How much is TOO much information??

We live in the Modern Age.  So many discoveries have been made we have to wonder if there are even any left to discover?  We can know what is going on across the globe in the blink of an eye and we are constantly reminded the the world wants nothing to do with the God of Christianity. 
On a seemingly smaller scale, we live our day to day lives connected to the internet and usually the media, where we are inundated with stories, news and what is happening all over the globe.
While there are certainly positives and advantages to our current state there can also be major negatives.  So the question is, how much is too much?  TMI- Are we getting Too Much Information? 

Here are a few thoughts on how these women deal with it in their lives...

Brandice:
I'm not sure if I am the best person to write on this subject!
I often am asking the Lord to clean out my mind, give me focus, and help me manage my time more efficiently.
Have you ever walked into a room and stood there trying to remember what it was you went in there for? I try to stay focused on a task at hand but my mind wanders to something else that needs to be done and I end up forgetting my original errand! When I find it hard to stay focused I wonder if my mind is too full or too empty!
Like Paul says in Romans 7, "I want to do what is right... but I do the very thing I hate! ...I love God's law with all my heart! But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind."
Oh Paul! Sin IS at war with my mind! Sin takes away my focus. Then I get behind in my daily chores and jobs, leaving less time for my family and less time for God.
Continuing on in Romans 8 Paul simply reminds us, "If the Holy Spirit controls your mind there is life and peace."

Kay
Priorities! A life long, almost daily, search for which ones are God's and which are mine. Then there's those days when I live in the tyranny of the urgent. I hate that. I'm forever in a quest for the perfect schedule, knowing there is no such thing. The rest and the peace and the productivity lies in hearing the Lord and being obedient. That very often is not looking like what I think that it should. Listening to a hurting friend, sharing a wonder-filled moment with your kids or grand kids in the floor or backyard, remembering that people are more important than things Always to God! HIS ways truly are not ours! The jury is still out on how much time is actually "saved" using this convenience we call computer; because somehow it makes us think we are multi-tasking wonders. I'm pretty sure that's a deception. I have come to this, though, God is interested in our every moment not because we are His worker bees but because we are His children! If we make connecting with HIM our 1st and primary necessity in life, the rest WILL work out. He just does it! As we seek to say yes to Him and move out in faith, He moves on our behalf even if it's in the redemption of where we misunderstood His direction! What a God!!! Nuff said.

Barbara
Ephesians 6:10 to 18 come to mind (praying for the Armor of God). If we do this early each day and give the day to him with all our problems, appointments, thoughts and etc. To have him fill our cup fresh with his spirit, to do what He wants us to do for the day. He will give us his power his wisdom, & understanding. I try to remember to ask him about everything. The world tries to keep our minds too busy to spend with the Lord. So I talk to Him all the time in my head about everything. When I do not, is when I get off track. I ask the Holy Spirit to remind me when I get too busy. When someone comes to mind I say a quick prayer for that person. This helps me. I also try to pray in the spirit as well. 
Hope this did not sound like a sermon. It is how I strive to do each day.
I forgot the most important: Pray for the whole family, cover them with the blood of Jesus, and the favor of God for all.  This might seem like a lot to do everyday but really you can do it with in 10 minutes or less.  And you can fit it in while you are driving or in the shower.  If we keep our mind's focused on Jesus then prayer will become as natural as breathing.

Jill
The song that keeps coming in my head when I think of this topic is, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face.  And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."
I chose the topic this week because I am not turning my eyes upon Jesus enough.  I have struggled with my focus.  Sometimes I wish I could just turn it all off and go back to a simpler time. BUT, I know that the Lord has chosen me to live in the exact moment of time for His purpose.  My job is to find a healthy balance between what I allow in so that what comes out of me will glorify Him.  (I'm sure a vacation would help too :)
God has equipped us for where we are...we just need our eyes on Him more than they are on the world.




Thanks to all of the ladies who took the time to share.  Let's encourage each other in the Lord and let His name be glorified!!

Psalm 91:4

Hanna

This verse, actually the whole chapter of Psalm 91 speaks so much of our proclamation of faith and comfort for our family and knowing how much He truly loves us. We have embarked on a journey that only our Heavenly Father can guide us along. Our oldest son, Eli has recently been diagnosed with having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), more specifically, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Specified Otherwise (PDD-NOS). As a special educator and being a mom now, I always had my suspicions early on when Eli was about 12 months old, but his symptoms were mild and did not fit into the classic definition of ASD. So, we waited. Since the diagnosis, we’ve started this journey to understand each of our children and the special gifts that each of them possess and how they can help to bless Him and others with faith that God is helping us throughout the journey no matter what the challenges we may face along the way. Since starting early intervention along with speech and OT therapies, Eli has made such great progress. We know that it is because of God’s grace and love for us. Despite the challenges we have faced or will face in the future, I know and believe that we will be alright and all our children will be great and will always remember that God has a special plan for each of them.

 

Brandice

Ps 91:4," He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you can hide. His truth will be your shield and protection."

This paints a lovely picture for me with my childhood memories. We used to raise a few chickens. Some of the hens would get broody and start sitting on eggs, others we stole from the nest and put in an incubator. It was exciting to come home and try to guess how many baby chicks would have hatched out. Though it was easy to peek into the incubator to see how many new chicks we had, it was another story with the hen.
The mama hen made her nest around her with high sides, almost like a bowl half buried in the ground. She could puff up her feathers and make herself bigger to hold more chicks. We would bring the mama hen our incubator chicks and she would take them under her, keeping them warm and protecting them. It was hard to see actually how many she had under her. I don't even think she knew-- we laughed because she thought they were all hers! And she acted like it by going after any person or other chicken who may come by her nest. It wasn't until they were bigger when you could see a swarm of chicks moving under her.
To think of God's truth - the truth being that he loves us and accepts us as this mama hen "loved" and accepted any chick, whether hers or not - that truth is the protecting shield to us! And nothing can take away God's love for us, not angels or demons, or life or death, lowest depths or highest heights. (Romans 8) In God's love, we are safe- we are loved and accepted no matter who we are. It doesn't matter where we were born- what we have done. God's love covers us and we become his children and he begins to feed us and teach us. All we have to do is make a decision to crawl into God's nest and stay by his side.

Marishell

Psalm 91:4
I used to spend my summers playing ball as a teenager. The ball field complex in Landstuhl, Germany, was always my favorite location. Behind the outfield fence was a scenic view of large rolling grassy hills edged with pine trees. In particular behind center field I could actually visualize a giant, comfortable chair as the hills rolled into a valley. The chair was in fact so huge that I envisioned God sitting there and taking in my softball game. (My crazy imagination pictured Him as tall as the Empire State building so you could imagine that chair beyond center field was large enough for His bottom!) I would imagine Him sitting in that comfy chair and watching me and cheering me on as I played softball. When the game was over, I found myself sitting on His lap and enjoying His company. That scene of us in the chair has faithfully resurfaced over the years. I have found myself climbing up in God’s lap countless times amidst the storms of life to which “He has covered me with his feathers and under His wings I have found refuge.” At one point it finally occurred to me that God wanted me in His lap on a daily basis. And of course it isn’t uncommon that I now find myself climbing in His lap as a timid and tired daughter, but after we hang out, I find myself encouraged and emboldened to get back in action in His kingdom. God isn’t going anywhere and I could depend on Him to always be with me, to always be a shield and wall of defense against the harshness of life. 2 Timothy 2:13 declares that “God is faithful and will remain faithful because he cannot deny himself”. Wow…how cool is that…God cannot deny who He is!

Jill

This whole chapter brings such a peace.  David's writings are filled with passion and love for his creator but he went through so many valley's and mountain tops in his life.  God used him in a mighty way.  Not just to share with the world his Psalms but to partake in the lineage of Christ.  David had many victories in his life and he also had much pain and suffering.  He felt guilt and anguish.  He felt loss.  But he also felt God's presence and shares that in this Psalm.

If you look closely, God's covering comes to those who dwell in him (v.1).  Do you feel like you dwell in the Lord?  I know that a lot of the time I feel like I am in mire and the muck of this world and it can be hard to put one foot in front of the other.   But, if I spend that time in God's word and let it cover me, let it pour the soothing balm over my spirit, then I can be refreshed.  This comes by believing what it says.  And notice that it says in v.15 that God will be with him (David) in trouble.  God knows there will be trouble but he promises to be with us too.  To cover us with his "feathers" and under his "wings" we will find refuge.  I want him to be my refuge.  I want to cry out to one that can lead and guide me through this dark world and give my life purpose and yes, peace.  

Thank you Lord for your peace!


 

Ephesians 6:12

Thea
"Our struggle is not against flesh and blood..."This passage has shut my mouth more than a time or two when my frustrations begin to mount. There are times when I feel like I need to speak my mind or argue back or defend myself, but with this truth as the background, I can see things for what they are. My battle is not with that person who spoke the critical word, nor the ones with whom I disagree, nor even my dear husband in the midst of a disagreement. In those moments a war is being waged--a war of division--by "the rulers, the authorities, and the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." It's far greater than a frustration with the one who physically stands before me, clothed in flesh and blood. There's an intense battle going on in the spiritual realms, aiming for the destruction of unity. Our enemy wants us to think our battle is against Sarah or John or Amy, because if he can get us thinking ours is really a battle with flesh and bone, then he can dismantle our relationships while he flies under the radar.
But there is great hope, for greater is He who is in me than He who is struggling against me, and against the unity the LORD desires.



Jill
This verse gives us who our battle is against as Christians and the chapter goes on to tell us how (Eph. 6:13-18) to fight.  Knowing who the real enemy is should change things for us.  It should help us to step back and slow down long enough to hear from the one who ultimately has won the battle.  God's spiritual armor is vital to our journey and if we don't learn how to use it daily we will be at a great disadvantage.  We are freed from having to fight this battle alone.
Most of us might say that our relationships are sometimes the hardest things to deal with.  Hopefully we have good ones but most do come with struggles.  When we face these struggles, let us keep in mind who the true enemy is and how are we allowing ourselves to be taken in.  Get some clarity on the subject through prayer.  It is so important to make sure we are following God's will in each situation and not our own.  I hope I can walk these examples out better in my life.  I truly want to fight against the right enemy and knowing that my God has gone before me is the greatest comfort I know!

1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 



Marishell
My recent induction to mommy-hood breathed new life to Ephesians 6:12 for me. My sweet little girl was born two months ago. What a struggle it was for Annie’s arrival! Annie was stuck in a couple of places in the birth canal and eventually we needed the aid of a vacuum to push her out. As I rested in between one set of contractions, I felt the urge in my spirit to ask my husband to agree with me in prayer to specifically bind the work of the enemy, and again call forth God’s destiny over our child. I felt the enemy was trying to hinder her arrival because of the purpose and destiny God has for Annie. Beautiful Annie was born after 8 hours of pushing. Due to breathing and possible infection complications, Annie went directly to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where she spent 5 days. Leaving our child in NICU each evening after my hospital checkout was heart-wrenching. The first night apart, God revealed a special image of His protection upon her in the heavenly realms. Annie had a roommate in NICU and their incubators and space were divided by a heavy curtain. God showed me mighty warrior angels approximately 7’ feet tall whose wings were linked side by side who surrounded Annie (similar to the boundaries of the curtain) while directly above her a constant stream of ministering angels traveled up and down. The scripture is clear that the enemy of our soul comes “to kill, steal, and destroy.” As parents we must also war for our children in the heavenly realm. As we pray for our children and our home, a struggle takes place that is not “against flesh and blood”. We must be vigilant to prepare and to fight as spiritual warriors to protect, to advance, and to lay hold of our Godly inheritance that God has prepared for our family.





Thank you to the ladies that posted this week.  We only had a few but quite a powerful word! 

Our verse of the Week: July 9th

Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (NIV)

Kay M.

I have found this scripture to be an admonishment to me from the Lord on many occasions in my adult Christian life. Not only the obvious speech issues but the less obvious "unwholesome talk". I mean talk that is contrary to the principles by which we Christians are called to live. I refer to "fear talk, bad report talk, faithless talk, expectation of evil and not good talk." These are all unwholesome talk, not building others up nor being beneficial to others nor ourselves. I work on this daily and by the grace of God will continue to grow in wholesome speech.

Thea N.

 This is a call for our tongues to be sanctified--set apa...rt for the Word and the praise of our God, and the building and benefit of His Kingdom. And the use of our words for any other reason? Well, IT SHOULD NOT BE. I keep coming back to James 3:9-11 that talks about the way we use the very same tongue to bless the Lord, but then to curse the ones He made. I love the simple but straight-forward rebuke here: "My brothers, IT SHOULD NOT BE."

Because of what's on the line, because our days (and even our words) are numbered and our opportunities are limited, it should not be. "Too much power is at stake to continue cultivating an INCONSISTENT and UNCONSECRATED mouth" (Beth Moore).

Cindy H.

1) Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing Proverbs 12:18 2) The Bible clearly says "But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart" Matthew 15:18 NIV The English word "heart" referred to in this scripture translates to the Greek word kardia-the fountain seat of thoughts, passions, desires, purposes, and endeavors. These components interrelate and produce: Positive or Negative words & Positive or Negative actions.

Jill M.

One commentary explains the word Unwholesome in this way:

"Anything that injures others and sparks dissension is covered by the expression. Christians, however, will only say what is calculated to build up the church (Eph 2:21, 22; 4:12, 16) by encouraging its members. This is to be done whenever the need arises, so that those who hear may profit by it."

This made me think of an analogy between whole foods vs. processed foods.  Our bodies process whole foods so much better than processed ones.  Whole foods (such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and so on) were created by God for a purpose…to give our bodies’ energy, vitamins and minerals.  The soil that these whole foods come from is also very important to how good the food is.  I compare the Whole food from rich soil to God's word, His love and His grace.  If we can continually keep these in our hearts and on our minds then He will shine through us and help us build others up and have better purpose with our words.

Marishell M.
I’m an avid fan of crème brulee and so much that my husband gave me a recipe book devoted to making a crazy amount of variations of delicious crème brulee. As I perused the ingredients and cooking supplies, I didn’t realize that a sieve was an essential tool in the preparation process. It’s this filter that makes all the difference between having a smooth, creamy, and tasty custard versus a gritty, curdled, and tart one. As I reflect on Ephesians 4:29, I realize how much I absolutely need the filter of the Holy Spirit in my life to produce savory and wholesome conversation. James 3:8 states that “no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” How defeated I am to think I alone can harness my tongue without the help of the Holy Spirit! Abiding in the Spirit frees me from the bitter destruction of unwholesome talk and connects me with the heavenly realm which enables me to speak life and build up those around me. Matthew 12:34 says that “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Let our hearts be filled with the overflow of the knowledge of Christ. May we crave and desire more of Him. After all, He is sweeter also than honey, the honey-comb …and crème brulee!

Brandice W.

I'm trying to teach my 4 year old to control his tongue. James 3 has some pretty terrible things to say about the havoc that our words can cause. But we are all born with sin and "out of the heart of man, the mouth speaks." I fear my task to train him is more up to my son having a relationship with God than it is with my loving discipline and good example. It's having the Holy Spirit in your heart and in your life that will help you to obtain this otherwise impossible goal and other fruits of the Spirit as well.

Carrie F.

It's truly a powerful little verse. Tucked away into this chapter, it's easy to read over it and allow it to get lost, forgotten. I had to stop and read it over and over again for it to truly absorb. I know off hand what it's referring to, but allowing the words to really speak personally to me is another thing. I stopped and prayed, and asked myself if I am truly thinking before I speak to others. Am I consciously aware of what I'm saying, of how they will come across to others? My version of the verse reads: "...that it may minister grace unto the hearers." I looked up grace and it's interesting how it means beauty, good will, favor. Beauty is the one word that stuck out to me. As women, I am reminded how we hold a special place in this world, we are known for our beauty- without sounding vain. I think when God created woman He meant for us to be beautiful.

Our words are so powerful, and they are a direct reflection of our hearts. Are they uplifting, but furthermore, are they reflecting His beauty?

Am I guarding my words, thinking through what I say to others before I speak. And am I uplifting and reflecting His grace (beauty and good will) to others? Powerfully convicting, to make me stop and think before I speak!

Abigail J.

What a great Scripture! Let no corrupt word-no DEATH PRODUCING word-proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification,-BUILDING UP-that it may impart grace-the ZOE LIFE OF GOD-to the hearers.
This is such a challenge to all of us! Corrupt words would be those of death. Words that have no life, no activity whatsoever. God created the world with His words-what type of world are you creating around you with your words?
Are we speaking words that build up? Just think of a builder stacking bricks to build a home of security, stability and a strong foundation. When we speak to our loved ones, are we "adding bricks" to their life or are we taking away? As we are challenged by Paul's admonition, let me also share with you another insight the Lord gave me. Certainly if we are to not speak any corrupt, or death words out of our mouth, we should also not be listening to any either! The Lord had me stop watching the news a long time ago. Talk about corrupt communication! The Scripture says, Who's REPORT will you believe? The response is: We shall believe the REPORT of the Lord! Just something to ponder on.
I also like to think of Eph. 4:23 as the "bridge" Scripture to get us to verse 29. In order for us to speak those words that will build up and add GRACE-God's life-to the hearers, we must be thinking the right things-agreed? Verse 24 reminds us to "constantly be renewed in the spirit of your MIND (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude)." AMPL. This is most certainly the first step to the right words coming out of our mouths. "For as a man thinketh in his heart-so is he." I am challenged even as I write this to be renewed in the spirit of my mind. Praying in the Spirit more and cleaning out any cobwebs that gotta go!

Thanks to all of the ladies who shared.  May we continue to be challenged by God's word and go deeper in it everyday. Feel free to follow our blog and comment too!  Let us know how God is speaking to you.  God Bless!!

2 Thessalonians 3:3

I recently sent out an email to several godly women in my life and requested that they do me a favor.  I wanted to see how God spoke to each of them through scripture.  I wasn't asking IF God spoke to them...instead, I asked, what did He say?  I emphasize this because when you become a Christian you learn that God speaks through His written word.  He also speaks to our hearts in different ways but I would like to focus on His written word.  Why?  Because this is a firm foundation that I can offer to you and it is open to all who seek.  I can't give you my experiences with God but I can give you the word of God.  And I believe that He speaks to all who will listen.
My wish is to show the way He speaks to some of the women who have chosen to share with me and how He speaks to me.
I want to encourage you who might be struggling but also disciple those who might not know how to "hear" from God.
We are not alone in our Christian walk but the enemy sure would like you to think so.

The scripture I chose this week was 2 Thessalonians 3:3
³ But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

Here are what God is speaking to these women:



Esther M.

This message transcends cultures and times; currently we are bombarded on every side with wars, uprisings, earthquakes, ash clouds, tsunamis, tornadoes, mothers murdering their babies, all manner of perversion, billboards advertising the rapture and our own daily lives are not void of challenges. We also can affirm we are living in difficult times and the evil one is prevailing. (2 Timothy 1-5).

Therefore the temptation for us can be much like the Thessalonians; we too can become discouraged, complacent, and fearful, lose our focus and think “I’m ready! so come Lord Jesus and come quickly” But in this passage we are encouraged to live in the light of Christ return, because He is faithful, He will strengthen and protect us, one of my favorite scriptures is found in Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”

Yes God is “MY GOD”, and as I become more intimately acquainted with MY GOD I realize that I am empowered to live in the light of his return, focused and engaging in His purposes.  I am able to trust in His faithful guidance, care and protection from the evil one.  I am never alone or forsaken; His Holy Spirit, His word and the Body of Christ and many more resources are available to me.

2 Peter 1:3 states, “That His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him”

Today I pray that our primary aspiration will be to know God as “MY GOD”  

Brandice W.

Yesterday, when I first read “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one” the first thing I thought of was my son who has a rare condition that causes one side of his body to be larger than the other side. My husband and I are constantly praying and believing that God will heal him and cause his body to be made perfect. How encouraging for me to read that my God is faithful! I desire for the Lord to strengthen and protect my sons body from this condition.
Today, I found out an old friend had been lured into a trap: thinking he was meeting someone selling something from an online trading site, he was shot while trying to escape from being thrown into the trunk of their car. (Such unthinkable evil!) His attackers fled and luckily his father saw the commotion from a distance and called 911.  I read the verse again. In the truest sense of being protected from the evil one, this verse means what it says! God was faithful, God strengthened him to fight off his attackers, and protected him from a certain death. Bless God for his protection!
This simple passage needs no theoretical explanation. If the heart of God is not heard and understood here then all hope is lost.

Tina B.

It's funny, two things really popped into my mind.  First, and immediately, was my son.  As a mother, one of my greatest concerns is his safety.  It is something I pray about daily and try to fight my own fears of something happening to him.  I have to often remind myself that God gave him to me and that God will be faithful to protect him. 

The second thought was this....  Yes, God is faithful and He will strengthen and protect.  But  that doesn't mean He doesn't allow difficulties and challenges.  In fact, the difficulties and challenges are often HOW He strengthens us.  A few years ago, I went through a series of very hurtful events.  First, in the church and then at my place of work.  I was angry, crushed, and felt mistrust towards everyone....  in the church and out!!!!  Not a great place to be!  Through it, God did redeem us and the false accusations were exposed.  But the hurt and anger remained for a quite a while.  On the other side of it now, God has grown in us wisdom, inner personal strength, grace, and compassion.....  But these lessons and the growth that we experienced would not have occurred had we not walked through that storm and experienced God's protection, wisdom, and compassion.

Jill M.

This scripture hit me like a ton of bricks when I came across it.  I was already praying for so many needs in the body of Christ and was feeling overwhelmed.  I felt like God was reminding me (just like Paul was telling the Thessalonians) that he is faithful even when wickedness surrounds us...He will protect us.  It is truly the only hope we have in this decaying world.  It is not meant to be our home and we are in a battle (spiritual warfare Ephesians 6:12 ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.)

I believe that God will redeem all of the time and trials that we go through.  We are not promised that life will be easy BUT He does promise that He will be with us.

All we can do is take one step at a time and serve our God who is faithful!!

Thank you so much to my ladies who were able to take the time and share.  And thank you for reading our post.  Please take the time to further study 2 Thessalonians 3 and see what God wants to speak to your heart.