RichGal
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Member Joined Feb 9 2010
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About Me
Blessed to be Mrs. Richard Rockwell Saved by God from a life of alcohol, drugs, domestic violence, depression and despair. Living in surrender to God, to serve Him and bring the Gospel of Salvation to the lost. Thankful for the life I now enjoy in Him, to Him be all the glory! Post a CommentOops!The words you entered did not match the given text. Please try again. 14 Comments
When I first met him, I was captured by his free-spirited self confidence, determination of will, strength of conviction, ability to lead, nonconformity, authenticity, verve, boldness, integrity, devotion, discerning sense of justice, compassion, tenderness, warmth but, most of all, his uniqueness of character, joyful heart and soulful laugh.
He touched me in the deep places with his brazen love and sincere tenderness. It did not take long for me to see what was at the core of his tenderness, his heart was wrapped around a precious little child. He could barely speak of her without tears welling up in his eyes as his chest puffed out with pride and his face melted as oil into a golden cup. I can still see her sleeping on his lap, cradled in his arms in his big chair in his office while the pressures of his work threatened to crush in on her and disturb her peaceful slumber. The years we had together were years full of wonder, amazement, adventure, enlightenment, connectedness, relationship and raw reality. In him, I found the opportunity at last to venture forward unabashed, to explore unchartered territory and to set my spirit free. Gone were the hindrances of judgment and preconceived notions. Thrown to the wind were inhibitions and self-consciousness, rigidity and uniformity. We rejoiced in our love and set goals for the future. Somehow, while we were setting our hearts together toward forever, an insidious presence made itself known. A seed of evil had been dropped into our hearts and was being watered, not by our conscious effort, but rather through careless abandon and wanton neglect. We began to wander aimlessly away from the honorable path and quickly stumbled into the pit of shadows and secrets, eventually into the unfathomable depths of destruction. The door had been opened to abuse, addiction, lies, accusations, contempt, disregard, confusion, unworthiness, degradation and disgust. At first we could skip across the pools of stench and find our way to higher ground, where we could again grasp each other and reach within to lay hold of the golden strand. But the pools spilled out into streams, then rivers, and soon we were helplessly tossed by violent surges of malicious currents that drew us farther and farther away from each other and any hope of ever meeting again on sacred soil. Swallowed in tidal waves of hopelessness and trepidation, we surrendered to fear and wayward desire, and finally disconnected from each other and from the world. In my consternation, I became aware of a fragile yet miraculously preserved bead of oil set upon my heart, unaltered and glistening, yearning to burst forth and cover me again with joy. I tried to wipe it off, smear it, disregard it, yet it was persistently beckoning to seal the crevices, fill the abysmal depths and renew me once again. Yielded to the oil, I am restored. My heart holds all of my life, past and present, and reaches forward to the future.
The Seed
Upon a time I cast my dreams To heaven My heart hence poured Abounding tears Did make requests For favor of The LORD His tender heart With mercy welled His eyes did see my sorrow Into my mind a seed was sown His promise of tomorrow His guidance daily seek did I With whispers in His ear Gently did He hold me fast The LORD, Oh God Most High! Through joyful labor, gleeful toil The tender seed did flourish His hands held firm the tiny seed His smile the seed to nourish One Loving Breath bestowed upon The seed did yield new life The fragrance of its bloom so sweet In His garden, now a wife No evanescent love is this With Root so deep and lush For God has formed One heart for Him His desire warmed in blush
TIGHTROPE ? September 28, 2010
Been praying daily now, for a long time, for The Lord to continue to discipline me and to narrow my path until I am ?as walking on a tightrope,? to put blinders on my eyes, to keep my focus on Him, so that I would not look to the right or the left, lest I fall into destruction. Went to WRMCSN today. It is my habit that when I first arrive at the Center, I read my Bible until I am assigned a client. Today, when I got to the Center, I realized that I had left my Bible at home. There in front of me, on the table where I was sitting, were a couple of old Discipleship Journal magazines. I picked one up and read the table of contents, and turned to the article dealing with ?how will I know God?s voice?? Its subject was the discernment of a born-again Christian in knowing when God has spoken to you, and the mistakes that we make when we are sure we have heard God?s voice and follow what we heard and end up making mistakes, like wrong jobs, wrong moves, wrong spouses, and so on. There in the article were the following paragraphs: What happens if I make a mistake? Because we commonly think of God?s will as a tightrope: There is only one precarious path beginning to end, and any misstep is disastrous. The burden of ?staying in God?s will,? of getting it exactly right every time, is enormous, because the trajectory of our lives is at stake. No wonder we throw up our hands in defeat or collapse into fearful immobility! But what if the outworking of God?s will is more like flying a kite than walking a tightrope? Whether the kite is soaring high overhead?as the flyer might wish?or twisting and darting from side to side, when the string is reeled in, the kite always moves closer to the kite flyer. So it is with God?s will: Wherever we may be, whether or not we are faithful to God?s leading in a particular circumstance, God will take us from there toward the place He desires for us. What God commands (perceptive will), we may or may not obey. What God decrees (decretive will), will nonetheless come to pass. I received this happenstance, leaving my Bible at home and falling upon this article to read, with the exact word ?tightrope? therein contained, as perhaps a message from God telling me that I am being too rigid, too ?stodgy,? that I should be free to fly as a kite knowing that God is holding the tether and that I will always return to Him, even closer. Trouble is, I really don?t want to do this. I am of a very disciplined nature, and am most productive when I walk a straight line. I don?t feel pressured by walking the straight and narrow, I think it is proper and more likely to please God and bring Him glory. I fear that if I fly like a kite I might get stuck in a tree or, God forbid, an electrical line. I do not think it brings me closer to God to be flying free and changing direction so that He has to keep reeling me back in. Pondering this. My heart feels maybe the writer of this article is misled. In Luke 13:24, Jesus is quoted as saying, ?Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.? In Matthew 7:13-15, Jesus is quoted as saying, 13?Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. 15Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep?s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.? I do not agree with the author of the article?s use of the words ?twisting? and ?darting? side to side (!), and especially the fact that he prefaces his statement of kite flying with the words ?what if.? What if he is wrong, or what if he thinks he has heard from God and has, in fact, not? How am I to judge the validity of his words? I am commanded by God, and bound by Him, to believe only His Word, the Holy Bible, as the absolute truth. TIGHTROPE?CONCLUSIONS 1. The only truth is the Bible, the inspired Word of God. 2. When reading anything other than the Bible, as we do when reading the Bible itself, always pray for discernment first. 3. Always be conscious of the fact that the words of men are exactly that, words of men, whose ?hearts are wicked above all things? and whose minds are vulnerable to deception. 4. Always be aware. Go beyond what looks to be harmless, beyond what sounds like learned reasoning, beyond what satisfies the carnal mind. Do not be frivolous when receiving direction from men. ?Lean not on your own understanding.? 5. ?He who has an eye, let him see. He who has an ear, let him hear.? Look and listen with the Holy Spirit as your guide. Be critical. Use sound judgment. Open your heart to God, he desires to plant the truth into it, and is faithful to do so.
Love:
--suffers long and is kind --does not envy --does not parade itself, is not puffed up --does not behave rudely --does not seek its own --is not provoked --thinks no evil --does not rejoice in iniquity --rejoices in the truth --bears all things --believes all things --endures all things --never fails
From got.questions.org
Question: "Should a Christian listen to secular music?" Answer: Many Christians struggle with this question. Many secular musicians are immensely talented. Secular music can be very entertaining. There are many secular songs that have catchy melodies, thoughtful insights, and positive messages. In determining whether or not to listen to secular music, there are three primary factors to consider: 1) the purpose of music, 2) the style of music, and 3) the content of the lyrics. In this comment, we will address 3) the content of the lyrics. Since neither the purpose of music nor the style of music determines whether a Christian should listen to secular music, the content of the lyrics must be considered. While not specifically speaking of music, Philippians 4:8 is an excellent guide for musical lyrics: ?Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable?if anything is excellent or praiseworthy?think about such things.? If we should be thinking about such things, surely those are the things we should invite into our minds through music and lyrics. Can the lyrics in a secular song be true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy? If so, then there is nothing wrong with a Christian listening to a secular song of that nature. However, much of secular music does not meet the standard of Philippians 4:8. Secular music often promotes immorality and violence while belittling purity and integrity. If a song glorifies what opposes God, a Christian should not listen to it. However, there are many secular songs with no mention of God that still uphold godly values such as honesty, purity, and integrity. If a love song promotes the sanctity of marriage and/or the purity of true love?even if it does not mention God or the Bible?it can still be listened to and enjoyed. Whatever a person allows to occupy his mind will sooner or later determine his speech and his actions. This is the premise behind Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 3:2, 5: establishing wholesome thought patterns. Second Corinthians 10:5 says we should ?take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.? These Scriptures give a clear picture of the kind of music we should not listen to. PLEASE NOTE: --The standard/guide established by Philippians 4:8 --The way to cultivate godly thoughts as instructed in Colossians 3:2,5 --The command to bring every thought captive in obedience to Christ as instructed in 2 Corinthians 10:5
I love this post ,Controlling Your Thoughts
by Charles F. Stanley
Having just completed training at the Women's Resource Center Southern Nevada, I am ignited with a fresh fear of God. The Bible is God's Word, it is the Truth, it is not to be taken lightly or misconstrued to our own advantage.
All verses quoted are New King James Version: Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 1Peter 5:5 God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 3John 11 Beloved, do not imitiate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. Proverbs 19:5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape. Psalm 37:29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell in it forever. 1Thessalonians 4:7For God did not call us to uncleannes, but in holiness. Colossians 4:12 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. 2 Timothy 4:22 The Lord Jesus Christ be wtih your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
Controlling Your Thoughts
by Charles F. Stanley I. Introduction: Do you have problems controlling your thoughts? Perhaps you struggle with negative, ungodly thoughts. What you think determines where you end up in life, so it?s vital that you learn to master your mind. II. Scripture: Colossians 3:1-3 III. The Bible is full of truth about the importance of controlling our minds. A.Unbelievers set their minds on what comes naturally to humans?pursuing sensual, selfish or materialistic things (Rom. 8:5-7). B.God gives disobedient people over to their depraved minds (Rom. 1:28). C.We have to be careful that our minds aren?t led away from pure devotion to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2-3). D.Controlling our thoughts is a vital part of spiritual warfare (2 Cor. 10:4-5). IV. How can our transformation into new creatures affect our thought lives? A.The Holy Spirit enables us to walk out the Christian life. We died to our old life, and were raised to walk in newness of life. Example: a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. B.We can learn to view ourselves primarily as children of God: born-again and citizens of heaven. C.To have the mind of Christ means that we agree with Him about what?s good and evil in this world. We share His values and begin to think like Him (2 Cor. 2:16). D.We have to guard our minds from the influence of the world. Example: watching soap operas. E.We must prepare by being alert to erroneous thinking (1 Peter 1:13). ?Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a destiny.? F.Seek first the rule of God in your life, and He will provide for your needs (Matt. 6:33). V. If you want to be happy, even in difficult times, you must think rightly. How do you do that? A. Screen your thoughts. Let the Word of God be the grid of your mind. Reject the thoughts that aren?t compatible with the Bible. Ask yourself these questions: ◦What?s the source? ◦Where will it lead me? ◦Is this scripturally sound? ◦Is this thought going to build me up or tear me down? ◦Can I share this thought with someone else? ◦Does this thought make me feel guilty? ◦Does this fit who I am as a follower of Jesus? B. Reject ungodly thoughts. ◦If you ask yourself the questions above and realize the thought isn?t godly, choose not to think about it again. C. Cultivate godly thoughts. ◦Dwell on things that are good and practice living out those thoughts (Phil. 4:4-9). VI. Closing: Who you will be in the future is a result of what you think in the present. If you don?t like where you?re headed, begin to think godly, positive thoughts, and God will change your destiny.
Of the ungodly, (Jude: 14-15)
Jude:16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, FLATTERING PEOPLE to gain advantage. Prov 29:5 A man who FLATTERS his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. Prov 7:21 With her enticing speech she caused him to yield. With her FLATTERING LIPS she seduced him. Ps 12:2 Everyone lies to his neighbor; their FLATTERING LIPS speak with deception. Ps 12:3 May the Lord cut off all FLATTERING LIPS and every boastful tongue.
REMEMBER!! The devil cannot read your mind, but he is listening to every word you say, and his mission is to steal, kill and destroy. Do not give him food for the fodder. Speak only what is positive, what is good and edifiying, prayer and praise to the Lord. Do not speak negatively, out of bitterness or despair. Speak life into your health and the will of God for you and for others. Let your thoughts be focused on God, He will establish your thoughts. In this way, you will have peace, The Spirit will regenerate and renew your mind, and Satan will have no opportunity to influence you. Close the door on Satan. Rebuke Satan. In the name of Jesus' redemptive blood, Satan MUST flee. This is the gift of Jesus, the power of His Spirit Who lives inside of us through the gift of God, we must exercise this authority as Christians.
2/14/10: On this day, when the secular world is celebrating Valentine's Day, I am reminded by God of His great love. 1 John 4:8 (NKJV) He who does not love does not know God, for God is Love. God is the only example of perfect love, all love comes from God. Many of us have experienced a depth of love far greater than we could have ever imagined we would feel, such as the love between parents and children, husbands and wives, and even close friends. This love that God allows us to feel for each other, the intensity of which sometimes brings us to say things like "love of my life, love like no other, no one else could feel this way" is but a mere speck of the great love that God has for us. Let us apply the intensity of our love for each other to love God in this way, and more, as much as we can, always, so that we may begin to realize and appreciate the true meaning of love as Christ followers, children of The Father, and students of The Spirit.
Hey RichGal, sure glad you joined our site. Please let others you know, that they should join too.
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