Monday, September 13, 2010

Day One: Laying the Foundation

This week is going to look very different around here than it usually does.  There won't be any garden pictures or recipes, no homeschooling dilemmas or canning projects.  Instead, I want to devote the entire week to what has become near and dear to my heart and what has propelled me to make some changes- in my thinking, in my life and in one of my favorite places, this blog. I ask you to, please, read each entire post this week.  You can agree with me.  You can disagree with me.  But, please read this week in it's entirety before you decide if I'm crazy or on to something.  Read the posts.  Chew on them.  Pray about them.  Then decide if you're going to stick around here or not.  My prayer is that you do.

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When I asked God for added purpose in my life several months ago, I was envisioning a physical, tangible thing I could do.

Instead, a tent was staked above me and a full-fledged revival took place in my head and my heart.  It is out of this revival, this re-commitment that I have felt lead to a new focus here in this blog.

We all want to have purpose, to feel useful and effective.  I have found my purpose in Genesis 12:1-3 where God promises to bless Abraham and his descendants.  In this way, He reveals His purpose. (Italics mine)
"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those that bless you and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on the earth will be blessed through you."

Are you a descendant of Abraham?  Paul says in Galatians 3:29,

"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heir according to the promise."

What promise?  The one we just read in Genesis. So, God promises to bless those who believe so that we might bless others.  And not just anyone, but "all peoples on the earth".  No small task.  And don't worry.  I'm not proposing we take on the world by ourselves.  That's God's job and He's doing a mighty fine job, but it looks as if we're part of His plan.

What will come when all this blessing reaches all the peoples?  It will lead to the praise and glory and honor of God our Father, also part of God's plan and purpose.

"All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name." Psm. 86:9

 "All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." Rev. 15:4

And through our praise and glory, we will be lifted up to a place of highest honor. An article I read, by Steven C. Hawthorne, for the class I'm taking says this...

"Worship is the way that people glorify God.  When looked at from God's point of view, we can see that worship is also God's way of glorifying people- in all the best sense of bringing people into their highest honor.  Worship fulfills God's love.  He loves people so vastly that He wills to exalt them to something better than greatness; He wants to bring them into an honored nearness to Him.  Stretch your mind and heart as far as you can, but you'll never perceive the extent of what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9)."

This send chills down my spine.

Okay, what do we have so far?  God promises to bless us so that we can bless others.  Through this blessing of all peoples, God will be praised and honored.  It doesn't end there, although it certainly could and should.  No, our God loves us so much that He in turn will bless us AGAIN...

"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love Him..." 
I  Cor. 2:9

Praise the Lord!  I know we don't feel we deserve it, and rightfully so, but God has prepared something special for us.  This is no attempt by our parents or husbands to get us the perfect gift. This is GOD we are talking about and He has prepared something special for us.  God!

We're going to end on this incredibly positive note for today.  Throughout the next few days, I'll build on what is above and reveal more about this new direction.  At the end of the week, I'll offer an invitation for you to join me on this journey to share God's purpose as our own in whatever situation we may find ourselves today and outline where we'll go from here.

You are such dears for sticking with me.  See you tomorrow. Pin It

9 comments:

  1. What a Wonderful Post!! He said if we dont Worship Him the Rocks will cry out to do it! He is a Mighty Awesome God! My husband had a 99.9% blockage in the main artery of his heart. Only thru devine providence did he live thru this! By accident he changed Doctors and is alive today. The Dr said he would of died. This life is by no means an accident. It blows me away that many people dont believe and reason things out. I have enjoyed this! Bless you woman! Hey stop by my Blog and have a mosey. Blessed be the name of the Lord!!
    oxo
    Janet

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  2. Okay, you totally have me hooked! I found your blog thru Homestead Revival & it has become the main blog I read now. I appreciate all that you do for your family & have spent a lot of time reading old posts to learn more. I grew up in NJ but have lived in Florida for almost 10 years. My sister is pretty much a homesteader in VT and though I was once the city girl, I have gained a new appreciation for this way of life, as has my husband. We are considering a move to TN, PA or VT so that we can have a small farm ourselves. With all that said, I love reading all the stories of your daily adventures. And your recipes are great. I love to cook & have gotten some new ideas from you. The best part, is that on top of all this, you are a woman of God. After finding my way back 6 years ago, I am still amazed at His goodness & amazing love. I am looking forward to this journey you will be taking us on! Thank you!

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  3. Thank you Janet and Dawn Marie for your comments and support. It's a bit scary putting yourself out there:-).

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  4. (With a little reading between the lines) I can hardly wait to see where you are going, because I think I can see it. I live in an area of abundance, and chose to live as simply as I could a few years ago, in order to have more to provide. I pray that folks in this area would take that to heart and --whew, the things they could do with just that daily latte money alone!

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  5. I admire your courage. Not just for posting what is so precious in your heart, but for asking and acting on the answers that have been given to you. Thanks for sharing this with us this week.

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  6. Ya I am so excited!! I love the Lord and it is so awesome seeing others love Him as well! I can't wait to see whats in store!! Thanks for your honesty and having a pure heart for the Lord!!

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  7. Awesome,I had a hard weekend and am really praying for miracles.Sometimes we just have to step back,hold off the crafting,hobbies and get back to our foundation with the Lord to get our balance back.

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  8. One more thing...talking about the Lord is so easy to me a bit like churning butter! lol Really tho it is. I had alot of horses with my X and chickens etc. Used to make alot of blackberry jam and can alot of things with my pressure cooker canner. Now Im with my 2nd husband (No 1 was very mean) and he is a gift from the Man and British..Mr Devine! Now Im in Houston and no chickies or duckies here..maybe well make it back to VA where my family is! ox

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  9. Been wanting to get to this ALL week...I'm sitting down now to play catch up. Day one...love it.

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Just a friendly reminder, if you know me personally please try to refrain from using my name. There are those who may try to locate me, break into my pantry and steal my pickled beets. Thanks:-).

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