A Sunday afternoon inspiration...

This is one of those inspired blog posts where you don't really know where to start and stop...lots of things running through your mind...
I watched a clip on worship this afternoon and was challenged...here are some of the things that stood out to me through that clip...
[hang on, because it's a conglomeration of thoughts]

John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

In order to know a voice, you have to hear it more than once... you need to stay in tune with them...
In this verse, it says that His sheep know His voice...do you know His voice?  You have to stay in tune to Him to know what His voice sounds like...There are so many other things that can distract us, but we need to take the time to hear from Him and to worship Him.

God has called you to something right now.  Whether it seems like a BIG job, or a normal, every day type of job, it IS important! Don't focus on what you are going to do five or ten years from now, be faithful in what He has for you at this very moment!  He will continue to lead you in the future just like He has in the past...He didn't bring you to this moment and let you set!  There is a purpose for you now...keep following His voice!
"Comparison will keep you from doing what God wants you to do!"

There are so many people that are ok with worshiping God on Sunday mornings and leaving it at that...but to know His voice, we need to spend time with Him every day... We need to be John 10:27 children. [A child who know His Father's voice.]  Not someone who's ok with second-hand information or already-been-chewed information, but someone who continually seeks God throughout the week!

Sometimes we are going to have to go against our culture or tradition or worship.  Like the woman who pushed through the crowds of people to touch His robe after being sick for so long, we need to push through the crowds of people...People are going to look at us and make fun of us, but that's ok.  Don't be stuck in tradition.  Don't just do what everyone else does for worship.  [but DON'T do it for a scene either!]  It's supposed to be worship [to honor or reverence as a divine being or supernatural power]!

Here is the clip that inspired this! :)
It's worth your time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn775PDljhg

The Greatest Christmas Gift

here's my convention story for all of you who wanted to read it!

The Greatest Christmas Gift

It was the beginning of December in Nashwauk, Minnesota and the snow was falling in giant, fluffy flakes.  School had just ended a few hours before and sixteen-year-old Annie Holt was sitting at the kitchen table trying to finish her stack of homework.  Finally, after a boring hour and a half of geometry, she gladly slammed the book shut and stared out the window at the beauty of the cold, white world.  How she longed to skip ahead past the next two weeks of program practice and exams and jump into Christmas where all the joy and festivities existed, but for now she was stuck in reality. All she could do was dream of the beautiful, black leather jacket that she saw at the mall.  She couldn’t wait to rip open the shiny red paper on Christmas Eve and put on the jacket that she had dreamed of for three long months.

            Christmas vacation came a whole lot faster than Annie thought it would, but she didn’t mind at all.  In fact, she was so excited that she could hardly sleep.  With the next day being Christmas Eve, Annie had lots of festivities to anticipate.  Sleep was definitely a must!

            “Come on, sleepy-head.  We can’t sleep the holidays away!”  Annie shook her nineteen-year-old brother who loved to sleep in.  She couldn’t understand how someone could sleep in when the world outside was being covered in a blanket of soft, white snow and the long awaited day of opening presents was finally here.

            Supper time came and the delicious feast was spread before them.  After prayer, they all eagerly dug into each dish and the delightful meal was finished in no time.  The cleanup was done rather quickly and then the special moment of the gift giving arrived.

            As the Holt family gathered around the fireplace, Brad began to read the Christmas story from Luke 2, a wonderful family tradition that had been going since the children were young.  Even though Annie loved the Christmas story, she found it hard to keep her attention in the right place.  The story seemed to last forever, but finally the moment arrived.  As she tore through the paper, pictures of her school friends exclaiming over her beautiful jacket flashed through her mind, but when she pulled back the last piece of paper, her smile faded and her heart sank.  There, in the lovely red paper, was a backpack, not the jacket.  Her mind raced for words to express some gratitude to her parents for the useful gift they had given, but she couldn’t find any.  All she could do was whisper a thank you, even though she didn’t really mean it.

            After all the paper was thrown in the trash and Brad and Annie had gone to their rooms, Mr. and Mrs. Holt held a small conference to decide what to do with their disappointed daughter.  Here they had tried to get something that would be useful instead of some more stuff, but instead of it making her happy, it caused her to go into a deep hole, one that she hid in when she didn’t know how to respond to a situation.   Finally, Mr. Holt came up with an idea!

            The following morning was Christmas day and the entire family decided to sleep in, all that is, but Mr. Holt.  He had made up his mind that he would run to town that holiday morning to pick up the jacket for a Christmas day gift for his daughter.  After checking in on both of his children, he jumped in his pickup and headed for town.

            At eight thirty, an hour after Mr. Holt had left, the phone rang.  Surprised that they were receiving a call that early on a holiday morning, Mrs. Holt picked it up with great anticipation, only to find out that her husband had been in an accident.  He had been hit by a salt truck in an intersection and died immediately. 

            The family got ready as fast as they could and rushed to the hospital where their father and husband had been taken.  Full of sadness, they stared at the body that lay limp on the stretcher.  With their arms wrapped around each other, they cried for hours.  Their Christmas, that they had anticipated for so long, brought change that none of them wanted to admit, especially Annie.

            All she could do was picture her father sitting on their soft carpet, the night before, with a twinkle in his eyes as he handed the beautifully wrapped gift to her.  How could she have been upset with him?  Why did she complain about not getting the leather jacket instead of being content with the backpack that she was given?  Instead of worrying about herself and the presents, she should have enjoyed being with her family.  Now that chance was gone and she would never have it again.

            Later, as she sat on her bed and stared out the window, she tried to comprehend the love that her father had for her.  He loved her so much that he got up that morning to go buy her the jacket that she had been dreaming of for months.  In some ways it was as if her father had given his life for her.  Then it hit her-the real meaning of Christmas!  God loved the world so much that He sent His very own, precious Son to earth, a crummy place where sin exists.  Jesus was willing to come and die for her sin so that she could have everlasting life.

            Ever since the accident that cold, winter day, Annie looks at Christmas in a different way.  It’s not about receiving gifts and eating special food, but about the most sacrificial gift of all, Jesus coming to earth.  Just like Annie’s father gave his life for a gift for her, Jesus gave His life as a gift for the world.

           

dare to be [different]

I find myself getting worked up when young people struggle to be different in a world full of sin.  Why do they even want to be like the world?  Why do they long for the acceptance of one who isn’t headed in the right direction?  And besides, who granted a few people with the job of saying that some are ‘in’ and others aren’t?

 

I find myself angry when I realize that I am there too!  Why do I struggle to be different?

When I look at what Christians receive at the end of their lives verses what the world receives, it makes me feel stupid…why would I even consider going on a path like that? 

 

The truth is, we really don’t want to go down that road.  What we really want is acceptance from a group of people or we want to look cool!  But seriously!  What does it matter if I look cool to my neighbor, classmate, or youth group? They are not the ones that will be telling me “well done my good and faithful servant.”  What could they say anyway? 

“Good job, man!  Way to go on making the sports team and for having a sense of fashion.  You have served your Father well.  Enter into Heaven now!”

 

God’s Word is what matters and His plans for you are powerful!  Please don’t miss them because you’re fooling around with finding your place in the world.  This world is not our home, we are just passing through. 

 

Lately I have wrestled with what it means to be different.  There are many ways that we can be different and some are great while others aren’t the most beautiful.  So, I took a look at the dictionary definition of different…[here are some of the descriptions]

 

:different:

[unlike in nature or quality]

 [DISTINCT]

[UNUSUAL]  [SPECIAL]

 

There have been many times that I ask God what He means when He says that we are to be different…and one of the things that He has shown me time and time again is that I need to be willing to do whatever He has for me.  It’s kind of hard to know how that is different, but it is.  There are tons of people out there that live their lives the way they want to just because it’s what they want…but for me, as a Christian, I am commanded to do my Father’s work and that is being different [or place whatever descriptive word in there from the definition].

 

I am not some super woman telling you how you can be different, that’s for you and God!  But I want to challenge you to search your life and ask God to show you where you can be different.  It’s not going to be easy to stand out and be different, but it’s worth it!

 

I want to leave you with some words that God has given me recently.  Each day I am challenged to live like Christ and be the one to shine His light in this dark world!

 

The streets are crowded with tons of people.

There are mouths that long to be fed.

The lonely cry out for healing.

The children long for love and the darkness weighs heavy all across the land.

 

Who will be the one to walk the streets and feed the hungry?

Who will be the one to comfort the lonely and pray for the sick?

Who will love the children and bring light to this dark world?

Who will be the one to share of Calvary?

 

What if these people come and go and they never know that part of history?  He died for more than just you and I…He came for the lost and we need to be willing to be different and be the ones to share the Gospel to every tribe and every nation!

 

 

 

Battles [and the one that makes me want to fight]

Something in me rages when I see young girls trying to find purpose in their lives…and instead of going to God with it, they find ways to occupy themselves…movies, fashion, boys, books, music, friends, and the list goes on…they get frustrated when they feel like there’s no purpose and no ‘place’ for them in this world…they search for approval and don’t always find it…due to insecurities, they don’t feel comfortable with being themselves…they search for others who they can be like and who will give them the approval they long for…but it isn’t there…and that longing won’t ever leave when they continue to look for it in people who aren’t perfect.

 

It’s a battle that most [and most likely all] girls fight and often it isn’t fought right…it seems to be a physical battle of fearing what other people think of you, but dear readers, we have to be spiritually equipped for this battle…no matter what the battle is that you are facing, whether spiritual or physical, you have to be spiritually ready!

 

I fear for the futures of these young girls whose lives need to be encouraged…who may be hurting in more ways than I even know…I often think of myself in this same situation… do I really go to God with all of my problems?  Do I really focus on Him and trust that He has made me the way I am for a purpose?  I know that my life is to bring honor and glory to Him, but do I really act on that?

 

This morning my father preached a sermon on spiritual warfare…[actually, he is doing a series right now]…this morning was the second sermon and he talked about the armor of God…here are a few of my notes:

 

Every battle you face, whether spiritual or physical, you must be spiritually prepared.

David fought a spiritual battle against Goliath, but he was spiritually prepared.

David knew his position and that he was on the winning side.

Spiritual warfare is life!

 

We must put on the whole armor of God:

-Belt of Truth-this holds everything in place…we need to know truth!

-Breastplate of Righteousness

-Feet with Preparation of the Gospel of Peace

-Shield of Faith-faith comes from choosing to believe God

            .faith is the victory that overcomes the world.

-Helmet of Salvation-you need to know where you stand with Christ…

-Sword of the Spirit-study the Word…daily.  Memorize much.

 

Once you have put all of this on, you are to Pray Always.

:this will remind you that we ARE in a battle

:we won’t be caught off guard

:we can assist others in their battle

 

Many times Christians don’t put on their armor and they live a defeated life.

 

I hope that you aren't being defeated in life!  It’s not just the girls that my heart goes out to, but to all of us…we need to be prepared to fight…We are on the winning team…Don’t walk around defeated!

I know there are areas in my life that I haven’t put on all of the armor…and I still have much to learn…and as I feel God calling me to help these young girls who are fighting and struggling through battles, I need to make sure that I am prepared...spiritually!  Even to fight the battles that I face from day to day, I need to know His Word…and I need to be fully dressed in the armor of God!

 

.two.thousand.and.thirteen.

This year is going to be amazing…lots of new adventures await!  This long mental list is going to be accomplished and all those dreams for this year will happen.  So, let’s welcome [_{dun.dun.dun.dun}] .two.thousand.and.thirteen.!

 

“Tomorrow is always new with no mistakes in it, yet!”

 

Yes.  Yes.  Reality hit.  There’s no way all of those things would happen just like that!  But the year began with a super twist… :My grand ideas didn’t vanish: until….

 

…That day when everything seemed to go wrong.  First of all I woke up with a cold. L [I thought I just had one not that long ago.] sigh.  I guess .two.thousand.and.thirteen. found its mistakes already!

 

That same day when my imagination traveled millions of miles away to a land where I had instant replays on the moments I treasured most and where I could go back and make different choices when they didn’t turn out magically…and my schoolwork didn’t do itself.

 

That day when I leaned on the big bossy sister side of life. [sigh. When will this little girl ever learn?]

 

Then the thought came to me…what am I doing with all of these feelings?  Why am I letting them ruin my day?  Why am I letting it make my life seem so terrible?  Why do I let my joy fade away based on circumstances? Why? Why? Why?

 

Then His tender voice hit home…Why do you focus on the bad when you have all that I’ve carried you through? 

 

:Hurricane Ivan and the hardships that followed.

:Moving from place to place and all the goodbyes.

:The sleepless nights when wars with the Devil ragged.

:The times when you missed your friends the most.

 

All of these are things of the past and things I’ve carried you through…there are more hard things to come, but your focus should be on Me, not the problems…for without Me, you are nothing!

 

So here I am…a little girl in a big world with a loving Father looking out for me…Each day brings its trials and I continue to learn more of what He wants from me.  [My life. completely surrendered to Him]

 

There are days when I feel like I’ve given Him everything…then He shows me another part that is in the way of our relationship…I’m so glad that I don’t learn/go through everything at once.  I want to give Him praise for everything in my life.  I truly serve a faithful Father!

…

 

Now you may ask what exciting adventure await?

Well, it goes like this….

My years of school are coming to an end and unfortunately life doesn’t plan out itself…so decisions are at stake!

This coming May my entire family is moving back to the United States of America for an entire year! [deep breath] Reading, PA, here I come!

What this coming year holds for me? I really don’t know...learning to work in a paid environment J…finding my way around a strange ‘home’…and much more…

 

At this point all I can say is, PRAY!

I feel overwhelmed when I think of all that needs to happen between now and then…and the way time has been flying, I don’t really want to know how fast it will make its arrival. All I can do is trust Him!

 

And for now, so long everybody!

RaVonne S. Rhodes

 

Redeeming the Time [we live in a wicked world]

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  [Ephesians 5:16]

     One of those verses that you have to memorize in school just so you can write it on the test and move on, or one sentence in the Bible that doesn’t have a whole lot of meaning because it doesn’t tell us what we can’t do.  Absolutely not!  It’s a command from our very own Heavenly Father Who cares so much for us! 

     We live in a wicked world and so often we as Christians get caught up in time-consuming things, such as internet, computer games, [or games on our phones] movies, sports, and more.  [The list could go on and on.]  But aren’t we as Christians here on this earth for a purpose?  Why would God make each one of us and place us on this little, bitty world to play computer games or waste time on the internet?  We all know that we are to take the Gospel to every nation and every tribe, well, how can we do that when we are sitting around wasting our time?

     These are questions that have been racing through my mind for the past while.  Along with these thoughts, I have been convicted of all the time that I have wasted.  Time that I can’t get back! L  After being discouraged and wrestling with it, I had an idea. 

     “Why not go on a facebook fast for a while?”

     “It’s not just facebook, RaVonne.  There’s a whole lot more on the internet that is stealing your time!”

     “No, God! Not an internet fast!  I can’t do that! How would I keep in contact with all my friends?  What if I miss out on something?”

     “What about our relationship?  You don’t need internet for that!  Why not use the time that you usually spend on the internet with Me?  Am I not more important than the rest of the world?”

     And you can guess who won!  And boy am I glad He did!  He’s the best thing that has happened to me!

     But why am I telling you all of this?  Not to get praise for going on an internet fast, but to show you that it is possible!  I’m just like everyone else, I make mistakes and struggle with redeeming the time.  Can you imagine what this world would be like if all the Christians would take less time to play computer games or surf the internet and read their Bibles and pray instead?  Ya, it might sound crazy, but this is possible!  I just want to challenge you!  You might think that you don’t spend much time on there, but the next time you sit down at your computer, start the timer and see how much time you really spend!  Then ask God how you can work on redeeming your time.  I encourage you to do more than just stay off of facebook for a month, but make it a habit.  Going on a diet for a short period of time doesn’t have the same effect as changing your daily schedule.

     As you seek the Father on how to spend your time wisely, pray for the rest of us.  It’s not easy to be disciplined, but it is DEFINITELY worth it!  Go for it! Stand out! Be different!  Go against the norm! And remember that with God, ALL things are possible!

-RaVonne

[the Prince]

“An ongoing, passionate romance with our true Prince is the foundation for success in every other area of life.”                 -- Authentic Beauty by Leslie Ludy

     AMEN!  So true, and yet it’s easy to completely agree, but we don’t end up living out of it. [not cool]  Why don’t we take more time with our true Prince than we do with anything else? [for girls it could be guys]  Girls can tend to pack each day and night with talk of boys, books on boys, discussing boys, and dreaming of boys.  We dream of being swept off our feet by Mr. Prince Charming and spending the rest of our lives in perfect romance.  That’s possible!  And you can make it happen. 

     “Who?  Me?”

     “Yes!  You!”

     Not with Mr. Prince Charming, but with the most handsome Prince who gave His life for you.  This is the kind of story that girls long for, and here it is.  All we need to do is take the next step in the relationship and take time out of our busy schedules to spend with Him, the One Who can truly satisfy our longing.  In fact, you can spend eternity with Him IF you choose to take time with Him every day to get to know Him better.  He is there waiting for us, but so often we get tied up with ‘more important’ things.  Do you really want to have your valuables on this earth?  In this imperfect life?

     This is something that has been on my mind for the past while.  What do I value more?  My relationship with my Prince? Or things that won’t last forever? 

     It truly is a struggle, and trust me, I haven’t mastered this yet!  By the grace of my Father, I trust that I can whole heartedly live for Him, and not for this world.  [Standing out instead of fitting in!]