<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#" > <channel> <title>scripture Archives - My Rose Colored Shades</title> <atom:link href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/tag/scripture/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/tag/scripture/</link> <description></description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 23 Nov 2015 12:25:11 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1</generator> <site xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">68676972</site> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: When You Feel the Spirit Nudging…</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/22/weekly-wisdom-when-you-feel-the-spirit-nudging/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/22/weekly-wisdom-when-you-feel-the-spirit-nudging/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2015 10:30:15 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category> <category><![CDATA[homeless]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus]]></category> <category><![CDATA[love your neighbor]]></category> <category><![CDATA[obeying God's commands]]></category> <category><![CDATA[righteousness]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[the poor]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=8614</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>I had driven by him several times during the summer. With cardboard sign in hand and a grimace on his face, he would stand there for hours with the hot sun shining down on him. I found myself always in … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/22/weekly-wisdom-when-you-feel-the-spirit-nudging/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/22/weekly-wisdom-when-you-feel-the-spirit-nudging/">Weekly Wisdom: When You Feel the Spirit Nudging…</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/spirit_nudging2.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-8622" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/spirit_nudging2-1024x681.jpg" alt="God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Bible, Scripture, homeless, the poor, righteousness, obeying God's commands, love your neighbor" width="560" height="372" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/spirit_nudging2-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/spirit_nudging2-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/22/weekly-wisdom-when-you-feel-the-spirit-nudging/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/spirit_nudging2-1024x681.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: When You Feel the Spirit Nudging…')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>I had driven by him several times during the summer. With cardboard sign in hand and a grimace on his face, he would stand there for hours with the hot sun shining down on him. I found myself always in a hurry to get somewhere so all I managed to do was to make a mental note to myself to stop by Target to buy him a cap and a cold drink and bring them over to him one of these days. Weeks went by and when I finally made my way back to that intersection, he was no longer there. <em>Another missed opportunity</em>, I thought to myself. <span id="more-8614"></span>I recalled all those times when I found myself in a situation where I could have done something but didn’t. <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+4%3A17&version=NIV" target="_blank">James 4:17</a></strong> comes to mind, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” I remember one time when I was waiting in line at the grocery store, the lady in front me was fumbling to find enough food stamps to pay for the items the cashier had diligently rung up. She didn’t have enough so she asked the cashier to take out a few items. I thought I was doing my part by waiting patiently for my turn. Now looking back on it, I think, <em>how could I have been so clueless and oblivious? Why in the world did I not offer to help pay for her groceries?!</em></p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>it is sin for them. ~ James 4:17</strong></span></p> <hr /> <p>Last weekend I drove by that corner again on my way to pick up my girls from their sleepover at grandma’s. There he was, with the same cardboard sign, but this time there was no hot sun, just a piercing autumn wind, and I could tell he was trying to stay warm under his jacket. I thought to myself, I have to do it this time. I would pick up the girls, buy some hot chocolate and bring it over to him on my way back. As I was getting closer to my parents’ house, I started to come up with all the excuses in the world not to go over there and talk to the man…<em>It’s really cold outside</em>…<em>It’s not safe for the girls</em>…<em>What if it’s all an act?</em>…<em>What if people stare?</em>…<em>I can always come back another time</em>… But I just couldn’t let it go. I felt the Spirit nudging me to just go talk to this man and as much as a part of me did not want to do it, I knew I had to do it. Before I could change my mind, I took the girls to Starbucks, bought hot chocolate for them and an extra grande with a pumpkin muffin for the new friend I was about to meet.</p> <p>Even as I was driving back to that corner, part of me was wishing he had called it a day and left. But when I saw him standing there still, part of me was relieved. I parked as close to him as possible and told the girls to wait for me in the car. I walked over there with the hot chocolate and muffin in hand, having not a clue as to what I was going to say to him. I said hi and introduced myself and he did the same. I told him that I just came by to say hi and that if I were outside in this cold weather like him, I would want someone to bring me over some hot chocolate. He thanked me and we started chatting. Since his sign said that he was looking for work, I asked him if he had gotten any leads. He said he did but because of his criminal record, they fell through. As we continued to chat, what struck me most was that he repeated more than once, that it gets lonely. He mentioned that he tries to forget about it but inevitably, the loneliness comes back. We chatted some more and then I said I would keep an eye out for job opportunities and that I would pray for him.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>make the most of every opportunity. ~Colossians 4:5</strong></span></p> <hr /> <p>I remember being discouraged by others in the past when I tried to make conversation with a homeless man back in NYC, where I used to live. I clearly remember a lady telling me not to encourage him. Doubts had crept into my own mind and heart one time when my husband decided to give money to a guy standing in the street asking for a little change to be able to get home. I remember chiding him for giving the man so much when he’s probably lying about his situation and will be using that money to buy alcohol or feed whatever addiction he has. I still recall my husband saying that it’s not our call to make. Discouragement and doubt will always find their way into these situations, but I just have to trust that God is sovereign and is in control, and that He can use our obedience for His glory. Let’s say that the man was indeed lying about his circumstances, I can only hope that kindness from people like us will get him a step closer to repentance.</p> <p>I don’t know what the next step will be but I hope that my reaching out to that man in the corner brought a little warmth to his heart on that cold day. I’m hoping that I can go back and share God’s Word with him at some point and hopefully connect him with a church. More than anything, I’ve learned a few important lessons from this experience. When the Spirit nudges me to do something, all I can do is obey just as Paul was “compelled by the Spirit” (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+20%3A22&version=NIV" target="_blank">Acts 20:22</a></strong>) to go to Jerusalem despite the difficulties that awaited him there. In <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+4%3A2-6&version=NIV" target="_blank">Colossians 4:5</a></strong>, it says, “<span id="en-NIV-29548">Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” I need to ask for God’s discerning spirit to keep my eyes and ears open for opportunities to serve Him in my day to day. As I continue to walk with Him and submit to His will, my hope is to become a slave to righteousness as it is described in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+6%3A15-23&version=NIV" target="_blank"><strong>Romans 6:17-18</strong></a>, “…<span id="en-NIV-28086" class="text Rom-6-17">though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.</span> <span id="en-NIV-28087" class="text Rom-6-18">You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”</span></span></p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!</p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a href="http://katherinescorner.com/2015/10/21/thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop-211/" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | SHINE with <a href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-70/" target="_blank">Jennifer</a> & <a href="http://addingatouchofgrace.com/2015/10/shine-blog-hop-70/" target="_blank">Tiffany</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/mercy-and-love/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/10/cozy-reading-spot-115.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/ff94_steeped/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up/faith-filled-friday46" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a href="http://www.busybeingblessed.net/loving-your-husband-grace-truth-week-41/" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a> | <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/10/im-having-a-party/" target="_blank">Words with Winter</a> | <a href="http://www.janncobb.com/october-25-link-up/" target="_blank">Reflect</a> | <a href="http://afieldofwildflowers.blogspot.com/2015/10/when-wood-is-wet-smallwonder-link-up.html" target="_blank">Small Wonder</a> | <a href="http://www.richfaithrising.com/2015/10/beautiful-messy-ministry-and-the-miracle-found-in-a-big-god.html" target="_blank">Unite</a> | <a href="http://www.simplyfreeblog.com/2015/10/birthday-wishlist.html" target="_blank">Tuesday Talk</a> | <a href="http://www.intentionallypursuing.com/2015/10/intentional-tuesday-linkup-week-39/" target="_blank">Intentional Tuesday</a> | <a href="http://purposefulfaith.com/defeating-thoughts/" target="_blank">#RaRaLinkup</a> | <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/10/what-if.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/10/a-little-r-r-wednesdays-a-linky-party-125.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://patandcandy.com/coffee-and-conversation-link-party-65-terrific-tech-tool/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a></span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/22/weekly-wisdom-when-you-feel-the-spirit-nudging/">Weekly Wisdom: When You Feel the Spirit Nudging…</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/22/weekly-wisdom-when-you-feel-the-spirit-nudging/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>17</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8614</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: The God of the Universe Knows Us by Name</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2015 10:30:51 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible study]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Crazy Love]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God's Word]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Holy Spirit]]></category> <category><![CDATA[intimate God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[live by faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[majesty of God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Psalm 8:4]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[words of wisdom]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=8557</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>I’ve been trying to write this post for the past couple of weeks and I find myself at a loss for words every time. Nothing I come up with seems to appropriately convey the magnitude of what I’m trying to … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/">Weekly Wisdom: The God of the Universe Knows Us by Name</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/whatismankind2.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-8559" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/whatismankind2-1024x931.jpg" alt="Scripture, Psalm 8:4, Bible, God's Word, majesty of God, intimate God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Crazy Love, bible study, words of wisdom, live by faith" width="560" height="509" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/whatismankind2-1024x931.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/whatismankind2-300x273.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/whatismankind2-1024x931.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: The God of the Universe Knows Us by Name')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>I’ve been trying to write this post for the past couple of weeks and I find myself at a loss for words every time. Nothing I come up with seems to appropriately convey the magnitude of what I’m trying to express. Perhaps I still don’t have a firm grasp of the concept I’m trying to present. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to put it on paper (online) and I hope it helps to remind us of the awesome God we serve.</p> <p>Is it perplexing to you that the God of the universe, the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God, who made the heavens and the earth and all living things, knows you and me by name, knows the number of hairs on our head and is familiar with all of our ways? <span id="more-8557"></span>Do you find yourself in awe of the One who was and is and is to come? Does this realization ever make you stop and think? That is what we are urged to do in the first chapter of <em>Crazy Love</em> by Francis Chan, a book we’re currently using as our church’s home group bible study. I was pleasantly surprised that this theme also came up in the introduction of our <a href="https://www.bsfinternational.org" target="_blank">BSF</a> bible study for this year, which is on the book of Revelation.</p> <p>The idea of a majestic and intimate God presents a dichotomy that my mind can’t seem to fully grasp. As I read Scripture, I realize that it’s not a dichotomy but the reality of who our God is, whose indescribable nature makes me think of David’s words in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A5-7&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 139:6</a></strong>, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” Consider these parallels between His grandness and His closeness to us:</p> <p>When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,… (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+8%3A3&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 8:3</a></strong>)</p> <p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><em><span style="font-family: georgia;">For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A13&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 139:13</a></strong>)</span></em></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;">***</p> <p>The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles+16%3A9&version=NLT" target="_blank">2 Chronicles 16:9</a>, NLT</strong>)</p> <p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><em>You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A1&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 139:1</a></strong>)</em></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;">***</p> <p>The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+19%3A1-2&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 19:1-2</a></strong>)</p> <p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><em>Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A4&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 139:4</a></strong>)</em></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;">***</p> <p>He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1%3A17&version=NIV" target="_blank">Colossians 1:17</a></strong>)</p> <p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><em>You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139%3A5&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 139:5</a></strong>)</em></span></p> <p>God spoke everything into existence and could rule from afar if He so chose to, but instead He desires to be among His people. There is a reason He is called “Immanuel” or “God is with us.” We were reminded of this truth during our <a href="https://www.bsfinternational.org" target="_blank">BSF</a> bible study. In <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+2%3A1&version=NIV" target="_blank">Revelation 2:1</a></strong> it says, “These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.” God is in control and is sovereign over us but He also walks among us.</p> <p>This is a recurring theme in the Bible. As Moses led the Israelites to the promised land, God instructed them to build a tabernacle with the ark of the covenant so that He may dwell among His people. It says in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+25%3A8&version=NIV" target="_blank">Exodus 25:8</a></strong>, “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” God then comes to dwell among us in the flesh thru His Son, Jesus Christ, as it is described in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A14&version=NIV" target="_blank">John 1:14</a></strong>, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” And now we have the gift of God’s presence in the form of the Holy Spirit as Jesus had promised in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A26&version=NIV" target="_blank">John 14:26</a></strong>, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”</p> <p>The truth is mind-boggling. The God who says “Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool,” (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+66%3A1&version=NIV" target="_blank">Isaiah 66:1</a></strong>) chooses to have close fellowship with His creation. God made the ultimate sacrifice just so that we would be reconciled with Him and we have done nothing to deserve it. As I stop and think about this truth, I’m left with only one question in my mind and heart, “what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (<strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+8%3A4&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 8:4</a></strong>)</p> <p>Have a blessed weekend!</p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/ff93_swimming/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a href="http://www.beingconfidentofthis.com/grace-and-truth-link-up/beware-the-influence-grace-and-truth-week-40/" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a> | <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/10/not-just-any-calling/">Words with Winter</a> | <a href="http://www.janncobb.com/link-up-october-18-2015/" target="_blank">Reflect</a> | <a href="http://afieldofwildflowers.blogspot.com/2015/10/he-danced-smallwonder-link-up.html" target="_blank">Small Wonder</a> | <a href="http://www.richfaithrising.com/2015/10/where-to-find-break-through-when-the-day-grows-dark.html" target="_blank">Unite</a> | <a href="http://waltzinginbeauty.blogspot.com/2015/10/tuesday-talk-41.html" target="_blank">Tuesday Talk</a> | <a href="http://www.intentionallypursuing.com/2015/10/intentional-tuesday-linkup-week-39/" target="_blank">Intentional Tuesday</a> | <a href="http://purposefulfaith.com/self-destruct-faith/" target="_blank">#RaRaLinkup</a> | <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/10/do-not-grow-weary-in-suffering.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/10/a-little-r-r-wednesdays-a-linky-party-125.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://patandcandy.com/coffee-conversation-link-party-64-nanowrimo/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a> | <a href="http://katherinescorner.com/2015/10/21/thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop-211/" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> </span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/">Weekly Wisdom: The God of the Universe Knows Us by Name</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/10/16/weekly-wisdom-the-god-of-the-universe-knows-us-by-name/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>6</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8557</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: I Can Never Be Good Enough But Christ is Enough</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/24/weekly-wisdom-i-can-never-be-good-enough-but-christ-is-enough/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/24/weekly-wisdom-i-can-never-be-good-enough-but-christ-is-enough/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2015 10:30:51 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[grace]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[My Utmost for His Highest]]></category> <category><![CDATA[obedience]]></category> <category><![CDATA[sanctification]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[sins]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=8349</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>“In the process of sanctification, the Spirit of God will strip me down until there is nothing left but myself, and that is the place of death. Am I willing to be myself and nothing more? Am I willing to … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/24/weekly-wisdom-i-can-never-be-good-enough-but-christ-is-enough/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/24/weekly-wisdom-i-can-never-be-good-enough-but-christ-is-enough/">Weekly Wisdom: I Can Never Be Good Enough But Christ is Enough</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/jesusisenough1.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-8358" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/jesusisenough1-1024x700.jpg" alt="God, Jesus Christ, Bible, Scripture, grace, holiness, sanctification, God's Word, My Utmost for His Highest" width="560" height="383" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/jesusisenough1-1024x700.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/jesusisenough1-300x205.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/24/weekly-wisdom-i-can-never-be-good-enough-but-christ-is-enough/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/jesusisenough1-1024x700.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: I Can Never Be Good Enough But Christ is Enough')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>“In the process of sanctification, the Spirit of God will strip me down until there is nothing left but myself, and that is the place of death. Am I willing to be myself and nothing more? Am I willing to have no friends, no father, no brother, and no self-interest— simply to be ready for death? That is the condition required for sanctification.”<em> – <a href="http://utmost.org/sanctification-1/" target="_blank">My Utmost for His Highest</a></em></p> <p>I couldn’t quite put my finger on what I had been feeling and experiencing lately until I read this devotional from <em><a href="http://utmost.org/sanctification-1/" target="_blank">My Utmost for His Highest</a></em>. <span id="more-8349"></span>Have you ever felt a keen awareness of God’s hands chipping away at the walls around your heart as if He’s trying to get to the core of you? It’s painful, you feel yourself resisting, you feel exposed, you feel vulnerable, and you feel ever so dependent on His grace and mercy.</p> <p>As God exposes my flaws, my shortcomings, my sins, it is altogether horrifying, deeply disappointing, and sobering. And as I try to rid myself of the things that He exposes, I find myself helpless, defeated and often frustrated. I am reminded of my youngest daughter who will diligently work on a project for a period of time and when she realizes she just can’t get it right, she cries out in frustration.</p> <div style='clear:both'></div><div class='click-to-tweet'><div class='ctt-text'><a href='http://ctt.ec/do60J' target='_blank'>It is in that moment of complete surrender that He is able to penetrate to the very core of who we are and make His dwelling there, the only place from which He is able to transform us.</a></div><a href='http://ctt.ec/do60J' target='_blank' class='ctt-btn'>Click To Tweet</a><div class='ctt-tip'></div></div> <p>And then God brings me to my knees and makes it even more clear that I am indeed helpless, powerless and utterly hopeless…without Him. He reminds me that “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+2%3A20-21&version=NIV" target="_blank"><strong>Galatians 2:20-21</strong></a>) It is in that moment of complete surrender that He is able to penetrate to the very core of who we are and make His dwelling there, the only place from which He is able to transform us.</p> <p>I am aware that His grace is sufficient but instead of resting in my sinfulness, I find myself compelled to actively pursue God’s holiness. I seek to please God not as an orphan trying to gain acceptance into a family but as a child seeking to please her parent. It says in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+1%3A3&version=NIV" target="_blank"><strong>2 Peter 1:3</strong></a> that “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” And further down the passage in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+1%3A5-7&version=NIV" target="_blank"><strong>2 Peter 1:5-7</strong></a>, Peter explains that “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.”</p> <div style='clear:both'></div><div class='click-to-tweet'><div class='ctt-text'><a href='http://ctt.ec/dehcf' target='_blank'>In my pursuit of holiness and a life of obedience, all I can do is the only thing I know how: To read His word and do what it says.</a></div><a href='http://ctt.ec/dehcf' target='_blank' class='ctt-btn'>Click To Tweet</a><div class='ctt-tip'></div></div> <p>In my pursuit of holiness and a life of obedience, all I can do is the only thing I know how: To read His word and do what it says. It comes down to these two simple but essential steps. In <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+3%3A16-17&version=NIV" target="_blank"><strong>2 Timothy 3:16</strong></a>, God’s word is described as useful for “training in righteousness.” In <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1%3A25&version=NIV" target="_blank"><strong>James 1:25</strong></a>, the importance of His word is emphasized, “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”</p> <p>In the process of pursuing, there is progress and as many preachers have put it, we desire progression, not perfection. During those times when I feel helpless and defeated, I will remember God’s promise and faithfulness as well as Paul’s words, “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+1%3A4-6&version=NIV" target="_blank"><strong>Philippians 1:4-6</strong></a>)</p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/09/by-shari-a.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/09/a-little-r-r-wednesdays-a-linky-party-121.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://patandcandy.com/coffee-and-conversation-60-the-ultimate-marriage-reading-challenge/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a> | <a href="http://all-thats-jas.com/2015/09/thursday-favorite-things-207.html" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | SHINE with <a href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-66/" target="_blank">Jennifer</a> & <a href="http://addingatouchofgrace.com/2015/09/shine-blog-hop-66/" target="_blank">Tiffany</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/welcome-one-another/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/09/cozy-reading-spot-111.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/fellowship-friday-90-your-job/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up/faith-filled-friday42" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a href="http://arabahjoy.com/bible-study-methods-kids/" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a> | <a href="http://www.richfaithrising.com/2015/09/why-good-people-suffer-and-unite-linky.html" target="_blank">Unite</a> | <a href="http://livinginthisseason.com/tuesday-talk-39/" target="_blank">Tuesday Talk</a></span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/24/weekly-wisdom-i-can-never-be-good-enough-but-christ-is-enough/">Weekly Wisdom: I Can Never Be Good Enough But Christ is Enough</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/24/weekly-wisdom-i-can-never-be-good-enough-but-christ-is-enough/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>5</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8349</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: 5 Things to Remember When You Can’t Let Go (of Your Children)</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2015 11:00:10 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[children]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God the Father]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[letting go]]></category> <category><![CDATA[live by faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[milestones]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[the Bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[words of wisdom]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=8218</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Milestones are something most of us look forward to, but when we finally reach them, they can be bittersweet, especially when it comes to our children. We find joy in seeing our children learn, grow and mature but at the … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/">Weekly Wisdom: 5 Things to Remember When You Can’t Let Go (of Your Children)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/5thingstoremember_children.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-8217" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/5thingstoremember_children-768x1024.jpg" alt="words of wisdom, live by faith, children, milestones, Scripture, God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Bible" width="560" height="747" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/5thingstoremember_children-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/5thingstoremember_children-225x300.jpg 225w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/5thingstoremember_children.jpg 1104w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/5thingstoremember_children-768x1024.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: 5 Things to Remember When You Can’t Let Go (of Your Children)')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>Milestones are something most of us look forward to, but when we finally reach them, they can be bittersweet, especially when it comes to our children. We find joy in seeing our children learn, grow and mature but at the same time, we feel sadness as we realize that they’re becoming more and more independent from us. As parents, especially as mothers, we want to keep them under our wings forever if we could.</p> <p>As the school year begins and many of us are sending off our children on their first day of school, we’re celebrating different milestones; first day in kindergarten, first year in middle school, last year in high school, etc. Beneath the beam of pride is a heart that aches for the days of old. And it’s hard to let go. But we have to remember that we must surrender all to God, even our children. God has impressed upon my heart five truths that make it a little easier to let go of my grasp over His precious gift.<span id="more-8218"></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>1) We need to surrender our children to their rightful master.</strong></span></p> <p>Our children are God’s children first. They belong to Him who created them. Who can be a better parent than our Creator, our Father, our Provider and Protector. A pastor friend once said that the best thing you could do for your children is to let God take care of them.</p> <p><em>If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!</em> ~<strong>Matthew 7:11</strong></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>2) We need to disciple our children.</strong></span></p> <p>Our children are precious gifts that God has entrusted to us. They are a “heritage from the Lord” (<strong>Psalm 127:3</strong>). We are to not only pour out our love into them but also keep them grounded in the Word so they, too, are equipped to go out into the world and make disciples. It may seem like it’s going in one ear and out the other, but your words of wisdom will come back to haunt them in the future when they are facing life decisions. I speak from experience.</p> <p><em>And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.</em> ~<strong>Deuteronomy 6:6-7</strong></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>3) We need to guide our children in the path to fulfill God’s purpose.</strong></span></p> <p>Contrary to what we like to believe, our children don’t exist to fulfill our needs. They were created for God’s purpose and glory. We, as their guardians, need to guide them in the path of righteousness so that they will seek to glorify God and store treasures in heaven and not seek to glorify themselves and go after fleeting treasures on earth.</p> <p><em>For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.</em> ~<strong>Ephesians 2:10</strong></p> <p><em>…everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.</em> ~<strong>Isaiah 43:7</strong></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>4)</strong> <strong>We need to let our children learn from their mistakes.</strong></span></p> <p>When it comes to protecting their young, mothers can be pretty fierce and unrelenting. However, sometimes overprotecting our children can stunt their growth. They need to experience heartache, disappointment and all sorts of challenges. These experiences along with the truth of God’s Word will strengthen them and equip them for the future when they’re no longer under our supervision. More importantly, we need to teach them to rely on God and put their trust in Him.</p> <p><em>…but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,<strong> </strong>and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.</em> ~<strong>Romans 5:3-5</strong></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>5) We need to encourage our children to reach their full potential.</strong></span></p> <p>We’re hindering our children from reaching their full potential in God if we hover over them. This means we need to let them soar beyond our reach. They will no longer fly under our wings but instead, will “take refuge in the shadow of His wings” (<strong>Psalm 36:7</strong>). No matter how far they go, they will always be within the reach of God’s “everlasting arms.” (<strong>Deuteronomy 33:27</strong>)</p> <p><em>…that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,<strong> </strong>and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.</em> ~<strong>Ephesians 3:17-19</strong></p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/09/a-serious-prayer-warrior.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/09/7-steps-pinterest-boost-blog-stats.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://patandcandy.com/coffee-and-conversation-link-party-58/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a> | <a href="http://katherinescorner.com/2015/09/09/thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop-205/" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | <a title="SHINE Blog Hop" href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-64/" target="_blank">SHINE</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/beautifully-broken/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/09/cozy-reading-spot-109.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/ff88_this_child/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up/september-10th-2015" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a href="http://thebrowntribe.net/2015/09/a-lesson-in-wisdom-humility-and-link-up/" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a> | <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/09/bolder-than-lions/" target="_blank">Words with Winter</a> | <a href="http://purposefulfaith.com/powerless-to-change/" target="_blank">#RaRaLinkup</a> | <a href="http://www.richfaithrising.com/2015/09/hold-on-youve-almost-made-it-unite-linky.html" target="_blank">Unite</a> | <a href="http://livinginthisseason.com/tuesday-talk-39/" target="_blank">Tuesday Talk</a></span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/">Weekly Wisdom: 5 Things to Remember When You Can’t Let Go (of Your Children)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/10/weekly-wisdom-5-things-to-remember-when-you-cant-let-go-of-your-children/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>5</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8218</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: He is the God Who Sees Me</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2015 10:30:44 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[confidence in Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Hagar]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[live by faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[the Bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[voice]]></category> <category><![CDATA[words of wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[You are the God who sees me]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=8166</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>As far as I can remember in my life, I’ve never been one to stand out. I am the younger sister to a firstborn son in a traditional Korean family, so my brother almost always got all the attention. I … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/">Weekly Wisdom: He is the God Who Sees Me</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/YouAretheGodWhoSeesMe.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-8171" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/YouAretheGodWhoSeesMe-1024x689.jpg" alt="Genesis 16:13, Hagar, Scripture, women in the bible, Old Testament, God, faith" width="560" height="377" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/YouAretheGodWhoSeesMe-1024x689.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/YouAretheGodWhoSeesMe-300x202.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/YouAretheGodWhoSeesMe-1024x689.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: He is the God Who Sees Me')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>As far as I can remember in my life, I’ve never been one to stand out. I am the younger sister to a firstborn son in a traditional Korean family, so my brother almost always got all the attention. I didn’t stand out for my looks, for my outgoing personality or for any exceptional talent. For a shy kid, I guess it didn’t make much of a difference, it was actually a relief. My nature was further reinforced by the fact that I was raised in the traditions of the Korean culture, where it was considered a virtue for women to be reticent and submissive, and to remain in the background.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I wanted to be heard, be seen and be noticed. </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I wanted to matter and make a difference.</span></strong></p> <hr /> <p>As I grew up and started to think for myself and to form my own opinions, I grew a desire to have a voice. I wanted to be heard, be seen and be noticed. I wanted to matter and make a difference. <span id="more-8166"></span>Being shy by nature and having been nurtured within the constraints of my culture, speaking up and expressing my voice did not come naturally, and it’s always been a struggle. In many situations, as a student in my teens and well into my young adulthood as a working professional, I never felt fully entitled to have an opinion that was worth expressing. I never truly believed that what I had to say mattered or could make a difference. In my struggle, writing became my refuge as well as my desperately needed outlet to express everything that was in my heart and mind without any inhibitions.</p> <p>The other day I found myself revisiting a <a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/06/11/weekly-wisdom-time-in-the-wilderness/" target="_blank">post I wrote about Hagar</a> as part of the Women in the Word series from <a href="http://shereadstruth.com" target="_blank">She Reads Truth</a>. As I was reading <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+16&version=NIV" target="_blank">Genesis 16</a>, verse 13 struck me in a way that it never did before. It says, “She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.” Our God is a God who sees Hagar, a slave girl who’s been forced into a situation, not of her own choosing, and mistreated for an outcome that was out of her control. Talk about not having a voice. And yet God sees her and also hears her and the cries of her son later on in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+21%3A1-21&version=NIV" target="_blank">Genesis 21</a>. Both times, when Hagar runs away and then later is sent away to the desert, God seeks after her because she matters to Him. When Hagar says “I have now seen the One who sees me,” she recognizes her source of strength and protection and trusting in God’s promise, she finds the confidence to face her difficult circumstances and keep going.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>I can make a difference in people’s lives </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>by my quiet and steadfast love and care for them, </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>speaking up only when necessary </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>for the sake of those who need to be heard.</strong></span></p> <hr /> <p>Now that I’m older, and hopefully wiser, I feel more confident in what I have to say and when I have to say it. Being grounded in God’s truth helps me know that I was created in His image and have an inherent value that is undeniable and cannot be taken away by this world. However, I’ve also learned that to make a difference in this world, I don’t necessarily need to be the loudest, the most outspoken, or even draw attention to myself. I can make an impact in this world by using my God given gifts to serve others. I can make a difference in people’s lives by my quiet and steadfast love and care for them, speaking up only when necessary for the sake of those who need to be heard. The words in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+4%3A10-11&version=NIV" target="_blank">1 Peter 4:10-11</a> echo my sentiments, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”</p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/09/capturing-their-hearts.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/09/a-little-r-r-wednesdays-a-linky-party-118.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://patandcandy.com/coffee-and-conversation-link-party-57/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a> | <a href="http://katherinescorner.com/2015/09/02/thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop-204/" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | <a title="SHINE Blog Hop" href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-63/" target="_blank">SHINE</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/dance-in-the-rain/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/08/cozy-reading-spot-106.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://www.christianmommyblogger.com" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up/faith-filled-friday40" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a href="http://adivineencounter.com/is-social-media-our-6th-love-language-grace-truth-linkup-week-34/" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a> | <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/09/fervent-fear-or-fervent-prayer/" target="_blank">Words with Winter</a> | <a href="http://purposefulfaith.com/identifying-the-lie/" target="_blank">#RaRaLinkup</a> | <a href="http://www.richfaithrising.com/2015/09/the-lady-who-said-she-was-going-to-punch-my-two-year-old-in-the-face-unite.html" target="_blank">Unite</a> </span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/">Weekly Wisdom: He is the God Who Sees Me</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/09/03/weekly-wisdom-he-is-the-god-who-sees-me/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>14</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8166</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: Am I Living by Faith?</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/26/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-faith/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/26/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-faith/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2015 10:30:58 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[2 Corinthians 5:10]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Crazy Love]]></category> <category><![CDATA[deny yourself]]></category> <category><![CDATA[faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Matthew 10:38-39]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Matthew 6:25-27]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[the Cross]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=8098</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>We live in a world where we are obsessed with our own safety and comfort and the safety and comfort of our loved ones. The size and luxuries of our homes, the conveniences of current technology, our retirement accounts, they’re … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/26/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-faith/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/26/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-faith/">Weekly Wisdom: Am I Living by Faith?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/am_i_living_by_faith.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-8107" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/am_i_living_by_faith-1024x683.jpg" alt="God, Jesus Christ, Living by faith, Crazy Love, the Cross, Bible, Scripture" width="560" height="374" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/am_i_living_by_faith-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/am_i_living_by_faith-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/26/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-faith/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/am_i_living_by_faith-1024x683.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: Am I Living by Faith')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>We live in a world where we are obsessed with our own safety and comfort and the safety and comfort of our loved ones. The size and luxuries of our homes, the conveniences of current technology, our retirement accounts, they’re all about our safety and comfort in the present and in the future. I am the first to admit that when I pray, I pray for the safety and comfort of my family and friends. I pray the same for myself. We all work hard and save as much as we can in order that we can have a safe, secure and comfortable future until we die. We do our best to try to avoid any kind of discomfort or inconvenience as much as we possibly can.<span id="more-8098"></span></p> <p>I remember making fun of my mom for being a scaredy-cat when it came to taking risks in life. She would always discourage me from doing anything remotely risky or dangerous. She mentioned once she would not want me to live in California because of the earthquakes. She would constantly worry about our family’s safety, which is totally natural for a mom. I would judge my mom and give her my fatalistic attitude of whatever is going to happen is going to happen no matter what. I would also give her the old “ye of little faith” attitude from time to time. What’s ironic is that I found myself having the same fears as my mom’s when it came to my own children. I just wanted to protect them from anything and everything that would threaten their safety in any way or bring any hint of discomfort to them.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Life is not about me AT ALL. Not even one bit. </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>It’s ALL ABOUT GOD…</strong></span></p> <hr /> <p>God has been working on my heart in many ways and one of the things that he’s been slowly changing is my outlook on life. After reading <em><a href="http://crazylovebook.com" target="_blank">Crazy Love</a></em> by Francis Chan, I realized that I was missing the point in a really bad way. Life is not about me AT ALL. Not even one bit. It’s ALL ABOUT GOD and His sovereign plan to reconcile all of us to Him. We are not here on this earth to satisfy the desires of our hearts, live a comfortable life with our nice little families in our nice white picket fence homes and then die and go to heaven where even better treasures await us. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. We will one day have to give our creator and judge an account of our lives. It says in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+5%3A1-10&version=NIV" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 5:10</a></strong>, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”</p> <p>We declare with our lips that we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and yet we live as if there is no God, or at least as if God is not sufficient in providing for our needs. We are so busy building and securing a life for ourselves that we leave no room for a life that is lived by faith and trust in our provider and sovereign Lord. And yet in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+6%3A25-34&version=NIV" target="_blank">Matthew 6:25-27</a></strong>, it says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”</p> <p>God is our sole source of life and provider of all of our needs. Nothing I have is my own. It’s all God’s. As it says in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+1%3A21&version=NIV" target="_blank">Job 1:21</a></strong>, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” God can give and just as easily take away. It is His right. It makes me think of several occasions when my daughter would place an object in the palm of her hand, make a fist and squeeze it as tight as she possibly could. She would then ask me to try to take the object away from her. I would just humor her and pretend I was having a hard time prying her little fingers open knowing all along that it would take me less than 2 seconds to take that object away from her. For one, I could simply tickle her and she would be done. We are the same way with God. We hold tight to our possessions and our lives and forget that God can take it all away with the blink of an eye.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">…when I’m seated in that judgment seat, will I be able to face God </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">and sincerely say that I did my best for Him.</span></strong></p> <hr /> <p>It’s not that God does not wish for us to have a good life with our family in a comfortable home. He’s asking us to keep our priorities straight. If you keep reading <strong>Matthew 6</strong>, it says in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+6%3A25-34&version=NIV" target="_blank">verse 33</a></strong>, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” We are to love Him first and live for Him because “Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (<strong><a href="http://2 Corinthians 5:11-21" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 5:14-15</a></strong>). And if this compelling love is in us, it should be natural that we are motivated by the desire to please God over satisfying the desires of our hearts, compassion over comfort, and eternal treasures over earthly treasures.</p> <p>When I think of my life, I can’t help but wonder if when I’m seated in that judgment seat, will I be able to face God and sincerely say that I did my best for Him. Will I even be able to face Him at all? All I know is that it’s not too late for me to start living by faith, in complete surrender to His will. My heart yearns to live a life of true obedience to the Cross. The words in <strong><a href="http://Matthew 10:37-39" target="_blank">Matthew 10:37-39</a></strong> ring true now more than ever, “<span id="en-NIV-23455" class="text Matt-10-37"><span class="woj">Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.</span></span> <span id="en-NIV-23456" class="text Matt-10-38"><span class="woj">Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.</span></span> <span id="en-NIV-23457" class="text Matt-10-39"><span class="woj">Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.</span></span>” Only then, can I hope to hear these words from my master, “Job well done my good and faithful servant.”</p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!</p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Also check out Part 1 of my thoughts and learnings from <em>Crazy Love</em> in my last post, <a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/" target="_blank">Am I Living by the Spirit?</a></span></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/08/decrease-self-doubt-increase-jesus/" target="_blank">Words with Winter</a> | <a href="http://purposefulfaith.com/finding-god/" target="_blank">Purposeful Faith</a> | <a href="http://www.richfaithrising.com/2015/08/meet-the-batwa-an-urgent-cry-to-awaken-and-see-unite-link-party.html" target="_blank">Unite</a> | <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/08/what-legacy-are-you-leaving.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/08/comprehensive-homeschool-bible-curriculum.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://momsmorningcoffee.com/coffee-and-conversation-link-party-56/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a> | <a href="http://all-thats-jas.com/2015/08/thursday-favorite-things-203.html" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | <a title="SHINE Blog Hop" href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-61/" target="_blank">SHINE</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/the-greatest-romance/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/08/cozy-reading-spot-106.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/ff86_joy/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up/faith-filled-friday39" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a href="http://arabahjoy.com/the-last-time/" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a><br /> </span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/26/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-faith/">Weekly Wisdom: Am I Living by Faith?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/26/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-faith/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>13</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8098</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: Am I Living by the Spirit?</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2015 10:30:28 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Crazy Love]]></category> <category><![CDATA[faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Francis Chan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Fruit of the Spirit]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Galatians 5]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[inspiration]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[lukewarm Christian]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[words of wisdom]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=8039</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>I just finished reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and it was altogether eye-opening, challenging and convicting. His description of a lukewarm Christian and those that are Christ-obsessed really pushed me to do an introspective examination as well as evaluate … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/">Weekly Wisdom: Am I Living by the Spirit?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/lifebythespirit.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-8044" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/lifebythespirit-1024x769.jpg" alt="faith, God, Jesus Christ, Bible, Scripture, Fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5, Crazy Love, Francis Chan, lukewarm Christian, words of wisdom, inspiration" width="560" height="421" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/lifebythespirit-1024x769.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/lifebythespirit-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/lifebythespirit-1024x769.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: Am I Living by the Spirit')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>I just finished reading <em><a href="http://crazylovebook.com" target="_blank">Crazy Love</a></em> by Francis Chan and it was altogether eye-opening, challenging and convicting. His description of a lukewarm Christian and those that are Christ-obsessed really pushed me to do an introspective examination as well as evaluate how I’m living my life here on earth in light of eternity. Chan states that “the life of a lukewarm Christian wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.” And if I were to be completely honest with myself, aside from not going to church every Sunday and reading the Bible on a regular basis, not much else would change if I stopped believing in God. He really pushed me to evaluate all aspects of my life, and imagine how different it would look if I surrendered each and every part to God in order to live a life that is truly obedient to the Cross.<span id="more-8039"></span></p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>I had to assess whether the fruit of the Spirit was being manifested </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>in my attitude, in my communication with others, in my relationships </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>with loved ones as well as my interactions with strangers.</strong></span></p> <hr /> <p>The question, of whether my life would look any different if I stopped believing, moved me to first look inwards and examine my heart and what it was producing. I asked myself whether I was living by the Spirit and producing fruit that can only come from the Spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5&version=NIV" target="_blank">Galatians 5:22-23</a>). I had to assess whether the fruit of the Spirit was being manifested in my attitude, in my communication with others, in my relationships with loved ones as well as my interactions with strangers.</p> <p>Am I living by the Spirit? Do I exercise patience with my loved ones? Do I display gentleness and self-control when rebuking my children? How is my tone of voice when I communicate with others? Do I always treat others with kindness? Do I exude joy? I think these are questions that we need to ask ourselves on a regular basis and surrender every one of them to God, especially those areas in which we are weak.</p> <p>In light of <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A31-46&version=NIV" target="_blank">Matthew 25:31-46</a>, Chan challenges us to think of how our lives would change if we actually thought of every person we come into contact with as Christ. He mentions “the person driving painfully slow in front of me, the checker at the grocery store who seems more interested in chatting than ringing up my items, the member of my own family with whom I can’t seem to have a conversation and not get annoyed.” I seriously felt like he was speaking directly to me. Let’s say these are my areas of weakness, and my attitude in these situations has been far from commendable, or even downright disobedient to the Spirit. I have a funny feeling that God always puts me behind a slow car when I’m driving. Coincidence? I think not.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">…we need to live by the Spirit, </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">be led by the Spirit and </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">keep in step with the Spirit. </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It’s a continuous process of daily surrender to </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">God’s will </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">and letting the Spirit lead the way in the path of righteousness.</span></strong></p> <hr /> <p>The biggest challenge yet is posed when Chan talks about love, of which Paul says in Galatians 5:6, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Chan reminds us that we are to love not only those that are lovable and can reciprocate our love, but we are also commanded to love our enemies and do good to them. This means that if someone hurts us, we don’t retaliate as the world would, but we forgive them and love them back instead. According to Chan, lukewarm Christians love those who are easy to love, those who love them back, like family, friends, and others they connect with. But he reminds us of <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+6%3A27-36&version=NIV" target="_blank">Luke 6:32</a>, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.” God commands us to love without expecting anything in return.</p> <p>I realize that I cannot will myself to produce the fruit of the Spirit. Only the Spirit can produce its fruit in me. As it is emphasized in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5&version=NIV" target="_blank">Galatians 5</a>, we need to live by the Spirit, be led by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit. It’s a continuous process of daily surrender to God’s will and letting the Spirit lead the way in the path of righteousness. It says in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5%3A5&version=NIV" target="_blank">Galatians 5:5</a> “For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.”</p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!</p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I will be sharing how <em>Crazy Love</em> has challenged my outlook on life in my next Weekly Wisdom post.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/08/why-i-chose-to-be-pro-choice/" target="_blank">Words with Winter</a> | <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/08/will-you-abandon-it-all-for-sake-of.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/08/a-little-r-r-wednesdays-a-linky-party-116.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://momsmorningcoffee.com/coffee-and-conversation-link-party-54/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a> | <a href="http://katherinescorner.com/2015/08/19/thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop-202/" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | <a title="SHINE Blog Hop" href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-61/" target="_blank">SHINE</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/but-god/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/08/cozy-reading-spot-106.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/ff85_blessing/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up/faith-filled-friday38" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a title="Faith & Fellowship" href="http://www.simplemomentsstick.com/2015/08/faith-and-fellowship-blog-hop_21.html" target="_blank">Faith & Fellowship</a> | <a href="http://thebrowntribe.net/2015/08/being-grateful-and-grace-truth/" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a> | <a href="http://purposefulfaith.com/finding-god/" target="_blank">Purposeful Faith</a></span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/">Weekly Wisdom: Am I Living by the Spirit?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/20/weekly-wisdom-am-i-living-by-the-spirit/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>6</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">8039</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: Apart from Him, We Can Do Nothing</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/06/weekly-wisdom-apart-from-him-we-can-do-nothing/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/06/weekly-wisdom-apart-from-him-we-can-do-nothing/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2015 14:00:03 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bear fruit]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[John 15]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mark 11]]></category> <category><![CDATA[prayer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[the vine and the branches]]></category> <category><![CDATA[the withered fig tree]]></category> <category><![CDATA[words of wisdom]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=7945</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>I have had moments during service at church, especially during praise time, where I’ve felt touched and moved by the Holy Spirit in a personal way. I’ve shed tears of joy as I felt an overwhelming sense of God’s love … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/06/weekly-wisdom-apart-from-him-we-can-do-nothing/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/06/weekly-wisdom-apart-from-him-we-can-do-nothing/">Weekly Wisdom: Apart from Him, We Can Do Nothing</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/apartfromhimnothing.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-7952" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/apartfromhimnothing-1024x768.jpg" alt="God, Jesus Christ, faith, Bible, Scripture, prayer, hope, the vine and the branches, the fig tree, words of wisdom, Mark 11, John 15" width="560" height="420" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/apartfromhimnothing-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/apartfromhimnothing-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/06/weekly-wisdom-apart-from-him-we-can-do-nothing/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/apartfromhimnothing-1024x768.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: Apart from Him, We Can Do Nothing')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>I have had moments during service at church, especially during praise time, where I’ve felt touched and moved by the Holy Spirit in a personal way. I’ve shed tears of joy as I felt an overwhelming sense of God’s love for me. I’ve shed tears of gratitude as I’ve experienced God’s grace and mercy reach out to me in my personal struggles. For the first time, last Sunday, I felt moved by the Holy Spirit to feel burdened for my church. For the first time, I found myself weeping over the spiritual state of our congregation. I don’t write this in judgment as I, myself, am included in this body of believers.<span id="more-7945"></span></p> <p>As we were singing songs of praise to God, I felt a deep sadness in my heart as God revealed a truth that I, we, have been avoiding and denying, each in our own way. The reality before me was clear, we are spiritually dead. I found myself crying out to God for mercy. As tears rolled down my face, I kept repeating the words, “Have mercy on us, Lord. Have mercy on us.” Almost immediately I was overwhelmed with a sense of compassion for the members of our congregation and I was given a glimpse of God’s immense and unconditional love for us. He hasn’t given up on us and there is hope in Him and Him alone.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>“Have faith in God,…whatever you ask for in prayer, </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”</strong></span></p> <hr /> <p>It is befitting to mention that our church is going thru a difficult transitional period right now. We have been without a pastor for the last 8 months and, not surprisingly, we have been losing members. Although we have faithful members of the church, including elders and deacons, who are trudging on despite the circumstances, we are definitely in need of a shepherd who can lead us in God’s path.</p> <p>I am currently studying the book of Mark as part of a summer women’s bible study that I’m helping facilitate. This past week, I found myself meditating on the passage about the withered fig tree in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+11%3A12-14&version=NIV" target="_blank">Mark 11:12-14</a></strong>. When Jesus saw that the fig tree had leaves but no fruit, He cursed the tree to never produce fruit again. In a lot of ways, we are like that fig tree. We have all the markings of a functional church, our service runs smoothly, we have programs in place, we have fellowship activities from time to time, we send members on mission trips every year, etc. But I can’t help but wonder if these are all just leaves that we’re displaying and concealing the fact that we’re producing no fruit.</p> <p>God’s judgment is a harsh reality we all need to face but we also must not forget that His love is greater. Immediately following the story of the fig tree, we read about Jesus driving out the merchants from the temple courts as He declares in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+11%3A15-18&version=NIV" target="_blank">Mark 11:17</a></strong> that “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” In the same way, I feel that God is calling us to clear away the clutter and get on our knees and become a house of prayer that continuously seeks His will. The passage ends with, what I believe, is a message of hope. Jesus tells the disciples in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+11%3A22-25&version=NIV" target="_blank">Mark 11:22-24</a></strong> to “Have faith in God,…” and reminds them that “whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Just as Jesus cursed that fruitless fig tree, I believe that He can just as easily revive a dying tree.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>“If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; </strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>apart from me you can do nothing.”</strong></span></p> <hr /> <p>The truth we need to know and live by is the fact that we are completely and utterly dependent on Him for our survival, sustenance and growth.<strong> <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15%3A5-8&version=NIV" target="_blank">John 15:5-8</a></strong> echoes this truth clearly, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”</p> <p>We may not have a pastor to lead us right now but Jesus has and always will be our Shepherd. I believe He will guide us through these uncertain times. All we need to do is trust in Him and continue to walk faithfully right behind Him. In the meantime, I’ll be spending a lot of time on my knees, lifting up our church to Him, our sole provider and source of life.</p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge" target="_blank"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/06/weekly-wisdom-apart-from-him-we-can-do-nothing/&media=https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png&description=Weekly Wisdom: Apart from Him, We Can Do Nothing')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a title="Thursday Favorite Things Linkup" href="http://all-thats-jas.com/2015/08/thursday-favorite-things-201.html" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | <a title="SHINE Blog Hop" href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-59/" target="_blank">SHINE</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/tea-and-sympathy/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/08/cozy-reading-spot-104.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/ff83_late/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a title="Faith & Fellowship" href="http://www.simplemomentsstick.com/2015/08/faith-and-fellowship-blog-hop.html" target="_blank">Faith & Fellowship</a> | <a href="http://kayleneyoder.com/flooded-house-grace-truth/" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a> | <a href="http://www.richfaithrising.com/2015/08/4-tips-to-keeping-love-alive.html" target="_blank">Unite</a> | <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/08/5-ways-she-speaks-was-nothing-i-wanted/" target="_blank">Words with Winter</a> | <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/08/i-will-be-with-you.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/08/avoid-losing-blog-marketing-strategy.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://momsmorningcoffee.com/coffee-and-conversation-link-party-54/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a></span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/06/weekly-wisdom-apart-from-him-we-can-do-nothing/">Weekly Wisdom: Apart from Him, We Can Do Nothing</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/08/06/weekly-wisdom-apart-from-him-we-can-do-nothing/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>8</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7945</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: Life is Short, Live for Eternity</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2015 10:30:38 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Francis Chan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[inspiration]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Judge]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Parable of the Talents]]></category> <category><![CDATA[weekly wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[words of wisdom]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=7853</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>I have been so hungry lately. Hungry for the word of God, that is. Psalm 119:103 comes to mind, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” God has been revealing so many truths to … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/">Weekly Wisdom: Life is Short, Live for Eternity</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/lifeishort_liveforeternity.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-7858" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/lifeishort_liveforeternity-1024x683.jpg" alt="lifeishort_liveforeternity" width="560" height="374" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/lifeishort_liveforeternity-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/lifeishort_liveforeternity-300x200.jpg 300w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/lifeishort_liveforeternity.jpg 1050w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/lifeishort_liveforeternity-1024x683.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: Life is Short, Live for Eternity')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>I have been so hungry lately. Hungry for the word of God, that is. <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+119%3A103&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 119:103</a></strong> comes to mind, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” God has been revealing so many truths to me in a way that I can understand, I feel the need to share some of the things that He has been impressing upon my heart. I shared on my IG feed how the popular Sunday school song, <em>I Keep Falling in Love with Him</em>, holds true for me now more than ever. The more I feed on His Word, the more I fall in love with Him.<span id="more-7853"></span></p> <p>I’m planning to read the Bible on my own from beginning to end, without the pressure of having to finish it in a year. I’ve also been listening to sermons by well-known theologians and preachers such as John Piper and Tim Keller. In the process of searching for their sermons, I happened to stumble upon a few of Francis Chan’s sermons. I have to admit, I had never heard of him before. I now know that he is a well-known preacher who used to lead a megachurch in Simi Valley, CA called Cornerstone Community Church. At the height of his career, he decided to leave his church because he felt he was becoming a hindrance to the spiritual growth of its members as they were depending too much on him and not enough on the Holy Spirit. From the little I know of him, I get the impression that he is a man who practices what he preaches. Several of his sermons have touched a chord in my heart, but there were two short videos, probably already known to many, that really convicted me and compelled me to re-evaluate my outlook on life.</p> <p>These may be the most meaningful 10 minutes of your time this week, this month, or this year, for that matter.</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" title="5-Minute Message: "The Rope" with Francis Chan" width="560" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cbjEZez2_Sk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p>In this first Rope Illustration, Francis Chan uses a very long rope as an analogy for the timeline of our existence. Our time here on earth is represented by small 3-inch colored portion of the rope. This illustration made me think of how fleeting our time here on earth is. It made me take a hard and serious look at how I want to use my life. Do I want to use my time and energy to invest in fleeting rewards here on earth, or do I want to spend them to store treasures in the eternal kingdom? <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+39%3A4&version=NIV" target="_blank">Psalm 39:4</a></strong> echoes my desire to be reminded of this truth daily, “<span class="small-caps">Lord</span>, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.”</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Francis Chan - Balance Beam" width="560" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LA_uwWPE6lQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p>In the Balance Beam illustration, Francis challenges us to step outside of our comfort zone and to live a life that is worthy of God’s calling. When my time here on earth is up and I find myself standing before our Creator and Judge, will I be able to look Him in the face and honestly say that I did my best for Him. Do I want to continue on living my safe, self-serving comfortable life or do I want to surrender myself to God and not be afraid to go wherever He leads me, even if there will be hardship and suffering?</p> <p>It made me think of the Parable of the Talents in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A14-30&version=NIV" target="_blank">Matthew 25:14-30</a></strong>. The servants, who doubled the number of talents that their master gave them, took risks and used what they had to add to their master’s riches. The one who hid the talent in the ground played it safe and ended up producing nothing for his master. This video challenged me to start taking risks for God because I know that He will always be there to pick me up when I fall. And the blessings that come from serving Him wholeheartedly are beyond what we can imagine. We are reminded of this in <strong><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+4%3A17-18&version=NIV" target="_blank">2 Corinthians 4:17-18</a></strong>, “<span id="en-NIV-28877" class="text 2Cor-4-17">For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.</span> <span id="en-NIV-28878" class="text 2Cor-4-18">So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”</span></p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a class="ig-b- ig-b-v-24" href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/07/friend-sharpens-friend-link-up/" target="_blank">Words with Winter</a> | <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/07/fix-your-eyes-on-jesus.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/07/adoption.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://momsmorningcoffee.com/coffee-conversation-link-party-51/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a> | <a title="Thursday Favorite Things Linkup" href="http://katherinescorner.com/2015/07/22/thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop-199/" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | <a title="SHINE Blog Hop" href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-57/" target="_blank">SHINE</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/empowered/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2015/06/24/thriving-thursday-624/" target="_blank">Thriving Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/07/cozy-reading-spot-102.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Bloggers Who Have Inspired Me Linkup" href="http://www.garaytreasures.com/2015/07/matchingmintandmarriage/" target="_blank">Bloggers Who Have Inspired Me</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/ff82_who_is_god/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up/faith-filled-friday-some-news" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a title="Faith & Fellowship" href="http://www.simplemomentsstick.com/2015/07/faith-and-fellowship-blog-hop_31.html" target="_blank">Faith & Fellowship</a> | <a href="http://rebekahmhallberg.com/put-to-flight-grace-truth.html" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a></span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/">Weekly Wisdom: Life is Short, Live for Eternity</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/23/weekly-wisdom-life-is-short-live-for-eternity/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>7</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7853</post-id> </item> <item> <title>Weekly Wisdom: Giving God the First Fruits</title> <link>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/08/weekly-wisdom-giving-god-the-first-fruits/</link> <comments>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/08/weekly-wisdom-giving-god-the-first-fruits/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[My Rose Colored Shades]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2015 10:30:59 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Faith & Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Weekly Wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bible]]></category> <category><![CDATA[faith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[first fruits]]></category> <category><![CDATA[God]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Hannah]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jesus Christ]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Moses]]></category> <category><![CDATA[scripture]]></category> <category><![CDATA[surrender]]></category> <category><![CDATA[truth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[wisdom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[words of wisdom]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://myrosecoloredshades.com/?p=7698</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>You know how they say that children learn by repetition? Well, I think God has been using that method with me lately in order to press upon my heart the importance of giving Him the first fruits not only every … <a class="more-link" href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/08/weekly-wisdom-giving-god-the-first-fruits/">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/08/weekly-wisdom-giving-god-the-first-fruits/">Weekly Wisdom: Giving God the First Fruits</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/GivingGodFirstFruits.jpg"> <span class="pibfi_pinterest "> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-7700" src="http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/GivingGodFirstFruits-1024x682.jpg" alt="God, Jesus Christ, Bible, Scripture, first fruits, Hannah, words of wisdom, truth" width="560" height="373" srcset="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/GivingGodFirstFruits-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/GivingGodFirstFruits-300x200.jpg 300w, https://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/GivingGodFirstFruits.jpg 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px" /> <span class="xc_pin" onclick="pin_this(event, 'http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/08/weekly-wisdom-giving-god-the-first-fruits/&media=http://myrosecoloredshades.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/GivingGodFirstFruits-1024x682.jpg&description=Weekly Wisdom: Giving God the First Fruits')"> </span> </span> </a></p> <p>You know how they say that children learn by repetition? Well, I think God has been using that method with me lately in order to press upon my heart the importance of giving Him the first fruits not only every morning but in everything I do. I had been reminded gently of this truth thru a couple of blog posts that I read recently. It obviously didn’t get thru to me the first time so God reminded me again thru a sermon I listened to while driving 3 hours to pick up my daughter from sleep away camp, and then again thru the Women in the Word series at She Reads Truth when I read about Hannah. But what does it mean to give God the first fruits? I don’t think it’s my place, nor is it my intent to delve into the theological meaning of the first fruits as referred to in the Old as well as the New Testaments, but I’d like to share some of the spiritual meanings that God has been conveying to me lately.<span id="more-7698"></span></p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">God should be first and foremost in everything I do.</span></strong></p> <hr /> <p>God should be first and foremost in everything I do. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. When we’re in love with someone, they’re our first thought when we wake up in the morning and the last thing in our minds when we go to bed at night. Such should be our relationship with God. I should go to Him first thing in the morning, thank Him first for every blessing, seek Him first in times of trouble and give Him first of whatever I receive. Elkanah and Hannah rose early in the morning to worship the Lord. Moses was in the habit of going up to the mountain to meet with God and always fell facedown first in submission to God whenever confronted with challenges. We are reminded in <strong>Proverbs 8:17 (KJV)</strong>, “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”</p> <p>While driving up to pick up my daughter from sleep away camp, I listened to several sermons from Pastor Kjos of Brightmoor Christian Church, a local church. As he gave the example of Mary and Martha, the one message that stood out clearly to me was that God wants us to love Him first and serve Him second. I need to love Him first because He first loved me. We need to sit at His feet and listen to Him first. He is our source of wisdom and strength, and all that we need in order to serve Him effectively. We need His blessings in order to go and bless others.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Offering up the first fruits to God is an act of surrender.</span></strong></p> <hr /> <p>Offering up the first fruits to God is an act of surrender. I am acknowledging and trusting in His sovereignty and providence. It’s also a demonstration of my gratitude as I’m giving God the honor that is due Him. Hannah prayed for many years that God would bless her with a child. When God finally blessed her with a son, she offered him right back to God. She says in <strong>1 Samuel 1:27-28</strong>, “<span id="en-NIV-7240" class="text 1Sam-1-27">I prayed for this child, and the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span> has granted me what I asked of him.</span><span id="en-NIV-7241" class="text 1Sam-1-28"><span class="versenum"> </span>So now I give him to the <span class="small-caps">Lord</span>.” </span>She knew that her son was a gift from God and rightfully belonged to Him. She trusted God to provide and care for her son and raise him up in His will.</p> <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Giving my first fruits means </span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">giving God my best </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">and not the leftovers.</span></strong></p> <hr /> <p>Giving my first fruits means giving God my best and not the leftovers. When I give Him the very first part of my day, I am giving the best part of my day because I am eliminating the chance of less important things in my life crowding out time with Him later in the day, and forcing me to give Him my leftover time, if any at all. When I give of my material possessions, I shouldn’t be thinking of myself and my livelihood first, I ought to give without reservation, knowing that what I have is not mine to begin with and that God has already provided for my needs.</p> <p>Whatever I do in the name of the Lord, I do it with passion and dedication, because nothing could be more important. It says in <strong>Colossians 3:23-24 (NLV)</strong>, “<span id="en-NLV-29541" class="text Col-3-23">Whatever work you do, do it with all your heart. Do it for the Lord and not for men. </span><span id="en-NLV-29542" class="text Col-3-24">Remember that you will get your reward from the Lord.</span><span id="en-NIV-29542" class="text Col-3-24">” </span>I give Him my best because He gave us His best, “he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (<strong>John 3:16</strong>)</p> <p>Have a blessed rest of the week!<br /> <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/my-rose-colored-shades-10658125" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="http://www.bloglovin.com/widget/bilder/en/widget.gif?id=10658125" alt="Follow on Bloglovin" width="150" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://instagram.com/myrosecoloredshades?ref=badge" target="_blank"><img decoding="async" src="https://myrosecoloredshades.com//badges.instagram.com/static/images/ig-badge-view-24.png" alt="Instagram" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Linking up with these lovelies: <a href="http://mecoffeeandjesus.com/2015/07/friend-sharpens-friend-link-up/" target="_blank">Words with Winter</a> | <a title="Word Filled Wednesday Linkup" href="http://www.w2wministries.org/2015/07/my-heart-cry.html" target="_blank">Word Filled Wednesday</a> | <a title="A Little R & R Linkup" href="http://www.rosilindjukic.com/2015/07/3-reasons-use-boardbooster.html" target="_blank">A Little R & R</a> | <a title="Coffee and Conversation Linkup" href="http://momsmorningcoffee.com/coffee-and-conversation-link-party-49/" target="_blank">Coffee and Conversation</a> | <a title="Thursday Favorite Things Linkup" href="http://all-thats-jas.com/2015/07/thursday-favorite-things-197.html" target="_blank">Thursday Favorite Things</a> | <a title="SHINE Blog Hop" href="http://thedeliberatemom.com/shine-blog-hop-55/" target="_blank">SHINE</a> | <a href="http://3dlessons4life.com/run-deep/" target="_blank">Thought Provoking Thursday</a> | <a href="http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2015/06/24/thriving-thursday-624/" target="_blank">Thriving Thursday</a> | <a href="http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/2015/07/champion-sneak-peek.html" target="_blank">Cozy Reading Spot</a> | <a title="Fellowship Fridays Linkup" href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/ff80_rain/" target="_blank">Fellowship Fridays</a> | <a title="Faith Filled Friday Linkup" href="http://www.missionalwomen.com/faith-filled-friday-blog-link-up/faith-filled-friday34" target="_blank">Faith Filled Friday</a> | <a title="Faith & Fellowship" href="http://www.simplemomentsstick.com/2015/07/faith-and-fellowship-blog-hop_17.html" target="_blank">Faith & Fellowship</a> | <a href="http://www.busybeingblessed.net/god-loves-them-more-grace-truth-26/" target="_blank">Grace & Truth</a></span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/08/weekly-wisdom-giving-god-the-first-fruits/">Weekly Wisdom: Giving God the First Fruits</a> appeared first on <a href="https://myrosecoloredshades.com">My Rose Colored Shades</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://myrosecoloredshades.com/2015/07/08/weekly-wisdom-giving-god-the-first-fruits/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>8</slash:comments> <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7698</post-id> </item> </channel> </rss>