Tag: Holy Spirit

FINISH–My Final F-Word for 2014

Posted on by Evangeline

Finish.

The word “finish” carries such a powerful meaning.  It implies completion of a task. It brings something to an end.

God the Father talked about how He finished things:

“Heaven and Earth were finished, down to the last detail.” ~Genesis 2:1 MSG

“What’s more, I am with you, and will protect you wherever you go, and will bring you back safely to this land; I will be with you constantly until I have finished giving you all I am promising.” ~Genesis 28:15 TLB

Jesus was the ultimate example of someone who knew how to FINISH things. He fulfilled His mission of showing love to all humanity and satisfying every requirement of the Law on our behalf. He did as the Father had asked Him to do– He brought grace and truth. Jesus said it Himself, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Because He finished strong, the salvation process is complete, once and for all.

And now, Holy Spirit lives within every believer so that we too can fulfill our God-given mission and finish strong.

For the last half of 2014, I’ve been concentrating on one F-word each month. It all began in December 2013 when I felt as if I wasn’t focused enough on important things so that I could finish them. I attended a retreat in January 2014 where I realized there was an F-word I needed to eliminate from my life: FEAR. This retreat helped me to key in on the things that mattered most to me and to know that I was already empowered by God to “get ‘er done.” One of the exercises at the retreat was to write a word on a smooth stone that reflected what I wanted to do in 2014. My word was “FINISH.” I wanted to finish strong in 2014!

F-word--Finish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the first six months of 2014, as I worked to eliminate the fear, I was able to FINISH a huge goal– plan and host a retreat for women who were struggling with infertility. The retreat resulted in establishing a relationship with one of the attendees that has been such a blessing because she is now pregnant! As a result of her pregnancy, I am now writing a book specifically crafted for women who have overcome infertility. There’s a difference in the experience in the overcomer’s pregnancy versus that of other women who did not have that struggle. This book will provide the encouragement needed to stay focused on God’s words of love and to FINISH the pregnancy. I’m so glad that I finished hosting the fertility retreat and am moving forward in finishing the book.

As I’ve done in previous months, I wrote my thoughts about this month’s F-word on an index card so I can keep it in front of me on my desk:

F-Words--FinishSo as 2014 draws to a close, I’m thankful for all that God has brought me through this year and empowered me to finish. I’ll host another fertility retreat in May 2015  (I hope you’ll join me) because I’m even more confident that when He gives us a vision, He also gives us the provision to FINISH.

What is one thing for which you need His provision in order to finish strong?

 

Flow — My F-Word for October

Posted on by Evangeline

 

It’s already the ninth day of October! Time is flying fast so here’s my F-Word of the month:

F-words FLOW

Flow is defined as “to proceed continuously and smoothly.”

[Source: Dictionary.com]

I don’t want to be stagnant–I want to flow! I want to flow with Holy Spirit’s intentions for my life on a daily basis. I want to have a smooth ride in living with His comfort, guidance, and counsel. I want His grace to flow to me unhindered. I want my words to agree and flow with His words so that the manifestation of His plan matches my plan. 

FLOW - stream by Evgeni DinevHere are some scriptures that relate to flowing with Him:

Luke 1:50 (MSG)

“His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him.”

Isaiah 48:16-18 (MSG)

“I am God, your God, who teaches you how to live right and well.
I show you what to do, where to go.
If you had listened all along to what I told you, your life would have flowed full like a river, blessings rolling in like waves from the sea.
Children and grandchildren are like sand, your progeny like grains of sand.
There would be no end of them, no danger of losing touch with me.”

Luke 6:45 (NLT)

“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart … What you say flows from what is in your heart.”

Read about my previous monthly F-words for July – September:

July: Thanks to F-words, I’ll Be Rockin’ It For the Rest of 2014

August: Focus–My “F-Word” for August

September: Follow Through–My F-Word for September

 

 

 

Follow Through–My F-Word for September

Posted on by Evangeline

Two months ago, I shared with you that there were certain F-words that I would use to help me finish strong in 2014.

In July, my F-word was Fellowship. My goal was to increase my commitment to fellowship and communicate with the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to influence my life on a daily basis. I wanted to build upon my relationship with Him and enjoy Him more.

In August, my F-word was Focus. My goal was to decrease the level of attention I gave to the distractions of life and to increase my attention to the benefits that come as a result of “looking to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Distractions serve one purpose —  to divert your attention from what and who you really need.

Now that it’s September,  my F-Word will be Follow Through. My intention is to follow through on the goals I’ve set. I’ve decided to look at my goals as promises I’ve made to myself  rather than just a wish on paper. I don’t like to break a promise so this little tweak should help me get the follow through done. I also want to follow through on whatever Holy Spirit gently whispers to me to do each day, trusting that His way is the best way.

Follow Through - F-word
My F-word card for September

I write these F-word cards and keep the current month’s card on my desk so that I’ll remember what the target is. This also helps me to remain committed to the process!

My two key scriptures for this month are:

 “ Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. Think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.”

Proverbs 3:5,6 RSV and HCSB

AND

“Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3 NLT

What are some things you do that help you follow through and live with integrity? How does trusting God play a role in your follow through?

Sharing my F-word journey/experiment with you really gives me a sense of accountability, which most times, spurs me on to action. So thanks for holding me accountable to “follow through” this month!

Some of you found it helpful to join me in August and challenged yourself to FOCUS. It would be much appreciated (and motivating to me) if you’d leave a comment about how that went for you.

If you haven’t already, I’d love it if you would  join me in this challenge of following through on what you’ve committed to do or on what would bring about a blessing in your life. Just make a decision to do so (which means cutting off all other options and excuses). Then, let me know you’ve joined the movement (below).

Yes, I’m joining the F-word movement!

14 Days of Love – Day 13

Posted on by Evangeline

God would not give us anything that is not true to His character of love.

 

LOVE 2 Tim 1-7 jpg

Focus Friday

Posted on by Evangeline
Image courtesy of Dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Focus on the following scripture throughout the day. It’s God’s Word and it’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Use it as an affirmation. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day. Personalize it by putting your name in it!

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” Colossians 1:13 (NIV)

How We Weather a Storm

Posted on by Evangeline

Winter is usually not too cold in central Arizona. But this year’s winter has been decidedly different. Most of the plants in our front yard took a hard hit from below-freezing temperatures a few weeks ago. Take a look at this 7 foot tall victim:

dead plant jpg

If you look near the bottom of this plant, you can see that it had been a large and rather lush green bush before the freeze.  But now, because it did not have what it takes inside the bush to keep it from reacting to the extremely cold desert temperatures, it appears to be close to death. Major pruning will be required to bring it back to its once verdant and healthy state.

But just 10 feet away, in the same freezing temperatures, sat this pot of flowers:

flowers-pretty jpg

These flowers emerged victorious! They weathered the storm VERY well—something inside of them kept them strong and almost non-reactive to the harsh circumstances.

Our lives can be the same way. We can weather the storms of life and come out damaged, messed up and not having anything that looks appealing about us. BUT, if we have something inside of us, or should I say Someone inside of us, we can weather the storms of life and come out victorious, looking unscathed and healthy, like these flowers did. We can continue flourishing and give others joy through the beauty within us.

We’re blessed to have a God and Savior who loves us and puts His Holy Spirit in us to aid us in all our times of need. It is He who enables us to weather the storm and yet flourish so that others will see that His exceptional love, attention, and grace are just what they need in their lives.

Focus Friday

Posted on by Evangeline

 

 

[via jasoncrandall.org]

Focus on the following promise throughout the day. God said it and it’s what He desires. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day and expect God to do what He has said!

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” ~~ Ephesians 6:10 NLT

I Did Not Know What to Pray

Posted on by Evangeline

 

A friend died last week. He was not someone my family spent time with regularly, but he held a special place in our heart. He had impacted our lives intermittently but powerfully. I hope when I come to the end of my journey here on earth that a lot of people will say that about me— that I may not have impacted their lives on a daily basis, but when I did, I did so powerfully.

When I first heard the news about this friend’s death, I was shaken. I found myself wanting to pray for his wife and family but not knowing exactly what to pray. Sure, I asked God to comfort the family, to strengthen them in their time of sorrow, to help them rest in His peace in the days ahead; but that did not seem to be enough. After a few quiet moments, I realized that I had to ask the Holy Spirit to pray through me because I did not know what else to say when praying in my own understanding.

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”  ~~Romans 8:26 NLT

“For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.”  ~~1 Corinthians 14:2 NKJV

“Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand.”  ~~ 1 Corinthians 14:15 NLT

How does praying in the Spirit help you to be confident that you’re praying what needs to be prayed?

 

Life’s Road Map

Posted on by Evangeline

Circumstances in life can sometimes take us off course. They become distractions that take our eyes off of our desired destination and deceive us to head in a direction that was not planned. But just as you may have a GPS system in your car or on your phone that talks to you and gives new directions, as a believer in Jesus, you have a GPS system in your heart–the Holy Spirit. He will be the One who compassionately corrects your life path with small turns here and there to get you back on course to the destiny that God has planned for you.

So when you’re feeling like you don’t know the next step to take in life (I’ve been there, done that, and bought MANY t-shirts), consult the One who does know. Ask Him for wisdom and He will not fail to give it to you.

As a matter of fact, He will give wisdom liberally to those trust Him to do so.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 [NIV]