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Welcome! I'm really excited that you have stopped by. I'm sure that you're just as busy as I am but still want to find enjoyable ways to fill your life with God-centered things. Well, you've come to the right place. Whether you have 5 minutes or 35 minutes, there is something here for you. Through each post, I hope to guide you towards the one source for which we can depend on. Subscribe and invite your friends so that we can all grow closer to God together!

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Oh Ye of Little Faith

Today was an interesting day. I received some bad news that upset my plans. Since I am currently in transition in my life, I thought everything was finally falling into place. So receiving bad news was no where near on the agenda.

But, wait.

I call a friend, and she shares with me a miracle that God worked out just today. One of the hubcaps off her car tire fell off last week, so fixing that was today's mission. The store clerk informs her that he does not sell singles hubcaps. Shock! Horror! Come on. Really? So what does God do? He gives her a free one. Yes, He does. Someone she knew bought new hubcaps and saw that she needed one, so he put one on her car. Just like that.

Oh ye of little faith.

I have nothing to say. Fear and doubt crept into my heart sooo quickly. But, then my Protector reminds me who how strong and capable he truly is.

Oh ye of little faith.

God says to me that if He can supply the tires needs, how much more shall he supply the needs of His daughter-- His child?

Oh ye of little faith.

Don't doubt, guys. Life will throw you plenty of curve balls, but remember the HUBCAP!

"He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm." Matthew 8:26



Gone through any trials lately? How has God reminded you that He will take care of you?


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Wednesday, September 24, 2014

What I Experienced during #PrayerWeekend

After dedicating this past weekend to prayer, I can look back and see how God was working. My eyes were opened to see things more of the way that God designed for me to see things.



Awareness. Most people have had at least one best friend, or someone they were really close to, at some point in their life. As the relationship deepened, so did the understanding of what made each person tick. Spending so much time in prayer, made me more aware of God's handiwork throughout the day. It's almost as if I now saw more reasons to pray as I went throughout my day. Things that I ignored or just didn't notice before, now clicked and meant something.

Tenderness. As relationships deepen, the sentiment increases. There was an intimacy that I experienced with God that left me with the warm and fuzzies. I had a longing for Him and felt at ease when I was in His presence.

Endless words. So often time when I'm praying, I feeling like I'm searching for words. So in order to avoid the awkward, I set a time limit on the prayer. When things are heading south, JUMP SHIP! However, that was not the case. I felt that my knees would break before I ran out of words. It was awesome! So many people came to mind; so many instances; so many want and desires. I could have never ended.

* * * * *

There is power in prayer. If nothing else, I gained a stronger bond with my Savior. However, I know that I gained so much more. I wish I could see all the ways that God answers all of my prayers, but I know and trust that He is already working things out in so many lives.

How has God revealed himself to you? How has he answered prayers?


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Monday, September 22, 2014

Paradigm Shift

I get this awesome idea of the ideal meal to cook. I am hungry and can't wait to consume the goodness. So, I toss some of this and that into a mixture and into the oven it goes. What if this happened next:



"Hey," says Mr. IAmAnEgg, "why am I not green like Mr. Greenpepper?"

"Because you are an egg," says Shana.

"But I can really envision how I would be so much better as a green egg."

"You are an egg just in the way that I need you to be. I wouldn't have it any other way," responds Shana.

"Ummm.... I mean I hear what you are saying chef, but how about considering my texture? Mr. Flour's texture would be ideal for me. Just recall how he felt between your fingers," says Mr. IAmAnEgg with confidence.

"Ok, Mr. IAmAnEgg, everything about you is the way that you were intended to be. From the very moment that you were concetualized, your design was right. Your design has no flaws. You scan through the other ingredients trying to put together this plan of what you should become. No need. You have been already crafted. Just allow yourself to be baked so that the useless parts of you are dead and gone and all that is left will be just what is needed for this dish."

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There needs to be a paradigm shift in our minds. We are not to seek who we are to become as if the perfect design wasn't in existence already. We are to ask God to reveal what He has created. Then as he refines us, more of His handiwork is revealed. Yes, sin is real and has messed things up, but it is written, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~Psalm 139:14



If we only embrace truly being God's creation instead of what "creation I wish I was," more people will look at us and only see Christ.

So, instead of asking God "why" because of our dislike for some of the changes He is doing in our lives, we need to say, "Reveal more Creator. Your creation is ready to be your instrument."

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5

"The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house." Isaiah 44:13


Who has God crafted you to be?



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Friday, September 19, 2014

Prayer Weekend

I am at a pivotal point in my life right now and I need to be doing a lot of pray over the next few days. So, as late as it is tonight, I sit at my computer following the beckoning of the Lord to set up  time to pray A LOT this weekend.

"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." ~Matthew 18:19,20

Everyday I am reminded us of how we are all going through trials and need to lean solely on the power of Jesus to carry us through.

"My friends, do not be surprised at the terrible trouble which now comes to test you. Do not think that something strange is happening to you." ~ 1 Peter 4:12


Then why are we so susceptible to trying to stand in prayer alone? God never said we had to.

PLAN OF ACTION. That takes me to God's master plan. This Saturday and Sunday I am dedicating to prayer.

#PrayerWeekend

What does that mean for you?

Send me your prayer request through any other means I have provided on my connect page or post a comment with your request.

What does that me for me?

I will pray without ceasing. Period. Now matter what it takes.

What about people I know?

Spread the word to everyone you know! Share my post on Facebook. Email others you know. Send a text to friends.
Tweet: #PrayerWeekend Post your prayer requests to http://ctt.ec/SaZzg+ @brownetime08

When is the latest I can send in a request?

Any time up until midnight of Sunday.

Then what?

We open our hearts and hands to receive the answer in God's time. That could be two hours or 2 days or 2 years. Whatever timing God has deemed.



"But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint. ~Isaiah 40:31

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!" ~Psalms 37:7

"The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him." ~Lamentations 3:25

I could go on forever, but I will leave some room for you to search the scriptures yourself. :-)

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Let's go! Send me your prayer requests! :-) It's time to give God all the glory and all the power.



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Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Don't Underestimate Your Words

Doesn't it feel that sometimes one comment that someone says to you throws off your peace of mind completely? Well, I feel like that happened to me today.

As I went through my day, I tried to recall where my peaceful state of mind went. Was it because I was hungry? Nope, filled that need. Was it because I was tired? Nope, probably because of the full belly. Well then what could it be?


I prayed a short prayer to God, because I needed His help. I knew that he would be able to shed light on my heart for me. 

After my prayer, He revealed where my unrest came from. Someone had said something earlier to me that challenged my security in Christ and it shook me. All I want to do right now is feel secure in Christ.

What then is stopping me?

Now that I know what the issue is, it can be resolved. I can either allow doubt to creep in and begin chocking out my trust in my protector or I can throw that mess away and believe no matter what. I will chose to believe no matter what.

What is the morale of the story? Always keep your thoughts in check with Jesus's help. That's what the battle is over-- our thoughts. So, don't let Satan win, even over the little things.


Have you surrendered your thoughts to God today??


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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

2,000 Years!?

This summer I read a powerful book called The Hidden Life by Bryan Fraser. One of the chapter's discusses bitterness and the importance of dealing with it. How do we deal with bitterness in today's society? Do we ever really deal?

Let's take a look at our good friends Jacob and Esau. What an interesting set of siblings. Esau just about lost his mind when Jacob conned both him and his father, Isaac. Filled with deep animosity towards his brother, he vows to help him into the grave after his father passes away. Jacob wastes no time skipping town.

He goes through some character building trials in which he in turn gets conned. Finally the time comes when he would be reunited with Esau. Would they clash? Would they forgive? Would there be indifference? So many questions.

We can see in Genesis 33 how things turn out. There is not blood shed but instead we find conversation. Yet, there is something missing from this conversation. No ISSUE IS DISCUSSED. 

"How is the weather?" Esau
"Great," Jacob
"I see you have a lot of kids," Jacob
"Yes, God has been very good to me." Esau
"Business doing well?" Esau
"We have had our ups and downs, but overall I can't complain." Jacob

Wow, that is one seriously life changing resolution....

Fraser notes that bitterness comes in two forms. 1) The bitter person maintains that everything is just fine and that there is nothing to forgive. Ex: I've put it behind me. 2) The bitter person justifies that they have every right to be bitter. That state can become comfortable and enjoyable. Reality is that ignoring or reveling in a problem will not make it go away.

Ignoring the issue will not encourage kindness and patience, nor love and humility. So, how can we foster a Christ-like spirit with bitterness in our heart? We can't, to be matter of fact.

"Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh." James 3:11-12



We have got to let it go. Seriously. Bitterness is like a ticking time tomb just waiting to go off on the same person coddling it like a child. 

But wait, the story does not end there. Esau's descendants, the Edomites, appear after about 500 years in Numbers, but the bitterness has bloomed. But it does not end there. There is a whole book of the Bible dedicated to Mr. Tension, the book of Obadiah. Let's stop yet though, there is the grand finale! We are now in the final hours of Jesus' life. Not wanting to get involved and learning that Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate send him to Herod Antipas who was..... drum roll.... an EDOMITE. Look at that, bitterness emerging once again.

I think the morale of the story is quite clear. God does not want us to be bitter for that long. It was not Jacob and Esau, it was the negativity that they shared with their children. It was the lack of communication that they said was ok that they passed on. Then their kids in turn adapted those feelings and kept the cycle going generation after generation- millennium after millennium.

2,000 years.

Father, your children need to let things go. We need to purge anger, resentment, bitterness, animosity, coldness, indifference, and all the rest of it out of our systems. There is no room for that foolishness and you desire a better life for us. A life in which happiness is rooted in peace. Help us Lord. Amen.

Let this be our prayer-- peace like still waters.




Is there anything that God is pleading with you to release? Post a comment and I will add that to my prayer list.



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