 

Isaiah 41:13 For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

This song sums it all up.....

"Trust In You" by

Lauren Daigle 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_aVFVveJNs
We must "lay it all down at His Feet".  The only place that we leave all of our burdens, and be fully heard, fully received, and return with Peace, is at the Feet of God!

"I need Your rest"  The only way that we can find total rest and comfort, is in the Word of God, and the presence of the Spirit which is received when we open up to him for help or comfort! 

"King of the Fight"  Of Course!  Jesus has lived this whole earthly battle!   He knows what it is like!  He knows the struggles, and the hurt, and the disappoints from those around you!  He is the King of the Fight! Who better to turn to during each and every struggle, then the one who has experienced them all! 

"No matter what I face, You are by my side" 
He is the companion that is with us, all the time, no matter what! 

"You know what tomorrow brings" Disappointments of today, lead to Joy tomorrow.  God knows the plan.  God has reasons for each thing that happens to us!  We just have to trust Him! 
"You are my strength and comfort" 
"You are my steady hand" 
"I will trust, I will trust in You"

Steep Mountains of Life

Challenges of life. Daily Parenting Hardships. Arguments. Exhaustion. 

These are just a few of the many things that are trying to pull me down lately.  Life goes through valleys and mountains; times of needing to climb, and times of even, easy roads. Sometimes the journey is 'hilly', with constant small ups and small downs that need to be navigated. And sometimes, the terrain is so difficult that is doesn't seem like you will make it....

When I'm in one of those roller coaster type seasons of life, I get so tired; so mentally tired!  The constant twists and hikes in the road, unexpected and uneven, really wear on me. 

Luckily, I know in my heart, that all of the trials of this life, will someday be over.  That there is a promised destination, that will be 'smooth sailing'..... :) 

That thought alone, makes me smile!  Envisioning a sailboat on a perfect sea, coasting along in beautiful, perfect sunshine.....  That is certainly one of the ways that I imagine Heaven to be! 

Today, as I was feeling overwhelmed by everything in life, God sent me this wonderful tune, on the radio: 

"Long Way Home", By Steven Curtis Chapman 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1p-QfgkLow

Here are some of the lyrics that I like best: 
"But I had no way of knowing, just how this journey could be" 
"But I know we're gonna make it" 
"And I know sometimes it feels like we're going the wrong way" 
"It's just a long way home" 

"My heart gets so heavy with the weight of the World sometimes" 
" I can hardly wait for the day I get to lay it all down" 

"And when we can't take another step, The Father will pick us up and carry us in his arms" 

It most certainly is a 'Long Way', a long road, to our Heavenly home.  There is so much to be done as we journey there. But the journey should be cherished.  The trials should remind us that God is in charge.  And the best thing to remember, day in and day out, is the "When we can't take another step, the Father will pick us up and carry us in his arms"!

May you have Peace today, knowing that you are never alone in your struggles; and may you be reminded that someday, you will lay all your burdens down forever! 

Blessings! 

Sparkle

I was very fortunate, when writing this post, to be sitting next to a pool, relaxing, and reading a book... :)

As I sat there, taking in each second of peace, and each word read.... I came upon a portion of the book, about "losing your sparkle", and realized that is what had temporarily happened to me....

I had been wondering what happened to my zeal for writing, over the past 3 weeks, and I finally realized today, that it was definitely the devil, the "thief" spoke of in John 10:10, that had put a stop to my progress...

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

You see, first I watched the numbers of readers of my Blog go down (probably because of Holiday busy-ness, now that I think about it), and I got discouraged.   Then, I watched someone else in my life get published in magazines, multiple times, without ever wanting that in her life, or pursuing publication; and I have been trying for almost a year to get my writing into various magazines....

The devil had put me on a 'pitty party' for a bit....   But thank God that I snapped out of it today!!   Thank you Lord for the peace to reflect on what was happening, and to feel and find my "sparkle" once again!!

Now I am reviewing my promotion of this Blog, and realizing that I had begun to slack in that area.  And, I am feeling foolish for allowing envy to creep in and overshadow the success of a very deserving woman!  I know in my heart that God's timing ALWAYS prevails, so I will be published when HE ok's it!

I am so thankful to be reminded, once again, that Jesus came, and suffered here on Earth, so that we all may have LIFE and have it ABUNDANTLY! 

May you be reminded always, of your Sparkle, and remember all that Jesus Christ endured, so that His people may live abundantly!!