tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33740488760362428292024-03-08T00:58:11.881-06:007 Weeks to a Happier YouSue Whitsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133060858314206405noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3374048876036242829.post-9448976687171226612012-06-06T17:18:00.001-05:002012-06-10T23:03:30.858-05:00Freely Given<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7 Weeks to a Happier You is formatted so that you can print it out for use in groups or Bible studies. There are gaps in the material to allow space to write on hard copies. To access weeks you can't see, just press the "older posts" button at the bottom of the page. Please feel free to print out as many copies as you like, but do not sell them without my permission. I also ask that you would include my contact info:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Author: Sue Whitson</span><br />
<a href="http://7weekstoahappieryou.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://7weekstoahappieryou.blogspot.com/</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please give me feed back! I'd appreciate questions, suggestions about how to word things differently, help with grammar and punctuation and any testimonies you might have about this Bible study or times you have put these principals to work at any time in the past.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God Bless You!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*Unless otherwise stated, all scriptures are from The New King James Bible</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span>Sue Whitsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133060858314206405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3374048876036242829.post-82857038646431025912012-06-06T17:00:00.001-05:002012-06-10T23:03:54.600-05:00The Plan<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; page-break-before: always; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
Plan</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">God
made everything for a purpose. Even those things we perceive as
“bad”. The larvae of flies, clean up waste products. Fevers kill
invading germs. They are even finding that the waves of chicken pox
that children went through each year kept adults from getting
shingles, a much worse disease. When God created us, He knew we would
live in a fallen world, so he equipped us with defenses to help us
overcome. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">If
a general perceives that his army is loosing a battle, he will call
for a retreat. He pulls back, gives his men a chance to rest,
rethinks his strategy and tries to gather re-enforcement and
supplies. A retreat can be a good thing, but if he stays in retreat,
he will loose the war. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Depression
is a God given, physical response to trauma that allows us to pull
back, rest, regroup, gather resources and focus on the problem at
hand. Depression can be a good thing, but God does not intend for you
to stay there. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The
mind is like the earth. If you walk over it once, there is little
evidence you were ever there. However if you take the same path over
and over again, it becomes a well established path. Eventually, it
can become a deep rut that you fall into and need help getting out.
This is when depression becomes a trap. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The
number one priority to overcome depression is to retrain your brain.
Instead of going down that path every time those negative thoughts
float by, you have to consciously choose to go a different way. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
revelation that changed my life was that I had the ability to choose
my thoughts! In fact, I have a duty to choose my thoughts! I'm not
sure if this idea had never been presented to me before, or if I just
hadn't caught it, but I honestly thought that every thought that came
into my brain was something I had to listen to. Amazing!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">But
how do you do that??? Think about an elephant. What kind of a tail
does it have? What color is it? How are it's feet shaped? How does it
sound? How big are it's ears? </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now,
don't think about an elephant … I said, DON'T think about an
elephant. Don't think about an elephant!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Were
you able to not think about elephants? Unless you know the secret,
there is no way you can do it. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Now,
think about a kitten. Think about how soft it is. Think about how a
kitten loves to play with yarn or chase a bug. How does it sound? </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Are
you thinking about an elephant now? No, because you replaced that
thought with another one. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over
the next seven weeks, we will practice ways to retrain your brain.
This will involve every aspect of your life, spiritual, mental,
physical, emotional, social, career and finances.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">When
using a new recipe, a good cook will often has to make some
decisions. She asks, “Do I have this ingredient?” and if not,
“Can I get it or make substitutions?” “Are there ingredients I
want to make substitutions or adjustments for?” (such as honey for
sugar or using less salt). Once these decisions are made, the cook
will gather the ingredients and try the recipe. It may not work well.
If it doesn't and she still wants to make the recipe, she will go
over everything that she did to see what might be improved the next
time she tries it. Sometimes it may take several tries before she
gets it right, or she may decide that recipe just isn't for her. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Seven
Weeks to a Happier You</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
is like a recipe. God created each of us uniquely. What works for one
person may not work for another person. As you go through the 7
weeks, ask God how to make it work for you and what substitutions or
adjustments you need to make. Once you have made these decisions, you
have to make the commitment to follow the plan all the way through.
If the cook only puts the flour and the yeast together when making
bread and quits, the bread never gets made. You may find that you get
sidetracked while in this process. Don't get discouraged! Just go
back and try again!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Warning:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">If
you are on meds for depression, do not quit taking them without
consulting your doctor. </span><span style="color: black;">Many
drugs have severe withdrawal symptoms. Quitting cold turkey could
derail your attempt to conquer depression and could even kill you.
Unless you are 100% sure that God has told you to get off them now,
don't do it! </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Many
years ago, I started learning about how Jesus took 39 stripes on His
back. Through His wounds, the Bible says, we were healed. (I Peter
2:24) I was having great difficulty breathing, but I refused to take
meds because I felt taking them would be denying my conviction that
the Bible was true. At one point, I told my pastor that I was trying
to stand in faith, but I had been struggling for a long time. He
said, “Honey, your problem is that you know the asthma better than
you know God. Go ahead and take the medicine. It will give you a
chance to focus on God. The more you know Him, the less you will need
that medicine.” He was right. I still take some OTC meds for
asthma, but I don't need the heavy duty meds that I once used just to
get to the “50% of my lung capacity” point and I almost always
breathe at 100%. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">If
you are on meds, it is probably wise to just stay on them for now.
Retrain your brain, then slowly back off the meds under your doctor's
supervision. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ready
to make the commitment to God's Emotional Boot Camp? I can't promise
you will never experience any more periods of depression. But by the
end of the seven weeks, you will have the tools to effectively deal
with it.</span></span></div>Sue Whitsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133060858314206405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3374048876036242829.post-13435708019622106422012-06-06T16:57:00.001-05:002012-06-10T23:04:32.991-05:00Week 1<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; page-break-before: always; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Week
1</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Renew
Your Mind</span></span></div>
<h4 class="western">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Genesis
1</span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-1"></a><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><b>1</b></span><span style="color: black;">In
the beginning God (</span><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></span></em><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)
</span></span></em><span style="color: black;">created
the heaven and the earth.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-2"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>2</b>And
the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face
of the deep. And the Spirit of God (<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)
</span></em>moved
upon the face of the waters.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">In
the Bible, the darkness came before the light. What an amazing place
to start. If you are reading or listening to this, you or someone you
love is in a place of darkness. It may seem so deep there is no way
out, but Holy Spirit is moving over the face of your tears. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
God started in the darkness, then it's a good place to start. Before
we go on, I want you to take some time to analyze where you are at.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How
long have you been suffering this depression?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do
you know what the trigger(s) was/were that set this off? Take some
time to list any situations occurring now or in the past that have
hurt you deeply.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take
some time to write down the negative thoughts and words that come
against you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What
is missing in your life?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">OK,
now it's time for verse 3 - Gen. 1:3<em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em>God
<em><span style="font-style: normal;">(</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
said, Let there be light: and there was light.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Father,
In the Name of Yeshua, the Precious Lamb of God, I ask that by the
power of Holy Spirit who is hovering over this lost one, that the
dawn would break right now and grow brighter and brighter till it
shines as the noon day sun. Amen. (Proverbs 4:18)</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I
want you to take a look at the account of creation in Genesis. Please
take a pencil, pen or highlighter, mark each time the word “said”
is used and count them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4 class="western" style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Genesis
1 (from whatsinanamebible.blogspot.com )</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-11"></a><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"><b>1</b></span><span style="color: black;">In
the beginning </span>
<span style="color: black;">God
(</span><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></span></em><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)
</span></span></em><span style="color: black;">created
the heaven and the earth.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-21"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>2</b>And
the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face
of the deep. And the Spirit of God (<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)
</span></em>moved
upon the face of the waters.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-3"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>3</b><em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em>God
<em><span style="font-style: normal;">(</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
said, Let there be light: and there was light.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-4"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>4</b><em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span></em>God
<em><span style="font-style: normal;">(</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
saw the light, that it was good: and God <em><span style="font-style: normal;">(</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
divided the light from the darkness.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-5"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>5</b>
God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)
</span></em>called
the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and
the morning were the first day.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-6"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>6</b>
God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it
divide the waters from the waters.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-7"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>7</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
made
the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament
from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-8"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>8</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
called
the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second
day.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-9"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>9</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
said,
Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together to one place,
and let the dry land appear: and it was so.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-10"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>10</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
called
the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called
he Seas: and God (<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
saw
that it was good.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-111"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>11</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
said,
Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the
fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself,
upon the earth: and it was so.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-12"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>12</b>And
the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind,
and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his
kind: and
God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)
</span></em>saw
that it was good.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-13"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>13</b>And
the evening and the morning were the third day.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-14"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>14</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
said,
Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day
from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for
days, and years:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-15"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>15</b>And
let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light
upon the earth: and it was so.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-16"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>16</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
made
two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser
light to rule the night: he made the stars also.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-17"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>17</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
set
them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-18"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>18</b>And
to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from
the darkness: and God (<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
saw
that it was good.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-19"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>19</b>And
the evening and the morning were the fourth day.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-20"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>20</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
said,
Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath
life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of
heaven.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-211"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>21</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
created
great whales, and every living creature that moves, which the waters
brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl
after his kind: and God (<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
saw
that it was good.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-22"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>22</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
blessed
them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the
seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-23"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>23</b>And
the evening and the morning were the fifth day.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-24"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>24</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
said,
Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle,
and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was
so.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-25"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>25</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
made
the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind,
and every thing that creeps on the earth after his kind: and God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
saw
that it was good.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-26"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>26</b>God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
said,
Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and
over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creeps upon the earth.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-KJV-27"></a><span style="color: black;"> <b>27</b>So
God (<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)</span></em>
created
man in his own image, in the image of
God
(<em><span style="font-style: normal;">'</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Elohiym)
</span></em>created
he him; male and female created he them.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">How
many times was the word “said” used? This account could have
easily been written like this: On the first day God created … On
the second day He created … Why is there such an emphasis on the
word “said”? It is to stress the fact that God creates by His
Word. </span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now
look at verses 26 and 27. How is man created? Answer: in God's image.
We are like Him. How does God create? With His words. We are not God,
we are created in His image. An image does not have all the power of
the original, but it is similar enough that it can be recognized. Our
words do not have all the power of God's words, but they do affect
the world in which we live. The really good news is that God's words
are much more powerful than ours. Over the next 7 weeks, you will
learn to replace the negative words that have ruled your life, with
the positive, creative and life giving words of God</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never
hurt me.” is a lie, <b>a bold faced lie</b>. You are where you are
because of the words that have been spoken over your life. Some of
them were spoken by your parents, your teachers and your peers. Some
of them were spoken by you. All of them have been internalized and
have worked together to dig you into this impassable hole.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This
week, we are going to work on replacing some of those words. This is
the number one concept you need to get from this program. Later, we
will talk about some physical things you can do that will help, but
this one concept is key. Everything else is built on it. Practicing
this alone can
rebuild your life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back
when I was so terribly depressed, I started attending a church that
taught the importance of words and thoughts. Over the course of a few
years, I practiced this concept, but I was still having days where I
was overwhelmed. At the time, I was still very, very sick physically
and I knew absolutely nothing about nutrition. On one of those “I
can't stop crying” days, I was standing in my kitchen, tears
streaming down my face. I kept telling myself, “It's OK, Sue. There
's nothing wrong. This is just a chemical imbalance and God will get
you through it.” over and over again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I
started thinking about a song that our worship team did and in my
mind I could hear Shannon (one of our worship leaders) singing it.
“I'll not be defeated. I'll not be defeated. I'll not be defeated
anymore. For when the Holy Ghost came in, He gave me power over sin.
I'll not be defeated anymore.” Did I tell you that God talks to me?
I've never actually heard an audible voice, but that day, from way
down inside of me, I heard a soft voice. “Sing it.” At first, I
resisted, but I kept hearing it, so I grudgingly began. “I'll not
be defeated.” I wish you could hear how I did that. You know how
you tell a child who is angry to say he's sorry and they snap back,
“SORRY!” in a tone that tells you they are anything but sorry?
That's how it was. I was rolling my eyes and dragging the words.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SMACK!
Well, God didn't physically smack me upside the head, but it sure
felt like it! This time an incredibly strong voice yelled at me
inside my spirit. “SING IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!” I belted it out. As
I did, I literally felt something being pulled out of me. From that
day on, I've never been in that ditch again. I've had some sad days,
but there's always been a real reason, not that miserable for the
sake of being miserable stuff that used to debilitate me on a regular
basis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When
I was young, no one understood my physical problems including me. I
knew something was wrong. I lived in a fog. It was difficult for me
to remember things, follow directions or even function at times.
Frequently, I heard words like, “lazy”, “inconsiderate”, “not
working up to potential” and “bad”. I wanted to be good, but I
couldn't. All these had made a negative path in my brain. That
negative path was as much a physical problem as the asthma. God could
have healed me instantly, but if He had, I would have quickly seared
a new negative path. I had to get my mind renewed first. There are
physical strategies that will help your mind heal, but to begin with,
we are going to concentrate on changing the words that reign in your
head.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">For
this weeks assignments you will need a Bible, a concordance, a
thesaurus, a pen or pencil, a notebook and some index cards. </span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Assignments:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each
day read one chapter in Proverbs, Psalms and in the Gospels (the book
of John is the best place to start in my opinion). Proverbs is a book
of wisdom, Psalms is a book of praise and the Gospels are basic to
your salvation. If you can, find audio versions and play them all day
long. You got into this place because you heard negative words. We
have a tendency to believe what we hear most. Make it a priority to
read and hear God's Word on as much as you can.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Each
day look up one of the negative words you identified earlier in this
lesson in a concordance. (There are lots of online concordances. My
favorites are </span><a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/index.cfm">http://www.blueletterbible.org/index.cfm</a><span style="color: black;">
and </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/">http://www.biblegateway.com/</a><span style="color: black;">
) Write down verses that speak to your situation. Try to fill at
least one page in your notebook. If you can't find enough, look up
that word in a thesaurus and look up synonyms and antonyms of the
word. </span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Personalize
one verse and write it on several index cards. To personalize
scripture, ask God how the verse applies to you and then decide on
how to make it first person. </span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Example:
This is a favorite of many people. It is from 1 Corinthians 13:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NASB-286701"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NASB-286711"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NASB-286721"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NASB-286731"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NASB-286741"></a>
<span style="color: black;"><b>4
</b></span><span style="color: black;">Love
is patient, love is kind </span><span style="color: black;"><i>and
</i></span><span style="color: black;">is
not jealous; love does not brag </span><span style="color: black;"><i>and
</i></span><span style="color: black;">is
not arrogant, </span><span style="color: black;"><b>5
</b></span><span style="color: black;">does
not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does
not take into account a wrong </span><span style="color: black;"><i>suffered</i></span><span style="color: black;">,
</span><span style="color: black;"><b>6
</b></span><span style="color: black;">does
not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; </span><span style="color: black;"><b>7</b></span><span style="color: black;">bears
all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things. </span><span style="color: black;"><b>8
</b></span><span style="color: black;">Love
never fails.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's
how I have personalized it:</span><br />
<ol start="2">
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">God's
love has been shed abroad in my heart. I choose today to let His
love flow through me. Therefore: I am patient. I am kind. I am not
jealous. I don't brag and I'm not arrogant. I am not rude, crude or
nasty. I do not seek my own will, but God's. I am not easily
provoked. I do not hold grudges. I don't rejoice in unrighteousness,
but I rejoice in truth. Through Christ: I bear all things. I believe
the best of every person. I have hope in every circumstance and I
can endure anything. God's love in me will never fail. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
</div>
</ol>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Post
these cards in places where you will see them frequently. When you
see them, take the time to stop and read them out loud.</span></div>
<ol start="2">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></ol>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before
or after you eat physical food, take the time to eat the spiritual
food you have prepared here. Read out loud the verses you have
gathered at least 3 times a day. If you have access to a voice
recorder, record the verses and listen to them as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next
week we'll add to this and start working on some of the physical
things you can do.</span><br />
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<br /></div>Sue Whitsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133060858314206405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3374048876036242829.post-44264671244789137982012-06-06T16:52:00.000-05:002012-06-10T23:10:39.510-05:00Week 2<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; page-break-before: always; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Week
2</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Physical
Helps</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last
week you complied a list of scriptures to meditate on and started
Bible reading program. This week, continue to read your scriptures
out loud to yourself 3 times a day and read 1 chapter a day in
Proverbs, Psalms and John. Keep doing this and write down any new
verses you come across that speak to your situation, adding them to
your list.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When
you meet with your prayer partner(s), share the verses you have on
your list and talk about how doing this has affected you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">This
week, I want you to add some actual scripture memorization. Ask God
which of the verses you should work on and personalize it. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Don't
try to memorize a long passage all at once. Read the whole thing over
out loud once. Then work on one phrase at a time. Read it out loud
several times and then try to say it without looking. A few hours
later, see how far you can get with out looking and then repeat the
process only adding another phrase if you had the first one down. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As
you get these scriptures in your heart, you will find yourself doing
or saying things that are contrary to them and they will pop up in
your thoughts. This will enable you to
change what you are doing or at least to tell someone that you should
have done it differently. Listen to your spirit and act. Soon the
verses will pop up as you are about to do or say the wrong thing and
eventually it will not be a problem anymore.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At
one point I realized that my fear of tornadoes was damaging my
children. I needed to deal with it. There are several verses that
speak of how God is a refuge and a shelter in times of trouble and
through storms. I decided on a simple personalized mantra to speak to
this fear. “Jesus is my shelter in the storm.” Every time the
fear would try to grip me, I would repeat this out loud as many times
as I needed to. Eventually the fear would subside. Today I live in a
trailer on the prairie with no basement or root cellar to run to.
THAT is a miracle. Every now and then I have a little healthy
nervousness, but that overwhelming fear is gone!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now
on to the physical part …</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Exercise!
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
brain is a physical organ. It needs blood flow to work properly. Use
the following space to brain storm about ideas that will help you
move more, even if it's just 5 minutes more than you are moving now.
Some people do better with going to a gym or concentrating on one
activity like walking. Others need a variety of activities. I
personally try to incorporate a variety of activities into my day
from parking a little further from my destination to jumping on my
mini trampoline 100 times.</span></div>
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<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Choose
some goals and make a chart to check off when you've done one of the
ideas. Or keep a journal of what you did each day. Writing it down or
checking it off helps establish your new habits and gives you a sense
of accomplishment. Share your accomplishments with your prayer
partner(s) when you meet. </span>
</span></div>
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<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An activity chart is available in the next post.
</span></div>
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<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Light
and fresh air! </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You
were not built to live in a cave. Go outside for at least 5 minutes
every day even if the weather is bad. It's amazing how spending a few
minutes outside can clear your mind. Turn on the lights in your
house. Get a full spectrum lamp and sit under it every morning. (Do
not put it on while you are sleeping though. It will do more harm
than good.)</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Diet</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Go
on elimination diets. Sometimes certain foods can aggravate physical
conditions that contribute to depression. Eliminate any food you
think might be a problem for a week and then add it back in to see if
it is a problem. Sugar and grains are often culprits.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Fasting
is a great way to flush your system of toxins. Try fasting lunch to
begin with. Once you have that down, try a couple of meals or a whole
day. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Warning:
Anytime you fast or go on an elimination diet, your body is likely to
protest. Try to schedule the first day or two during a time when you
don't have much you absolutely must do.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Supplements
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">There
are many supplements that have been proven to be helpful with
depression.
I will give you a list of the ones I know about. Get
the highest quality that you can and make sure they say “natural”.
The synthetic ones aren't absorbed as well and can cause more
problems down the road. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">St.
John's Wort is a well known supplement for depression, but please
don't take it if you are on any psychiatric meds. It can interact
with them and cause an overdose.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please
consult your doctor and your pharmacist before taking them, but don't
stop there! Do your own research and consult with God as well. Find
out about possible drug or supplement interactions. Try to find out
how and why they work. Learn everything you can, read both the
positive and negative articles, then pray and ask God to help you
make decisions. Not everything will work for you.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you have access to the internet, type the name of the supplement into
the search bar and read or listen to several sites about it. Then
type the name again and the word “warnings”. Read or watch
several sites there. Then if you take any prescription meds, put the
name of the supplement in again along with the name of the med. Once
you've done all this, you will be able to make informed decisions.
And if you start to use a supplement and you find yourself having
problems, stop using it! Each person is unique. Do what works for
you!</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A
few websites that I have found very useful are:</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.webmd.com/">http://www.webmd.com/</a><span style="color: black;">
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mercola.com/">http://www.mercola.com/</a><span style="color: black;">
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/">http://www.naturalnews.com/</a><span style="color: black;">
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">It
cannot be stressed enough: Include God in every decision. He is the
one who made you. He can tell you just how you work. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At
one time, I was having a lot of problems with my knees. I tried
taking glucosamine/chondroitin, but it gave me really bad gas. I went
to God and asked what to do. I had a very very strong impression that
I should take more oils. <br />At the time, I was taking the
recommended amount of flax oil and evening primrose oil. I doubled
the dose, taking the oils at breakfast and supper. This gave me some
relief but not total, so I added another dose at lunch. That did the
trick! Some months later, I got tired of taking them so I quit. In a
few weeks I was having great difficulty walking again. Went back on
them and I rarely have any problems! A few years later, I started
reading studies about how these oils help with inflammation! God is
able to give answers when no one else can!</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So
here's the list:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Omega
3 oils – krill oil is the best, but flax or fish oil will help too.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vitamin
D3 – This is not the same vitamin d that is in milk. The D2 found
in milk is a synthetic form of D. D3 works better and it is rare
that enough can be ingested to be toxic.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">B12
– Get the sub-lingual type. It is absorbed better</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Magnesium
– Make sure it comes from a source that ends in “ate”. If the
chemical source of a mineral ends in “ide”, the source is a
rock. “ate” means it is from an actual food source. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vitamin
C – C can cause stomach upset. If this is a problem, get the
“Ester-C” variety.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">B-complex
– great for your nerves</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chromium
– again, get the “ate” stuff</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beta
Carotene – This is a natural form of vitamin A that is very
difficult to overdose on.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Natural
Sea Salt – Get the kind that has colored flakes in it. God put salt
into other rocks so that you would get the trace minerals along with
it. White salt is pure sodium. These trace minerals that are found
with salt are the only kind of “rock” supplement your body is
built to absorb. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You
will need to research dosage and experiment with what works for you
Every person is different. Starting only one supplement at a time and
giving it a couple of weeks to see if you have any negative reactions
is a good strategy. But remember, when using nutritional supplements,
it may take up to 3 months to see a real difference. When I try a new
supplement, I usually take a break from it after a few months to see
if it has made a difference. Do what works for you.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
it helps with inflammation or circulation, it's probably good for
depression. My personal (non-medical) opinion is that inflammation
and lack of oxygen to the brain are probably the two biggest physical
culprits in chronic depression.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">
</span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">A
while after the doctors got my breathing under control, I was caring
for a little girl. This little girl found a couple of feather dusters
and started playing “cheerleader” with them. Right away, even
before my breathing was affected, I literally felt my brain swell. I
became very frustrated and angry and started yelling at her. Later, I
realized that I had spent most of my life like that. It's no wonder I
was such a pain to be around! </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you have allergies of any kind, this is probably happening to you
too. Maybe not as severely as what I experienced, but inflammation
may very well be a factor. Inflammation is a physical reaction that
God designed to surround toxins so they can't kill you quickly. It's
a good thing, but it can get out of control. At the very least,
inflammation makes you tired and it's difficult to function or think
well when you are tired.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It
will take a long time to rebuild your nervous system. Be patient and
concentrate mainly on renewing your mind!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
Sue Whitsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133060858314206405noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3374048876036242829.post-63389281464269584912012-06-06T16:48:00.001-05:002012-06-06T16:48:53.318-05:00Activity Chart<br />
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</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>Sue Whitsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133060858314206405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3374048876036242829.post-22517948200552873302012-06-06T16:37:00.001-05:002012-06-10T23:11:12.680-05:00Week 3<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; page-break-before: always; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Week
Three</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Plant
It </span>
</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-1612111"></a>
<span style="color: black;">Psalm
126:4 Those
who sow in tears, shall reap in joy.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">A
misconception that most of us develop is that in order for us to be
happy, we need our needs met. This is just plain wrong. We are made
in the image of God. Do you know what God gets a kick out of?
Blessing His creation! Yes, we do derive some joy and happiness from
receiving, but to be really satisfied, we need to be a blessing. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Think
about the last time you did something that really helped someone or
even something. Maybe you participated in a fundraiser for something
you really believed in, or sat with a sick friend or even rescued a
kitten. How did that make you feel? Share some of those experiences
with your prayer partner(s). </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">One
of the most important concepts we all need to understand is the law
of sowing and reaping. Those of you who have never gardened or farmed
might not be familiar with these terms. To sow means to plant and to
reap means to harvest. God has set up this spiritual law with a
natural example. It is found in </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Galatians
6:7 Do
not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows,
that he will also reap.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm
a gardener. I started out with a little 4 x 8 sand box that I decided
to make into a garden one year when the cats had used it for a litter
box and the kids were no longer using it much. My life was pretty
much like this sandbox, full of icky stuff and not much use to
anyone. I decided to mix a little dirt into this sandbox and see if I
could grow a little food. It was amazing how much food came out of
that little garden. I was addicted! I didn't do it perfectly at
first, but God blessed my efforts in spite of me and I learned. Soon,
my whole back yard was a garden. Then my husband started helping. Now
we produce so much that we spend our summers going to farmer's
markets and providing food for others. We are still learning and
trying new things. Sometimes things flop, but for the most part, we
see growth and a better harvest every year.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At
the same time I was learning about the spiritual law of sowing and
reaping. It made sense to me, so I decided to try it. The results
have been amazing! My husband was sitting back watching and he is now
sowing his own spiritual seeds! Through the years, I've been able to
share this concept with many others and let me tell you, the
satisfaction you get from being a blessing and then watching others
succeed at being a blessing is immense!</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">If
I go out to my garden and sow a pack of pea seeds, when the plants
mature, I will reap peas, not corn. If I don't prepare the ground
properly and just throw the pea seeds out there without really
planting them, they are likely to be eaten by birds or mice and I'll
wind up with a patch of weeds. </span>
</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In
the same way, if I sow time or provisions or kindness or any variety
of things into any of God's creation, I will reap those things in the
future. The really great thing about it is that whatever you plant
will be most likely be multiplied! There are some things that can
steal your harvest, but we'll discuss that as we go along.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over
the last two weeks, you have been sowing the Word into your spirit
and nutrition and exercise into your body. Your spirit needs to be
constantly fed the Word of God to keep it healthy just like your body
needs to be fed good things. Keep doing these things!</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This
week we are going to start sowing blessings outside of ourselves and
into the earth. Sowing is a deliberate process that we need to be
doing on a constant basis to ensure a constant harvest in the future.
But sowing is just a part of the process in reaping a harvest.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When
I go to plant a garden, the first thing I do is decide what and where
I'm going to plant. I look at several things when considering this.
First, I choose what I want to plant based on what I need or want.
Then I ask myself: How much light does this plant need? What kind of
soil does it need? How much water will it need? Based on this
information I make decisions about where I'm going to plant.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What
are some of the things you need in your life? Hope? A kind word?
Help? A hug? Take 5 minutes and list those things here:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Think
about places where you could plant these things. Is there soup
kitchen you could help at? Could you adopt someone in a nursing home?
Those are big things … Could you write a little encouraging note to
a friend? Read a book to a child? Mow a neighbor's lawn? Pay a toll
for the stranger behind you?The possibilities are endless! Take a few
minutes to brainstorm possible ideas here:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One
of the things I find myself most in need of is time. Over the years,
I've invested quite a few volunteer hours in the church cleaning,
teaching Sunday school and organizing events. Occasionally, when I've
had super busy seasons, God has slowed down time for me so I can get
more done. I have no idea how He does it, but the days will seem like
they go on forever and I get twice as much done as I normally would.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">After
I decide what and where I'm going to plant, I need to prepare the
soil. I dig it up, take out any plants or weeds that are already
there and put some fertilizer on it. In the spirit we have to do
similar things. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">At
one time, I felt very unlovable. I needed to be accepted and there
was a woman in our church that I really didn't like. I asked God how
I could love her. He told me to give her a hug every time I saw her.
At first, it wasn't pleasant hugging her. I really had to work to
make myself do it. But over time, I grew to love her and she became a
huge part of a breakthrough that I desperately needed. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">I
came from a fairly affluent family, but the decisions I had made in
my life got me into a place where I felt that I was the family
charity case. I believed I was a burden and somehow not worth loving
because of this. God used several people to help me in this area, but
it all came to a head during a trip to a women's conference in St.
Louis. On the way home, there was a woman in the van that I hardly
knew. She knew nothing about my situation, but she saw a vision that
depicted my life perfectly and then started ministering to me about
how God accepts me just like I am and that I didn't need to be
ashamed. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At
the next church service we were asked to share what we had
experienced at the conference. As I was sharing about what had
happened on the way home this woman suddenly ran up to me, grabbed my
shirt and stuck some money in my bra. She declared, “Sue, God says
He wants Your cup to be full!” Suddenly, all the shame totally
broke off of me as my tears burst into laughter. From that moment on,
the curse of poverty was totally broken off my life.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I
had been planting seeds with my tithes and offerings for years and I
had reaped little miracles here and there, but the huge weed of shame
in my garden was shading out those seeds and stunting my harvest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Your
life is your garden. When you first establish a garden, there are
other things growing there that you have to clear out. Some of them
may have good uses, like grass, but you don't want grass growing up
in your garden. Look at your life. Are there things there that you
really don't want? Maybe things other people have planted that don't
fit in your life? Weeds like unforgiveness, condemnation, shame and
rejection? The Bible emphasizes these particular weeds in Ephesians
4</span><span style="color: black;">:31
“</span><span style="color: black;">Let
all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away
from you, with all malice.”</span><span style="color: black;">
They are incredibly nasty invasive weeds that will steal your
harvest. Make sure you deal especially with them and are vigilant
about these weeds if they try to creep back in.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Take
some time to identify the weeds and things that just don't fit in
your life. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ask
God for help in removing them. You won't get them all right away and
even when you think you have them conquered, they will pop up again.
Just keep at it. I have found that it generally takes 2 to 3 years of
intensive weeding to establish a new garden bed in my garden, but it
gets easier after that. The same thing goes for removing weeds and
unwanted things from your heart.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Now
that you've made some decisions and prepared your soil, it's time to
go out and plant! Remember, </span><span style="color: black;">
“</span><span style="color: black;">He
who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows
bountifully will also reap bountifully.” That's found in </span><span style="color: black;">I
Corinthians 9:6</span><span style="color: black;">.
It may seem like you just don't have any seed to plant. Ask God for
seed. He loves you and will get you started! Plant whatever you can.
Ask God to multiply it and plant more next time. You will see it
grow!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The
hardest part is now done, but there's still a few more things needed
to get your harvest. The two most important things to do are watering
and weeding. In the spirit realm, Watering has to do with prayer.
Tell God how thankful you are for the crop He is giving you. Do this
on a regular basis. Weeding is just repenting of those sins that
creep in and keeping your eyes on Jesus! There are other things you
might have to do depending on the situation. God will show you as you
go along. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Then
comes harvest time! It's important to know what your harvest is going
to look like and for that you have to have God's wisdom. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">You've
probably heard the old story about the preacher who lived in a town
that was about to be flooded. When he was told that he should
evacuate because the levy was going to break he refused to go saying,
“My God will deliver me!” The flood waters rolled in and he had
to get up into the second story of his house. A boat came by and
offered to take him to safety, but he refused saying “My God will
save me!” Later, he had to cut a hole in the roof of his house to
get above the flood waters. A helicopter came by and put down a rope,
but he refused to climb it, still believing God would rescue him.
When he got to Heaven, he asked God, “Why didn't you save me LORD?”
And the LORD answered, “Well I sent someone to warn you. Then I
sent a boat and a helicopter!” </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">That
preacher had probably been involved in saving and rescuing many
people. He had planted, but he didn't recognize his harvest when it
came. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Several
years ago my youngest son was 18 and needed more space than the
little room he inhabited in our house. During his teen years, he had
worked for his dad and helped us buy the little plot of land our
trailer sat on so he owned it along with us. As I was praying one
day, the LORD told me that by March of the next year we would have a
new house. I got so excited! I dreamed about a new house on our
property that would be big enough for us and the family that Jesse
dreamed of. Early the next year, my husband started looking at a
piece of land that had 7 ½ acres and a house. I was wondering how we
could possibly buy that property and build a new house when it
suddenly occurred to me that this place might be the new house God
was talking about. We closed on the place in March. We not only had a
new to us house but 7 ½ acres to boot!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes
our vision of a harvest isn't the same as God's. Pray for His wisdom
to recognize your harvest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">This
week's assignments: </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Focus
on one weed. Find scriptures to personalize and memorize concerning
that weed. See how many you can memorize this week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Plant
something in the spirit realm every day. Share what you did each day
with your prayer partner(s). Also discuss any harvests you receive
with them.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Continue
with your Bible reading, scripture meals and physical goals.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
Sue Whitsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133060858314206405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3374048876036242829.post-78712297860441505172012-06-06T16:34:00.001-05:002012-06-10T23:11:58.841-05:00Week 4<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Week
Four</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Forgive
</span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Luke
18:21</b>Then
Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin
against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23750"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23751"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23752"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23753"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23754"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23755"></a>
<span style="color: black;"><b>22
</b>Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but
up to seventy times seven. <b>23 </b>Therefore the kingdom of heaven
is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his
servants. <b>24 </b>And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was
brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. <b>25 </b>But as he
was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his
wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. <b>26
</b>The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master,
have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ <b>27 </b>Then the
master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and
forgave him the debt.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23756"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23757"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23758"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23759"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23760"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23761"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23762"></a>
<span style="color: black;"><b>28
</b></span><span style="color: black;">“But
that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed
him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took </span><span style="color: black;"><i>him
</i></span><span style="color: black;">by
the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ </span><span style="color: black;"><b>29
</b></span><span style="color: black;">So
his fellow servant fell down at his feet</span><span style="color: black;"><b>
</b></span><span style="color: black;">and
begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you
all.’</span><span style="color: black;"><b>
30 </b></span><span style="color: black;">And
he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay
the debt.</span><span style="color: black;"><b>31
</b></span><span style="color: black;">So
when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very
grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. </span><span style="color: black;"><b>32
</b></span><span style="color: black;">Then
his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked
servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. </span><span style="color: black;"><b>33
</b></span><span style="color: black;">Should
you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I
had pity on you?’ </span><span style="color: black;"><b>34
</b></span><span style="color: black;">And
his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he
should pay all that was due to him.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-23763"></a><span style="color: black;"><b>35
</b></span><span style="color: black;">“So
My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his
heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shame,
fear, greed, lust and many other sins will slow your garden down,
but, judgment, condemnation and unforgiveness will shut down the flow
of blessing into your life from God. They are more than mere weeds.
They poison the ground of your heart. I can work the soil, plant and
weed all I want, but unless God sends His rain, warmth, and light,
nothing will grow. God promise that if we will let go of judgment,
condemnation and unforgiveness, He will bless us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Luke
6:37-38 </b>Judge
not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be
condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.<b>
</b></span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Understanding
these things is absolutely essential, so let's look at these in
depth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many
people point to the above verse and conclude that we are not to judge
anything. But! - the Bible needs to be taken in context, considering
the entire book. If we are not to judge anything, why does God
instruct Moses to set up a system of judges in the Old Testament? And
why does Paul instruct the Corinthians to judge the man who is
sleeping with his father's wife in chapter 5? The Bible obviously
instructs us to judge behavior. What Jesus is talking about here is
looking down on someone while thinking of yourself as better. If you
read the rest of the sermon Jesus was preaching in chapter 6, you
will see that He is talking about being humble and loving your
enemies. He is not saying you shouldn't judge behavior or belief
systems.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So
what does judging look like? We are all guilty! Have you ever said
something like this? “Well, I've ______, but at least I never
_______; or I would never __________. There are things that you do
that aren't right in the eyes of others. There are even things you do
that aren't right in the eyes of God. And odds are that if you look
down on others in judgment, you will wind up in a similar place.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I
often joke about the supplements I take. When I was younger, my
husband's grandparents had a cabinet full of supplements that they
took. I thought that was just stupid and told people it was probably
the reason they got cancer. Now I take a handful of supplements with
every meal and if I don't, I wind up not able to walk! That's a happy
example of winding up in a similar place.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">My
husband and I often talked about how badly some family members handle
their finances and looked down on them. They wound up in bankruptcy
and we shook our heads in disgust. Guess what? We wound up going
through bankruptcy too. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My
friend talks about how she judged her mom for staying with an
alcoholic husband. This man was her step-father and made life very
difficult for her as she grew up. After my friend married, her
husband became an alcoholic. When she heard this message about
judgment and forgiveness, she realized she had been holding grudge
against her mom and had wound up in the same situation. She wrote to
her mom and apologized for not forgiving and understanding. Shortly
after, my friend's husband got born again and is free from that
addiction!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Are
there ways in which you have judged people? Take some time to think
about this. Write down anything that God brings to mind. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ask
Him to help you. It might be something you can handle with just
repenting to God, however if He impresses on you to go talk with that
person or to discuss the situation with your prayer partner(s), do
it! God created us as social beings. We need to interact to be
healthy. That's why He told us to “confess our faults to one
another” in James 5:16</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Now
let's look at the word condemn. To condemn means to pass a sentence
of punishment on a person. Does this mean that we should never
discipline our children or send anyone to jail? Again, we have to
look at the entire Bible in context. God does tell parents to
discipline their children, in fact, Proverbs 13:24 declares that the
parent who fails to discipline a child, hates that child. The Old
Testament is full of laws with prescribed punishments for law
breakers. In Acts 5, Peter proclaims that Sapphira will die because
of her deceit. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No,
in this verse, the word condemn is referring to judging someone as
being worthy of hell and irreversible rejection. The Bible clearly
advocates discipline and punishment for those who sin, but our
attitude in carrying out these judgments must be in love. First, to
protect the innocent, and secondly, to bring the sinner to repentance
if possible.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The
third word we want to look at is forgive. Many people think that in
order to forgive, you have to let people walk all over you. But it's
just not like that. In the Amplified Bible Ephesians 5:1 says:
“</span><span style="color: black;">THEREFORE
BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as
well-beloved children [imitate</span><span style="color: black;"><b>
</b></span><span style="color: black;">their
father].</span>
<span style="color: black;">
In order to find out what true forgiveness looks like, we have to
look at how God forgives. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">God
is a just god. He is a perfect god and He is the one who created
everything. He knows how it works. If something exists, there is a
purpose for it. No matter how much you or I think God should have
created us with detachable arms for ease of sleeping, God has a good
reason for it. (In my case, He knew I would loose them.) Many people
think the world would be better off without flies. But, did you know
that if you put a maggot on an infected wound it will eat the dead
flesh that is causing the problem and leave the live flesh alone? And
think about how much animal manure would be heaped up if it weren't
for flies. Did you know that spiders play a huge role in controlling
insects that destroy crops? Or that snakes keep the rodent population
in check? Did you know that mosquitoes rarely bite healthy people? </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The
truth is that God created the cycles of life. In order for a building
to be built, things have to be destroyed. Trees need to be grown and
cut down. Rocks need to be formed and then cut or crushed. Metal
needs to be extracted from the ground and then heated in the fire to
be formed into pipes and wires … Farming involves tearing the
ground, burying seed in it, growing the plants that have come as a
result of the death of that seed, cutting them down, feeding those
plants to you or to animals that must be slaughtered and cooked to
feed you. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">God
in His wisdom created all things in balance so that no one thing can
take over and destroy His creation. God also has a reason for
allowing people to experience pain and death.</span><span style="color: black;"><u><b>
Let me be very clear! It is not God's will for His children to be
sick or in lack of anything!</b></u></span><span style="color: black;">
Jesus said, “The enemy comes to steal and to kill and to destroy,
but I have come to give life and life more abundantly.” He also
instructed us to pray that “God's will be done on earth as it is in
Heaven” (Matthew 6:10) In James 1:7 it says, “</span><span style="color: black;">Every</span><span style="color: black;">
</span><span style="color: black;">good</span><span style="color: black;">
</span><span style="color: black;">gift</span><span style="color: black;">
</span><span style="color: black;">and</span><span style="color: black;">
</span><span style="color: black;">every</span><span style="color: black;">
</span><span style="color: black;">perfect</span><span style="color: black;">
</span><span style="color: black;">gift</span><span style="color: black;">
</span><span style="color: black;">is
from above, and</span><span style="color: black;">
</span><span style="color: black;">comes
down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or
shadow of turning.” Pain and suffering are not God's will for His
children, but He does allow it. The reasons may not be clear to us,
but in the end</span><span style="color: black;">
we will understand. It is my personal belief that most of it is to
draw us to Him, to motivate us to pray for ourselves, our loved ones
and for the salvation of all who will come to Him.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">One
story that always comes back to me is the one Corrie Ten Boom tells
in </span><span style="color: black;"><i><u>The
Hiding Place.</u></i></span><span style="color: black;">
Corrie and her family became the leaders of a large resistance group
in Amsterdam in WWII. At one point they were captured and put into a
concentration camp. She and her sister were put in barracks that were
horribly infested with fleas. Her sister insisted they give thanks
for the fleas. Corrie resisted this idea, but finally gave in. They
got down on their knees and thanked God for the fleas. They were not
allowed to pray or speak about God anywhere in the camp. However, the
guards would not come in the barracks because of the fleas, so they
had complete freedom there. As a result, thousands of people heard
about Jesus on their way to the gas chambers and went to Heaven. It
may not always be comfortable for us, but God will always use
whatever happens for our good and for His glory.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">So
what does all this have to do with forgiveness? God created the
universe. He created laws that demand justice to protect His creation
from destruction. He has every right to be angry and to punish us for
our sin, but He loved us so much that He Himself took the punishment
for our sin on the cross. He chose to put aside His anger and pay the
price for our sin Himself. We too may have the right to be angry, but
we must follow His lead. We must set aside our anger and choose to
love and have mercy on those who sin against us. Jesus said we are to
“ </span><span style="color: black;">love</span><span style="color: black;">
</span><span style="color: black;">your</span><span style="color: black;">
</span><span style="color: black;">enemies,
bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray
for those who spitefully use you and persecute you</span><span style="color: black;">”.
We do not know who will turn to God through our kindness. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">This
does not mean we are to let people walk all over us. Jesus did not do
this. The Gospels records several times when people came to kill Him,
but until it was the Father's timing for Him to pay the price for our
sins, He simply walked away. He also defended the innocent, spoke of
the scribes and the pharisees as serpents and vipers and even took a
whip to those who were cheating people in the temple. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We
are to do the same as God leads, but most of the time, we simply need
to step back and allow God's Word to work. Those who will come to God
and repent will escape the ultimate destruction and those who will
not, will suffer the destruction they bring on themselves.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It
was not God's will for Hitler to rise to power, however, God loved
him and his supporters enough not to snuff them out the day they were
born. He gave them every chance He could to repent and turn to Him.
And in the meantime, He used the evil that Hitler wreaked on the
world to bring multitudes into His kingdom. You may not think that
this was the best way to do it, but you are not God. You don't
understand how everything works. He is way smarter than you could
ever hope to be. Just try collecting all the atoms that it takes to
build a blade of grass and put them together! He knows what He is
doing and we have to choose to trust Him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-26628"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-26629"></a>
<span style="color: black;">Here's
the deal: God is the only source of life. He gave us a choice. We can
choose Him or we can walk away from Him. If we walk away from Him we
choose death and destruction. Jesus said it this way in John 12:46-48
“</span><span style="color: black;">I
have come </span><span style="color: black;"><i>as
</i></span><span style="color: black;">a
light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in
darkness. </span><span style="color: black;"><b>
</b></span><span style="color: black;">And
if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him;
for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who
rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges
him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.</span><span style="color: black;">”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">In
Ephesians 4:31 the Bible says, “</span><span style="color: black;">Let
all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away
from you, with all malice.</span><span style="color: black;">”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Does
this mean we should never be angry? Again, we need to look at the
entire Bible to discern what this means. If you've ever studied the
Gospels, it is quite evident that Jesus got angry at times. So,
let's look at the verses surrounding this verse. </span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-29300"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-29301"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-29302"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-29303"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-29304"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-29305"></a>
<span style="color: black;"><b>26
</b></span><span style="color: black;">“Be
angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
</span><span style="color: black;"><b>27
</b></span><span style="color: black;">nor
give place to the devil. </span><span style="color: black;"><b>28
</b></span><span style="color: black;">Let
him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with
</span><span style="color: black;"><i>his
</i></span><span style="color: black;">hands
what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. </span><span style="color: black;"><b>29
</b></span><span style="color: black;">Let
no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for
necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. </span><span style="color: black;"><b>30
</b></span><span style="color: black;">And
do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the
day of redemption.</span><span style="color: black;"><b>31
</b></span><span style="color: black;">Let
all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away
from you, with all malice.</span><span style="color: black;"><b>32
</b></span><span style="color: black;">And
be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as
God in Christ forgave you.</span><span style="color: black;">
</span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Clearly,
this verse is talking about frequent or sustained anger and
bitterness. Anger is a gift that God has given us, but frequent or
sustained anger will destroy you. So what is appropriate anger? We
need to follow Jesus' example. Jesus did not become angry when people
attacked Him personally. He got angry when other people were being
hurt and He acted in love to protect those who were being hurt. This
is not to say you should never fight against evil that is directed at
you. A rapist or a burglar must be brought to justice. In the absence
of consequences, they will continue in their sins and hurt other
people. Hitler was able to </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">gain
control and commit the atrocities he did because good men failed to
stand up against him … and he lost the war because good men saw and
decided to give their lives to defeat him. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">This
week, look up the words anger, bitterness and wrath in the Bible.
Find out how it is to be used. And if you have problems with frequent
or sustained anger or bitterness, ask God to help you put it away and
love those with whom you are angry. You may even be angry with God
for allowing things to happen in your life. Confess this to God and
forgive Him. Tell Him that He is smarter than you are and ask Him to
use those things for your good and for the good of others. </span>
</span></div>
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Sue Whitsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133060858314206405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3374048876036242829.post-89994908063769259332012-06-06T16:32:00.001-05:002012-06-10T23:12:34.923-05:00Week 5<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Week
Five</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Be
Content </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-29455"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-NKJV-29456"></a>
<span style="color: black;">Philippians
4:11 For
I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12<b>
</b>I
know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in
all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to
abound and to suffer need. 13<b>
</b>I
can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
</span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">So
far, we have been working on self-control. This week, we're going to
turn around and work on letting go of control - of the things and
people around us. Most of us spend a lot of time trying to control
things we cannot control. The truth is, the only thing we can have
complete control of is ourselves. Our actions, words and work can
make changes in the environment around us, but there are so many
other factors involved! </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">I
don't know about you, but I tend to suffer from this horrible disease
called “Mommy God Syndrome”. It's a common problem among moms,
but I understand there are other forms of it that infect fathers,
single people, and even kids! Some of the symptoms are ADHD No-Sleep
Sheep Brain, Pity-Parties, My-optic Misery, and Screaming Witch
Voice. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Mommy
God Syndrome, and all the other forms of this disease, have a
mistaken identity at their root cause. You are made in God's image,
but you are not God! Get a revelation of that! There are some things
you just can't do. You can't always magically make everything all
better. (Although your faith and prayers can help bring about
miracles that bring great deliverance.) You can't control your spouse
or your friends or your grown children. You can't be in two places at
the same time. And you can't know all things! Understand that and you
will feel so much better! </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Your
prayers and your words can do a lot to change your personal
circumstances and the direction of the world, but we live in a world
of many people and God is concerned about all those other people too.
Their prayers (or lack of them) along with the wisdom of God may or
may not create circumstances to our liking. BUT! We have this awesome
promise from God in Romans 8:28, “</span><span style="color: black;">And
we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose.”</span>
So, even though we can't control everything, we can trust God to
bring blessings out of everything that we encounter!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So
how do we learn to be content and overcome “Mommy God Syndrome”
or its evil counter parts?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Thank
God in All Things.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I
Thessalonians 5:18 In everything, give thanks. Not for everything, in
everything. In every circumstance, we need to thank God for the good
things He will bring out of it, even if we can't possibly imagine any
good coming!
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
circumstances Corrie Ten Boom went through in WWII were truly created
by demonic forces, but God used those fleas to rescue! No matter how
horrible your circumstance. Thank God in it and You will see
miraculous things occur!
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Trust
God.</b>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Choose
to believe He is able to provide for anything and everything you
need. Don't put Him in a box. Often times, we think we need something
at a certain time or in a certain way, but remember, God is smarter
than you! He may have something different planned for you. If He
doesn't answer your prayers the way you thought He would, trust Him.
He's probably got something better in store for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've
found that the best way to remove stress from my life is to make a
list of things I think I need to have or do. Then, I ask myself, “If
this doesn't get done, or I don't have this, will it make a big
difference in 100 years?” Most of the time, there's not anything on
there that will really make a big difference that far in the future.
But if there is, I put it on the top of my list. The rest of it, I
put in the order of how much I want it. Then, I work on accomplishing
it. God is able to provide. If I don't get my peas planted, He'll
find a way later to get me some money to buy some … or He might
send someone with some jars or cans of peas when I need them. And if
He doesn't, I probably didn't need them anyway!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you really want it (and it's not against God's will) and you keep
bugging God about it, He will make a way, but it's probably not going
to look like what you think it will look like. Just a couple of
examples:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When
our kids were starting school, I really wanted them to have a
Christian education. We were severely financially challenged at the
time. We lived in the boonies in a house with no central heat or
indoor toilet. My husband was working 3 jobs to make ends meet, we
only had one car and the cost of daycare was more than any job I
could get. We lived 30 minutes from the nearest Christian school so
even if they gave my kids free tuition, getting them there was
impossible. Back then, the only thing I knew about homeschooling was
that people in Iowa were being thrown in jail for it. I heard through
the grape vine that an acquaintance of mine had started
homeschooling. I figured it would cost thousands of dollars and that
I wouldn't be qualified, but on a whim I called her to ask about it.
I found out that it wasn't as legally difficult in Illinois as it was
in Iowa and that it wasn't nearly as expensive as I thought. So I
wound up homeschooling my kids and then went on to teach several area
kids as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">For
many years I've wanted a greenhouse. With our veggie business
booming, we really need one so I was believing that God would provide
one. We could have gone out and borrowed a bunch of money for it, but
we just weren't comfortable doing that. This winter, I was messing
around on the internet and I found a plastic bottle greenhouse! It is
something that we can build with very little money and it has the
added benefit of giving us a unique opportunity to interact with our
customers! </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In
both instances, I could have borrowed a bunch of money or given up,
but I kept bugging God and He made a way!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Accept
Others For Who They Are.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When
my husband and I first married, we had a really rough time. My dad
was the ultimate handyman. He could build or fix anything. My husband
has some wonderful talents, but when it comes to fixing things …
well, it's just not his strong suit. As a farmer, he has to have some
basic mechanical abilities, but he's much better at growing things
than fixing things. Of course I assumed that he ought to be able to
fix or build anything, because that was my expectation of what a man
does. It really caused quite a few problems until I learned to accept
him for who he was and quit demanding that he be something he was
not.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Different
people are made differently. When we project our abilities or
expectations on someone else, we take offense when they don't live up
to those expectations and it can cause big problems. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My
husband used to get very upset because I didn't remember things about
him like he does me. One day, he was just sure I didn't love him
because I couldn't remember some little thing about how he likes his
ice cream and cake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I
got a gallon jar and a baby food jar. I put the gallon jar in front
of him and said, "This is the amount of room in your brain for
memory." Then I put the baby food jar in front of him and said,
" This is the amount of room in my brain for memory. It's not
that I don't love you, I'm just not capable!" He realized that I
was right and started laughing.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Ask
God to Show You How He Sees You and the People Around You</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">When
you look at a baby, what do you see? Do you see a self centered
person who spends all its time sleeping, eating, crying, pooping and
peeing and has no ability to contribute to it's own care much less
the care of others? If you are like most people, you acknowledge that
there's not much a baby can do, but you also see the potential that
little baby has. God doesn't see you, or anyone else as they are
right this minute. He sees you as what He created you to be. When you
get a revelation of what God has created you for and the people
around you, you will be able to respond to them in an entirely
different way. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many
years ago, God showed me that His will for my husband was for him to
become a rich man who would support the Gospel. At the time, my
husband was a depressed agnostic stuck in a dead end job with
absolutely no ambition to become anything more than a farm hand. To the world he looked like a flunky who would never accomplish anything. This
revelation totally changed the way I saw him and gave me much more
hope and patience. He isn't rich yet, but over the years, I've seen
him grow close to God and develop a real ambition to be to be his own
boss and to build a business. He has changed so much and I am so
proud of him!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3374048876036242829" name="en-AMP-28671"></a>
<span style="color: black;">In
the Amplified Bible, I Corinthians 13:7 describes love as </span><span style="color: black;">“</span><span style="color: black;">Love
bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to
believe the best of every person, its hopes are fade-less under all
circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].”</span><span style="color: black;">
</span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Choose
to believe the best of every person and don't give up on them. God
hasn't given up on you!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Appreciate
what others do for you.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">So
often, we focus on what we expect other people to do for us instead
of appreciating what they do for us. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Many
years ago, my mom was doing some motivational seminars for businesses
called Adventures in Attitudes. She wanted me to take the class, so I
went with her. The class was a secular class, but the principals were
straight out of the Bible. I had been learning most of the stuff that
was being taught in church, but one thing I hadn't heard about in
church was a very interesting study that had been done to find out
how employers and employees who had good relationships interacted. In
the study they discovered that for an employee to feel that the boss
liked them, the boss had to give at least seven positive
communications (either compliments or positive touches) for every
negative communication. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">If
it takes seven positive for every negative for people to feel liked
in a business situation, how much more should we appreciate the
people we love? Take a few minutes right now to write down the names
of those closest to you. Underneath their names, write down at least
3 things they do for you or things you like about them. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Learn
to say NO, and respect the right of other people to say no.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">One
of the easiest ways to get yourself stressed out is to make to many
commitments. You are not God. If you don't have time to do
everything, it's time to cut some things out of your life. It is
better to do a few things well than to be spread so thin that you
can't do anything well. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recognize
that you can't do everything and don't feel guilty about it. And
while you are at it recognize that those around you aren't God
either. Refuse the temptation to be resentful if someone can't or
won't do something for you. If they can't or won't, just go to God
and ask Him to be God! He is able!</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have
you been doing your Bible reading, memorization and personalized
confessions? Keep it up!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This
weeks assignments:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Make
a list of all the things you'd like to get done every morning when
you wake up or every evening before you go to bed. Circle those
things that might make a big difference 100 years from now and then
number the rest according to how important they are to you. Pray and
ask God to help you with the list. Start with the circled items and
then do as many of the rest that you can. Mark off what you get done.
At the end of the day, show the list to someone and give God thanks
for all He's helped you accomplish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Go
on a criticism fast. For this week, try your best to not criticize
anyone or anything. (This includes the President and the other
drivers on the road.) This isn't something you can keep up forever,
but it will help you establish a habit of speaking encouraging words.
</span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Find
at least 7 things you can compliment someone for tomorrow. Tell
someone they look good. Compliment another person for a good idea
they had. Tell another thank you for something they have done. You
can compliment the same person every day for the same thing, just be
sure to compliment! Keep a piece of paper nearby and make a slash
mark for each compliment you give. Try to beat your score every day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Next
week, we will be exploring how to find God's purpose for your life
and how to get where you want to go. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have
a super positive week!</span></div>
Sue Whitsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133060858314206405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3374048876036242829.post-89363022558234773762012-06-06T16:30:00.002-05:002012-06-10T23:13:10.129-05:00Week 6<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Week
Six</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Purpose</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Jeremiah
29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD,
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.</span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Without
hope, without a vision of the future, without an understanding of
God's purpose for us, depression is almost inevitable. Unless you
understand what you are made for, you will wander aimlessly without
hope.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">As
a teenager, a big part of my problem was the fact that I really had
no idea why I was here. I had no purpose in life. It's hard to not be
depressed when you feel like you just don't matter. But the truth is,
you DO matter and God made you for a purpose! Actually, He made you
for several purposes and those purposes will change from season to
season in your life. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The
#1 purpose God created you was so He could love you … and so that
you could love Him. Loving God is called worship. Many churches call
their services or parts of their services worship. Church services
are worship, but there is much more to worship than just singing a
few songs or attending a church service! Worship can include anything
you do for God and, to be truthful, God desires for everything you do
to be a form of worship … your job, your relationships with your
family, your hobbies, your entertainment, your eating … everything.
</span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">When
I first started building my garden, I was obsessed with it. I would
spend 6 to 8 hours a day out there, digging, weeding and planting. I
was so compelled! For a long time, I asked God why I was like that.
It didn't make sense to me. I worried that I wasn't making the best
use of my time. Wouldn't it be best spent somewhere else? Maybe
handing out gospel tracts or something? Then one day as I was pulling
bricks out of the rubble of our old farm house to build a patio, I
suddenly understood that I was building more than just a garden. My
work was a prayer! As I was taking the old bricks and laying them in
the new place, I started praying for God to rescue lost souls from
the rubble of the dying world and place them into the courtyard of
His temple. From then on as I dug, my prayer was that God would
prepare the hearts of people for the good news of His mercy. As I
planted, I prayed that God would send laborers to plant seeds of
salvation. And when I would pull weeds, I prayed for people to be
freed from sin. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Guilt
and condemnation had tried to rob me of the joy of building my
garden, but once I understood that it was God's purpose for me, I was
free to be me! God wants you to be who He created you to be, not
someone else. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Lately,
I have been studying a lot about poly-culture. Poly-culture is an
agricultural model that incorporates many types of plants and animals
as opposed to the mono-culture agricultural practices that are
typical in the United States today like a 40 acre field of corn or a
feed lot with thousands of cattle. Mono-culture seems easy because
the farmer only has to be really familiar with one plant or animal.
However, God created the world as a poly-cultural model. We need all
sorts of different plants and animals to create balance and health.
While mono-culture may seem more productive on the surface, disease
becomes a huge problem and the nutrition of plants or animals raised
this way suffers the bigger the mono-culture gets. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He
also created people to be poly-cultural. We need all of us to be
healthy and prosperous! We need preachers and farmers and scientists
and housekeepers and truck drivers and doctors and babies and old
people … Just because you aren't like someone else doesn't mean
what you do can't be worship and it doesn't mean that you have no
purpose!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So
what is/are YOUR purpose or purposes?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To
find this out, we need to look at your desires. Not all desires are
of God, but the Bible promises us in Psalm 37:4-5 that if we will
commit ourselves to God, He will give us the right desires for our
lives and that He will bring those desires to pass as well!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">So,
what do you want to be when you grow up? Take some time right now to
dream. Money is no object here. Your Daddy lives in Heaven where the
streets are made of gold and He has promised that He will help you
get where you need to be. Get out a blank piece of paper and write
DREAM SHEET on the top of it. Now, if nothing were impossible …
what would you like to do? These don't have to be all career
oriented. Things like having a clean house or a healthy body are just
as valid as becoming a rocket scientist. Write each thing down. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Got
that done? Take a look at those desires. Are there any that just
aren't of God? Be honest. Winning the lottery or becoming the editor
of Playboy are not godly desires. OK? :) Cross anything like that
off. They won't make you truly happy anyway.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Now,
take your list, and number them in the order of how much you want
them. You might have being a rock star on that list, but if it's not
right up there on the top, you probably won't get there. Choose to
focus on the dreams that are most dear to you. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">So
what are your top 5? God's purpose for you right now is probably in
those. So how do you get there from here? You have to have a plan.
When you go on a trip, the first thing you do is decide where you
want to go. Then, if the destination is very far away you break it
down into how far you can go each day or week. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Take
another piece of paper out. Put the dream in your top 5 that seems
most possible at the top. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let's
pray: LORD, in the Name of Jesus, we give this dream to You. You have
said that if we would commit our way to You and desire You above all
else that You would be faithful to give us the desires of our hearts.
Father, we believe You have given this desire. Use it for Your glory
and bless the bearer of this dream with the wisdom and the
circumstances to bring it to pass. Amen.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Brainstorming
time! Share your dream with your prayer partner(s). Spend some time
discussing it with them. Write down all the ideas you come up with,
no matter how silly or impossible they seem. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">First,
think about how this dream can be worship. This will help you
understand how to cover this dream in prayer. A dream that is clothed
with prayer is destined for success! </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Second,
come up with ideas for things that you could do on a daily or weekly
basis to achieve this dream.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">When
you are done brainstorming, pick one or two ideas and put them on the
activity chart you started in week 2, but don't throw away your
brainstorming sheet! Go back and look at it every week or two. There
might be something on it that you want to add to your activity chart
later, or you might have some new ideas. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This
week's assignments:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Continue
your Bible reading and speaking God's Word over your life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Look
up the words, plan, purpose and desire in the Bible. Find out what
God has to say about them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brainstorm
about the the other dreams in your top 5. Add one or two things you
can do towards each goal to your activity chart. As you are doing
them, pray as God leads you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Find
a picture or some other physical object that you can lay your hands
on that represents each dream to you. Touch the picture or object
each day and pray over it. Thank God for the dream and ask for the
ability and the wisdom you need to accomplish that dream every day. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
Sue Whitsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133060858314206405noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3374048876036242829.post-31648372823479149772012-06-06T16:29:00.000-05:002012-06-10T23:13:45.809-05:00Week 7<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Week
Seven</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rest</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">So
how are you doing? If you've gotten this far, by now you should have
established several good habits. You are reading the Word and
speaking it over yourself. You are eating better and exercising.
You've been working on letting go of bitterness and the need to
control everything. And you are working toward your future. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">There's
one more very important thing! Take
time to enjoy your life. God did not put you here to work, work,
work. Work is important, but even God took time at the end of His 6
days of creation to rest. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">SLEEP!
</span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm
not going to tell you how much time to spend sleeping. Different
people have different needs. The world wants to tell us that if you
sleep more or less than X number of hours at such and such an age,
you won't be healthy. They make it sound like if you will just get
this magical amount of sleep that everything will be just fine. The
truth is that if you are sick you will need more sleep and if you are
stressed the adrenaline in your body will likely keep you from
sleeping. It's not the sleeping that produces the unhealthy outcomes.
The lack of health causes the sleep differences. Even among healthy
people, the need for sleep varies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">If
you can't sleep, pray! And if you seem to be sleeping to much, work
on healing your body, not getting along with less sleep. That's not
to say you should never deprive yourself of sleep. There are seasons
when you just have to work extra hard, but constant sleep deprivation
is unhealthy. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Back
when I was so sick, I slept a lot – 10 to 14 hours a day. I felt
like I was sleeping my life away and constantly fought it. What was
the use in sleeping so much when there was so much to be done? Then I
found out that God even uses our sleep. </span>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Sleep
is the time where He reprograms our brains and fixes things that have
gone wrong. It's like stopping to defragment your computer or do
maintenance on a machine. He also gives us dreams to help establish
things in our lives and give us direction. As you read through the
Bible, notice how many stories are proceeded by or involve dreams. In
them God gives warnings and directions to those that love Him. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He
does the same for us today. There was a time when I was having a lot
of dreams about tornadoes. These dreams always had my husband and I
in them. I would think we weren't going to make it, but every time we
came out alright. Then my husband lost his job and got very sick.
These dreams gave me hope. Because of them, I knew we were going to
make it. Pay attention to your dreams. Write them down. Study
<u>Christian</u>
dream interpretation. I say Christian because there are many dream
interpretation books and sites that aren't based on the Bible that
can mislead you. Once you get an appreciation for the significance of
your dreams, you will be better able to balance your life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">To
be healthy, your whole life needs to be dedicated to God. If you are
awake, pray and when you go to sleep, ask God to use your dreams. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">PLAY!
</span>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">OK,
that sounds weird coming from someone who really doesn't enjoy
playing games. I've always been the sort that would rather do the
real thing. I tried Farmville on FaceBook, but it was boring, the
real thing is much more interesting. As a kid, I didn't want to play
with dolls, I wanted to play with a real baby. Toy cars and trucks
didn't thrill me and balls that I deem worthy of chasing around are
few and far between. But honestly, you DO need to take time to play.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have
you ever heard of a repetitive stress injury? When you use one part
of your body over and over again, that part becomes worn out. It
needs rest. We are not built to do the same thing day in and day out
indefinitely. You need to vary your activities so that you don't wear
out. Play games if you enjoy them. Go dancing. Spend time visiting
friends or family. Take a trip. Watch a little TV. Do whatever you
enjoy that is different from your everyday work. Take some time to
relax and enjoy something different on a regular basis. It's
essential to avoid burn out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">LAUGH!
</span>
</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Medical
science has recently discovered something the Bible declared long
ago. Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart does good like medicine.”
Laughter produces all kinds of good things in your body. Laughter
increases blood flow, reduces stress, increases T-cells that boost
immunity, helps decrease pain, raises good cholesterol, lowers
inflammation and produces a whole host of beneficial chemical changes
in your body. Is
it any wonder that women live longer than men? They laugh more than
twice as much as men.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Laughter
is good for you, so, give
yourself time and reasons to laugh. Whenever I need a good laugh, I
google “laughing babies”. There's nothing like a giggling baby to
get you giggling too! Share the jokes you hear. And if all else
fails, get together with a friend. Force yourself to laugh. “Ha”,
“Hehe”, “Ha-ha, he-he” … keep it up! Pretty soon you will
both be rolling on the floor! Joke about your challenges. When you
come across a really stressful situation, laugh at it. God is on your
side and He will bring you through it. Laughing at it is an act of
faith that can help you overcome. </span>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enjoy
your life! It is a gift from God and He wants you to be blessed!</span></span></div>
Sue Whitsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12133060858314206405noreply@blogger.com0