by Alisha | May 27, 2013 | Uncategorized
1. Morning time with the Lord
My days always seem to run a bit more smoothly when they begin in my study — the one place in our home that is solely mine. This is the place where I spend reading and meditating on the Word, and fellowshipping with the Lord in prayer. This is the time when my spirit is strengthened, my soul is restored, and my attitude is adjusted. I crave this precious time when the Lord speaks His tender love to me, showing me His mercy and grace, and romancing my heart. Time in His presence is vital.
2. Hot tea
A nice hot cuppa always accompanies my morning time with the Lord. It’s also a lovely little “pick-me-up” for the kids and me around 3pm. (Hey, we’re not Brits, so we don’t have to wait til 4- or 5 o’clock!) My daughter, Olivia, and I also usually have another cup around 8pm. And depending on what kind of day it is, we may have another sprinkled in there. I must say, I thoroughly and completely agree with the following statement:
3. Quality time with my husband
Ahh…I love this man! And I love spending quality time with him. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be “quality” time as long as we’re together. Whether we’re on a date at a nice restaurant, having a heart-to-heart discussion in which we share our hopes and dreams together, or just sitting in front of a Braves baseball game at home while he reads and I write, I just love being with him. And now, since he travels overseas ministering so often, time with him means even more to me!
4. Spontaneous hugs from my kids
They’re not so little anymore…not under my feet like they used to be. In fact, they are all involved in their own little worlds and their own interesting hobbies. But it sure does this mama’s heart good when they come up to me and give me a big ole hug! Two of them are taller than me now, so it’s not the same as it used to be…but they’re still my “babies.” And they still know how to make my day!
5. Family time
Another thing that makes my day is our family time. We enjoy game nights, family dates out, movie-a-thons (we’re currently in the middle of a Doctor Who fest — for the 3rd or 4th time), or getaways whenever we can. Most of these times are spent laughing with or at each other! We love to laugh!
6. A hard workout & dripping buckets of sweat
Well, I must admit it has finally happened. The girl who couldn’t stand to sweat or do cardio of any sort has fallen in love with it! I must say I amaze myself! đ That awesome feeling after giving 100% during a strenuous workout totally makes my day. I know I am doing something wonderful for me as well as for my family.
7. Rainy days
There’s nothing so wonderful to me as the sound of the heavy downpour of rain, and especially when it’s accompanied by rolling thunder. As a teen, I loved to wrap up in a blanket and sit on our front porch swing during a thunderstorm. Unfortunately, the position of the porch swing of our current home would leave me drenched if I did that now. So, I’ve settled for curling up on my comfy sofa under my goose down comforter to listen to it pour outside my windows.
8. My down comforter
And, as mentioned in the above point, I love to snuggle under my down comforter — even in the summer (as long as the air conditioning is on). Soft, fluffy and extremely comforting, it makes my day and night. The joke in our family is, the moment I lie down on the sofa and cover up with it, I am “out like a light” — even during the middle of an extremely LOUD action movie.
9. My laptop (and iPhone)
Is it weird that my laptop or smart phone can make my day? As a writer, it’s hard to be without my laptop since I can type faster than I can write out by hand (although, I’m not so fast on the iPhone). But I thoroughly love having the “world” at my fingertips through the internet. I love to be able to connect with friends near and far. I love being able to encourage others with the Word of God through this blog on my little laptop. A couple of times I have left it at church or at my mom’s overnight, and it felt like I had left a child there. (Hmm…I guess that is a little weird, huh?)
10. Anything that reminds me of England
As I’ve mentioned many times before, I am an Anglophile. And anytime I get to read an update or see a picture that reminds me of the time my husband and I spent in England, I get a little bit of a thrill. I can’t wait to be able to go back and take my kids there to visit! Hopefully, it will be very soon! (The picture below is of Dove Cottage, the home of poet William Wordsworth. It is located in Grasmere, in the beautiful Lake District of England.)
What are some of the little — or not so little — things that make your day? Leave me a comment below to let me know!
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Linking up with the lovely ladies of iHomeschool Network for the “10 in 10 Series” & with Many Little Blessings for “Top 10 Tuesdays.”
by Alisha | Apr 29, 2013 | Uncategorized
How do you smell? Iâm sure youâve probably had a shower this morning â or if youâre a mother of small children, hopefully youâll get one sometime this week! đ But thatâs not really what Iâm talking about.
What sort of spiritual fragrance are you giving off?
Have you ever hugged someone wearing really âloud-smellingâ perfume, then afterwards walked away reeking of it? Perhaps you regretted that embrace for the rest of the day!
Or a much nicer scenario: Maybe youâve put on your husbandâs jacket to warm up and the moment you wrapped yourself in it, you smelled his cologne, so strong and masculine, like him! The jacket smells like him because heâs worn it close to his body on a regular basis.
The same thing can happen to us as we spend time in the presence of the Lord. By being close to Him on a continual basis, we can become âfragranced with His presence.â
Letâs look at a verse from the Song of Solomon. Remember that this is a story of marital love, but it is also an allegory of Godâs love for Israel and Christâs love for the Church (His Bride). So, when we read of the man (or bridegroom), we can apply those words to Jesus:
Song 1:3 (GNT) There is a fragrance about You, the sound of Your name recalls it. No woman could keep from loving You.Â
Jesus has a fragrance about Him. And Ephesians 5:2 (AMP) speaks of His fragrance: Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.
Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us, and it is a sweet fragrance to God the Father. The New Living Translation says it is âlike sweet perfume to Him.â
2 Cor. 2:15-16 (NLT) says, Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God⊠a life-giving perfume.Â
As we spend time in the Word, fellowshipping with the Lord in prayer, being obedient to His will, and walking in love to the people around us, we become more and more like Him. We pick up that sweet fragrance of Christ which is a life-giving perfume to others.
When we live our lives in union and communion with Him, we become fragranced with His presence. People around us may not realize that fragrance with their physical sense of smell, but they will sense His sweet presence and peace emanating from us.Â
We will radiate a confidence, an assurance, a peacefulness, a joy â even in the midst of trials and tribulation. Why? Because weâve been in His presence. We know He will care for us and provide for us no matter what. We donât have to worry or be afraid. We know from being in His presence that He loves us and will always be faithful to us.
Determine to spend time in His presence so that you will be a sweet perfume to the Lord and to those around you. Become fragranced with His presence!
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by Alisha | Mar 17, 2013 | Uncategorized
Did you know that the thoughts you allow yourself to dwell on are vitally important?
Thoughts are shapers. They produce emotions which produce decisions, actions and habits. If you are constantly thinking negative thoughts, you will make wrong decisions, which will cause you to take inappropriate actions and eventually develop bad habits.
Martin Luther once wrote, âYou canât stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.â
You may not be able to keep a thought from entering your mind, but you certainly can keep it from staying there. How? You must do exactly as the Word says â cast it out! (2 Cor. 10:5).
Never allow a thought that is in direct opposition to Godâs Word remain in your mind.
Instead, keep your mind âstayedâ (fixed, firmly established) on the Lord, then He will keep you in perfect peace!
Isaiah 26:3 (NKJ) says, You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
So, how do you know if youâre thinking a wrong thought?
When a thought comes into your mind, you must first determine where it came from. Was it a âGodâ thought? Did it minister life or faith or peace to you? Or did it minister fear, worry, dread, doubt or unbelief? If it is one of the latter, then that thought is from the enemy and must be cast out.
Another method for determining whether or not a thought is from the Lord or from the enemy is found in Philippians 4:8:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
This verse gives you a âchecklistâ for which thoughts you can think on and which thoughts you canât.
Thought Checklist:
- Is it true?
- Is it honest (honorable)?
- Is it just (right, fair)?
- Is it pure (clean)?
- Is it lovely (pleasing, agreeable, friendly)?
- Is it a good report?
- Is it virtuous (excellent)?
- Is it praiseworthy (commendable)?
If the thought lines up with this list, then itâs okay to think on it.
Love thoughts, faith thoughts, peace thoughts, joy thoughts â those are the thoughts that you should continually dwell upon. Those are the ones you are to think about.
Think about God’s Word (His goodness, His faithfulness, His grace, His mercy, His healing power, His provision). Meditate on it continually.
When you train your mind to think on the Lord, when you learn to keep your thoughts fixed, or âstayedâ on Him, you will have His peace that passes all understanding.
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by Alisha | Feb 11, 2013 | Uncategorized
2 Cor 4:16-18 (NLT) We never give upâŠour present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.Â
No matter what youâre going through, no matter what youâre facing, you can and will make it through. Never give up! Never give in!
I know it seems hard. I know you may feel like youâre never going to make it through to the other side, but if youâll keep standing in faith, you will!
Did you know the Bible calls all of our struggles and trials small? In fact, the King James Version calls them âlightâ afflictions. Yes, I know, they donât seem very small or âlight.â In fact, most of the time they seem big, heavy, and burdensome. They may even seem insurmountable, overwhelming and potentially devastating.
But we must put these struggles in perspective. We must view them in light of eternity. We must look at the grand scheme of things, and take Godâs view of the situation. Remember, with Him nothing is impossible (Lk. 1:37). He always gives you the victory (1 Cor. 15:57). He always causes you to triumph (2 Cor. 2:14).
Your troubles are very real, thereâs no denying the fact. But remember, they are light, momentary, brief and fleeting. Donât lose heart. Never give up! You will make it through because the Greater One lives in you, and He is greater than any problem, sickness, or deficiency you may have (1 John 4:4).Â
Learn to see through eyes of faith. Fix your gaze on the eternal. Focus your attention on the promises of Godâs Word and forever settle in your heart that He is the final authority.
If you are discouraged, despondent or hopeless, then you must change your perspective, change your focus. How do you do that? By building yourself up in the Word of God. Find scriptures in the Bible that promise victory in whatever situation you are facing.
Godâs Word is very practical and applicable to our daily lives. I guarantee you that there is a scriptural promise for whatever need you have. Find it and write it down. Memorize it, meditate on it and cling to it. (If you canât find a scripture that pertains to your need, contact me and I will help you.) The more Word you get in your heart, the more your faith will grow.
I love this passage in The Message Bible:Â
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.
These hard times are âsmall potatoesâ compared to the coming good times…Thereâs far more here than meets the eye. And not a day goes by without God’s unfolding grace to help us!
Howâs that for perspective?
Donât let what youâre going through weigh you down or rob you of your joy. Donât allow momentary, light afflictions to cause you to give up on Godâs faithfulness. What youâre going through right now wonât last forever. Itâs temporary. So, focus on the eternal. Focus on the Lord and what He has promised in His Word. Fix your gaze on Him and never give up!
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(photo credit)
by Alisha | Jan 21, 2013 | Uncategorized
Philippians 3:10 (AMP) For my determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearlyâŠ
You have a God-given purpose for your life, and itâs a purpose that only you can fulfill. That purpose will bring you great joy, contentment and a deep sense of satisfaction. It will be a place of fruitfulness and a source of pleasure and delight!
However, there is another purpose that we all must have: We must be like the Apostle Paul and have a determined purpose to know the Lord. I love the wording of this verse in The Amplified Bible: âthat I mayâŠbecome more deeply and intimately acquainted with HimâŠâ
What better purpose in life is there than to become intimately acquainted with the One who loves us unfathomably â the One who gave His very life to bring us back in fellowship with Him?
âIntimacyâ suggests a closeness and familiarity with someone, a confidentiality, a sense of love, understanding and affection.
Imagine how beautiful life would be if each day we were to purpose to know the Lord more deeply and to become more intimately acquainted with Him! Every day would be a progression of spiritual growth and immense joy.
How do you know the Lord more deeply? You start by establishing a foundation of the Word of God in your life. Make a daily habit of reading, studying and meditating on the Word each day. But don’t just stop there, you can know the Book from cover to cover without really knowing the Author of the Book. Therefore, it is vital that you spend time in daily fellowship with Him as well. Through prayer, praise and worship, and by learning to be led by His Spirit, you will come to know Him more intimately.
Having the Spirit of the Living God abiding in our hearts is an honor and a tremendous gift. We should never lightly esteem that.
Ephesians 4:30 (MSG) says, Donât grieve God. Donât break His heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for Himself. Donât take such a gift for granted.
I refuse to take His presence in me for granted! My determined purpose is to know Him more and more each day, to become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, so that I can be more like Him, and so that I can please Him. Â What about you?
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