The Way Life SHOULD Be.

June 7, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

If only we all kept that verse written on our hearts…Take heart, JESUS has overcome!! We have no reason to fear, if we only follow His Word and His Leading.

If only we had more carefully heeded this Scripture last May…

Check out the video below to find out how God redirected everything and is bringing us full circle: {click or tap on the image below and the video will play}

2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.”

I cannot express to you how immeasurably that verse fits into our impending move and new journey for His Kingdom! The Lord has made this next step an increasingly joyful one for us! Gone are the fears about money and creature comforts and being tasked with a hugely important endeavor – for we have the freedom of knowing we are in the will of God. We know without a shadow of a doubt He has provided and will continue to! We walk in His freedom as His children, joint heirs with Christ!!

What a weight off our backs to allow Him to guide us and carry our heavy loads of worry! What a joy to serve our Sovereign Lord and King! What a privilege to be entrusted with such vital ministry!

Please continue praying for us and please pray especially for this grassroots youth ministry!

I promise to do a better job of keeping you all posted on God’s work in our lives and through us. As soon as this move is complete…and our house is painted…and unpacked…I think I’ll have a little more time on my hands… #wishfulthinking Well, at the very least, I won’t have a 29 mile = 2 hour commute. Each. Way. #bethankful

We love you all and hope you’ll all pay us a visit!!

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

Captivated Thoughts

February 1, 2015February 1, 2015 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres6 Comments

Yes, it has been eons since we have posted a thing. I cannot believe how quickly and easily time escapes from us. It seems like just the other day we were packing up our home in Georgia to relocate to Maine. Alas, we have now been living in Maine for more than 4 months, and have already moved to a NEW home! I can’t claim we haven’t been busy!

I began work on a second bachelor’s degree at the University of Southern Maine at the beginning of this January…I’m working towards a BS in Biochemistry…and we don’t even have our kitchen table set-up yet in the new house! Craig’s working, I’m studying, snow is falling and our Furs are restless, but we are pushing forward and getting settled into our new home – one box at a time.

In addition to all of this, I am still the youth minister for two parishes here in Southern Maine, and Craig & I have just joined a Bible Study group together with another church, near New Hampshire. We also both have some form of “the beginnings of pneumonia” right now, according to the nurse practitioner I made an appointment with Friday, and we have been keeping each other up late every night with our wheezing and coughing and nose-blowing. I am the cantor for Mass today, too, and I am praying God will sing through me – because I have absolutely no voice at all, right now.

Whew. My hands are tired from typing all of that, and my eyes are swimming with the jumble of words. If I stare at the lists upon to-do lists bogging my sweet husband and I down right now, my pulse quickens and I become anxious…

BIOCHEMISTRY?!?! What the heck was I thinking?!?! As the nurse told me yesterday, “…quite an age to start following such a dream!” Balancing chemical equations? Memorizing the electronegativity of endless elements, and studying the polyatomic ions from Table 2.24 in the text? Learning how to do math, all over again? Knowing the difference between an oxidation-reduction and a precipitation reaction? Which box do I unpack next? How am I going to shovel the driveway – I’ve never done that before! Walking to class in 14 degree weather??? What color should I paint this room? How are we going to survive another month without our former income? How can we really show the youth group Jesus LOVES them!?!?

That’s my mind before coffee and Jesus, every morning.

My brain can be overtaken by fear and anxiety so easily with everything going on…and I haven’t even mentioned the worry of never being a mother…

This is why a personal “quiet time” is so immensely important. Time alone with God everyday – every MORNING – is paramount. Why, you ask? Because you then have the ability to place all of your worries, fears, thoughts, lists and crises on the back-burner, and put Jesus first.

I have a peaceful time, before anything else, in the day when I drink my coffee and read God’s love letters to me. I have learned in this time to captivate my thoughts:

I never truly understood what this meant until very recently. Taking your thoughts captive means to consciously recognize them, and dismiss them. I no longer allow myself to be bogged down with worry and overwhelming thoughts of everything that has to be accomplished. In my quiet time, I sit with God and allow Him to speak to me through His Word. Every verse I read, something new pops out to me from the page, and each time a worrisome notion begins to creep into my mind, I cast it out – with ease – in the presence of our Lord.

Life is overwhelmingly overwhelming – if you allow it to be. But Jesus didn’t call you to be anxious and stressed. You were created to be joyful and full of His Spirit! Take a few moments alone, first thing every morning, and spend those precious minutes in prayer and Bible reading. You won’t wish those moments had been spent any differently.

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

Let’s Be Honest…

November 13, 2014November 13, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

Let’s be honest here.

Living a Christ-centered life isn’t easy.

I promise you that if I had my way things would look a lot different in my life. I probably would have said “FORGET THIS!” whole thing about waiting on God and His timing for a child a long while ago, and taken matters into my own hands. I probably would have chosen the big, fancy house we were looking at in Georgia, instead of the teensy, third-floor apartment 1,200+ miles away from either of our families. I probably would have chosen to continue working in a WELL-PAYING job so we could buy our groceries at Whole Foods and our clothes from Nordstrom, instead of at Wal-Mart and GoodWill.

But…God tells us to live otherwise. He calls us to live in Faith.

Get out your Bible this instant and read with me Hebrews 11. {God, specifically, just said to me-just now, “Look at verse 11:11.” If your know our Jonah story, you know that 11:11 is significant for Craig and I. If you don’t know our story, watch and listen here. Read verse 11:11 – Oh my goodness, right??? Goosebumps. Make that Godbumps. }

Thank you, Jesus.

But back to Hebrews 11. This entire chapter is subtitled “Faith In Action”, and that is how we, as Christians, are called to live our lives. “Faith In Action” should be your subtitle!

Hebrews 11

Faith In Action

11 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

This is just the first verse, but already we can see how to live the life to which Christ calls us: by faith. You see, it is faith that tells me God is in control and that Craig and I will be parents. That God doesn’t need our help for that to happen. It is faith that reminds me, as I sometimes sit and think wistfully of our family and friends so far away, that we were called here for a purpose. It is faith that assures me that even though we aren’t able to live a lifestyle rich in things of this world, we DO have a life RICH in Jesus.

Let’s be honest. This Christian life isn’t easy. Sometimes it isn’t pleasant. Sometimes it doesn’t go the way we want. But remembering our life is not our own, helps to put things in perspective. Remind yourself each day – Not my own will, Father, but YOURS, be done.

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

Your Choice

October 16, 2014October 16, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

Yes, I know. I’m the Worst. Blogger. Ever. If that award is anywhere to be awarded, send it my way. I deserve it! One of our last blogs already detailed how busy we have been, and the past few weeks have been NO EXCEPTION, but, at any rate, I feel guilty for abandoning my blogging family so much since our move! 😦

Forgive me?

Since taking on my new role as Youth Minister for two parishes in Southern Maine, I have been faced with new thoughts about our faith – some of them, I never thought I would have to look face-to-face, but therein lies the joy of life! Nothing is ever what you THINK it will be!

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

⁴Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.⁹Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Children and teenagers today don’t have it the way our grandparents did…or our parents…not even like I did. Youth of today are faced with enormous responsibility – so much so that I am fairly certain naptime would be a welcome word for many of today’s middle-schoolers and teens. Seriously.

When I was growing up, going to church and being involved with our Christian faith was not a CHOICE. It was just what your Sunday and Wednesday (evenings) consisted of. At least in my family, and the families of MANY of the kids I grew up with. Today, kids playing soccer or football have not only practice, but games and tournaments on Sunday mornings – forcing the child to CHOOSE between missing those activities and attending church…Wait, did I just say ‘forcing the child to choose’?!?

Oh…I did…and it isn’t any mistake! Parents today are allowing their children to be tiny adults…They make decisions about the events they are involved in and where their priorities are placed…Do you see anything wrong with this picture?

Re-read the passage from Deuteronomy above: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

As parents, it is your responsibility to show Christ to your children. That is your JOB as a parent, just as it is your duty as a spouse to show Christ to your husband or wife. Children are not born to you for show and tell, dressing up, parading talents, or reducing your tax burden. Children are God’s gift to parents, and in turn, they are to lead them to Christ.

As a couple facing infertility head-on, Craig nor I take our future responsibility lightly, and it is painful to see the teens I lead have to choose between playing in their soccer game or going to youth group or church. Parents need to set priorities – and this is a nationwide phenomenon.

As Christians, if we believe what we read in the Bible, we know that Sunday is the day for the Lord. He teaches us plainly that NOTHING should be above Him in our lives, and that includes high school activities, Sunday football, shopping trips, family get-togethers, etc. etc. This past Sunday 6,000 Maine high schoolers were involved in a soccer tournament in the morning! 6,000 players and HOW many parents and siblings?!?

When did we stop being a Christian nation, and allow the future of our country to CHOOSE for themselves how they would spend their Sunday? Even worse, when did parents decide it was okay for school events to be held during church services?

Proverbs 3:6

⁶In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

Matthew 6:33

³³But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

This doesn’t just apply to parents or those raising children, either. This applies to each and every one of us. The moment you make the choice to put God first in your life, to take all of your concerns to Him in prayer, to lay all of those you love on His Altar, things will begin to dramatically change for you. Doors will be opened and His Will will begin to be illumined. Things that mattered so much before will fade away, and you will yearn for God’s favor.

It’s a miraculous thing being a child of God. Don’t pass up eternity for soccer on Sundays.

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

How Much Faith Do We Have?

July 10, 2014July 10, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

FAITH

{PLEASE VIEW THIS POST WITHIN A BROWSER TO VIEW THE VIDEO(S) BELOW. THESE ARE PART OF THE EXPERIENCE FOR THIS POST.}

As Christians (as humans, really), we have a decision to make: our way or His.

Are we going to make decisions based solely on our desires or will we wait on our Lord to direct our steps? True surrender to God takes TRUE FAITH that God is The Supreme, Our All In All, The Lord of Our Lives. Is that the kind of faith we live with on a daily basis? Do we make our decisions and take our steps based on His Word or our whim?

Hebrews 11 is known as a text of the Bible that truly describes how to live a life of faith. (I urge you to read and study the whole chapter on your own. It’s powerful, friends.)

Hebrews 11:1-3

Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. It was their faith that made our ancestors pleasing to God. Because of our faith, we know that the world was made at God’s command. We also know that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.

FAITH makes us sure. Faith is confidence in God and in our total surrender to Him. And here, is also explained the difference between HOPE and FAITH. We don’t HOPE in God. We have FAITH in Him. “Faith makes us sure of what we hope for…” Hebrews 11:1a

The difference is this – Faith supersedes hope. Noah didn’t build his ark at God’s command because he HOPED it would rain. I seriously doubt he would have spent longer than the average person’s LIFE SPAN to build a huge boat on dry land based on something he only hinged HOPE on. Noah must have been 150%+ sure The Flood would come.

And THAT is the kind of faith we need to have.

Matthew 17:20

Jesus replied: It is because you don’t have enough faith! But I can promise you this. If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move from here to there. And it would. Everything would be possible for you.

A mustard seed. Do you realize how teeny-tiny that is??

With THAT little faith, we can command a mountain to move. I am not one who believes Jesus spoke in riddles all the time. I have faith that the Bible is literal. Unless Jesus says He is telling a parable, I have faith (not hope) that the Bible is completely true, accurate and literally written. So, when God says it only takes mustard seed-sized faith to command mountains, I begin to wonder how teeny-tiny our faith is??

If mountains are not moving in your life, you need to increase your faith! Here are three simple steps to do just that:

HEAR, don’t just read silently, the Word of God.

Romans 10:17

No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ.

2. OBEY/LIVE OUT God’s Word, i.e. “Don’t just talk the talk; rather, walk the walk.”

James 1:22

Obey God’s message! Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it.

3. PROVE God’s power in your life. The Lord tells us to test Him in one way – by tithing, with the first ten percent of your income.

Malachi 3:10-11

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty.

James tells us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3, NIV).

Faith. It changes everything.

TTC Tuesday · What's Up Wednesday

Worry

June 11, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres5 Comments

It feels like I haven’t posted in forever – even though you guys got an update on Monday. I wrote that post last week because I KNEW this week was going to be just craziness!

The past two days WORRY has been on my mind – and not so much in the way of things I am worrying about, but more so about what I am not worried about. Last Tuesday, we posted about Future Baby Jonah and got something very rare for this blog. A true first, actually. A nastygram, in the form of a blog comment. It was supposed to be anonymous. The person used a fake, and very rude, e-mail address, and said something very hurtful, but thanks to technology, know that whatever you post or write on the internet, your identity can be found out. That said, we know who this comment came from.

Rather than WORRYING about what that person said, and if it might be true, I was first angry with her and then later – after much prayer and cooling off time 🙂 – sad for her. Her comment made me remember what my life was like without Christ at the center. It makes me look back on how unbearably bleak an existence without hope is.

I love the way The Message translation of the Bible reads. Try this one on for size:

James 1:2-4

The Message (MSG)

Faith Under Pressure

2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

My faith in Christ means that I don’t have to worry. His Promises are real. His Word is true. His Spirit is our comfort.

The Holy Spirit has revealed and continues to reveal to me and to those around Craig and I truths and promises about our Baby Jonah. He asks that we continue to follow Him – no matter what, and the more closely we follow, the more He shows us we are on the right path. It is an uphill journey. It has not been easy.

He doesn’t promise easy. As a matter of fact, He warns the road is a hard one.

Matthew 10:16

The Message (MSG)

16 “Stay alert. This is hazardous work I’m assigning you. You’re going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don’t call attention to yourselves. Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove.

So don’t worry. Be diligent in your prayer life and follow Him – no matter what.

1 Peter 5:7

The Message (MSG)

6-7 So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.

If God is for you, after all, who can POSSIBLY be against you – and stand a chance?

Food For Thought Friday

His Death Was For Our Life

April 18, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

Today is Good Friday, and in keeping with the theme of yesterday’s post on Maundy/Holy Thursday, it isn’t a time to post about us. It’s all about Him.

He died a criminal’s death on a crucifix, in place of us.

…by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Yesterday’s video…declaring we all are Barnabas – criminals – sinners – deserving of such pain and agony; and HE TOOK OUR PLACE. Do you realize the kind of pure love that is? There is nothing like it in this world. Nothing at all.

This song (video below) is a pre-release edition by Hillsong Live for the movie (we absolutely loved!), “Son Of God”:

And we have a great Good Friday treat for you, you can have this song’s download for free by clicking here. Hillsong will send you an e-mail with the download information.

Here are the lyrics to “Calvary“:

The Savior alone
Carried the cross
For all of my debts
He paid the cost

Salvation complete
Now forever I’m free

Chorus:
CALVARY
Covers it all
CALVARY
covers it all

My sin And shame
Don’t count anymore
All praise to THE ONE
Who has ransomed my soul

CALVARY
Covers it all

No power on earth
Not even the grave
Can separate us
From mercy and grace

He is faithful to save
Oh His blood never fails

CHORUS

No one But Jesus
Can make us pure
Like snow
We stand in your freedom

CHORUS

All praise to THE ONE
Who has ransomed my soul
CALVARY
Covers it all

Mark 15

New English Translation (NET)

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

15 Early in the morning, after forming a plan, the chief priests with the elders and the experts in the law and the whole Sanhedrin tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. 2 So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He replied, “You say so.” 3 Then the chief priests began to accuse him repeatedly. 4 So Pilate asked him again, “Have you nothing to say? See how many charges they are bringing against you!” 5 But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

Jesus and Barabbas

6 During the feast it was customary to release one prisoner to the people, whomever they requested. 7 A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection. 8 Then the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to release a prisoner for them, as was his custom. 9 So Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?” 10 (For he knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.) 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas instead. 12 So Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call king of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 14 Pilate asked them, “Why? What has he done wrong?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!” 15 Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

Jesus is Mocked

16 So the soldiers led him into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) and called together the whole cohort. 17 They put a purple cloak on him and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 They began to salute him: “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Then they knelt down and paid homage to him. 20 When they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

21 The soldiers forced a passerby to carry his cross, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country (he was the father of Alexander and Rufus). 22 They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which is translated, “Place of the Skull”). 23 They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 Then they crucified him and divided his clothes, throwing dice for them, to decide what each would take. 25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The inscription of the charge against him read, “The king of the Jews.” 27 And they crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left.29 Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself and come down from the cross!” 31 In the same way even the chief priests—together with the experts in the law—were mocking him among themselves: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! 32 Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.

Jesus’ Death

33 Now when it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 Around three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 When some of the bystanders heard it they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah!” 36 Then someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down!” 37 But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. 38 And the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” 40 There were also women, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they had followed him and given him support. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were there too.

Jesus’ Burial

42 Now when evening had already come, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time. 45 When Pilate was informed by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 After Joseph bought a linen cloth and took down the body, he wrapped it in the linen and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone across the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was placed.

In His Love,

Uncategorized

Mixed-Bag Friday

March 28, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Yay for Friday!! We are looking forward to celebrating the anniversary of our first date and our engagement tonight with dinner and a movie!! Do you have any big plans for the weekend?

Today is sort of a mixed bag here at The Newlywed Lefebvres – several things to share with you at random. 🙂

First, here is the devotion I read today.

I know God placed this one in front of me today for a reason. Part of our hope in Him is the ever-constant reminders of His faithfulness. No matter what your prayer, He listens.

Below is a video (yes, you will need to open this post within a browser to view it), of an amazing moment. The 40-year old women shown has been deaf all her life, and here, she is hearing for the first time! Can you even imagine?!?! 40 years of silence, and then beautiful sound!??! Nothing short of a miracle!

That is truly joy personified!

And finally, it’s no secret that I LOVE TO READ! It’s one of my better habits 🙂 The more I read, the more I discover the beauty of words, and the sentences they are weaved into. Here’s a listing of the supposed “Ten Best Sentences Of All Time”, some from some great pieces of literature…I don’t know that they are the greatest sentences, (They missed out on one very important book which houses all of the greatest sentences!) but the beauty of the words and the complex way they convey their meaning…It is truly art.

Well, now, you should have plenty of food for thought to round out your day and plenty of conversation starters for the weekend! 🙂

Enjoy yourselves, and we’ll meet you back here on Monday!

Food For Thought Friday

What Lies Ahead

January 17, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

We made it! It’s Friday & we have a busy weekend planned! Tonight we will be attending the Joan Hunter service at A Call To Salvation in North Georgia; Tomorrow, we head to LaGrange for haircuts & highlights & maybe a little bit of late Christmas-ing; Sunday, I cantor at Mass, and may be heading to Pure Barre in the afternoon; Monday, we round out our weekend as we visit the Atlanta Center For Reproductive Medicine and meet with our endocrinologist, nutritionists, counselors, etc etc etc. Very productive few days!

Today, I thought I would share with you a beautiful story written by Zig Ziglar‘s daughter, Julie Ziglar Norman, for Guideposts Magazine. It is a touching story that should leave you with the following “food for thought”:

It’s never too late for God to change you, and work through you.
God is truly the Almighty and anything is possible through Him.
Heaven is real.

Read the story here.

Another piece of “food for thought” this Friday also comes from Guideposts, in the 2014 Devotional. It’s all about being present and looking forward.

Philippians 3:13

13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead

In this first month of this new year, one thing we all can take away from Paul’s writing in Philippians is to move forward. Don’t dwell in the past – whether you are looking back with longing for those “good ol’ days”, or with regret and disdain toward memories filled with shame and darkness.

Revelation 21:5

5 And he that sat on the throne, said: Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me: Write, for these words are most faithful and true.

2 Corinthians 5:17

17 If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away, behold all things are made new.

We are new in Christ. He forgives our sins, and He isn’t interested in all those bright & shiny worldly objects from your earthly past. A Christian past isn’t enough either. We were not created to play for God’s team once or at one time. We are called as Christians to live for Him every single day.

John 10:10

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly.

Christ came for us to live our lives to the FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE. He created us for joy, not for sulking. Oh such a lesson that will change lives! If only we were all to look forward and live out our Christian walks with abundance and with joy.

And now to end this post with some joy 🙂 , watch the video below of a little girl meeting her father’s twin brother for the first time! It is just precious!

Happy Friday Everyone! May your weekend be filled with joy & laughter!

XOXO,

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

A New Habit To Form!

January 2, 2014January 2, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Good Morning Folks!

Is everyone back to work and settled into their routines this morning? I know we are! Craig and I got up bright and early this morning at 4:15 AM. He headed to work, and I raced to make Pure Barre at 6 AM, then on to my office at 7 AM. After two weeks of short work weeks, road trips, vacation days, family, too much food, and too many presents, “real life” has returned and we are blessed with a new year. I don’t know about y’all, but I wasn’t ready. Not yet. A few more days, please! 🙂

As we all know, new years are ‘supposed’ to start with resolutions – commitments we make to live better and differently, changes for a more fruitful year ahead. I know one of mine is to finish reading straight through my Bible. (The Learning Bible is one of our favorite versions of the Bible to read with and study from.) I’ve just begun 1st Samuel, but I dilly-dallied and getting to that point took all last summer until now. Getting into daily Bible reading means developing my relationship with the Lord. Craig and I are in the midst of one ‘heavy’ devotional right now, plus two daily devotionals – and while, to some, that might sound like ‘more than enough’, it just isn’t.

As Christians, we are blessed with this amazing gift of being able to spend time with God, our Creator, our heavenly Father – to spend time with Him! Wrap your head around that one…

Shouldn’t we take as much advantage of that as possible? Is reading a chapter or two from our Bible each day really too much to ask – even if that is in addition to studying His word with our spouse or friend or family member daily? A dear friend of mine said something to me about 20 years ago (oh my goodness that was so scary to think it’s been THAT long), that has always stuck with me… She said, “Think of the Bible as a long love letter from the Lord, written especially to you.”

Wow.

I challenge you in this new year to develop a new habit, not try to kick one. Get in the habit of beginning with just one chapter of the Bible per day – just one, followed by a short prayer of thanks – and see what amazing changes God will make in your life, just with this one little addition to the daily routine.

Here are a few verses to get started (beginning with Craig & I’s favorite – God spoke these words to me on a bike ride almost a year ago, and they have been a banner over our household ever since):