tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47253173701026358832024-03-12T18:05:29.802-07:00It's all about JesusJackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-17305559554238619082017-07-17T08:44:00.001-07:002017-07-17T09:13:52.098-07:00A Better Life<div style="text-align: center;">
"In order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that</div>
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we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."</div>
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Galatians 3:14</div>
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A better life.</div>
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Somewhere along the way, I started to believe that is what loving Jesus is all about. But I'm learning that's not true. And depending on where you are at in your life, you probably fall into 1 of 4 categories after reading that statement. </div>
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1. You're not a Christian and you're not even really sure why you're reading this. (Hi! Stick with me.)</div>
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2. You're a Christian and you think loving Jesus does mean a better life & you're borderline already offended. (Sorry! Stick with me.)</div>
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3. You're a Christian and you're kinda, sorta feeling superior because <i>you </i>already knew that, but you wouldn't admit that because <i>that</i> would be <i>prideful</i>. (Congrats! Stick with me.)</div>
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4. You're a Christian and you are pumped because you simply love to see other believers "get it." (Bless you! Pray for me.)</div>
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(And note the word <i>probably </i>because I get it - some of you refuse to be categorized.)</div>
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Honestly, I would probably land somewhere between #'s 2 and 3 before this past weekend. Completely honestly, I would find myself sitting pretty in #3 and taking some strolls around the block every once in awhile in #2. So, if you find your self in either of those camps and are slightly offended, please rest in the fact I have successfully offended myself as well. </div>
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But enough with offending people, let's get on with it. </div>
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This all started about a month ago when the Holy Spirit revealed the following to me:</div>
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I am really good at talking to Christians about Jesus and I am really not good at talking to non-Christians about Jesus.</div>
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So, after about of week of trying to justifying why this really isn't that big of a deal and some people are suppose to encourage the saints and some people are suppose to share the Gospel but no one really does both......... I realized I was <i style="font-size: small;">wrong</i> and that maybe I am suppose to be doing both after all. Since, ya know, basically everyone worth imitating in the New Testament does both - not to mention Jesus himself. Minor details. Never really been good with details anyway.... (#facepalmemoji)</div>
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After repenting for overlooking this minor detail, (ok, probably a major detail but I have significant pride issues, so it's less painful to call it minor) I started praying that the Holy Spirit would provide me with people to build relationships with so that I could talk to them about Jesus's love. Wouldn't you know it, He answered. </div>
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And <b>this </b>is where the real fun begins.</div>
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Because we met some people. Some beautiful, wonderful people. Some people for whom Jesus died. The only problem is... loving Jesus will not make their life better. In fact it could make their life worse. Like a whole lot worse. Like, I am not sure how to even approach sharing about Jesus with them because it would change their life probably for the worse. </div>
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But that can't be right, can it? Jesus makes our life better! That's what we have been told. That's what we live. That's what we believers tell each other. So what's the deal?</div>
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*Cue revelation from the wonderful, glorious, beautiful, compassionate, wise Holy Spirit.*</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jesus didn't live, die, and resurrect to give us a <i><b>better</b> </i>life. Jesus lived, died and resurrected to give us a <b><i>new </i></b>life.</span></div>
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You can't make something <i>dead</i> <b>better.</b> Right? Before a salvation encounter with Jesus, we are dead. Jesus gives us a new life. And not a new earthly life, (at least right now.. but this blog is not about the new heaven and new earth so we will just stay on topic) but a new spiritual life. Our souls are dead, destined to spend an eternity apart from Him until we have a a life changing encounter with Him that makes us new. </div>
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SOOOOO, my problem was in believing that trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior would 1. give me a new life spiritually and 2. would give me a better life on earth. Because Jesus is nice. And that whole part in the Bible about fathers loving their children and giving them good gifts..... right? </div>
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Please don't misunderstand me, I do believe with my whole heart that every good gift is from the Lord. The ones we ask for and the ones we don't. All things good are from God. But, the promise of a blessing was never a better life on earth. Like our youth pastor, Luke Harper, so prophetically taught on Sunday: </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The fulfillment of the promised blessing has always been Jesus. </span></b></div>
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In fact, more often than not in the New Testament we are told that life on earth will be really tough for followers of Christ most of the time. </div>
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Jesus is enough. It's all about Him. It has to be all about Him. </div>
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Because if it's not all about Jesus, then we end up near tears on a Thursday night because we don't know how to tell someone about Jesus whose earthly life could change for the worse if they follow Him. (Not that I'm speaking from experience....)</div>
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To summarize, let's encourage one another. Let's pray for one another. Let's take all our request to the Lord, both spiritual and physical requests. But let's also make the good news about Jesus Christ actually be about Jesus Christ. Because that's how God has intended to bless us from the very beginning.</div>
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Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-65002999263916380342016-11-09T18:06:00.002-08:002016-11-09T18:41:43.299-08:00Fixing and Processing<div style="text-align: center;">
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."</div>
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Matthew 11:28 </div>
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I am a fixer. It's who I am. I want to fix things. Always have been. Even in Jr. High, just ask my school counselor. I live for the thrill of seeing something broken or slightly off and making it whole. It satisfies me in the depths of my soul.<br />
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But the problem is sometimes I try to fix things, or at least help things, too soon. Just ask my gracious, merciful husband.<br />
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As most of you know just under 1 year ago, my husband officially retired from professional baseball. He didn't make it to the majors, but he did make it part of the way. And he will tell you that part of his identity was wrapped up in it. From 4 years old on he want to play baseball and he got so close to doing that as a career we could taste it. That's 20 years of emotional investment.<br />
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I, however, had not grown up with this goal. I was very supportive of his pursuit a baseball career, but I hadn't been anticipating it for years. Once we got married my ultimate hopes were to see my husband succeed and honestly to see my husband be happy.<br />
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So when the final decision to no longer pursue baseball was made, I'm sure you can guess what happened. We responded and processed things differently. Quite differently.<br />
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The "fixer" in me, coupled with my ultimate goal have seeing my husband succeed in whatever he did, immediately started looking to the future. I started to encourage and make plans for the future and assure Brandon that moving on to the next thing would be the best idea.<br />
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And those weren't terrible things to do, but the timing was terribly off. Brandon needed the chance to process this change - even to grieve this change. And he needed more time to do process than I did.<br />
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For one, I process things quickly (which usually results in a lack of grace unfortunately). But mainly, this didn't mean as much to me as it did to him. He had 20 years of hopes and dreams that he needed to process. Once that started to happen, then I was able to actually encourage and be helpful when I spoke of future plans the Lord had for him and us.<br />
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Cool insight into my life, right? Are you wondering why I randomly decided to share now?<br />
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Yes?<br />
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Good.<br />
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Well, I share this to encourage you to give your neighbors time to process everything that just happened before rushing them to the unity rally.<br />
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I could be off here, but based on conversations I have overheard today and posts I have seen today I don't think I'm way off. Take into consideration that you don't know what it's like to be in someone else's shoes and realize that because of that you don't understand where they are coming from.<br />
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And not with a tone.<br />
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Not - "Well, I just don't understand why they can't just ____________"<br />
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But - "Man, I honestly don't know where you're coming from. But I really want what's best for you and for our nation, so let me know when you might want to talk about how we can come together."<br />
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I believe unity in our country is very much need. This is the most polarizing atmosphere I have been in. But let's affirm the emotions and reality of those not like us as well.<br />
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So if you voted for someone other than Trump, process this. Grieve if you need to.<br />
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And if you voted Trump, show grace. It's at least worth a shot.<br />
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Grace to you,<br />
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JackieJackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-81766514781620982212015-08-22T11:55:00.002-07:002015-08-22T11:56:19.192-07:00Like a Bride<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">Joy. Anticipation. Happiness. Excitement. Love.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">These were among my top emotions on my wedding day and the days and months leading up to it. Sure, stress was mixed in there every once in awhile along with some tears of frustration during the planning process, but mainly the emotions listed above. I remember my trip to the post office to buy stamps to send out invitations vividly. I told the woman helping me that I was buying them for my wedding, and I'll never forget her response:</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">"You don't looked stressed at all! Wow! I'm surprised."</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">I jokingly responded with, "My mom and nanny have got that part covered," but I still laugh when I think about my initial internal response. <i>Oh no! Am I doing something wrong? Am I suppose to be stressed? What do I need to be stressed about? Does it count if I'm stressed about not being stressed?!</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">After I got to the car and attempted to sort my thoughts, it finally dawned on me to ask the Lord about it. I prayed, "Lord, I just love Brandon so much and I can't wait to marry him. The planning process can be a bit tedious, but when that happens I remind myself how wonderful it will be to be married to him and I get caught up in thinking about that. I've had multiple people now comment on stress, as if I'm not doing this whole 'prep for marriage thing' right if I'm not stressed about it. Are they right? Should I be stressed?"</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">Faithful and true to His word, the Holy Spirit reminded me, "Do not be anxious about anything, but with prayer and petition present your request to the Lord." Then, I was reminded of all the wonderful qualities of Brandon, all the ways he points me to Jesus, and that the purpose two believers' marriage is to show the world how Christ loves the church and how the church freely and joyfully serves Christ. So I breathed a huge sigh of relief and determined it was in fact O.K. that I was surprising people by my unstressed face.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">It had been awhile since I thought about this (now funny, but in the moment very confusing) little encounter. Then I heard the song "Even So Come" by the Passion band with the words:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">"Like a bride waiting for her groom, we'll be a church ready for You."</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">I couldn't sing along. I felt a knot in my throat. And I couldn't sing along. Because I know what it's like to be a bride waiting for her groom. I know the emotions you feel when you are excitingly anticipating that day. I know how you some days you almost seem to float, you are so full of joy. I know how you start holding your receipts and everything else you have to sign with your whole hand so someone will let you talk about the fact you are engaged and about to be married. I know what it's like to be consumed with thoughts only of marriage bliss.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">I know all of these things, so I have a sinking feeling in my stomach and tears collecting ready to spill at any moment when I heard the words "we'll be a church ready for You." </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">Recently, I have been getting very stressed very easily. If you looked at my thoughts, my words, my actions, my heart, my time, my money, my life, it would not look at all like a bride waiting for her groom. It would not look at all like I was ready for Jesus to come. Honestly, I've been longing for just about everything accept my King. And it is breaking my heart. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">So as I sit here with my stomach in knots, a knot in my throat, and a heart that feels like it is too hard and self consumed to ever long for Jesus, I can feel my Savior's love fall over. I can hear Jesus say, "I'm here. I love you. It's going to be O.K. You got distracted for a little while, but I never left you. I'm so glad I saved you. You won't even believe how we are going to advance My Father's kingdom together. His will on earth, as it is in heaven."</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">My prayer for you and me is that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit each day. May our hearts long for our king. May we be <u><i>just like </i></u>a bride waiting for her groom. May we be a church <i>ready</i> for Jesus.</span></span></span><br />
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Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-38740588587068387282015-03-28T09:20:00.000-07:002015-03-28T09:22:10.383-07:00Covers<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;">Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">1 John 4:11</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I'm a reader. Always have been.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">In 4th grade I had 200 AR points by Christmas. If you don't know what this means, just know this is a very impressive feat of reading all the time instead of doing other important things. Like homework, cleaning up my room, minding my mother, the list could go on. (Now would be an appropriate time to apologize to my mom for hiding in a corner and reading instead of cleaning my room. I'm truly sorry... kind of. I really enjoyed those books.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">As if getting that many AR points by Christmas wasn't hard enough, (never hurts to toot your own horn when talking about your childhood, right?) what truly makes this amazing is how picky of a reader I was. My mom always said, "You can't judge a book by it's cover," but my superior 10 year old mind knew that was just plain silly. Of course you can judge a book by the aesthetic appeal, or lack there of, and decide immediately whether the story that went along with it was worth getting emotionally invested in or not. (Although I'm not sure I had those exact thoughts as a 10 year old. It was probably more like "That looks ugly. The story is boring. Moving on.") </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">So, as I sit here at Panera Bread in Phoenix and think about how thankful I am I outgrew judging a book by it's cover, I am humbled to my core by the realization that I no longer judge books like this. I judge people like this. In my 23 young years I have accumulated a set of assumptions to go along with certain "covers." Very rarely do I ever think about the "story" that goes along with these "covers."</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">I see the beautiful girl sitting opposite of me in the bleachers at a Spring Training game with the designer purse, the sunglasses, perfect skin, fit body and perfect mani/pedi and immediately assume I know her "story" based on a quick glance at her "cover." In this way I have placed her into a category (which in my opinion is a form of dehumanizing) and have therefore relieved myself of feeling obligated to go share my life with her and find out about her's. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Because since I think I know her story, I assume we have nothing in common besides baseball. Since I am assuming, based on her "cover," that nothing is wrong in her life I decide it is unnecessary for me to share about my Jesus who binds the brokenhearted with her. Besides, I have trouble trusting Jesus with Brandon's career. How am I suppose to share truth and hope with this girl?</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">"My strength will be made known through your weakness." - Jesus</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">I see the man (or boy - it's often hard to tell from afar) sleeping in the shade at the park with a dirty backpack on and a few layers of ragged clothing on. With a quick glance at his "cover" I assume I know his "story." In this way I have placed him into a category (which in my opinion is a form of dehumanizing) and have therefore relieved myself of feeling obligated to go share my life with him and find out about his. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Because I think I know his "story," I assume we have nothing in common. Then, I assume based off of his "cover" that there are so many things wrong in his life that it is unnecessary for me to share about or show Jesus to him because he appears almost too broken. Besides, I don't have the time or resources to meet any of his physical needs. How am I suppose to share truth and hope with this guy?</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">"And the first shall be last, and the last shall be first." - Jesus</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">So just like that, twice in the same day, I have judged a book by its cover. But now the consequence is not just missing out on reading a good story. No, the consequences now are much heavier. It is missing out on being a part of someone's God story. Because of the categories I placed each person in based on their "cover" I forgot that a each has a story. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Maybe the girl dreamed of this kind of life as child but now that she has it realizes that it can not fulfill her and is more confused and hurt than ever before. Maybe the guy never dreamed he would be the guy without a home but with a nasty addiction and has realized that it can not fulfill him but doesn't know there is hope. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">The last job I have is judging whether or not people need or deserve to hear about the hope of Jesus's love. The first (and I would argue only important) job I have is listening to the Holy Spirit and telling people about Jesus's love and showing them Jesus's love - even if that looks different to each different person. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">May we seek to be a part of people's story today, not judge it by their cover. </span>Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-23969800060129645152014-08-07T10:13:00.001-07:002014-08-07T10:25:09.752-07:00Suffering <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;">Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. Psalm 3:7 </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i>The following is a guest blog post by my insightful husband. His desire to not sugar coat the Gospel and to love brothers and sisters in Christ we have never met is humbling and encouraging me. He is just the right leader for me. I pray these thoughts God placed on Brandon's heart call you to action, as well</i>. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">King David was known as a man after God's heart and it is shown through his prayers as he authored many of the Psalms. Some of the Psalms he wrote were plea's to God asking Him to let him dwell in safety or to save him from his enemies. In the ESV translation, Psalm 3 is entitled "Save Me, O My God" and there are simularly titled chapters throughout the book. David spent a lot of his life on the run from people trying to kill him- even his own son at one point. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">David was suffering.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">One of the things my wife bought me for Christmas this past year was a Dietrich Bonhoeffer biography. He was a pastor in Germany around the time Hitler came to power. Bonhoeffer ended up being killed for his desire to stand up for the injustice happening to the Jews and for his role in trying to assassinate Hitler. It is referenced throughout the book that Bonhoeffer leaned heavily upon the Psalms, doing daily devotionals in them up until his murder in a concentration camp. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">Bonhoeffer was suffering.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">Yesterday I read an article that said 1,500 people, many being Christians, were killed in Iraq for their religious beliefs by the Islamic State. In North Korea there are thought to be up to 300,000 Christians in labor camps. In Nigeria the infamous religious group Boko Haram has been burning churches and homes of Christians, as well as the highly publicized kidnapping of many young girls. Those are just three countries and three accounts of Christian suffering. One member of the IS said "we can do anything we want, everyone is watching Gaza."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">Christians are suffering.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">Yesterday, Jackie and I spent some time on our knee's in prayer and for the first time the Psalms became real to me. God gave me the perspective of being in the situation of the suffering Christian and I read Psalm 3 and cried.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">"O Lord, how many are my foes?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">Many are rising against me;</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">many are saying of my soul, </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">there is no salvation for him in God.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">my glory, and the lifter of my head.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">I cried aloud to the Lord,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">and he answered me from His holy hill.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">I lay down and slept;</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">I will not be afraid of the many thousands of people</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">who have set themselves against me all around.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">Arise, O Lord!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">Save me, O My God!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">you break the teeth of the wicked.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">Salvation belongs to the Lord;</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">your blessing be on your people!"</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: purple;">Take a second and pray for your fellow brother or sister in Christ. Pray God will hear their cry and intervene and pray they hold on to the hope that Jesus is coming back and worth the suffering.</span></span></div>
Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-77162328302442543812014-07-30T15:21:00.001-07:002014-07-30T19:22:18.913-07:00RunningWhere can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? (Psalm 139:7 NIV)<br />
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I went running today. Kind of.<br />
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I actually went hiking. Ok, if we are being technical I'm still in the middle of my hike. (Which explains why this probably looks like it was kind of thrown together.) I'm sitting on a rock praying I don't reenact the Duck Dynasty episode I watched recently of some of the characters getting ants in the pants. Literally praying.<br />
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Right before I sat down I was running. For about 45 seconds... Maybe a minute. Mount Helena is steep! Don't laugh! Allow me to give you a mental picture of what just occurred. I was hiking (walking but hiking sounds so much harder) from the very beginning. After awhile my legs started to feel lose and I came upon a spot that looked more flat than uphill so I thought, "Hmmm. I bet I can run for a bit. I mean I do run. Usually not straight uphill, but i'll be fine for a bit." So I start running. It went so great, y'all, for about 20 seconds. Then just as I was mentally preparing to slow down and hike (walk) for another five minutes before trying again to run something awful happens.<br />
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I see people. Multiple. Three women to be exact.<br />
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So what am I suppose to do?! Just stop running and have them talk about how I am so out of shape the rest of their way down the mountain? No way! I want them to talk about how IN shape I am and how they wish they could that. (Prideful thoughts are hard enough- typing them out for other people to read is especially humbling. Blah.) I thought this knowing full well that as soon as they couldn't see me (or hear my breathing) anymore I planned to stop immediately.<br />
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So I kept running.<br />
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I fooled them.<br />
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I faked them out.<br />
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They think I'm one of those people that run up mountains..... HA! If only.<br />
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As soon as I stopped and allowed myself to process what just happened, the Spirit showed me a few things.<br />
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1) I do this in life outside of Mount Helena. With friends. With family. Sadly, even with my husband. I don't stop to show weakness. So I run. I run until I can be alone and work things out by myself without any ones help. Never-mind that the Scripture makes it very clarify that it's through our weakness that God is shown to others by letting him work in us. That's something I tell people, but it's not for me. I got this. I fool people. I fake them. They think I'm one of those girls that can do life without messing up.... Ha! If only.<br />
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2) I do this in my walk with The Lord. I see a straight stretch and decide to handle it on my own without thinking twice. Instead of stopping when I hear the Holy Spirit guiding, I keep running. I pick up the pace even sometimes. I can do this on my own. I <i>think</i> I can fool God. I <i>think </i>I can fake Him. Ha! I'm glad I can't. I'm thankful it's not possible to get alone outside of His protective wings because I have given up authority over my life to Him. I'm thankful that when I sit down from the exhaustion of faking everyone else He is still there. Because where can I flee from His presence?<br />
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3) I'm afraid there are some people who are faking everyone into believing they are Christians. Don't get me wrong, my type of faking is counterproductive and the farthest thing from admirable. But my faking isn't near as scary as the act faking people into believing you are a Christian. That faking is deadly. Literally. I listened to Francis Chan talk on this subject recently and what I am about to say is a paraphrase of a point in his message. For whatever reason, you may feel the need to act like you are a Christian even though you have no desire to live according to the Bible. Or you may be on the other end. You may be trying desperately to live according to the Bible but have never actually submitted your life to The Lord.<br />
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Either way, at some point surely you have thought about giving your life to The Lord and repenting of your sins, but you just can't. So many people already think you are a believer. Maybe people don't think that, but you hope people think you are one, so admitting that you had never actually given your life to Christ would be letting those people know they were right. Can't do that. It would hurt too much. Hurt your pride. So you fake people. And maybe you're successful at faking people. Maybe you will die and people on Earth will think you are in heaven. But what about you, then. Will you be in Hell and think, "Well at least the people on Earth think I'm in heaven." By. No. Means.<br />
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When Francis Chan put it that way it broke my heart. I do not want to make you doubt your salvation,, but if you know you have never given your life to Christ because you are afraid of what people will think who may have thought you already were a Christian I PRAY you humble yourself before The Lord and give your life to Him.<br />
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I pray you learn how wonderful it is to walk in the freedom of Jesus Christ without having to fake people.<br />
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So I'm going to keep hiking (walking) now. I may even run for 20 seconds. But rest assured I will be stopping when I feel like I'm about to collapse whether people are watching or not. And I will be praying The Lord teaches me how to not run FROM Him but TO Him on a daily basis. And I will be praying that people may enter into a real, lasting, wonderful, hard, comforting, refining, loving, pruning, grace-filled relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.<br />
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<br />Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-18503394034581250842014-06-29T18:39:00.003-07:002014-06-29T18:45:15.821-07:00Effects of Hunger<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"For the bread of God is He who comes down from </span></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">heaven and gives life to the world."</span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>John 6:33 </b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last summer I was babysitting a sweet 3 year old boy and
his precious little sister. Most of the time this little boy was pretty easy
and enjoyed playing and talking to me. He was so curious and often asked questions
about how things worked or why things were a certain way. One day, however, he
did not care for my answer to one of his questions. So he asked it again, “Is August in
the summer?” The first time I quickly answered yes, but that second time I
paused and did the math – four seasons, 12 months, 3 months to a season,
September-November is Fall, etc. After gaining confidence in my answer I told
him yes again. He was not having it. Much to my disbelief this calm, easy going
little boy ran over to the couch and started crying, no bawling, face down and
feet up. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I sat their paralyzed I remembered a statement his mom
had made about discerning when he was being blatantly disobedient and when he
was acting out of hunger, tiredness, or something along those lines. So I
regained my composure, praying there was something besides me that was causing
this reaction and said gently, “Is everything ok? Is something wrong? Can I
help you?” Little did I know how significant his response would be nearly a
year later. He stopped crying, caught his breath, looked up at me, and said “I’m
just really hungry, Jackie.” Oh sweet boy. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We can all think back to a time when our growling
stomachs caused us to act out of the norm, right? In my case I tend to get a
tad bit grouchy and impatient, though if Brandon were writing this he may leave
out “tad bit.” (But he’s not and I am, so we’ll all agree on “a tad bit
grouchy.") When Brandon gets hungry he starts asking questions. Instead of
saying “I need food, like now,” which is what I tend, to do he asks me, “How
hungry are you?” And, unlike me, Brandon is not that picky when it comes to
food so he is liable to eat the first thing he can get his hands on – which one
time happened to be cookie dough that was a couple of months old. GAG! </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now, if we can get past the cookie dough we can get to
where I am going with this. Yesterday morning was rough. Really rough. More specifically
yesterday morning I was rough. As much as I would like to blame an outside
source, and look for them I did, there is only one person to blame for my
behavior – ME. Oh, I tried to blame Brandon because we over slept; He tried
waking me up for 30-45 minutes. I was upset with the restaurant Brandon picked
for breakfast; I said he could pick when he asked where I wanted to go. Our
waitress did not smile enough to meet my expectations; I know nothing about her
life. My cinnamon roll did not taste like Briar Rose’s; I guess I can’t hold
everyone to their standard. Then, to sum it all up, I basically let all of this
out on Brandon by being rude to most everything he said. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wish I could tell you that sometime during the morning
I got my act together – after all I have spent the last 2 weeks trying to
memorize Psalm 13:5 which says, “But I will trust in your unfailing love; my
heart rejoices in your salvation.” Why couldn’t my dysfunctional heart just
rejoice?!? It was not until that afternoon when Brandon had gone to the field
that I sat down and just thought, “Why? Why God? What is wrong with me?!” And
you know what God said? He lovingly and gently whispered, “You’re just hungry.
Hungry for me.” Hmmm. Well now that you mention it, Lord, I do think that
could be a key factor here. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had been doing an awful job of spending time with the
Lord the past couple of weeks, and like when we are physically hungry for food,
spiritual hunger will show itself in some very unattractive, unglorifying ways.
I had become grouchy, whiney, rude, unpleasant, needy, etc. much like when I am
needing real food. Also, I had stopped evaluating myself and started looking at
other things as being the issue. Surely it wasn’t poor little me that was the
problem! HA! Worst of all, I had started feeding my spiritual hunger with
anything I could get my dirty, grubby hands on. I pushed Brandon into a place
that he doesn’t deserve to be by expecting him to make me feel content and
whole. Then, because Brandon wasn’t fulfilling this need, (only Jesus can truly satisfy
us and bring contentness) I started the viscous comparing game that I too readily become a participant in. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All of this because I was just hungry. I don’t say “just”
because the hunger justifies my actions –by no means is that true. I say “just”
because my hunger can be easily filled. All I have to do is spend time with
Jesus and let him fulfill me. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The passage I hope you read is too long to type here, so
get out your bible, smart phone, or ipad and read John 6:25-58. Reflect on it.
If you still feel hungry after that, keep reading and keep praying. The Lord
will NOT disappoint. It would be against His very nature. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jackie Moore </span></span></span><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></b></div>
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Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-74887993864674411272014-04-19T10:03:00.000-07:002014-04-19T10:12:16.656-07:00What If?<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>"But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation."</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Psalm 13:5</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"What if?" That seems to be the question of the hour in my life as of late. As many of you know my husband, Brandon, is currently playing Minor League Baseball in the Milwaukee Brewers Organization. I do not have the time (or even an adequate enough understanding of it all) to explain what exactly this looks like for him and for our marriage and our future. What I can tell you with great confidence, though, is that my daily vocabulary and thought life is not lacking in "What ifs?" In fact, there are a few conversations that Brandon and I have <i>at least</i> every other day where I'm sure I sound just like a broken record (not that I've ever heard anything played from a record ... but you get the idea). </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a little glimpse of what <u><b>my</b></u> side of the conversation usually sounds like ... and I can only <i>wish</i> I was being dramatic.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"What if _________?" </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Right, I understand. But then what if _________?"</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Yeah, that's true. But what if _________?"</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Yes, I know I need to trust the Lord..... But what about ________?"</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Are you getting frustrated with me? No? You have a crazy amount of patience? Great. Because What if _?"</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until finally Brandon says something abounding with love and gentleness like, "Babe, have you spend much time with the Lord today?"</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And sometimes my answer is no. But what's even scarier is that sometimes my answer is yes! And I'm <i><b>still</b></i> going crazy in my self-absorbed, untrusting "what if" little world! Naturally I start thinking, "What if I am the only person that is this crazy?" (It's fine if you're shaking your head at me - I'm shaking my head as I type!) So over the past week the Lord has showed me that I'm not the only girl that does this. In fact there are a lot of girls, and I can't help but to assume a few boys, that do this. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most memorable "What If" conversation I had was with a sweet girl named Gracen who I got to sit down and talk about life with recently. Through our time together she shared a "What If" scenario with me she had been struggling with and in that moment God made it very clear to me that I have got to let Him teach me personally how to stop this kind of <i>worrying</i> in my own life so that I may encourage other believers who struggle with it, too. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did you catch that italicized word? <i>Worrying. </i>It makes me cringe. I like to <i>pride (</i>I know I know. This is also an issue I'm <strike>working</strike> struggling through) myself in the fact that I do the least amount of worrying in my family. So maybe you're like me and you don't worry. Oh no, never! We trust the Lord always! We just also like to come up with ridiculously crazy "what if" scenarios in our head that haven't happened and probably never will happen. But rest assured, we're not worrying. We're trusting and what if-ing.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the quietness of the room I am writing in I can almost h</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ear God say, "You must only trust." </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How my heart longs to be able to trust. I hope and pray that my trust issues brought on by earthly relationships will stop bleeding over into my personal relationship with Jesus. Psalm 13:5 says, "<i><b><u>But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.</u></b></i>" If I did more than just tweet this verse and truly lived it out, there would be no room for "What ifs" in my heart. If I did what the old hymn says and turned my eyes upon Jesus and looked fully in His wonderful face, then I would need not worry about anything else.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because though there are a lot of issues involved with worrying, I personally believe the root of this issue is that I lose sight of what Jesus did. My Pastor Ronnie Floyd reminded us this week that on the cross Jesus drank the cup of the wrath of God. (John 18:11). Praise His Name forever, right? He saved me from the very worst "What if" scenario I could ever imagine. <i>What if I was separated from the presence of God for eternity? </i>I physically shutter at the thought of that. Praise the Lord that <i>that</i> "what if" is not even possible for me because I have given my life to Jesus, my Lord and Savior. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So if Jesus can save me from the self-destructiveness of my sins, I suppose I can take my "what ifs" to foot of the cross and lay them down each and every day. Then each and every day I can get up, recite Psalm 13:5, and spend the day praising the One who paid my debt and trust that as long as He is Savior <i>and</i> Lord of my life I have no need to "what if" any anxious thought. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Praying for those who read this,</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jackie</span></span></div>
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Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-80675909590787752632014-01-28T07:38:00.003-08:002014-01-29T06:27:49.621-08:00Which Plan Are You On? <div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Jeremiah 29:11</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Planning. It's one of my favorite things to do. The saying "failing to plan is planning to fail" has become a staple in my one line quips I spout off whenever I feel the need to sound witty. But it sure does make sense in a lot of situations, right?! Take the grocery store for example. When you go to Harps with out a plan of attack, (grocery list) what do you come out with? Pop-tarts? Double Stuffed Oreoes? A huge box of multi-colored Goldfish? No? That last one is just me? Hmmmm. Well you get the point. It usually doesn't end well nutritiously OR financially. </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>What about school? What if our teachers and professors never planned? What if they walked in to class every single day and said, "I don't really have any plans for the day. I don't really have any plans for the semester. What do y'all want to do?" It would be chaos, right?! You would have certain students who would just get up and leave. Some students would do some fist pumps, take a picture with the professor, and proclaim to social media what an awesome professor they have. Then you have students like me who would sit quietly to the side and act like nothing was wrong, but on the inside they were having a panic attack and praying for structure and stability. The last example of students might also be thinking something along the line of ... "I paid HOW MUCH for a class where the teacher has no plans to teach us anything?!?!" At which time the inside panic attack would turn to rage.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>You get the picture. Plans are usually a good thing.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Now before I go any farther, I don't want to lose those of you thinking, <i>but all that planning leaves no room for spontaneity and the Holy Spirit. </i>I hear you and I understand your concern. I have thought that a time or two myself. But what I'm learning is that it is well and good to have a plan as long as you are OK with God saying, "Ok, time for a change in course. Time for a new plan."</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>In Jeremiah 29:11 the Lord tells us that He has plans for us. Really great plans for us! But let's not take the verse out of context. Looking at the whole chapter and not just one verse will tell us that the Lord is telling the Israelites what exactly He means when He says He has plans to give them hope and a future. He is bringing them out of captivity! Verse 14 promises God will be found by the Israelites and he will bring them back from captivity! Praise God! </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Now let's look in the New Testament and see where Jesus confirms this promise of God giving hope and a future. John 10:10b says "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Amen, Jesus! He gives us life and wants us to live it to the full! So that verse means we get to own every single color shirt Piko makes, right?!? Ehhh.... not so much. And I'm glad! Because when Jesus said He was going to give us life to the FULL He means SO MUCH MORE than having a lot of material things or earthly status. He means that in Him we are free!</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b> The beginning of verse 10 provides a much scarier truth. It states, "The thief (Satan) comes ONLY to steal and kill and destroy." What exactly is Satan wanting to steal, kill, and destroy? The plans that God has for us. Wait, what?! But Jesus said.. and God said... but then Satan said... I'm confused. So let's try to work through this. </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>The Lord Jesus wants us to live life to the fullest which means living in the freedom of the grace and mercy He has poured out on us through His death and resurrection on the cross. Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour there is nothing Satan can do to remove us from the secure love of the Lord (Romans 8:38-39). So take heart in that, Believer! As long as you have Jesus you have the opportunity to live life to the fullest. Unfortunately, Satan's won't change his job description once we become a believer.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Though Satan can not steal, kill, and destroy our salvation. You better believe he intends to steal, kill, and destroy our joy... our love... our sense of peace provided by the Holy Spirit... our desire to tell others about Jesus. How does he do this? By fueling our pride... our lust... whispering lies to us that contradict the Word of God... by encouraging us to create gray areas in our lives... by telling us we can interpret Scripture however fits our lifestyle best.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Philippians 4:8-9 commands us to think about good, noble, right, true, and pure things so that we may put in to practice what we have learned about living in freedom and out of captivity. Satan hates that. He knows that if he can just get us to listen to song whose lyrics contradict what the Bible says we wont be thinking about the things in verses 8-9 and we won't be living in freedom. Think about it. You hear a song and it gets stuck in your head. You know it's not good. You know it talks about sex in way that is not God-honoring. You know that it promotes pride and lust and sin. But it has a good beat? FORGET ABOUT THE BEAT, PEOPLE! If you are justifying sin, you are exactly where Satan wants you. </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>I'm learning (slowly but surely) how to take every thought captive. I'm praying that the Lord will teach me to recognize when my something gets in my mind that is not from Him so that I may quickly pray it out of there. How can I be used by the Lord if all day I am thinking about things that don't honor Him? It can't happen. </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>The Lord has plans for you to be out of captivity and to be totally free. Oh! How the Lord has plans for you and for me. Let's get on board with His plans, eh? Let's pray that He teaches us how to fight Satan's attempts to steal, kill, and destroy. Let's kneel humbly before the throne, shed a few tears, and invite Him to consume our minds today.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Praying for y'all,</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Jackie <strike>J</strike> Moore</b></span></div>
Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-9267957205704649582013-09-16T17:24:00.000-07:002013-09-16T17:25:06.408-07:00Tough Question<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"> given to men by which we must be saved.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Acts 4:12</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">"<b><i>If you died tonight would you go to heaven?</i></b>" </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">That's what the text message I received one night about two years ago from Brandon Moore. At this point in life we were simply friends with no intentions of ever flirting with each other, much less falling in love. Brandon and some of his friends would come to the house I lived at unannounced around supper time once or twice a week. (Good timing, huh?) Of course I was never the one cooking unless we wanted dessert - I left that up to my sweet roommates - but I slowly started to build a pretty cool friendship with Brandon. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Although Brandon and I often ended up at church together because of mutual friend groups, we never really had a ton of spiritual conversations. So when I randomly received this text, I was thrown pretty quickly into a high state of confusion. Not because of the question itself, but because of the source of the question. I immediately responded with, "<b><i>Yes, I would</i></b>" and assumed this would be the end of the conversation. As confident as I was with my answer, my confusion as to where the question originated from continued to rise. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Initially my mind start racing with with different possibilities as to what spurred the question. I immediately started retracing the past couple of weeks and months in my mind to see if maybe I had been doing a poor job of letting Christ show through in my life. Much like you, I fall short of the glory of God daily, so I think every single sin I had done in the past two months came to mind. After about 1 minute of this line of thinking I had convinced myself Brandon asked me this because I had done something to make him think otherwise. This was an absolutely mortifying thought. I was close to tears when he replied, "<b><i>Why?</i></b>"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">In a second my mind completely switched gears and I assumed that Brandon wasn't a Christian. If he was a Christian he would know why I answered the way I did, so why else would he keep prodding. So I immediately switched to evangelism mode. I explained that when I was 6 years old I realized that I needed a Savior to get to heaven so I gave my life to Jesus and since then have been learning more what it means to love the Lord and live for Him. I was fully prepared to suggest we talk in person or suggest he talk to one of our pastors more about a relationship with Christ, so his response completely caught me off guard. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">"<i><b>Ok good. I just wanted to make sure</b></i>." That's what he said..... Like what?! He had just put me on that emotional roller coaster to make sure that I was going to heaven?! After I got over the shock of his unexpected answer, I was overcome with a mixture of thankfulness and disbelief. No friend, that I could remember, had ever asked me if I was going to heaven - definitely no guy friend had ever asked that. So I thought, "I want to marry a guy like that. I want to marry a guy that cares about where I stand with God and is not afraid to ask hard questions." Little did I know my statement would turn in to "Like, I want to marry that guy."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">That conversation has been on my mind for the past month for three reasons.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">1. Girls, wait for a guy that cares about your relationship with the Lord. Please don't feel pressured by social norms to settle for a 'good guy' because it's 'about time to figure out who you're going to marry.' Be content with the season of life you are in right now. Take advantage of all the free time you have to seek God's heart and serve Him with all of yours. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">2. I care deeply about where you stand with the Lord. I so desperately want to see everyone that I know and love in heaven. I want to know if you have called on Jesus name - the only name that can save you. I want to know if there was a time that you gave your life to Christ and ever since then your life has never looked the same. I want to know if you died tonight, would you go to heaven.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">3. I think God wants to use some of the people reading this to ask this tough question. What friend has God been placing on your heart lately? How have you been responding to this? Have you been praying for an opportunity to ask a hard, awkward question that has eternal weight and significance? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Acts 4:12 makes it clear. Salvation is found no where else under heaven. Do you know that in your heart? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Oh how I pray that you do. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Jackie J</span></div>
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Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-7799832813791660212013-07-27T21:43:00.001-07:002013-07-27T21:45:55.844-07:00Seek Justice. Love Mercy.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher)." </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>John 20:15</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Each week of my stay in beautiful San Francisco the Lord has given me a different phrase or theme for the week. At first, I thought it was such a coincidence that every time I was still and not thinking about anything the same phrase would come to mind. Finally I realized this was no coincidence, but God speaking to me. So this past week the phrase "Seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God" would play in my mind when I was riding the MUNI or walking down Ellis street or sitting around waiting for Brandon to get done playing so we can talk. (Side note: I miss him just a little... </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>So as this kept playing over and over in my mind I started to think deeper about the meaning. First and foremost each one describes Jesus, right?! So then I thought well does each one describe me? I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time on the last one, "walk humbly with your God," because of various reasons, but let's just say it's not exactly my number 1... or 2 best asset out of the three. </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Seek justice. I'm learning what that means daily and I hope to continue to learn more in my final two weeks here. Seek means to go in search of something and justice means the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">. </span>So God is telling me to go in search of finding a right action. I like the sound of that, eh? That sounds really noble and impressive. I mean who even uses the word "ideal" in the correct context?! So that's part of what I'm doing here at BJM. I'm researching some of the brothels in San Francisco (that of course are not named brothels) and helping provide the ladies on full-time staff with the evidence that they need when they go to hearings to prevent more from opening or getting different a business permit. </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>As you would assume, we believe a lot of these women inside of these brothels in San Francisco have been trafficked here. Not a lot of things get me more angry than thinking of these women being lied to, hurt, abused, feeling hopeless, and MANY other things (but I am trying to be sensitive to the age of my readers). So it only takes about 1 minute of thinking about this stuff to make the act of seeking justice a piece of cake. </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Love mercy. This one is a little tougher. Mercy means to not give punishment for an act that is wrong or sinful. I am suppose to love mercy. It's almost comical to think about my feelings towards mercy. Of course if the mercy is going to work in my favor I am all about showing mercy some love! But it becomes a little tricky when we are talking about other people. It almost sounds like a complete contradiction to seeking justice, but that's what is so cool about God. He can tell you to do two things that sound opposite because He is able to do that. </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>There is a lady in the bible named Mary Magdalene of whom Jesus cast out seven demons. Most of what is recorded about her is her life after conversion, but let's stop and imagine what a woman with seven demons living inside of her might have been like. She was probably a bit unpleasant to be around, promiscuous, and quite selfish among other things. Picture yourself running into a modern day Mary Magdalene pre-conversion. I'm going to assume your first thought is not going to be, " I should love her because I love mercy." Unfortunately, this is most people's last thought - including my own. My first thoughts when I see someone like this, for example that seems to be "willingly" (and I use that very lightly) prostituting themselves generally are pretty judging.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>But not Jesus. No, Jesus has mercy on his mind. He looked deeper than the surface and saw a troubled, hurting, broken individual that needing loving mercy. He saw a woman worthy of being the first person He spoke to upon His resurrection. Did you catch that?! Mary Magdalene was the first person that Jesus spoke to after He raised from the dead according to John 20:10-18. How simply wonderful is that!?!? My Savior chose not someone of high popularity, but instead a broken woman that had been healed my His mercy and His love. I literally get tears every time I picture that scene playing out in real life.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>So what does this mean for you and me? It means maybe we should get off our high horse and stop judging people so quickly. Maybe we should recognize there is spiritual warfare going on that we can't see. Maybe it means we should ask God to show us how to simultaneously seek justice AND love mercy.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Why must we do both at the same time? Because we are to love mercy and because justice matters.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Love y'all so</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Jackie J</b></span></div>
Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-83905550817814304332013-07-04T13:24:00.000-07:002013-07-04T13:24:01.567-07:00Homeless<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>". . . All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth."</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Colossians 1:6</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>This is YWAM San Francisco located on Ellis Street in the Tenderloin. This is where I am working because BJM is a part of the YWAM here. This building is about three or four blocks from a three story Forever 21 and a Macy's. This street is filled people that don't have a roof over their heads and often have to sleep on the street. This neighborhood has a huge chunk of my heart. This is exactly where I want to be spending my last summer of college. </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Tuesday morning in between meetings I had about an hour of free time so I decided to go to a coffee shop a block away to read and pray. While I was waiting for the light to change so I could cross the street a man in his 40s or 50s started talking to me. I'm not sure if I make you fully grasp how odd this was because living in the South no one ever meets a stranger - especially if they have on Razorback apparel. Sure, people who are living on the street might talk when you pass by asking for something or may make a comment they don't expect a response to, but people very rarely actually pursue a conversation with each other on the street.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>So this man (whom appeared to be someone that had a home based on his clothing and lack of items generally carried by homeless) looked at me and said, "You're on the wrong street young lady. You need to head that way." At that point he pointed in the direction I was headed. I smiled and said that is the way I was going and he nodded in approval. I'm sure he assumed I was out shopping and had wandered into the Tenderloin by mistake because he then said, "What are you doing over here anyway?" Since I knew the light was about to change and was really eager to read chapter 8 of John and was still a little in shock someone from SF was talking to a stranger, I just pointed back at the YWAM building and said I worked there and we help the homeless men and women in this neighborhood.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>He looked at me for a moment, puzzled, and said, "You have kindness in your face. Do they have guys that work there, too? To protect you?" Praise Jesus that the man was able to see Christ in my face because by this time the light had already turned and I had missed my chance to get started on John 8. Honestly I was a little ready for the conversation to be over, however, I did appreciate the genuine concern he seemed to have for my safety. Although, I must say I am still curious as to what he was doing in the Tenderloin if he had such a negative view of it. After I explained that there are many guys that work at YWAM he said something that really ruffled my feathers. He said,</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>"You know they deserve to be here, don't you. They do. They deserve it."</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>I forced a smile and mumbled something about it being challenging work at times and then the Lord changed the light because He knows me better than I know myself. He knew that in that moment I wanted to say something along the lines of ... "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!" However, the Lord protected me and got me to the coffee shop without me embarrassing myself or Him. </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>As I started praying for the Lord to help me calm down not be bitter towards him, I nearly started crying as the Lord led me to pray for that man. As I prayed I realized how broken and calloused he was because of how Satan has used society to shape our beliefs. In his mind, these people wouldn't be here if they didn't deserve to be. These people wouldn't be homeless if they would work hard and just get their act together. One of this man's biggest problems was he didn't realize that these people ARE people. When we lump people into a category we lose the ability to see the individual. </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Some of these individual's brains are so fried from the drug abuse that it would take nothing short of a miracle for God to change them. Some of these individual's might not think they have another option because most everywhere else they have gone have rejected them. Some of these people actually hate the way they are living, but feel hopeless because they need a birth certificate to be able to apply for certain things but don't even know or remember where they were born. Each individual is different and has a different story. My job, as a follower of Christ, is to let each individual I meet see the love of Christ in me. The love of Christ is the Gospel. The Gospel is so powerful. The bible says if I have this kind of love God will work. (1 Corinthians 13:1-6).</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Because how similar are you to acting like a person on the street? Seriously. Think about it. What turns you off from loving these people? That they are needy? That they bother you when you are busy and have important places to be? That they are an inconvenience to the plans you want to get accomplished? That they ask for something and when they don't receive it they curse you? That if you do give them something they may or may not say thank you and then not use it in the way you hoped they would? That you feel they take advantage of you? </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>We do this to God. We do everything I just said over and over and over and over. What if God took the same approach that we did? What if God thought I was too needy? What if God thought I was a bother and He had more important things to do then listen to me? What if God thought I was an inconvenience to the plans He wants to accomplish? What if God got upset when I cursed him because He didn't answer how I wanted Him too refused to help me? What if God decided he was tired of blessing me just so that I could throw it all away on things that won't matter in eternity? What if God decided he was tired of me taking advantage of Him? </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>What if God lumped people together and didn't care about individuals? </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>The bible says once we have repented of our sins and given our life to Jesus we are no longer our own. We are suppose to love like Jesus. Everyone. Love everyone like Jesus does. I am praying as you read this God is moving in your heart so that you may stop lumping groups of people together and start loving each of them individually just as Jesus does.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><b>Jackie J</b></span></div>
Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-89802174606879754532013-06-27T21:10:00.003-07:002013-06-27T21:20:25.325-07:00One More Salvation<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;"><b>"We no longer believe because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>know that this really is the Savior of the world."</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>John 4:42</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>Question: Why did Jesus come from Heaven to earth? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b> Answer: To fulfill God's plan of salvation</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>I assume that some of you reading this knew the answer to that question and are probably wondering where I'm going with this, but let's stop and think through this together. I am often reminded from reading the Bible that God has plans for me. He is going to use my whole life, everything in it. Everything has a purpose and he made me and the people in my life for a specific reason. Now if we believe God has things He wants to accomplish through us, we had better believe He had things He wanted to accomplish through His Son in his time on earth. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>If you aren't familiar with Jesus's ministry on earth, I'll try to give you a quick summary. Luke 3:23 tells us that Jesus started his ministry when he was about 30 years old. From that point until He was arrested and crucified and raised from the dead, He went around to different towns performing miracles and telling people about His Father. He would go to temples and talk to religious leaders to teach them the meaning of God's word. As you can imagine, Jesus knew he was pretty limited on time and the Lord had everything mapped out so that He could fulfill His plan. This is why I love the story in the beginning of John 4 and have been reading and re-reading it in preparation for my internship in San Francisco with a non-profit organization called Because Justice Matters.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>Jesus is travelling between towns and ends up stopping at a well that was located in Samaria around noon and while he was there a woman came to get water. Now we can say, "Oh! What a coincidence this woman came to the well the same time Jesus did!" or we can (correctly) say, "Oh! Jesus knew this woman would be getting water at this well at this specific time." Jesus then proceeds to have a conversation with this woman and we find out that she has had 5 different husbands and was living with a man that was not her husband. The reason she is at the well alone is because she waits to come draw water during the hot part of the day in ordered to avoid being judged by the other women who draw their water much earlier. He offers her living water and explains how He is the only one that can truly fulfill her and satisfy her. (John 4: 1-26)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>The first point I want to make is that Jesus meets her where she is. He goes to her town and has a conversation with her in order to get to know her and explain who He is. (So He is explaining the Gospel. He is the Gospel. He is explaining who He is, the Gospel. Just think about how cool that is for a minute.) He is patient with her and hears and answers her questions. This why I am so excited to intern with Because Justice Matters the rest of this summer. They meet girls where they are at and love them like Jesus does. I can not wait to start working on Monday!!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>The next point I want to make is the disciples reaction in verse 27, "Just then His disciples arrived, and they were amazed that He was talking with a woman." Jesus is just disrupting all kinds of social norms and unwritten rules!! During this time period the common Jewish teaching was that talking too much to women was a waste of time. So what does Jesus do? He takes time out of His crazy schedule of performing miracles and talking to the most important people of the time to have a conversation with one woman. A woman that is not even related to him. Jesus is showing His disciples, us, and this woman that she is important. Jesus is specifically concerned with her and her salvation. Just one. He stopped to share the Gospel with one person. This is another thing I love about Because Justice Matters. They believe each woman is unique and worth hearing the Gospel so that they may be saved.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>The last thing I want to point out is is in verse 42, "And they told the woman, 'We no longer believe because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.'" You see this woman was so pumped about this guy who had just given her living water, she forgot all about her drinking water, as well as her shame, and ran into town to tell everyone she could find about Jesus. How I wish I had that passion for Jesus daily! At first, verse 39 says many believed because of what the woman said. But then later they believed because of what He said! Jesus used this one salvation to be able to tell the rest of the town about the Gospel. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>One of the things I am going to start praying for my time in San Francisco while working with Because Justice Matters is that people will see Jesus in me and that the Lord will use that to reveal Himself to them. If even just one woman experiences salvation when I am in San Francisco I will rejoice forever, because I know what one more salvation means. It means one more person will be spending eternity in heaven.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>Jackie J </b></span></div>
Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-56614600813658012732013-06-13T20:53:00.003-07:002013-06-13T21:01:32.086-07:00Engaged!!! :)<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is what the ancients were commended for."</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hebrews 11:1-2</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am engaged to Brandon Moore!!! YAY!!!!!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First off, I would like to point out the two types of people that will be reading this blog. The first group of people are lumped together because they knew me before my Junior year of college. The second group of people are lumped together because they came into my life sometime between Junior year and today. The first group is thinking "I knew Jackie Jenkins would get married." The second group is thinking "I knew Jackie Jenkins would get married to Brandon Moore." So there is really no need for "I told you so" texts any longer. ;)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that we've got that out of the way, allow me to tell you what I'm experiencing right now. I have decided to call it having a "Red Sea" moment. After Moses led the Israelites across the Red Sea to escape the Egyptians who were pursuing them to take them back into captivity, Exodus 14:31 says, "And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant." Can't you just picture them stopping and looking back and the Red Sea and thinking, "Like what just happened?! How good is our God?!"</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's what I am doing right now -- looking back on everything that has happened in my life in the past six days and thinking, "Like what just happened?! How good is my God?!" So many prayer requests have been answered in the past week that I am just overwhelmed with how faithful the Lord has been to me. Brandon is currently a professional baseball player and my fiance! I just don't think my heart could be any fuller than it is right now!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have been praying for Brandon to get drafted where ever the Lord wants to use him to tell people about Jesus and his love and Brandon got drafted to the Milwaukee Brewers! We are SOOOOOOOOOO excited about that! What a great organization to be a part of!? We can not wait to see what God has planned as Brandon continues to work hard and improve and hopefully move up in the organization!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have also been praying about God's plan for our relationship. About a week after we started our relationship I asked Brandon, "So when are we going to get married?" I don't remember his response, but I'm sure it had something to do with prayer. So that's what we have done. We both knew we had really strong feelings for each other, but we also knew that God's plan for each of our lives was way more important than our plans for ourselves. So we kept praying, and praying, and praying.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, a year and a month later we are engaged!! I don't know if I can say enough how important Jesus being the center of our relationship is. If Jesus were not in this relationship, there is a good chance we wouldn't be engaged right now. But by the grace of God, Brandon asked me to marry him at the airport this morning before he left to start his pro baseball career in Helena, Montana. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The original ring he picked out is not here yet because it had to be special ordered since I have abnormally small fingers and wear a size 4. So, this early this morning Brandon drove to Wal Mart and bought a cute little ring to propose with so I would have something to wear until the real one got here. (Like how adorable/precious/sweet/cute/thoughtful/wonderful/etc. is that?!?!?!) Unfortunately Wal-Mart didn't have any size 4's on hand either so that ring is now in the process of getting sized as well!! So my current status is two engagement rings and a bare ring finger. . . and I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love Brandon Moore so stinkin' much. But I love my precious Savior so much more. Looking back on the past six days all I have to say is Praise God and Go Brewers!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jackie J......(for now ;] )</span></div>
Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-76341695642455066322013-04-26T10:30:00.002-07:002013-04-26T10:34:04.970-07:00Jesus Christ > Brandon Moore<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">all your mind and with all your strength."</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"> Mark 12:30</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Assumption: If a Christian boy and a Christian girl enter into a relationship then their relationship with be a Christ-centered one without any extra effort.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Reality: If a Christian boy and a Christian girl enter into a relationship they have to work daily at making sure it is a Christ-centered one.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">To make sure I get my point across allow me to paraphrase:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">There is a huge difference in being in a God honoring, Christ centered, Holy Spirit led relationship and being in a relationship with someone who is a Christian. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">A couple of days ago Brandon and I went to an event together called the Hogspy Awards which is U of A's version of the ESPYs. His mom and sister came too and it was a fun night full of pictures, laughing, pictures, food, and more pictures! (Brandon LOVES pictures.) Brandon wore a suit and I wore make-up and spent a good 30 minutes trying to fix my hair. The entire time I was getting ready I was thinking, "I can't wait for my boyfriend to see me!" I had it all planned out in my head from beginning to end. I planned what he was going to say, how many times he would say it, and how he was going to look at me.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">While Brandon definitely told me I looked pretty, things didn't go exactly as I had planned. So I got pouty. Not in a 'stick out the bottom lip kinda way' but in a 'I'm gonna be quiet until you repent kinda way.' Not exactly the best way to go about things, FYI. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Don't get me wrong, I am all for getting compliments from my boyfriend. In fact I think complimenting each other in relationships is very healthy, but I was wanting more than just a compliment. I was seeking Brandon Moore's approval of my outward appearance in hopes that it would <u><b>fulfill me</b></u>, <u><b>give me worth</b></u>, and <u><b>make me content</b></u>. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Bless his heart. I had just taken the role that Jesus is suppose to play in my life and shoved it on Brandon without even giving him a good luck kiss. Needless to say, Brandon fell short. Why did he fail to give me those three things? Because Brandon is not perfect.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">My boyfriend is not Jesus, therefore, he will never be able to fulfill the role of Jesus in my life. When I try to make Brandon equal to my sweet Savior I am sinning by placing Brandon as an idol.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Thankfully Jesus said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9) He promises in his word to fulfill me, to give me worth, and make me content. All I have to do is rest in him. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">2 Corinthians 3:18</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">We are still in the very early stages of figuring how to look like the "reality" relationship as opposed to the "assumption" relationship. Here is what we are learning that looks like.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">1) <u>God Honoring</u> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"> - staying pure physically with each other even in our hearts (Ephesians 5:3)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"> - respecting one another out of biblical submission to God (Ephesians 5:21)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">2) <u>Christ Centered</u></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"> - forgiving one another daily and not holding grudges (Ephesians 4:32)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"> - showing each other grace just as Christ showed us (whole bible)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"> - talking daily about how we can serve Christ individually and together (Ephesians 3:10)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">3) <u>Holy Spirit Led</u></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"> - asking for through small and large decisions in our relationship (Ephesians 1:17)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"> - trusting through faith the Holy Spirit will keep us in the Father's will (Romans 8:5)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Without making an effort to base our relationship on the Lord, we would have broken up a long time ago. Even a good thing -like a Christian boyfriend- can turn into a bad thing if placed equal to or above Jesus Christ. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Praying for you to have a Christ centered relationship.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Jackie J</span></div>
Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-16149242093726331222013-02-07T20:31:00.001-08:002013-02-07T20:49:13.118-08:00Me? Insecure? Never. <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of the darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>2 Corinthians 4:6</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Is it possible to feel completely confident and completely insecure at the same time? Ask any cheerleader, and IF they were being honest, you will hear a resounding, "YES!"</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>OK. So maybe feeling fully both at the exact same time is a bit of a stretch (cheer pun intended), but the line that separates the two opposite states of mind is pretty darn thin. One second you are fully confident in yourself for hitting a stunt and making it look like you have been doing it since birth. Then a quick glance at the cute girl standing next to you makes you rethink every sugar, starch, and trans fat you have had in the past month and you've gone from full confidence to full-blown insecurity in record speed. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Now I realize some of you reading this may not be able to relate exactly because you never cheered. But surely you can think of a situation in which you were propelled from confident to insecure in .5 seconds flat. Maybe it's simply walking into a room full of people. You can be totally confident standing in front of your mirror because the stars aligned giving you a good make-up and hair day when you decided to wear a new outfit. Then, the moment you step foot in the room insecurity hits you like an invisible brick wall. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Any of this sound familiar? Or are you trying to ignore the fact that you relate like I did at first. Go back with me to Christmas...</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Brandon, my sweet boyfriend, came to Christmas with my family this year. One of the many reasons I love him is his choice of gifts. I love to read, so Brandon buys me books. Specifically, he buys me Beth Moore books. They are his "go-to." I think his thought process goes something like this: "Jackie seems to be having a bad day; I'll get her a Beth Moore book. . . I want to surprise Jackie with a gift; I'll get her a Beth Moore book. . . It's a holiday; I'll get her a Beth Moore book." I jokingly asked him recently what he would do when he ran out of Beth Moore books to buy and I got a blank stare. My future is looking bright, y'all. ;-)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>So, naturally, for Christmas I was expecting a new Beth Moore book. Brandon did not disappoint. In front of my mom, dad, nanny, papa, and brother I start to unwrap the book, glance at it, and start to move on to the next gift. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>My sweet nanny says, "Ooooo! Beth Moore! What is it?"</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>I responded, "<i>So Long, Insecurity</i>."</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Nanny then gets a worried look and says, "Oh, Jackie, you're not insecure. . . Right??"</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>In (what I thought was) FULL confidence, I responded, "Of course, not. I just want to read all of her books."</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>So, I start reading and a couple things stand out. By the third chapter I'm pretty into it and a thought crosses my mind, "I wish B hadn't bought this. That way I could have bought it on my Kindle and read it in public without people knowing..."</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>That, my friends, is the moment I took the first step. I admitted I had a problem. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>I will spare you all the gory details of my deep rooted insecurity, though my 'honest-to-a-fault' personality wants to blog about everyone, but rest assured the root was almost touching the center of the earth. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>One of the main ideas I learned on my journey through the book is that when I say "God, I trust you," I have to mean it. Also, 2 Corinthians 4:6 was a great reminder that as a Christ-follower I have a light inside of me that came from the God who created light. What in the world am I insecure about?! Renewing my mind daily as the bible says and reminding myself of this has made putting my trust in Christ so much easier. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>If your waiting for me to give you the "quick-fix" on getting rid of insecurity you're going to be sadly disappointed at the end. There is no quick-fix. It would take hundreds of blogs. God definitely put a special blessing on Beth Moore as she wrote this book. So go buy it. But not on your Kindle! That's cheating!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Lastly, let me make one thing clear. This book will not fix your insecurity. Jesus will use this book to point you back to him. And how can Jesus bring you back to himself if you have not first had a time in your life where you gave yourself to him? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>My biggest prayer is that through these blogs people will look into their own hearts and do one of two things:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>1) Realize that they can never be good enough or work hard enough to get to heaven and accept Jesus as their Savior</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>2) After accepting Jesus, desire to know him and be like him more and more each day.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Love y'all!!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Jackie J</b></span></div>
Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-9622098906394230862012-12-29T20:53:00.001-08:002012-12-29T20:53:07.719-08:00Heart Breaks<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>"That I have intense sorrow and continual anguish in my heart."</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Romans 9:2</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Sometimes your heart breaks. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Today in my time alone with God I prayed "Lord, my heart is deceitful. It is desperately wicked. Give me your heart. Give me your eyes. Show me how to love like you."</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Now before you start patting me on the back, let me stop you. James 1:17 says that every good and perfect gift is from God. That string of thoughts I prayed was a good and perfect gift from the Holy Spirit. My selfish mind would have never thought that on it's own. It's not the first time I've been led to pray this and I PRAY it is not the last. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Back to prayer... Aren't we funny things? Human beings? Christians? We read the bible and do our best to follow what it says. We read how it says to pray. So we pray with confidence and faith. Then when God answers our prayers we are floored. At least that's how I am. Every time. Especially when I pray for God's heart. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Today, like he is so faithful to do time and time again, God answered. He gave me a tiny glimpse into his heart. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>1 & 2 Chronicles are books about kings. Kings whose attention God tried to get and hold. Every once in awhile you will see, "He did what was right in the Lord's sight..." but more often you get "He did what was evil in the Lord's sight." Can you imagine doing evil in the sight of the Lord and not asking for forgiveness? What are the implications of this?! You can read "He did evil in the Lord's sight" for months and think stupid kings. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>But... sometimes your heart breaks. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>There are countless kids who have broken home lives. Literally. Countless. They go home from school to broken moms and dads. They go home to distracted moms and dads. They go home to alcoholic moms and dads. They go home to drug addicted moms and dads. They go home to only moms. They go home to no moms or dads at all. God can put them on your heart to pray for, to love.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>But... sometimes your heart breaks.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Too many families have lost ones they loved in an instant unexpectedly. You can be made aware of, pray for, and feel sorry for the fact they still cry every day... Or the fact that a mom won't be there for graduation... Or the fact that a mom and dad outlived their child... Or the fact that a child watched a parent kill someone... Or the fact that the cancer is still there... Most of the time you say a quick prayer for them.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>But... sometimes your heart breaks.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>You can watch someone get publicly humiliated 100 times.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>But... sometimes your heart breaks. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Sometimes your heart breaks and you want the cheers to stop. Sometimes God lets you see through his eyes. He lets you see someone whose pride is wounded. And it breaks your heart.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>You can go to the same place and see the same people your whole life. You can grow up with these people. These 'good' people. These people that mean well. These people that love their kids. These people that work hard. These people that have good morals. You can pray for their salvation. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>But ...sometimes your heart breaks.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Sometimes your heart breaks for these people that you love who have stored up so many earthly treasures and no heavenly ones. These people who have not accepted Christ as their Savior. These people who refuse to humble themselves before a loving, but just God. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>I can think you need to do a better job of being a city on a hill. I can pray God makes me a light. I can tell myself I'm doing pretty good at living for Jesus. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>But... most of the time I forget to humble myself before an Awesome, Holy God. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>And my heart breaks. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Please know that the only way you will spend eternity with God is by His grace through your faith. You have confess that you are sinful and that with out Christ death and resurrection you would have no hope. You have to die to your sinful self and give your life to Christ. From time to time your heart will break. Just absolutely break. But all the time your God will never forsake you. All the time you will have the </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Hope of Jesus Christ. </b></span></div>
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Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-41135366103426035832012-09-17T19:51:00.002-07:002012-09-17T20:05:31.854-07:00Dress to Impress<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>". . . Instead make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way."</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Romans 14:13b</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Setting: Weekend outing</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Action: Girl walks down in to the living room. Dad says she isn't wearing that. Girl whines. Dad puts foot down. Girl changes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a universal movie scene that almost every girl in America is familiar with.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favorite scene comes from one of the great classic movies, <i>Clueless. </i>Cher walks down stairs in a tiny white dress and her dad says, "What the heck is that?" She responds by saying, "A dress!" Cher's dad fires back with, "Says who??" Cher confidently tells him, "Calvin Klein." Cher ends up keeping the dress on. I usually wasn't as fortunate. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember even back in my early teens going shopping with my mom and getting so upset with her when I couldn't get the cute outfit from Limited Too because it "looked to old for me." Duh, mom. That's the whole point. Look like an 18 year old at 12. Get with the program.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It didn't stop there it continued on to my high school career and, I'm embarrassed to say, even college. The saying she says has evolved some, though. Instead of "that's too old for you" it's now more along the lines of "that's too short" or "that's too low." At that point I proceed to defend myself and explain it's really not that bad because it could be much worse.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then about a year or so ago she told me something with so much pure love that I was so humbled I couldn't even be mad or upset with her nagging. I'm probably not quoting this verbatim, but I can get pretty close. "Jackie, I know you try really hard to reflect Christ in your life and lead others in how to live for Him but sometimes that is not evident in the way you dress."</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Geez. It still stings. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After that I tried to focus more on my clothing choice, but I have to admit all I really did was focus on who I would be seeing me in those clothes. If I was going to be around adults I knew personally I would make an effort to dress more conservatively. However, if I knew I would most be around people my age I wouldn't be as concerned with whether or not my shorts were close to to my fingers. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently, though, God has really been working on my heart. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before you read any farther I want to make one thing clear. This is not secretly directed to anyone I know personally. So if you are feeling that way - don't. These are my convictions and something that I want to get better at. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So let's get to scripture. We've all heard the story (and laughed uncomfortably in kid's church) about when God first created Adam and Eve they didn't have to wear clothes. They walked around naked. (ha!) But I want to focus on two verses that come after the fall of man.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Genesis 3:7 "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves."</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Upon noticing that they were naked they didn't just go about their day. This realization was a big enough deal that it spurred action. They made something to cover their nakedness.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Genesis 3:10 "He (Adam) answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So now we see a little bit of what Adam and Eve's thought process was. Once they realized they were naked, it scared them. They were so afraid that they hid. I'm sure we can all agree our society has a little bit of a different view of nakedness then the first man and woman did.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flipping over a few books to Proverbs let's look at a verse dealing with men looking at women. Proverbs chapter 6 verse 25 says,</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes."</b> </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK, I know what you are thinking. That verse is talking about guys looking lustfully at women so what does that do with me? A lot. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In his song "Praying For You" Lecrae says, "<span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">can't even hit up the mall cuz every lady's half-dressed temptin' him to lust and fall." . . . Get it now? Later on in the song we find out that Lecrae is really praying for himself. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now am I saying that we should take all the credit for men lusting and they shouldn't shoulder any of the responsibility? Not. At. All. What I am saying is that we have done a pretty poor job of helping them out.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Romans 14:13b ". . . Instead make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This can look like a lot of different things, but in this instance it means stop dressing with the intent of making them stumble!! And remember I am talking to myself most of all! </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not saying to wear long sleeves and sweat pants every day. I am saying we have to have a mentality shift. Instead of dressing to impress guys and look sexy (consider the root of that word. . .) dress to impress your Creator. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God made us beautiful! Each of us! Know the difference. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I need to start considering who I have in mind when I dress to impress.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Love y'all! Really!</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jackie J</span></div>
Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-27217856268792200762012-09-06T15:24:00.000-07:002012-09-06T15:24:01.066-07:00JPRD<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Philippians 2:3</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Football is finally here!! Praise the Lord! Hogs won. Hillbillies won. Cowboys won. My football season is off to a great start! Those of you that don't know me that well may be a little confused by the middle team. I am from Ozark, Arkansas and our mascot is a Hillbilly. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>When I moved to Ozark in the second grade I literally thought I would die of embarrassment. Who cares about the fact everything I had known since birth was going to be uprooted and turned upside down and the fact that my precious grandparents would now be one hour away instead of one minute. I was about to be a Hillbilly.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>I mean, seriously. I had BIG dreams. At this point my life goal was to be a high school cheerleader. Now I was going to have to say "Go Hillbillies!" Like.... what? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Luckily, upon moving to Ozark my view changed. I realized that being a Hillbilly was actually pretty cool. And even though I now get some strange looks when I play the "Name, Major, and High School Mascot" game on the first day of classes, I wouldn't change my mascot for anything. Instead of being devastating, cheering for the Hillbillies throughout jr. high and high school became my favorite thing to do. In fact one of my favorite chants to call was "HPRD."</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>That's it. HPRD. Just chant that over and over again and you can get a small town real pumped up! It stands for Hillbilly Pride Runs Deep. So that's where the title of this message comes from - with a slight altercation. Mine version SHOULD stand for Jesus Pride Runs Deep, right? I mean that would be ideal. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Unfortunately, recently in my life it has stood for Jackie's Pride Runs Deep. In fact, I probably should have put an extra 'R' in there for REALLY Deep. And let me tell you, nothing is more humbling then realizing just how prideful you are. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>My first red flag should have been when my pastor stood up at church this past Sunday and said we were talking about Pride. I was so prideful that I wasn't even immediately convicted. I thought, "Oh, I need to take good notes so I can help others struggling with pride!" ...... Like really? Bless my heart.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>God was quick to set me straight, though. Point after point kept hitting home. By 'hitting home' I don't mean "yeah, I struggle with that." By 'hitting home' I mean "I SUCK." I actually at one point during the sermon leaned over and wrote that on my boyfriends notes. Every single point described me.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>1)Pride says my agenda is more important than unity (check)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>2)Pride tells me I am more important than I really am (check)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>3)Pride is all about me (check)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>4)Pride tells me I must continually compare myself to others (double check)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>FYI the (check)'s above mean they apply to me. Not good. Especially number 4. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Philippians 2:4 says, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Translation: Help others. Don't compare yourself to others in any way to try to make yourself look better. Ouch. I know. Stings a little. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Verse 5 says "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus," then goes on to list what exactly that looks like in the following verses.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>So to apply this to my life and your life.... Am I saying that wanting to look good, be in shape, eat healthy, do well in school, grow in your walk with Christ are all bad things? NO. Am I saying if you should reevaluate stuff if you are only concerned with how YOU can achieve all of these things and are only interested in being better than others as opposed to helping others? YES. Join the crowd. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>I'm praying that you and I both can make an effort to live out JPRD with the J standing for the One and Only Savior of this fallen world.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Love you all!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Jackie J </b></span></div>
Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-2386926772558978872012-08-01T21:43:00.000-07:002012-08-01T21:52:48.730-07:00Read it. Pray it. Live it.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;">Sometimes you just need to get back to the basics....</b></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;">If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. </span><i data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span data-iceapw="2" style="color: #000066;">John 15:18-19</span></i>
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<i data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span data-iceapw="2" style="color: #000066;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span></i></div>
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<i data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span data-iceapw="2" style="color: #000066;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: black; font-style: normal;">You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your </span><span style="color: black; font-style: normal;">Father</span><span style="color: black; font-style: normal;"> who is in heaven. </span><em data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2" style="color: black;"><span data-iceapw="2" style="color: #000066;">Matthew 5:43-45</span></em></b></span></i></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span data-iceapw="2" style="color: #000066;"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2" style="color: black;"><span data-iceapw="2" style="color: #000066;"><b style="background-color: white;">And find out what pleases the Lord. <i>Ephesians 5:10</i></b></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span data-iceapw="2" style="color: #000066;"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2" style="color: black;"><span data-iceapw="2" style="color: #000066;"><i><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;">Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;">In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;">Am I perfect? No. Is the owner of Chick-Fil-A perfect? No. Are you perfect? No.</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;">Do I strive to live biblically, support others that do, and love like Jesus? Yes.</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;">Is there a difference between sinning and living in sin? Yes.</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;">Am I the one to judge someone's heart? No. Is anyone else? No.</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;">Do I love sinners? Yes. Do I hate sin? Yes. </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;">I encourage you to seek out God. Draw closer to him and He will draw closer to you. Pray God will give you clarity on any issue you are confused about. Pray God will reveal the sin in your life so that you may continue to grow closer to him. </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;">This world is so broken. Don't forget when it comes down to it, we are sinners. All of us. God sent his Son to die for us that we may go to Heaven. He gave us the bible to learn about what Jesus said so that we may live for Him and give Him glory before we meet with him.</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;">Praying for redemption stories. </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapc="1" data-iceapw="2"><span data-iceapw="2"><span style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"><b style="background-color: white;">Jackie J</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-83935059575676976392012-07-02T13:38:00.002-07:002012-07-02T13:38:28.296-07:00Soakin' up the Son<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better,</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> and it will not be taken away from her."</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>- Luke 10:42</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello to the faithful five that always read my blogs! Sorry it has been so long since I have written, but life has been a little crazy lately with school ending, the death of my beloved uncle, starting an internship at Cross Church Fayetteville, and cheering on my sweet boyfriend in the College World Series! Over the past couple months God has been chiseling away at me to make me better equipped to share His Love and Promise. It hasn't been the most pleasant experience at times, but I hope to soon share with y'all what I have learned. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, though, I'm not going to get quite that deep. Instead I want to share what I feel like God has been putting on my heart the past couple of weeks. Therefore, I want to look at a short bible story that is one of my favorites found in Luke 10:38-42. In case you don't have a bible nearby I'll type it out here:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(38)As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. (39) She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. (40)But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" (41)"<span style="color: red;">Martha, Martha,</span>" the Lord answered, "<span style="color: red;">you are worried and upset about many things, (42) but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So this story has three main characters: Martha, Mary, and Jesus. Let's start with Martha. I'm sure many of us girls, or women I should say since I will be 21 this October (wow!!), can be both sympathetic and empathetic towards her. In fact, some may have had to read it twice. Did Jesus really tell Martha that she was wrong for preparing, cleaning, cooking, and serving? Are those not characteristics that make up a majority of the Proverbs 31 woman?! <span style="background-color: white;">Next we have Mary. She didn't really do much. At all. She sat and listened. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Last we have Jesus, who we know is perfect, so there must be a reason he praised the listener rather than the server in this scenario.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I picture it happening like this:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesus walks in the door. Mary stands there wide-eyed, with her mouth wide open (hopefully free of drool because nothing would be more embarrassing then drooling in front of our Lord!! ha!). Martha runs to greet Jesus and ushers him in apologizing for "the mess" and then rushes off to the kitchen to finish preparing food. Jesus props himself on a table and Mary follows him and sits right in front of him still wide-eyed soaking in everything he had to say. It's not every day the Savior of the world is within arms length. The rest of the story needs no explanation. Martha does a pretty good job of expressing her annoyance with her sister. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I don't attend a Christian University and have not taken any bible classes, but I believe the issue here that Jesus was concerned with was the issue of the heart. When we are in Jesus presence and he is trying to teach us are we too busy preparing and trying to make everything perfect, like Martha? Or do we take time to stop and spend time with Jesus and soak in his glory like Mary did? Are we taking time to sit at Jesus feet gain something much more precious and valuable then a spotless house or perfect meal will ever be?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">If this story were written today, I wonder if there would be added characters to the scene. I've noticed recently that sometimes I catch myself not necessarily being a Martha or a Mary but a ... Jackie. I love people and I love the Christian companionship and social gatherings that a church family provides. The bible HEAVILY encourages fellowship among believers. But it is also important to not get caught up in the "social </span><span style="background-color: white;">responsibilities" of being at a church gathering and miss the whole point. I wonder if the story were in today's time we would read about a separate room full of Jesus loving women that were too busy talking with one another to sit at the feet of the Son of God and soak up his wisdom and love?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So let's make a conscious effort to avoid being a Martha (or Jackie) when entering the presence of God. Let's strive to be Mary's!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God bless! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jackie J</span></div>
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<br /></div>Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-13709094079818994282012-05-15T19:01:00.001-07:002012-05-15T19:10:19.338-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><b>Did she say Hell?!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">"And anyone not written in the book of life was</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Revelation 20:15</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Let's address the elephant on the page: my blog address is "JOYfromJackie" and the title and verse suggest a very different connotation. I'm aware. Please, though, stay with me. Out of all of my blogs so far -- yes, a whopping four of them-- this one weighs on my heart the heaviest. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Growing up in the South I have learned a thing or two about what it takes to a Southern Belle. I don't feel like I have earned that level of status, but I do know (and fit) some of the qualifications:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> *say "bless their heart" --- check </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> *love sweet tea --- check</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> *grew up listening to country music --- check</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> *have the ability to drive a truck --- check (not debatable!!)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> *refuse to believe anyone's cookin' is better than mamma's or grandma's --- check</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> *dream about a perfect wedding --- not a check yet.... but we'll see</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> *go to church on Sunday --- check</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> *love Jesus --- check</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> *never hurt people's feelings (especially never bring up Hell) --- <b><u>unchecked</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm not exactly sure when being a "sweet, southern girl" took precedence over admitting you are a sinner and surrendering your life to Christ, but I'd say it's time we get a priorities in order. I hope you are wearing some thick boots while reading this, because I'm afraid I'm about to step on some toes. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">You know when the preacher on says, "coming to church on Sunday doesn't make you a Christian"? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">He means it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">No, really.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1Corinthians 15:2 says, "By this gospel you are saved, if you should firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This verse (and multiple other verses) says through the gospel you are saved. It does NOT say going to church saves you. It does not say giving money to the church saves you. It does not say repeating ritualistic prayers saves you. It does not say acts of kindness or of service save you. Are these bad things? No. These are all great way for a Christian to obey and honor God. But SO many people have missed the first step. In fact some people quit reading because this hit too close to home. Others reading this have started skimming trying to get to the "juicy" part. SURPRISE!!! This IS the juicy part. You can not go to Heaven without being saved. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Recently I watched "The Avengers" and noticed a parallel between the "Loki" character and Satan. There is one scene where one of the good guys tells Loki that he is going to lose because it is in his nature. They argue and the good guy tells him he will lose because he has no conviction. The more I think about it, the more I get a sinking feeling in my stomach and realize Loki resembles more than just Satan. He also reflects to an extent what will happen to every single unbeliever. They will lose in a BIG way.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Feeling convicted about something does not mean you simply know something is wrong yet you do it anyway. Conviction is not feeling bad for a split second yet you never change your ways. Feeling convicted means you realize you have sinned against a holy, perfect God and whom will send you to Hell if you don't turn away from your sins and believe in His Son Jesus Christ and commit you're life to him.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We've heard you can't go to Heaven if you are not saved. But rarely is the alternative verbalized. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">If you aren't going to Heaven, you are going to <u><b>HELL</b></u>. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">If you lack conviction you aren't saved.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Again, if you aren't saved you are going to <b><u>HELL</u></b>. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It's biblical.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A little tough today, but it is only because I LOVE YOU! I do not want you to spend eternity in a miserable pit of fire (<b><u>HELL)</u></b>. I want you to experience the love of Jesus Christ for the rest of your earthly life and all throughout eternity!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Jackie J </span></div>
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<br /></div>Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-89224977494679050172012-04-20T22:45:00.000-07:002012-04-21T07:53:37.371-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>"And find out what pleases the Lord."</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>- Ephesians 5:10</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have been having a lot of self-esteem issues lately which I feel like is common among girls today. So, I went out on a limb and made a video blog about it. Even though my major is Communications and I should be good at this kind of thing, my heart was pounding the whole time and I struggle through basically the whole video. But Christ's glory is made stronger in our weakness, right?? I hope so! I know it's long, unorganized, and slow, but please watch it when you have time! </span></div>
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<b style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=vulnerability+at+its+most+vulnerable&sa=X&spell=1&search=Search&oi=spell">http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=vulnerability+at+its+most+vulnerable&sa=X&spell=1&search=Search&oi=spell</a></b>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Praying for each person that watches it! </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">God Bless </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jackie</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whome they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">San Francisco. A city that is 7 miles by 7 miles and has a population of above 800,000. A city that is passionate about many things such as the environment and individual rights on controversial issues. A city that is synonymous with the Golden Gate Bridge. A city that has a high homeless population. A city that needs Jesus. A city where I got to spend my break serving God.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Melissa Thomas and myself got the amazing privilege of spending Spring Break 2012 in San Francisco with Ryan and Rachel Blackwell and there adorable son Brady. Ryan is the pastor at First Baptist in SF and his wife is a gifted photographer and both of these people opened up their home for a week to two college girls who didn't really have much planned except that they were in love with this city and what God was doing there. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I went on a mission trip to San Francisco last Spring Break and it absolutely stole my heart- which is weird for a girl that is not a huge fan of rain or of the temperature being below 70. This year since there was not a group going, I decided to invent my own mission trip. Best decision I have ever made. I could go on forever, but I want to hit a few of the high points. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For starters, I am very confident in the fact that God answers prayers. This happens daily in my life but there I want to give you an example that happened in San Francisco. 1 Corinthians 1:5-6 says, " For in him you have been enriched in every way-in all your speaking and in all your knowledge- because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you." On Wednesday I prayed I would live that day so that this verse would describe me. I prayed specifically that people wouldn't see me, they would see Jesus. Well we get to YWAM where we were hanging out with some homeless people and about 3 minutes in to a conversation about the weather with a homeless man he held up his hand to stop me and said, " I know what you got. You got Jesus. He lives in you , doesn't He?" On the outside of course I smiled and said "Yes, He definitely does," and then continued to share he gospel with him along with parts of my testimony. BUT on the INSIDE I was absolutely floored by what God had just done. I knew when I prayed that morning that God would answer it, but He way exceeded my expectations!! How encouraging is it that as a Christian we can ask God for something and He not only answers it- He makes sure to go above and beyond.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Another event that floored me was that when we were serving at a dinner for homeless people, besides the fact that I got asked if I had ever been in playboy and the fact that I received a very unexpected kiss on the cheek while hugging a homeless man, I was able to help give someone hope. Standing there I was thinking, "Man, I wish I knew each one of their stories. You don't just decide one day you want to be homeless, do you?" Then I met James. James is a 50 year old man with a mischievous smile and always ready to answer you with a joke so he can get you laughing. While talking about various things with James and laughing he stopped and said, "This is not me. This is not who I am. I raised two boys that live in Florida. I had a good job. I had a beautiful wife that I loved so much. She died in 2009. That's when I started drinking. That's when I became an alcoholic." As he was talking tears started streaming down his face. This man's addiction had ruined his life completely. He didn't even have a place to rest his head because all he could think about was getting his fix. I was able to tell him about the Celebrate Recovery program FBCSF has but I also went a step farther. I wrote on a piece of paper - "James, Jesus loves you. He cares about you. I care about you. Jesus wants you to over come this. I am praying for you every day." By the grace of God, I was able to give James hope.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Like I said, I could go on for pages with story after story of how God revealed himself, but what I got out of this trip (and what I want you to get out of it also) is prayer is so powerful and that it is really just all about Jesus. Jesus has died so that ALL people may know him. Not just the ones who get get saved young. Not just ones who grew up going to church. Not just ones that kinda messed around with alcohol or drugs a little but got smart and quit that. He died for ALL. Even people that have no hope. So why, then, as Christians are we not trying to be Christ like and reach ALL people for Him?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because most of it's hard work and it means a long term commitment to building a relationship with a person that needs hope. And we just simply don't have time to help someone that doesn't instantly grasp the idea that Jesus died for them and saved them, do we? Well maybe it's time we remember how much time and effort and time God spent (and still has to spend) getting our attention</span>.</span></div>Jackie_Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06222993673235311920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4725317370102635883.post-37585852998162518112012-03-03T20:49:00.003-08:002012-03-03T20:49:50.854-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Heart of a Hillbilly</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with His joy."</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>---Psalm 126:3---</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This verse sums up my past few days so well I am going to say it again; The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with His joy. For those of you that know what's going on and think I'm crazy- Hear me out. For those of you that don't know what's going on and are curious- Hear me out. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'll start from the beginning to avoid any confusion. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">During Thanksgiving 2011 my dad suffered from a severe heart attack. He was in the hospital for about a week after that recovering and regaining his strength. It was ridiculous how much support we had from our friends and family by visits, prayers, and helping hands. The cheerleader in me came out to help cope, so I made a sign. :) No, it didn't say "Go, Fight, Win," although now that I think about it, that would have been fitting as well. I put Jer. 29:12 on it and then wrote down all the names of people that had contacted us telling us they were praying.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After leaving the hospital, Dad started eating healthier and exercising. He wasn't happy about the new foods he was trying and trying to get him to eat it was sometimes like eating with a picky five year old. . . Waaaiiittt, maybe I don't have any room talk? ha! At one point during my Mom's loving and caring attempts to make him a heart healthy, yet still slightly taste-bud appealing meal, she figured out how to bake fries. That night my dad got to eat a whopping FIVE french fries. He said it was the best meal he had ever eaten. The tone in which he said it left it's credibility up to interpretation.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Fast-forward to a week ago: Dad started having chest pains again. He scheduled a stress test to hopefully find a quick fix to what ever was giving him problems. What started as a simple test soon turned into immediate hospitalization and the news that he would have to have bypass surgery. After many schedule changes, surgery finally happened this morning at 7:00am. He is out now and doing well. Prayers are still GREATLY APPRECIATED!!! The surgery went smoothly, but the recovery process is a long, painful one. Please be praying specifically that the pain will be tolerable or completely erased and that he (and my family) can stay positive and joyful throughout the whole process.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now that everyone is up to date on his situation it is time to give credit where credit is due: Jesus. The entire bible points to Jesus. I have recently decided to go rogue and live my life biblical in every aspect of it. Do I mess up every day? No, more like every hour. But the bible is my playbook as a Christian. So I want my life to point to Him. Philippians 4:4-6 COMMANDS us to rejoice always through everything. Then, verse 7 says: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I can tell you first hand after this weekend that this verse is true. Seriously not ONE time since we learned about surgery have I been worried about it. God has a plan that was written way before I was born. For a split second I thought, "Should I be worried, I'm not worried? Am I heartless?" Then God whispered, "No, you are my daughter. Your dad is my son. I will take care of both of you."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Waaaaiiiitttt, WHAAATT?? The God of the universe is taking care of me? The perfect Lamb, Jesus, died for me? The Holy Spirit prays for me when I don't know what to say? Mind. Blown.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am <u style="font-weight: bold;">SOOOOOOOOO</u> unbelievably grateful that we live in a country that could fix my dad's heart and that God made sure it went through without any complications. I am <u style="font-weight: bold;">SOOOOOOO</u> extremely thankful for everyone that prayed. The source of my joy, though, is Jesus. Had he not saved me, my dad, my brother, my mom, YOU from dying forever, none of this other stuff would matter. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jackie :) </span></div>
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