A Brilliant Love

The Lord is good. I think sometimes when I pray, I subconsciously measure up my sins to how good God is. But thank God for the blood of His son Jesus! If the blood isn’t enough to cleanse my sin, then we’re all in trouble!

Sometimes I think, “Is it really worth it to keep up with my blog?” But I immediately tell myself, “Yes!” If I’m doing everything I need to, it’s full-time work. But I love my blog and I believe it is impactful for the Kingdom. I am a writer, at heart. I thank the Lord for giving me this gift.

At times, when I pray for my loved ones in tough situations (including those who are unsaved), I feel helpless, But I am always reminded that I was them once. The Lord worked a miracle in my life, and if I was lost and could be found, then they are not hopeless! I was prayed on for many years before I repented of my sin and accepted Jesus as Lord and God. Praise Him! Just thinking of my testimony right now gets me fired up because I came from a strong religious background. I was very legalistic and didn’t even believe that Jesus is God! I am a walking miracle. We should never give up on our unsaved loved ones. We were prayed out of the darkness and they can be too.

How do we overcome something that is such a stronghold that it’s somehow a part of us? I just want to wake up one day and it’s easy to get out of bed. I don’t want to struggle with being a late riser anymore. I don’t know if it’s part of my bipolar disorder or it’s just laziness. But I dread getting up early.

Speaking of bipolar disorder, I have given up on being supernaturally healed. My husband brings it up now and then. I don’t like him bringing it up. I have sought deliverance about 4 times now, and always ended up back on my meds. Trying to get off of them has just caused trouble in my marriage. At this point, I am just so grateful that my medicine keeps me stable and I have easy access to it. Now, the thought has crossed my mind that if I were healed, it would be a great testimony for the Lord.

Now, we all go through struggles in life. Everyone. No one is exempt from hard times. But I believe in not giving up. I believe in moving forward in Christ. There is too much at stake not to keep moving forward. My children, my marriage, my own mental health. My home, my salvation, the salvation of those around me. I will never give up!

 

PATIENCE:

the ability to wait for a long time without becoming annoyed or upset
I don’t have the patience to wait in line for hours just to buy a ticket.
Investors need to have patience. The economy will improve soon.
See More Examples
2: the ability to remain calm and not become annoyed when dealing with problems or with difficult people
She treated her students with great patience and humor.
I don’t have (much) patience for that kind of behavior. = I have little/no patience for that kind of behavior. [=I am not willing to accept that kind of behavior]
See More Examples
3: the ability to give attention to something for a long time without becoming bored or losing interest
I don’t have the patience to do crossword puzzles. – From the Merriam Webster website.

It’s been a running joke in the Christian community to be careful when praying for patience because the Lord will send you someone or something to test your patience. Patience does often come when going through a difficult situation. You learn to wait without getting upset.

Marriage is the joining together of two lives. Getting to know another person from the inside out and dedicating your whole life to them is no small commitment. Learning to accept that person despite whatever flaw they have or whatever life may bring into your life together is the biggest commitment there is, besides committing one’s life to the Lord.

In getting to know your spouse, there are a lot of flaws you will discover and patience is key to “dealing with” this person for the rest of your life. Patience and learning to love despite the fact that he doesn’t pick his clothes up off the floor or doesn’t put a fresh roll of toilet paper on after it’s finished.

I love my husband. But I have a lot of pet peeves, LOL. There is a saying I don’t like, though. I don’t like it when wives refer to their husbands as an extra child in the house. I think it’s disrespectful. He is your husband and he has to deal with your flaws as well. You should cherish him!

Well, I do want to talk about different ways to learn how to be patient with your spouse.

Patience in cleaning up his messes.

Face it, living in close quarters with anyone, you will be cleaning up your share of messes after them. Some people are more tidy than others, though. If your husband isn’t the nestest person, I don’t think it’s wrong to ask him to pick up after himself more. But please don’t get angry with him if he continues to leave messes. It’s okay to remind him, but don’t nag him about it. This may just cause an argument. I mean, it’s not the worst thing in the world to pick up a pair of dirty socks every now and then or clean a few extra dishes. I was told a true story of a family member whose loved one died and after the funeral, she said she’d do anything to smell his dirty socks in the corner again. An extra small mess here and there isn’t a big deal compared to the joy of having your spouse in your life to love and cherish.

Patience with his finances.

Okay, so fiinancial situations differ from one house to another. Your spouse may be working full time and overtime, still barely making ends meet. Or he may be bringing home big money. Or somewhere in between. If you are both working, good. Two incomes always take some of the burden off your spouse. Whether your the only one working, you’re both working or you stay at home and take care of the kids and /or the house, make peace with your spouse financially. I’m not saying you need to share a bank account. I am not saying you need to account for every purchase to him. But I do believe that couples shouldn’t argue over money. I mean, I’m not going to say never. We all have flaws and needs and in any relationship there is going to be an argument here and there about something. But don’t make money an idoll in your house. Don’t value a paycheck or the bills being paid over the well being of your loved one.

Patience with his sexual desires.

You may want it more than him. He may want it more than you. Maybe you just had a baby and y’all can’t for 6 weeks. Maybe he just had an opertion and can’t for a certain amount of time. Maybe the kids have a good habit of “getting in the way. Whatever the case is with your sex drives, your financal situation or the availability of date nights, make sex a priority. It can get tough as the seasons of life go by. But you need to care about yout spouse’s needs. If he wants it more than you, or visa versa, try sitting down togetherand coming to an agreement that you will have sex on certain days. I don’t think it’s wrong to schedule it! If it seems wrong to you, maybe try somethng else, but make sure you’re not neglecting your marriage bed.

Patience with his spiritual life.

Everybody has their own measure of faith. Your relationship with the Lord is different than The Lord’s relationship with your spouse. But y’all can pray togethet and do Bible study together. If he won’t, pray about it. Maybe he feels like praying with you is baring his soul in front of you and isn’t ready to do that. Maybe you two have different schedules that make it hard to fit prayer and Bible reading together in. But however it has to happen, please at least text verses or prayers to your spouse ’til you can get him on board. All the while, give the burden of your spouse’s spiritual life to the Lord. Grow close to Jesus. Pray your heart out for him. I believe if you show your faithfulness to the Lord in front of your souse and are patient with him, you will get better results than if you nag at him to read his Bible or stop spending time on his hobby to spend more time with the Lord. Be supportive of him and NEVER stop liftinh up in prayer before the Lord.

Patience with his choice of entertainment.

Now, your spouse can have some harmful choices of entertainment or he can maybe just choose a form of entertainment that you don’t like. If it’s harmful (such as porn, strip clubs or horror movies), then confront him and keep it in prayer. Maybe suggest therapy to him or get another couple you both know and respect in on the problem to discuss it. Don’t be afraid to let him know that his harmful entertainment choice offends you or is harming your marriage. If it is a form of entertainmet you just don’t undertand, let him have his time everry so often with whatever it is. Maybe even learn more about it! That could grow your bond with each other. Whatever the case may be, keep your husband’s choice of entertainment in prayer before the Lord. He will benefit from you keeping him covered, and so will your marriage.

I am reminded of the movie War Room. This movie saved my marriage when we were going though rough times. I watched it and immediately began to build a battle plan of prayer, submission and trusting the Lord with my family’s lives. If you haven’t seen it, please go watch it! It’s one of the first Christian movies I’d recommend to someone who’s looking for a good one. Here is the movie, available on Amazon:

There is also a War Room Bible study book, available on Amazon.

Another movie that was really impactful was Fireproof. I also highly recommend you watch that and glean from it. There is also a book to go with it.

The movie:

The book, The Love Dare:

Wherever you are at in your journey of marriage, I pray blessings over you, your spouse, your family and your house. In the name of Jesus!

 

 

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.  For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord, himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

This passage is one that gives me great hope. If this is not the first post you’ve read on my blog, you know that I am a Christian; That I love the Lord Jesus Christ. A Christian’s hope is based on the resurrection of Jesus and the promise that when we die, or if the Rapture happens first, we will be with Him.

A new believer should base his or her life on preparation to meet Jesus. This world is not our home as Children of God, and we shouldn’t get so comfortable that we want to stay here. I don’t think it’s wrong to enjoy life. The Lord Jesus died so that w can live an abundant life and glorify Him, pointing others to Salvation. It is not wrong to want nice things but I believe there is a fine line between being rich and so comfortable you want to stay here and being prosperous, thus bringing glory to the Lord. The Bible says, What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? (Mark 8:36) and For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10)

I don’t want to get deep into an, “Is it wrong to be rich?” monologue, I just want to stress that this world is not our home and we should be storing up treasures in Heaven, not here on this earth. (See Matthew 6:19-20 and Hebrews 13:14). Being truly dedicated to Christ, we should be doing good works, serving others, to the best of our ability, as the lord empowers us.

Today, looking at the state of the World, we can see that the Lord is soon to return. He said we would know the signs that His coming is near. Besides the news and the happenings of this world, there is a servant of the Lord here on earth, preparing the way for the coming of Jesus and the latter glory is raining! This man is John The Baptist-like, in that He is the forerunner for the Messiah. The Bible speaks of him in Malachi 4:5-6 (“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”) and Revelation 11 (A passage speaking of the Two Witnesses of the Tribulation).

This prophet is Dr. David Owuor. He is based in Kenya and has been ministering for over twenty years. Many, many documented miracles have come forth through his ministry and many lukewarm Christians’ hearts have been set ablaze from the fruit of his ministry. There is way too much to this mintry to document here. This is not the main focus of this post, but if you are reading this, it is vital that you check this ministry of Repentance and Holiness out. Please go look him up on Youtube. Some of the main channels that have his videos up are Repent and Prepare The Way. Time Is Ove Jesus Is Coming Sooner, Imminent Rapture Repent, Salvation Prayers, and Oil and Wine Ministry. His websites are repentandpreparetheway.org  and Jesusislordradio.info 

Really, I just want to please the Lord. I want to live a holy life, I want to raise my children according to the Word of God, I want to be a good wife, submitting to my husband as the Word says, and doing good to others, living so I look like Jesus, spiritually. I believe I do, but I also believe there is room for improvement. I fight with fleshly desires so much. My body does not want to serve Christ. But I must not submit to the flesh. (See Romans 7:15-20).

Daily, I look forward to the coming of the Messiah, as I pray for others to make it in with me. If I only had hope in this life, I’d be very pitiable. (See 1 Corinthians 15:19). I have young children and I could be looking forward to seeing them grow and finish high school, go to college, get married, start a career and have children. You know, the American dream. We all want that for our children. But what I want more than anything for them, is to love Jesus and make it to Heaven. I teach them the Word and to live a life of prayer.

There is too much at stake to focus on the things of this world more than eternity. In all reality, by the life that we live, each of us is choosing Heaven or Hell. Jesus or Satan. May sound harsh if you have not read a Bible in a while, but it’s true whether you choose to believe it or not. If we repent of our sins and live to obey the Lord in holiness, we will live with Him forever. On the other hand, If we don’t repent and turn away from sin and believe in the cross and the blood of Jesus, we will live in hell forever, outside of the presence of our creator.

The fact that Jesus is coming soon is a good thing! You can choose Him today and have the same hope that I have. This earth is not going to improve. The world as we know it will pass away and we will live eternally with whoever we lived in allegiance to here on earth. The Good news is that Jesus died in your place so that you don’t have to take everlasting punishment for your sin!

In heaven, we will live in joy, peace, and love that no one has ever experienced here on earth. “However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived,
the things God has prepared for those who love him.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9

I want to find out what those things are that the Lord has prepared for me. I want to see Jesus’ face in reality. I look forward to my hope being realized and living in eternal perfection, in service to the King of Kings.

If Jesus returned for His Bride today, would you be raptured?

Pray with me,

Mighty Lord Jesus, I come before you today. I know I have lived my life without you. I repent of all sin right now. I want to know more about you. I choose to live my life for you right now. I submit to the ministry of the blood and the cross right now. Teach me to live a life of holiness and righteousness, I turn away from sin and choose you today. Please lead me into the Kingdom of Heaven. In the name of Jesus, I am born again! Amen

I know that not all of my motherly endeavors are successful. But I know that my intentions are well spent. When I see the respect and good behavior of my children, I know that I am doing a lot of things right with them. Yes, I have moments of doubt, thinking that something I did, or something about myself is going to mess them up and they’ll need therapy later in life.

There are so many reasons why one could be a ‘bad mother’, and collective reasons why one could be a good mother. Now, let’s get this clear: I do not use the term ‘bad mother’ loosely. I think that if you let your child eat candy or if you let them cause a ruckus in the grocery store with no consequences, you can still be deemed a good mother. On the other hand, if you abuse your children or use drugs, you are a bad mother. Don’t get mad at me. Check yourself.

I know that we all have things we could improve on and none of us are perfect mothers. Maybe I should use the term ‘compromised mother’. I am not trying to offend anyone, but I know that I have had to change a few things about my mothering, and still need to.

BUT

My children are fed:

I praise the Lord that there is food in my house. He is our provider. My kids don’t always have what they want to eat, but I try to make sure they are always eating something healthy. Sometimes my oldest will get a bit dramatic and act like he’s throwing up when he tries something new, but I am trying to get the healthy stuff in. But regardless of what, they eat when they are hungry and don’t go without. Thank you, Jesus!

My children are housed

I praise the Lord. We live in a healthy environment that I keep as clean as possible with three littles. They all have a place to lay their heads. Thank you, Jesus!

My children are happy

I thank the Lord that my children laugh and smile regularly, and they are creative and enjoy life. I try to keep the lines of communication open too. I want them to be able to come and talk to me when they need to. And if they need something, they will let me know.

My children are healthy

I praise the Lord! They go to their doctor’s appointments, they take their vitamins, they get their exercise… I know that some mamas’ babies have health problems that are no fault of their own. I am not knocking those moms down. If your child has a health problem and you are not getting it treated, you could be a ‘compromised mom.’ But if your child is healthy, you did things to contribute to that, as a mama. Health is general, but I am talking of physical health here. Make sure you are attentive to the health of your babies.

My children are respectful

Making sure that your child treats others well is important. We don’t have 100 % part in how our children treat others; ultimately they make their own choices and have their own encounters in life. But if your child is respectful and treats others well, there’s a high chance that you did something right at home. Thank you Jesus for teaching me!

My children love the Lord

I know there are different religions and beliefs, but I stand on Jesus (The Word of God) and as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. If your children grow up with knowledge AND love of the Lord and follow in the footsteps of Jesus, you definitely did something right. Most of us go astray, at least for a little while, but as I said, they will make their own choices. But without a doubt, if you train your children in righteousness, they will know the Way their whole lives.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a perfect mother. I have had to step my game up and really seek the Lord to help me grow. I also have an amazing husband who does his part in the house very well. Jesus is my God and I do my best to move toward Him all of the time. I have had to check myself, I have had to overcome fears and mature myself to bring better to my children.

BUT I know I am a good mother because I take care of my kids and they have what they need. I see the fruit of my hands (clasped together in prayer!) in them.

If you just gave birth to your first and you aren’t sure you know what you’re doing yet, hang in there. You’ll learn together. If you just got married and are a new stepmom and he or she is not too fond of you, be patient and stay close to the Lord.

If you’re struggling with mental health issues, be kind to yourself. Know that you are important and your babies need you. If you have to take meds and go to therapy, good for you. Do what you need to do to be present and well as your baby’s mama.

If you have a child with special needs and life is challenging in your household, don’t feel bad if you have to ask for help. Do what you gotta do, mama.

If you’re unsure if your child is doing the right extracurricular activity, talk to them. Pray about it. At least you are trying to make sure your child is socialized and learning.

If you are working several jobs to make ends meet and have barely any help, I commend you, mama. Don’t beat yourself up for not having much time to spend with your children. It will all work out.

If you’re a single mom and have no idea how you make it from day to day, don’t stress, seel the Lord. And be kind to yourself!

God bless you, mama. Let’s give our children the best of us! Let us not forget that making sure our own mental and physical health is good so that we CAN give our children the best of us!

Idol (Merriam Webster definition):

1. An object of extreme devotion.
2. a representation or symbol of an object of worship
   broadly : a false god.
3. A likeness of something.
4.  A false conception.
5.  A form or appearance visible but without substance.

Anything we hold in such high esteem that we are honoring alongside or higher than God is an idol.

I speak to Christians and non-Christians alike: Get rid of your idols!

That job you have that you spend so much time at and expend so much energy at, loosen the reigns! Trust the Lord to be your provider!

That girlfriend or boyfriend you love so much, and are fornicating with, but are unwilling to take the next step into marriage with, let them go! Honor the Lord with your body!

Those books you spend so much time reading; Time that could be spent reading the Bible or in prayer…  set your heart free from them! Give the Lord your time!

That Netflix habit you have at night that keeps you from prayer, give it up!

The children you love so much! They are a precious gift but don’t value them over what the Word of God says.

Your spouse is a gift from the Lord. Honor them, love them and respect them but don’t put your trust in them above what the Word of God says.

Those cigarettes you smoke every hour, every day, give them up! Honor the Lord with your body!

Only the Lord id to be worshipped! The Lord is a Jealous God! Enthrone Him on the altar of your heart! Fast from the things that keep you from the presence of the Lord!

True Fasting

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? – Isaiah 58: 6-7

Let us turn our hearts back to the Lord! Whatever idol we have set up before Him in our hearts, let’s surrender it! Don’t stop praying, stay in the Word and fast and fast again. ‘Til chains are broken!

Chains of lust, chains of addiction, chains of adultery and fornication, chains of gluttony, chains of hate and unforgiveness. Refuse to surrender to the enemy and the Lord will fight this battle with you!

Jesus loves you and His sacrifice was too great to give into the enemy’s call to take your soul to hell with him. Choose the Highway of Holiness today.

Please check out the ministry of Repentance and Holiness.

Repentandpreparetheway.org

 

 

Links are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through one of my links, I will get a small commission, but you will pay the same price. All opinions/statements are my own.

Christians can have fun, counter to what some believe. I used to be one who thought being a Christina means a dull existence. I enjoy my life! God created life and we should enjoy ourselves. Christian fun should be clean fun, though. I aspire to make it to Heaven. The cross of Jesus and His faithfulness will get me there! In the meantime, what do I do to entertain myself?

Some things I used to think were fun, I don’t do anymore because of the conviction the Lord placed on my heart. I think I am a simple lady these days. Plus, I have young kids, so I belong to them (laugh out loud!)

 

Movies I watch are usually on Prime Video Or Pureflix. I barely watch movies anymore, really. Once in a while on a date night with my husband after the kids have gone to bed. But usually, it’s a Bible movie, an otherwise Christian movie, or a family movie. I like it when my husband picks the movie. He always picks one we enjoy. But at times, I’ll pick one that we like.

Ok, so now for what books I read. To me, this is most challenging. Simply because I love all kinds of books and I get tempted to read books that aren’t the best choices. I am a part of a FaceBook book lovers group that I see a lot of books others are reading that tempt me. Also, I see so many fellow bloggers reading books that sound so good. I have decided not to read fiction for the time being to honor the Lord, and it has been challenging. I picked fiction back up a couple of months ago and read a couple of books I enjoyed but will not read again. For now, I am sticking with my Bible and some self-help and Christian books that I am enjoying. Here are a few books I picked up recently:

Get Out Of Your Head by Jennie Allen

Without Rival by Lisa Bevere

The End Of Mental Illness by Daniel G. Amen 

Made To Crave by Lysa Terkeurst 

I guess the last category for what I do for fun is shopping. I grocery shop in local stores including Wal Mart and Wegmans.  A lot of my shopping is done on Amazon, though. Here are a few of my favorite buys:

Downy in-Wash Scent Booster Beads, Old Spice Unstopables, 20.1 Ounce

GoGo Squeeze Apple Sauce Pouches 

Pacific Food Organic Oat Milk

PB 8 Probiotics 

As for music, I listen to Gospel and Contemporary Christian songs. I love Kierra Sheard (Something Has To Break is my fave song of hers!), Cece Winans (Believe For It is my absolute favorite song right now!). My all-time favorite Christian artist is Fred Hammond. My husband and I met him at a concert a few years ago. We acted like children (Laugh out loud!) One of my favorite Fred Hammond songs is Draw Nigh.

And this is all of the fun I have (Laugh out loud!) I think I am a simple woman. And happy! I am glad to be a Child of the Most High God and I have an amazing husband and children 🙂 I don’t need much. The Lord takes care of me.

 

 

 

 

This course is thorough and is a great way to learn about blogging before you set up your site and write your first post. It’s also great if you already started blogging and could use some guidance.

The course lays a foundation of prayer, suggesting that those who are Christian bloggers connect with the Lord before writing and going about any aspect of the business of blogging.

The course talks about common mistakes that bloggers make that one will want to avoid. If you haven’t started your blog yet, you’ll want to be sure to pay attention to these pointers.

Email marketing is another important step in a blogging business. It goes very in-depth, walking you through each step of an email automation system and how to run it. Having an email list is important because it will be one of the main ways you will keep in touch with your readers outside of your blog posts.

Pinterest is a big thing in the blogging world and this course goes over how to get your blog to thrive with it. It goes over what automation systems to use and how to post according to the standards of Pinterest to optimize traffic through this platform.

Affiliate marketing is a big way to earn money blogging and the Grow Christian Blog course teaches one how to start affiliate marketing and how to be effective with it.

 

 

Be still, my heart and know,

That the Lord is in control

Of every part of your life.

Give Him every circumstance.

Don’t wonder, “What?”

Just trust that He knows every thought.

Give Him every worry.

Take no thought for tomorrow ‘cuz

He’s already got it in His hands.

Trust that He knows everything

That will happen. Everything

that you think is too hard to handle.

The Lord is mighty. To save! To deliver

From every scheme of the enemy.

We fight not against flesh and blood,

But against the powers and principalities

That govern the air.

BUT

No weapon formed against you shall prosper!

Because you are a child of the Most High king!

Creator of heaven and earth.

Creator of all humankind.

He knows your every thought, and every word

Before it’s on your tongue.

Give the Lord all you’ve got!

Every anxiety, every care, every notion that tries to bring you down.

Be still, my heart

And know that

No matter what tomorrow brings, there is a greater glory

That these present sufferings can not compare to!

So don’t give the enemy the attention he grapples for!

Your hope in the one who made you

Will not disappoint once you see Him

Face to face

On that day when He appears

Before your eyes.

Just know that He’s got your back.

And if God be for us, who can be against us!

Nothing you imagine can separate you from God’s love

In Christ Jesus!

Stay close to His heart. Love with abandon.

Give from your deep well of care He has lavished on you!

And don’t be afraid.

No one can take advantage. If they do it to you,

They are doing it to Him!

The Lord will repay you for all you do for the brethren.

For the poor, for the sick and shut in.

For the prisoners.

Even if you are never repaid here on earth,

Great is your reward in Heaven!

Be still, my heart.

That one who hated you for no reason, pray for them,

That one who took your kindness for weakness, pray for them.

That one who talked about you behind your back,

They need Jesus!

Just as you do.

Keep praying.

Keep it between you

And the Lord.

And He will repay you for your obedience,

To the cause of the Gospel

Of Jesus Christ

Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel

And the Lord shall supply

All of your needs

According to His riches

In glory!

Never doubt your Savior.

If he cares for the sparrows, how much greater are you

Than they? He will take care of your every need.

So don’t worry, pray. In the deepest part of your despair,

He still sees you.

He still knows every part

Of you that needs His touch.

So reach out to Him!

No matter how you feel.

Don’t let fear or doubt

Keep you from Hius presence.

His love will reach every secret part of you!

 

Modesty:
the quality of being modest; freedom from vanity, boastfulness, etc.
regard for decency of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
simplicity; moderation. (definition from dictionary.com)

Modesty starts in the heart. To be modest is to be humble. Modesty is holy!

I have told my testimony many times. How I grew up in a legalistic, religious church. I couldn’t wear pants, makeup, jewelry, cut or dye my hair, go to movies or parties, etc. I lived a life of restriction as a child. I didn’t have a relationship with the Lord and I believed Him to be an angry God.

Now, I look back and I think, “That church dressed holy!” The thing is, they didn’t believe Jesus is God and didn’t teach grace and love. No one discipled me. I didn’t know how great God’s love is through the example of that church. But I digress. I am not going to tell my whole testimony here.

The point is what I stated earlier. Modesty starts in the heart, with a relationship with the Lord. It is important to show modesty outwardly, but if you don’t know Jesus, the way you dress is not going to get you to heaven! Living modestly starts with the blood of Jesus applied to your soul once you repent of your sins and trust in Jesus for your salvation. Once you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, then you are made righteous!

Once you have a relationship with the Lord and begin to spend time in the Word of God, learning the scriptures you will see that modesty is vital. Some Christians don’t dress modestly because they don’t see any good example from other Christians. I didn’t dress modestly as a Christian for a while. I went to church with women who wore tights and tight slacks, showed breasts, and wore short dresses. I knew that modesty is vital, but didn’t have a clear example of what dressing modestly looked like. Also, growing up in the legalistic church I did, I thought that wearing skirts and dresses was religious.

Before I started wearing dresses and skirts, covering my whole body, the Lord worked on the pride in my heart. Pride is not modest. Modesty embodies humility and holiness. I thought too much about what I felt, what I wanted, the way I wanted to dress: to be free to wear what I wanted now that I know grace. I was mistaken. Freedom in Christ is not about being able to do what you want to do. Modesty is honoring the Lord in the way you speak, behave, and dress! If you love Him, you will be glad to be modest!

I have always attended churches that women dress immodestly. I didn’t see anything wrong with it. I believed they were modest. They were my examples! But the Lord brought me into a ministry of repentance and holiness that is preparing the way for the Messiah to come. The women dress holy, in dresses down to the floor, covering their whole bodies. (See this blog post!) I followed them for several years before I began to dress like this. I’m not sure why it took so long for me to follow their way of dress. But I am glad I am dressing modestly now.

I will never condemn another woman for dressing immodestly, but I will be happy to show her the way! If you are not following the ministry of repentance and holiness, you should be. This is the voice of God right now, through His prophet, Dr. David Owuor. (Please search him on YouTube!)

I, in no way, am writing this post to assert that I am better than anyone. As I said, it took me a while to adopt modest dressing. I want to tell you what I have learned. Immodest dressing is sexual sin. I used to think that if a man is tempted by a woman’s way of dressing, that’s his fault. No! A woman is accountable for tempting her brother to sin. I am speaking to women, but men are to live modestly as well. A woman’s curves, legs, and skin should only be shown to her husband.

So many men want to dress flashy and show off their bodies as well. A godly man needs to teach a man how to dress.

As the church, we are still supposed to walk in holiness and stay separate from the ways of the world! Modesty, in behavior and dress, is so important. We will not win others to salvation by looking like them! An unbeliever should see us and want to know what is different about us. But if we speak like them, treat others like they do, and dress as they do, we will not win them over to salvation through Christ and holiness.

I am speaking the truth in love. I am sharing this post with you, praying that you will seek the Lord and find Him. Begin to walk in modesty, humility, and holiness!  I highly recommend following the example of the men and women in the Repentance and Holiness ministry. God bless you.

If you have any questions after reading this, about how to dress modestly you can email me at amyirvin84@gmail.com.

Some scriptures about modesty:

Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire. – 1 Timothy 2:9

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. – 1 Peter 3:3-4

“A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God. – Deuteronomy 22:5

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. – Romans 12:1

 

 

 

 

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Some of us are more disciplined than others. Some of us grew up with better examples than other people. For these reasons and many others, we develop bad habits. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how you were raised or your personality type. We all have free will to make our own choices. Bad habits have some benefit, or we wouldn’t do what’s bad for us. Unhealthy food is sometimes delicious, and it is filling and comforting. You may have started smoking cigarettes because someone you admire does it, then you continue not only because it’s addictive,  but because it relieves stress. You may crack your knuckles or bite your nails because it helps you focus when you are stressed. There are bad habits we acquire for comfort, stress relief, or other ‘benefits’ that can be replaced with habits that are good for us. Here, I will share some ways to stop bad habits.

Recognize the cause of your bad habit.

Moving forward, it will be helpful to know why you have formed your bad habit. be aware of your ‘why’.  You may sleep in late because you have the option to press snooze on your alarm. Or maybe it’s because you sleep with your alarm right beside you. You may eat an unhealthy lunch every day because you work across from a fast food restaurant and it’s convenient. Recognizing the reason behind your bad habit will help you move forward.

Replace your bad habit with a good one / choose a substitute for it.

I stated that your bad habit has a benefit. Otherwise, there’d be no reason to do it. Know what that benefit is and find out what healthy habit you can incorporate into your life that will replace the unhealthy action with a healthy option and you get the same benefit. For example, sleeping in late is comforting and you enjoy the extra rest. To replace sleeping in late, set aside quiet time during the day when you cuddle up with a good book and a blanket for a half hour and read.

Get rid of triggers.

There can be one trigger that supports your bad habit, or there could be several. Note what those are and eliminate them to the best of your ability. Let’s stick with sleeping in late. Say you sleep with your alarm beside your bed and you have a snooze button. You can mindlessly reach over (still half asleep) and hit snooze or dismiss. Or maybe your bedroom is too dark. This is optimal for good sleep, but will also enforce sleeping in in the morning. Get an alarm with a light on it that gradually brightens when it goes off. Also, you can choose a different alarm sound that is more motivating than a blaring alarm that is the last thing you want to hear upon waking.

Get a support partner.

Whatever bad habit you are trying to break, tell someone close to you who you know will be supportive. Maybe even someone who needs to break a bad habit themselves. Having a support partner will be extra reinforcement for you to break that bad habit. Accountability will help motivate you to stick with a new good habit and not go back into your old, unhealthy ways.

Surround yourself with people who will reinforce new, good habits.

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “birds of a feather flock together.” Being surrounded by people who are doing the same unhealthy things you are doing is a reinforcement to keep those bad habits. It will take sacrifice, but you may need to cut some people out of your life (or just spend less time with them). It may be impossible to do this. Maybe those people are your parents, brother or sister, or others who you live with currently. Join a support group or go to a place where you know people will be who will support your new lifestyle.

Begin with awareness.

It may seem daunting or overwhelming to begin, but get excited about the new you! Even if it is a small habit you are replacing, you are moving forward. Be aware of when your bad habit happens. How does it make you feel? Who are you around when you indulge in this bad habit? What are some things that trigger you? You may want to keep a journal to track these things, as well as how you are progressing with your new, good habit.

Don’t beat yourself up when you fall back into your old ways a time or two. This is natural. Focus and move forward. Don’t give up on yourself!

This article is adapted from James Clear’s website. https://jamesclear.com/how-to-break-a-bad-habit

If you are looking for further reading on stopping bad habits and creating good ones, I highly recommend James  Clear’s book Atomic Habits. You can purchase it here on Amazon.