Calling all Prayer Warriors!

Okay everyone! So here's the opportunity to be apart of something big and new! You could be a Prayer Warrior. A Prayer Warrior will be on a list, and sent an email every time I get a prayer request, so that you can pray alongside us.


If you would like to be a Take Up Your Cross Prayer Warrior, please message me with your email address, or comment on this post, and I will send out a Prayer Chain when I get requests (and I get a lot!!!). As we all know, prayer is a HUGE weapon against the enemy, so let's get busy using that weapon!! 

If you have a prayer request, and would like it to be sent out on the Prayer Warrior chain, please message me and I will send it either with your name or anonymously, whichever you would prefer. 

Come on guys, this is more than just a newsletter. This is people's lives we could be effecting for the better! Petition God for good to be done in other's lives. And trust me, you will be blessed by doing this more than you could imagine.... praying for someone else helps your spiritual life so much! It removes the focus off of ourselves, and puts it on something more worthwhile...someone else.

For my Prayer Warriors!

Okay prayer people, here's a request!! When you're chit chattin with God, PLEASE include my friend Alyssa, and her grandpa. He had a heart attack, and it's, quote: "worse than last time, and the doctor has asked for the whole family to come and it isn't looking good". So I would really appreciate if you prayed!! The good news; he IS a Christian!! Hallelujah!

Remember, even if the situation doesn't turn out as planned or as hoped, God is still in control. We have no control over our lives, but God DOES!! So take comfort in that, because He will never leave you or hang you out to dry. He loves you, and hates when you're sad or hurt, but sometimes it does happen. So we can believe that God is always looking out for our best interest, and we just need to have faith in that. Trust Him to work it out in your life, because He will.

God bless, and blog soon

Busy Bee!

I'm just gonna start out by saying I'm SORRY! I've been so incredibly busy lately, and I haven't had time to write! Being a full time student, and working at my church many times a week has me wrapped up! Then there's the matter of trying to read my Bible everyday...(I'm ashamed! I don't read nearly as much as I should!) What about you guys? Life been busy, and feel like you're trying to squeeze God into your schedule book and He just isn't fitting, so you pencil Him out and add "buy milk" instead? Well, I'm right there with you!! It isn't easy to be disciplined in having "God time" but it's necessary, easy or not. I'll pray for you all and your prayers for me would be appreciated....Okay, back to the books for this gal. But I'll make it a point to read my Bible today, because that's the most important book of all!

God bless, and blog soon

The ladder of life

Tonight was a learning experience (as is usual) and I learned that I'm not always right...shocker! I know. In all seriousness though, we can tend to start thinking that way and then we get knocked down a rung or two on the ladder and that's when it hurts. Personally, I would much rather climb down the ladder myself (of my own will) than get knocked down (equivalent of being humbled), wouldn't you? But sometimes I can be so dumb, and most of the time it takes me being knocked down from my spiritual pride so that I can learn. And that doesn't feel nice...but it's often needed. God has to discipline me sometimes, and that involves some pain and some heartache, but it's always for my own good. A good thing to remember though, "there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" and that means that we aren't being 'beaten'. Satan condemns us, God convicts us. There's a HUGE difference between the two!

That's my thoughts on this, and trust me...it's from personal experience (tonight, as I mentioned above). So it's still fresh. Lovely...next time, I think I'll climb down the ladder and humble myself. It's less painful and embarrassing!

God bless, and blog soon

Just a quick thought, on love...

I know what you're thinking this post is going to be about, love right? Well yeah, you'd be right to think that. But I'm not talking about the kind of love you have for football, for music or for dogs. I'm talking about the kind of love you have for God and for others.   Yes, there IS a difference. Shocker!  The difference is, would you give your life for football? Would you allow yourself to die so that music could "live"? Probably not.  But would you give your life for your mom or dad? Your spouse? Your best friend? Sure, because you have great love for those people. You don't want to see them suffer. What about someone you don't know? Or that person walking down the street that you don't know the name of?  Now you're thinking "Carlene, you're crazy. Why would I allow myself to die so that someone I don't know or like could live?"  Guess what. That's exactly what Jesus asks of us. Jesus gave His life for that person on the street, for that druggie, for that alcoholic, for your doctor, for your therapist, for the trainer at the gym. He gave His life up for EVERYONE, even though we may feel they don't deserve it. Well honey, you and I didn't deserve it either. But He did it anyways, for us.  So here's my thought: We've experienced the deep love of God, how much more should we show others that same love?


That's about the sum of it. We need to give love out, even if it costs us something. If it doesn't cost you anything (financially, emotionally, physically, etc.) then are you really giving love out? Or are you just giving as little as possible, so that you can stay comfortable. DON'T BE COMFORTABLE with giving "just enough"!  Be challenged to give love out with a passion!!  (but remember, I'm talking about Agape love here. If you need to, go back and read the post "Purity"....don't get too excited now.)

Jesus loves you, so start pouring that love out to others, and have a "lay-down-your-life" type of love for people, not the "I-love-my-car" type of love. Love is an action, so act! (even if you don't feel like it.)
Jesus acted. On the cross.


God bless, and blog soon

Purity

“Blessed are pure in heart, for they will see God.” – Matthew 5:8

 It was requested that I blog about purity, so I pray I do this topic justice and can encourage. 

Disclosure: Adult Topic, nothing graphic but adult topic non-the-less. 

I believe this verse to be true. I also believe that to achieve physical purity, you must have purity of the mind and the heart first. The definition of "Pure" is: 

free from harshness or roughness and being in tune. (Speaking in a  Musical Tone).  I love this! To be free from harshness, roughness, and being in tune. We must be in tune with Jesus Christ before we can try to accomplish purity!   

The Dream: 
When you're young, the dream starts with you being the damsel in distress, and the handsome prince comes and takes you away on his fast horse to live happily ever after; or perhaps if you're a guy the dream starts with you being that handsome prince and you rescue the princess and ride off into the sunset with your one true love.  That's all fine, but face it. Now you're grown up and you don't have that prince/princess, and you don't have a horse. Now what?  Well, the reality is that this world puts so much pressure on us to "find our mate before it's too late" so we go searching. When we find someone that we think we love, we have a choice. Option A is to shack up, live with them, have sex with them, or just give yourself to them in whichever way you choose.  Option B is to wait, pray & ask God what He wants, and set boundaries so that neither of you fall into temptation. The harsh reality is that most people go with Option A, and that's a sad thing! Option B has such a better ending, and we'll get to that in a minute.   But first I just want to say, if you're one of those people who chose Option A, PLEASE don't get me wrong while reading this. I am in NO way judging you, or trying to condemn you. I just want to encourage those who have yet to choose. 

The Endings:
So no-one knows that actual endings to things except God, but we can realize that one ending is better than the other. Here's some scenarios, and I'd like you to pick which one you like better:  
Scenario 1: It's your wedding day, and you're so filled with emotion you might faint, or cry, or do both. You get through the ceremony, and the reception, and now it's onto the wedding night. When you get into the room, all you can think about is how you've done this before but you just didn't have the ring. You know how this goes, and you're experienced, but this time it's just a little different because you have a ring and new last name. It's nothing too special or out of the ordinary. 

Now Scenario 2: It starts off the exact same, and we end up in the wedding night room. But instead of knowing what you're doing, you're nervous because you have no idea what to do. The best part is, neither does your spouse! Neither of you had pre-marital sex, and you're excited to enter into something beautiful that God designed for our pleasure. 

Which scenario did you like better? I like scenario 2 a WHOLE lot more, personally! Wouldn't you rather be able to say "Honey, I waited for you" then "Honey, I'm sorry, but I have some past regrets"?   I sure would. 

As I said at the beginning, I believe physical purity begins with purity of the heart and mind. How do I become pure of the heart and mind then? Well, here's a few verses to help:

Psalms 51:10 – “Create in me a pure heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Psalms 119:9-10 – “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart. Do not let me stray from your commands.”

So here's the deal. We can't make our hearts and mind pure all by ourselves! We have to ask God to cleanse us, and give us that pure heart!  "By living according to Your word, I seek you..." Seek Jesus! Live by His Word! Pray to Him for help! You can't do it alone, and that's what the Holy Spirit is there for, to help us. When we get that pure heart and mind, then we're going to want to be pure physically as well.  If you've made a mistake, then God will forgive you if you ask Him and have true repentance. (a post on true repentance to be written soon!) 

If you have lost your physical purity, there are some damaging results huh? Guilt, pain, feelings of being ashamed, and even distancing yourself from God because you don't want to admit what you've done because you feel guilty.  So for those of you who are virgins, take a look at that list and ask yourself if you want those feelings. It can damage your relationships, current and future.  Sin effects those around us, and having sex outside of marriage is going to effect at least 4 people: you, your future spouse, the person you did it with, and their future spouse. There is no such thing as "secret sin", so remember that!! 

To close, I would suggest praying and making a commitment to God that you want to stay pure, and I would even buy a purity ring! I wear one, and it's a constant reminder whenever I look down at my hand that I have made a promise to my God and my future spouse that I will wait.  Set up boundaries if you're currently seeing someone, and don't compromise! Follow your convictions, and trust me, if that person really loves you, they will wait for you!!  Don't allow yourself to be pressured, because if they're pressuring you then they don't really want what's best for you. 

Continue to seek what God wants, and pray for that pure heart and mind. Wait for that future spouse, and God will bless and reward you and your marriage for it. Trust me. :) 

Feel free to comment or email me if you have questions, I'd love to hear from you! 

I will leave you with this thought. “I am convinced that the human heart hungers for constancy. In forfeiting the sanctity of sex by casual, nondiscriminatory "making out" and "sleeping around," we forfeit something we cannot well do without. There is dullness, monotony, sheer boredom in all of life when virginity and purity are no longer protected and prized.” - Elisabeth Elliot, Passion and Purity


God bless, and blog soon

Recommended books: Wait For Me - Rebecca St. James http://rsjames.com/books/; Master Mission Mate - Ken Graves http://www.amazon.com/Master-Mission-Mate-Christian-Singles/dp/1597510211