First Ladies..let me tell you how much I adore your comments that you make to me each time I post. It brings me peace and serenity...the encouragement is posted by you but made through by Christ! Debrah what you said absolutley meant a lot..basically I am the King of Kings daughter and no one can take that away. So if some of you didn't read what she posted please do..it doesn't just relate to me but to all of us! Praise God!
Remember when I said I would post other things besides my own posts? Well I found this online and maybe some of you have read it but it's also a little project concerning the greatest prayer our Father taught us to pray...I want all of you to read this, write it down in your spiritual journal and then write your own version of it. I want all of us to post something the next time we meet..
The following is a version of the Lord's Prayer and I also have put a couple of words in of my own:
Donna can't say "Our" if religion hasn't any room for others and their needs
I can't say "Father" if I don't demonstrate His and my relationship in my daily living
I can't say "Who art in Heaven" if all of my own interests & pursuits are of earthly things
I can't say "hallowed by thy name" if Donna, called by His name, is not Holy
I can't say "thy Kingdom done" if I'm unwilling to give up my own sovereignty & accept the righteous reign of God
I can't say "thy will be done" if I'm unwilling or resentful of having it in my life
I can't say "in earth as it is in heaven" unless I am truly ready to give myself to His service here and now
I can't say "give us this day our daily bread" without expending honest effort for it or by ignoring the genuine needs of my fellowmen
I can't say "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trepass against us" if I continue to harbor a grudge against anyone
I can't say "deliver us from evil" if I'm not prepared to fight in the spiritual realm with the weapon of prayer
I can't say "thine is the kingdom" if I don't give the King the disciplined obedience of a loyal subject
I can't say "thine is the power" if I fear what my neighbors may say or do
I can't say "thine is the glory" if I'm seeking my own glory first
I can't say "forever" if I'm too anxious about each day's affairs
And I cannot say "Amen" unless I honestly say..."Cost what it may, this is my prayer"...
Ladies, I know that we all probably go on to the same web sites and you may have already seen this but this is so important..If we are Kings kids, as my Dad always told me, then we have to tell our Father and King that He is more important than life itself!! Cost what it may....that is why we are here..Now write it down, post me your thoughts and record your own version..the Father is waiting for us to be obedient. I feel He wants me and all of you who have read this before to pass it on and bring more servants to this blog or any one..we have the world waiting for us to bring them to their final "home". If we don't do it who will?
Donna, the Kings servant!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Psalm 62:12
Hey Gals
I seem to go onto Rachel's post and she seems to be at a conference so I am going to pull apart a Psalm that my counselor believes is perfect for me. Just a foot note. I knew I only left 1 note for all of your encouraging notes but I have been praying for all of you daily, especially "tommy" husband. I believe the Lord wants all of us in heaven with our loved ones and I know through you he will come to know the Lord in a greater way.
Well I am at work doing this because my computer is going crazy so if my boss comes in I will sign off and you'll know why :) Psalm 62:12 "Also to you, oh Lord, belongs mercy; For you render to each one according to his work" This was given to me at 4 am, (I hope I didn't already go over this with you guys). It is about how much we feel discontent in our work and home and every where that we are looking to the wrong source to receive reward for our labor.
As all of you know, I have always been looking in the wrong spot. I constantly look to my boss for him "liking" me. WRONG!! I need to look to the Lord for that..He gave me work now He will fulfill that desire for "good job"! According to the Scriptures, it is the Lord who recompenses "to each one according to his work". The promise is repeated almost word for word in both the Old and New Testaments. We are ONLY accountable to the Lord!
How would our lives change if we received this truth and began to look to God as our "employer"? We can't enjoy the quality of life He came to give us as long as we substitute human reward for divine recompense. Yes, our employer signs our paycheck, but we receive all we receive from the hand of God!
You know how long I have been praying for my work to fulfill my every need. Well the Lord didn't move me to a high position...but He moved me to a better store and gave me 40 hours!! Praise God!! We need to consider any work that we do whether in or out of the home as a spiritual activity! That is a liberating truth...thinking that every ounce of energy we expend can work toward divine recompense. We will fail to realize the high calling of God if we anxiously watch the clock at work or at home...even having our quiet time...which is so hard for me at times.
The Lord always taught a work ethic based on love under God. In our work, we are made in the image of God, who is Himself a worker, a manager, a creator, a developer, a steward, and a healer. To be a Christian is to be a colaborer with God in the community of humanity...Praise God!!
Thank you all for believing in me..thank you for praying for me..and I know I met those girls needs and the Lord had me at the beach for a reason...it was to use His tools that He is showing me and not to rely on other people to make me happy!!
God Bless
Donna
I seem to go onto Rachel's post and she seems to be at a conference so I am going to pull apart a Psalm that my counselor believes is perfect for me. Just a foot note. I knew I only left 1 note for all of your encouraging notes but I have been praying for all of you daily, especially "tommy" husband. I believe the Lord wants all of us in heaven with our loved ones and I know through you he will come to know the Lord in a greater way.
Well I am at work doing this because my computer is going crazy so if my boss comes in I will sign off and you'll know why :) Psalm 62:12 "Also to you, oh Lord, belongs mercy; For you render to each one according to his work" This was given to me at 4 am, (I hope I didn't already go over this with you guys). It is about how much we feel discontent in our work and home and every where that we are looking to the wrong source to receive reward for our labor.
As all of you know, I have always been looking in the wrong spot. I constantly look to my boss for him "liking" me. WRONG!! I need to look to the Lord for that..He gave me work now He will fulfill that desire for "good job"! According to the Scriptures, it is the Lord who recompenses "to each one according to his work". The promise is repeated almost word for word in both the Old and New Testaments. We are ONLY accountable to the Lord!
How would our lives change if we received this truth and began to look to God as our "employer"? We can't enjoy the quality of life He came to give us as long as we substitute human reward for divine recompense. Yes, our employer signs our paycheck, but we receive all we receive from the hand of God!
You know how long I have been praying for my work to fulfill my every need. Well the Lord didn't move me to a high position...but He moved me to a better store and gave me 40 hours!! Praise God!! We need to consider any work that we do whether in or out of the home as a spiritual activity! That is a liberating truth...thinking that every ounce of energy we expend can work toward divine recompense. We will fail to realize the high calling of God if we anxiously watch the clock at work or at home...even having our quiet time...which is so hard for me at times.
The Lord always taught a work ethic based on love under God. In our work, we are made in the image of God, who is Himself a worker, a manager, a creator, a developer, a steward, and a healer. To be a Christian is to be a colaborer with God in the community of humanity...Praise God!!
Thank you all for believing in me..thank you for praying for me..and I know I met those girls needs and the Lord had me at the beach for a reason...it was to use His tools that He is showing me and not to rely on other people to make me happy!!
God Bless
Donna
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
I'm Back....
Hi Everyone!
Yes I'm back from Panama City..I came back on Sunday night and just now have had a chance to breath. I read all of your comments about my last posting and I am so glad all of you encouraged me. I AM FORGIVEN...PRAISE GOD!!!!
Well what can I say about Panama City..I was not welcomed by one girl, one girl in 9th grade that made me feel as if I was trying out for her and her only..I went into the trip with all the staff and leaders from my church (First Baptist of Atlanta) saying, "You have the drama girls..they all need attention" Well I am what you might call down to earth, firm yet loving and "get over it and grow up"! She was a handful and it all came to a head on Friday. I mean we left Wednesday and our full day was Thursday..we had our wonderful worship and great ministering from a guest preacher who told it like it was. He basically hit a nerve and I tried to help her express it. She didn't want to and went to the leaders or rather the staff and told them "Miss Donna is making me open up and WE don't like it"...Well the enemy certainly was stopping me from ministering to her wasn't he...NOT!!!
What he tried to make bad the Lord is always victorious..PRAISE HIM! Now she did get her way, I was told to sit down with the head of the youth and the "house Mom" who was in their eyes experienced because she was a teacher for 23 years. She told me that I should not of been transparent with them because I don't know them. Well how do you think I was transparent? I told them the same story I told all of you...I did something at the age of 19 and I wanted all of them to know that they could reach out to the Father and ask for forgiveness, but if we don't forgive ourselves we can't grow into the young women Jesus wants us to be.
Well what do you think our little 9th grader did..she told the staff she wasn't ready to talk and I was making her!! I asked all of the girls if I was making them talk and they said no and told her that I wasn't doing that but because the "house teacher" said we have to "walk on egg shells around her" I should of known that if I knew how to take care of young women!! How hurtful could one woman be!! She probably didn't know how she and the young girl hurt me but they did and it hung over my heart for a couple of days. Because of her hurtful words a couple of boys called me the "demon leader". They got in trouble with the men. In a nutshell I was asked for forgiveness from the leaders except for the 9th grader and the teacher.
What hurt the most was my girls were hearing all of this drama and had to be talked to by the leader of the youth, Jordan. He also talked to me and said, "---------- has too much drama in her life, it perceives her where she goes and she has a problem, if we had moved her it would of gotten worse. I know how you raise children, just look at the glory of God in your girls. When my children are older I would come to you for advice. You did nothing wrong. We just need to pray for ----------"
So Ladies I was placed with another leader and her senior girls. They went to the other girls and said, "Miss Donna is so cool why did you allow this gossip to happen" No one said anything except, "we didn't do it --------- did, blame her". So I was accepted by everyone except her and it still hurts....
I mean I'm sitting here crying as I write because I just don't know where my ministry is going?! The Lord is using me but after this week I feel like it didn't matter. I then went to my bible and devotions and read this, the Lord always bring thing to light after the fact. "You hands shaped me and made me, Lord" Job 10:8
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mothers womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous, Lord." Psalm 139:13-14
"Everyday of my life was recorded in your book Lord. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed" Psalm 139:16
"We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works." Ephesians 2:10
Each of us are uniquely designed or shaped to do certain things. I am the way I am because I was made fo a specific ministry and I can't give up on it because the enemy is bringing me down due to this young girl. In "The purpose driven Life" Rick Warren describes SHAPE as:
Spiritual gifts
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experience
Maybe my SHAPE is not with certain girls but I do believe I have a gift with all of you and women who have gone through what I did in my past...abuse, single parenting, loneliness, and the healing I experienced through it all. I just ask all of you to pray for me to get past that week. I can honestly tell you this is probably the first time I was so hurt by one person so much younger than me. I want the "tape" to go away in my head and stop listening to those words also. The Lord is right here with me and He never made junk..I AM NOT JUNK!! It's funny I knew the Lord was trying to talk to her because the night she made a fuss the speaker said, "I am sensing that there has been a lot of reputations hurt and those that hurt people need to ask their forgiveness" She didn't but I know that she also felt guilty because she couldnt' face me and the leaders all asked her "was Miss Donna really that bad" she said "no".....I need to pray for her and ask the Lord to show her His glory to her...she needs to stop drama with people and start growing up...not letting her act like that because she always has!
I love you all
Donna
Yes I'm back from Panama City..I came back on Sunday night and just now have had a chance to breath. I read all of your comments about my last posting and I am so glad all of you encouraged me. I AM FORGIVEN...PRAISE GOD!!!!
Well what can I say about Panama City..I was not welcomed by one girl, one girl in 9th grade that made me feel as if I was trying out for her and her only..I went into the trip with all the staff and leaders from my church (First Baptist of Atlanta) saying, "You have the drama girls..they all need attention" Well I am what you might call down to earth, firm yet loving and "get over it and grow up"! She was a handful and it all came to a head on Friday. I mean we left Wednesday and our full day was Thursday..we had our wonderful worship and great ministering from a guest preacher who told it like it was. He basically hit a nerve and I tried to help her express it. She didn't want to and went to the leaders or rather the staff and told them "Miss Donna is making me open up and WE don't like it"...Well the enemy certainly was stopping me from ministering to her wasn't he...NOT!!!
What he tried to make bad the Lord is always victorious..PRAISE HIM! Now she did get her way, I was told to sit down with the head of the youth and the "house Mom" who was in their eyes experienced because she was a teacher for 23 years. She told me that I should not of been transparent with them because I don't know them. Well how do you think I was transparent? I told them the same story I told all of you...I did something at the age of 19 and I wanted all of them to know that they could reach out to the Father and ask for forgiveness, but if we don't forgive ourselves we can't grow into the young women Jesus wants us to be.
Well what do you think our little 9th grader did..she told the staff she wasn't ready to talk and I was making her!! I asked all of the girls if I was making them talk and they said no and told her that I wasn't doing that but because the "house teacher" said we have to "walk on egg shells around her" I should of known that if I knew how to take care of young women!! How hurtful could one woman be!! She probably didn't know how she and the young girl hurt me but they did and it hung over my heart for a couple of days. Because of her hurtful words a couple of boys called me the "demon leader". They got in trouble with the men. In a nutshell I was asked for forgiveness from the leaders except for the 9th grader and the teacher.
What hurt the most was my girls were hearing all of this drama and had to be talked to by the leader of the youth, Jordan. He also talked to me and said, "---------- has too much drama in her life, it perceives her where she goes and she has a problem, if we had moved her it would of gotten worse. I know how you raise children, just look at the glory of God in your girls. When my children are older I would come to you for advice. You did nothing wrong. We just need to pray for ----------"
So Ladies I was placed with another leader and her senior girls. They went to the other girls and said, "Miss Donna is so cool why did you allow this gossip to happen" No one said anything except, "we didn't do it --------- did, blame her". So I was accepted by everyone except her and it still hurts....
I mean I'm sitting here crying as I write because I just don't know where my ministry is going?! The Lord is using me but after this week I feel like it didn't matter. I then went to my bible and devotions and read this, the Lord always bring thing to light after the fact. "You hands shaped me and made me, Lord" Job 10:8
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mothers womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous, Lord." Psalm 139:13-14
"Everyday of my life was recorded in your book Lord. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed" Psalm 139:16
"We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works." Ephesians 2:10
Each of us are uniquely designed or shaped to do certain things. I am the way I am because I was made fo a specific ministry and I can't give up on it because the enemy is bringing me down due to this young girl. In "The purpose driven Life" Rick Warren describes SHAPE as:
Spiritual gifts
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experience
Maybe my SHAPE is not with certain girls but I do believe I have a gift with all of you and women who have gone through what I did in my past...abuse, single parenting, loneliness, and the healing I experienced through it all. I just ask all of you to pray for me to get past that week. I can honestly tell you this is probably the first time I was so hurt by one person so much younger than me. I want the "tape" to go away in my head and stop listening to those words also. The Lord is right here with me and He never made junk..I AM NOT JUNK!! It's funny I knew the Lord was trying to talk to her because the night she made a fuss the speaker said, "I am sensing that there has been a lot of reputations hurt and those that hurt people need to ask their forgiveness" She didn't but I know that she also felt guilty because she couldnt' face me and the leaders all asked her "was Miss Donna really that bad" she said "no".....I need to pray for her and ask the Lord to show her His glory to her...she needs to stop drama with people and start growing up...not letting her act like that because she always has!
I love you all
Donna
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Lord is good!!
Hey Ladies...
Yes I am alive!! My computer crashed last week and I cannot post from my phone...I can tell you that I see God's hand in my life a lot lately and I see the "other side" working too but I am sick and tired of giving that one any credit so lets move on...:)
I was reading Psalm 51 today.."Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me..cast me not away from your prescence..restore unto me the joy and salvation and renew a right spirit within me" The Lord gave me that today and you know why..because I have not forgiven myself for something that happened a long time ago.
On July 12, 1980 I was 8 weeks pregnant and 19 years old, 20 on July 13th. I went into an abortion clinic on that day and had an abortion. It was always easy for me to say to someone and always say that I was forgiven, which I know I was..but I never forgave myself.
Through out the years I had panic attacks, depression and I made a lot of bad choices. No one stopped me nor did they ever counsel me on the hurt that could happen to someone making that choice years later. In the 80's it was the thing to do if you got pregnant..have an abortion. Well the Lord placed on my heart today that I need to forgive myself and stop blaming myself for something that He took care of years ago.
My baby is a spirit in heaven and I know one day I will feel "his" spirit when we all are there..I believe it with all my heart! I believe he led me to that scripture because I have to have a clean heart before Him no matter what. David wrote this after he committed a crime against Bethseba's husband..how could he live with himself? Well he did but after a lot of fighting against himself also.
I've been to counselors and I never had them say, "Ya know it could have something to do with that abortion" But I also didn't go to a christian counselor either...I am now and something just came upon me to reveal this to you and everyone who reads it. God is good and loves us so much..we are forgiven but we need to come before Him with a clean heart and a renewed spirit before we can forgive ourselves...
I love you all..I am leaving for FL on Wednesday..pray that I will reach these HS girls and that God will use me, as He is now...God Bless all of you!
Love Donna
Yes I am alive!! My computer crashed last week and I cannot post from my phone...I can tell you that I see God's hand in my life a lot lately and I see the "other side" working too but I am sick and tired of giving that one any credit so lets move on...:)
I was reading Psalm 51 today.."Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me..cast me not away from your prescence..restore unto me the joy and salvation and renew a right spirit within me" The Lord gave me that today and you know why..because I have not forgiven myself for something that happened a long time ago.
On July 12, 1980 I was 8 weeks pregnant and 19 years old, 20 on July 13th. I went into an abortion clinic on that day and had an abortion. It was always easy for me to say to someone and always say that I was forgiven, which I know I was..but I never forgave myself.
Through out the years I had panic attacks, depression and I made a lot of bad choices. No one stopped me nor did they ever counsel me on the hurt that could happen to someone making that choice years later. In the 80's it was the thing to do if you got pregnant..have an abortion. Well the Lord placed on my heart today that I need to forgive myself and stop blaming myself for something that He took care of years ago.
My baby is a spirit in heaven and I know one day I will feel "his" spirit when we all are there..I believe it with all my heart! I believe he led me to that scripture because I have to have a clean heart before Him no matter what. David wrote this after he committed a crime against Bethseba's husband..how could he live with himself? Well he did but after a lot of fighting against himself also.
I've been to counselors and I never had them say, "Ya know it could have something to do with that abortion" But I also didn't go to a christian counselor either...I am now and something just came upon me to reveal this to you and everyone who reads it. God is good and loves us so much..we are forgiven but we need to come before Him with a clean heart and a renewed spirit before we can forgive ourselves...
I love you all..I am leaving for FL on Wednesday..pray that I will reach these HS girls and that God will use me, as He is now...God Bless all of you!
Love Donna
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Transformed by trouble...
I have been posting to everyones blog because I need prayer..I remember someone posted to my blog that I am getting Satan's attacks because I am ministering to others and God is working so much in my life..HE IS AND PRAISE GOD FOR THAT!!
Yesterday I started going back to counseling and this time christian counseling. It is a 14 week course which starts from your beginning of life to now. My counselor wanted me to know that the Holy Spirit would be there weekly. That I can't change others and I can't change myself until I know where the patterns I can't control started. This was a first..I always went to counselors that only would deal with me and my past was not really investigated. I went into the room and started talking and started crying. I talked for 15 min about as much as I could..I told him that the enemy is attacking me so much I feel like giving up..I didn't mean suicide, it was more like, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired". So why did I title this transformed by trouble? Because the Lord gives us issues in our lives so that we will be transformed. I know you know this but I need to write about it a lot because I need to remember that there is a purpose behind every problem.
I was reading my book today for Day 25 in "The purpose driven life" it is about how problems are given to us with the fill knowledge of the Lord..well we all know that, but it can be so hard to read it. Well wouldn't you know that my boss came in today and did his wonderful act of humiliating me in front of everyone and making me feel like my feelings and actions don't matter in life. I won't even get into it because that is what the enemy wants, "go on, talk about it..keep on running that tape in your mind over and over until you can't stop crying and thinking about it.." FORGET IT! I'M OVER IT!! What I don't have is an ability to let things go and give them over as fast as others can..and that is what I need to learn from the Lord and my weekly sessions.God has a purpose behind everything and we should expect 4 kinds of them in our life.:
I know that you hear me constantly speak of my job but when your husband is unable to work, it is a hard burden to bear. When my boss promised me a position of management and then said in front of my face, "I never said that", its hard to swallow. It's like, "Lord do you want me to quit? I don't know what to do? You gave me this position and it's been going down for such a long time..you don't like when people quit..what should I do" That is my prayer right now..the Lord has given me so many ways to pray when I'm there, the hours are good and I don't commute a lot..it all sounds so trivial but I believe the Lord gave me this job. I worked so hard for this man to get a better position and he has royally stabbed me in the back! See I'm talking about it!!
I have to remember these scriptures: 2 Corinthians 4:17 "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all"
Because God is sovereignly in control, accidents are just incidents in God's good plan for us. Romans 8:28 "We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his for purpose for them"
Romans 8:17 The message "We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with HIM!!"
I Love that scripture..I know all of this I really do!! Every time I have a devotion or a reading like this my day usually follows it exactly that way!! I guess I should be happy..God is telling Satan, "Shes my daughter, just don't harm her but she will prevail"!! I have to learn how to deal with these incidences with the right tools and when I do I will be even better in fighting that SOB!! Sorry :)
I Love you all and I will hear from you all later!!
Donna
Yesterday I started going back to counseling and this time christian counseling. It is a 14 week course which starts from your beginning of life to now. My counselor wanted me to know that the Holy Spirit would be there weekly. That I can't change others and I can't change myself until I know where the patterns I can't control started. This was a first..I always went to counselors that only would deal with me and my past was not really investigated. I went into the room and started talking and started crying. I talked for 15 min about as much as I could..I told him that the enemy is attacking me so much I feel like giving up..I didn't mean suicide, it was more like, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired". So why did I title this transformed by trouble? Because the Lord gives us issues in our lives so that we will be transformed. I know you know this but I need to write about it a lot because I need to remember that there is a purpose behind every problem.
I was reading my book today for Day 25 in "The purpose driven life" it is about how problems are given to us with the fill knowledge of the Lord..well we all know that, but it can be so hard to read it. Well wouldn't you know that my boss came in today and did his wonderful act of humiliating me in front of everyone and making me feel like my feelings and actions don't matter in life. I won't even get into it because that is what the enemy wants, "go on, talk about it..keep on running that tape in your mind over and over until you can't stop crying and thinking about it.." FORGET IT! I'M OVER IT!! What I don't have is an ability to let things go and give them over as fast as others can..and that is what I need to learn from the Lord and my weekly sessions.God has a purpose behind everything and we should expect 4 kinds of them in our life.:
- Trials are designed by God to draw us closer to Him and build our character.
- Temptations are designed by the devil to draw us away from God and destroy our character.
- Trespasses are hurts caused by the sins of others.
- Troubles are usually, but not always, the consequences of our own sinful choices.
I know that you hear me constantly speak of my job but when your husband is unable to work, it is a hard burden to bear. When my boss promised me a position of management and then said in front of my face, "I never said that", its hard to swallow. It's like, "Lord do you want me to quit? I don't know what to do? You gave me this position and it's been going down for such a long time..you don't like when people quit..what should I do" That is my prayer right now..the Lord has given me so many ways to pray when I'm there, the hours are good and I don't commute a lot..it all sounds so trivial but I believe the Lord gave me this job. I worked so hard for this man to get a better position and he has royally stabbed me in the back! See I'm talking about it!!
I have to remember these scriptures: 2 Corinthians 4:17 "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all"
Because God is sovereignly in control, accidents are just incidents in God's good plan for us. Romans 8:28 "We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his for purpose for them"
Romans 8:17 The message "We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with HIM!!"
I Love that scripture..I know all of this I really do!! Every time I have a devotion or a reading like this my day usually follows it exactly that way!! I guess I should be happy..God is telling Satan, "Shes my daughter, just don't harm her but she will prevail"!! I have to learn how to deal with these incidences with the right tools and when I do I will be even better in fighting that SOB!! Sorry :)
I Love you all and I will hear from you all later!!
Donna
Monday, May 19, 2008
What Impact am I making on my Children...
Good Afternoon Ladies!!Okay here's the painting that I cannot get any larger!! I took it with my T-Mobile Phone and it looks like a postage stamp! My husband is going to take it later because I want you all to see the details..it is really beautiful..if I must say so myself..God really brought it out the way I wanted it..I am so grateful for all the talent that He gave me, it's from the Lord, not me and I thank Him daily for it...
Anyway..I have not been writing lately because I have been sick as a dog! I cannot get over this bronchitis. The problem is last year I had pneumonia and I don't want it again!! So please pray for me I need this gone. I am going to be ministering in Panama City to High School kids and I leave June 4 thru the 8th. This is going to be a real test and I plan on having kids see what the Lord is really like through my eyes and their's. My girls are going but I am counseling HS Juniors, it's not so bad..they are good ones and Dr. Stanley's team won't allow any nonsense...
So that is why I wrote the title "What impact am I having...On Mothers Day, Dr. Stanley talked about his mother and the impact she had on him as he was growing up. I realized that I want my children to feel the same way and I truly believe that my mother was so much like her I wanted to write it in my own words for my mom and myself...
2 Tim 1:5 (actually before verse 5) "Every time I say your name in prayer....I thank God for you...I miss you a lot, especially when I remember the last tearful goodbye....that precious memory triggers another: your honest faith-and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice..." The Message Bible. Every time I think of mothers and grandmothers I think of Paul writing to Timothy, even they were influenced by their care takers.
My Mom taught me to pray and read the Bible. She depended on God for everything. She became divorced from a minister in the late '70's. She never worked. When my father left her she had to use a check book and use a budget, never done before. She was placed in this situation exactly the way that I was from my first husband. God allows things like this to happen so we do rely on Him for everything. The point I need to make is: PRAY WITH YOUR CHILDREN!
Every night she knelt with my on her knees because that is where "we" must learn to talk and listen to God. She built a foundation for me to have a desire to ask Jesus into my heart at such an early age. Our children need to not only see us pray but they need to see us on our knees, we need to show reverence for our Heavenly Father, that is what He deserves.
My mother as well as myself trust Him for every need and desire. As much as it drove me nuts I never heard her say, "Poor me" She would say, " We're going to trust God". What would happen if we told our kids to trust the Lord instead of giving them a credit card or when they hear their parents say, "Lets get a loan at the bank.." Whatever excuse for not trusting is no excuse. I find myself saying, it's good to be in need so we can look back or presently saying, "We have a need...look to the Lord"!
She taught me to obey God as well as her. No reason.."because He is God" The degree that I disobeyed her was the way I was disciplined. She didn't hit me with her hand, that was for love. She used a switch, or a wooden spoon ;-) Or she would use a "Motherly Lecture".."I want you to grow up and be a good girl and a wonderful mother..." I think about it now and cry....She made decisions soley on what the will of God was. WHY DON'T WE DISCIPLINE OUR CHILDREN ANYMORE!! I know that most christian mothers do but what is happening to our society that we will go to jail if we discipline our children..it is so wrong!! I also believe that too many parents are afraid and afraid of their child's rejection. Kids today have no sense of reverence for man or God. We as mothers and fathers are responsible for building this early in their lives!!
My mom, as well as myself, learned how to forgive others. She watched a horrible man abuse me and I watched my father emotional hurt her. I didn't know how she would react to my ex and his abuse, but she forgave him for what he did to me, as well as her. I in turn learned how to forgive also. She taught me to forgive. She was obedient to God no matter what..and that is what I want out of my life also. All through her life she had a power of persistence. She never gave up..she would get angry at me for quitting things in life so easily. She was like a "slow moving tank". She grew up in England in WWII so it taught her this early in life..when you are face with war you can't just say, "I quit living" She is now teaching me to stay..stay in jobs..if you get fired fine..but God doesn't want us to quit...He will work it all out..don't move onto other things, anything, until He tells you to. Don't operate on feelings!
Most of all my mom had a servants spirit! Lord knows I am working on that attribute! As a ministers wife she always wanted to help others and serve them too. She was raised one of 9 children, she knew what to do. As a youngster she was laying the groundwork for her future. She volunteered at a nursing home once a week to pray for the elderly...she was and is a prayer warrior if there ever was one!!! One Christmas she got food poisoning and still made dinner for everyone. She lived an orderly life. Me and my sisters would always know that before a holiday we would walk downstairs and the table would be set with every piece of silverware and the food was in the oven, at 10am!! Her home was spotless, she set her clothes out the night before, and always made our lunches the night before too. Remember in the 60's and 70's, the hankerchief? As a minister wife, she had a clean one to spit on it and wipe my face...did I hate that!! She always had an apron and never looked sloppy. "Whatever you're doing, look your best because you represent Jesus" My girls hear that weekly!!
She always taught me to be an encourager. Correct things by pointing to what is right. She always told me to just do my best..since I was an artist I didn't apply myself, but I did my best. That is what I tell my girls too. Both my parents encouraged me to do everything..and I did. Parents you need to encourage your kids. Rejection can begin with the parent.."Why didn't you do better" "Why didn't you hit the ball farther"..Our kids are raised by us, not their teachers..
She demonstrated how to love unconditionally. This has been helping me lately realizing how God loves us unconditionally too, if we don't know that how do we love at all? How do we show our children how to love? The Bible hasn't changed neither have the principles. When we practice them it's better for our kids and our next generation of kids.
We have what money can't buy and death cannot take away. Build into your children character and base them on principles from the word. If you and I do that we will have our next generation the best ever.
I Love You All
Donna
p.s. I just want to thank all of you for posting. Because I have been so sick I wasn't able to get online. LaTonya you are a beautiful person. Alice I praise God that He has healed you..thank you Jesus...for each and every one of you, my regulars and the ones who post once and a while..you are a blessing to me. My mind is a complete blank but my last post said.."donna you are ministering because that is why your life is turning upside down..."I couldn't agree more..I sincerely mean this..without all of your prayers I wouldn't be able to write what I write nor pray the way I do for each of you..I love you!
Monday, May 12, 2008
I want to be like Jesus!!
Ladies-
I finished my painting and it looks wonderful!! I will put it on my blog tonight...promise..as soon as I can figure out which plug goes here and there ;)
I wanted to say something first before I write what we all want..I hope you all had a wonderful Mothers Day also. Alice E. thank you so much for writing down your prayer request because I never told you that God is going to heal you! I believe it..I believe that a lot of us go around and say "the Lord knows my heart.." Yes God knows our hearts, He must have a lot of prayers that He is hearing right now..but when we ask others to pray for us then that is what he wants to hear the most. He wants us to be a community of believers, He wants us to get along and lift one another's prayers up..if we aren't an example then who is!? I am praying for you Alice.... and LaTonya like I said in my post you are special because you opened up to everyone about your past and the Lord is going to do a miracle for you just like He is for me..Praise God!!
Now to what I think is from Him...I believe our spiritual depth is determined by the depth of our genuine humility of our hearts before the Lord. Humility is one thing I am not the best for..it is also probably the lest thing we actually seek after with intensity like we do our prayer life. It says in Zep 2:3 "seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth...seek humility" Jesus had humility and I want to be like Jesus!
Until we want to become nothing..meaning living totally depending on Him..He cannot become everything to us and through us! 1 Cor 13:3..God makes it clear that we're totally ineffective if we're not being loving at all time. Boy that is the truth! I read "The purpose for living" and I am getting that statement everywhere I look! I know God is telling me something! Humility is the basis of love and that should be one of our greatest needs.
If we have relationship problems..heres my angle..humility can solve them, provided both parties choose to obey God's word. Eph 4:2 "WIth all lowliness and gentleness...bearing with one another in love" Col 3:13 "As Christ forgave you, so you also must do"
One of the biggest form of pride I believe is the way we make excuses in everyday situations, instead of having the humility of 100% honesty..it causes us to say, "I'm sorry; I was wrong..please forgive me" Excuses are a combination of truth and a cover-up. Psalm 34:11-14, God calls it deceit. Pride is the ugliest sin and humility is the most attractive grace. Pride is the most deeply entrenched sin because we are the most blind to it, it's all based on deception.
If you had an impression you thought was from God when seeking God's guidance, and you later found it wasn't, it is important to humble yourself before God to avoid a platform for deception from the enemy...Pride can also keep us an intimate relationship with God. Psalm 138:6 says it best, "Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He know from afar"
I think we should all ask the Lord to forgive us of our pride, we all have it, and ask Him to reveal it to us, and then Praise Him for making us more like Him daily. Remember we die to sin daily. We don't always see this..we need to yearn for personal revival in ourselves..I am guilty of this and I pray that someone who reads this will also see themselves in it.
I love you all and I pray for you daily..Pray for me as well as my husband too..the battle is the Lords and we need to put on the whole armor to fight it!!
Love Donna
I finished my painting and it looks wonderful!! I will put it on my blog tonight...promise..as soon as I can figure out which plug goes here and there ;)
I wanted to say something first before I write what we all want..I hope you all had a wonderful Mothers Day also. Alice E. thank you so much for writing down your prayer request because I never told you that God is going to heal you! I believe it..I believe that a lot of us go around and say "the Lord knows my heart.." Yes God knows our hearts, He must have a lot of prayers that He is hearing right now..but when we ask others to pray for us then that is what he wants to hear the most. He wants us to be a community of believers, He wants us to get along and lift one another's prayers up..if we aren't an example then who is!? I am praying for you Alice.... and LaTonya like I said in my post you are special because you opened up to everyone about your past and the Lord is going to do a miracle for you just like He is for me..Praise God!!
Now to what I think is from Him...I believe our spiritual depth is determined by the depth of our genuine humility of our hearts before the Lord. Humility is one thing I am not the best for..it is also probably the lest thing we actually seek after with intensity like we do our prayer life. It says in Zep 2:3 "seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth...seek humility" Jesus had humility and I want to be like Jesus!
Until we want to become nothing..meaning living totally depending on Him..He cannot become everything to us and through us! 1 Cor 13:3..God makes it clear that we're totally ineffective if we're not being loving at all time. Boy that is the truth! I read "The purpose for living" and I am getting that statement everywhere I look! I know God is telling me something! Humility is the basis of love and that should be one of our greatest needs.
If we have relationship problems..heres my angle..humility can solve them, provided both parties choose to obey God's word. Eph 4:2 "WIth all lowliness and gentleness...bearing with one another in love" Col 3:13 "As Christ forgave you, so you also must do"
One of the biggest form of pride I believe is the way we make excuses in everyday situations, instead of having the humility of 100% honesty..it causes us to say, "I'm sorry; I was wrong..please forgive me" Excuses are a combination of truth and a cover-up. Psalm 34:11-14, God calls it deceit. Pride is the ugliest sin and humility is the most attractive grace. Pride is the most deeply entrenched sin because we are the most blind to it, it's all based on deception.
If you had an impression you thought was from God when seeking God's guidance, and you later found it wasn't, it is important to humble yourself before God to avoid a platform for deception from the enemy...Pride can also keep us an intimate relationship with God. Psalm 138:6 says it best, "Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He know from afar"
I think we should all ask the Lord to forgive us of our pride, we all have it, and ask Him to reveal it to us, and then Praise Him for making us more like Him daily. Remember we die to sin daily. We don't always see this..we need to yearn for personal revival in ourselves..I am guilty of this and I pray that someone who reads this will also see themselves in it.
I love you all and I pray for you daily..Pray for me as well as my husband too..the battle is the Lords and we need to put on the whole armor to fight it!!
Love Donna
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