Bless The Lord, O My Soul!

January 26, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Yes, I know. I have been a bad blogger and ALREADY broken my ‘resolution’ of daily (M-F) blogging and we aren’t even out of January yet! 🙂 But, I have a good excuse…

Wednesday I trained a temporary employee all day at work, and then Thursday through Monday we were out of town. So, see…Does that really count as breaking my resolution??? 🙂

Well, since I have been playing catch-up all day at the office, I wanted to keep this post short and to the point, so here goes!

The current Bible reading plan I am using also includes one ‘focus Scripture passage’ for every week…I’m a little bit behind (of course), but I have been stuck on the first passage of the year. I keep it on a post-it note at my desk, and I feel like I have been gaining insight about what scripture is saying for several weeks now:

I realize now that I’ve attached the photo you can’t really see the verses written on my turquoise stickie (because you know I can’t use a plain yellow stickie note, right?!?!???)… So let me share what my little note says:

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.” Psalm 103:1-4

Wow!!! I just LOVE that Psalm!! What beautiful knowledge to be reminded that our Savior forgives everything we do, heals us to complete perfection (upon our entrance into Heaven), saves us from eternal fire, and once we are His, we are CHANGED!!

When I look up at my little note at my desk and see this, I am reminded that no matter how busy I am – no matter how much I am dreading the commute home or the upcoming meeting – no matter how sad I am that Craig is on a trip for work and I’m still not pregnant…this little reminder reminds me that He is in control; reminds me that He is my Savior, and I am His – that no matter what else is erupting around us in this world, our Lord is THE Almighty, and all things are possible through Him.

When you don’t know what to pray, repeat this passage. Praise Him for all the many things He has done for us! Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NLT) says, “Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things.”

The Lord is so amazing and wonderful, He is beyond our human capacity of understanding! So this small set of four verses is a good place to start in our praise of Him. It reminds me to be thankful, joyful, peaceful and patient. So for you, I have made a little printable, so that you, too, can have Psalm 103:1-4 close-by to keep your mind on how amazing God is!

Print this out, and enjoy being reminded as you go about your day, what an AWESOME GOD WE SERVE!!

Until tomorrow (and yes, I promise I’ll be back!!),

My Choice Monday

My Choice Monday: Let An App Help Keep You On Track

January 18, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

Well it’s Monday! It’s a short week for us with our trip to Minnesota and Maine on the horizon, so the day has actually flown by! What’s that saying? “So much to do, so little time!”? #StoryOfOurLives 🙂

Today, in the spirit of being crazy busy, ‘my choice’ is for the Best Apps to keep you on your Christian walk – BUSY OR NOT! No excuses!

Blue Letter Bible –

This app is hands down the best Bible app on the market and it’s now available for both iPhone and Android users! Numerous translations of the Bible plus commentaries and concordances right at your fingertips!
Our Daily Bread

There is no excuse to miss reading your daily devotional with this app – NONE! I have the app read my devotion & Scripture references to me via Bluetooth on my way to work each morning. (Helps calm road rage too! #Bonus)
Abide

Abide is an app that guides you in prayer. There are many different topics and some beautiful prayers available. If you ever have a hard time knowing what to say when you pray, this app with help!
Bible-Minded

David, in the Psalms, tells us to hide God’s Word in our hearts…Scripture can help re-center you back on the things of the Lord; It can be such a comfort when times are tough…This app helps with that! Use Bible Minded to begin to memorize Scripture!!
K-Love

Christian music -Anytime. Anywhere. This is another awesome app to keep on your phone or tablet. No matter what sort of stresses are going on in the world around you, you can always pop in your earbuds (or strap on your BEATS!) and tune out the world – and turn ON worship!
Skip Heitzig – The App

Skip Heitzig, one of our FAVORITE pastors and the head of Calvary Chapel in Albequerque. If you’ve read our blog for long, we have mentioned him (and this app) on multiple occasions. It’s that awesome! I have learned so much about the Bible and gained so much that has helped me strengthen my relationship with the Lord from the sermons available on this app. Another perfect companion for your drive to (or from) work, a flight, or your exercise routine. This app has followed me across about four phones…and I have NEVER even considered not having it! It’s FREE – You have nothing to lose!

So there you have it – Six apps YOU NEED on your phone or tablet to help strengthen and guide your walk with Christ. Colossians 3:1-3a says this:

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.…

When you’re alone in the car, don’t turn on the depressing/maddening/outrageous news or listen to the songs on the radio (not only played over and over and over again) full of lyrics of innuendo, cursing, violence…Listen to the Word of God or worship Him in song or pray…All of these apps help to ‘keep your mind on the things above’, just where it should be!

Have a wonderful evening! God Bless You All!

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

Faithful Fear: Craig’s First Post of 2016

January 14, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

It’s our favorite day of the week here at The (Not-So) Newlywed Lefebvres… and I have such a treat for you today!! Craig graciously told me he would write today’s post!! He is such a wonderful man and an amazing spiritual leader for our little family. I loved his insight and I hope you will too!

Let’s just start this off quick and to the point. Being a Christian is not easy. If you think it is easy, then chances are you are not doing all of what Christ is asking of you to do.

The most faithful of followers even will admit that following in the footsteps of Christ and doing what we are called to do as Christians is not an easy road. BUT what they also will tell you is that it is a rewarding road – A road that leads to much more than just life for these 80, 90, 100 years we are on this earth. It leads to the most rewarding promise God has – eternal salvation.

While reading through the Bible, I have noticed that in the last few books I’ve read, (Isaiah and Jeremiah) God has asked His people to do some difficult things – things that would definitely make you fearful and that only trust in Jesus will overcome.

In one instance, He asked King Zedekiah to surrender to the Babylonians. By doing so, God promised to save him & his family and Jerusalem would not be burnt down. (Jeremiah 38:17-18) In the society in which we live, though, surrender seems like defeat. And since Bible times, not much has changed. As the events go on, out of fear and lack of trust in the Lord, King Zedekiah did not do as he was asked and surrender, and as a result, he and his family died and Jerusalem was burnt. (Jeremiah 39: 6-8)

Shortly before this, Jeremiah was placed into a cistern and left to die at the order of King Zedekiah. Again, the king acted in fear as he did not know what to do with this prophet (Jeremiah) who was foretelling of great destruction to Jerusalem. In retaliation, his officials lobbied to have Jeremiah thrown into the cistern.

Fear can be a bad thing when you are not following Jesus closely and not putting all trust in Him. HOWEVER, fear also can be a sign of going against the crowd and speaking what Jesus is telling you – A good fear! We see this demonstrated in a man named Ebed-Melch. He was one of King Zedekiah’s court officials. When he heard that Jeremiah had been placed in the cistern and left to starve to death, he spoke up to the king – demanding that Jeremiah be lifted out of the cistern. (Jeremiah 38:9)

To come against a king like this must have brought immeasurable fear into Ebed-Melch! It could cost him everything… Often, when doing what Christ wants, we find that it could cost us what seems like everything. But, we must remember that when we place our trust in Jesus and follow Him in all that we do, losing the so-called ‘everything’ here on earth, gains us the EVERYTHING of eternal life in Heaven! Later, in Jeremiah 39:15-18, Ebed-Melch gets to hear our Lord tell him he will be saved and rescued for his actions in standing up to King Zedekiah for Jeremiah.

For today, let us focus on standing up for what God says is right. And what the Lord sees as right, is not necessarily what the world dictates or the easiest path to follow. But by following Him, He will always make a way, even when it seems impossible, for His plan to be carried out.

In this story of Jeremiah, all it took for King Zedekiah to change his mind and let Jeremiah live, was for one person to come forward and speak his mind. When we are called to be that one person, I pray that we have courage to trust in Him, and be the Ebed-Melch of today – changing the tide of evil.

You can be assured, through Scripture, that “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.” (Rom 10:11) Don’t let fear rise up in you. Trust in the Lord for you will not be disgraced!

TTC Tuesday

Our Limitless Savior

January 12, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Early this morning, on the way in to work, I wasn’t sure what exactly today’s post would be about. Sometimes, though, the answer is all in my morning devotion – and this morning was no exception. ‘Jesus Today’ by Sarah Young (a ‘sequel’ to Jesus Calling) is one of the devotionals I’m currently reading and when I read this entry for January 12th…I could feel the Holy Spirit upon my heart.

What a beautiful feeling. There is absolutely nothing like it! And when it’s truly the Lord pressing on your heart, you cannot help but want to share His message! And so I knew that what impacted me this morning would be my gift to y’all today:

And before you argue that this is ‘just’ a devotional reading…all of these promises are backed up by the Word of God:

Faith in Christ is truly the answer. It leads to prayer, persistence…hope…joy. If you are merely living your life…going to church now and then – or even every week! – but don’t have a true living relationship with the Lord, you just cannot even fathom what the life God has in store for you really consists of!!

When you’re in a seemingly discouraging situation, life can look bleak and hopeless. But Christ tells us to write His Word on our hearts (Deuteronomy 11:18), and that isn’t so we can look impressive with the amount of scripture we have memorized, but so that, as believers, we have the comfort of His promises in our souls whenever any situation arises.

The Lord keeps all of His promises (Proverbs 30:5), so we can rest knowing that He hears His children. Although it isn’t easy, there is never a need to ‘help’ God along and trying to do so shows a lack of faith…In true worship of Our Savior, we must acknowledge that He alone is limitless in His ability and able to do anything – creating life out of barrenness, healing the incurable, saving the unsaveable, providing the impossible.

In this day and age, it seems as if nothing shocks or amazes us anymore. But GOD is above and beyond any place your imagination could take you, and His Love is infinitely beyond our comprehension. While we remain on our knees in faith, He has already answered our cries in the best way. Just as you would never give your child a gift that might cause him harm, He gives His children the very best.

In His Word and in the devotion for today, Jesus is assuring us of His love for us…As a Father to His Children, the Lord wants the very best for us. All we must do as Christ Followers is to pray faithfully, and live our lives in relationship with Him. It is surely not a simple undertaking, but it is a beautiful and rewarding life to live unhindered in His Promise.

TTC Tuesday

This Isn’t Part Of The Plan!

January 5, 2016January 5, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Have you ever felt God asking you to follow Him…and not wanted to go where He was leading? Have you ever silently prayed, “Lord, really?! This is not part of my plan!!”?

Sometimes we spend so much of our time focused on what we want and what we plan to do in the future that we dream up the most ‘perfect’ scenario…and then are disappointed when God ‘gets in the way’ of our plans and suddenly, things don’t ‘look like’ we assumed they would.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (AMP)

For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Lucky for us, as Christians, God is the one in charge and He sees the big picture. ~~Sometimes~~ ~~Most of the time~~ The plans He has for us are always better than anything we could imagine.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NLT)

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

It’s such a comfort to know that when He interferes our plans, He always has something even better in mind.

If you’re feeling the Lord calling you to do something that wasn’t part of your game plan, maybe that’s all the more reason to be assured it is God leading you. As humans, we have a pretty strong and determined will. When we want something – from the time we are infants – we want it and we want it now. If God is tugging at your heartstrings to go in a direction that you may not have chosen for yourself, a completely unselfish direction, it certainly isn’t a worldly pull.

If you only follow Him, He will take care of you…and He may even have a few surprises in store along the way! As the book of Jeremiah tells us in the passage above, God has not only plans for us, He has GOOD plans. And when we pray to Him, He listens. His rules are there for a reason – to keep His children from harm. And when He guides you, it is to green pastures. He listens to His children. He hears our prayers and gives us a ‘future and a hope’.

Perhaps it isn’t exactly the future you imagined for yourself…but you can rest assured that if you are following the Will of God, it will be better than any plans you had for yourself!

Pray with me:

“Father God,

I know You are leading me to a brighter future than I could ever imagine for myself. Please instill in me the faith I need to follow You wherever You are leading me – no matter how it is interfering with the plans I have for my life. Help me to love You so much that following You is something I would never question, and always trust.

In Your Precious Name I Pray, Amen.”

What's Up Wednesday

What If…

December 9, 2015December 9, 2015 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Are you a worrier? Do you lie awake at night processing every.single.thing. that could possibly go awry? When you pray, do you omit certain requests because you worry that God might actually say ‘Yes’, or perhaps, that if His Will really is done in your life, things might get uncomfortable?

I’ve been there. I’ve prayed, “God, please let Your Will be done in my life…but…please, let it include this and not that…”

But today, as I was reading Beth Moore on my train ride to work (another story in and of itself), something so simple (and yet so profound) dawned on me:

He always takes care of the details.

You see, my issue is not in saying YES to following Him. My issue is in saying YES and then freaking out over how everything is going to work out. I know that it will work out…it’s just the process in getting from Point A to Point B.

Here’s an excerpt from Beth Moore’s book ‘Jesus’:

“Could a teenager have fathomed that she was to give birth to the Son who was the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being? (Heb. 1:3) Perhaps Mary’s age was on her side. When my two daughters were teenagers, and when they would tell me something, I always had more questions than they had answers. I’d say, ‘Did you ask this question?’ to which they’d invariably say, ‘No ma’am. Never even occurred to me.’ I want to know every detail. They were too young to realize any were missing!

Mary only asked the one question. When all was said and done, her solitary reply was: ‘I am the Lord’s servant…May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38) The Greek word for servant is doule, which is the feminine equivalent to doulos, a male bondservant. In essence, Mary was saying, ‘Lord, I am Your handmaid. Whatever You want, I want.’ Total submission. No other questions.”

Luke 1:45 tells us, in reference to Mary, “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” When we are totally sold out to the Lord, we believe wholeheartedly – no details needed. We say YES, resoundingly, because we know Him and we know He takes care of all the details.

Have you ever heard the saying, “If He brings you to it, He will bring you through it”?

It’s true. When you are following His Will, He will supply your every need – not your every want, but your every single need.

One of the most heartwarming portions of Scripture follows below:

“And [Jesus] said to His disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious and troubled [with cares] about your life, as to what you will [have to] eat; or about your body, as to what you will [have to] wear. For life is more than food, and the body [more] than clothes. Observe and consider the ravens; for they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn; and [yet] God feeds them. Of how much more worth are you than the birds! And which of you by being overly anxious and troubled with cares can add a cubit to his stature or a moment [unit] of time to his age [the length of his life]? If then you are not able to do such a little thing as that, why are you anxious and troubled with cares about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow. They neither [wearily] toil nor spin nor weave; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory (his splendor and magnificence) was not arrayed like one of these. [I Kings 10:4-7.] But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today, and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you [people] of little faith?

And you, do not seek [by meditating and reasoning to inquire into] what you are to eat and what you are to drink; nor be of anxious (troubled) mind [unsettled, excited, worried, and in suspense]; For all the pagan world is [greedily] seeking these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and all these things shall be supplied to you also.” (Luke 12:22-31 AMP)

I get chills just thinking about it. He has a grand plan for your life and not only that, He supplies everything you need to follow His Will. If He calls you to youth ministry, you don’t have to worry about a job search – He will lead you right to the church doors. If He calls you to be a wife, He will supply the very best husband for the job. If He calls you to share the gospel, He will lead you to an ear that needs to hear. And as long as you are following Him (‘Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and all these things shall be supplied to you also.’ – vs. 31), everything thing you need in between will be supplied.

You see, we don’t serve a God who sits high upon His throne and waves an angry scepter at His servants. We serve the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Who desires a personal relationship with each and every one of His children – a relationship so personal that He not only KNOWS your needs, but provides for them, too.

So there’s no need to lose sleep at night. Your Father in Heaven has you in the palm of His Hand.

My Choice Monday

Intentional Living

September 14, 2015 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

I just noticed I haven’t posted anything in the month of September so far…and for that I apologize! The other day, I received an e-mail confirming my speaking to a women’s group in October, and at first, I thought, “Well, that’s still a long way off…”

Well, no ma’am, it is not! October is just around the corner! Time sure does fly, doesn’t it?

We get so bogged down in everything we have to ‘take care of’ and before we know it, a week…two…three have passed by. In today’s world, where everything whizzes by in an instant, we have to be intentional about our time, and make the best use of what we have been given.

Now, I don’t say this because I am a particularly good steward of my time, but it is certainly something I am working on!

Several weeks ago, Craig and I went to see ‘War Room’…and it was so moving and heart-wrenching, I saw it a second time with one of my best friends. Once again, I was deeply affected by the film, and if you have been in my vicinity in the past couple of weeks, you have been urged, begged and pleaded with to go and see this movie! (And here I go again, “GO SEE WAR ROOM!!! It is worth the noise and crowds of the theatre. It is worth the cost of the ticket, Diet Coke and popcorn! The Holy Spirit will speak to you in that theatre, so be prepared with a box of tissues. You will NOT be sad or feel you have wasted your evening. I promise.)

And therein lies my whole point about being intentional with your time.

In John 21, beginning with verse 15, Jesus is speaking with Peter:

When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” He answered, “You know I love You.”

Jesus replied, “Feed My lambs.”

Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.”

Jesus told him, “Shepherd My sheep.”

Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?”

Peter was deeply hurt that Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?”

“Lord, You know all things;” he replied, “You know I love You.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

Truly, truly, I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.

After He had said this, He told him, “Follow Me.” John 21:15-20

This scripture says more to me than what it appears on the surface. Jesus is saying here, if you want to follow me; if you want to be a Christian (AKA Christ-follower, which is what that means literally); if you love me, your life is about more than just living. Your life is about more than just attending church on Sunday, saying a prayer before bed, reading your ‘Jesus Calling’ first thing in the morning. Your entire life and being should be intentionally devoted to your walk with Christ.

When we saw ‘War Room’, one thing that struck me was the intentional time being set aside for prayer. I don’t want to ruin the movie for any of you who haven’t seen it (because I know you are going to finish reading this and immediately purchase a ticket to see it tonight), but Jesus tells us in the Gospels:

“But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6 (Berean Study Bible)

I know that much of the time, I get up in the morning, quickly read my devotion and rush to get ready and head out the door to work. I listen to sermons, praise and worship music, and/or Victory 91.5 on my way to work. And honestly, by the time I get home in the evenings I am dog-tired – right alongside our precious pups, who always seem to be dog-tired, no matter how little they’ve done all day! I lay on the couch in front of the television, scrolling through Facebook and Instagram. I may do a few dishes or a load or two of laundry, but my evenings are always haphazard. By the time Craig and I have our evening phone call before bed, our prayer together is only half-conscious being that we are both so exhausted.

Since seeing the movie, I have a strong desire to make my life more intentional. Ecclesiastes tells us:

“Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Nothing God does is coincidence. Everything has a purpose and a plan, and I think then, if we are striving to follow Him and become more Christ-like, so should our lives. I know I do better at the office if I plan my day, so how about my evening?

What if I returned home from work, fed my pups, changed into comfy clothes, ate dinner and then retreated to my war room? What if I was as intentional about prayer and spiritual warfare as I am about making sure I feed myself and my fur-kids?

How much would my life change from this one intentional addition?

Would He give me the strength and the means and the opportunity and time to serve Him with my whole heart, to feed His sheep, to shepherd His sheep if I only made room for Him in the way He asks me in my busy schedule?

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

Not Too Thirsty

August 27, 2015August 27, 2015 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

Thirsty for Christ. What does that phrase mean to you?

I’ll tell you what it means to me – hungering after following Him, being consumed by wanting a deeper relationship with the Father, realizing that nothing else can satisfy your soul the way He does.

We currently have a world population of more than 7.3 billion people. Roughly 31% of those 7.3 billion people claim to be Christians. That’s over 2.1 billion people. 2.1 billion.

If all two billion of us were truly thirsty for Christ, would this world be in the state it’s in today? We live in a world predicted by the prophets:

“ Be sure of this. In the last days hard times will come. People will love themselves. They will love money. They will talk about themselves and be proud. They will say wrong things about people. They will not obey their parents. They will not be thankful. They will not keep anything holy. They will have no love. They will not agree with anybody. They will tell lies about people. They will have no self-control. They will beat people. They will not love anything that is good.They cannot be trusted. They will act quickly, without thinking. They are proud of themselves. They love to have fun more than they love God.They act as if they worshipped God, yet they do not let God’s power work in their lives. Keep away from people like that.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Um…that sounds like now to me…but regardless, shouldn’t we Christians (all 2 billion of us) be shining SO brightly that we overshadow the over 69%? Shouldn’t we be so loving and forgiving and helpful and full of JOY that people can’t help but be drawn to us?

Why is it then that instead of striving to be like Jesus, we are fighting, assimilating with the secular world around us, insulting, blaming, judging…

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

We are called to be transformed – to be different, outsiders! We should have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us, and therefore, have the mind of Christ – making it more than a little obvious when something isn’t right.

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Colossians 2:8

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” John 15:18-24

I pray for all of us to strive to be more Christlike – to thirst for Him. Christianity is not passive. It is not a club you belong to and never visit. It is a LIFESTYLE that affects every single decision you make, and every single thing you do. It is a CHOICE to follow Him, no matter what is thrown in your path.

A true servant of Jesus Christ is one who is willing to experience martyrdom for the reality of the gospel of God. When a moral person is confronted with contempt, immorality, disloyalty, or dishonesty, he is so repulsed by the offense that he turns away and in despair closes his heart to the offender. But the miracle of the redemptive reality of God is that the worst and the vilest offender can never exhaust the depths of His love. Paul did not say that God separated him to show what a wonderful man He could make of him, but “to reveal His Son in me…” (Galatians 1:16). (from ‘My Utmost for His Highest’ by Oswald Chambers)

Are you willing to thirst and hunger after Christ at all costs?

My Choice Monday

My Choice Monday: Joy

August 24, 2015 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Let me be brutally honest.

Life is hard.

It’s hard to be alone every week. It’s hard to watch all my friends post pictures on Facebook and Instagram of their beautiful children. It’s hard to accept that some people don’t want to rekindle friendship with you and your husband. It’s not fun to wake up and be on the road before the sun in the morning, every morning, and arrive back home – to a husband-less household – after the sun has gone back to bed.

But in spite of all of that, and any other circumstances I may have glossed over, people continually remark at my cheerful demeanor, how happy and carefree I seem to be…and I can honestly say it isn’t my doing at all.

Job 13:15

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.

Have any of you recently read the book of Job? I’m currently reading and studying this book of the Bible, and if you haven’t read it closely, WOW, Job had it pretty bad. I feel almost embarrassed to complain about anything in my life because, well, there but for the grace of God go I!

Job was not only the wealthiest man around; he also was “…a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” (Job 1:8 ESV) He was blessed with ten children, numerous servants, countless livestock…probably the nicest tent on the block! And not only these material possessions were taken away, but his health fell away too. Job 2:8 (ESV) says, “And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.”

Here is a man who was on top of the world, and now he sits on top of ashes, where his belongings had burned. His children are gone. His servants are gone. His livestock is gone. And he is covered from head to toe with itchy boils and sores covering his skin, and all he can do is scrape at himself with a shard of pottery, broken in the midst of everything.

Job’s wife, almost understandably so, says to him, “…Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” Job 2:9 (ESV)

But his response to her is a lesson for all of us:

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” Job 2:10 (ESV)

Job trusted God. He praised God, and he accepted his circumstances.

Not that my own circumstances come close to those of Job, but I have found in praying about and trying to find reason and comfort for many of the things going on in our life, if Jesus calls you to experience something, He gives you everything you need to get through it. And not only survive, but to do so with JOY and PEACE.

John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give it to you. Let your heart not be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

It’s the very thing that allows persecuted Christians to get out of bed every morning: their worlds may be falling apart around them, but they are BLESSED with a RELATIONSHIP with the CREATOR – “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

It’s amazing what Jesus can do with circumstances in our lives that seem to be only painful at first glance. I am so blessed to be asked to share Jesus with so many people simply because they hear a part of our story and are amazed at the peace and calm and joy in our lives.

The Lord gives his people strength.
The Lord blesses them with peace. Psalm 29:11 (NLT)

That peace, strength and JOY is Jesus and our relationship to Him, my friends. It’s nothing short of amazing, and He is all you need.

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

A Spirit-Filled Atmosphere

August 20, 2015August 20, 2015 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Good Morning Friends & Welcome to Thirsty For Christ Thursday!

If you have been reading our blog for long, you know we love the devotionals written by Sarah Young – most especially “Jesus Calling” and “Jesus Today”. So this morning we want to bless you with a recent devotion from “Jesus Today”, in a format you can even print and hang by your desk as a reminder:

I just love the imagery that is derived from those last few sentences: ‘When Christlike goodness collides with worldly vileness, be on the lookout for miracles! The collision of spiritual opposites creates atmospheric conditions that are conducive to My powerful interventions.‘

Those words give me a visual of storm clouds erupting into miraculous lightening strikes.

You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations. Psalm 77:14 NLT

One thing to take from Ms. Young’s devotion is this: “Be on the lookout for miracles.” If you are told to be ‘on the lookout’ for an approaching train, you would be expecting that train to come around the corner at any moment! So the same we should be in being on the ‘lookout’ for God’s Mighty Hand at work!

As the psalm above says, He is the God of great wonders, and our faith in Him should reflect our belief that nothing is impossible with Him.