I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
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Advent-Hope

11/30/2015

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​The next several posts will be a series of devotions and stories for the season of Advent, to prepare our hearts to celebrate and remember the entrance of King Jesus into this world.

​O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice ! Rejoice ! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israe
l.


Hope

The countdown begins! As a child, December for me meant snow, Santa and a fire in the fireplace. It meant hauling box upon box from our attic in excited expectation of revealing their contents. Each item carefully unwrapped from the prior year’s tissue paper was placed in just the right spot,with mother's guidance of course. Reminiscing over the oldest ones, they were all appreciated and held much sentimental value. The plastic ball of mistletoe, the gold chimes with the silly elf, the ceramic angel and many others fill my memory still. The most precious of all, though was the crèche. It was old when I was little, and we all adored what it stood for. My mother loves Jesus, and she taught us to love him too. This nativity brought the story to life for me. I spent time imagining what it must have been like that night in that stable. Now I imagine what it must have been like to be an Israelite before Messiah appeared; the hopeful longing of her heart for a Savior that was promised. Generations waited and hoped. Many died with hope in their hearts.  Scripture said He would be the offspring or seed of a woman. God said He would crush the head of Satan.(Genesis 3:15). We know from Genesis 12:3 that the Savior would be a descendant of Abraham and He would bless ALL nations. Deuteronomy 18:15 says that He would be a prophet to whom we should listen. He was to be born in Bethlehem of Judah (Micah 5:2) of a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14). There was much anticipation for a Savior.  That night in that town, hope was revealed. The promise was fulfilled.
 
            I still get a hopeful feeling this time of year. My hope now is so much bigger than baby Jesus.            It is His indwelling spirit and His triumphant return that cause me to hope. 

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, our Hope is in you; in your promises, in your mercy, and in your Son Jesus Christ who did not come into this world to judge us but to save us. Thank you for                                       your loving kindness to this sinner and to all who seek you.                                     To you be the glory forever and ever. AMEN
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Happy Thanksgiving!

11/25/2015

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Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 107:1
 
Thanksgiving and all its traditions are a welcome occasion. Family and friends gather for one purpose; to celebrate a bountiful harvest by fellowshipping and feasting. Keeping God at the center of this celebration is so important. We must remind our children for what and to whom we are thankful. Most of us don’t fear going hungry because of a poor harvest, but many of our neighbors do. And certainly our forefathers did. Take the time to really reflect and be grateful, and share that with your families. So often we take for granted all the trappings of the holidays. May we keep our minds focused on God and His provisions, His mercy and His love for His people.
I am thankful for so much, but mostly for the forgiveness I have received by becoming a child of God and follower of Jesus. Anything that comes after that is good and worthy of thanksgiving. May God richly bless you and your families as you come before Him with grateful hearts. May the peace of God permeate your Thanksgiving celebrations, and may we all show the love of God to everyone we encounter, especially the unlovable that may even be part of our own families. God loves them as much as He loves you!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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The Language of Love

11/18/2015

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​When you want to communicate with a different culture of people it is helpful, if not necessary, to learn the language. We do it for our jobs, for travel and even just as a hobby. The process is not instantaneous. Time and effort are required. Practicing is helpful, as well integrating the language into your daily life until it becomes second nature. The Bible. Reading it for some is like reading a foreign language. It can become so confusing when read out of context, that it is just downright intimidating. But instead of taking on the challenge of learning, many just put it aside. We are accustomed to immediate solutions and gratification, so the task of studying and understanding scripture just seems like it will take too long.
So, I’m sure you’ve heard of Rosetta Stone’s program of learning new languages. I recently learned that the Rosetta stone is a rock inscribed with a decree from 196 BC, which contains 3 texts in 2 languages, Egyptian and Greek. It has been the key to unlocking the ancient hieroglyphic language, and has been studied and coveted by several nations. It is valuable because it is a bridge between civilizations and languages that help us to better understand and learn the cultures and events of that day.  The stone provided men the ability to decode and understand another language.

So what does this have to do with the Bible? Well, I know for myself there was a time when I felt like I didn’t need to study or even read it. I believed that Jesus Christ died on a cross and was resurrected. I knew that, because I attended a church where this was taught.  I wasn’t all that bad; I had a free ticket to Heaven, so it was “all good”…no need to get all obsessed with it. I was definitely intimidated by the size and content of the Word, so I avoided it. But eventually, the Holy Spirit intervened and said,”Hey, I can help with that.” He is the great decoder. He makes it possible to understand the Word in the way that God intended. Well, I am one of those immediate gratification expecting American citizens, So, knowing that reading and studying alone would take FOREVER, I attended a Bible study at my church. I went in knowing nothing or very little, and came out knowing a little bit more. Each time I stepped out and participated, I gained more insight. I enjoyed it so much; I studied on my own too, through DVDs and the computer! Wow, who knew such a  plethora of Bible study resources was so attainable?
But, I didn’t answer the question, why bother? Well, I can only tell you from my experience, that scripture is just full of amazing truths that speak directly to us. We were created by God. Who better to write a hand book on a creation that the creator himself? He knows what we need to function, what maintenance is required,  and that we need a lot of it! If you have never done a Bible study, I urge you to take a step. Your eyes will be opened and your heart will become more susceptible to learning and absorbing all that God wants you to learn. Through the history and stories of real people, you will learn who God is and how He works in the lives of His people.

The Bible is God’s love letter to us. The more we learn, the easier it becomes to communicate with Him and He with us. We will hear His voice, audible or not, when we are in communion with Him. We have a filter in which to run our thoughts and actions through, knowing if our will is lining up with His will for our life. It takes practice. It takes a commitment and dedication. But I promise, it is worth it. You will learn that LOVE is the universal language, and God is the ultimate authority on it.<3



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Just say "No" to Multitasking

11/12/2015

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Multitasking. It’s going to kill me! And possibly seriously tick off my family. There are times when there is so much to do and so little time, that you must. But there are also times when we think we must, and we really don’t. Even the most organized person can be completely scattered in the midst of multi taking. Women, myself included, boast about how we are wired to multitask so much better than men. But, what is there to brag about?
When we are raising our kids, yes, it is obvious that we are doing fifty things at one time and most times, it is necessary for everyone’s health and well being. But when those days fade into the past, our minds still remain in high gear and trick us into believing we must do it all and the faster the better. I am blessed to be a stay at home mom, so my perspective will be different than some. But I still think this applies to all of us. We are not superheroes. We should not aspire to be. God created us in His image. He desires for us to have a heart for Him and to have a heart for His people. Rushing around day in and day out is not what he intended to be our norm. Society honors the multitasker, but look at the other behaviors the world glamorizes. They are not areas that bring honor to God or to our families.
Now that my rush of responsibilities has subsided, I am reflecting on what I can do differently when it happens again. Yes, I can go back to a previous post and remember to Pause, Pray, Praise and Have Peace. I can see it on my Facebook cover, for heaven’s sake! But implementing it EVERY day takes deliberate action. I feel somehow weak if I don’t finish something in record time. Pausing helps me to get my thoughts settled down and organized before I act. Praying puts my will in line with God’s. Praising gives me a grateful heart before I begin expecting anything. And Peace will follow when I am relying on God to guide me through my tasks. PHEW! At the end of the day, I am grateful for a God who enables me to multitask, but does not require me to do so. He wants me to take time to bask in His presence. It’s good for me and it’s good for you.  Everything else is just stuff.

Temporary busyness will steal our joy. Eternal investment pays a huge dividend! HEAVEN!
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Heavenly Father, Thank you for reminding me to be still and know that you are God. You have all my stuff already in order, I just need to relax and accept it. Thank you that your mercies are new every day and every minute after a big fail. Teach us to walk in your ways and to stop running on our own. AMEN
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Light of the World

11/2/2015

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Have you ever said something and immediately wanted to take it back?  No? Me neither! Ha, I wish!
So I’m driving, reflecting on our current state of affairs regarding his being locked out from his job, and I hear myself say to my husband. “Christmas is going to look a little different this year.” What did I just say?! Ok, so maybe because our financial situation is markedly different, our ritualistic gift buying and obnoxious spoiling of our kids will look different, but Christmas? Not even a chance. Christmas is an amazing season of awe and wonder. It’s a time of year when some who don’t know Jesus become curious, and some even go to church. I don’t doubt that many are saved because of it. But, Christmas in its stripped down original version is a combination of celebrating the Birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and a completely Pagan winter festival, with lots of other ethnic traditions thrown in just for fun. It is beautiful and magical on every level.
But the awe and wonder that should be the forefront is this: that God sent His only Son to earth to live among us and to die by our hand as atonement for our sins. He rose from the dead, giving us eternal life.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Romans 3:23-24

That is not magic, but the power of God. The fact that he is able to forgive our sinful nature and adopt us into His family is way bigger than magic. It is miraculous! No tree or decorations or pretty lights compare to the glory of His presence. So the way we celebrate this man made holiday will undoubtedly change based on our present situation (no pun intended!)However, the one true God we are celebrating does not change. He is solid, strong and mighty.
 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called.
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

 
The lights of the season pale in comparison to Light of the world. All the silver and gold, the tinsel and shine are nothing when held next to His heavenly glory.
So, go ahead and celebrate traditions with your family. But be careful not to allow the lines to blur. Jesus is holy and worthy of our praise daily. Christmas is a fun way to celebrate lots of things. But the way we do Christmas should never be in the same league as how we do God.
The bible warns of combining events like these. God knew that His message would become watered down as a result. As believers, we can revive the importance of God and of our need for a Savior to this fallen world. We need to be the salt and light, so that others don’t just get the diluted version of the Gospel. Be deliberate in all you do to show honor and glory to God.  God’s amazing grace covers us when we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, fully surrendering to Him our entire being. So, obviously your salvation is not compromised if you exchange gifts. But I believe we should never let our guard down. Satan uses Christmas to win people to himself by feeding our insatiable need for more stuff; idolatry at its finest. Resist the temptation, and accept that Jesus is all you need.
 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
May God bless us all as we enter the “holiday” months.

We ask, Father, that you give us hearts of gratitude and mouths of praise for you are Holy and worthy. Amen

 
 
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    Terri Moore

    Welcome to my blog page where I share tidbits of my life experiences. I hope you find my posts entertaining and inspiring! My testimony is a result of my trials. God is faithful, and I hope to glorify Him with my words and witness. May you be blessed!

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