Gods timing and Blessings

Things have been so awesome lately.  God has not only been showing himself to like never before but i notice that when i listen, even when its hard that im truly blessed. I had the chance to go on a G3 trip with the SWAT team and that was such a  blessing. i was so nervous cuz  i would be training girls and that just freaked me out but on the way down to the beach we prayed and God gave me such a peace. i was so bummed that my girls could care less about sharin the word  but that did not stop me from doing what i was there to do and it was awesome

also, i have been praying really hard about whether the Lord wants me to be a co counselor for camp. i would love to but i dont wanna do anything outside of Gods plan. so im waiting and if he opens that door then i know its of him.

101 things on the brain

So I’m laying down in the living room, not being able to sleep. it could just be the coffee finally getting to me or the million things on my mind. 1. God is so forgiving and loving and I just can’t fathom why. we daily choose sin over him. we do the wrong thing when I know what I right thing is. Oh man King I am so unworthy of ur love but I thank u for giving it to me. 2. trying to figure out Gods will is sometimes harder than it looks. I don’t wanna make the wrong choice. I don’t want to settle, I don’t wanna take a step where He doesn’t want me to. God lead me and I will follow. 3. school and money are complicated. I have to figure out how to pay for it and how many classes I can handle. I wanna try fulltime but I’m worried I can’t hack it. God give me the strength.

there’s just so much I can’t even explain it all. I think I just needed to lay it at His feet and walk away for a bit. God u are so good.

The Nazirite Vow

This Morning has just been a stinkin blessing. I was able to wake up early and spend time with the Lord. And i have found that wakin up early is so much better then sleeping in. When i wake up early, I have more time with God and i can fully enjoy our time and not rush  cuz i have to be in class or somewhere  in 30 mins or an hour. What a blessing it is to take my time and stinkin get real encouragement and conviction from the Lord. crazyness dude. Anyway really cool thing i read this morning that spoke to me heart and made me smile.

I read 1st Samuel and there is so much in the 1st chapter that just blew my mind but when Hannah makes her vow to the Lord that if the Lord would give her a son, that her son would be the Lords and the  no razor would touch his head (1st Sam. 1:11). I didnt get the big deal at 1st so i read numbers 6. This vow to not cut his hair wasnt just not cutting his hair. It was the Nazirite vow, a vow of seperation to the Lord for a period of time. During this time tho they couldnt drink wine or pretty much have anything to do with anything that is associated with wine. They couldnt cut their hair because his head was consecrated

to consecrate means to be made sacred or devoted to a solemn purpose

Numbers 6:7 ” …Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the Lord, he shall be holy, he shall let locks of his head grow long”

Because during this time they were holy, they could not be around any unclean thing or dead body. If my chance someone died next to them, they were no longer holy but has sinned and had to present a sin offering and cut their hair and start again after they had given their offering (numbers 6: 7-11)

When i read that i was freakin out. Hannah was saying God my son will be separated to you, he will be yours and he will be holy. he will be devoted to you. not for a few years but for his whole life.

It made me realize that i have been taken out of this world and brought to God. i am to be separate from the world and to the Lord, forever. I am to be holy (1st peter 1:16). And when i put myself around the things of this world that are unclean and are sin, i am no longer holy. But thank the Lord that i dont have to kill an animal cuz Christ’s blood already covers my sin offering!!!!!! But i will need to start fresh again and forget before and just move on from there(Numbers 6:12)

How much of a reminder that was for me, to remind me that i am called to holy and set apart for the Lord, that i am his and he is mine. that my life is not my own!!!  And that Christ’s blood is what makes me clean and holy, without it, i would still be unclean and living apart from God. Its not my hair that makes me holy, or sets me apart to God, it was the Blood

Gods Word Finding A Home

This morning has been such a stinkin blessing. i woke up way to early but got to hang with my grandpa before he went to take a bone scan and more tests. we had breakfast smoothies and just talked. such a cool way to start of a school day. but it just got better. here is something that blew my mind during my quiet time

John 8:11 ” If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples”

the word abide means  to remain,stay, dwell, reside, to have ones abode or home in. i also heard John Piper say that the word abide means to take root.

just the def alone got me really thinking. Can i say that im abiding in Gods word? do i remain in his word? is it taking root in my life and mind? Does his word find a home in me?  And if it does then  im truly his disciple. Jon Courson said that a disciple is not only one who follows Jesus but one who continues in, takes heed to, and makes high priority of. so when Gods word is abiding in me, im going to continue in his word, im going to take heed to, and im going to make it a priority. hold rusted metal batman that is so aweosme!!!!!! and it gets better.

John 15:7 ” If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you”

If we remain in the Lord and his word remains in us we can trust that we ask him for something he is faithful to answer and act.(psalm 37:5)

Without Blemish

SO LAST NITE I WAS READING AND ITS CRAZY HOW GOD USES SOMETHING SO SIMPLE YET SO POWERFUL TO REMIND YOU OF HIS POWER AND LOVE FOR US

LEVITICUS 4 AND MOST OF 5 IS TALKING ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SIN OFFERING.

HERE IS WHAT BLEW MY MIND FOR JUST READING A LITTLE BIT LAST NIGHT

LEVITICUS 4:3
“….HE SHALL OFFER FOR THE SIN THAT HE HAS COMMITTED , A BULL FROM THE HERD WITHOUT BLEMISH TO THE LORD FOR A SIN OFFERING”

IN THE EARLIER CHAPTERS WHEN YOU BROUGHT AN ANIMAL IT SAID NOTHING ABOUT IT BEING WITHOUT BLEMISH. A BLEMISH IS A FLAW OR MORE THAN ONE. SO FOR A SIN OFFERING, THAT ANIMAL HAD TO ME WITHOUT FLAWS, IT HAD TO BE PERFECT! HEBREWS 9:12-14 “HE ENTERED ONCE FOR ALL INTO THE HOLY PLACES, NOT BY MEANS OF THE BLOOD OF GOATS AND CALVES, BUT BY MEANS OF HIS OWN BLOOD, THUS SECURING AN ETERNAL  REDEMPTION. FOR IF THE  BLOOD  OF GOATS AND BULLS, AND SPRINKLING OF DEFILED PERSONS WITH ASHES OF A HEIFER, SANCTIFY  FOR THE PURIFICATION OF THE FLESH, HOW MUCH MORE WILL THE BLOOD OF CHIRST, WHO THROUGH THE ETRENAL SPIRIT OFFERED HIMSELF WITHOUT BLEMISH TO GOD, PURIFY OUR CONSCIENCE FROM DEAD WORKS TO SERVE THE LIVING GOD.”

CHRIST WAS WITHOUT BLEMISH, HE WAS A FLAWLESS SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS. HE WAS PERFECT. 2ND COR 5:21 ” FOR OUR SAKE HE MADE HIM TO BE SIN, WHO KNEW NO SIN, SO THAT IN HIM WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD”

HOW AMAZING IS THAT, GOD  HUMBLED HIMSELF(PHIL 2) TO BECOME LIKE MAN, TO FACE WHAT WE FACE, AND YET DID NOT SIN, REMAINED PERFECT, OFFERED UP HIS BODY AND BLOOD FOR US. HE DIDNT JUST STOP THERE, CUZ IF THAT WAS THE END OF IT WE WOULD STILL NEED BULLS AND LAMBS TO COVER OUR SIN BUT CHRIST  ROSE FORM THE DEAD ON THE THIRD DAY!!!!! HE OVERCAME DEATH! HE DIED AND ROSE SO WE DIDNT HAVE TO (ROM 6:23) OH CRAZY!!

EASTER IS THIS WEEK AND I WAS SO CAUGHT UP IN DAY TO DAY THINGS THAT I ALMOST MISSED IT, ITS NOT ABOUT THE FAMILY TIME OR THE EGGS OR THE NEW DRESS BUT ITS ABOUT THE CHRIST DESTROYING THE TEMPLE AND REBUILDING IT IS 3 DAYS(JOHN 2) HIS BODY WAS DESTROYED BUT 3 DAYS LATER  HE ROSE FORM THE DEAD!!!!!! OH MAN IS THAT NOT THE MOST AMAIZNG THING EVER!!!

A Circumcised Heart

Oh man is God amazing! i got so much homework to do today but couldnt go on throughout my day with out sharing my quiet time with you guys

Duet. 10:12-13 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord…”

okay so the section in my bible is called a circumcised heart. circumcised means to purify. Deut. 10:6 ” circumcise therefore the foreskin of  your heart, and  be no longer stubborn”

purify your hearts and be no longer stubbon. Ezekiel 11:19 talks about how God takes out our heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh, “that you may walk in my statutes  and keep my rules and obey them. and they shall be my people and i will be their God”

a circumcised heart is one that is changed by God. God wants to daily change our hearts. everytime we r in his word, serving him, loving him, spending time in prayer. these r all ways God shapes us and molds us. everytime we do what God requires of us, that is a time of change and of renewing.

that really blessed me this morning. just knowing that God is daily changing my heart and making me more and more like him.  how awesome is that? daily God can and does renew and refresh us!!!!!!!!! stinin crazyness

haha sorry if that was kinda all over the place

THE POWER OF THE CROSS

OKAY SO THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW CHANGES FOR ME RECENTLY. ONE OF WHICH IS ONE THAT WAS NEEDED OVER A YEAR AGO. HAVE YOU EVER RAN FROM GOD? MAYBE NOT WALKED AWAY BUT WASNT WHERE HE WANTED YOU TO BE AND YOU FULLY NEW IT? THAT HAS BEEN ME. I STOPPED RUNNING A FEW WEEKS AGO AND AM LETTING GOD LEAD ME AND MOLD AND RESHAPE ME INTO HIS IMAGE. I MEAN I HAVE NEVER WANTED TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIM THEN NOW. MY QUIET TIME USE TO BE REALLY SHORT AND NOW I JUST DONT WANNA STOP. ITS A BLESSING WHEN YOU CAN SEE GOD WORKING EVEN IN SUCH A SHoRT AMOUNT OF TIME.

THE OTHER THING THAT HAS CHANGED IS, IM BACK AT HARVEST. THIS IS WHERE GOD WANTED ME FROM THE START BUT I DIDNT WANNA BE THERE AT THAT TIME AND SO I RAN. NOT THAT RUNNING WASNT A BLESSING BUT IT WANST WHERE I NEEDED TO BE.

ANY WHO, I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU A REALLY COOL DEVOTION FOR TODAY.

1ST CORINTHIANS 1:18 ” FOR THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS IS FOOLISHNESS TO THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING, BUT TO US WHO ARE BEING SAVED IT IS THE POWER OF GOD.” ROMANS 1:16 ” FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD TO SALVATION FOR EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES.”

THOSE WERE THE VERSE’S IN THE ACTIVATE DAILY TODAY AND IT REALLY HIT ME WHEN I WAS DOING MY REGULAR DEVOTION TIME THAT, THERE WOULD BE NO ETERNAL LIFE OR FORGIVENESS WITHOUT THE POWER OF THE CROSS. WITHOUT THE PERFECT SACRIFICE WITHOUT BLEMISH( LEVT. 1:3 HEB 9:14) THAT  HAD TO DIE  FOR US.HE  HAD TO BE BEAT AND BROKEN AND THEN NAILED TO A CROSS, FOR US. FOR ME. GOD BECAME MAN, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF( PHIL 2:2-8) HE BECAME POOR(2ND COR. 8:9) FOR ME. HOW AMAZING IS THAT. YES I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH SO MUCH BUT WITHOUT THE POWER OF THE CROSS, I WOULD NOT HAVE THESE BLESSINGS, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TALK TO GOD FREELY.

DONT EVER BE AFRAID TO TELL SOMEONE ABOUT THE AMAZING POWER OF THE CROSS, BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE POWER IS.

The True Beauty Behind the Cross

So this moring has been such a blessing. i woke uo cranky sick and tired. Then i had some much needed queit time and God stinkin blew my mind. first: i have been going thru Jeremiah as part of my devotions, today i read chapter 8 and verse 21 stuck out to me the most. it says ” ” the wounds of the daughter of my people, is my heart wounded” Jeremiahs heart is beaking because the children of israel are living in their sin and not turning away. they are suffering in it. this was an eye opener for me. how many times do i tell be daily that i love them? am i hurtingwhen they are hurting? and i doing whatever i can to help them, to help them with their struggles?  of am i just being a jerk about it..i find myself thinking iw ish they wouldnt do the things they do but all i do is talk behind there backs instead of really help them and guide them…be what a sister is Christ is truly suppose to be…i can help lead them to the cross

second: i read streams in the dessert along with jeremiah and God reminded me of how awesome it is that we can freely come to him and seek him.” we are able to have as much of God as we want” but we dont spend as much time as we could with him…its sad and i am guilty of it first hand..i get distracted or wanna go do somthing that i rush trhu my quiet time or dont do it at all. how selfish is that? Christ was beat so i could not only be forgiven but that i could come boldly to the cross…why am i not going? it was amazing to spend time just reading and praying and seekin his face..even with Chloe trying to figure out what the heck i was doing lol.

be blessed!

Lets Start From the Top

It has been one of those raining and beautiful days. And on a day like today when your sick and dreading school to start…you have nothing else to do but think and maybe clean…i did both.

I started by cleaning out my closet where i had boxes of junk that needed to be thrown out. and before i get ahead of myself or you..i should let you in on a lil bit of back ground on who i actually am.

My name is Shiree or tree what ever fits your fancy. I am only 19 and have seem so much of the world and somethings i wish i hadn’t seen. I live with my grandpa in a small place called Grand Terrace. i have lived here since i was 6 and love it. my grandma who meant the world to me  passed away when i was 9 and that hit me pretty hard. No one had ever left me who didnt want to. Both my parents choose their vices over there children and for a while i was bitter and angry but once my grandma help breakdown my walls…i didnt need them anymore cuz i had her. she introduced me to the most amazing father a girl or anyone for that matter could have. when i was 14 i gave my life to Christ and have been trying to seek his face and his will ever since. my walk is one of the most important things in my life without God i would truly be nothing. when i was 16 i got my very first boyfriend(go me). his name was kyle and he was a sweet guy. about a year ago we broke up and that has was pretty hard on me. he was my first boyfriend and i thought i really loved him. God had other plans for my future and even tho the wait to hard i try to remind myself that what he has for me is so much better. other than that im going to RCC for a lil bit until i can transfer to CBU and study psychology.  really this is a sped up verison of who i am. i figure you needed a crash course lol. there are only 3 other things you need to know

1. i have such a passion for people

2. i tend to care a lil too much

3. i love and i mean love QUEEN LOL

today has been a day to really let things go for me. i got rid of the things i dont need and will replace them with what i do. i think of it also like sin. so many times i fill my life with the crap that is sin but when i over come what ever is in the way of my and my walk i replace it with the things God has blessed me with.  Oh man is God awesome..he forgives us when we really dont deserve it and he stinkin blesses up when we really dont deserve it…what a great Father.