I am quickly becoming a fan of this young guy.  His website is full of relevant and cutting edge info.  He cites and does cutting edge research.  Read his bio on his website

www.draxe.com
Let me know what you think.

GF TREAT

Been looking for a good gluten free bread recipe.  GF bread is so expensive and tastes bland with the texture of styrofoam...(I'm not the only one who has this opinion...)  so, I tried this recipe after taking a few weeks to collect the different ingredients.  They are a bit expensive in and of themselves but make many loaves. We just sliced it and spread it with coconut oil and honey.  Quite yummy!
Try it!

http://gfrealfood.com/2009/06/10/kims-gluten-free-dairy-free-whole-grain-bread/

Hi All!
It has been on my mind to restart my blog.  One of my prayers of late has been for God to teach me to love people more and better. Communication...I am a crummy communicator.  I need to practice.  I need a good subject.  No better subject than the Lord Jesus and what He's doing in my life.  My JOURNEY involves being a wife, mother, teacher, and bible study, writing, fitness, nutrition, home-making, physical therapy and FRIENDS.
I'd like this to be a place where we can ask questions, voice a concern, share a funny, pray, post a gluten-free recipe, review a movie...I don't know, just be friends.
Join me?
Outstanding!

COLOSSIANS HERE WE COME!

Hi You Guys,
I am so excited about studying Colossians inductively!  It is going to be great.  I have gotten all the information about how to study inductively and will have it all arranged in a notebook with the text of Colossians printed up for us to use together.  We'll be starting on Monday April 18th.  As you wait to begin, you can be reading through the entire book of Colossians a couple or three times to get the flow and intent of the letter. You'll be one step ahead of the game with that.
Please let me know that you are going to participate and if you will invite any friends to join us.  I want to be prepared for them.
My daughter Abi is going to do the first evening, introducing us to the inductive method, as she has been taught in it and is looking to practice teaching it.  Both of us are excited about this.  I hope you are too!
Let me hear from you and pray for God to speak to us as we learn to study God's Word for ourselves under the direction of the Holy Spirit within us!

MEDITATION: REST AND WORK

At long last, I have arrived at a time when I believe I can begin into a new project!  After having a blessed rest in Monterey, CA with no demands, time alone meditating on scripture with just God and me, and much physical rest, I am truly looking forward to beginning anew. I actually am pretty pumped!

My meditations last week were in Psalm 119 where the psalmist sounds like some kind of goodie-two-shoes where he talks about only meditating on and walking in blameless ways always!  Who is this person?!?!

As a New Testament believer, under the law of grace Romans 6:14-15 and living by the commandment of love Mark 12:30-31, as I read, I replaced “law”, “precept”, “rules”, “statues” with “the law of grace” and when I read “commandments” I inserted the fullness of “loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength” and “your neighbor as yourself”.  When I did this, there was a transformation and challenge of how to apply that “law of grace” and “commandment to love” and see how it applied to 

my everyday life and attitude.

My focus was on the WAW, the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which corresponded to verses 41-48. Here is how it went:

 “Let your steadfast (resolutely unchanging) love come to me, O God, your salvation according to your promise; then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me (the enemy, Deceiver, Satan), for I trust in your Word. And take not the word of truth (God’s Word of Holy Scripture) utterly out of my mouth for my hope is in your rules (law of grace).  I will keep your law (of grace) continually, forever and ever, and I shall walk in a wide place (security, peace, freedom, gracious place) for I have sought your precepts. (law of grace). I will also speak of your testimonies (written or spoken proof of existence) before kings and shall not be put to shame, for I delight in your commandments (to love) which I love.  I will lift up my hands (worship) toward your commandments (to love) which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes (law of grace). ***all parentheticals mine

All of the actions and thoughts are motivated out of gratitude toward God for His grace and provision, not fear of punishment.  Punishment was fully taken by Jesus on the cross.  Discipline and consequence surely follow our rebellion against God’s way, but it is inextricably mixed with His love to bring our hearts back to that “wide place” of security, freedom, mercy and grace IN HIM.  It is God’s heart’s desire for us to love Him back….He’ll do anything to rescue us and bring our hearts to His.

Living bound by the law of grace, I am free to love and see God’s work in my life and in the lives of those around me.  I’m free to live for God where He has seen fit to place me, in the ministries He’s placed me, with security and peace. It is wonderful work and rest! 

HIATUS

This is that last post until spring....April.
Feel free to chat here if you'd like.  I'll check once in a while to see if you have left any comments.
I love you all so much.
Lisa

PURIFY LONGING EXPECTATION

How about this freezing weather?  Where in the world did the global warming go?  I heard tell from the same folks who promote global warming that we are now entering into the ice age that will remedy the vast ice melt that we have experienced in global warming!!! Don’t get me started! It is an amusement, though.  We can have confidence in the Creator of this planet that HE will sustain it for us. I will do my small part but let the Master 

Designer do the maintenance. Wow, side bar!

Do you ever have a longing to go south at this time of the year?  Since the “ice age” began last month, my thoughts go to a place where it is warm with sunshine.  It is a place where I would love to be outdoors much of the time.  I go into hibernation mode about now, something that is not good AT ALL for a woman my age. It takes an act of self discipline to even run errands, no less get to the gym and go for a walk!  I know, for you on this blog that are half my age, you are probably thinking I’m a wimp…could be!

This morning as I was meditating on the second part of 1 John 3:2, I have developed a new longing for my perfection to come as a believer. In love, God gives me a chance to anticipate His appearing. He motivates and excites me about His appearing.  He says in 1 John 3:2 that, as God’s child I don’t know exactly what I’m in for, “But we do know that we will be like him, for we shall see him as he really is.”   Pastor Mike gave three batches of scripture to fill in some of the gaps.

In Philippians 3:20, 21 we are encouraged about our physical change: “But our citizenship is in heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Whew! A glorious body…I don’t have a good picture in my mind of what it will be like, because it is probably ill-perceived, but I know my glorious body won’t get sick, ache or run down!  So, I’m shouting Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 15:50,51  tells that my changed self will be raised imperishable, incorruptible, immortal! That is certainly something to which I look forward!

Psalm 17:15 was picturesque to me. “And I---in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.” The wording almost makes me think that David’s pondering bred awe and longing. Awaking from the sleep of death, he would IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, see Christ’s likeness….without a sin nature, IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, sinless like Jesus! I am nearly breathless with that.  Oh, how I long to be sinless, righteous like Jesus!  And I won’t want another thing but to see Him.

Now the very cool realization here comes in verse 3. “And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.” This longing and expectation of Jesus’ appearing and my subsequent change into His likeness is what purifies me, just as He is pure. This is the answer to the question of, “How do I live till then in my fallible, corroding, sinful body?” “Where is the victory today?” “I cannot do this righteous living thing!” The answer to all of this is to have the eager expectation of His appearing at the forefront of the mind.

 

The forefront of the mind is a battleground for sure.  The thought life is where the flesh succumbs to temptation giving birth to sin.  Watch what the mind’s focus on the appearing does for the walk of the believer. Titus 2:11- 13 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say, “No,” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope---the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (bold italics mine.)  That longing permits me to say, along with Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day---and not only to me but also to all who have long for his appearing.” 2Timothy 4:7-8 (bold italics mine). I can have confidence that my pursuit will be rewarded because of the purifying longing for His appearing.  It will have kept me busy to fight a good fight and win a good race and keep the faith.

I looked at the practicality of day to day focusing that is taught in Colossians 3:1-4.  Setting my mind and heart on things above with Christ and God in heaven, keeps truth of who and what I am in Christ at the forefront of my mind’s eye. Then, “when Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Verse 4.  The verses that come after this are the imperatives of the life lived for the Lord.  However, they cannot be accomplished without the mind being fixed on God, Christ, heaven and His glorious appearing! That is what is going to purify my walk!  The conscious fixing of our minds on those things make possible the walk in life in the imperatives.

 

My business is to focus on the loving relationship the Father desires with me. Relationship. Loving Him back. I’ll walk and talk with Him, longing for the day I’ll see His glorious face, feel His loving hands cup my face, and hear Him say, “I love you. You’re home. Welcome to glory.”

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!