Surrendering

What does it mean to Surrender?

sur·ren·der

1. To relinquish possession or control of to another because of demand or compulsion.

2. To give up in favor of another.

3. To give up or abandon: surrender all.

4. To give over or resign (oneself) to something, as to an emotion: surrendered himself to grief.

There was a time in my life when I couldn't take it anymore. That's when I finally came to a complete stop and asked God to take it all. I surrendered to Him.
God wants all of our burdens, worries, and cares.
Let's imagine this...you tell God, "Please take the worries off of my mind. I surrender," then God answers you back and says, "I don't want just your worries, I want ALL of your stress, worries, fears, and cares. Can you give that to me?"
"But God, I want to keep control over that part of my life."
"Then why are you surrendering, if you don't really mean it?"
"I do mean it, but I want that part of my life."
So you want me to be in control of only 5% of your life?"
"Well when you put it that way, it sounds bad."
"But, that's what your telling me."
"What do you want from me?"
"I want you to surrender to me. Give everything to me."
Then, there's a long pause of silence between you two. After the pause you sigh and say, "Okay God...you can have all of me. I surrender to you, who loves me more than life."
And then, you break down and cry, because you know that he is now in control of your life.
He now cradles you in His hand, and you feel peace.
Surrender to Him, and you will be blessed!

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
~Matthew 11:28-30

Too Blessed to be Stressed!

Too Blessed To Be Stressed

I'm Too Blessed To Be Stressed,
Too Anointed To Be Disappointed
I refuse to be discouraged,
to be sad or to cry.
I refuse to be downhearted
and here's the reason why:

I have a God who is almighty;
who is sovereign and supreme;
I have a God who loves me,
and I am on His team.

He is all wise and powerful;
Jesus is His Name;
though everything else is changeable,
My God remains the same.

I refuse to be defeated!
My eyes are on my GOD!
He has promised to be with me,
as through this life I trod.

I am looking past my circumstances,
to Heaven's throne above.
My prayers have reached the heart of God.
I am resting in His Love.

I give thanks to Him in everything.
My eyes are on His face.
The battle is His; the victory is mine;
He will help me win the race!

I repeat, "I'M TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!"

~ Eric Geoffrey Plott ~
Copyright © 2010
All Rights Reserved

The Encounter

We watched a movie last week called, “The Encounter”.
In this movie there was a broken down girl, a black couple wanting a divorce, a young lady who was about to get engaged, and a man whom is full of pride and money.
There was a bridge out, and so a police officer, told them to all turn around.
All of these people find shelter in a Diner a mile or so down the road, and their waiter (the only man that works/owns the place) happens to be Jesus himself.
Jesus talks to all of them about their lives, and about how God had prevented death, or something else from happening in each of their lives.
At the end, the couple decides against divorce, the young lady decides (after much advice from Jesus) to not marry this man that she “Loves” because he is not a Christian, and the broken down girl decides to go back home and tell the police officer everything that she’s been through with her parents, so that her dad can go to jail. (Jesus told her that her dad was going to have to learn a lesson from all of his disobedience)
You might have noticed that I didn’t say anything about the man whom was full of pride. Well, the man, (no matter how hard Jesus tried to reach out to him) refused Jesus’ help. Satan (whom was disguised as a police officer, who told them the bridge was out) tells the man the bridge is back up, and the man follows him out the door. Unfortunately, the man went around the curb too fast, fell into a ditch, and died instantly. During this part of the movie, Jesus quoted from John 10 (I think)

John 10:11-18
¹¹ “…I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. ¹² He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³ He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, ¹⁵ even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. ¹⁷ For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

...in today's culture, there are many people who claim to know Christ (just like the man whom was led astray) and yet are deceived. If we just listen to God's voice (the voice of the Shepherd) than we will know true peace, and we will be a sheep that follows the Shepherd.

God's New Year

A new year started.
A time to re-think,
And a time to ponder.

What is your New Year's Resolution? I would love to get some comments!!!
My Year's New Resolution is simply this... Love! Love my siblings, and my parents even more. I know that time is precious, and sooner or later, I might be married. So, enjoy it while I can.

A New Year's Poem for Christians:
Instead of making a New Year's resolution
Consider committing to a biblical solution
Your promises are easily broken
Empty words, though earnestly spoken
But God's Word transforms the soul
By His Holy Spirit making you whole
As you spend time alone with Him
He will change you from within
-- Mary Fairchild

Temptation

Temptation:
Why is is so easy to give into temptation? Whether it's a temptation of stealing, lying, disobeying, or something else. Why is it so hard to resist temptation?

The Webster's 1828 dictionary's definition of temptation is:
"The act of tempting; enticement to evil by arguments, by flattery, or by the offer of some real or apparent good. The state of being tempted or enticed to evil. When by human weakness you are led into temptation, resort to prayer for relief. Trial. An allurement to any thing indifferent, or even good."

In Matthew 6:13 it says, "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one..." (NKJV)

Mark 14:38, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Luke 8:13, "But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.

Luke 22:40, "...Pray that you may not enter into temptation."

1st Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

James 1:12, "Blessed is the man who endures temptation..."

Jesus himself was tempted in Luke 4; however, Jesus resisted temptation.
Just like Jesus, we too can resist temptation. The next time you are tempted, try to pray; God will be there to help us!

Merry Christmas!!!

~Have a Merry Christ filled Christmas~

I hope you enjoy this video!
This is another Sand painting video, but he does it with the song of
"A Baby Changes Everything" by Faith Hill in the background.

Life is hard, but God is good part 2

This morning, we received some sad news.

Denise Sproul, died last night. After years of battling Leukemia, God called her home.
Please be prayer for the Sproul family, as they fight this devastation.

I couldn't help but think of the Sproul's this entire day.
Today our family went to the movie theater, but during the entire time, I couldn't help but think of all my blessings. I couldn't help crying for the Sproul Family. How could our family be laughing at a movie, while the Sproul family is crying hundred's of miles away.

I couldn't help but think, "Why them?" Why did God have to take Mrs. Sproul away? Why now?
It brings me to what I said in my earlier posting...
Life is hard, but God is good.

Yes, there will be trials that we all go through. Maybe it's a death in the family, maybe it's an illness, or maybe it's a struggle that you're dealing with; whatever it is...do you feel God there?
I know that God is there with the Sproul family, as they embark in this new journey of loss.
Please keep them in prayer!

Denise Sproul is at home with the Lord

from R.C. Sproul Jr. Dec 18, 2011

Denise, enjoying the blessed vision of our God and Father, is at home with the Lord. Cancer no longer afflicts her, and every tear has been dried away. The Queen of Orlando casts her crown at her Savior’s feet, and together, they dance.