Study With Me - Chapter 19

Hello everyone!

It's a blustery day here in the NW and we have seen more snow in northern Oregon than they have seen in 20+ years. I'm enjoying it but I am not out in it. So lets look at the next chapter.

If you are coming here for the first time, I am hosting a study using the book "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyers. Click the button on my side bar to go to the intro or join in anytime.

Study With Me - Chapter 19 - Wilderness Mentality #4

I can't help it I'm just addicted to grumbling, faultfinding and complaining.

Well that pretty much sums it up for most of us, pack up we can go now. :) Sad but very true, we are addicted to grumbling. We don't like this or we don't like that. And if you don't think you grumble, listen to what comes out of your mouth. Because sometimes even when we think we are being good, we are only being controlled, not good.

After reading this chapter again (probably for the 4th or 5th time) I realized there are at least 3 areas that need to be in check.

First of all and I think most importantly, we need to make sure our thoughts and attitudes are in a positive track. This is so important because what we think on we will act on eventually.

This is where the second area comes into play, our body language. We can be a witness, bad or good, with our body language. Don't think for a moment that how you act without saying a word does not get noticed by those around you. I know it's easy to see the the obvious when someone slams a door or stomps off, but what about when we do the heavy sigh every 30 seconds or the scowl when we look someone else up and down and don't know anyone saw us do it. What about the pout because we didn't get our way. What about the refusal to participate in group activity, just because it is not your thing. God showed me sometimes we just need to be grateful receivers, whether it is our thing or not.

The third area I think comes into play is our mouth. What we say is what we speak into existence for our life. Remember God created heaven and earth with words.

Lets read James, it is such a good reminder for us all. (This is the New Living Translation.)

James 3
Controlling the Tongue

1 Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.
True Wisdom Comes from God 13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, nonspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

This chapter in BOTM (as with all of them) is such a good reminder for me that I need to be thankful in all things. That how I act can be a turn off or a turn on to my heavenly Father. If I seek to draw people to him, then I need to act in a manner that will cause others to want what He has to offer.

I got a nice compliment once. A friend at work asked me how my weekend was, and I said "It was great, how was yours?" She said "Lynn you always have great weekends!" That was so nice to know that I was portraying a positive outlook to the point it was noticed.

In all of this as a reminder to myself and to all of you. Watch what you meditate on, watch what you do and how you act, and watch what you say. Others are watching and what you do will affect them positive or negative. But most of all what you do will affect you, because God and the enemy are always watching too. Don't give the Devil even a crack to enter into your life. So with that being said, we need to look at our life, family, jobs, homes, children in a different light.

I used to have a post-it note on my desk for a reminder "K.M.S." It stood for Keep Mouth Shut. which is good, but it's not enough. If I am still grumbling and fault finding inside, eventually I will break down and blurt it out. What's in a mans heart will come out of his mouth. So I think I need to come up with another post-it, something to do with doing an attitude/heart check.

Father God help us! Help us to quit fault finding and pointing fingers. Help us to be more accepting of others and things that are not our way. Most of all help us to be more like you with mercy and grace and compassion for our fellow man. Help us to pray in faith for the things and people we feel need your guidance instead of ripping them to shreds. And Father have mercy on us when we fall short. In Jesus name, Amen

Have a very Merry Blessed Christmas everyone. Not sure when I'll post again could be later today may be tomorrow, or next week. I haven't been on a real schedule with this like I wanted to but that's okay. God Bless you all.

Lynn

Study With Me - Chapter 18

Hi I'm Back! I had to go to the dentist and then my youngest daughter stopped by with my 2yr old grandson so he and I had to play with the ball and eat crackers and make bubbles in the sink, and Mommy drifted off for a quick nap. Full time on swing shift, 2 youngsters and going to College part time catches up sometimes. :) Then we gently woke her up so she could go get big sister from pre-school.

Well in an effort to not let the devil rule me If I can't post two chapters during the week I will post two now, so with that being said I will start the next chapter. If you are trying to catch up chapter 17 is below.

And If you are coming here for the first time, I am hosting a study using the book "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyers. Click the button on my side bar to go to the intro or join in anytime.

Chapter 18 - Wilderness Mentality #3

"Please make everything easy I can't take it if things is too hard"

I would guess that most of us have our limits and it is different for each of us how much we think we can handle. But God wants us to stretch ourselves so we can grow. He wants us to give it our all.

I heard a pastor say one time that for God to approve of the gift you were giving on His behalf, it needed to cost you to something. He gave the example of the widow giving her last two mites. She gave everything she had. We need to put our sweat, tears and heart into serving God. After all He did that for us and topped it off with His Son. Selah!

Someone came to me the other day and said he was sure he found a flaw in Gods word. (He said it half joking) I said oh whats that, he said "God said he wouldn't give you more than you could handle". God was so quick and so good I said it before I knew what came out of my mouth I said "Sounds like you're trying to handle everything on your own, instead of giving it to God, cause He can handle it all." I'd like to take credit but that was from God. :)

See nothing is to hard if we know when to put up, shut up and lift up, but not give up. Have any of you Mothers been in a hurry trying to get the children ready and you're running late and you are ever so gently speaking loudly to your children to get their socks and shoes on. When all the sudden they plop down on their butts on the floor start crying and say - But I can't do it! God shared that vision with me. That sometimes that's how He sees us - throwing our little fit. Meantime He could really use us to help him and we throw up our hands and say I can't. Ouch! Then next week we ask God, but why don't you ever use me? Hmm gee I'm not sure, I tried to by it was too hard. :) That principle is not limited to helping God it extends to every area of our lives. We we show ourselves worthy in one area, the we can move to another.

I was at a conference one time and I was really into the worship, I was singing and praising and praying - arms raised high. Tears were running down my face, not scrunched faced crying, just tender in the presence of God. My arms started aching, but I wanted to still be submissive to God and show Him I was surrendering to Him, so I said softly I'm still surrendering my arms just hurt. But before I could sing another word of the song, it was as if I heard an audible voice say in my spirit. "You don't have to put them back up but I stretched mine on a cross for you?" He wasn't trying to make me feel bad, just wanted me to think about how much we want, but how little we give. How easy we are to just give up. I put my arms back up. Not out of guilt or condemnation, but out of love and respect. When they first started to ache again, I told myself too bad I'm doing this for the Lord. Guess what, that was the last time I felt them.

Again our attitude will play a huge part of our success and failure in all that we do. Like the story above when I did it out of love, I had purposed to show Him honor. Had I been doing it to please the people around me or out of a feeling of obligation, it would have been easy to cave in.

Father help us to seek you when we feel weak. Show us that nothing is too hard when we lean on you. Remind us to use your word as our weapons to fight, when we are being bombarded and feel like giving up. We thank you and praise you for never never ever giving up on us, for never saying we were too hard of a task for you. Thank you! In Jesus Name. Amen

And remember when you don't feel like doing something - stop feeling yourself. :)

Be Blessed,

Lynn

Study With Me - Chapter 17

Hi everyone,
Well it seems like ever since I said I wanted to post a couple chapters a week I have been busier than normal. However, I will not let the devil win this battle so I will be posting at least 2 maybe more chapters today and you can read and enjoy them at your own pace. :)

If you are coming here for the first time, I am hosting a study using the book "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyers. Click the button on my side bar to go to the intro for join in anytime.

Chapter 17 - Wilderness Mentality #2

"Someone do it for me I don't want to take the responsibility"

Well I don't care who you are at some point in all of our lives we have to choose whether or not to take responsibility for something or not. Sometimes we take it when we should, sometimes, we don't. Sometimes we take it when we shouldn't. Opps!

Now when something good, great or spectacular has happened, and the question is posed, "Who is the responsible party?" it's easy to draw a group of volunteers that want to take the responsibility. However when someone spills the milk, the beans, or there is a ill effect of any sort, the crowd tries very hard to fade into the wood work. Or perhaps we start the ever popular finger pointing contest. That seems to be a favorite past time that most all of us have partaken at least once in our life.

One of my favorite when I was younger, was to let everyone around me make the decisions, then if it didn't work, it wasn't my fault right? Wrong! I had my responsibility in the fact that I didn't stand up and make the decision that was right to begin with. Then to put icing on my little cake, I could play the martyr and victim card. Poor me look at what I've had to endure. Well God and I talked a lot and He agreed to grow me and make me strong, and I agreed I would take responsibility for my actions in every situation. Yes bad things have happened in my life, now what role did I play in allowing them to happen. Yes it hurts but it feels so good in the end.

Joyce often tells about a time when she was whining to God, "Why do other people get to do this or that and you won't let me?" God told her "Joyce you have asked me for a lot, do you want it or not?"

See God was showing her, with every blessing, comes a responsibility. And everything produces after its own kind. If we want a job, we need to work. If we want friends, we need to be a friend. If we want people to treat our children right, then we need to be kind to other peoples children.

Father,

Help us to see our part in everything. Show us how to accept our responsibility in everything we do. When we ask for things, help us to see what we will need to accomplish to have what we desire and the strength and determination to complete that which you give us. Father help us to be honest with you and ourselves. In Jesus Name, Amen

Be Blessed,

Lynn

Study with Me - Chapter 16

Hi Everyone, I hope you all had a very nice Thanksgiving. We had lots of food, children, grandchildren, and lots of love flowing. It was truly a wonderful day.

If you are coming here for the first time, I am hosting a study using the book "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyers. Click the button on my side bar to go to the intro for join in anytime. So lets get started.

Chapter 16 - Wilderness Mentality #1

"My future is determined by my past and my present"

Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. - It really is that simple, and that hard. If you are stuck in the mindset that this is all you will ever be or have - you are right. But if you think you can conquer the world and have the best of everything - you are right. You can only go as far as your mind will allow you to go. You can not go beyond what you believe you can do. I know some one and they had family members that were brought up the same, but some raised their children in the slums and some went on to be very prosperous. When they asked their father why the others lived like that the Father explained, they were trapped in their minds. They could not see a better life for themselves so they didn't work for a better life.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. If we don't study God's word and find out all the wonderful things that he has in store for us we could live a much lesser life than He wanted to give us. It's like someone putting a million dollars in the bank for us but if we never checked our account we could be hunting pop cans to buy milk for the baby. Find out what God wants to do for you.

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he. Once we find out what God has in store for us and what He wants to do for us, then we need to start envisioning it for our lives. Believe and have faith that He will do for you all the things He has promised.

And one of the most important lessons in this is don't run back to the familiar. I think a lot of times we miss blessings and being used by God because we won't leave the comfort of where we are, good and bad. I say that knowing that there was a time in my life I was tempted to go back into an abusive relationship for the simple reason that even though it was bad, I knew what to expect. Thank God I didn't, but I know that there are others that have. God wants to use us all, but we need to be willing to have some change and moving in our life to make it happen.

We may need to leave our Egypt to see our promise land.

Father - Thank you for giving us courage to make the changes we need to. The vision to see a better life than we have now even if it is the best. Lead us and guide us. In Jesus name. Amen.

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn

How do you like your eggs?

Life and the circumstances around you form who you are. Then one day you wake up or wise up and say hey is this who I really wanted to be? Or better yet is this who God wanted me to be. Well for most of us this happens a little at a time, because that's how God gives it to us. In little bits as He thinks we are ready.

One day I was watching the movie "Runaway Bride" with Julia Roberts, and there was this scene where Richard Grere was trying to get her to say what kind of eggs she liked. She couldn't tell him. See she had always just gone along with her boyfriends and what they liked. Well of course she was in denial at first but then one day she made all kinds of different styles of eggs and tried them to see which one she really liked. This really spoke to me. See I used to be such a people pleaser that I always just liked what others liked. When confronted with what I wanted with out taking others into consideration, it would stress me out. I always wanted to make the ones around me happy.

I find that a lot of people look up to movie stars and rock stars and sport stars. That is fine to a point. But God has shown me that he created each of us to have a special talent and function in this life. If we change ourselves to be other people we are slacking on the job God designed us for.

I used to struggle with these very simple questions. Where do you want to eat? What do you want to eat and How do you like your eggs? My answer generally would be, I don't know what do you want? See I thought I was being kind, which I was to a certain degree, however I was losing ME.

We are made in God's image, but what was His Image for me. There are times in our life we work so hard to impress others, but what about impressing God? God was showing me something one day He said "remember when you were a little Girl and had imaginary friends?" I said yes. He told me that "all that time you felt the presence of love around you, I was with you". He said "You have an imagination because I imagined you first".

When we grow and conquer things in our life, it is hard to imagine that we were different, but I do remember those indecisive days. It's nice now to say what I like and don't. It gives people around me a chance to like or dislike me, because now I'm a somebody not an everybody.
Step out and choose your eggs or whatever. It's okay to be you. God needs you to be who He created you to be.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Dare to be all God wants you to be!

Blessings,
Lynn
I will post the next chapter of Study with Me tomorrow or Wednesday.
I am doing a Give-Away on my other Blog. Please check it Out!

Study with Me Part 3

Hi Everyone

We are doing a study using Joyce Meyers book "Battlefield of the Mind". Each chapter is unique so you can pick up at any time or go back and start in the beginning by clicking the button on my side bar which will take you to the intro of the study.

Part 3 - Intro to Chapter 16 - Wilderness Mentalities

We all have them - those mindsets that hold us back, the strongholds, the roots of bitterness, grumbling complaining fault finding. We are where we are, because of our attitudes along the way of our journey. It is okay to visit some places, or let some things visit us, but where we abide (make our home, our abode) is where we root ourselves. Is this the garden you meant to live in?

After I read this book the first time, I was driving to work one day thinking about the children of Israel. I got on my high horse and was telling God how silly they were to take so long and not appreciate Him. All of the sudden God spoke to me and said "Lynn - How old are you"? Gulp 40!

"How long did it take you so really seek this intimate relationship with me"? Ooops! I climbed off my horse real quick. :)

See we all have something that we allow to hold us back. (Notice I said "We Allow") We have a choice to stay in our pity pool or get out. I am not saying by any means it is easy, I know! No really I know. I wanted to blame everyone and everything for the mess I was in, but ultimately I had to take responsibility for my part in the decisions I had made in my life that got me to that point. Things come at us and things happen to us, but how we react to them is where the battle is won or lost.

I was raped twice when I was 15. I allowed that to condition a lot of my thinking about myself and about men and about relationships, even my relationship with God. (How could he let this happen) But to truly heal, I had to go back and accept my responsibility in the situation. Not that it was my fault ("NO means NO!") or that it was right for them to do that too me, but being in the wrong places was my responsibility and my wrong thinking after the attack, was my responsibility. See attitudes unresolved, fester like a sliver. They cause the area around them to swell and become oversensitive. Pretty soon they create a substance that looks and smells foul. And until we poked or snip 0r squeeze that area to remove that sliver - attitude -mindset - stronghold, it will continue to handicap that area of our life. Take a few moments to look at the parallels of a foot that has a sliver and the stages it goes through including limping, with an attitude that is not corrected in a certain area. Ponder that a moment. See how and attitude can change the course of your life. Pretty amazing and scary huh?

The rest of the book will examine 10 different "Wilderness Mentalities". As we read through Gods word and this book. Seek to lay down the "stinking thinking" that holds you in bondage.

Father God, Thank you so much for your inspiration in our lives, thank you for the courage you give each of us as we dig to be honest with ourselves about our shortcomings. Help us to see areas that we need to change and attitudes that are wrong. Hug us and let us feel your love and mercy so we are not tempted to beat ourselves up from our mistakes.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Until next time,

Be Blessed!

Lynn

Study with Me - Chapter 15

Hi everyone,

We are doing a study using Joyce Meyers book "Battlefield of the Mind". Each chapter is unique so you can pick up at any time or go back and start in the beginning by clicking the button on my side bar which will take you to the intro of the study.

In reading this for the second time, I feel like it is fresh and new like I have never read it ever before. Then I realized - I haven't. I am right now who I have never been before. Each day as I continue in God's word, I am not the person I was yesterday let alone the person that read this book for the first time 4 years ago. There is so much fresh revelation and perspective because of where I am now in my life verses where I was 4 years ago, emotionally and spiritually. Which leads me into this chapter.

Chapter 15 - The Mind of Christ

First of all I want to ask, Do we want the mind of Christ? Why would we want the mind of Christ? When I thought about that, these are the first couple things that popped into my mind.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Okay so I think it is safe to say there might be some benefits to having the mind of Christ. So the next thing is how do we get it? You get to know God, by lining yourself up with his word.

Getting to know God is as simple as spending time with Him. Read the word, talk to Him, include Him in everything you do. He's there already, He sees you, but you need to interact with Him. Have you ever gone somewhere a meeting or social event and had to sit by someone that wouldn't talk to you. You can talk all night and they learn a great deal about you, but you know very little about them. That's how we are with God when we don't interact with Him. Now I know he has a head start on knowing us because he created us, but if we make time for Him, He will reveal Himself to us.

Take your spouse or a close friend for example, you have invested a lot of time and effort getting to know them. You didn't just meet one day exchange a list of likes and dislikes and poof you knew all about each other. Your relationship grew by spending time together. Sharing experiences good and bad together. You do all sorts of different things with each other to the point that you know what the other likes or doesn't. You learn their mannerisms, the way the talk what they think, what their responses are about things before they respond.

To me that is what it is like to have the Mind of Christ - in operation.

What we spend time doing and focusing on is what we will be proficient in. The more we spend time in God's word and fellowship with Him, the more we will begin to think and act like Him. Our focus is where we will eventually go to. Have you ever been driving and start gazing out the window? All the sudden you jerk the wheel to get yourself back in your lane. What happens is you will drift on the road and in life where you focus your attention and time. That's why it is important to meditate on God's word day and night.

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

I also think to have and operate with the mind of Christ you need to have vision - a goal.

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.

See if we have a goal in mind, or a vision of what God has in store for us, it helps us to stay on the path to obtain that prize. When we loose focus of our vision, we give up and give in. Think about Jesus. He had a vision of what he had to do. He knew what the Fathers plan was. When Satan was trying to get him to bow down, he offered Jesus all kinds of enticing things. If Jesus hadn't had a vision of a much bigger picture He might have given in. What about Jesus going to the cross. His flesh didn't want to do it - he asked "Father if there is any other way" but he had a vision of the Fathers plan. What if Jesus had just given up and said, it's too hard I don't even know all these people you're trying to help. Let them hang on the cross for themselves. No he had a vision and focus of a much bigger picture.

We can never overcome the storms of this world, if all we think of and focus on is ourselves and our problems, and our circumstances. Again, what we focus on is what we will drift towards and become.

Spend time with God, include Him in your life, get to know what he would say and do and then say and do it yourself.

Father God, Thank you so much for being with each of us as we grow with new revelations each day. Help us to seek you in all we do. Give us a vision of our life and what you have in store for us and help us to stay focused on the right path. In Jesus name, Amen

I would like to post a couple of chapters a week to finish the study up by the end of the year. God has given me a couple of nudges for something new He would like me to do. But in being honest with myself I can't take on any more until I finish what I have. ( I am currently doing 3 studies not including when Rachel O. posts something) So My posts might be a little shorter, but not less heartfelt. I hope you are enjoying the insight that I am getting from the book and I hope God is doing a work in you as well.

Blessings,

Lynn