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.

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.

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

What Does A Christ-Follower Look Like?

May 22, 2014May 22, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Have you ever thought about the answer to that question: “What does a Christian look like?”

Do any of the people above look the same? Not in the least on the outside. But they all follow Christ. So our hearts should ALL LOOK THE SAME.

The point is that, as Christians, we are all called to be ‘ambassadors’ or ‘representatives’ of Christ here on Earth. This not only means we CANNOT judge someone by how they appear to us; it also means that we need to keep in mind that when we present ourselves as Christians, we are now in our peers’ minds as representatives of Christ in ALL THAT WE DO.

That can be VERY powerful – in either a good or a bad way, depending on how we handle ourselves!

Read through Phillipians 2:1-18 below:

Philippians 2:1-18

Thinking Like Christ

Are you cheerful because you belong to Christ? Does his love comfort you? Is the Holy Spirit your companion? Has Christ been gentle and loving toward you? 2 Then make my joy complete by agreeing with each other. Have the same love. Be one in spirit and purpose.

3 Don’t do anything only to get ahead. Don’t do it because you are proud. Instead, be free of pride. Think of others as better than yourselves.

4 None of you should look out just for your own good. You should also look out for the good of others.

5 You should think in the same way Christ Jesus does.

6 In his very nature he was God.
    But he did not think that being equal with God was something he should hold on to.
7 Instead, he made himself nothing.
    He took on the very nature of a servant.
    He was made in human form.
8 He appeared as a man.
    He came down to the lowest level.
    He obeyed God completely, even though it led to his death.
        In fact, he died on a cross.
9 So God lifted him up to the highest place.
    He gave him the name that is above every name.
10 When the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone’s knee will bow to worship him.
    Every knee in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow to worship him.
11 Everyone’s mouth will say that Jesus Christ is Lord.
    And God the Father will receive the glory.

Living Like Christ

12 My dear friends, you have always obeyed God. You obeyed while I was with you. And you have obeyed even more while I am not with you. So continue to work out your own salvation. Do it with fear and trembling. 13 God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to be in keeping with his good purpose.

14 Do everything without finding fault or arguing. 15 Then you will be pure and without blame. You will be children of God without fault in a sinful and evil world. Among the people of the world you shine like stars in the heavens. 16 You shine as you hold out to them the word of life. So I can brag about you on the day Christ returns. I can be happy that I didn’t run or work for nothing.

17 But my life might even be poured out like a drink offering on your sacrifices. I’m talking about the way you serve because you believe. Even so, I am glad. I am joyful with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and joyful with me.

We are the gateway to His Amazing Love for so many out there. Christians should look like Christ – inside and out.

The more we allow Him to lead us, the more He transforms us.

We are His light to the world!!! SHINE BRIGHTLY!!!!!!!!

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,

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

With The Faith Of A Mustard Seed

January 23, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

Good Morning & Welcome to Thirsty For Christ Thursday – Craig’s Favorite Day of The Blog Week!

Do you know how awesome that is? I was listening to “The Bible From 30,000 Feet” in the car on my way home this week – as I usually do, and Skip Heitzig mentioned to all the young women in his audience they should seek a God fearing man for a husband – first and foremost. I certainly prayed for one…and God blessed me so.well. God is GOOD, and by good, I mean unbelievably wonderful.

We have been telling you about the healing power of God we experienced at the service we went to almost a week ago, led by Joan Hunter, but I promised I would explain our encounter further today. Let me begin by sharing this quote from Kenneth Copeland:

The impossible. That’s what we experienced last Friday evening. Faith in Christ, & Jesus’ power – that was all it took for healing to occur. We all know the verse:

Luke 17:6

6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Do we believe that with all our heart and soul? Take a moment to meditate on that verse, and ask God for the faith of a mustard seed.

Craig & I entered A Call To Salvation church last Friday evening, and had no clue what to expect. Neither of us had ever been to this church, or to a healing service of any kind – Catholic, Protestant, or Non-Denominational. All we knew was that God led us to Joan Hunter’s book, and then to come to see her in the small town of Jefferson, Georgia. We just needed to be there.

The service began with some great worship music, and we were really able to set our hearts and minds in the right place. This is the song that touched both of us the most that night:

Oh, it gives me goosebumps to even talk about that evening. God was there. You could tangibly feel Him. After the worship music, we settled down to listen to Ms. Hunter speak a little bit about her ministry and some of the wonderful things God has used her for and done through her.

In her book, “Freedom Beyond Comprehension”, she writes, “Today, I am doing exactly what God has called me to do and ministering wherever He guides me to go. Every day is an exciting adventure. I love to lay hands on the sick and see them recover. Wherever I go, the power of God goes with me as evidence that I am walking out His plan for me.”

And lay hands on the sick she did. Many were healed Friday night right in front of our eyes, in Jesus’ name. One woman was having issues with her rotator cuff and when she stretched out her arms, one was about 4 inches longer than the other. We watched as the shorter arm grew to meet the longer arm in amazement. But why were we so amazed? We serve the God who created the Heavens and the Earth, why would He not be able to heal His human creations?

The faith of the individuals present that night was, for the most part, astounding. An elderly woman hobbled to the front of the church, hunched over and stumbling. She had suffered five fractured disks in the past year. Jesus healed her. Right then and there. We watched as her spine straightened, and she bent forward to touch her toes. She thanked Jesus each time she bent and each time she thanked Him, the lower she was able to bend, until she was able to touch the floor!

I sat in tears, my heart overflowing with faith and love. What a wonderful God we serve.

When I went up to the front of the church at the end of the service, Ms. Hunter’s daughter, Melody, told me praying for babies is her favorite thing. It made me smile, and as she laid her hands on me and asked Christ to heal me from PCOS, to grant me a new right ovary (again, we did not specify to her which ovary was affected), and a new pancreas, this amazing, tingly warmth crept over my stomach. Jesus is healing me.

Thank you, Jesus.

Matthew 8:17

17 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

(Note Isaiah’s role in that verse…Haven’t I told you the book of Isaiah has been popping up in all of our scripture study?! 🙂 )

Luke 7:1-10

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

7 After Jesus[a] had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. 3 When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. 4 When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, 5 for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” 6 And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; 7 therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” 9 When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

The second half of verse 6 (above) is one of my favorite parts of the Mass, and it is the epitome of the power of faith and Christ to heal us.

“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

For further healing scripture, you can click here.

We will end today’s post with one final scripture. I’m going to be using this one as my ‘mantra’ if you will, and maybe you would be blessed by doing so, as well.

James 4:8

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Keep Him close to you, and He will heal you.

All Our Love,

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

December 12, 2013 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres16 Comments

Good Morning!

Waking up at 4AM for work has its good and bad points. I think actually seeing the clock read 4:00 and realizing I have to put my feet on the floor is the worst part. After that, it’s actually not too awful. It’s still dark outside, peaceful, quiet.

When I am on the road at 6AM, my struggle has been trying to keep that sense of early morning peace about me along the way. One thing I cannot stand is a morning radio show, trying to be funny and discussing all of last night’s reality television. Gag me with a spoon. So, I have mainly listened to a News/Talk station, but after awhile that gets depressing, and depending on how long the commute is, repetitive – and who wants to hear bad news twice?!

I have tried some of the Christian radio stations, but have always felt like they were trying to sell themselves as “inspirational” and “safe for the whole family”, rather than saying we are a CHRISTIAN RADIO STATION and this is CHRISTIAN MUSIC meant to be used to WORSHIP AND GLORIFY THE LORD. And then, I found Victory 91.5 . What a wonderful way to drive to work: prayer – deep prayer, devotion, profound Bible verses, and a blend of Christian music weaved throughout. So refreshing! Such a great way to put on Christ for the day.

Which brings me to my whole point for this post: being unapologetic about our faith. We are all guilty of toning it down – buying any kind of Christian book via Kindle so we don’t have to walk around with the title showing; when someone asks us ‘what we did this weekend’ we never mention going to church and that amazing message we heard; we shy away from our faith and our beliefs and our love for Christ – but is that really love? You love your spouse, your parents, your children – Do you disavow any of them? Aren’t you proud of those you love? Do you have pictures of your family on your desk at work? Probably so.

But do you have a cross?

This brings me to the book, “In His Steps” by Charles Sheldon (clicking the picture above will direct you to where to purchase this book). Craig and I found it, completely by chance, at the Edward McKay Used Bookstore on our trip to Fayetteville, NC (it was one of my all-time favorite places to go as a child!) for $1.30, used. And well-read. And for good reason.

Actually written in the late 1800’s, this book (still quite relevant today) is the story of a group of self-proclaimed Christians, as many of us are today. They attended church on Sundays, and they called themselves Christians. But did they really live for Him unapologetically?? When they took on the challenge of living for an entire year by asking themselves “What Would Jesus Do?” in every situation, they found out how lives can be radically changed by being absolutely unapologetic about following Christ, and making Him Lord of your life.

Pray for us, as we pray for you, to live for Christ and ask ourselves “What would Jesus Do?” in every situation.

All Our Love,