2013 Daniel Fast: Day 2

The Fast 
Yesterday, my church started our 2nd Daniel's Fast. Unfortunately, I have been under the weather for the last few days so I haven't really been cooking.Yesterday, I had a fatoussh salad. It was so good. It's just Romain lettuce and tabbouleh  Today, I was really wasn't feeling all that well. I didn't get up to eat till about 2pm. However, I had sala and chip (tortilla), broccoli and rice, and a wrap (chicken, spinach, and salsa on whole wheat tortilla). My children has already murdered all of the fruit I bought for the fast so I have to actually go shopping again.

Prayer Time - Focus

Today I was just really thank God for all that He has done for me. I didn't ask for anything! I just wanted to say thank you. Life has drastically changed for me since 2011. Where as I was at time unsure of God's undying love for me. Today, I am not only sure of it, but wallowing in it. So I just spent time saying thank you. Things are not idealistic for my family and I; however, I am beyond grateful for the transition that we are in. I know God loves us, and all things are working out for our good even when its seems like its not.

Engaging my Faith

Sunday Morning, as I was getting dressed, I heard Jessie Duplantis say "Life requires you to train your memory". I thought this was an awesome statement. In the last fast I journaled my prayers and I also blogged. This gave me the opportunity to go back see just how much God had done for me since the fast. Because I have point of reference to know that God does hear my prayers my faith is that much stronger to trust God when things are difficult in life. Instead of panicking, I gladly receive opposition as an opportunity.

Finding Your Self Worth in Christ

Never have you seen a piece of clothing hang itself up on a rack and gives itself value. Or anything else that has been created. The true value of something/someone is only known by its creator. The creation didn't make itself. It was the creator that had an idea about something the world needed, and so he took the time out to create formulas and models to fashion it to work and solve problems. That took the creators time energy and it hand print to bring into life.

You will never know what you are worth just by you alone. You will never know what problems you solve, what questions you have the answer to with out your creator. You're wonderfully made with a purpose. You may think you have great "Self-Worth" but if your worth is sourced from you only, then you can only be valued by the capacity of just you. God, your creator is timeless, take your worth from HIM who gave up the most precious thing to Him- His ONLY SON! Would you ever give up a child for someone else? Well He did.... He gave up a KING for you!

If you want to place a value on yourself find it out what you are really through Christ.
When we see this the true value in ourselves, we will gladly drop the drinking, smoking, hoeing, killing, and every other destructive extra curricular activity we participate in because our attitudes will be I worth more than Gold. Alcohol and Smoking tarnishes me, Hoeing devalues me, and I won't kill another human being because they just may be the person I need to fulfill my purpose and hear servant well done.

God Don't Love Me

A while back I remember telling my husband, "God couldn't possibly love me" (I'm a lil' ashamed to even share this). I was finding out some news and I was hoping for a different ending! What I was hoping for didn't happen at all! Instead what I feared most was unfolding before my eyes. Why would God be allowing this to happen to me? I was colliding into my greatest fears head on! Doesn't He know that this is too much for me?

This was/is a trick of the enemy! Satan tries his best to get us to believe that God doesn't love us. It is at that point of our lack of belief that we hit rock bottom the fastest! And I did, there were days that I couldn't hear myself think or couldn't even gather my thoughts for prayer! I was sliding down a a slope of depression fast and life was the absolute worse for me! I was plummeting!  I can remember one day I was screaming at the top of my lungs pleading with God to take me up out of here like He had did Enoch (a Beam me up Scotty situation). During all of my screaming the most gentlest voice I have ever heard said "Remain faithful"! I was little confused at first but after a while I dried my tears and I knew it was not me but God!

That was almost 2 years ago! I am still here, which means I have survived the storm! Today I repent  of ever opening my mouth to say or for even thinking that God didn't love me! I am so grateful today because I am so much better now than I was before I went into the storm. I am for certain that God loves me! He loves me so much that He won't leave me the same! Today, I believe all things are possible! He has shown me that He can do anything! I would have never got to this point with out my storm!

 

Today I want to encourage you! Many things happen in our lives that make absolutely no sense to us. It's hard to see God's purpose prevailing though all of the clouds, the rain, and the hail that comes with the storms that we go through. However, I have learned that God knows us better than we know ourselves! What we think will ultimately work to our demise, God uses to work out for our good! Storms are much like pruning plants and trees; they are necessary for our growth in our faith in God. Pruning plants is the cutting away of necessary branches so that the plant/tree can get the necessary nutrients it needs to grow tall and strong. God knows how to prune us to get us to get rooted into Him and His Words. He knows  the right amount of circumstance that will get us to depend on Him and increase our faith.

He doesn't do these things because He doesn't love us, but because He does. He loves us too much to leave us carnal! While many days last year I thought I was dying, in some sense I was. I was dying to my flesh! I was learning to trust God's will for  my life and to walk by the Holy Spirit. It is only when we allow God to stretch out in us that the Fruit of the Spirit begins to grow and mature! Joy, and Peace can and will take root in the midst of a storm. So don't give up! I promise you God loves you so very much! I was once told that God saves his hardest battles for His strongest Soldiers! Believe that if you are in it, then you have what it takes to get through it. God will not put more on you than you can bear. I have come to learn that test and trials come to pull up what is laying dormant in us that God want dominant in us! You will be a better person when this is all over.

Be encouraged, God loves you so much that He has chosen to make you better, to improve you, refine you and make you shine like pure gold. While more than likely what you are going through didn't come from God; He doesn't miss an opportunity to use pain for His Glory! This will work out for your good! Don't give up, stay the course!

Hang in there!

Love Ro

Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Walk into your Destiny

Our destinies are promised and set up for us, however its our choice if we will get to them.

Let me paint the picture for you... God had already said that the Land of Canaan was the Israelite's It was for them to trust God to get them to the land. Instead, they complained and doubted because of the many oppositions they had to endure. Then when they got to spy on the land they became scared of the who had already possessed the land. Forgetting that God had promised the land to them.

Abraham was promised to be a father of many nations. He at one point thought it was taking to long. So his wife Sarah offered her handmaiden to produce a child. Yeah well that wasn't God's plan at all. However Abraham choose to believe God would do what He said. And finally Sarah gave birth to Issac who gave birth to Jacob and so forth..... Abraham walked into His destiny

So again our destiny is established already by God. Rather or not we get to walk into it is our choice. Choose to hold on to every word God says concerning your future. It will not be an easy road, and we may wait years before it materialize. We may even fall into temptation but never stop trusting God. He is faithful to do just what He said He would...

Enemies to Faith

Pessimism and close-mindedness are major development issues for faith! If you are always trying to rely on what your mind can come up with for God; you will miss Him every time.  Not to mention its quite prideful to think there is no other way for God to work other than what you can come up with.

Reminder 1 Cor 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

God can do and use anything or anyone He wants for His purpose to be fulfilled. And Gratefully it is never up for debate! He will use ppl with learning disabilities, Ppl with horrid pasts, to do things we all would consider impossible and or unethical. He is God, and while we see only the physical; God sees potential and the heart of every man.

Open your mind to His infinite wisdom and knowledge instead of trying to fit God into yours. He will wow you every time.

Word of Encouragement:

Never let anyone tell you what you can't do or what can't happen! Never allow your circumstances or your past to define who you are or what God is capable of doing for you! God says you are More Than A Conquer and that All things are Possible with Him.
Tell them folks to kick rocks with Flip Flops and Watch God Get the Glory out of your Life.If you happen to be the Pessimistic and close-minded one hindering yourself. Do yourself a favor and just Shut up and cooperate with God.

Enjoy your day and grow in Grace!