Chapter 13: Lord, Preserve Me in Purity and Holiness

***By Dorcas Sami***

"Holy" seems like an intimidating word and one that is hard to become simply because as the bible tells us only God alone is holy which to me means pure in every way,  spotless, white as snow and it is  hard for us because we are sinners but then again the bible tells us that we were made by His image which make us little gods therefore it is possible for us to be holy by the grace of God. being Holy isn't a human nature but God's. In our own nature and character it is impossible to live a holy lifestyle in this world we are living but in order to become that lifestyle we first have make it our heart desire then continuously ask God to separate us from our flesh , worldly desires and from the world value system.. Our God isnt a dictator, he gives us choices and our heart's desire.  I'm gonna give you my personal example.  Lately I've been praying and making it my heart's desire that God helps me separate myself from worldly desire.  I used to go to parties in which whenever my fav songs came on I would go crazy as if there is no tomorrow but now that desire has left me.  It isn't by my own strength but by God 's grace because I've been praying for it.  Being Holy is possible if we ask God. 

Just like being able to love God and others  is a miracle, being holy is also a miracle because the bible tells us that able to love is impossible for humans but possible with God.  The same goes with being holy and pure... it is impossible and it's out of our nature especially since we are living in this corrupted world.  But a miracle can happen only if we pray and ask God to help us. 

Being holy and pure is a lifestyle not only in our tongue bt also in our actions, daily living, thoughts n all we do behind closed door.  Being holy also means living a pure lifestyle...a lifestyle nor only in our tongue but thru our actions, heart, thoughts and behind closed doors. Which means staying away from certain tv shows , magazines , sexual immoralities and thoughts that aren't feeding our spirit.  Like I said above all of this will be hard to maintain but with prayer it is possible.  Another example: like said I've praying to be disconnected from the values of this world and I was engaged in some sexual immoralities which I was thinking wasn't harming anyone or myself until the holy spirit revealed it to me.  With prayer I'm now free from it.  Just to tell you it is a hard lifestyle but with prayers it is possible to be holy and pure. It is a miracle! And for miracles to happen we need to ask God...

Once we have accepted Jesus Christ we are sanctified by his blood and we are now know longer living for ourselves but for him and we have to portrait who he is (holy) through our character and for us to do that we need to have a relationship with him and having a relationship with God will help us live a pure life give us the discernment to, recognize what is unpure in our lives and remove from it.  In order to live and maintain a pure and holy life we need to dwell in his presence!

Chapter 12: Lord, plant me so that I will bear all the fruits of Your spirit.

         When I hear or read anything that has to do with "bearing fruits", I instantly think of the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22. Although that is a great guideline to follow on our walks with Christ, this chapter really gets into the nitty gritty details of each fruit and lists other verses besides the one in Galatians that we can refer to. Each quality is intertwines with the other and they all make very important components of how we should live our daily Christian lives (remember, our walk with God isnt a job, but a LIFESTYLE). Everyone has their own way of doing things but these pointers on how to cultivate a good crop really helped me put into perspective whether my methods were efficient or not.
          Honestly, a few fruits I need to work on protecting and watching them grow are patience and gentleness. When it comes to things that get under my skin, I tend to be a little too blunt and may not approach the situation in the nicest way. I dont realize how "mean" or "harsh" I was until after the fact. Stormie's analogy in the introductory paragraph of having to plant a seed and protect it until it is fully flourished is a great way for everyone to track their progress in a sense. We always say "I need to work on this", "Im going to fix that", but are we actually doing something about it? And when we do, are we being consistent in pushing towards the solution? What really stuck with me is the particular characteristics that I need to work but not only to pray for them once and expect them to change, but to MAKE the change and KEEP praying. Please pray in agreement with me in this particular area ladies and I hope everyone has found an accountability partner also, because having a buddy to check you when you dont notice what youre doing helps so much. As always, love you all and have a great week!

Bookclub Housekeeping

Hola chicas,

Happy Sunday!! and beginning of the 4th week in January (yikes!)  Just as a reminder, weekly posts are due on TUESDAY.  And when you are unable to post, you are to find someone who can post for you by the deadline (meaning don't ask at the last minute).  I highly recommend that you mark down on your calendars/ phone reminders/ Google calendars your due dates.  Let's keep this group running smoothly and in excellence.  This week we have Benine doing Chapter 12.

Gracias!!

~Management

Chapter 11: Lord Bless Me in The Work I Do

Salut ladies! I hope all of you are having a wonderful 2013!  I apologize for posting so late.

By reading this chapter, I felt like God and Ms. Omartian  were talking to me. It feels like a wake up call. I work at an early learning center. I love my job, my kids, my boss, and the parents. My kids are my everything right now, they make me feel beautiful and happy.  Like Ms. Martian said " When our work is good, it gives us fulfillment. When we accomplish something worthwhile that makes life better for other people...it gives us satisfaction." I love and take good care of those kids because I know how hard it is in this country to find someone who will care for your kids.

At the beginning of 2013 , I started thinking about leaving my job because it's not paying good. I want to make more money than what I'm making .  But after reading this chapter and proverbs 10, I'm rethinking quitting my job. And I know, I will not get the joy, the satisfaction, the love, the fulfillment so local

One more thing I would like to share with you ladies. I know how the feeling of hunger feels like. I remember when younger, my grandparents did not have enough money to buy food every day. So when I grew up I said to myself " I will never miss oil, onions, salt and rice in my house".

Ch. 10: Lord, Prepare Me yo Be a True Worshipper

So anyone who knows me knows that i strongly dislike medicine and refuse to take it even when doctors prescribe it and i pay a lot of money to get it. So of course i agree with the author when she talks about praising her way through depression. My mother and i were going through a magazine for natural medicines and she came across medicine for stress. Someone please explain to me how medicine can possibly help decrease stress that accumulates when one is overworked or thinks too much? Especially if the person continues to overwork themselves. Praise and worship on the other hand, even during times of stress can bring you joy and peace. This reinforces the idea that what we feed our spirit is what our character is going to display. I don't know if this is only me but has anyone ever watched a movie where the main character accomplishes something and by the end of the movie you are inspired to do something similar? or find yourself feeling in a romantic mood after watching a romance movie? The same applies to when you feed yourself spiritual food; you will find yourself displaying spiritual character.

If you are constantly listening to uplifting gospel music no matter your situation, then you will find yourself praising and worshiping God no matter your circumstance. And as we all know and as the author states, God is definitely worthy of our worship and praise and some of the reasons why He is deserving of our worship is listed for us in the book but there are many more reasons than that. Because God is worthy of our praise we have to be true worshippers and worship Him in spirit and in truth. He wants us to display our worship through our physical actions such as raising our hands, singing, dancing, and worshipping. If you think about it for all the gifts that God gives you everyday worship and praise is the only gift you can give back to Him in return. Material things mean nothing to Him because he created it all; the only thing we can offer Him is our worship and praise because for one He created us for this sole purpose and also because like humans God loves to hear people sing His praises and exalt him so why no offer Him what he loves? I pray that God helps us all to be true worshippers and worship Him in spirit and in truth by giving our all to Him starting today.

Too Blessed To Be Depressed and Too Endowed Not To Show It

You are a child of a king so make sure the whole world sees that

Much Love <3

A.E

Testing 1, 2....

Hola chicas,

HAPPY NEW YEAR to those I haven't seen yet!!  This is just a test to make sure that everyone is receiving the post.  Please reply back with a "Yay" so I know we're all getting them.  Since a couple of the members are not on Facebook, we will communicate via the wonderful blog.

We will resume our weekly reading and posting next week with Chapter 10.  As established in our Facebook convo, I will provide below the rotation schedule so everyone knows which week they will be posting.  Weekly postings are due every TUESDAY.  If you are very busy and are unable to post for your particular week, please find someone to trade with. 

Starting next week, the schedule will go as follows...

1. Abbie E.
2. Djedje M.
3. Benine M.
4. Chrystelle L.
5. Clarisse L.
6. Dorcas S.
7. Lucia 
8. Vanessa L.
9. Laetitia L.
10. Vanessa M.
11. Nana E.

When it's not your week to post, all are encouraged to read and comment on the posts... to keep the sharing, learning, and accountability going.  And like Benine posted on FB, those who want to and can totally should meet face-to-face (or to skype) to discuss!  Let's make this as interactive as possible!!

Love you all! XOXOX