Often times, I wonder if God is listening. Does He know what I’m dealing with? It goes without saying that He does, but it’s still an interesting thought.
James 5:16b
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Matthew 18:20
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
About four and half years ago, when I was leaving my classes, another student at my school that I had never met asked if she and I could ride the metro together. This would not have seemed odd, except I had never met her, nor did we share any classes together. I am not completely sure why I said yes, but I did. While we were riding, she told me that God wanted her to tell me that I would meet and be with my life mate very soon. She said my mother and I should pray that God would show me who it was. She and I parted ways, myself very confused, but I prayed anyway. A week later, my pastor approached my mom, and let her know that he had been thinking about it, Jesse would be a great match for me. A week after that, Jesse’s ex-girlfriend, whom I was and still am very good friends with, informed me that Jesse and I would be perfect for one another. I was officially weirded out, but not convinced.
About three weeks later, the metro girl (as she became nick-named, since I had not yet gotten her name) asked to ride our train home again. She asked me how my man-hunt was going and I told her what had happened, but finished with “I don’t really know...”. She, Jasmine (I had finally asked her name), said the pastor’s words were a confirmation and that I was not praying the right way.
My question had always been, “God, are you listening?”, who would have thought that the question would be, “Am I listening for an answer?”
After this conversation, my prayer life changed drastically. I prayed again, but this time I was expecting God to answer; I was waiting to hear and follow His lead. Jesse and I started dating, and now we have been married for over a year, going strong.
Romans 8:26-27
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
I don’t always know how I should pray, and sometimes I forget to listen for an answer. However, the Lord always hears us and will answer us according to His will.
Is your prayer life a one-sided conversation, or are you listening?
Monday, January 10, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year's Resolutions
Happy New Years!
In my job as a salon assistant, where I enjoy the opportunity to interact with many different people, my conversations with clients are often dictated by the seasons. As you might guess, my question of the moment is, “Did you make any New Year’s resolutions?”
Yes, that time of the year has come...New Years, the time to renew your image, reach new goals, and commit to bettering yourself; your resolutions.
Of the majority, most people I spoke to said they would not be making New Year’s resolutions. Most said that it was too much of a hassle and the new behavior was only good for about a week or two. Last year my boss commented that he hated going to the gym in January because all the New Year crazies were starting their temporary work out mindset...February was a much better time to go.
About how many people actually were faithful with the new found promise to achieve goals? According to a quick Wikipedia (NYResolutions) search, out of the 52% who chose to attempt their new ambition, only 12% actually attained their aspirations.
I thought of the different goals and standards I set throughout the year (not just at New Years)...the biggest one being “I WILL have sex with my husband by his birthday”, “by our first anniversary”... “this will be the year”. Each time, I have found myself disappointed. How was it that even promises I made to myself and for myself, I couldn't keep. You are probably asking why I am being such a downer on our ability to follow through.
Deut 7:9
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
Daniel 9:4
I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,
The Lord brought His people out of Egypt, He gave them their promised land, He promised the Messiah, Jesus Christ, His son, the man who was promised that he would not die till he saw Jesus as a baby; the Bible is full of examples of the Lord’s faithfulness and promises kept.
Proverbs 3:5,6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Philippians 4:6,7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Expect God to keep His promises in your life, and you will see a new type of New Year’s transformation.
In my job as a salon assistant, where I enjoy the opportunity to interact with many different people, my conversations with clients are often dictated by the seasons. As you might guess, my question of the moment is, “Did you make any New Year’s resolutions?”
Yes, that time of the year has come...New Years, the time to renew your image, reach new goals, and commit to bettering yourself; your resolutions.
Of the majority, most people I spoke to said they would not be making New Year’s resolutions. Most said that it was too much of a hassle and the new behavior was only good for about a week or two. Last year my boss commented that he hated going to the gym in January because all the New Year crazies were starting their temporary work out mindset...February was a much better time to go.
About how many people actually were faithful with the new found promise to achieve goals? According to a quick Wikipedia (NYResolutions) search, out of the 52% who chose to attempt their new ambition, only 12% actually attained their aspirations.
I thought of the different goals and standards I set throughout the year (not just at New Years)...the biggest one being “I WILL have sex with my husband by his birthday”, “by our first anniversary”... “this will be the year”. Each time, I have found myself disappointed. How was it that even promises I made to myself and for myself, I couldn't keep. You are probably asking why I am being such a downer on our ability to follow through.
Deut 7:9
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
Daniel 9:4
I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,
The Lord brought His people out of Egypt, He gave them their promised land, He promised the Messiah, Jesus Christ, His son, the man who was promised that he would not die till he saw Jesus as a baby; the Bible is full of examples of the Lord’s faithfulness and promises kept.
Proverbs 3:5,6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Philippians 4:6,7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Expect God to keep His promises in your life, and you will see a new type of New Year’s transformation.
Monday, December 27, 2010
The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
How has the Lord been working Vulvodynia for the good in you life? What is your silver lining, to the dark cloud?
1. The Lord has been teaching me more about Himself and His ways.
2. I know my husband truly loves me, its not just a physical thing :)
3. I don't have to take birth control (haha)
4. I have met several amazing women, whom I would never have met (Vulvodynia Support FB )
5. I have learned who my true friends are.
Those are just a few of mine...
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
How has the Lord been working Vulvodynia for the good in you life? What is your silver lining, to the dark cloud?
1. The Lord has been teaching me more about Himself and His ways.
2. I know my husband truly loves me, its not just a physical thing :)
3. I don't have to take birth control (haha)
4. I have met several amazing women, whom I would never have met (Vulvodynia Support FB )
5. I have learned who my true friends are.
Those are just a few of mine...
Monday, December 20, 2010
Three's the Charm
Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
The truth is there are several ingredients that build towards a good marriage. Communication, one on one time, trust, sex, understanding are all good and important ingredients to any marriage.
Those ingredients are important, but the truth is we are human. Being human makes us imperfect. When work is done by someone imperfect, there are bound to be mistakes. Wife and husband, would make an imperfect cord because they are two imperfect people. A flaw or weakness would be found in the cords and without a perfect third strand would be likely to fall apart. The three stranded cord is a representation of a wife, her husband and the Lord. The Lord is perfect, He is without flaw or weakness. As long as He is the center in the relationship then when we fail (ex. we can’t have sex) the Lord holds us together. “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
The key ingredient, the one ingredient marriage cannot/should not go without is the Lord. The problem becomes when we try to replace the key ingredient with one of our other ingredients. Often times I feel like sex is the key ingredient...with a mindset like that its no wonder we would get depressed.
Exodus 34:14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
The questions become: Has sex become god in our relationship? Where is God in relationship? Is He outside looking in as we try to fix our relationship by ourselves? Or have you invited the Lord to be the center of your relationship? Have you given Him the reins?
My e-mail is Veronica.P.Coleman@gmail.com
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
The truth is there are several ingredients that build towards a good marriage. Communication, one on one time, trust, sex, understanding are all good and important ingredients to any marriage.
Those ingredients are important, but the truth is we are human. Being human makes us imperfect. When work is done by someone imperfect, there are bound to be mistakes. Wife and husband, would make an imperfect cord because they are two imperfect people. A flaw or weakness would be found in the cords and without a perfect third strand would be likely to fall apart. The three stranded cord is a representation of a wife, her husband and the Lord. The Lord is perfect, He is without flaw or weakness. As long as He is the center in the relationship then when we fail (ex. we can’t have sex) the Lord holds us together. “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
The key ingredient, the one ingredient marriage cannot/should not go without is the Lord. The problem becomes when we try to replace the key ingredient with one of our other ingredients. Often times I feel like sex is the key ingredient...with a mindset like that its no wonder we would get depressed.
Exodus 34:14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
The questions become: Has sex become god in our relationship? Where is God in relationship? Is He outside looking in as we try to fix our relationship by ourselves? Or have you invited the Lord to be the center of your relationship? Have you given Him the reins?
My e-mail is Veronica.P.Coleman@gmail.com
Thursday, December 16, 2010
One of those days...
Have any of you heard that song Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant ?
I have traveled many moonless night
Cold and weary with a babe inside
And I wonder what I've done
Holy Father, You have come
And chosen me now
To carry Your son
I am waiting in a silent prayer
I am frightened by the load i bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone
Be with me now
Be with me now
Chorus:
Breath of Heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of Heaven
Breath of Heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me, Your holiness
For You are holy, Breath of Heaven
Do You wonder as You watch my face
If a wiser one, should of had my place
But I offer all I am
For the mercy of Your plan
Help me be strong
Help me be
Help me
(I found the lyrics at http://www.lyricsdomain.com/ )
Those embolden words I feel like describe my life. I don't want Vulvodynia. It frightens me how it will affect the rest of my life and whether it will ever go away and I just keep praying it will go away. Isn't there someone wiser much more capable of carrying this load. But its not my place to question, I offer all I am for the mercy of God's plan... and I have to trust that He will give me the strength and cover me in His presence... Lord please lift my spirits
I have traveled many moonless night
Cold and weary with a babe inside
And I wonder what I've done
Holy Father, You have come
And chosen me now
To carry Your son
I am waiting in a silent prayer
I am frightened by the load i bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone
Be with me now
Be with me now
Chorus:
Breath of Heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of Heaven
Breath of Heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me, Your holiness
For You are holy, Breath of Heaven
Do You wonder as You watch my face
If a wiser one, should of had my place
But I offer all I am
For the mercy of Your plan
Help me be strong
Help me be
Help me
(I found the lyrics at http://www.lyricsdomain.com/ )
Those embolden words I feel like describe my life. I don't want Vulvodynia. It frightens me how it will affect the rest of my life and whether it will ever go away and I just keep praying it will go away. Isn't there someone wiser much more capable of carrying this load. But its not my place to question, I offer all I am for the mercy of God's plan... and I have to trust that He will give me the strength and cover me in His presence... Lord please lift my spirits
Monday, December 13, 2010
Wanting to Be Like Everyone Else
I want to be like everyone else. I want to be normal. I want to have sex with my husband!
There is just one problem with feeling like this. This took me forever for me to realize! We are called, as Christians to be holy.
Ephesians 1:4a
"For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight."
Leviticus 11:44-45
"I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy."
Leviticus 19:2
"“Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.""
If we are called to be holy because our Lord Jesus is holy, we should know what holy means. So I did what I normally do and pulled up http://dictionary.reference.com/
It talked about relating to God and being devout and virtuous. However, the definition I was always taught in church, I found here http://www.rondunn.com/Devotionals/Called%20To%20Be%20Holy.htm
It shows that the Hebrew word for holiness is kadesh which means something that is cut off, separate or set apart. The word in the NT is hagios which means set apart, separate, in a class by itself. Do you see where I am going with this? We are called to be different! We are called to be set apart!
Before this hit me, I was thinking to myself that I was doing a pretty good job of being holy. I was thinking in the dictionary.com sense.
Christians are set apart. I know that I have struggled with that and not wanted to gladly proclaim Jesus Christ as my Savior because I will stand out like a sore thumb. However, this is why we are set apart! That we might stand out among others and present the Good News! It's easier to praise God when we are doing well (not easy, just easier). We are further set apart (made holy) because we are Christians with Vulvodynia! The question becomes will you use that holiness to proclaim Jesus Christ's goodness?
There is just one problem with feeling like this. This took me forever for me to realize! We are called, as Christians to be holy.
Ephesians 1:4a
"For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight."
Leviticus 11:44-45
"I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy."
Leviticus 19:2
"“Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.""
If we are called to be holy because our Lord Jesus is holy, we should know what holy means. So I did what I normally do and pulled up http://dictionary.reference.com/
It talked about relating to God and being devout and virtuous. However, the definition I was always taught in church, I found here http://www.rondunn.com/Devotionals/Called%20To%20Be%20Holy.htm
It shows that the Hebrew word for holiness is kadesh which means something that is cut off, separate or set apart. The word in the NT is hagios which means set apart, separate, in a class by itself. Do you see where I am going with this? We are called to be different! We are called to be set apart!
Before this hit me, I was thinking to myself that I was doing a pretty good job of being holy. I was thinking in the dictionary.com sense.
Christians are set apart. I know that I have struggled with that and not wanted to gladly proclaim Jesus Christ as my Savior because I will stand out like a sore thumb. However, this is why we are set apart! That we might stand out among others and present the Good News! It's easier to praise God when we are doing well (not easy, just easier). We are further set apart (made holy) because we are Christians with Vulvodynia! The question becomes will you use that holiness to proclaim Jesus Christ's goodness?
Monday, December 6, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)