Wow...

I know this isn't the scripture...but it's a hymn that is very close to my heart. 
It was read by Pastor Miles at my wedding and I will never ever forget it.


It encourages me to be grateful and in awe of our Savior and what He's done for us. There should be no grumbling or complaining if we keep the Cross at the forefront of our mind.

I danced in the morning
When the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon
And the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heave
And I danced on the earth,At Bethlehem I had my birth

. 

Dance, then,wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I'll lead you all,
wherever you may be,
And I'll lead you all
in the Dance, said he.

I danced for the scribe
And the pharisee,
But they would not dance
And they wouldn't follow me.
I danced for the fishermen,
For James and John -
They came with me
And the Dance went on.

I danced on the Sabbath
And I cured the lame;
The holy people
Said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped
And they hung me on high,
And they left me there
On a Cross to die.

I danced on a Friday
When the sky turned black -
It's hard to dance
With the devil on your back.
They buried my body
And they thought I'd gone,
But I am the Dance,
And I still go on.

They cut me down
And I leapt up high;
I am the life
That'll never, never die;
I'll live in you
If you'll live in me -
I am the Lord
Of the Dance, said he. 

Nika~

Isaiah 53:11

   The Lord will guide you continually,

    giving you water when you are dry

    and restoring your strength.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

    like an ever-flowing spring.

Have you ever been really tired and you are hot and thirsty? And then you get a cup of cold water? It is amazing how much better you feel after just one cup. This is something the Lord has promised to do for us. He promises to refresh us and revive us, keeping us going on our long run(life)! 

Isn't He awesome?

OVERWHELMINGLY Conquered

"Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation , or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered." But in all these things we OVERWHELMINGLY conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
~Romans 8:25-39

Dearest Reader,
     I'm sure that you've read those verses before. I know that I've read them over countless times. One thing that I absolutely LOVE about Scripture is that I can read it over and over again and still find new things to learn. I read those verses today and I was absolutely astounded by the beauty of the words. I was especially struck by that word:  OVERWHELMINGLY. We OVERWHELMINGLY conquer through Christ. That is SO crazy and SO encouraging especially in regards to fighting sin and temptation. My friends, we OVERWHELMINGLY conquer! Sin has been conquered! Death has been conquered! The battles has been won. Jesus rose. Satan has already lost! "Death is dead. Love has won. Christ has conquered ALL." Can I get an Amen? ;)
Love~Love~Love,
Christie S.

Isaiah 53

Who has believed what he has heard from us?
    And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
     and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    and no beauty that we should desire him.
 He was despised and rejected by men;
    a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
     smitten by God, and afflicted.
 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
     and with his wounds we are healed.
 All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
     yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
    and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
    so he opened not his mouth.
 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
    and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
    stricken for the transgression of my people?
 And they made his grave with the wicked
     and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
    and there was no deceit in his mouth.

 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
    he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
    he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
     make many to be accounted righteous,
     and he shall bear their iniquities.
 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
     and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
    and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
    and makes intercession for the transgressors.

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

Ecclesiastes 6:1-2

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind:  a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. 

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

Philippians 2:3-11

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesusevery knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

Ephesians 5:1-2

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us andgave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

Matthew 7:24-25

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

Philippians 1:6

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Pray without ceasing

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

Acts 2:23-24

This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.  God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

Psalm 144:1-4

Blessed be the Lord, my rock,

     who trains my hands for war,

    and my fingers for battle; 

he is my steadfast love and my fortress,

    my stronghold and my deliverer,

my shield and he in whom I take refuge,

    who subdues peoples under me. 

O Lord, what is man that you regard him

or the son of man that you think of him? 

Man is like a breath;

his days are like a passing shadow.

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

Revelation 5:9-10

And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

    from every tribe and language and people and nation,

 

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

    and they shall reign on the earth.”

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

Ephesians 1:3-6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

What gain has the worker from his toil?  I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.  He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.  I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;  also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.  That which is,already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

(also, happy mothers day!)

Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

The Graciousness of the Lord

Dear Readers,
     I love the lyrical quality of the Psalms... In my opinion those chapters are some of the most beautiful examples of poetry in the entire world. The adjectives are so precise and the imagery is strong. One of my favorite chapters is Psalm 34...

Psalm 34: 17-22
"The righteous cry, and the Lord hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of the all.
He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned."

     I take special comfort in some of those verbs. Take a closer look. Absorb some of the power in those words. It says in that passage that the Lord: "hears, delivers, is near, saves, keeps, and redeems." A lot of the time in this crazy life I feel both "brokenhearted" and "crushed in spirit," but the Lord promises to be "near" and to "save" and "deliver." What a great promise we have, friends! Our God is so gracious.

Love~Love~Love,
Christie

John 6:37

All that the Father gives me will come to me,

 and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

Striving for Good Work

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve."
~Colossians 3:23-24

Dearest Reader,
     I am a senior in high-school. In fact I have just thirty days left and I will be finished!!! Finished. Finite. What a great relief that is going to be... As many of you can imagine I have seniorites. Bad. I've had a countdown on my computer since LAST year. :p I am ready for the next adventure in my life.
     But I must confess... I've had quite a bad attitude towards my schoolwork over the last month or so. I've been kind of sliding by; doing my work halfway and not applying myself as far as tests go... I only have one more final in Math, History, and English. I've already taken my Keyboarding final.
     But I should be doing my work heartily, reader! I should be always striving to do my absolute best and I haven't been doing that! I should be striving to give my work my all knowing that I will be pleasing the Lord.
     I pray, reader, that you are striving to do your work "heartily as for the Lord" not just for men, but so that Christ will be pleased...Take heart my friends.
Love~Love~Love,
Christie

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been savedthrough faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

(esv)

I love this.

so much <3

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

(esv)

I love Ecclesiastes <3

go read it. 

now.

Much Love,

TessieB

Proverbs 29:1

He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,

    will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

(esv)

This hit me really hard yesterday.

Much Love,

TessieB

John 10:27-28

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal 

life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 

(esv)

So comforting <3

Much Love,

TessieB

I will be with you!!!

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you." Isaiah
                   
                          I just love this verse and it has really been an encouragement to me!! 

Whatever you go through, even through the fires and waters(trials) of this world, God is with you. He may decide it is best not so save you from them. But he will help you all the way through and through that, you will grow, becoming more like Christ. God is not going to remove all the problems of our life, but he will be right by us. On our own, we would drown and burn and become lost. But with him, we will not even be scorched. In the verse before it, it says"... I have called you by name; you are Mine!" Isaiah 43:1. God is not going to let You be lost. When you have problems in your life, remember that God has not, is not, and will never leave you on your own. He loves you(his chosen one) and will strengthen you. "I can do everything through Him(and Him alone)who gives me strength."(Philippians 4:13) That also includes getting through all those hard part in your life!

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot.  Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.  For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

(esv)

Much Love,

TessieB

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32 (esv)

Much Love,

TessieB