POSITIVE DAY

I was thrilled when I was made aware of the fact that bloggers were observing July 31st as POSITIVE Day. Now that is my kind of day!!!

"Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice" Phil. 4:4

My Father would not have told me to "rejoice" if I had nothing to rejoice about. Rejoicing is as positive as you can get!!! I can rejoice when all around me seems to be coming apart because I am rejoicing in HIM. When I am "abiding in Him" there is just no place for anything negative.

Why would we ever want to be negative when there is so much to be positive about? Being negative just takes too much of our energy. Just think about what it does to the people around us.

Think of the blessings we receive daily. When I awakened this morning I could get out of bed, I could walk, I had a bathroom to walk to and I could hear the birds singing outside my window. I could enjoy chatting with my husband before I left for work.

I choose to be positive today!!!!

"Father, I thank you for all your blessings which you have given me. I pray that each person reading this post today will choose to count their blessings and have a positive day. In Jesus joyful name I pray." Amen

THANKFUL THURSDAY WITH JC

Don't you just love the way God lets you know He is near. I do! They are the little things I see in nature that speak to my heart. They are the unexpected surprises that just happen for no reason. They are the smile or conversation with a stranger.

Last week I traveled to the BLOGHER 09 Conference in Chicago. I've never been to Chicago. While I was looking forward to going to the conference, I don't enjoy traveling alone as I once did. Air travel in particular has lost its appeal but that is another post. So, I'm going to a big city, alone, where I know not one person, sounds a little frightening doesn't it. Well, God gave me a reminder as I sat in the Atlanta Airport waiting to board my flight to Chicago that I wasn't alone and I would not be alone in Chicago. I looked down at my purse and saw this scripture just on the inside of the purse where the zipper is,
"God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 NIV
I had to smile to myself. I've had the purse for at least two years but never used it until about two weeks ago. I had completely forgotten about the verse. What a wonderful surprise and reminder of His presence and His goodness. I have several of these surprises from last Thursday to last Sunday, I'll share more in future posts.

Father God, how awesome You are!!! I just don't have the words to express how much I love you. When I consider Your goodness, Your grace, Your mercy I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. Father I pray that You provide every reader of this post a reminder of Your constant presence. In Jesus' precious, holy and powerful name I pray. Amen.

TUESDAYS WITH TIZ

The Exchanged Life

"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" 2nd Cor 5:21

Have you ever ask God to change? My friend, He does not want to change us. He wants us to experience His Life. We will never have a changed life until we experience the exchanged life.

The Exchanged Life - All that I was exchanged for all that He is!!!! Now, that is a bargain if you ask me!!!!

Yes, Jesus gave us all that He is - resurrected life, forgiveness, righteousness, holiness and acceptance in exchange for our sin nature, darkness, spiritually dead, guilt and condemnation. Do I hear a Praise?????

2nd Peter 1:4 says we are "partakers of the Divine Nature". At the center of my being is Christ. He has become my life. I just believe Him and walk in it!!!!!

"Father, I am not sure that my mind comprehends fully all that You are in me. I do not have to understand it to experience it. I just choose to believe your Word. I pray that my blogging friends will this day experience You as never before. In Jesus Holy Name, I pray." Amen

THANKFUL THURSDAYS WITH JC

Jen here... JC will not be posting today. She is at Blogher '09!! Please keep her in your prayers as she travels to the conference.

I thought I would let Sherie Rose Shepherd bring the post today. Please enjoy the video!



Father God, I do love you and I pray that you will show me how to fall more and more in love with you everyday. Father, please keep JC and all of the other bloggers attending Blogher '09 safe as they travel to the conference. I pray that they have a wonderful experience. In Jesus Holy and precious name I pray. Amen.

TUESDAYS WITH TIZ

Our True Identity



"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a new Creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Cor. 5:17



How do we identify ourselves? Maybe by our appearance, occupation, family relationships or denominational affiliations. ALL these things are temporal. I may be a wife one day and not be a wife the next day. I may be a business woman one day and lose that position the next day. I may be a Baptist, Methodist or Catholic today and decide tomorrow that is not for me.



Also, if I declare myself to be an alcoholic, a drug addict, schizophrenic or any other negative label, then I will find myself living up to that identity.



Friends, our true identity is that we are a Child of God. The core source of our identity is our relationship with our God and Father. We are "in Christ". We are royalty!!! We are not an old sinner saved by Grace. We are a new creation. We are not a converted worm, we are a butterfly!!!! Glory



"Father, I thank you that you are the source of my life. I choose to identify myself according to who you say I am. I pray that each person reading this post today will see themselves as the person you created them to be. In Jesus perfect name, I pray." Amen

SUNDAY SONGS FOR WORSHIP

TUESDAYS WITH TIZ

Showing God's Grace

Last week I posted about The Grace Walk - Jesus living His life in and through me. My Grace Walk is receiving and walking in His Grace - His unmerited favor.

My Grace Walk also includes showing Grace to those around me. Friends, sometimes the only way we can do this is to focus on the fact that Jesus is living his life through us. Jesus is the one showing Grace. We are only extending the Grace that has been extended to us.

Grace stoops down and embraces the unlovely. Grace is not pointing out another's faults and failures. Grace points out their strengths and accomplishments.

"This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you." John 15:12
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" 1 John 4:11

Love that reaches up is adoration.
Love that reaches out is compassion.
Love that stoops down is Grace.

"Father, I thank you that you have provided a way for me to show unmerited favor to anyone who comes across my path. You have provided Yourself. I pray that each person reading this post will focus on You and allow your Grace to flow through them. In Jesus Gracious Name, I pray." Amen