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Greetings!
 More. I want more. More of HIM who has saved me and forgiven me. I want more of His grace and His mercy. Yes, more mercy. Yes, more grace. PRESENCE - more of His presence. I want to know His presence. His manifest presence in every breath I take. I deeply desire to know Him more. Know Him in all things. As I type this, I hear the verse echoing in my spirit - "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. " Philippians 3:10-11 (read through the rest of the chapter) Do I understand what I am asking? I want to understand. I know that I have not achieved more as of yet but I want more......I think that I want more.....Do I want More? Do You want more? What does your more look like? The "more" I write of is not the next "Christian Wave" It's not the next theological argument in the spotlight. It's not the next hottest book, topic, or thought or way of living or the next thing to do! It is simply MORE of Him who lives within my spirit. His SPIRIT in control of my spirit and in turn my life reflecting a spirit transformed by and for the almighty GOD of this universe! I would love to hear from you about your "MORE".Bring Him Glory!( to give a correct estimate of)
Praying for More! Diane Nix |
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The One Thing
My original intent was to write an article about forgiveness. I quickly realized that it wasn't forgiveness, but unforgiveness that mires us to pain. Living in unforgiveness leaves
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Kristianne Stewart
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Jesus out, and ushers in the dark side of human emotion.
As I sifted through the Internet one night, I came across a forgiveness program based on a series of studies. The forgiveness program was created to show people the ways
to forgiveness. Through their research, nine steps to forgiveness were formulated. It wasn't the nine steps that grabbed me, but rather the "psychological disclaimer at the
bottom of the page." "The practice of forgiveness has been shown to reduce anger, hurt, depression and stress and leads to greater feelings of hope, peace, compassion and self confidence. Practicing forgiveness leads to healthy relationships as well as physical health. It also influences our attitude which opens the heart to kindness, beauty, and love." I was intrigued. Really? You think true forgiveness can be achieved through nine steps and some intense seminars. You'll have to read the rest, I didn't. Instead, I've decided to tell you a story that I have permission to share.
Sarah had a hard life-pregnant and married at fifteen. Divorced, then remarried, two more children, divorced again. She was devastated when her father died, the only man who had shown her unconditional love. Sarah was very close to her two brothers, especially the younger one.So when he married, she wasn't really happy about sharing
him with anyone, especially with his wife, Kelly.
Kelly's life was filled with brokenness and poor choices-saved at twenty-seven, married at thirty. Kelly envisioned gatherings with her in-laws like a Christian/Norman Rockwell scene. Right? Wrong! Sarah was bitter and only tolerated Kelly because of her brother's child, her only niece. Kelly was just as bitter and not any better. Her tangled heart was full of unforgiveness, just like Sarah's.
Distance and time didn't improve their relationship. One day, Kelly received a call that she would always remember. It was the day that Sarah's cancer collided with Kelly's Christianity, propelling her into action. Kelly picked up the phone and called Sarah. "Sarah, you will never be alone. I'm going to help you."
They were an unlikely pair in the treatment center. They laughed and they healed together. On a surgery day, Sarah handed Kelly an envelope, "Open During Surgery". Kelly waited and read a letter filled with a love that caused Kelly's life to change, because there was no room for unforgiveness in a terminal diagnosis. At Sarah's funeral, her small group leader read from her prayer journal. "Forgive each other. Love each other. It all comes down to that doesn't it?"
W hat the forgiveness program left out was the why. Why forgive? What compels us to forgive? Or rather, who compels us to forgive? You may be thinking, I did forgive. But I
can't let go. How many times do I have to do this? Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how manyt imes shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." Matthew 18:21-22. There may be some of you that keep the forgiveness tally, and have surely hit the seventy-seven mark and still counting.
Now, I know some of you are reading this and thinking, "I can't do that. You don't know what I've been through." You're right, and I don't know. And you don't know what I've
been through-but God does. He even knew when it all happened. He still asks you to forgive. "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:24. I ask you to consider this, if you can't forgive, have you ever really known the eternal blessing of forgiveness? "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-15. It took me a while to understand it all too. By the way, Sarah's real name is Sonja, my precious sister-in-law. And Kelly, that's me, Kristianne.
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Strengthened By Grace Life Well Lived
Week 3
Are You aware of the importance of Magnesium?
Frame It Up: Magnesium
Magnesium, the fourth most abundant mineral in your body, is essential to good health. Half of your total body magnesium is found in bone and the other half is found inside
cells of body tissues and organs. Magnesium is used by your body's cells and is necessary to maintain healthy cells. Although only 1% of magnesium is found in blood,
your body works very hard to keep blood levels of magnesium constant. Magnesium helps the body absorb calcium and potassium, which keeps your bones and teeth
strong.Magnesium at ~300 mg/day not only promotes good bone health, but is also used in nearly 300 body biochemical reactions.It has been found to improve sleep, prevent muscle cramping, and fatigue. Eating a wide variety of legumes, nuts, whole grains, and vegetables will help you meet your daily dietary need for magnesium. B6 promotes the absorption of magnesium, so taking a B complex with B6 will help the
body regulate magnesium levels. Vitamin B6 also known as pyridoxine, is found in fish, meat, and bananas.
Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
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Kristianne Stewart
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Ezekiel 37:4
Light It Up: Meditate in the Moment
The word meditate has been twisted in our culture connoting all types of images. As Christians we are called to meditate on His word, confining our thoughts to His will for
us. Review your daily calendar and see how much time and thought goes into each activity. Add it up for the day. Then look at your prayer time with God. Add it up for the
day. Compare your tally and contemplate the words of
Martin Luther, "I have but two days in my calendar - Today, and the Day I stand before Christ."
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
Agape,
Kristianne
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Lunch: It's what the middle of the day is all about!
 | | Kendra Perkins |
Hey Ladies, it's time to talk bout lunch: YOUR NOT EATING ENOUGH!!!!! Bet you weren't expecting that? There are some exceptions but most of us eat a very light lunch, bar or smoothie that lacks sufficient calories and protein to get us through a busy afternoon. Leaving us hungry, lethargic or just plan grumpy, which often leads us to make bad decisions when making food choices, for our selves and our families. Sometimes just changing a few ingredients in a recipe can make a huge difference in nutritional value and satiety: for instance take mayo, highly processed, high fat and low or no real nutritional value, except fat! Here's a recipe substitution that could be used in just about anything that calls for mayo.  If using 1/4 cup mayo, substitute 2 tablespoons  Greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons of prepared hummus. This is awesome in tuna or egg salad. This cuts way down on empty fat calories and ramps up protein and flavor. It's also good as a sandwich spread.
Tuna salad
What you need:
Living the Blessed Life!
Enjoy and God Bless!
Kendra
Nutrition and Fitness
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