Tirzah

2010-09-07T05:36:00.000-04:00

1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love

Thinking+of+Prayer+as+Jesus+Taught

2010-05-26T15:28:00.001-04:00

A lot has happened in the past month and a lot is going on even at this time. I cannot put it all down in writing...so I will share about what I am reading daily and what I am currently doing; praying. Click on the link below for more on prayer.

Thinking+of+Prayer+as+Jesus+Taught

Amazing Grace

2010-04-18T00:20:00.000-04:00

It has been a while and yes, a lot has happened. I will begin with one thing that I have been doing lately; taking piano lessons. I had thought playing the piano would be hard and I say yes it is hard. Hard in the sense that it requires self disipline and self control- some attributes I was praying about. I have learnt a few songs and with each song, I am learning something new about God.
I am trying and learning how to play Amazing Grace by John Newton. I pray often please God, I dont want to just practice and play this song, please show me something about grace that makes it amazing. He did and I want to share it with you.
My first lesson came in this way:
Grace,Grace
Ah Sweet grace, that in my inability, His ability is seen.
That total Surrender is not weakness but, His strength revealed.
Peace, peace
Perfect peace when His will becomes mine.
As my playing improved I had another lesson;
It is His amzing grace that woos me to His side and keeps me there.
It is this same grace that will not let me be complacent but dilligent in seeking Him, making my heart yearn for more and more and more...
And yes it's His amazing grace, that sweet, sweet sound that saves wretches just like me.

Just Because...

2010-02-13T21:03:00.000-05:00

Because I love you,
I died on the cross for you.
Because I care,
I wrote it in 66 books of the Bible.
Because you are forgiven,
I made the sun rise daily.
Because you are not forgotten,
I put twinkling reminders in the sky.
I have told My Father many things about you,
Believe Me, I have.
And because I love you; I'd say this again
You are special and you are Mine.
I love you.

-Jesus

Hungry

2010-02-02T12:44:00.002-05:00

When I am hungry, I USUALLY do something about it.
I found out that I cook best or spend my time on a dish when I am VERY hungry. I will drive to get what I crave or thirst for and sometimes, I will drive for miles...

So I am hungry
Not for food or drink
But for something BIGGER than me.
My stomach is not growling but
The groans in my heart are getting
Louder each day.
I am hungry for God
Hungry to know and understand Him
I ache and yearn for wisdom
Wisdom that He is and gives.
I am reading books and have read some
But,the more of Him that I read,
The more of Him I desire to know
It is true;I have tasted and I am wasted.
So like David I ask;
"Oh when will You come to me?"
You are so BIG and I'm so small,
Should I dare ask You to come?
BUT I AM SO HUNGRY!!!
I am not ashamed or afraid to ask
Please Come
Come and stop this hunger
Come Lord Jesus
It is You I am hungering for...

2010

2010-01-18T00:56:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

I know this is the middle of the month to be putting this up :)
All the same its a new year, 2010!!!
I Praise God for last year and I Praise God still for what He will do this year.
One thing I choose to do this year is Psalm 9:10,

By His grace, it will be in the exact same order:
Know Him personally,
Put all my trust in Him and His Word and
Seek Him daily...for I will find Him Hebrews 11:6,

I hope you do the same.
Happy New year to you and may it be a blessed one for all of us!!!

Love is...

2009-12-20T18:01:00.002-05:00

What manner of Love is this
that a baby should be wrapped in swaddling clothes
and be found laying in a manger?

What manner of Love is this
that lowly shepherds not kings should be told
the message of salvation?

What manner of Love is this
that wise men from afar will journey far
to behold Him whose birth the stars proclaim?

Love is His presence!

For to us this day,
A Child is born,
And to us a Son is given.
His name is Emmanuel;"God with us"

May His birth, bring the promises of His peace to you and I during this Christmas. And may His unending love resound and echo in our hearts and souls during this season.
Merry Christmas my friends!!!

2009-12-12T23:54:00.000-05:00

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us...

Giving Thanks

2009-11-29T21:41:00.001-05:00

Thursday was Thanksgiving Day. How did you spend yours?
I spent mine with a family that loves the Lord dearly and I thank God for the fellowship we had.

What does it mean then to give thanks, does it mean a great spread of food, family and yes, a day in the month of November? I have been thinking about what it meant to be thankful and I see that it is something I need to grow in...daily.

I am thankful for everything that I have but does giving thanks mean giving thanks for what we have, and see alone? What about the things we do not have and cannot see? What about the things that God has done from the begining of time?
I just finished a book with my Sunday school class: Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias and the last chapter touched my heart. The chapter was an answer to a question: Is there a gardener? Here he used four garden scenes in The Bible to answer the question. I will recommend you read the book.

Watching the movies about the life and death of Christ, hearing the same message every year at Easter, it is easy to take for granted what Jesus Christ did for mankind on the cross and on earth.

Having just finished this book, and reading what Ravi Zacharias had to say about the cross and the exerpts he had from other authors, I thought to myself; how many times am I thankful for the cross, how many times have I taken time out to thank Him for what His shed blood meant for me, for the world as a whole?

We are told to give thanks in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18). In this season of giving thanks and celebrating with family, I will like to add that we give thanks to God for what Jesus did for us- salvation an indescribable gift (Ephesians 2:8)

Think on this...

Blessed Assurance

2009-11-21T16:43:00.001-05:00

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Refrain)

Perfect submission, all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with his goodness, lost in his love.
(Refrain)

Fanny J. Crosby 1820-1915

A Coffee Tale

2009-11-11T01:03:00.000-05:00

I had to go to work early one day and I was wondering, what do I do to help me stay through the long day? One thing is certain; regardless of how many cups of coffee I drink when I am tired,I will still need my pillow and a warm blanket to curl up in. I dreaded the dawning of this fateful day.

When the dawn of this day came, I prayed for grace, and it came...
I prayed for strength to see me through the day and I got it...
I was not tired nor did I stifle a yawn and at the end of the day, I thanked God for grace and strength for He did see me through one very long day.

To my coffee buddies, here are a few familiar slogans;
I hear "America Runs on Dunkin" but I choose to run on grace because grace alone "Is The Best Part Of Wakin up." I thank God for coffee and the things it can do but one thing I am going to keep counting on is grace, God's saving grace which helps to "Smooth Out My Day, Everyday."

Faith...

2009-10-27T18:21:00.000-04:00

I am currently reading the book Prayer and Spiritual Warfare by E.M.Bounds.
I will strongly encourage you to read it if you have not read it before.
This is one quote from the chapter Prayer That Gets Results: Faith starts prayer working... So are you praying, and if not, where is your faith?

My story

2009-10-10T22:42:00.001-04:00

It began long time ago; before men where men and time was time.
It was a love affair that even the sands of time were too distant to record. It began with a king, a great King falling in love with a lowly maiden. Although she was lowly, oh! how arrogant was her heart. Notwithstanding this arrogance, the king knew; He knew words alone could not win her heart and neither could gifts win her hand.

He decided to do something.

Everyday He whispered her name, everyday He painted her a picture but she could not hear nor could she understand the love in that whisper nor could the picture paint the true yearning of His heart.

He did something.
He forsook His throne. He let it all go.

To show how much He loved her, he gave it all up and said to her: "I love you enough to die for you." John 3:16,

Aye, she had heard that before and the shards left of her heart was the price she paid for believing those same words. Why should this love be any different.
And then He died- on a tree!
This love is different she said to herself-He said He will die and He did die. The One true love is dead and with this death goes faith and hope, laughter again and with it, peace.

It is three days; if love hopes all things, then love lives and never dies.

There is a knock at the door...
Will you let me in? She has heard that voice before-it is the same voice of the One that said "I'd die for for you."
To the door she runs and opens it. There He stands gloriously. She falls to her feet.
In joy, joy that true love does live and shame that she ever doubted this speaker of truth and life she stammers: "B..but You did die" He helps her to her feet and He replies
"I did die but if you had listened after I said I will die for you, I also said I will rise again" Luke 18:33, and I also said I am the Way the Truth and Life" John 14:6. Will you let me in?

She apologises, please do come in. As He walks in, He adds; so many words I have spoken to you, I always have. I have always loved you and always will John 15:9.

There is so much more to say but first I ask you, will you give me your heart and its patches? I will give you a new one- here take mine...

There is so much more... come, sit. This is only the begining He says...

I am the lowly maiden here, and the King here is Jesus. He is still writing my story. Will you let Him write yours? I will love to hear from you...

Today

2009-09-12T13:16:00.001-04:00

Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!
For each day he carries us in his arms
Psalm 68:19 (NLT)

Praising Out Loud

2009-09-02T21:10:00.001-04:00

God does answer prayers...
I am a living testimony.
God does answer prayers...
I see the results daily.
God does answer prayers...
For that reason,
I will give Him thanks
For the rest of my days!!!

Psalm 138

The Word of God

2009-08-25T13:08:00.000-04:00

Oh what peace it brings
That tempestuous emotions
It calms!

The glories of His Word
That I can find myself
Whole in Him!

Oh what joy,
That the revelation of beauty
Can be true and holy
And have no shame!

In His Word,
I am coming to know and understand
The hunger within my soul,
The longings of my heart
Can find nourishment,
Contentment,
And peace
Only in the pages of His Holy Word

Trusting and Obeying

2009-08-13T05:02:00.000-04:00

When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey,
for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus,
but to trust and obey!

Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows, for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey

Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we'll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey

Hymn Lyrics by John H. Sammis, 1846-1919
www.Hymnsite.com

Amen

New Glasses

2009-07-28T21:31:00.000-04:00

How do you see God? With what lenses do you view Him-bifocals, sunshades or something else?
I will like to know :)

Recently, I got a glimpse of some of the ways we see God as I read the book of Job in the Bible. When Job's friends came to visit him as an effort to console him for his losses and afflictions, they all gave their points of view and ideas of who they thought God was and so did Job too. (Read the book of Job to see what I am talking about)
In this book, Job made mention of some themes that can be found in the New Testament- the need for a Mediator and the role that the mediator will play (Job 9:33-35), and the rewards of having a Redeemer who lives (Job 19:25-27)...

Again I ask, how do you see God? Despite all that Job went through, he still held fast to what he believed -Job 2:9-10 and Job 19:25-27.

I ask this question because its the same question I had to ask myself as I read the book of Job and towards the end of the book- chapters 38-41, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I had to pray that He help me see Him for who He is...

I got new vision after reading the book of Revelation 1-5. My concept of God was wrong!!!

Tell me; WHO CAN HOLD SEVEN STARS IN ONE HAND? Revelation 1:16
Let that sink in for a moment...

The God I serve is the only One who can hold seven stars in one hand...

He is the One who sent His Only Son to die for us. It is this same Son who is our Mediator -1 Timothy 2:5-6, and He is alive just like Job mentions.

Think about this,
What is your problem,
What are you going through?
How do you see God?

If your God holds seven stars in one hand,
Then, your problems are not too big for Him to handle!

Our God is a Consuming Fire

2009-07-05T22:05:00.000-04:00

Exposed to the fires of His divine Love
I have two choices to make;
To run away
Away from this conflagration of love
Or stand
Stand and be consumed by it...

This one choice I'd make
I CHOOSE to stand
To behold the majesty beyond the Flame
I will run towards it
And lo, if I must
I'd rather be consumed by divine Love
Than forever be impoverished by mortal passions...

Luke 9:23

2009-07-01T21:41:00.000-04:00

Ahhh....

Surrender
How sweet the deed
In perfect bliss the yielded soul is
That in emptying of self
Jesus pours Himself wholly
And leads them surely
To Himself...

Grace Divine

2009-06-15T20:27:00.000-04:00

We have just finished reading the book of Romans for Sunday school and one of the authors of a commentary I read pointed out that the words " Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ" is common in all of Paul's letters. I did a little bit of research and I found this to be true; from the book of Romans to 2Thessalonians, you will find the words "Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ." Only in 1st Timothy up until Titus does he add mercy to these choice of words.

I asked myself, what is so special about grace, mercy and peace that Paul will add them to all his letters and wish them to the church he is writing to? What did God do in His life that these words will be a significant part of his vocabulary? To that question, I found the answer in my reading 1 Timothy 1:12-15... In all his errors, Paul saw God's grace was abundant and that grace came with the love from God's Son Jesus. Paul saw the grace undeserved, the pardon he could not afford and the peace only God gives through His Son (see Philippians 3:4-9). In gaining Christ, he got all he desired; grace, mercy and peace that surpasses understanding... For this, Paul showed gratitude by mentionining it in all his letters.

The same applies to you and me today. His grace is more abundant, and with that grace His love is available beyond measure to those who ask Him...
May He teach us like He did John Newton
It is His amazing grace, that sweet sweet sound that saves wretches like you and me.
Oh indeed we are lost but in Him alone we can be found,
And although blind, through Him now we can see.

He is not finished with me yet...

2009-06-03T22:03:00.000-04:00

A line from Brandon Heath's Wait and See song.

So... what does someone who plays a bit of soccer have to do with softball? This is the question I had asked myself often until yesterday. This season makes the second season and year I am playing softball with the ladies at church. The best part of playing this game is that I learn the rules and plays of the game with every game we play!
Despite the fact that we lost last nights game, we did not give it up without a GOOD FIGHT and PLAY!

Although we lost, I think this is my best game yet... Why my best you may ask? I will say that until yesterday, I dreaded going to play when we had to; I mean, I am still learning everything about this wonderful sport . I used to worry about HOW I will measure up during a game and much more...

I prayed. I asked God for help. I got an answer: "If you think like a winner, you will play like one."See Matthew 21:22. I believed it and went to the field... No more fear on the batters box. I did play and I DID HAVE A LOT OF FUN!!!

So what part is it about Him not being finished with me yet? I will tell you.
Here on the field, I see a lot of people exhibiting the fruits of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.
I see this verse in the coaches being very patient with "old learners" like me, the team mates also are selfless in encouraging and cheering each other on and more .. go watch a game sometime! With this game, I see how God is like a coach through this life. Patiently, He takes a "yielded" nobody and teaches them and molds them into being somebody! Therefore, I will say:He is NOT finished with me yet!

From grass to grace
He took my place,
He calls me His delight
And with all His might,
He will stop at nothing
Until this yielded vessel
Becomes everything,
Everything He desires...

Ponderings of His beloved

2009-05-31T23:05:00.000-04:00

Its been two years since coming to Louisville, Ky.
I am thankful to God for everything; a wonderful home church, a job that I love! I have learnt a lot from Him and from the people He has put around me and I am still learning...

The glories and the joys of being,
Being the Lord's beloved
And knowing that His Words alone
Sustain.
The peace of becoming,
Obedient to His bidding
Remembering His Words alone
Maintain.

It is two years today and I thank God for His love and mercies that He has shown daily to me these past years and for the next phase in my life, I say like St Anselm:
Let me seek Thee in longing,
Let me long for Thee in seeking,
Let me find Thee in love and
Love Thee in finding...

In Memoriam- Luke 22:19

2009-05-26T22:32:00.000-04:00

We just celebrated Memorial Day in many ways.

This is to all the children who dreamt of being soldiers, who dreamt of being in the army and navy, who dreamt of following the family traditions of serving God and country.
To the children who became men and women, who lived what they believed-to fight for the freedoms of their fellow men, this goes out to you. To dreams achieved, goals fulfilled and to memories left behind...we honor you all this day.

Now to the God child, Jesus Christ who at the age of 12 knew His destiny.
At age 30, died on the cross for my salvation and yours,
The One whose blood cleanses all sin, and whose resurrection from death gives eternal life
We remember You just like You said we should this day and always.
Thank You Jesus for the men and women who gave hopes, dreams and lives for their fellow men and thank You for going to the cross that I may live and reign with you!

2009-05-25T22:28:00.000-04:00

Mary Magdalene wants to come,
She wants her sins forgiven.
Martha wants to sit,
Sit still only at Your feet Jesus.

Mary Magdalene is home,
Her sins are forgiven.
Come Martha, come He says,
Come sit a while,
Leave your worries behind.

He calls her His Tirzah,
She belongs to her Lord.
He longs for her
Just as she longs for Him