A Happy 2012...

If you want change, do things differently.

If you want love, reach out to others with love.

If you want forgiveness, forgive those who have wronged you.

If you want excitement, get involved in something greater than yourself.

If you want joy, cast aside meaningless behavior.

If you want meaningful relationship, work on yourself.

If you want success, make good choices.

If you want peace, live in surrender to God.

If you want rest, walk in relationship with God.

If you want truth, stop accepting lies.

If you want purpose, stop making excuses.

If you want acceptance, stop judging others.

If you want a happy new year, do something about it!


c2011 lorenda houston

fast.pray21 | scripture of the day | 10.13/14.11

My home computer was down all weekend.

Which is why I didn’t get our 21st “scripture of the day” post posted when it was due – the 21st day of fast.pray21 (yesterday).

Which I actually found kinda interesting, considering the things I have fasted from during these 21 days.

…..

21 days without television.

21 days without internet (except for work, which included some facebook and The City).

…..

So, what did I gain from fast.pray21?…

21 days with more time in each day.

21 days of more relational interaction with my 3 most important people.

21 days of less of the voices which don’t matter and more of the voices which do.

21 days of more contemplative moments.

21 days without “the news”.

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Now, I don’t normally watch t.v. for hours on end or surf the web mindlessly all day.  Still…time is spent…energy is spent…both of which we all consider precious commodities.

I believe that I, you, and everyone else in the world, wastes way too much of what we have been given.  

Given by whom?

Given by our Creator.  

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What has been given to me by my Creator?

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Time.

Every moment during which I am still breathing is a gift given to me by my Creator.

Relationship.

The ability to live in relationship with other human beings is a gift given to me by my Creator.

Sustenance.

He made food grow on trees, for goodness’ sake!  

Mind, Body, & Spirit.

My Creator gave me all I need in order to provide for my life on this earth. 

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I should be careful how I spend all He has given me.

How I spend: “my” time, “my” energy, “my” mind, “my” body, “my” money, “my” love, “my” relationships, “my” talents, “my” resources…

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So, as this 21 days has ended, I find myself very desirous to continue on with all I have gained; to allow myself to continue evolving into a more “giving” creation than ever before; to be extremely careful with how I spend all my Creator has given me.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.  Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable.  This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)

c2011 lorenda houston

fast.pray21 | scripture of the day | 10.30.11

The first song we are sharing at the start of our time together at LIFEchurch this morning is called “Say (All I Need)”.  It exhorts us to let go of everything and realize, even literally “say” the words, “all I need is the air I breathe and a place to rest my head”.  Actually saying those words out loud, almost as a mantra, can be powerful… 

All I need…

is the air I breathe…

and a place to rest my head…

We tend to think we need too many things in this life!  We are constantly bombarded with messages telling us what we need: a new car, a new house, new clothes, new shoes, different clothes, different shoes, a new hairdo, a new computer, a new phone, a new wife, a new husband this food, that food, ad infinitum.

Across the radio waves and on t.v., we consistently hear the latest celebrity bragging about the things they have: their cars, their relationships, their money, their houses, their movies, their music, their jewelry…all their wonderful, amazing, shiny, new STUFF. 

In Philippians 4:19, Paul writes about how God has always taken care of him and how he has learned to live a contented life by simply trusting God to supply what he needs. He then exhorts the friends he is writing to with these words:

19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Breaking the power of the “ALL I NEED IS EVERYTHING” mentality is essential for a contented life.  

Who gave you life in the first place? GOD.

Who gave you the ability to work for pay? GOD.

Who gave you the breath you are breathing right now? GOD.

Who truly sustains your life?… If you think YOU do, you better think again… and say:

All I need…

is the air I breathe…

and a place to rest my head…

Learning the principles of giving and acting upon them leads to a healthy, contented life lived with GOD in control, not ME and what I think I…

need.

c2011 lorenda houston