Tag: Journaling

God: The Author And Finisher Of Our Faith

On By tgifmastermindsIn Uncategorized5 Comments

 

Blog - Angel playing hornWhen was the last time you had an “Ah-Haa” moment?  Was it last week, yesterday or maybe this morning?  Mine was just now!  Just as I began to compose my thoughts for this week’s blog, the Lord shouted in a loud voice, “STOP in the name of love, before you break my heart.  Think it over.”  Doo wop, doo wop!”

Well, I exaggerated.  The angels were not really blasting out The Supremes 1965 hit song, but I thought it was a great opener for what I am about to share with you concerning just how much God loves proof reading our writings, publishing and promoting our hieroglyphics on how we use His written word as a form of our worship.

Honestly, when life throws me a lemon, one of the most expressive ways I’ve found to cope is by journaling, or writing my grief down somewhere.  And my first thoughts this morning when I awoke were the Holy Spirit whispering to me, my child, that is just what I do…envelop someone’s heart to write things down.  (My “Ah-Haa” moment.)  You see, God is actually the Author and Finisher of our faith….who would-a-thought!

So, what are some examples in the Bible of God’s references to writing things down?  I’m so glad you asked.

  • As a Prosecuting Attorney, God said:  “Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”  Luke 1:3-4
  • As a Supreme Ruler, God said:  “This is what the Lord said, the God of Israel, says:  ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.'”  Jeremiah 30:2a
  • As the Master Teacher, God said:  “Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”  Deuteronomy 6:9
  • Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote:  “You (the Corinthians) yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.  You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”  2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Blog - God Prefers a Written letter

Needless to say, one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day!

I realize that there are other acceptable ways Believers in Christ pay homage to Him, for example:

  1. By worshiping through music.
  2. By worshiping in fasting and praying.
  3. By worshiping conducting Bible study.
  4. By fostering unity in the body of Christ.

But for me, worshiping while journaling allows me to laugh out loud with Him, debate with Him, cry with Him, rejoice with Him, shout with Him, run with Him, Love on Him, and most of all submit to Him.

Blog - God and writing to Him

The man on the left is not a picture of my grandfather, Daddy Bob, but it reminds me of him sitting in the wooden bench swing on his front porch on a warm Spring day, slowly pumping himself back and forth as he read his Bible.  We grandchildren knew not to disturb him, but we could watch him as he from time to time looked up at the rolling clouds in the bright blue sky and spit out his tobacco.  Next, he would take his pencil from behind his ear and underlined something he had just read in the Bible.  How I longed for a peek at that page.  But that was Grandpa’s own private conversation with God and I knew he expected God to answer him in His own good time.

You may be wondering how you can use the written word as a form of worship?  May I suggest you try writing down your first positive thoughts of your day.  And in the evening pick up that list and write down how each thought was accomplished.  Did you make it happen?  Did someone else make it happen?  Was God in the mix?  Then turn it all over to Jesus in your closing written prayer.  Collect these precious pieces of paper and you will be on your way to worshipping while journaling.   Then you, too, will agree that to journal is a wonderful form of expression.

Until next week, my friends, happy journaling.

TO HELP YOU GET STARTED WITH YOUR JOURNALING, SHOP AMAZON FOR THIS JOURNAL NOTEBOOK:  I’ll Write it Down: A Two Way Chat Diary Oct 17, 2019 by Joronda Montañ Paperback      $9.95

Scripture Lesson:  “Never forget to be truthful and kind.  Hold these virtues tightly.  Write them deep within your heart.  If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself.  Proverbs 4:3-5 (Living Bible)  STOP in the name of love…

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!

God Allowed Me To Experience Life Eternal

On By tgifmastermindsIn Uncategorized6 Comments

Blog Eternity picture.jpg

An Endless Period That Does Not Include Time

This week’s blog is taken from a page in my journal dated Saturday, February 27, 2004.  Yes, its been fourteen years since my Lord and I have had this conversation.  And then as well as now, I truly believe that on that night, God allowed me to experience life eternal.  So, please, take a  stroll with me down memory lane as I relive that awe-inspiring night with Jesus.——————————————————————————————————————————–

A Page From My Journal…

I fell asleep after studying my Sunday school lesson last night.  The Scripture was as follows:  “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble brush.” Luke 6:43-44

The Holy Spirit awakened me about 4:30 a.m.  I knew it was Him.  He instructed me to go get my book entitled Chicken Soup For The Christian Soul.  In it I found a short story relevant to my Sunday school lesson.  It was very appropriate for my third graders.

I said to myself, it would really be nice if I could find a short story directly related to the book of Luke.  After leafing through the book, I found the perfect story and it referenced Luke 6:33, a section on giving.

After I finished reading the story, I was smiling and thanking God for awakening me and putting the finishing touches on my Sunday school lesson.  I said, ‘Oh, Lord, if I had my druthers, heaven would be one long eternal night instead of a place of eternal day’.  I made that comment because for me and most people I know, God engages us in the most revealing conversations at nighttime or at least in the early dawn while it is still dark outside.

Immediately, my Lord responded. “My beloved,” He said. “Turn to Revelations where I speak of the fact that heaven will have neither sun nor moon.”  “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the Glory of God illuminated it.  The Lamb is its light.”  Rev. 21:23

“Don’t you see, my child, heaven will have neither sun nor moon.  There will be no concept of day or night there.  I AM IT!  When I awake you at night to speak to you, I am treating you as I treat myself.  I never sleep.  So, why should you?   I’ll tell you like I told Jeremiah, ‘Do you want to run with the horses?  Well, I am the horse’.  Wake Up!  Allow me to turn your nights into day.

“If you want to walk with me, know that there are no inhibitions that hinder me.  No walls contain me.  No doors are shut against me.  No gulfs divide me.  No regiment of time constrains me.  But most of all, no weapon formed against me shall prosper.  I say to you, come to the realization of how awesome it is to be more than a conqueror.  Come!  I invite you to join me and experience eternity.”        The End

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Scripture Lesson:  Isaiah 57:15 – For this is what the high and lofty One says–“I live in a high and holy place, but also with him (or her) who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Blog Figure 8 Eternity.jpg The infinity symbol (figure eight) is universally recognized as a symbol for eternity. The two circles the eight forms have no ending and no beginning and continue in its pattern representing forever.

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!