Spiritual growth...

Okay, I am finishing up my book from Elizabeth George called "A Woman After God's Own Heart." Amazing by the way. I have been using it as a devotional. I can not say enough about it, but that I recommend it to all Christian ladies who are seeking to be more like Christ.

In the book she talks about how to have spiritual growth, and I wanted to share it with you... It is such a great idea. You need to get 5 manila envelope (Or do what I did, I got 5 super cute folders!) Then you are going to pray about 5 areas that you want to have the knowledge of the LORD in. Make sure that they are spiritual things. They could be anything form, Patience, virtue, parenting, being a help meet, womanhood, health, prayer, faith, discipleship, soul winning, Time management, you name it. What ever area the LORD has laid on your heart.

I have only chosen 4 so far, Mine are, wife/ help meet, parenting/ spiritual growth of children, prayer, and Biblical Health.... Still praying about the fifth =)....

Once you have your 5, then you start praying and reading your Bible on these areas. You also find every good Christian book written on the subject and read it. Remember that the most important of the books though is the Bible. Make sure that everything that you are reading lines up with God's word! You also pick an Int ital to mark by each Bible verse in your Bible that relates to the subject that you are studying. Example for Parenting I put a (p) and for help meet I chose (w) , prayer is (pr)... That way as you study your Bible you can look back and know that these verses pertain to that which you are growing in knowledge.

Also do not read at random. Only read those things that pertain to your goals of spiritual growth. She gives a statistic that is quit scary... That only 5% of Americans will go out and buy a book this year and that only 5% will read a book this year.. Yikes... What are we filling our minds with, junk that is on the TV and video games, etc.... We need to be filling our mind with good wholesome things of our LORD and saviour Jesus Christ.

Mrs.George mentions something I think that every Christian woman needs to think about. What do people know you as and what are they going to remember you as. Are they going to say I know that I can call Brittany she is a prayer warrior, or she has a lot of Biblical knowledge on health or how to raise children or how to be a help meet? Or are they going to say she never grew very much, she was a shallow Christian, or what a gossip. I hope the later ones will not be so.

We are all filling our minds... But with what? And our job as Christians is to minister to others. We are saved to serve. So as we grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ we should be using it. We should be a doer not just a hearer. After all that is how we have these great Christian women of whom we Can follow their examples. They have studied to show themselves approved and are trying to teach others. And this is what the Bible teaches us to do as women (Titus 2).

Let me encourage you to take this challenge. Even as you may only study one topic a year or all 5 at time, we are all different and all have a different amount of time. But who knows you may wright the next amazing Christian book to encourage or help other ladies. Or you may even be asked to speak at a ladies event on some topic. The Bible tells us that a heart that hath understanding seeks knowledge (Proverbs 15;14)...

Start praying, what does the LORD want you to be able to share with others. And remember that a heart that is devoted to God and his word and is growing in Him will be overflowing and will not be able to contain itself...

Because of Christ,
Brittany

Love Divine so Great and Wondorus...

One thing that I have personally struggled with since being saved is truly comprehending the love of my Lord and savior that He extends toward me. I love the old song Love divine so great and wondrous. My heart fills with joy each time I hear it, even as it is going through my mind it brings a sweet peace to my heart.

God's love is so profound, yet so real that all who are in Him may taste the sweet savor of it. It is not to far away, not hidden not even somewhere un attainable. It is right in front of us if we chose to see it or not, now that is a different story.

Many of us our troubled by our past. By what our lives used to be. We know that he has saved us and made us whole thought the shed blood on Calvary. Yet we feel that he could never love us. This is a lie from the pits of Hell. The Lord Jesus Christ loved us so much to give his life for our sins. Don't you think that this would be enough to show us. However we still wander through this life with a heavy burden of the way our lives used to be. God says our sin is as far as the east is from the west. He has blotted them out, and to him they are no more. That is why when we come to him for forgiveness of a sin that we may be dealing with over and over we are to mention it by name. Why? Because he has already forgotten it. It has already been covered by the crimson flood.

I thought I had conquered this feeling. I was wrong... I have been doing this devotional on Gods love. It has been amazing. I believe the more and more that you contemplate it the more and more you feel his tender hand. I believe that I have only tapped into the surface of my saviours love. What a spring that is ever flowing. Most of us have always heard that you grow more in your valleys then you do more on your mountain tops. He is ever sweeter and even more nearer. Yet there is still much to be learned on our mountains. I just don't think that we listen as well. We are much more humble when we are on our knees in a cold dark valley with no way out, but to come to Christ to show us the path.

His love is ever present. I know that I tend to over look all the little things that he has done for me. Well what I think are little really are small miracles =) In the devotional guide that I am following she suggests that you keep a praise journal and record every day what the LORD has done for you that day. If you have never tried this, I highly recommend it. IT IS AMAZING. When you really stop and think about all of the things through out the day that the LORD has done, big and small. The first day that I wrote I got my pen out thinking okay I will jot down a few things. Much to my surprise I found my self writing on a page and a half. My heart was jumping for joy as I praised the LORD for all of his answered prayers, the way that he intervened in curtain situations, and just his goodness to me and and my sweet little family. It was great. When you do this you can not help but feel how close the LORD is and his powerful love towards you.

I have struggled with this doubt of does God really love me as much as he loves his other Children. Though I very rarely acknowledge it. If you have never read the book "Lies women believe" I highly recommend it. The lie was given to me as I was having my third child Titus. I knew something was not right as we went to the hospital. I kept asking my husband do you think everything is going to be okay? I just want to go home and see the girl's again. He just kept re assuring me that all would be fine and that I needed to trust the LORD. However I was having that woman's intuition. A God given feeling I believe. I just knew that something was not right. I had had problem pregnancy's with both of my girls. But this one seemed a little better, not quit as bad.

After about a hour the doctors realized that it was not his head in the birth canal but his hand, so they took me for an emergency C section. I lost it, until Joshua asked everyone to leave so that we could pray.

The C section was not normal.. They ended up having to cut a cross on my uterus to get Titus out and he still came out breach. He did not breath for two minutes. I had no idea what was going on.. It had taken them a little over 45 minutes to get him out and they had about 5 doctors in there.

As I was laying there on the table and the chief doctor looked down at me and said " Mrs. Brown I know that you are only 24 years old, but I do not think you will have any more children." It tore me in two.. Joshua had been saying that he wanted to be done after Titus for he was worried about my health with future pregnancies, but I was just not havin' it. I prayed and prayed that the LORD would show me a for sure that he was right. I was so wrong for not trusting his leadership. But I was 24 and had always dreamed of 6 kids running around. Funny how Gods plans are not always the same as ours. But they always end up being better. At that moment I thought God does not want me to have any more kids. I am not a good mother. I do not deserve to raise Children for the LORD. Now when I look back this was nothing of the LORD. This is so hateful and spiteful. Not a Character of our loving Jesus.

Later on I learned that it was a miracle that I had, any of our children. I had a ring in the center of my uterus, one that caused me to have two sides to it. Hints the problem pregnancy's. This was not God showing me that he did not love me it was quite the opposite. He answered my prayer and showed me why I was not going to ever have a precious baby to carry for 9 months again. I was blessed far beyond measure. The doctors were amazed that I had ever had a vaginal delivery and my girls were big girls. 8.14 and 9.6.... Titus was my littlest one.

Even though I know that God loves me and that he has allowed me to have three children on loan to raise to honor and glorify him. I still long to feel that wonderful feeling of little feet kicking around inside. Thus I believe that I have struggled with Gods love. I know that this is not the only reason. But one of the bigger ones. And yet again, I say who am I to ever question my savior. He knows better than I...

God's love is so accessible. Are you willing to give him the love he deserves. When I was struggling with this right after the birth of Titus I have to be honest I was not as faithful to prayer and reading my Bible like I was before. Thank the LORD that Titus will be two in June and I did not stay on that detour very long. A few months was long enough for me. Don't get me wrong I know that there are days when I stray and do not give GOD the time that he deserves and wants from me. And for this I am truly sorry. For I know that I am the one missing out.

If we are not faithful to him then the further away he will seem. Yet he is still there, always calling us to come home! When you want to be close to him, he will never say no....You will feel his love for you I guarantee it....You will feel the joy the peace and the love that only He can give. His love is real. And must never be overlooked. Most of the time I think this lie is struggled with because we have not forgiven ourselves. So we feel like he has not forgotten it. This is just a lie, that old devil is sneaky. Make sure you kick him out and listen to what God says. He has forgotten, it is forgiven as long as you have asked and it is over. Stop dwelling on it and move on. There are great and mighty things that the LORD has for each one of us to do. Though they may seem little. All things are of value for the kingdom of heaven..

So do not forget that Jesus loves you. That is why that is one of the first songs we teach our children, is it not? "Jesus LOVE me this I know for the Bible tells me so". We need to sing that to our selves from time to time.

Always remember if you are doubting Gods love then you will never be able to tell others about it. Which is a shame. There are so many hurting people on a destructive path who need to hear the LOVE of our savior and what he did for you and me and them on the cross of Calvary.

I pray that we could all see Gods love the way that he would have us to see it and that we would go and tell another about his love for the lost and dieing world....

(Text to read... Psalm 139:17-19...Romans 8:38-39...Jeremaih 29:11...Zephaniah 3:17)

Because Of Him,

Brittany

Please remember that you will never know God's love until you have been saved by the blood, through repentance and Faith plus nothing minus nothing...If you have questions please let me know.... =)

Contentment...

"But godliness with contentment is great gain" 1Timothy 6:6

I love this verse. And I am finding it to be more and more true the closer I come to the LORD. Sure I am like every woman, I love to shop and decorate and shop =) However I have learned to do all of these things on a budget so that I can stay at home with my three beautiful children. I would not trade that for anything in the world. I have also found much joy in this verse over the past 6 months. Most of you know that we moved from sunny San Diego to Fargo North Dakota. This was a huge change. At first I questioned God. I knew that it was his will for us to be here and I also knew that it was wrong for me to even ask such a question of my loving saviour who knows what is better for me than I do.

As Joshua prepares to re-enlist it is becoming more and more real to me that we will some day in the near future have to pack up our home and move on to our next journey in the LORD. Where ever he sees fit for us to go. I have found my self sadden by the thoughts of this. If you would have asked me a year ago if I loved it here I would have probably answered "no. But I know this is where the LORD has brought us." But if you asked me today I would have to say "YES" I know that I am not found of the winters and I love the beach. But the LORD has given me a real heart for the people here, and for the area. I am so blessed to have been allowed to come here. And grow in grace and in truth. Y'all know I am partial to the south....hehehe.... But if I knew that we were going to settle here and raise our family I would be perfectly happy with that.

As I look back over the past two years I see so much of what God speaks of in this one little verse. He is not only talking about being content with the things that we have. He is talking about being content with the life he has given us. From things like where we live, who we are married to, what Church we go to, who our friends are, the things we have, the finances that he has given us or not given us. I have come to learn that contentment is just sitting back and enjoying the life that God has so graciously blessed us with. Every aspect. It is putting complete trust in Christ and knowing that he knows better than you... It brings to mind a song that some dear friends of ours sing....Their children wrote it...

He Knows better than I

"Sold into Egypt to be a slave for all his days Joseph was forsaken, in it seemed in every way.
But the deeds they had meant for evil, God meant for his good. When the days seemed so long and dearer he remembered on who he stood.

For he knows better than I , He knows the path I take, his plan is perfect in every single way, So I'll trust him to lead me day by day, My LORD knows better than I.

Many times I don't understand the trials I must face, But in every situation he's given me his grace, so I'll just trust my LORD to guide for he always knows whats best, when I humble my self within his word he takes care of all the rest.

For he knows better than I , He knows the path I take, His plan is perfect in every single way, So I'll trust him to lead me day by day, My LORD knows better than I.....

This is so relevant. He does know better that I. He has proven this to me time and time again. Then why oh why do I see such short sighted. I want to open my heart and eyes and see as far as he does in my life. I know a lot less time would be spent in discontentment with current circumstances. And much more praise would be given to my LORD and Saviour for his goodness and love and for his provision.

After all, Who am I to ever question what God is doing in my life? He is the giver and the taker of all things. He has given me the very life that I sometimes am not content with. I should be ashamed. But praise GOD... He is so patient to show us his will and his truth. He is so gracious to wait for us to comprehend him and all his ways. In this I am truly thankful. What a loving and mighty God we serve. Yes sometimes things can be hard to see through Gods eyes. The whys and the whats of life. But there is so much beauty in the opportunities he gives us. If we spend our life questioning or in discontentment then we will one day look back and tell our selves that we missed the whole point of life. To give God the honor and glory that is do unto him. And he gets this most when a Christian is living in contentment with the circumstances the LORD has given him. Remember that your life is a testimony to the lost around you.

I believe that we will never reach this kind of contentment in the LORD, unless we are coming to him on a daily basis in worship and in praise. Only then will we know the true joy of the life God has given us. When we seek to do all things through him and him alone. When we cast aside the weight of the world and take on his vision. Then will we see his hand in all we do and in all we have. To God be the GLORY!!!

It is amazing to me how some of the shortest verses in our Bible can be filled with such strength and power. As you go about your day I challenge you to think on this verse. And seek after the contentment that the LORD speaks of here. For the Bible says this kind of contentment is great gain....

Because of Him,
Brittany