How hungry are you to know God? What do you do (practically speaking) to get to know Him better?

One method I’ve often used to move closer to God is to think through His characteristics…using an acrostic. It keeps me focused and it helps me stretch past the normal Biblical words, to a more personal approach.

So, let’s go through the alphabet, letter-by-letter…and name some characteristics about God that we have found to be true in our own experience. I’ll start…

God, thank You that You (are):

Always there
Believe in me
Care about me
Devoted to me
Everywhere in my world
Faithful Father
Generous
Hope-giver
Interested in me
Joy-giver
Kind
Long-suffering
Mindful of my pain/disappointments/sadness/hurts
Never unkind or too busy or hurried
Open-armed
Provider of every physical, emotional, spiritual, & financial need I have
Quiet-spoken
Right alongside me every moment in all things
Steadily dependable
Trustworthy…Your “Word” is “good”
Unwavering in Your pursuing a love relationship with me
Vie for my affections
Want to spend time with me just because I’m me
X-tatic when I spend time with You
Yearn for a deep relationship with me
Zealous in showering me with displays of Your love

There! That’s my acrostic! Now it’s your turn!

Let me know what you think. Was this helpful to get you outside the box in your devotional time with Your Creator, the Lord God Almighty?

I heard a radio message last week. The topic was our relationship with God. God wants our whole heart. He will come as close to us as we will let Him. We are the hindrance…not God. The teacher said, “We all have about as much of God as we really want. The real issue is how hungry we are to know Him.”

So, now that you have had time to think about it, “How hungry are you to know God?”

It would be great if you’d comment here so we can share together how we deepen our relationship with the Lord. Our personal “worlds” move so fast, it takes intentional effort to encourage each other to
keep focused on deepening relationships with people AND with God.

loavesandfishescoaching.com

Every few months, I need a little something to freshen up my devotions. That’s also when I get my old journals and notes out and look for something that made an impact on me in the past. Something that made me get fresh perspective into what really matters in this life here on earth. Are you wondering how can I so boldly title this blog post, “The Only Thing That Really Matters Is Your Relationship With Jesus”? I’m glad you asked!

First, I can say it because it is true (because the Bible tells me so), (and also because I have proven it true in my own life). When it comes down to the bottom line…NOTHING else matters but a personal relationship with Jesus. It is a relationship that needs nurture and time and purposeful seeking…

Here’s an illustration of that very truth that I found in my notes from November 1998. (It is from Our Daily Bread Devotional.) The story is about Henri Nouwen. As many of the spiritual fathers & mothers from former days, he was not afraid to speak Truth into people’s lives.

A lady had come to Henri Nouwen…complaining about her husband. He wasn’t abusive. I think she was just tired of him and his habits. And it seems she wanted to change him. She definitely wanted Henri to tell her she was right and her husband was wrong. Henri listened and had two things to say to her. One a rebuke. The other a suggestion.

The rebuke: “All that is a distraction. I don’t mean to denigrate or even dispute your complaints, but those are beside the point. The only thing that really matters is your relationship with Jesus.” (Now you know where I got the title.)

The suggestion: “Just take 5 minutes every day for two weeks to sit quietly and ask to be with Jesus; ask for His presence. And then…come and tell me what’s important.”

Choosing to be with Jesus (yes, it’s a choice…just like any relationship)…in His presence…puts a whole new perspective on things. So, whether you are a long-time follower of Jesus, or brand new at this, I offer you the same challenge: Every day for two weeks (and beyond), sit for 5 minutes (or longer) and ask to be with Jesus. Ask for His presence.

Then, let me know what’s important.

Let me know if you have new perspective and if you also experience anew or afresh, that the only thing that really matters is your relationship with Jesus.

“God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let the people praise You, O God; let the peoples praise You.” Psalm 67:1-3

Has time with God gotten a bit stale lately? Do you need some ideas to help freshen up your devotions — your meetings with the Lord God Almighty? Here’s a list I have often referred back to over the years since I began my personal relationship with Him through faith in His Son…the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe this will bring fresh life to those times for you, too.

You can pick and choose, or do them all!

Every day (ideas to freshen up your devotions):
* Give thanks to the Lord for something that happened yesterday
* Praise Him for some attribute He has that you need today
* Go through the alphabet re what you know about God. (e.g. A= Always there)
* Romans 12:1 = Purposely present yourself to Him
* Psalm 96:1, 2 = Sing a NEW song = it is important for new life
* Ephesians 5:18 = Keep on being filled
* Psalm 139:23, 24 = ASK God to search your heart (We have the capacity to “fool” ourselves)
* I John 1:6-10 = Remember that sin is “missing the mark”…like an archer missing the bulls-eye.
* Romans 8:29 = Purpose to be conformed to the image of His Son = the reason for Romans 8:28 = the GOAL
* James 1:5-8 = ASK for wisdom
* Ask for supernatural ability to love God with supernatural agape love
* Pray for Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Bless Israel
* Pray for your family, your church, your hometown, your state, your country
*Thank Him that you are His child! Not yet? Why not? Questions? Just ask Him. He’s listening. What matters to you, matters to Him.

Ask Him. You’ll be glad you did. I promise!

Hebrews 2: 2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…”

He will show you the way “Home”

Is it time to renew your wedding vows with the Lord? Or is it time to finally make that commitment to the Savior? What are God’s wedding vows?
The Lord beckons us to relationship with Him. He’s always wooing us to become His own. Since before you were born, He has loved you. He is continually seeking to get your attention. When you awaken in the night, He is in the middle of a thought about you. Doesn’t that knowledge make you want to dig into His Word (the Holy Bible)…the place where He shows you (over and over) the stories of how He relates to His people. To you. You are “His people”. Love Him back. It’s that easy. His Word (The Bible) will tell you how to do that.
If you have loved Him in the past and now your love has grown cold, renew your “wedding vows” with the lover of your soul. He longs for His “called out ones”… His Bride…to intentionally maintain the relationship with Him.
You’ve heard the song, “I have decided to follow Jesus”? Yes, it is a decision. One you will never regret. Will your life be easy after that decision? Most likely, no! But why would we expect our life to be easier than the One (Jesus) who gave His ALL for us. The New Testament books will explain that in ways that will draw you to Him.
I heard a song on the radio and don’t know the title/artist or the exact words, but it goes something like this: God loves you and made you for the pleasure of knowing you. God made you for the pleasure of loving you.
How can we resist an offer like that? Even with all your warts and even with all the baggage of your past the Creator God thinks that knowing you  is a pleasure. And…that loving you is a pleasure. No strings attached. All He wants is your heart.
Would you like to have God in the center of all of your life? Would you like to talk about ways to make that happen? I know where you can find a good Christian Life Coach to help you with the process of discovering who you can be in Christ. 🙂

To learn more about God’s wedding vows what that can mean to you personally, contact me at  loavesandfishescoaching.com

I have a serious question for you. Do you have hope-so faith or know-so faith? Do you “hope” that you will go to Heaven? Or do you “know” that you will go to Heaven?

Let’s go back to basics. We all become like those we spend time with.  So, get a piece of paper and let’s take time to:
**Review your relationships (including TV/computer/cell). Are they drawing you closer to the Savior or away from Him?
**Review how you spend your discretionary time. Are you feeding your mind/spirit/soul with trash or with a banquet?
**Review the priority you give to spending time in the Word of God (The Holy Bible).  Remember that we become like those we spend time with.

A good way to begin to get that “know-so” faith  is to practice the presence of God. Be aware of His presence. Everywhere. All the time. In all circumstances. He is a gentleman. He won’t push Himself on you. It’s your choice to: Seek–with a vengeance–a relationship with Him. As though your eternal life depends on it. Because it does! Literally. Eternally.

It’s that time of year when we start new schedules. It’s time to: Schedule in the Lord.  Purposefully make time with Him and His Word a priority in your schedule. Highlight it in your day-planner or calendar. Then keep that appointment as though it is a “date” with the coolest person in the world. Because it is! (And the best part is, the relationship also carries over to the next world as well. It doesn’t get any better than that!)

Be honest with Him. He knows it all anyway. He loves you. He created you, so He knows why your life is “stuck” or not working as you had hoped it would. He knows you’re hurting over betrayal or disappointment or because you made a decision that has turned your world upside down. He knows what is tempting you. He can provide that way out. But the only way to get the power to be the best you can be is through an intentional relationship with Him and His Word. He promises to meet you there.

If you need help working it through, that’s my favorite thing to do…to walk alongside “imperfect” people like me…imperfect people that want to be all the Lord wants us to be. It is so much easier when you have a trusted ally to walk the path with you. Don’t worry. Nothing you say will surprise me. We all struggle. Me, too. That is the nature of this world. It is not our home. We are only passing through. We’re “getting ready for” the next…the so-much-better-world. The first call is my gift to you. Just email me to arrange it. It is that easy. Let’s get started with this new schedule determined to get back to basics…whatever it takes! Onward! loavesandfishescoaching.com

Psalm 23 reminds us that “The Lord is My Shepherd. I shall not want”. (Meaning: I have all I need.) That’s what The Lord God wants us to know.

With Him as our Shepherd/Lord, we lack nothing that we need. He is enough to meet our every need. Key word = need. He is Faithful and True. He longs to hear us say, “I trust You, Lord, to give me everything I need.” If it’s a new thought, keep saying it until you believe it. It may take time, but believing it brings freedom from the enslavement of continually striving for more! If you have questions, contact me at loavesandfishescoaching.com  If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find someone who does!

“I shall not want“. The pain of life comes from wanting more than we have. Wanting to the point of distraction and discontent and sometimes even anger or bending the rules. It sometimes gets us into a lot of unnecessary debt, because…after all…we deserve it, right? It is a hard habit to break away from thinking that if we don’t take care of ourselves, who will?

How do we conquer the wanting more demon? It takes a mindset change. A Christian life coach can help. But, it also takes spending time regularly in His Word (The Bible) to keep remembering that He is sufficient. All things are possible with the Lord.

It is a statement of confidence in the Lord when we conquer that wanting more demon. Discover contentment. I’d love to help you as you move toward that truly good life of trusting God as the Good Shepherd. He truly wants what’s best for you!

Most couples have expectations that after the engagement, there comes the blissful and effortless planning of a wedding celebration. However, sometimes, the wedding plans become a challenge when one or more Alpha Moms vye against the Alpha Bride for the power to plan.

Let’s be fair. Seldom does the Alpha person see the relational fractures they are causing. What could be some of the possible reasons this is happening?

Alpha Manifestations:
 The money rules. Whoever pays the most thinks (and rightly so) that they should have a greater input … but unfortunately that often translates into the “Right to Rule” all things attitude.
 Power struggles. “Where, what, who, when” decisions become nightmares as formerly sane people try to be heard. It appears that they feel that their way is the only reasonable (translated: correct) decision.
 Focus on tasks/decisions. It is easy to forget to be kind when so many tasks and decisions are piling up.
 Past experiences. Perhaps their own Mom was a Wedding Alpha Mom and they don’t know there is another option.

Is there an alternative? Is this all inevitable? Does the best Alpha win?

Advantages in the Christian Wedding:
 We can choose to keep God in the center…to pray first, pray during, and pray after each decision, each meeting, and each event.
 The wisdom of the Word of God is the Rock to stand on. Reading the New Testament book of Philippians is a good place to start each day. It helps to keep our focus on the Joy in the Lord…to keep our thoughts of Him front and center.
 It helps to keep reminding ourselves that God is on our side. He wants us to ask for His help. He desires the wedding plans to be as blissful as the joy of the engagement was. Jesus’ first recorded miracle was at a wedding feast with his mother. He understands.
 A priority must be in keeping our guard up against the evil one that desires to destroy the good testimony that can come from a Christian wedding done well.
 We can choose to have an “accountability partner” to help us keep focused on what is eternal.

It is also important to remember that just because we are Christians, we are not immune to the temptations brought on by wanting everything to be just right. With all the busyness, it is easy to forget we are sinners needing God’s mercy, guidance, wisdom, and grace.

In Luke 18:9-14, the Alpha church leader – the one that knew and taught the Scriptures – the one that spent most of his days in a religious lifestyle (and should have known better) tried to convince God of his “Alpha-ness” (translated: worthiness).

In the story, we also see the lowly, despised man – feeling his sinfulness (translated: UNworthiness). He is begging God for mercy.

The question is – in any of life’s circumstances – do we want to be the Alpha person or the one asking for the Lord’s mercy and guidance…and receiving it because God sees our heart. Being an Alpha person is a hard habit to break. But the first step is awareness that it’s not worth the ultimate price – being out of God’s favor.

It helps to keep the perspective that it is truly only one day. Future relationships can be strained when we insist that the Alpha way is the right way…controlling things with either attitude, tears, or outbursts of anger. Whether you are the bride, the groom, the mother, the father, a relative, or friend, it simply is not worth it in the long run. How much better to seek to be a blessing in the planning of a wedding.

Yes, decisions have to be made and deadlines have to be met. And yielding is difficult, but done with eyes wide open and on the Lord, it can be the difference between being a Kingdom Person rather than a Church Person. Our ways are earthly. His ways are Heavenly.

Luke 18:14 “I tell you that this man {the UNworthy one…the one who knew that he was a sinner}, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled; and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

May God bless your wedding plans, your wedding, and all the rest of your days on earth. For His glory!

When I was pre-teen, my Mother died after a long illness. Unable to bear to see her suffer any longer, I had cried out to God to either heal her or take her. She died that very day. Loss.

A year later, my boyfriend died following a boating accident. Normally, we would have been spending the day together; but he had gone water skiing because we were arguing.  Loss.

That very summer–just days after the accident, and a year after my Mother’s death—my best friend and confidant went on vacation out of state for the entire summer. Loss.

Continually coming to dead ends, for years I searched for the GOD of my Mother.  She had something that helped her through that time of suffering; and I wanted that something. (What was her “secret”?).  I was lonely, bored, and confused. Loss.

Still desperately looking for answers in the wrong places–when I was not yet 20, I married a man I barely knew. For twelve years we were barren. Loss.

My salesman husband traveled and there were breeches to our marriage covenant to love and honor. Loss.

Still searching for answers, I finally found what I was looking for in a church. I still didn’t know what to call it, but I knew they had something very important.  I was in a safe place–loved by people that knew the “secret” my Mom knew. And now I knew the “secret” too. They loved me to the Word of God and to the God of the Word. Gain.

I devoured the “secret”…the Glorious Word of God…and I found HIM (the LORD) there…in the Bible. He was waiting there for me all the time. I just had to be willing to receive what He had to offer. I found Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit and lots of examples of how God relates to His imperfect creation: people…you and me. And I found the joy of discovering the unconditional love of our Creator. He loves us exactly as we are…but…He also loves us too much to let us stay there. He teaches us how to see loss as gain. Loss truly is gain when it drives us seeking until we come to Him and to His Word. He wants us to experience the abundant life—not of money and things—but of the realization of our Father’s Love. Gain. Great Gain.

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! …For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen” (Romans 11:33-36 New International Version)

Turning losses into great gain…
That’s my favorite topic! Arrange a FREE call. Contact me at loavesandfishescoaching.com.

I can’t wait to talk to you.  🙂